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Upcoming Events
Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
Lima's Wastewater Treatment Plant
May 11, 2018
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
 
District Conference
May 18, 2018 8:00 AM –
May 20, 2018 5:00 PM
 
Rally in the Square
Town Square
May 18, 2018
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
 
MESA Bike Tour
Jun 01, 2018 – Jun 05, 2018
 
Past Presidents' Luncheon
Shawnee Country Club
Jun 06, 2018
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
 
Rex Perry Memorial Golf Outing
Hidden Creek Golf Club
Jun 13, 2018
 
Changing of the Guard
Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center
Jul 02, 2018
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
 
Speakers
May 14, 2018 12:00 PM
Actor/Writer/Producer
May 21, 2018 12:00 PM
Temple of Tolerance
May 28, 2018 12:00 PM
No Meeting
Jun 04, 2018
Bureau of Workers Compensation
Jun 11, 2018
Southside Spartans Boxing
Jun 18, 2018
Jun 25, 2018
Premier Paint & Sip
View entire list
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
Stories
Homeless
We are going to end homelessness! 
The Lima Rotary is excited to partner with the West Ohio Community Action Partnership to help address the needs of our homeless population by creating a program that will help connect our homeless population with the resources needed. A single phone number would provide the connection to our local resources, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! 
Your donation will help us do what it takes to get this much needed service started so that we can END HOMELESSNESS in our community. The funds will also be used to provide public education about connecting members of the homeless community with these services. 
We are less than $4,000.00 away from our goal of $15,200.00.  Looking for 4 more businesses to step up for $1,000.00 each. Please use this link to donate through our Go Fund Me page, or you can write a check to the Lima Rotary Club and put "Homeless" on the memo line, or we would be glad to bill you.

Please feel free to share and we appreciate any donation you can make!!
https://www.gofundme.com/end-homelessness-in-lima-ohio
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Blood Drive
22 Rotarians donated blood at Monday's blood drive. Thank you!
The Scoop - January 15, 2018
Commissioners to seek sales tax increase.
Allen County Commissioners will seek a 0.2 percent sales tax increase this year, to fund capital improvements, including needed building renovations and new construction, they said Monday.
Commissioners Jay Begg, Greg Sneary and Cory Noonan spoke Monday to Lima Rotary Club, giving an update on county operations.
The increased sales tax would be limited to 10 years, and earmarked for projects such as renovating the Allen County Courthouse, Allen County Jail, 3rd District Court of Appeals building, and roads and bridges. The commissioners have not included money in the plan for Memorial Hall.
Begg said if the community wants the building restored, it will have to be with community and privately donated funding. A consultant’s study of all county building needs concluded that there is no good public use for Memorial Hall that’s not already provided with another space, Begg said.
Some of the county needs include:
  • A courthouse with a leaking roof that makes much of the fourth floor unusable,
  • A 25-year-old jail
  • A 40-year-old juvenile detention facility
  • Landlocked and out-of-date engineer building and facility
  • Outdated spaces for many other departments.
The commissioners have started some of the badly needed repairs already, especially at the courthouse, where renovations to the clock tower and repairs to the roof have begun already.
The county owns 19 buildings that house 25 different departments. Most of those buildings pre-date 1970.
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The Scoop - January 8, 2018
Club hears Lima history lecture.
In the early 1900s, an Allen County sheriff thwarted a riot of residents attempting to storm the Allen County Jail.
Bluffton University history professor Perry Bush told the story Monday at Lima Rotary Club. The club enjoyed a detailed lecture about an incident involving Sheriff Sherman E. Eley from August 1916.
Eley is being hailed as a hero decades later for thwarting a riot of local residents who stormed the Allen County Jail. They wanted to lynch a black man who was being held on suspicion of attacking a white female. Eley was able to move the inmate to a safe location and ensure his right to a fair trial.
Bush is Professor of History at Bluffton University in Bluffton, where he has taught since 1994. A native of California, he received his BA degree in from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MA and Ph.D. in U.S. social history from Carnegie Mellon University.  He is the author of four books. Bush has also written widely on peace and religious history in twentieth century America in both popular and scholarly journals, and has taught U.S. history as a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine.
Also on Monday, the club kicked off a program addressing homelessness in conjunction with West Ohio Community Action Partnership. To help address the needs of our homeless population, the program that will connect our homeless population with the resources needed. A single phone number would provide the connection to our local resources, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Lima Rotary Club has set up a Go Fund Me page to accept donations. Donations will help us do what it takes to get this much needed service started so that we can end homelessness in our community. The funds will also be used to provide public education about connecting members of the homeless community with these services.
 
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Board Highlights
Here are the highlights from the January 9th board meeting.
Call to Order                                         Tracie Sanchez
President Sanchez called the meeting to order with the following members present:  Jill Ackerman, Paul Crow, Ken Dysert, Dr. Susan Hubbell, Jed Metzger, Catheryn Sarno, Paul Swartz, Jeff Tracy and Secretary Rita Brown.
 
                Secretary’s Report                               Rita Brown
  Approval of December 2017 Board Minutes
 Tracy made a motion to approve the minutes for December 2017 as submitted.     Dysert seconded the motion.  Board approved. 
 
Attendance report
Brown submitted the attendance report for December 2017.  We ended the year with 168 members, exactly where we ended 2016.  We had 14 new members and 11 resignations during the first six months of the fiscal year.  Attendance for the month was at 46.76%.
 
