Rotary Club Of Ann Arbor North
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting location is at Dixboro United Methodist Church at 5221 Church Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 View Map.
 
Go to the Upcoming Events section on this website, for the 
meeting you want to attend, to find the Zoom link and to RSVP for meals.
 
RCAAN Meeting Schedule:
 
1st Monday of the Month: Board Meeting at 7 PM
2nd & 4th Thursday of the Month: Meeting with Program at 12 PM
3rd Thursday of the Month: No Meeting
If Month has Five Weeks: The first week will not have a meeting
 
Phone: (734)224-4130
 
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If you want to JOIN LEADERS, EXCHANGE IDEAS and TAKE ACTION
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What Is Rotary?
 
Rotary
 
Rotary is an international volunteer service organization whose purpose is to bring together people from all walks of life in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in life, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. 

It is a secular organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. 

There are 1.2 million individuals worldwide called Rotarians who have been giving back to the community for over a 100 years! Isn't it time for you to give back?
Mission And Vision Statement
RCAAN
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Mission Statement
 
The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North is a service group dedicated to the complementary purposes of fellowship and service to others, accomplished through a variety of local and international projects with broad member participation in partnership with other people and organizations, in the spirit of Rotary International.
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Vision Statement
 
The Rotary Cub of Ann Arbor North envisions a club of vibrant, active people who enjoy their membership. We seek to recruit new like minded members to help us take and maintain a leadership role in our community and in Rotary, demonstrating our commitment to action and ideals.
Stories
2023 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North President's Night was held on Thursday evening, June 29, 2023 at the Carlyle Grill on Jackson Road in Ann Arbor. President Bob Specht summarized the Club's achechments which included:
  • Donations to many local organizations
  • Items for special occasions to Community Action Network:
    • School Supplies in September
    • Diapers 
    • Gifts for Children at Christmas.
  • Working with District 6380 to promote Plant Based Diets and Gardening for the needy with Willow Run Acres.
  • Earning the Rotary Club Citation 2023-2024.
After the Past Presidents passed the Gavel, PE Gail talked about the year starting in July. 
 
Gail said obtaining new members will still be important. She is going to have a quarterly social event and club assemblies to plan how to make the club better.
 
Diane receives the Rotarian of the Year.
President Bob receives Past President Gavel.
Rotary Club Citation 2022-2024
2022-2023 RCAAN Board Member's
Rotary's People of Action: Champions of Inclusion
 
Meet Rotary’s six extraordinary Champions of Inclusion. They show us what’s possible when People of Action come together to amplify the power of marginalized populations in our clubs, in our communities, and around the world.
 
Champions of Inclusion gala was held on 4 April 2023, featuring the inspiring stories of our six honorees and other DEI thought leaders. Hosted by Rotary and the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, the event also featured performances by some of Cape Town’s most exciting up-and-coming entertainers.
 
Celebrate with us as we learn to create communities that foster a sense of belonging, honesty, openness, and respect for all people. Watch and share this incredible event with Rotary members and others who value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
 
Program Features:
  • Sivuyile “Siv” Ngesi, Celebrity Host and Actor 
  • Jennifer Jones, President, Rotary International 2022-2023
  • Janet Jobson, CEO, Desmond & Leah Tutu Foundation 
  • Kneo Mokgopa, Nelson Mandela Foundation
  • John Hewko, General Secretary and CEO, Rotary International
  • And the 2023 Champions of Inclusion Honorees:
    • Anderson Zerwes - Rotary Club De Encruzilhada Do Sul Rio Grande Do Sol, Brazil
    • Cam Stewart – Mikostahpinukum (Red Morning)Rotary Club of Calgary East Alberta, Canada 
    • İclal Kardiçali- Rotary E-Club of District 2440 İsmir, Turkey
    • Rosemary Nambooze- Rotary Club of Wakiso Wakiso, Uganda
    • Sarita Shukla- Rotary Club of Global Action, District 5150 Delhi, India
    • André Hadley Marria- Rotary Club of Thomasville Georgia, United States
 
 
 
 
From RI President Jennifer Jones 22-23:
 
I'm excited to present the inspiring Rotary's People of Action: Champions of Inclusion program this weekend. Please tune in on 10 June at 10:00 Chicago time (UTC -5) via FB Live or at rotary.org/inclusion
 
Click Here for more information.
 
