The Sycamore Rotary satellite clubs of Oak Crest and Rotaract plus the Kishwaukee Sunrise Club all gave updates at this week’s meeting. Guest speakers were club presidents Christine Kyler from Oak Crest, Michael Paul from the Sunrise Club, and Trenton DeVito from Rotaract.
Christine Kyler – The Oak Crest Club is just beginning to do in-person activities following Covid restrictions, although the Oak Crest facility is not open for meetings. Kyler said they started the year with a trip to the DeKalb County History Center. Coming up is a visit to the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport for an in-person presentation on World War II drones made by the Wurlitzer Company. They previously heard a “Zoom” version of the talk. Despite Covid, the club was able to raise $900 for the Foundation’s End Polio campaign. Kyler paid special tribute to the late Barry Schrader for his efforts at organizing the Oak Crest Club which now has 27 regular meeting participants.
Michael Paul – The Kishwaukee Sunrise Club is now meeting every other Tuesday morning at 7 AM at the Kishwaukee YMCA with a membership of 29. Paul said their fundraising was limited but they were still able to donate $5,000 this past year to three groups: Adventure Works, RAMP, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Their normal grants total $10,000 and Paul says he expects to reach that level of giving this year with a “Taste of DeKalb” fundraiser as part of the Corn Classic 10K and 5K runs September 26. Other recent support and activities involved a collaboration with District 6420 for a $4,000 grant to the Voluntary Action Center, $2,500 from an on-line auction for the PolioPlus campaign, $1,340 to the Salvation Army at Christmas (plus volunteer bell ringing), support for the Shelter Box program, and help with the Meals on Wheels program.
Trenton DeVito – The Rotaract Club of young professionals was launched in the midst of the pandemic but already has 15 members. DeVito said their support in 2020 included funds for the Sycamore Food Pantry and Spartan Food Pantry, a grant to the County Health Department for a mobile medical trailer, and a scholarship fund. The Rotaract Club also established a free lending library stand and they are funding a Born Learning Trail at North Grove School with guidance from Kishwaukee United Way. Also, based on a special need brought to their attention from the schools, DeVito says Rotaract undertook a collection of hygiene items to go to homeless students. DeVito said the group hopes to get other local Rotary Clubs to help with a Pumpkinfest float this year. Last year the club sold 500 pumpkin-themed masks, but he said something even more innovative is planned for this year – stay tuned for details!
As a reminder, the club begins delivering the Sycamore West route for Meals On Wheels starting Monday, August 16.
10:45 AM pick up at Volunteer Action Center complex, 1606 Bethany Road in Sycamore. Masks are appreciated, but not required.
The members delivering August 16-20: Sally Bruch, Heidi Wright, Bob Brown, Eric Jones, Mike Villalta, Renae Wilkinson, Paulette Renault, Paul Callighan, Tim Neubert
Join us as we ride the scenic Fox River and sample local, fresh brew. Ticket price includes the river cruise, 6 different beer sample from three St. Charles breweries (Riverlands, Alter, and Pollyanna). Fundraiser supports local non-profits benefitting children and students.
Below is a list of art fairs in the northern Illinois area that I found for the next few months. There are probably more, but this is a start. If you are looking for a good time, art fairs are usually a lot of fun. If you go, please collect business cards from vendors and any literature about the event. Get them to me and we can create a data base of vendors for our future event. Remember, no database, no event. Let's all get behind this and have some fun. Pick a fair and a couple of other Rotarians and make a fun day of it.
Posted by Ryan Hyland, Rotary International on Aug 05, 2021
Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2023-24. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
McInally lauded Rotary’s ability to adapt technologically during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the approach should continue and be combined with the best of our past practices as Rotary seeks to grow and increase engagement.
“We have learned there is a willingness within communities to care for one another,” he says, “and we must ensure that we encourage people who have recently embraced the concept of volunteering to join us to allow them to continue giving service.”
McInally says that senior leaders’ ability to communicate directly with club members online will be one positive legacy of the changes Rotary has had to make. But, he adds, “face-to-face meetings remain important, as they encourage greater interaction.”
The best way to increase membership is engagement, according to McInally. To better support clubs, he says, Rotary International, regional leaders, and district teams all need to engage with them. Engagement through social media will reinforce Rotary’s brand and showcase the opportunities that come with it. And, he says, engagement with governments, corporations, and other organizations will lead to meaningful partnerships.
With better engagement, McInally says, “We will grow Rotary both by way of membership and in our ability to provide meaningful service.”
He adds, “Membership is the lifeblood of our organization. I would encourage the use of the flexibility now available to establish new-style clubs that would appeal to a different demographic.”
McInally, a graduate of dental surgery at the University of Dundee, owned and operated his own dental practice in Edinburgh. He was the chair of the British Paedodontic Society and has held various academic positions. He has also served as a Presbytery elder, chair of Queensferry Parish Congregational Board, and commissioner to the church’s general assembly.
A Rotary member since 1984, McInally has been president and vice president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. He has also served Rotary International as a director and as member or chair of several committees. He is currently an adviser to the 2022 Houston Convention Committee and vice chair of the Operations Review Committee.
McInally and his wife, Heather, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation. They are also members of the Bequest Society.
The members of the Nominating Committee for the 2023-24 President of Rotary International are: Gérard Allonneau, Parthenay, France; Ann-Britt Åsebol, Falun-Kopparvågen, Sweden; Basker Chockalingam, Karur, Tamil Nadu, India; Corneliu Dincă, Craiova, Romania; Celia Cruz de Giay, Arrecifes, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mary Beth Growney Selene, Madison West Towne-Middleton, Wisconsin, USA; Jackson S.L. Hsieh, Taipei Sunrise, Taiwan; Masahiro Kuroda, Hachinohe South, Aomori, Japan; Larry A. Lunsford (secretary), Kansas City-Plaza, Missouri, USA; Anne L. Matthews (chair), Columbia East, South Carolina, USA; Akira Miki, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan; Eun-Soo Moon, Cheonan-Dosol, Chungcheongnam, Korea; Peter L. Offer, Coventry Jubilee, West Midlands, England; Ekkehart Pandel, Bückeburg, Germany; M.K. Panduranga Setty, Bangalore, Karnataka, India; Andy Smallwood, Houston Hobby Area, Texas, USA; and Steven A. Snyder, Auburn, California, USA.
August 10, 1874 – Herbert Hoover, the 31st U. S. President, is born in West Branch, Iowa. He is the first President born west of the Mississippi River.
August 11, 1921 – “Roots” author Alex Haley is born in Ithaca, New York.
August 12, 1881 – Film pioneer (“The Ten Commandments” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”) Cecil B. DeMille is born in Ashfield, Massachusetts.
August 13, 1860 – Wild West performer Annie Oakley, known for her shooting ability, is born in Darke County, Ohio.
August 9, 1974 – Effective at noon, Richard M. Nixon resigned from the Presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal.
August 11, 1965 – Six days of riots begin in the Watts area of Los Angeles triggered by a traffic stop and subsequent fight between an African American motorist and a white member of the California Highway Patrol. The rioting results in 34 deaths, more than 3,000 people arrested, and damage to property listed at $40 million.
August 14, 1935 – President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act guaranteeing a pension supplement to workers retiring at age 65.
August 14, 1945 – V-J Day; President Harry Truman announces the Japanese surrender to the Allies to end World War II.
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