The Sycamore Rotary's meeting on November 29th will feature information on the various charities we'll be supporting during the holiday season.
Neilly Berger, the Homeless Liason for the Sycamore School District, will be the featured speaker; she will update us on what the district does for its homeless students during this season and year 'round.
There will also be updates on what we're doing for this year's Adopt a Family project; we will be assisting up to five families and some individual emancipated students, by providing them with Christmas gifts and other perks for the holiday season.
Other projects to be covered include the Sycamore Food Pantry, Operation Warm, Goodfellows and Toys for Tots. Rotarians are asked to contribute to the latter, by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to the Rotary meeting; these items will be presented during the annual Toys for Tots Benefit Concert in DeKalb on Sunday, December 3rd.
Sycamore Rotarians are again being asked to contribute towards this year's Toys for Tots drive, conducted by the Salvation Army and the DeKalb County Marine Corps League.
Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to the November 29th meeting, as part of our "Season of Giving" event; these toys will be presented during the annual Toys for Tots benefit concert, scheduled to be held on Sunday, December 3rd at the DeKalb County high-rise on Taylor Street in DeKalb.
The Rock Island Rotary Club has informed us of the passing of Fred Luckenbill; he died on Thanksgiving Day, at the age of 82.
Fred was a longtime Rotarian, an important figure at the District level and a dedicated humanitarian. Those of us who knew and worked with him will miss his contributions to Rotary District 6420; we offer our condolences to his family.
A obituary and funeral information is available at this link
The Sycamore Rotary's meeting site at Blumen Gardens is also the hub of activity for the Goodfellows during the Christmas season -- and Rotarians are encouraged to help out during the next few weeks.
Each year, Goodfellows bands together for a single purpose: to provide children with clothing for the holiday season. This year, over 1,000 children are expected to be served; to help out, the Goodfellows will hold its annual Office Party benefit on Thursday, December 7th at P.J.'s Courthouse Tavern, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
You can also help with gift-wrapping, as the organization takes over Blumen Gardens to prepare these gifts for delivery; wrapping will be held on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. beginning on December 9th. Rotary will be doing its part, by donating the remaining coats from Operation Warm to the Goodfellows for them to distribute as needed.
And the campaign culminates on Christmas Eve, as community members are asked to take the gifts to homes in the DeKalb and Sycamore area; volunteers will gather at Blumen Gardens at 8 a.m. that morning, to pick out some of the distinctive red and green plastic bags filled with Christmas cheer for delivery to their recipient families.
Please contact Riley Oncken if you have any questions, or would like to make a donation.
Continuing an annual tradition, the Sycamore Rotary Club will be helping out families in need...by making their Christmas a little brighter.
Families from each of Sycamore's District 427 schools have been selected for our annual Adopt-a-Family project; each will receive a helping hand for the season, with the purchase of Christmas gifts on their behalf.
We will be assisting these select families, as well as some individual emancipated students, during the month of December. For privacy reasons, their identities will not be disclosed; but for whomever they are, it's our hope that we can do something to make the holiday season a happier one for them.
The Sycamore Rotary Club will be manning collection kettles on behalf of the Salvation Army for DeKalb County on Saturday, December 2nd; we will be at the Jewel-Osco on Peace Road from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
At least two Rotarians will be needed for each shift; we will be signing up volunteers at an upcoming Rotary Club meeting. See Dave Andrews for more information.
This year's annual Rotary Holiday Party will be held at Taxco Restaurant in downtown Sycamore on Wednesday, December 20th.
We will be gathering at our usual meeting time, at 11:45 a.m. Details of the party are still being worked out; please keep watch for more details.
This will be our last official Rotary event of 2017; the following week's meeting on December 27th has been cancelled, so Rotarians can enjoy the holiday season with their family and friends.
The Rotary Board of Directors has two vacancies -- one which needs to be filled immediately, and another for next year.
A new Director is needed forthwith; whomever takes on this role will serve as Club President in 2020-21.
We will also be needing someone to join the Board in July of 2018, as Past President Sue Emberson completes her term of service. That Rotarian would serve as Club President for 2021-22.
If you are interested in either seat on the Board, please contact Eric Jones for more information.
Attendance Report -- November 29, 2017
Attendance: 59.70%
Guests of Members:Tatum Glas (Jeff Petersen), Teffy & Jeannine Chamoun (Ahmed Kamel), Beata Palasiewicz (Eric Jones), Tana Knetsch (Brian Adams), Isabelle Galardo (Ahmed Kamel), Johnathan Delaughter (Ahmed Kamel), Rudolph & Terresita Sterkel (Kathy Countryman) former members of Sunrise Club, now in Germany
Other Guests: Luca-Sophie Giese (exchange student)
