Rotary Club Of Ann Arbor North
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting location is at Dixboro United Methodist Church at 5221 Church Street 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
 
             Facebook- RCAAN       YouTube- RCAAN       
 
Quick Links (click image to go to website)
 
 
 
 
(My Rotary)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you want to JOIN LEADERS, EXCHANGE IDEAS and TAKE ACTION
and change our community and the world?
 Ask us how.
 
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
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.
 
 

Register Now for a great Day of Service and Fellowship with Rotary International Leadership

RI President Jennifer Jones, RI President- Elect Stephanie Urchick,  Rotary Foundation Trustee Dean Rohrs, Rotary VP Valarie Wafer, Rotary Aide to President-Elect Tom Gump, Zones 28 & 32 Director Drew Kessler and Rotary Zones 28 & 32 Director-Elect Chris Etienne will all be joining in person for a day of service!

Its going to be a fabulous weekend and we'll have so much personal time with each of the RI leaders. The collaboration begins on Friday evening June 9th at 5:30 with a dinner; Then on June 10th, we start the morning with 3 different service projects, culminating in the evening with a Leadership in Rotary panel and dinner. Finally, on Sunday, June 11th, we will have breakfast together and bid farewell. Each event registration is separate, We need an accurate count for each section.

Registration Links for each event:

Our District 6380 has chosen 3 projects you can participate in, depending on your interest. Each of the Rotary Leadership will be distributed among the projects ; All the projects are very much needed and require a lot of people to help complete them. Each of the projects has a separate registration link, please chose only 1 registration per person as this will help us in planning the scope of the work for that day.

Service Project Registration - Choose ONE

Saturday, June 10th Service Projects with our Leadership 9:00am - Noon

  1. West Bloomfield Laker Mulch Cleanup; Phase 2 Registration: https://rotary6380.org/event/1b-wb-hills-tree-planting-phase-2/

  2.  Install log steps into the hill at the end of the trail where we stopped in phase 1.

  3. Plant two BUR OAK and two TULIP POPLAR. Locations for planting will be decided by WBHS Earth Club.

  4.  Continue wood chipping the trail down the hill and along the lakeside trail as permitted by West Bloomfield Township Environmental Dept.

  5. Volunteers will be asked to bring a wheelbarrow and rake

Apple Ridge Farms Build Phase 2 Registration: https://rotary6380.org/event/1a-apple-ridge-garden-cleanup/

  • We need 100+ people to build and paint raised garden beds, add signs to the Underground Railroad Garden, <

  • install other signage, build a compost bin and plant some cold crops.

  • Prepare the site for further development.

  • Closed-toe shoes, Long pants, Long sleeve shirts required

Forgotten Harvest Food Packing Registration: https://rotary6380.org/event/forgotten-harvest-food-packing-oak-park/

  • Forgotten Harvest Warehouse Food Packing for the needy - 50 people maximum and you MUST register.15000 Eight Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237 

Any Questions can be directed to Roma Murthy (romamurthy6380@gmail.com)

Event Flyers:

 

 

Click Read More for RI President Jennifer Jones video invite.

I am looking forward to serving you in our new Rotary year together!
 
To "kick" things off- we will have our Meet the Governor event at the Jack Roth Pavilion (at the University of Michigan stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, overlooking 111,000 seats. We will get a chance to tour the locker room, and get out onto the field. We shall kick field goals for Polio!
 
Bring guests, your kids, grandkids, Interact and Rotaract members (that are in town) for fun! 
 
Thursday,  July 13th from 4:00-7:00 PM- tailgate food will be there!
 
CLICK HERE to register!
 
Collyer A. Smith
 
 
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!
 
 
At the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Luncheon on April 13, 2023, Walter Hughes talked about a project he is involved in called The Ghana WASH Project.
 
Walter said, "25% of the world’s population don't have clean water, and 45% of the world’s population have no functioning toilet."
 
The Ghana WASH Project works to improve rural and peri-urban communities in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene by linking up with communities, local NGOs, government agencies, as well as international organizations working in the sector. Through a multi-level approach, the project worked to build the capacity of local communities and organizations, and not only improve water, sanitation and hygiene, but also empowered these actors to continue promoting development well after the project has reached completion.
 
The Project has educated the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club of the needs and benefits of local communities. So far the Project has provided clean water and sanitation to over 830,000 people in Africa, as well as assisting to build 10 schools in Ghana. Hughes partners with 184 clubs in 51 districts in eight countries.
 
