Illinois has a long, rich legacy in the sport of basketball; from high school memories and legends of the IHSA tournament, to the NBA title runs of the Chicago Bulls, basketball is deeply rooted in the state's culture. But unlike other nearby states with similar traditions, there is not yet a museum devoted to the state's history in the sport.
Bruce Firchau is among those leading the charge to give the sport a repository for its basketball keepsakes and legacy; he spoke to Rotary on behalf of the Basketball Museum of Illinois, which is scheduled to be open and ready for use in Pontiac by the fall of 2019. This is an effort sponsored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association; Pontiac was chosen out of a number of candidate cities, mainly because of its ongoing effort to become a "City of Museums" -- it already hosts several other museums, and the proposed site (a converted K-Mart) will share space with a transportation museum.
Firchau says he and his colleagues have interviewed many former players and coaches, to gather and preserve their stories for generations to come. They have recounted tales from the glory days of high school basketball, including the championship run of Hebron and the near-miss for tiny Cobden; Loyola's push for the NCAA title in 1963; and the struggle of those who were left out in the early days of the game, including girls and African-American youths.
While he says they will deal equally with the good and the bad of the sport's history, the aim is to inspire future players and coaches; many who didn't find success on the hardwood, still used the lessons of hard work, sacrifice and teamwork to inspire them in their careers and their lives.
Voting is now in progress for the annual John W. Ovitz, Jr. Rotarian of the Year Award; members of the Rotary Club of Sycamore are being asked to select the one Rotarian whom they believe has best exemplified the goals and philosophy of Rotary during the past year.
All Rotarians have received a ballot via electronic mail; they are each asked to select one Rotarian for consideration, and submit their vote electronically...or vote in person during the June 13th Rotary Club meeting, at the new Park District Community Center. The deadline for all ballots is 1 p.m. on the 13th; the recipient will be announced at the Installation Dinner on Wednesday, June 27th.
This award is named in honor of Dr. Ovitz, the longest-serving Rotarian in the club's history; he served as a Rotarian until his passing in 2013 at the age of 99, shortly after it was renamed in his honor. He himself received the award in 1999.
The June 13th meeting of the Sycamore Rotary Club will be held at the brand-new Sycamore Park District Community Center, located on Airport Road.
Rotarians will be gathering there at the usual time; the afternoon will include lunch, and a tour of the new facilities...including the gymnasium, fitness center, exercise rooms and other locations.
The annual Sycamore Rotary Club Golf Outing is set for Wednesday, June 27th; it will be at the Sycamore Golf Club, as the featured event of three being held that day.
The afternoon and evening at the course will feature:
-- A make-up session at 12:00 p.m. in lieu of our regular meeting; attendance is optional, and lunch will be provided for everyone on hand
-- The Golf Outing, a four-player scramble team competition, beginning at 1 o'clock
-- The annual Installation Dinner at 5:30, immediately following golf; Ray Dembinski will be formally sworn in as Club President for 2018-19, and we will also announce the recipient of the John W. Ovitz, Jr. Rotarian of the Year Award
For those on the borderline with their attendance, this is also our annual "triple-witching" day; each of these events counts as a separate Rotary Club function...so those on hand for the entire day can earn up to three attendance credits.
Registration sheets will be available at the Rotary Club meeting on June 20th; this will be your FINAL chance to sign up. (There are several different versions -- please read carefully before registering.)
The month of July marks the start of the new Rotary year, and the Sycamore Rotary Club will take advantage of a reduced schedule to plan out our objectives for the coming months.
We will begin on July 11th with a presentation by future President Ray Dembinski on the club's goals for 2018-19; this marks the 75th anniversary year for the Sycamore Rotary Club, and Pat Shafer will head up the planning for our observance of that occasion in the spring. We will also go over our other upcoming projects, and give committees time to get organized.
Then on July 18th, District Governor Kathy Kiwat-Hess will be making her official visit to the Sycamore Rotary Club; we will be one of the first stops on her journey around District 6420, and our Rotary Club will be among the first to hear her plans for the coming year.
Finally on July 25th, we will convene our formal Club Assembly; this annual meeting will be used to solidify our plans for the months to come, as the months of September through December are traditionally the busiest of the year for us.
All Rotarians are encouraged to attend these meetings, as we prepare to Be the Inspiration for our community...and the world.
Volunteers will be needed to help man a Rotary booth to be set up in downtown Sycamore, during the annual Fizz Ehrler Memorial Turning Back Time Car Show. It will be in operation on Sunday, July 29th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Rotary Club will have a display about its upcoming and ongoing projects, and give the public an opportunity to find out more about what our Club does...and how they can join.
Rotarians will be needed to watch over the booth and interact with the public, answering any questions they may have. In addition, any Rotarian with a home or business located near downtown is asked to let the Club know if they'll have parking available that day, for volunteers to use.
Sign-up sheets will go around starting in mid-June; please contact Brian Adams for further details.
Your family can have an amazing international experience this coming year without a passport, airfare, or stuffing a suitcase. The international experience comes to you, when you decide to be a host family for an exchange student.
Exchange students are here to experience life in Sycamore, meet and make friends with Sycamore High School students, work on improving their English, and share their culture with the community. Host families need to live in the Sycamore School District.
All you need is a spare bed at your house and a willingness to share your normal family life with a high school age student for about 14 weeks. (Your family will be one of three families to share this unique experience.)
For school year 2018-2019 the Sycamore Rotary Club will sponsor a young man from Venezuela. He is a swimmer, loves books, and is looking forward to the personal growth this exchange year will provide.
For more details, call or text Bert Gray, Sycamore Rotary Club Exchange Coordinator, at (217) 521-0968 or e-mail rkgray1@sbcglobal.net
