Here are the highlights from the December 13 board meeting.
 
President Dave Frost called the meeting to order with the following members present:  Jill Ackerman, Paul Crow, Anne Decker, Susan Hubbell, David Runk, Tracie Sanchez and Paul Swartz.  Also Secretary Rita Brown and Treasurer Kevin Bill.
 
          Attendance Report
Rita Brown shared the attendance report for November 2016.  November was a slightly more quiet month for the club than October. So we ended the month at 170 members and 49.19% attendance   
 
     President’s Report       Dave Frost
     Lima Rotary Coat & Canned Food Drive Campaign Recap
The event went well.   Seventy-two coats were donated to the Salvation Army and canned food that will equal one hundred thirty meals was donated to the West Ohio Food Bank. 
 
     Red Cross Blood Drive – February 13, 2017
Red Cross will be celebrating its centennial year and will be doing the club program that day to speak on their accomplishments.   The Rotary Club will also hold a blood drive between the hours of 10 AM – 3 PM.  Frost indicated it usually takes about an hour for an individual to give blood.  We will have Rooms 1 and 2 in the Civic Center for the drive.  The event will be announced to the club on January 9th.  Frost will pass a signup sheet until all slots are filled.  The Red Cross will prepare for 40 but Frost hopes for 100 people to sign-up to donate.  Derek Stemen will make the announcements and include Club Members who are regular donors such as Dave Collins and Carl Berger.
 
     Rotary International Global Grant Update 
Bob Ruehl is ready to  put out a Press Release on the just under $200,000 global grant from The Rotary International Foundation for the Merendon Mountains Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project for Honduras  Several Rotarians were involved in scripting the Press Release inducing Anne Decker, Heather Rutz, Jeff Fitzgerald, and Jim Krumel.  In Ohio, support for the Lima Club is coming from Archbold and Lorain Rotary Clubs; support is also coming from Districts in Canada, Mexico, Olympia Washington and Semi Sunrise California.  The Lima Club and the Usula Rotary Club in Honduras have been working on the project since 2014.  This major sanitation project is the largest International Grant ever for the Lima Club.  This multi-year, multi-staged program will provide sanitation facilities as well as sanitation and hygiene education to villagers and their schools systems in the Merendon Mountains. 
 
     Little Free Library Update 
Two new locations have been added:  The Mizpah Center and Salvation Army.  This brings the total to 14 locations around the city.  Roll-out is planned in April or May with a Book Campaign.  A completed Little Free Library will be brought to the Civic Center for Club Members to see at that time.
 
     Meeting Dates cancelled – December 26, 2016 and January 2, 2017
Due to the Christmas Holiday and the New Year’s Holiday both falling on Sundays, the Club will not meet on December 26, 2016 or January 2, 2017.  Meetings will resume on Monday January 9, 2017 at the regular time.
 
     Interact Group’s excellent job at the Christmas Party. 
Members of the group participated in the Children’s Christmas Party and did an excellent job.  The students and advisor will be attending a club meeting in January and will present a commercial they have been working on and also have a pinning ceremony at that time.  Lima Rotarian Joe Kitchen is the liaison between the Bath School Interact Group and the Club and has been very active and involved.
 
     Rotaract update
The Club raised $800 when they attended a recent Club Meeting with the sale of crafts they made with wood donated by Tracie Sanchez.  They plan to use the money by adopting a needy family and providing gifts for the family.  They will go to the house on Monday December 19, 2016 at 2 PM to present all the gifts.   The event will be announced to the club on Monday.
 
     President Elect Report      Tracie Sanchez
     Fall 2016 Blood Clinic LMH Meeting Recap 
The Fall Blood Clinic Revenue was $25,510 with expenses in the amount of $18,293, leaving a profit of $7,217.  Frost and Sanchez met with Mike Swick and the Lima Memorial Hospital Team for a recap.  As a Community Hospital, Memorial has agreed to do both of the Spring and Fall Clinics for Rotary in the future.  Mike Swick will attend the Rotary Club meeting on Monday December 19, 2016 and will present the check to the Club.
 
