Here are the highlights from the May 10 board meeting...
 
Call to Order                                                                                                     
President David Runk called the meeting to order with the following members present:  Jill Ackerman, Esther Baldridge, Harold Bischoff, Paul Crow, Anne Decker, Peg Ehora, David Frost, Tracie Sanchez and incoming Board Members Susan Hubbell and Jeff Tracy.  Also present was Secretary Rita Brown.
 
            Attendance Report
Rita Brown shared the Attendance Report for April.  Membership increased in April to 182 with the addition of four new members and one resignation.  The Club held four meetings with 43.30% attendance by club members. 
 
Past-Presidents’ Lunch
The Past Presidents’ Luncheon will be held on Thursday June 2nd this year. 
 
Changing of the Guard     
The Changing of the Guard will be held June 27th, the last Monday of June.  Since 2009 - 2010, the Club has acknowledged individual club members for Club, Community, International and Vocational Service and in 2014, those awards were renamed for past presidents who represented those avenues of service in our daily lives.  Those now include the Rex Perry Club Service Award, the Rudolph Community Award, the Goodnight International Service Award and the Wemmer Vocational Service Award.  This year, it is appropriate that the club add a Youth Service category and accordingly, the Board discussed selecting a past member to honor by naming the youth service award after that person.  Rita Brown suggested naming the award for former Lima Rotarian Peter Hulsken.  Hulsken was named an honorary charter member and served as Santa for the Children’s Christmas Party for 25 years.  Hulsken also set up a trust in his estate that the Rotary Foundation currently manages – The Hulsken Fund.  It pays a major portion of the Children’s Christmas Party each December.  Esther Baldridge made a motion to name the new service award the Hulsken Youth Services Award and Frost seconded the motion.  Board approved.  President David Runk will be asking club members to nominate fellow club members for the 2015 - 2016 awards over the next couple of weeks.  The Board will discuss and select winners in each category at next month’s Board Meeting.
 
President’s Report                                                                                             
  1. The District Assembly will be held this Saturday at the University of Findlay.  Several members of the Board are planning to attend. 
  2. Runk indicated the Water Testing kits have been delivered.  Jay Begg is managing the effort and has the kits.  The tests will be done in five assigned areas within the Ottawa River Watershed. The results will be submitted to BGSU for testing. 
  3. Interact / Rotaract - Runk announced 18 students at UNOH have signed up to participate in the proposed Rotaract club.  Club member Lisa Hummel is pushing to complete
    the development plan. The club could certify a new Rotaract Club before July 1st
 
President-Elect Report                                                                          
  1. David Frost announced that Paul Swartz has been nominated to become the Club’s Vice President for the 2016 – 2017 fiscal year and has accepted the position.  Esther Baldridge made a motion to approve the nomination.  Tracie Sanchez seconded the motion.  Board approved.
  2. Frost presented the 2016 - 2017 Table of Organization found in Club Runner. Committee Chairs and co-chairs have been named for every committee.  .
  3. Frost also discussed the STRIVE program and indicated there is a great deal of information on the web.   The STRIVE program is currently active in the District.  It is a children’s mentoring program.   A plan is currently being developed to have the Lima City Schools be the test pilot for students at the high school level.
  4. Education – Catheryn Sarno is chairing the committee. During Frost’s year in office, programs will include Educational Minutes focusing on various topics regarding Rotary. 
  5. Anne Decker suggested the Social Media Committee be renamed the Public Relations Committee.  Heather Rutz and members involved with the media will be asked to join the committee.  The goal is to alert media and have more media coverage at Rotary events.
  6. The 2016 - 2017 Budget – Kevin Bill, Sanchez and Frost met to establish a budget.  Currently it is a work in process but the committee has outlined it at this time.  It will be presented at next month’s board meeting. 
 