Presidents Report                                Tracie Sanchez
The Christmas Raffle proceeds equaled $4,335.00 minus expenses of $729.99.
Profit equals $3,605.01.  We prefunded the Salvation Army in the amount $5,000.00 and will use $1,394.99 from the reverse raffle to pay back the prefund.
 
American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held this coming Monday January 15, 2018.  The schedule is mostly filled.  It is open to family, friends or spouses.  Any one is welcome to participate in the Rotary Blood Drive. 
 
Homeless Committee Initiative – Goal to raise $15,200
$5,000 has been raised through the District Grant; $4,000 has been commitment from four businesses with each contributing $1,000.  We still need to raise $6,200 to complete the initiative.  We are looking for six more businesses to contribute at the $1,000 amount.  Members can also write a check to Lima Rotary or go to Go Fund Me to contribute. Sanchez wants the information to be sent to the District and to Rotary International in hopes of receiving contributions at that level. 
 
The District Conference will be held May 18-20 at the Toledo Renaissance.  Sanchez is going and is trying to get a group to go.
 
Ballot for new Board members 2018-2021
A Selection Committee of Dave Frost, Dave Runk, Paul Swartz and Ken Dysert was formed to secure six candidates who are interested in joining the Rotary Board and being on the ballot for election this Spring for the term to run from 2018- 2021. 
 
President Elect ReportPaul Swartz
Jan-Mar polio fundraiser
Currently we are seeking auction items.  We have a goal of raising and donating $20,000 this year to Polio Plus.  $4,300 was raised in the fall.  Proceeds from Rottery will be donated to Polio Plus for the first quarter of this year.  
 
Board Reports
Rotaract
The winter session begins on January 3rd.  The club sponsored a family in the Adopt-a-Family program for Christmas.  They spent $500 on a family of seven (6 children and their mother) purchasing toys, clothes, coats, bedding and toiletries for the family along with a Christmas tree and ornaments.  They also rang bells on December 15 for the Salvation Army. 
 
Interact
Students and Faculty will have a dodge ball game at halftime during the boys’ basketball game.  They are planning a Military appreciation night at a boys’ basketball game with one of the Interact Students singing the National Anthem.  They will have a RED out game to benefit the Heart Association and their annual Sadie Hawkins dance and Sunday Funday at Westgate Bowling Lanes to raise money for Kyle’s Heart Scholarship for a Bath grad who died tragically in a work related accident. 
 
Showcase/Paul Harris- sharing points             Frost was not present. His report was presented by Sanchez
The showcase is completed and on display in the North Hall of the VMCCC.  Display items are still being sought.
 
Paul Harris points
Frost is currently working with members regarding securing the best value for their Paul Harris points.  The goal is to have as many Paul Harris fellows as possible.
 
4-way speech/essay                            Jill Ackerman
Ackerman indicated not much going on right now.  The contest will be held in March 2018.  Currently Perry, Elida, Lima City Schools and Bath are participating in the Essay and Speech contest.
 
Reverse Raffle Jeff Tracy
Tickets are $125 each with a ticket for an extra person being available for $25.  At the $125 price, ticket holders’ names will be put on the board and be eligible for winning the Reverse Raffle.  Tickets will be offered first to people who bought last year.  The event will be held February 27, 2018 with doors opening at 5:30 PM.  Chuck Summers is appearing for 3 hours.  If anyone has auction items to donate, please contact Catheryn Sarno.
 
New Business: Rita Brown
  •  
  1. Dave Collins                                                                                         
  2. Charles Leidy
Hubbell made a motion to approve the resignations of Dave Collins and Charles Leidy with regret.  Crow seconded the motion.  Board approved.
Applications: 
  1. Joshua Parker
  2. Berlin Carroll II
Applications were received from Joshua Parker and Berlin Carroll II.  Ackerman made a motion to approve the applications as submitted.  Metzger seconded the motion.  Board approved.
 
Adjournment 
Sanchez adjourned the meeting at 12: 28 PM.
 
Respectfully submitted
Rita Brown, Secretary
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Board Members
We are looking for members who are interested in serving on the  Rotary Board and Foundation Board for the year that will begin July 1, 2018-2019.  See Paul Swartz, Tracie Sanchez, Heather Rutz or Jeff Fitzgerald if interested.
Reverse Raffle
Don't miss the second annual Rotary Reverse Raffle, Saturday, February 17th. It's a fun and exciting night with good friends. The purse is $10,000 and we'll also have a silent auction and a 50/50 drawing. Tickets are just $125 and include one meal. Additional meal tickets are $25. See Jay Begg for tickets.
PolioPlus
We will be auctioning off a package from Sherwin Williams for PolioPlus on Monday. If you would like to donate an item to auction, please contact Paul Swartz.
MESA
MESA has a work day planned at the warehouse in Fostoria on February 24th .  Please contact Scott Salyers 419-348-7719 if interested in volunteering your time.
 
District Conference
Join President Tracie May 18-20 at the District Conference at the Toledo Renaissance Center. 
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Uniendo
January 25-27 there is an Uniendo American Project Fair in Belize.  If you like international travel this is a perfect opportunity to meet Rotarians from Central American and from all over the world.  It is only an 1 ½ flight from Miami.  $125.00/night for hotel.  See Bob Ruehl or Tracie Sanchez for more information and to get signed up.
RI Convention
The 2018 Rotary International Convention is June 24-27th in Toronto. Early registration will open June 10th – 14th  for $335.  For more information: http://www.riconvention.org/en/toronto/register