     Christmas Raffle Recap 
The Lima OSU Acapella singing group entertained club members at the annual Christmas luncheon on Monday December 12, 2016.  Dan Bucher conducted the raffled with the following results:
  • A Von’s Jewelry $250 Gift Certificate  - won by Bob Ruehl; 
  • A $250 gift certificate from Hofeller, Hiatt and Clark  - won by Ken Dysert; 
  • A $500 Rotary cash prize - won by Jed Metzger;
  • A copier from Perry Corporation – won by Bob Cupp.
  • The Elvis raffle raised $585 and Charlene Gilbert was the lucky winner who will display Elvis in her office for one year.
 
     Special Needs Christmas Party Recap - Saturday December 10, 2017
Fifty-four children attended with 180 meals served.  Twenty-seven Rotarians helped at the Party.    The Interact Kids from Bath School managed the craft stations and spent one-on-one time with kids.  They also stayed and helped with the clean- up.  Rotarian Larry Webb hosted a child whose house had just burnt.  At the Monday Club meeting, buckets were passed and the club raised $1,153 for the family.  Webb agreed to match that amount and the family will be given $2,306 to assist in their transition. 
 
Frost indicated all expenses for the party should be paid from the Hulsken fund. 
 
     Reverse Raffle Update     Date will be February 18, 2017 at the VMCCC
Sanchez indicated tickets are currently being printed and will be available within the next few weeks. There will be a $6,000 purse along with other raffle items and silent auction items.  Rotarians will be asked to start donating items for the raffle.  Jay Begg will be asking for volunteers to help with the event.  More information will be coming over the next several weeks. 
 
    Salvation Army Bell Ringing      Will be held Saturday December 17, 2017
Drew Fields is Chairman and has his crew together. 
 
     Vice President's Report             Paul Swartz
     Polio Plus Planning
The Committee will hold weekly auctions beginning in January 2017 with Jeff Tracy and Jay Begg serving as auctioneers.  Proceeds from Rottery for the months of January – March will also be donated to Polio Plus.  Harry Hooyenga, District 6600 Polio Plus Representative, will speak to the Lima Club on Monday January 9, 2017.  Jon Rockhold will be baking bread again as an auction item for the first week and Nate Gast from Custom Audio Concepts will donate a car starter for the second week.  Items up for bid will be listed in the eSpoke and on Facebook.  Members can pay for the item at the time of purchase or they can be billed on regular statements. 
 
     Past Presidents Report             David Runk        
     New Member Drive Ideas       
Runk and John Ficcorilli are working on a membership brochure for perspective new members.  It should be finalize in the next week or two.
 
Runk and Ficcorilli picked 16 names of Rotarians not regularly attending or not attending at all and are asking them to consider attending again.  They are doing this as a pilot to try to boost attendance. 
 
     Finance Report                         Kevin Bill
Bill discussed the Aging Summary Report. The Committee has been reaching out to Rotarians with balances over 120 days with good results.   2nd notices were just sent out to those not responding.     
 
Frost asked Bill to do a review of the budget at next month’s club meeting.
 
Frost indicted speaking with Drew Fields who is working with former Rotarian Jonalee Schmidt’s family.  Jonalee’s family will be on hand at the January 9, 2017 club meeting to present Rottery funds collected in Jonalee’s name to St. Rita's.
 
     New Business                         Rita Brown
     Resignations
  1.  Jacquelyn Bradley  
A resignation was received from Jacquelyn Bradley.  Ackerman made a motion to accept the resignation with regret.  Decker seconded the motion.  Board approved.
                                                                                   
     Adjournment
There being no further business, President Frost adjourned the meeting.
 
Respectfully submitted
Rita Brown, Secretary