When new wells and micro-flush toilets it is up to the communities to maintain them. No longer is charity offered to the communities where a new well is dug and then everyone leaves, leaving the well to be unmaintained and break or go dry. The Ghana WASH Project has found to be highly effective in their efforts, they must obtain assistance from the local leaders and educate local laborers with training and the knowledge necessary to maintain their own access to clean water. The locals fund the project, construct the project and maintain the project. It creates a change of empowerment, as well as creating a huge difference in sustainability and stewardship in the project.
 
Hughes traveled to South Sudan in 2013 and again during the civil war in 2015 to inspect Rotary’s clean water project. Rotary is close to eradicating the Guinea worm disease and polio.
 
The Ghana WASH project's new grant will result in the additional 50 new boreholes, 217 micro-flush household toilets and 265 micro-credit loans. It has a total cost of 200,000 and will impact more than 41,000 lives.
 
There are 3 Rotary Clubs involved in Rotary Global Grant (#22-38088):
  • The Rotary Club of Obuasi- Host.
  • The Rotary Club of Myrtle Beach- Project lead Walter Hughes.
  • The Rotary Club of Montreal (Canada)- Fundraising.
The grant will be submitted in September to TRF and fundraising will occur from Sept. 2022-Feb. 2023.
 
More information on clean water in Ghana by Rotary:
 
Walter Hughes via Zoom from Myrtle Beach
 
 
At The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North's Luncheon on March 23, 2023, Kevin Lill from The Peace Neighborhood Center was the speaker. 
 
Peace Neighborhood Center has programs for children, families, and individuals to promote self-sufficiency and positive community involvement. They are proud to report that since 1971, they have provided critical services and opportunities to more than 16,000 people in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. Through a wide range of comprehensive programs, Peace helps people discover options, enhance skills, and make choices that promote education, health, well-being, and fiscal independence.
 
Peace Neighborhood Center services include: advocacy, emergency assistance, after-school programs, summer day camps, college and career preparation, individual and family counseling, and family enrichment.
 
Peace is most known for is their Youth Services:
  • Youth Service- Helping Youth Find Their Way To Success:
  1. REACH After School Program: Peace has always had a focus on elementary youth and its REACH after school program is the cornerstone of all the Youth Services the organization provides. REACH offers an enriching and educational after school environment to nearly 100 children every school year. 
  2. Alternatives for Youth After School Program: The Alternatives for Youth (AFY) after school program mentors our middle school students in grades 6th-8th while offering them support through academic tutoring. AFY cultivates the development of leadership skills while helping to build self-esteem and self-sufficiency in participants.
  3. Ninth Grade Academy: The Ninth Grade Academy is designed to aid with the difficult transition between middle school and high school in order to make sure the young people we work with don’t get sidetracked on their way to success. The program offers special tutoring assistance provided by a partnership with the University of Michigan’s Telluride House.
  4. College & Career Prep Club: The College & Career Prep Club (CCPC) offers the support necessary for high school students to prepare for college or career training. This includes the guidance needed to take the proper courses in high school, maintain a good grade point average, and complete the proper paperwork for admission to a college or university.
  5. Summer Day Camp: Summer Day Camp is the elementary-age component of Peace’s Summer Youth Services (SYS) that provides a six-week program of quality activities for over 100 young people throughout Washtenaw County each summer. Campers participate in structured recreational activities and enrichment groups focused on topics such as science, drama and music.
  6. Leadership Development Camp: Leadership Development Camp (LDC) is the middle school component of Peace’s Summer Youth Services. Each summer, LDC provides around 50 youth with a well rounded, structured experience including organized educational and recreational activities designed to teach them the tools necessary to be positive role models to their younger peers and siblings.
  • Family Services: Discovering Options And Enhancing Skills: Peace Neighborhood Center’s Family Services are comprised of a number of programs that work together with Peace’s mission to help individuals discover options, enhance skills, and make choices that lead to self-sufficiency and positive community involvement.  The support structures these services provide are capable of breaking cycles of poverty and leading individuals toward stronger, healthier and more productive lives.
  1. Family Enrichment Program: The Family Enrichment Program (FEP) includes family events and outings as well as adult-only workshops. FEP is mandatory for parents who have children attending youth programs. On average, over 80 families each year participate in weekly workshops that address a variety of topics chosen to help strengthen and expand a parent’s knowledge and skills. The goal of the workshops is to help adults improve their parenting and management of their household.
  2. Case Management: Case Management Services work one-on-one with families and individuals throughout the community who find themselves in situations requiring help. This program offers everything from financial to emotional support. Whether it was preventing a family’s heat from being shut off, advocating on their behalf with another agency or offering help with toys and food during the holidays, the Peace staff provides assistance to over 400 households in Washtenaw County each year.
  3. Peace House Transitional Housing: The Peace House Transitional Housing Center provides temporary housing for families as they work to get back on their feet. While staying at Peace House, families meet regularly with Peace staff members to come up with an action plan to address their issues and attain self-sufficiency. Youth in the household have access to Peace’s Youth Services and adults have access to the Family Enrichment Program
Peace Neighborhood Center has an ongoing need for volunteers in many capacities, they would like to work with you to find a good fit with their existing programs. Click here to get involved.
 
