Kent Rotary is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting Rona Simmons, Author of The Other Veterans of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines Time: Apr 13, 2021 12:15 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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This week we heard about our Foundation’s plan to increase its endowment. This will ensure that our club will continue to impact our community by providing resources for worthy projects. The income generated from this fund will augment our yearly fundraising projects as well as cover shortfalls during unusual occurrences, such as this current pandemic. Next week begins a month of programs arranged by Will Underwood. We will hear from a series of authors about their latest published work. Should be quite entertaining and informative.
District Governor Pat Myers asked for an accounting of how our club has impacted our community over the last 13 months despite the pandemic. I think it is quite impressive, so I share it below.
Service Projects:
Beautification of downtown gazebo
Video presentations by members to promote reading to our school systems young readers
Promoting sign up to the “Imagination Library”
Providing lunch to hungry families (Lord’s Lunch) on 2 Saturdays
Salvation Army Bell Ringers
Foundation Grants:
Handicapped playground
Boy Scout camp improvements
AED devices
Community gardens through “Edible Kent” and KSU
Hunger center renovation at “Upper Room Ministries”
COVID relief through United Way of Portage County
Monarch butterfly project
Coats for Kids
Kent Social Services “Hunger Meals”
Habitat for Humanity
Equipment for homeless Youth through Kevin Coleman Foundation
“Overcoming Poverty” through Children’s Advantage
Nutrition education through Axcess Pointe community center
Kent City Schools literacy and art programs
College students mission trips through United Christian Ministries
Phil Lanier, Director of Marketing and New Business Development at DS Architecture, and Ben Wolford, editor and publisher of The Portager, were inducted as new members. Lanier lives in Kent with his wife Emily and two children. Wolford is our first member who lives in a foreign country. He and his wife, Christina, who is a human rights attorney with the UN, live in Brazil with their two young children.
Announcements:
SAVE THE DATE: The Rotary Gala celebrating our 100 years in Rotary will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2021.
Grants:Shawn Gordon announced that the district grant applications are due on May 15. The Board is working on ideas.
“Stand Together Against Hate:” Tom Hatch encouraged members to attend a peaceful demonstration on April 7 at the KSU Music Building.
Cereal Box Challenge - See separate story by Todd Kamenash
Thanks Laing! Todd Kamenash thanked Laing Kennedy for sharing his insights into the NCAA Final Four women’s and men’s basketball tournament games.
Club history: Jim Myers talked about activities of the Club at the beginning of World War II.
Savannah Zanders is an eighth grader who plays the violin in the orchestra. She also plays soccer, is a member of the STEM Club, Student Council and the Environmental Club. An excellent student, she is involved in dance lessons and her church.
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Program: The Kent Rotary Foundation
Paul Organ gave a summary of the history and activities of the Kent Rotary Foundation, including positive news about a recent fundraising campaign with members. Here are the visual aids from his presentation.
Responder:Tom Myers, who has been involved in the Kent Rotary Foundation since it was started during the presidency of Dr. Glenn Saltzman.
The meeting of the Rotary club of Kent held on July 1, 1941, witness the installation of a new president Earl Crecraft. President Earl referred to the fact that he remembered the Rotary club of Kent when he was young in years and reminded members that in 1921, when he was a professor in Akron University, he had appeared before the club and had spoken on the “City Manager Plan.”
Because of the war in Europe and because of the preparation for anticipated hostilities which were being initiated in the United States, President Crecraft named a new committee for the year, the Committee on National Defense. Through the efforts of this committee a clever and colorful Rotary float appeared in the Nation Defense Day parade on a Sunday in October of 1941.
Directly after the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, this committee became active in determining how Rotarians and our club could best serve the country and also in organizing for the sale of war bonds.
More Moments in our history during war years to follow next week.
Thank you to the Kent Rotarians and Habitat for Humanity of Portage County staff who volunteered to serve others through Salvation Army’s food program that kicks off May 5th. If you are working that day, please arrive between 8:00 & 8:30 a.m. Everyone should dress for the weather. After all cars have received their food and departed, cleanup begins and is usually done by 12:00-1:00 P.M.
The site is in Kent at the corner of 261 and Summit St. in the Kent State parking lot. It is located down the road directly across from Kent Christian Life Center
Volunteer opportunities will continue each month during the warmer months. If you would like to volunteer on another first Wednesday to help pass out food, please contact Rotarian Rachel Kerns at rkerns@habitatofportage.org or contact Salvation Army's Bonnie Schubert at Bonnie.Schubert@USE.SalvationArmy.Org
We’ve been challenged by the Stow Munroe Falls Rotary Club to see who can donate more to a food drive in the month of April. More than bragging rights are on the line. Each club’s leadership has agreed that the losing club will donate $100 to the winning club’s choice of charity. Let’s show them what we’re made of!!
The Stow Monroe Falls club will be donating to one of their local charities. Our club will be donating to our familiar friends, the Ben Curtis Family Foundation.
There are two ways to donate:
Follow the link in the attached flyer (tinyurl.com/kentwins). It will open a wish list in Amazon that automatically sends items to the Ben Curtis Family Foundation. To participate in our challenge with SMF, select the single-serving size cereal boxes option.
Purchase single-serving size cereal boxes and drop them off. Here are the dates and times drop-off is available:
Friday, April 16th from Noon-2pm, 2121 Brady Lake Road, Kent 44240
Tuesday, April 20th from 10am-Noon, 2121 Brady Lake Road, Kent 44240
Friday, April 30th from Noon-2pm, 2121 Brady Lake Road, Kent 44240
The Portage county Health District is conducting COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Tuesdays at the KSU Fieldhouse and I am Volunteering, therefore I may miss the next few Rotary meetings.
The PC Health Dept is in need of more Volunteers both Medical and Non-medical. The link is below.
Information in this eBulletin comes primarily from the Rotareminder, board meeting minutes, and stories submitted by members.
If you have any Rotary stories, events or speaker information to benefit the Club, please submit it to info.rotarykentohio.org@gmail.com. We will add it to the next appropriate eBulletin.
Her new book, The Other Veterans of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines.
Rona Simmons has written both novels and works of historical fiction. She coauthored Images from World War II, celebrating the art of WWII veteran and artist Jack Smith. The daughter of a World War II fighter pilot herself, she is proud to honor veterans and their stories through her work. Her stories, articles, and interviews have appeared in regional and national literary journals and online magazines.