Board Highlights

Posted by Rita Brown on Aug 11, 2016
 
Here are the highlights from the August 9, 2016 board meeting.
 
Call to Order                                                                                               
President Dave Frost called the meeting to order with the following members present:  Jill Ackerman, Paul Crow, Anne Decker, Peggy Ehora, Dr. Susan Hubbell, David Runk, Tracie Sanchez, and Paul Swartz.  Also present was Kevin Bill Treasurer and Rita Brown Secretary.  Guest Rashawna Perry was also present.
 
Attendance Report
Rita Brown presented the attendance report for July 2016.  The year started out strong with 47.34% attendance over the three meetings which is outstanding for a summer month. Orientation is scheduled for seven new members during August.
                       
     President’s Report                                                                                        
Frost welcomed the Board by giving each member a bottle of Rotary Centennial wine.
 
     Lima Rotary Foundation Accounting
Frost met with the Lima Rotary Foundation to discuss the proposed $1,250 annual accounting fee that will be charged to the Foundation to cover cost of accounting being done for them by the Club.  The Foundation approved the plan and Sanchez will prepare an invoice.
 
      4-Way Speech & Essay Contest based on the 4-Way Test
Ackerman and Esther Baldridge are organizing the rollout of the 4-Way Speech and Essay Contest for the Lima Club.  Baldridge is designing the 4-way Essay Contest for District 6600.  March has been designated as contest time – they will monitor the timeline to avoid Spring break.  The essay contest is designed for middle school students and the speech contest is directed toward high school students.  Ackerman and Baldridge will select the panel of judges.  The winners will be invited to speak at our club and then will be proceeding to the District Contest.  The Lima Club will provide cash prizes to the top three selected.
 
     Blood Clinic Phlebotomist Update   
Lima Memorial Hospital has historically organized the Blood Clinic and sent out reminders to those tested in the past.  They have provided phlebotomist and have arranged and set-up the event at the Senior Citizens Center.  
LMH has and will continue to pay the phlebotomists for the clinics for which they supply them.  However, in the future, the club will need to provide phlebotomist for the Fall Clinic.  St. Rita’s Hospital was not interested so Apollo Career Center was contacted.   Apollo has a student program that requires students have 48 hours of classroom time by mid-October and have completed 100 sticks to graduate.  90% of the phlebotomist at St. Rita’s come through this program.   Apollo will provide 14 phlebotomists and have 2 supervisors on-site for the clinic.  The Rotary Club will not pay them; however, we will provide a stipend to Apollo. Frost also suggested asking Apollo to join forces with us for the Spring Clinic.
 
     American Red Cross Centennial Year Blood Drive
Local Red Cross Executive Director and Lima Rotarian Derek Stemen has requested an opportunity to do a club program on the Red Cross as it celebrates its centennial anniversary.  Frost suggested the club consider trying to incorporate a Blood Drive with the meeting and consider challenging other service clubs or other Rotary Clubs in the District to also do a Blood Drive. To hold a Blood Drive, it is necessary to have at least 24 volunteers.  The event will be held on a Monday in February or March and Rotarians will be encouraged to ask their friends.  Downtown Lima will be asked to promote it and the VMCCC will be asked to provide additional space for the blood draws.   Frost will continue talking with Stemen and Dave Collins, Division Director of the Red Cross.
 
     President Elect Report                                                                                  
Sanchez reported on the following:
 
     Golf Outing   
Matt Otto indicated funds raised in the amount $37,787.50.  Seventy one golfers played   Bills are being paid and when finalized, payment will be made to the Foundation.  The event should raise around $35,000
     Rotary Field Of Dreams At UNOH 
The MOU has been finalized with UNOH, the Rotary Foundation and the Abilities Baseball League.  Plans are still in place to open the field this fall. 
     Labor Day Parade – Monday September 5, 2016.
Demi Burden has taken the lead on the project.  Demi has made contact with the event coordinator and will be gathering walkers. Treat bags will be stuffed the Monday before Labor Day.  Judge Warren has confirmed that the Drum Line will march again with the club and the Rotaract and Interact Clubs have been invited to walk with the club. 
     Dictionary Distribution 
Dave Cockerell is starting the process to set the date.  Dave plans to do another blitz day covering all schools on the same day.
     Blood Clinic
The Fall Blood Clinic will be held on Saturday November 5th.
 
     Vice Presidents Report                                 
     Hands-on-Projects Committee                                              
Swartz is in charge of determining additional Hands-on-Projects.  Please let him know of any Community Projects that need support.  Ackerman suggested starting or adopting a free lending library in neighborhoods.  Wooden box libraries are placed in neighborhoods.  People can take the books and return them when finished or keep them.  Shawnee now has a wooden box library located at the Elmwood Elementary. 
 
     Past Presidents Report                                                                                 
     Membership & Retention Committee Update
Runk provided an update on the Membership & Retention Committee meeting.  The committee is working to make the following priorities for club members:
  • Attendance at Meetings
  • Engagement
  • New Members
Runk also mentioned District Governor Do’s message to be more flexible and to make is easier for everyone to be more involved.  The committee suggested ideas such as:
  • Random seat assignments once a month 
  • Greeters or Table Ambassadors who make sure people get to know each other for more fellowship. 
  • Inviting Young Professionals to a meeting and encouraging them to consider membership.  Runk will create a script to increase involvement that can be used when making calls to inactive Rotarians.  What can we do to improve the club? 
  • Schedule a Red Badge day – convene meeting of new members to see how they are getting along. 
 
     New Business
     Corporate Membership Orientation Alternative                                  
Frost and Brown suggested considering an alternative orientation opportunity for new corporate members.  It usually is very difficult to schedule orientations with them.  The preferred and first method approach would be to have a new corporate member attend a regularly scheduled event with other new members.  If that doesn’t work after a couple of tries, a one-on-one orientation with the new member and their sponsor could be arranged by Brown. An Orientation in a Box Package that would cover all the topics from the current program would be delivered in the new member’s office.  It would probably take 30 minutes or so.    It is a good adjunct to being more flexible.  Crow also suggested doing a training video of orientation that could be placed on the web site.   Hubbell made a motion to approve the on-site program and Sanchez seconded the motion.  Board approved.
 
     Applications were received from
  1. Sophia Loser,
  2. Doug Olsson,
  3. Ashley Cowan Meas,
Hubbell made a motion to approve the new applications and Ackerman second the motion.    Board approved.
 
     Resignations were received
    i.    Tim Vondell    
               ii.    Dr. Gary Brunk
Ackerman made a motion to accept the resignations with regret and Decker seconded the motion.  Board Approved.       Termination
  1.  Lauren Swick
Decker made a motion to terminate the membership for lack of communication and Crow seconded the motion.  Board approved. 
 
     Community Festival
Hubbell indicated the City has no Community Festival and suggested Rotary be the catalyst for other service clubs and the city to again have such an event.  Ehora indicated in a meeting of the Downtown Lima organization, a Celebrate the City event with the VMCCC and the City partnering was discussed and will be held on September 29, 2016.  TWC will sponsor the event.  Mayor Berger challenged the organization to do it.
 
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
 
Respectfully submitted
Rita Brown, Club Secretary