Click Here for a snapshot of DEI at Rotary.
 
Jan Turosky, a Lighthouse Keeper from the Grand Traverse Lighthouse talked to the club on June 08, 2023, about The Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
 
Jan described in making their way between the Manitou Passage and the Straits of Mackinac, vessel masters made a turn off the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. Also serving as a marker for vessels turning into Grand Traverse Bay, the point thus served as an important navigational marker, and 1849 saw the first recommendation to erect a light on Cat’s Head Point in 1849.
 
Congress responded with an appropriation of $4,000 for building the new lighthouse on September 28, 1850. Construction began in the spring of 1852, and was completed late that year. Built on low ground close to the water’s edge. David Moon was appointed as the station’s first keeper, and with his name appearing on district payroll records for the first time on September 7, it is likely that he exhibited the new light for the first time soon thereafter. However, it would appear that Moon was ill-suited for the rigors of lighthouse keeping, as he resigned from lighthouse service before his second season at the light, to be replaced by the indomitable Philo Beers on April 15, 1853.
 
Beer’s previous service as a US Deputy appears to have come in handy, as the lighthouse was reportedly raided on a number of occasions by Mormon Pirates. Followers of James Jesse Strang, the self-proclaimed King of Beaver Island, these pirates were reputed to consider themselves above common law, and as such felt free to avail themselves of anything they needed by raiding from area “Gentiles,” as non-believers were known. On one occasion, it is reported that Beers managed to drive off a group of Mormons who attempted to remove the station’s Fresnel lens for installation on Beaver Island.
 
The old tower and dwelling were demolished in 1858, and work on a new structure began on higher ground on the point. 
 
Life at the Grand Traverse Light station settled into a routine, with no mention of any repairs appearing in official documents until 1869.
 
With increasing numbers of vessels rounding the point on their journey to and from the Straits, mariners became increasingly dependent on the Grand Traverse Light to mark the turn. With thick fog frequently blanketing the area, the Lighthouse Board recommended that an appropriation of $5,500 be made to cover the costs of such an installation in its 1895 annual report, and Congress responded with the necessary appropriation on July 1, 1898. Plans and specifications for the structure were finalized over the winter, and contracts awarded for the construction materials and signal machinery on January 10, 1899. A work crew and materials were delivered at the station late that summer, and by November the brick building was complete and work turned to the installation of the fog signal plant. The boilers and machinery were moved into the building and plumbed to the ten-inch locomotive whistle which protruded from the lakeward end wall of the building. Work continued through the end of the year, with the signal officially placed into service on December 20.
 
With the establishment of the fog signal, it was determined that the workload at Grand Traverse would be more than a single keeper could handle, and the decision was made to add a First Assistant Keeper at the station. However, with the main lighthouse building being designed for a single family, additional accommodations were needed. Thus, in 1901 the dwelling was significantly enlarged and remodeled to convert the dwelling into a duplex with accommodations for two families.
 
The boilers and whistle in the fog signal were removed in 1933, and replaced by a Type “F” diaphone fog signal, its air compressor powered by diesel engines. The diesel engines were in turn replaced by a 440-volt Worthington air compressor in 1953. Coast Guard crews continued to maintain the station until 1972, when the tower light was replaced by an automated beacon mounted on a steel skeletal tower.
 
The Lighthouse and Fog Signal Building stood vacant after closing, until 1985 when a local group organized the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Foundation (that’s us!) with a goal of preserving the historic buildings and creating an interesting and educational “living lighthouse” for the public to enjoy. After two years of renovation, the Lighthouse Foundation reopened the station as a museum on Memorial Day in 1987.
 
Click the following to get the 2023-2024 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Meeting Schedule: Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Meeting Dates 2023-2024.
 