Vice President Report (Service Projects)                                                       
Tracie Sanchez presented the Vice President’s Report
  1. Local Projects
    1. Blood Clinic -  Saturday’s event had receipts of $40,426.00 and was a record for the Blood Clinic.  Lima Memorial Hospital reports 675 patients attended.  Once all bills are paid, Sanchez will report the profit so payment can be made to the Foundation. 
    2. Abilities Baseball Field – The ground breaking event will be Thursday May 12th at 11 AM at the UNOH Field Site.  All Rotarians are invited.  Dr. Jarvis and Esther Baldridge will each speak.  Media coverage has been arranged by UNOH.
    3. Memorial Day Parade – the float has been arranged and will include seating for any Rotarian who would prefer to sit.  Bags will be stuffed with Rotary pencils and candy donated by Carl Berger and Dave Cockerell. Tee shirts will be ordered.  Rotary Club Member and Veteran Amy Rode will ride on the Grand Marshall’s float and will be participating in the wreath laying at the VFW. 
    4. Rex Perry Memorial Golf Outing – Matt Otto reports that sponsorships are going well.  He is encouraging everyone to get their teams together and to submit them for planning.  Members will be asked to encourage other businesses and friends to put teams together and to attend. The Board discussed various options for media coverage including putting it on the Community Calendar of the Lima TV station, advertising it on RTA buses and putting it in the bus shelters, asking members to include it in their business publicity, and placing it on the District website.
    5. Lima Locos – Rotary Day at the Park will be June 18th.  Anheuser Busch will also be a sponsor that night.  We will have a banner on the outfield fence that will be up for 3 years.  We will receive 50 tickets and can buy extra for $2 each.  More details will follow.    Runk indicated speaking with Rotary Foundation President Scott Shafer and they mutually agreed that the cost will be covered from the Club’s Operating fund as it is promoting the club vs. Foundation.
 
  1. Social Sub-Committee.  Peg Ehora has assigned the following committee members to organize the events.
    1. Monthly meeting at the Met – Annette Swisher, Catheryn Sarno and Maria Sanko
    2. Westgate Family Day – Tim Sielshott, Drew Fields and John Ficorilli 
    3. Rally in the square – Jim Osmon and Andy Wannemacher.  Cost of the event will be paid by the Lima Rotary Club.
    4. Mystery Monday’s  - Kelli Delong, Amy Rode and Carol Buettner
    5. Parades – Peggy Ehora and Tracie Sanchez.
 
International Service Update
Harold Bischoff presented the following report for International Service. 
  1. Costa Rica Medical Mission club program is scheduled for August.  The President of the Celina Rotary Club, Melissa Smalley, is arranging the program and will be coming to our meeting. Dr. Pikja will be invited to speak also. 
  2. MESA Bike Ride - Catherlyn Sarno spoke at Rotary about the event.  On the day of the event after the club program, a check in the amount of $1000 - $1500 for MESA Operating Expenses will be presented to them.  The source of this money will come from Club Members.  In addition a check for $5,000 from the Lima Rotary Foundation will be presented for the MESA Warehouse
  3. Honduras Water Project  -   Bob Ruehl is very near to submitting the international grant application as the money is all in place.  One more fund raising project will be done to raise the final $7500.  Frost advised the board that the club will have a new member, Dr Ramesh Vedula, an oncologist with Memorial hospital has just relocated to Lima and has requested an opportunity to join the Lima Rotary Club.  Dr. Vedula has never been a Rotarian but indicated he wants to get involved in the International Program. 
 
New Business
  1. Application – The following application was received.
    1. Jacque Daley Perrin  
Jacque is joining St. Rita’s Hospital.  Bischoff made a motion to approve the application.  Crow seconded the motion.  Board approved. 
  1. Resignations were received for the following.
    1. Dave Anderson
    2. Jim Fenton
    3. Greg Winegardner
    4. Bill Power   
Ackerman made a motion to accept the resignations with regret.  Decker seconded the motion.  Board approved. 
 
Baldridge made a motion to adjourn and Ehora seconded the motion.  Board approved.
 
Respectfully submitted
Rita Brown, Club Secretary