Now in its 76th year, the Rotary Club of Sycamore took the giant leap into the digital age when its May 27th meeting was conducted via “Zoom” because of restrictions still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Pat Shafer called the “virtual” meeting to order with 28 members participating via their computers and phones. This new meeting format will continue for the time being Meanwhile, events like the golf outing and “Hula-For-Loota” are sidelined.
An impromptu fundraiser occurred while discussion was going on about alternate ways to support the club’s college scholarships. Rotarian Ahmed Kamel said he would match giving up to $1,000 leading to a flurry of $100 pledges beyond the $1,000 mark. Contact Treasurer Dr. Michele Jurkovic (mjurko3541@aol.com) if you wish to add to the total. Rotarian Julie Sgarlata announced plans to present school-age Interact members with water bottles. A tree in honor of Barry Schrader for his work organizing the Satellite Club at Oak Crest will be planted at the retirement center. And Rotarian Bob Brown made a pitch promoting Mayor Curt Lang’s veterans tree planting program (details at www.sycamoreveteransgrove.com)
Featured speaker was President-elect Michael DeVito. Borrowing from his classification speech, he highlighted his years growing up in Sycamore, marrying Madeline, and embarking on a career in the insurance industry. He and his wife are avid travelers and look forward to pandemic restrictions being lifted in the future. DeVito outlined an eight-point focus for his upcoming Rotary year:
- Preserve the values of Rotary.
- Double-down on Club Runner as the primary information tool.
- Improve meeting attendance with special attention to high-quality speakers.
- Survey the membership on club needs and desires.
- Raise club identity awareness in the community.
- Consider corporate memberships.
- Commit to use of the Spoke to keep members informed.
- Revive “Rotaract” to bring college-age students and young professionals into Rotary.
The meeting ended with a reminder that another “Zoom” session will be held next week.
See screenshot photo below (Credit: Tim Neubert)