 
 
At The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Luncheon on May 25, 2023, Jeff Lichty talked at the Rotary Foundation.
 
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) taps into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money and expertise into priorities that align with our seven areas of focus and Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach problems such as disease, poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.
 
The Rotary Foundation is organized as a public charity operated exclusively for charitable purposes and governed by a Board of Trustees. The operations of Rotary International, a member organization, are overseen by its Board of Directors.
 
The headquarters of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are in Evanston, Illinois, USA. We have associate foundations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
 
The Mission of The Rotary Foundations is that The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

The Rotary Foundation is known throughout the world for its exceptional financial management and for the efficient use of its donations. Every year since 2008, TRF has received the top four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted charity evaluator. This rating is a standard achieved by only one percent of charities for judicious care of donors’ money.
 
The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International’s sixth president, Arch Klumph. It was established as an endowment fund to provide an ongoing and sustainable income for Rotary to allow us to ‘do good in the world’. It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City to more than US$1 billion. It provides grants of over $1 million per day to support projects led by Rotarians. Today, TRF has one of the largest and most prestigious international fellowship programs in the world.
 
Since it was founded, it has spent more than US$4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. TRF’s mission is to enable Rotarians ‘to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty’.
 
The Rotary Foundation has special qualities because it is an enabling Foundation. It is a not-for-profit organization that is supported solely by donations from its members and friends. TRF asks us to donate, just like other charities, but it also asks us to get involved and utilize the funds. Our Foundation is able to achieve its mission through the generous contributions and the active participation of its members.
 
A major recipient of donations to TRF is the Annual Fund. When we donate, half our contributions are directed to the District Fund and the other half to the World Fund. Both help support and enable Rotary projects to become a reality through global and district grants.
 
The Types of Grants given from The Rotary Foundation:
  • District grants fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in your community and communities abroad.
  • Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary's areas of focus.
  • Disaster response grants support relief and recovery efforts in areas that have been affected by natural disaster.
  • Programs of scale grants fund intentional effort by Rotary members, in partnership with others, to expand proven program models within our areas of focus in order to benefit more people and in more places and foster lasting change.
Gail Scott lastly reminded The Club that President's Night is June 29th at Carlyle Restaurant 3600 Jackson Road Ann Arbor MI 48103.
 
 
At the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Luncheon on May 11, 2023, Steve Fine from Melanoma Education Foundation (Second website for MEF) talked about Melanoma.
 
Steve said, "melanoma is a common but serious skin cancer which, if not removed early while it is thin, spreads internally and is usually fatal. It is often ignored until too late because, in the early stages, it may look harmless and cause no discomfort. Many people don't realize that something small on their skin can kill them if not treated promptly."
 
Although it is uncommon in children under 10, melanoma occurs in every age group after puberty. It is the most common type of cancer in the 25 to 29 age group and second only to breast cancer in women ages 20 to 39.
 
Overall, melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in males and sixth in females. The US incidence of melanoma is nearly triple that of new HIV infections and is increasing at an epidemic rate; 196,060 new cases were predicted for 2020.
 
Most new melanoma patients have no family history of the disease; it can strike anyone regardless of health, physical condition, or skin complexion. On the average, there is a melanoma death in the US every 56 minutes.
 
The good news is that melanoma is easy to detect yourself at an early stage while it is thin and is curable by simple, painless removal in an office setting. All it takes is a ten minute monthly skin check. This site shows you how to check your skin, what to look for, and how to decrease your risk of melanoma.
 
The first step in learning about melanoma is to learn about moles, common pigmented skin lesions that can be flat or raised.
 
There are two types of moles: ordinary and atypical (the medical term for atypical moles is dysplastic nevi). 10 to 15 percent of the white population have atypical moles.
 
