Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent
Meeting on June 23, 2026
President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. Our patriotic song
was God Bless America accompanied by David Dix on piano, followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance. Our song was Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer with David Dix on
piano. The Invocation was offered by David Dix. Tech volunteers were Roger Kramer,
Mark Pennell, and Bill Nome. Nithya Venkataraman took our photos.
GUESTS & VISITORS
There were no guests or visiting Rotarians today.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Nithya updated us on the flag program.
• Dominique Bollenbacher informed us that the City of Kent is launching a
beautification program. If you or someone you know has a beautiful yard or garden,
please let her know.
• Nancy Whitehead told us that Larry Wright’s funeral is Thursday 6/25 at 11:00 at the
United Methodist Church of Kent with a reception to follow at the KSU Hotel. A fund is
being established in Larry’s memory; see Nancy if you wish to make a donation.
• President Amanda informed us that she has built a Google Sheets document to sign
up to volunteer for the Kent Heritage Festival on July 3. Volunteers are needed!
BIRTHDAYS
June 3: Jennifer Lennox related a memorable family trip to West and East Germany
when she was ten years old. Years later, when the Berlin Wall fell, she was reminded
that “I was there.”
June 17: As a child, much to his annoyance, Dave Sommers was dragged along on
family road trip vacations, visiting every state east of the Mississippi. As an adult, Dave
has come to appreciate these travel experiences. The road trip tradition continues today
in Dave’s family.
June 17: In 1997 Todd Packer took a memorable trip to India where he volunteered as
a teacher. The marked commonalities and differences between his own and Indian
cultures made an enduring impression on him.
June 18: Nancy Whitehead told us about two memorable trips: Several years ago, she
and her husband Tom visited Paris. At Notre Dame they encountered a huge crowd
waiting to enter for an ascension mass. Tom found a back door, so they were able to
enter the cathedral and witness the mass despite the crowd. In 2006, Nancy and Tom
visited Germany, which was hosting the World Cup. In a German bar they watched a
match between Brazil and Germany.
June 25: Twenty years ago Sue Hetrick visited Peru’s Machu Pichu. The difficult oneday hike to the temple complex got them there after sunset, so when they looked
through the Sun Gate all they saw was darkness. The next morning, however, they got
an amazing and unforgettable view.
Sue won the free lunch!
David Dix then led us in singing Happy Birthday to our June celebrants.
PROGRAM
Todd Kamenash led today’s program, which had two parts. In Part One, Todd reminded
us that Rotary International requires 100% participation in completing the Youth
Protection Awareness course. Todd has caused an email from NAYEN Training
Administrator to be sent to our entire club; it includes a link to the online course. If you
have not received this email, please inform Todd. If you have, please follow the link and
complete the course.
Todd then emphasized the essential nature of this training and our collective
responsibility to protect youth with whom we may come in contact during Rotary events.
He then counted down the Top Ten list of youth protection, as follows:
10. Youth are usually minors (under 18), but people in RYLA and the Youth Exchange
may be 18 or 19, and are considered Youth.
9. While the majority of sexual harassment involves a male harassing a female, cases
have also involved a female harassing a male, or men / women harassing members of
their own gender.
8. Sexual harassment and abuse occurs. It happens in all kinds of groups, clubs,
organizations, etc.
7. If youth are at a Rotary program, ALL Rotarians present are responsible for ensuring
their safety
•Not creating a hostile environment
•Not engaging in sexual harassment or abuse
•Reporting immediately if observed or informed by youth
6. Sexual harassment is unwelcome visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature.
5. Sexual abuse is engaging in implicit or explicit sexual acts with a youth or forcing or
encouraging a youth to engage in such acts alone or with anyone else, regardless of
gender or age.
For purposes of protecting students, and for purposes of reporting suspected
abuse or harassment, it is NOT necessary to determine which is which.
4. Young people often do not report sexual abuse because:
•They feel they may not be believed by adults
•Children tend to minimize abuse
•They are afraid they may be sent back home
3. Nearly 90% of the time the student knows the abuser.
2. Fewer than 4% of sexual abuse allegations prove to be false.
1. You may offer Privacy, but you CANNOT offer Confidentiality.
Tell Todd or Dave if you have anything to report, and also inform law
enforcement.
For Part Two of our program, Todd asked:
Have you successfully completed the online Youth Protection modules & quiz?
If YES! – Enjoy & participate in a Trivia challenge!
If NO – On a computer in the back of the room or your phone, go to your email, click on
the link, and complete it!
The general knowledge trivia challenge had three rounds and was a lot of fun. The
winning table comprised Sue Hetrick, Nythia Venkataraman, John Ryan, Janice
Simmons-Mortimer, Mary Beth Harper, and Will Underwood. Todd rewarded our win
with chocolate!
We closed our meeting with a recitation of the Rotary 4-Way Test.
Respectfully submitted,
Will Underwood