Click read more for Peace Neighborhood Center Wellness video. 

 
Communication tips and examples for effective messaging, inspired by Rotary’s Action Plan.
 
Whether you’re posting on social media, inviting community members to volunteer with you, or speaking at an event, you’ll get more people to take action by using precise words and clear examples. Our Communication Guide, inspired by Rotary’s Action Plan, offers advice for clear and effective messaging, such as:
 
Be specific: Inviting community members to “serve meals to hungry children” is more accurate and compelling than asking them to “defeat hunger.”
 
Be inclusive: It’s easier for people to imagine themselves getting involved with Rotary when you refer to “members and participants” rather than to “Rotarians.”
 
For additional guidance and more concrete examples of powerful communications, read our Communication Guide and be inspired!
 
 
Members from Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North recently held a member drive to collect diapers for Community Action Network.
 
The Community Action Network (CAN) put out an urgent call and we responded. Our small Club collected 1,141 diapers in varying sizes.
 
The diapers will be dropped off to Community Action Network (CAN) this Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
On March 9, 2023, Jerry Robbins was the speaker at The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Luncheon. He talked about Community Bands in the Ann Arbor Area.
 
Jerry's passion is in the field of music--singing and conducting church choirs; playing in bands, orchestras, and any other ensemble that needed a trombone player; and conducting adult bands.  He is perhaps best known locally as the conductor of what was the Ypsilanti Community Band--since 2010 the Washtenaw Community Concert Band--from 1998 to 2011.  He continues to play in that organization, and occasionally guest conduct, as well as play with the Dexter Community Band, and, in the summers, with the Ann Arbor Civic Band.  He founded and continues to conduct the 21-piece "Town Band" vintage ensemble.  He is the historian and on the Board of Directors of the Dexter Community Band, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Civic Band.
 
In his retirement years, he has researched and written the history of several local-area organizations, including the "town bands" of the Washtenaw County area, the history of the Ypsilanti Community Band, and the history of the Dexter Community Band.  He is currently working on the 90-year history of the Ann Arbor Civic Band.
 
At our Luncheon Jerry talked about community bands that perform in the Ann Arbor Area.
 
  • Washtenaw Community Band: The Ypsilanti Community Band (YCB) and Washtenaw Community College (WCC) entered into a formal partnership effective June 1, 2010, to create the performing group Washtenaw Community Concert Band (WCCB). The band consists of community players from in and around Washtenaw County.
There were 59 players for the first YCB concert in 1979. Recent membership of the WCCB has grown to 80 or more players ranging in age from teens to octogenarians . Some are or have been professional musicians or have music degrees; most are people from a wide variety of walks of life who played in high school and/or college and who enjoy making music with other adults.
 
The concert season features performances in October, December, February or March, May, and two or three summer concerts in June and July— all in Towsley Auditorium or the adjacent lobby in the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. Past summers have included performances on Memorial Day at the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run, patriotic concerts at Ypsilanti-area parks in July, and open-air performances in Milan and at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival in August. The WCCB has also appeared at the Red Cedar Festival of Community Bands in Okemos, in Ypsilanti's Depot Town, in downtown Ypsilanti, and at Selfridge Air Guard Base in Macomb County, among other venues in recent years.
 
  • Ann Arbor Concert Band: The Ann Arbor Concert Band – founded in 1978 as the Ann Arbor Symphony Band by Victor Bordo and David Juillet – has served as an ensemble for amateur musicians desiring to perform wind band literature. The band has its roots in the Ann Arbor School System's music program and continues a close relationship with it today.
    The band is a non-profit ensemble of musicians from the community. While it maintains an amateur status, the standards of performance and organization are strictly professional.
Concerts are usually presented four times during the concert season between September and May, typically at the Michigan Theater and Hill Auditorium.
 
The ensemble has premiered several new works for concert bands, including the award-winning composition "Heroes Lost and Fallen" by Dr. David Gillingham, Professor of Composition at Central Michigan University.
 
