Although we have suspended indefinitely the in-person meetings of Sycamore Rotary, we are using “The Spoke” to stay connected with you during these challenging times. Foremost in your minds should be the current advice from health professionals:
If you are sick, stay home
If you are at risk (i.e. older adult or a person suffering from heart disease, diabetes, and/or lung disease) reduce public exposure
Frequently wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds
United Way service information line (for general help resources): DIAL 211 or go to www.findhelp211.org
Your board of directors looks forward to the time when our weekly meetings will resume. In the meantime, feel free to share comments or thoughts on future content of “The Spoke” with editor Tim Neubert (email timneubert@sbcglobal.net).
Supporting your local Businesses now means creating a prosperous future for all of us.
GIVE THE GIFT OF BUSINESS – If you typically frequent a business, buy a gift card that covers your usual patronage. Then spread out the use of the gift card over time. In addition, give one as a gift to someone that might not normally shop there.
KEEP YOUR SUBSCRIPTION/MEMBERSHIP – Many small businesses rely on your support to keep their doors open. If you have a subscription or membership to a gym, exercise class, music lessons, dance academy, etc. – pay and keep them current. Your subscription could save a business.
BUY NOW PICK UP LATER – If you planned on buying a manufactured product like a guitar, clothing, or specialized good – call instead and buy it, have them set it aside, and pick it up later. Shopping local businesses online is a great option as well.
ASK HOW YOU CAN HELP – If you know the owners or employees of a business personally, drop a line and ask them how you can help with ideas specific to their business.
Use this web address for information on businesses including restaurants offering carry-out or delivery options even though their on-site dining is curtailed: https://sycamorechamber.com/community-advocacy/
Hula for Loota, our annual fundraiser to support our scholarship fund that provides financial scholarships for college-bound seniors at Sycamore High School, has been postponed from its original date of Thursday, April 9. The club is currently considering alternate dates of April 30 or May 14, but we'll keep you posted.
You may be able to better navigate stress in your life by:
Identifying stressors and seeking help - Counseling, such as bereavement, financial or marital counseling, can help tackle a root cause of stress. If causes are less clear, therapy can still help you manage your reactions to stress.
Setting limits on worry - Schedule a window of time to consider issues causing stress and make plans to resolve or chip away at them. Gain perspective by asking yourself if the cause of the stress will matter in five years.
Taking breaks for yourself - Have a go-to set of stress-reducing tools such as deep breathing, meditation or a warm bath. Other steps may include putting aside the to-do list, turning off the news, going for a walk, positive self-talk or journaling.
Take care of health fundamentals - Add resiliency with a healthy diet, good sleep and regular exercise. Avoid turning to tobacco products, alcohol or other drugs for relief.
Cutting down on minor stressors - Ask or hire someone to help with yardwork or meals. Make a list of things to do and prioritize, plan and pace yourself through the list.
Spending time with positive people - Authentic connections make you stronger and provide many ways to relieve stress.
1852 – Henry Wells and William Fargo join to form a shipping and trading company to serve the needs of those taking part in the California Gold Rush. Wells Fargo is now one of the nation’s largest banks.
1892 – Lord Stanley of Preston pledges to donate a challenge cup for the best ice hockey team in Canada. Today the Stanley Cup is the world’s most prestigious ice hockey trophy.
1965 – Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first per to walk in space. His tethered spacewalk lasted 12 minutes.
College preparation and career readiness are the focus of the Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) as it works with five local school districts and Kishwaukee College to offer classes to area high school youth. Executive Director Tom Crouch gave an update about the organization’s vocational, alternative, and college credit programs at the March 11 Sycamore Rotary meeting. KEC began in the 1980s and offers tech and college prep to 600 to 700 students each year from the Sycamore, DeKalb, Genoa-Kingston, Hiawatha, and Rochelle school districts. Alternate education programs were added in the 1990s. KEC’s main site is on the campus of Kishwaukee College in Malta.
Crouch listed an extensive list of 21 career certifications and college credit courses made available through KEC, some with special community partnerships. For example, instruction for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training comes from Sycamore and Cortland fire departments. The aviation program is based at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. Welding includes using facilities at Sycamore High School.
Crouch gave some impressive results from the Consortium’s dedicated staff and low student to teacher ratio (14 to 1 versus a typical public high school class of 25 to 1). In their alternative education program, 70 % of the students that come to KEC are chronically truant, behind in graduation credits, and needing social service help because of emotional or life-setting challenges. But, the graduation rate of the KEC Pathways career tech program is 91%. Overall, the KEC graduation rate is 93% versus a state high school rate of 81%.
Going forward Crouch said he is looking at job demand, technology, and job candidate preparations for curriculum enhancements. This includes adding night classes to accommodate schedules of both students and faculty, more computer training; and soft-skills training so someone graduating from KEC has both the technical skills and social skills to be a success in the workplace or at an institution of higher learning.
Birthdays & Club Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Riley Oncken
September 1
Steven Kuhn
September 3
Larry Sill
September 10
Ray Dembinski
September 13
Join Date
Sejal Patel
September 2, 2015
5 years
Michael DeVito
September 6, 2017
3 years
Patrick Solar
September 9, 1998
22 years
Ahmed Kamel
September 11, 2005
15 years
Robert Daniel
September 27, 2018
2 years
To provide feedback or contribute content for this newsletter, please contact Tim Neubert at timneubert@sbcglobal.net.
