Meeting Minutes - January 4, 2017

Missing in Action:
T. Breen, B. Brooks, B. Dean, M. Fessler, D. LeMoyne, T. Medina, D. Pray, D. Stachnik, C. Surline, S. Wicksall.

Thoughts and Prayers:
Jim DeBruyn is in the hospital.   
John Schmidt, Maurina's husband, was home from the hospital for the holidays and has since returned.

Guests:
     Shirley Bassage
     Douglas Blackall, Mary Reid, Bradley Kinsman, speakers
     Brian Heckman and Isaiah Williams, Pal-Mac Seniors


Birthdays and Anniversaries:
     Bob Sloan confessed to yet another “anniversary of his 35^th birthday”!

Fines and Happy Bucks:
• Joan Shaffer is happy to be back at Rotary and is still recovering from knee replacement surgery.
• Joan also had a happy buck for the Steelers making the playoffs.
• Bob Yost thanked all Rotarians for their generosity and support during the recent passing of his mother. He also was thankful that his sons were able to be home for the funeral.
• Green Bay fans Nancy Schrader and Marc and Kim Clement were happy for the Packers' win to make the playoffs.
• Margaret Brooks enjoyed two weeks with family and grandkids over the holidays -- “one week in South Carolina and one week in North Carolina.”  She went bowling with nine grandsons, and “only one” had a better score than she did!
• TJ Chamberlain was happy to be back at Rotary after missing several recent meetings.
• Maurina Schmidt thanked Gary Hopkins and David Morrell for their help in building a ramps and deck to ease John's return home.


RotaryAnnouncements:

   Pam Dean thanked members who have already committed to become Rotary Foundation Sustaining Members this year. We have nearly reached our goal of signing 16 members for 2017. If you would like to join this group, please see Pam for a  form.

   President Kim read a thank you note from Bob Yost and family for the Club's support during their recent bereavement.

   Gary Hopkins reported that ticket sales for the Murder Mystery Dinner are “going fast” and should be sold out soon. The theme of this year's mystery is “Masquerade Ball”, so be sure to attend in costume, complete with mask, to join in the fun.

   President Kim once again asked members for their ideas for District Simplified Grants to benefit our communities this year. Grants are also available for international projects. Please let Kim or Mark have your thoughts ASAP.

   Signup sheets will be available next week for members/teams to participate in the Wayne County Rotary Spelling Bee to benefit Literacy Volunteers of Wayne County. The annual event will be held on Saturday morning, February 25, at Wayne Central School in Ontario.

   Pat VerPlank explained that the brand new hospital bed provided by the VA during Elmer's hospice at home is now “her property” and they cannot take it back. She would like to make this available for loan to anyone in need in our area. If you know of anyone, please contact Pat.

   The Club's annual Dessert Gala will be held on Wednesday evening, February 15, at Parkwood Heights in Macedon. Please sign up if you plan on providing dessert items to be auctioned off. Cost of this event will be $5 for Rotarians, and guests free. All proceeds will go to the Rotary Foundation.




Program:

     This week's program presented members with an overview of an exciting new area of study recently introduced to students of Pal-Mac High School. The speakers, introduced by Rotarian and Pal-Mac School Superintendent Bob Ike, included Technical Theater Design Instructor Douglas Blackall and Seniors Bradley Kinsman and Mary Reid.

     Now in its second year, the Technical Theater program affords interested students in grades 9 through 12 an opportunity to gain valuable “hands on” experience in all aspects of live theater production. Pal-Mac is the first school district in the Finger Lakes region to offer such a dedicated program, designed to help prepare students for a career in the field.

     The program is headed by Douglas Blackall, the technical theater design instructor and the district's light and sound coordinator. He explained how this four semester course has grown to include classes in stage management, as well as scenery and lighting design for live productions. Senior Brad Kinsman then explained how set design and modern technology interact in theater productions, and Mary Reid spoke about stage lighting and projection techniques. The program uses traditional equipment as well as state-of-the-art technology to prepare students to enter the demanding field of theater production.

     In the current 2016-17 school year, the Pal-Mac Middle School performed School of Rock in November, and the High School spring musical, Bye, Bye Birdie, will be presented in March.

     If you would like to know more about this exciting program, check out the latest issue of Pal-Mac Magazine on the district's web site:  palmaccsd.org.

   50/50 -- $17, won by Pal-Mac student Isaiah Williams, who donated it back to the Club. President Kim, in turn, designated it for Polio Plus.