Congratulations to our own Bob Ruehl, winner of the prestigious Distinguished Service award!
Past District 6600 Governor Carolyn Huston visited the Lima Rotary Club Monday to present Bob Ruehl with the Rotary Foundation's Distinguished Service Award, the highest award presented by the foundation. "Bob Ruehl is a true Rotarian. Always Service Above Self. He is very passionate about the Rotary Foundation and shares his passion for all. Bob also serves as a cadre for the Rotary Foundation, specializing in water and sanitation projects." District 6600 has only had four recipients of the Distinguished Service Award over the years, and Bob is the first Lima Rotarian to receive this prestigious award!
Bob actually won the award last summer, but COVID prevented Carolyn from presenting the award at that time.
Lima Rotary Club asked to consider adopting teacher recognition program.
The Findlay Rotary Club began the Golden Apple Awards program 31 years ago to recognize outstanding teachers. At Monday's meeting, Wayne Korpics told us about the program and asked us to consider adopting the program for local teachers. "If you think back to those years when you were in elementary school, middle school, high school, can you picture that one teacher, that one special teacher that made everything click for you? They are the one that you think back about today and say if it wasn't for ________, I wouldn't be where I am today." Those are the teachers that the Golden Apple Awards recognize. Nominees must teach preschool through 12th grade full-time, have taught a minimum of three years in their current school system, and have spent a majority of their time in the classroom. The Findlay Rotary Club chooses one winner and two runners up in each of the elementary, middle and high school levels. Winners receive $2,500 and runners up receive $250 to be spent in their classrooms.
Wayne says the Golden Apple Awards do much more than just recognize teachers: the program generates a significant focus on education and educators within the community which teachers greatly appreciate; partnerships have been developed combining the skills of the higher education institutions with Rotarians to develop the media releases and produce videos; local news outlets spotlight both Rotary and the teachers/schools; Rotarians see firsthand how our children are being developed into future leaders; and rotarians experience the impact of exceptional quality teachers.
The Lima Rotary Club's next social night is Thursday, March 25 from 5:00-7:00pm at Vino Bellissimo, 2412 Cable Court. Bring some friends and join us for drinks, munchies and great fellowship. Please RSVP to Demi so we can plan for proper social distancing.
After numerous requests to enter the 21st century, I am happy to tell our membership that the Rotary Club of Lima is now able to process online payments. The club is set up on Venmo, and you can send payment using the Venmo app to @LimaRotaryAccount. All you need is a smartphone or tablet, internet access, a bank account and nimble fingers. If you grew up with rotary phones, don’t worry, ask me or any of our under 40 members for help and we will help you get set up.
Rottery returns on April 5th after a year-long hiatus. The Lima Rotary Club is able to donate to many non-profit organizations with our weekly 50-50 drawing, so please participate!
Here are the highlights from the March 9 board meeting.
Call to Order John Ficorilli
Ficorilli called the meeting together at 11:40 AM with the following members present: Carol Buettner, Andy Farley, Jeff Fitzgerald, Keith Horner, Theresa Schnipke, Derek Stemen, Andy Wannemacher, and Ken Dysert. Also present were Treasurer Dan Best, Secretary Rita Brown and Anne Decker.
Secretary’s Report Rita Brown
Attendance Report
The month of February ended with 142 active and 4 Honorary members for a total of 146. No new members joined and two resigned. To- date, 9 have resigned. Attendance averaged 33.28%. Attendance improved by 1.5% for our March 1st meeting.
President’s Report John Ficorilli
Joint Meeting with the Foundation Board on April 13, 2021
The next Rotary Board of Directors and Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday April 13, 2021. At that time, the newly elected members to each Board will be announced.
Annual Club Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Lima Rotary Club will be held on Monday May 17 2021. Preparation and Planning for the Meeting are underway.
Fundraiser updates
Virtual Reverse Raffle – Plans for the Virtual Raffle have changed. It will be held in person on June 3rd.
More details will follow.
Spring Blood Clinic – Memorial Hospital will not do a Blood Clinic at this time. They will reconsider for fall.
Social Committee – The Brunch at Old City Prime was a great success. Plans are underway for the next event in March.
Board Reports
Board Candidates Slates for both Board Jeff/Derek
Rotary Board of Directors – Elizabeth Brown-Ellis, Lesley Fry, Tommie Harner, Craig Kupferberg, Joel Mengerink, Tim Sielschott
Foundation Board of Trustees - Abe Ambroza, Aimee Bucher, Jeff Dulmage, Corey Frazer, Jennifer Mason, Kerri Romes.
Fitzgerald made a motion to accept the slates of candidates as proposed for the Rotary Board of Directors and the Lima Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. Schnipke seconded the motion. Board approved.
Polio Plus update Derek Stemen
Stemen announced plans for the Rotary Merchandise Sale. Members will be able to purchase tee shirts, polo shirts and quarter-zip shirts with the Rotary Logo. Proceeds will be donated to Polio Plus. The sale will be offered to members during April.