  • Dexter Community Band: The Dexter Community Band was originally conceived in 1982 by Chris Wall, Director of Dexter's Community Education Programs. Dave Angus, a professor of education at the University of Michigan, was the conductor. 
The beginning was modest, but through word of mouth and exposure at a few concerts, the band began to grow. By 1984 the band had nearly doubled in size and performed three or four concerts a year. It took another six years for the band to again double in size and have a fairly well rounded instrumentation. In 1998, William Gourley began conducting the band and brought it to the high level it is today. The band averages 85 members with a full complement of instruments.
 
The band rehearses on Thursday evenings and performs four concerts per season. As part of the band's community outreach mission, members form smaller ensembles and perform at senior centers throughout Washtenaw County during their Evening of Ensembles concerts in January and February.
     
The band is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all the members are volunteers from the local area. The band is supported by dues paid by all its members as well as by the generous donations from many organizations and individuals.
 
  • Saline New Horizon Band: The band is affiliated with the New Horizons International Music Association with over 200 bands in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Dr. Roy Ernst was a professor of music education at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY when he conceived the idea that there should be more opportunities in music for adults. He didn’t agree with the prevailing wisdom that seniors would not be able to learn new things like making music in a group setting. In 1991, Dr. Ernst established three bands - one each in Rochester, NY, Madison, WI, and Iowa City, IA - not knowing if they would be successful or not. The response was phenomenal and the concept has proved to be valid. There are now over 200 active music groups in North America, Ireland, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand.
 
Since 1991, the New Horizons Music program has helped musical groups form to give seniors an opportunity to learn (or re-learn) how to play an instrument or become active in other musical endeavors. There are opportunities in band, orchestra, choral, and small ensembles, 
 
The New Horizons International Music Association (NHIMA) was founded as an international non-profit organization committed to the New Horizons philosophy of music making and undertakes initiatives designed to support the development and growth of New Horizons music organizations.
 
The Saline New Horizons Band has concerts at the Saline First United Methodist Church in Saline.
 
  • Town Band: In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, before radio, movies, and television were popular, every community of any size just had to have at least one "town band." These were often sponsored by governmental units, business/industry, social/civic/fraternal organizations, and the like. Size and instrumentation varied depending on the availability of players. The town bands performed often for "concerts in the park," social and church gatherings, and ceremonial events.
The Town Band re-creates the sounds and atmosphere of the popular town band concerts of the World War I era. Programs include marches, popular songs of the day, light classical music, familiar melodies, hymns, soloists, and period-appropriate commentary. The instrumentation is intended to be typical of town bands of the time and includes flute/piccolo, B-flat clarinets, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, cornets, alto horns, tenor horn, baritone horn, trombones, tuba, and drums.
 
The Town Band was founded in 2009 by Jerry Robbins, then-conductor of the Ypsilanti Community Band/Washtenaw Community Concert Band, who serves as conductor of the Town Band ensemble. This ensemble has performed in Washtenaw and surrounding counties for historical events, at church gatherings, for an artisan's market, for retirement homes, and as part of several concert series. The Town Band provides all of its own equipment (with the possible exception of chairs) for each performance.
 
In 2011, the Town Band was selected in national competition to perform at the national convention of the Association of Concert Bands.
 
In 2018, the Town Band was selected and performed as the featured guest band at the Upper Peninsula Community Band Festival in Marquette, Michigan.
  • Concerts coming up soon: 
    • Town Band, Free, April 23, 2023 at 2:00 PM, Lobby of the Morris Lawrence Building Washtenaw Community College.​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
All Community Bands are non-profit and survives on donations. If you world like to donate go to concert or visit their website.
 
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Kroger Community Rewards
ENROLL TODAY:
 
 
Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation earned  $44.95 for time period 11/01/22-04/30/23. 12 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:
 
Upcoming Events
Events In Calendar View
The Northstar Newsletter
Newsletter Subscription
Subscribe to our E-Newsletter and stay up to date on the latest news and events.
 
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!
 
 
 
Membership
RCAAN Application
 
Free ClubRunner Mobile App
App For RCAAN Web Page and More
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)
Get The Rotary Club Finder Mobile App
 
Club Finder Club Finder 
 
2020-2021 RCAAN Club Executives & Directors
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Rotary Foundation
Membership
Public Relations
Service Projects
Program Chair & Editor
Program:
 
 
For program questions and potential speakers.
 

Web Site Editor:

 

For questions about web-page.