Ordinary Moles have all of these features: 
 
  • Round or oval shape
  • Sharp, even borders with skin
  • Uniform color (usually brown)
  • Less than 1/4 inch wide
Atypical Moles often have one or more of these features:
 
  • Irregular shape
  • Uneven and/or fuzzy borders with skin
  • Two or more shades of brown or pink
  • 1/4 inch wide or more
  • Cauliflower or smooth surface
  • Flat edges with "fried egg" center if  mole is raised
In most cases, melanoma is easy to self-detect at an early stage while it is curable by simple surgical excision. Although the visual appearance of a skin lesion (a growth or mark) is often an indication of melanoma, you cannot always rely on this alone. You should also be aware of the history of your skin lesions—any changes that occur in them, as well the onset of any new ones. The only way to develop this awareness is by regular self-examination of your skin.
 
Warning signs of Melanoma are any of these should prompt an immediate visit to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon: 
 
  • Any change in a mole, blemish, freckle, birthmark, or pigmented area
  • A new mole or freckle that appears out of the blue or is growing rapidly, especially if you don't have many moles, or the new mole or freckle looks different from those you do have
  • A mole or other growth that has any of the ABCD properties or all of the EFG properties
  • A change in surface texture or in the way a mole feels to the touch
  • A new "freckle" that is dark, dry, or scaly
  • A pigmented area or splotch that is new or that you don't remember seeing before
  • A new spot that is black, even if very small
  • A mole or other spot that looks or behaves differently than those around it, even if it seems otherwise normal
  • A mole or other spot that itches and/or bleeds
  • Redness, other color, or shadow extending into the surrounding skin
There are two types of melanoma: radial and nodular. Radial melanomas are easier to self-detect because they grow in diameter near the skin surface before growing downward through the skin. Radial melanomas usually have two or more of the ABCD properties.
 
About 20 percent of melanomas begin the dangerous vertical growth phase with little or no radial growth first. For these nodular melanomas the ABCD properties do not apply; instead they have three combined EFG properties.
 
E = ELEVATED-  Early elevation above the skin surface
 
F = FIRM- Firm to the touch, not flabby
 
G = GROWING- Continues growing more than two to three weeks
 
Any of the following warning signs may indicate a nodular melanoma: 
 
  • The start of a new bump in a mole, freckle, blemish, or birthmark.
  • The start of a thickness increase in a previously flat or slightly raised mole.
  • In otherwise clear skin, the beginning of a bump that looks like a blood blister, bubble, or pimple that continues to grow after two to three weeks, especially if you don't ordinarily have pimples and haven't injured yourself at the site of the blood blister.
Although a nodular melanoma can arise in a pre-existing mole, it is more common for one to develop spontaneously from normal skin, as in the four photos above. All of these were fatal. The colors of nodular melanomas are usually black, blue-black, dark brown, or brown-red. However, occasionally they are red (third photo from left), pink, grey, flesh-tone, or light to medium brown (far right photo, from the ankle of a 12-year-old boy). Nodular melanomas are typically dome-shaped and lacking in the ABCD properties, making visual diagnosis more difficult than with radial melanomas.
 
How Much Time Do You Have to Act?
 
  • Nodular melanomas can spread internally in as little as three months.
  • Most radial melanomas can spread internally within 6 to 18 months from the first noticeable change of a pre-existing mole or appearance of a new mole.
  • Radial melanomas that develop from age or liver spots (which typically occur in people 70 or older) can take as long as 10 to 15 years to spread internally.
Steve described to the club "how to find Melanoma."
 
What you'll need:
 