Request from the Cole Collection – Bikes for Foster Kids Project Andy Wannemacher
Wannemacher stated the Cole Collection will be distributing bicycles to Foster Children in Allen County. They have requested assistance from The Rotary Club with Funding and Distribution. Stemen made a motion to explore a partnership with them. Ficorilli seconded the motion. Board approved.
Golf Outing update
The Committee met on March 8th. Information will be placed on the Rotary website. As Mrs. Barbara Perry will not be available to putt this year, Wannemacher stated they will be looking for a celebrity replacement for her.
Treasurer’s Report Dan Best
Best reviewed the Financial Reports for the Month of February 2021
He stated Total Assets are up $12,000 with Total Liabilities down $10,000. Total Equities are up $21,600.
Best also reviewed the A/R Aging Summary. He continues to make contact with any member in arrears. Action plans are in place as needed. Ficorilli made a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report as submitted. Stemen seconded the motion. Board approved.
New Business: John Ficorilli
Rottery will be active again starting at the April 5th meeting. Beth Seibert and Katy Page will reactive it. Stemen will provide a list of the non-profits to consider.
Membership Rita Brown
Applications: Chad Hughes, Allen County Fair General Manager
Best made a motion to accept his application. Horner seconded the motion. Board approved.
Farley made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 1 PM. Stemen seconded the motion. Board approved.
ShelterBox and Rotary stand with women after disaster.
For over 20 years, Rotary and ShelterBox have worked together to support families with a place to call home after disaster. ShelterBox teams work with disaster-hit families around the world, offering emergency shelter and other essential aid to support them in rebuilding their lives. This International Women’s Day we are sharing stories of the hardships, resilience and courage of the women ShelterBox and Rotary have worked with.
Due to pre-existing gender inequalities, women and girls are disproportionately affected by disasters. Following disaster and conflict, women experience higher death rates, increased gender-based violence, loss of livelihoods, and difficulties accessing education. The strength and resilience of women therefore plays a pivotal role in their recovery process. Women are often amongst the first responders to a crisis and are central to rebuilding their families and communities.
Susan lives on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. Before Cyclone Harold hit last year, Susan had a beautiful family home where her family and community took joy in coming together. She is a pillar of her community and an active member of the Community Disaster and Climate Change Committee (CDCCC.) In the first two days following the cyclone, Susan was too traumatised to work. But on the third day she began to record the cyclone’s damage and ask for government assistance. Susan played a key role in distributing vital aid materials to members of her community. Although she was mourning the loss of her family home, with the support of ShelterBox aid items, Susan is beginning to rebuild, and her community is starting to recover.
Shelter is the foundation of recovery - when you have shelter, you can start thinking about the future. ShelterBox provides women with the essential tools and training to rebuild their homes. This enables women to have a safe and private space to care for their families, continue with their education, and resume their livelihoods.
In 2014, Esther’s family was violently attacked when Boko Haram fighters stormed into their village in Nigeria. After witnessing the tragic death of her parents and brothers, Esther fled alongside many other girls in her situation. Esther is now 23 years old and lives in Minawao camp in Cameroon.
In Cameroon, ShelterBox has supported 15,000 families like Esther’s with the essential aid they need to start their journey toward recovery. The support Esther received helped her to participate in a sewing training organised on camp for young women. Today, Esther is one of the most popular dressmakers in the camp and she has ambitions to expand her business in the future.
‘I want to become a famous dressmaker not only here in Minawao, I want to see people wearing my clothes out of the camp and even in my country’ (Nigeria.)
Together in partnership, ShelterBox and Rotary have enabled thousands of women like Esther and Susan to take back control of their lives and rebuild their homes. Their stories demonstrate how the strength and resilience of women plays a vital role in the recovery process for their families and communities following disaster.
Meet some more incredible women that Shelter Box has worked with:
Habitat for Humanity: Women, housing and the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Habitat for Humanity will host: +You: Women, housing and the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic during International Women Build Week (8-15 March). This important discussion will explore the changed status of women throughout the global pandemic and how safe, decent, and healthy housing has never been more important in supporting women’s stability and opportunity.
Women are at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women make up more than half of the essential workforce in the United States and more than three-quarters of health care workers are women. They are also disproportionately bearing the costs of the economic downturn. Women make up 39 percent of global employment but account for 54 percent of overall job losses.
On 11 March at 11:00 AM EST, Habitat will host +You: Women, housing and the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to bring together experts and leaders from around the world to discuss these issues and more. Participants will also hear from a Habitat homeowner who has served at the front lines of the pandemic. The conversation will be streamed live here.
This conversation is part of an ongoing series about housing hosted by Habitat for Humanity. The +You series brings together experts from across the U.S. and around the world to discuss how housing intersects and interacts with other areas of societal concern including public health, racial equity, faith, and the economy.
Through International Women Build Week, Habitat for Humanity International and Lowe’s partner to build houses in the United States, Canada and India, and shine the spotlight on the global need for safe and affordable housing, particularly for women-led households. Contact your local Habitat to see if there is a virtual opportunity in your community.
Rotary International’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity International helps clubs and districts empower local communities through access to safe and affordable housing, water and sanitation facilities and hygienic practices and skills training to improve employment opportunities. Contact your local Habitat to jointly design and implement local service projects.
.png)