  • Flashlight
  • Two small chairs or stools
  • Hand mirror with a long handle
  • Hairbrush or blow dryer for checking your scalp
  • Large wall mirror, preferably full-length, in a well-lighted area
How to check:
  1. Facing the wall mirror, examine your face including lips, ears, and eyes. Use a flashlight to check inside your mouth, nostrils, and ears. Check your neck, shoulders, and upper chest. Women should also check under breasts.
  2. Using both mirrors, check behind your ears, neck, and upper back. While parting your hair with the blow dryer or brush, use both mirrors to check your scalp—front, back, and sides. Or have a partner or family member help.
  3. Check your abdomen, front and sides. Use the hand mirror to check your mid- to lower back carefully. (The back is the most common site of melanomas in males.) Use the hand mirror or both mirrors to check all areas of your buttocks and genitals, including hidden parts.
  4. Raise both of your arms and check all sides of your arms and hands, including between fingers and under fingernails. Then check under your arms and the sides of your upper body.
  5. Sitting on a small chair or stool, prop each leg in turn on the other chair or stool. Check all sides of your legs from ankles to thighs. Check your feet, including the tops, heels, soles, between toes, and under toenails. (Legs are the most common sites of melanomas in females.)
Today, April 27, 2023 the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North had the pleasure of listening to John Barrie speak about the Mayan Power and Light Program. John is a member of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor and is also the Executive Director of the Appropriate Technology Collaborative. ATC is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The organization works with engineering professionals and university students to design appropriate solutions to common development challenges.
 
One of the projects they are supporting is the Mayan Power and Light Program in Guatemala. This program was funded by a Rotary Global Grant and is now 100% self-sustaining. The program focuses on Mayan women. The women are taught how to build, maintain and utilize solar power to meet some basic standard-of-living and health needs.
 
By learning how to build and maintain solar power units, Mayan communities that are far off the power grid are able to have access to lighting, water filtration and clean cook stoves. Without this solar option, communities essentially shut down at dusk. Children are not able to do school work and women are not able to do the weaving that helps sustain their families. Reliance on candle light, wood cookstoves and un-filtered drinking water pose significant health risks, especially to children. These health risks are reduced or eliminated through the access to solar power.  
 
Thank you, John, for a very informative presentation!
 
 
Kroger Community Rewards
ENROLL TODAY:
 
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation earned  $11.24 for time period 11/01/23-01/31/24. 11 households are registered for Ann Arbor North Foundation's Kroger Community Rewards. 
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation is registered in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Sign up and start making money for The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation
 
***Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation Non-Profit Organization Number, is BD440. ***
 
  • Click on Sign In/Register
  • Most participants are new online customers', so they must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the ‘New Customer?’ box.
  • Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your e-mail address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions
  • You will then get a message to check your e-mail in-box and click on the link within the body of the e-mail.
  • Click on My Account and use your e-mail address and password to proceed to the next step.
  • Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.
  • Update or confirm your information.
  • Enter New Non-Profit Organization Account number (BD440) or name of organization (Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation), select organization from list and click on confirm.
  • To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization’s name on the right side of your information page.
Friendly Reminder: To continue donating to Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation on your purchases, you must re-enroll every April.
 
Make it easier: after signing up, download the Kroger Mobile App:
 
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Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden
Visit Our Butterfly Garden and Hummingbird Garden:
 
Adopt-a-Park coordinator Melissa captured this shot of a monarch butterfly in the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden at Gallup Park in the Summer of 2022!
Plant Rich Diet Challenge
We’re fixing the planet by inviting all of you to join us for the first annual Plant Rich Diet Challenge! Enjoy delicious food while saving the planet and improving your health in the process!
 
 
 
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Ann Arbor Area Rotary Clubs
Ann Arbor   Ann Arbor:
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m., Michigan Union, 530 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Ann Arbor North   Ann Arbor North: 
Second & Fourth Thursday's, 12:00 p.m., Dixboro United Methodist Church, 5221 Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
In-Person/Virtual Zoom Meetings

Ann Arbor West   Ann Arbor West:
First & Third Monday's, 5:30 p.m., Absolute Title (Zoom during COVID-19)

Chelsea   Chelsea: 
Tuesday, 12:15 p.m., The Common Grill Restaurant

Dexter    Dexter: 
Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Fillmore

Milan   Milan: 
First & Third Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m., Milan School District Board Room,  Second & Fourth Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., Milan American Legion Post
Saline   Saline: 
Thursday, 12:00 p.m., 109 West Michigan Ave, Saline, MI 48176
Ypsilanti   Ypsilanti: 
Monday, 11:45 p.m., (Zoom during COVID-19)
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2020-2021 RCAAN Club Executives & Directors
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Phil Zepeda
 
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