President Randy Smith welcomed the group.

 

Patriotic song God Bless America was led by David Dix.

 

Randy Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

The Invocation was offered by Randy Smith.

 

Michael Lewis handling Rotareminder duties.

 

None

 

 

Christmas in July:  Todd Kamenash reminded everyone of our big Christmas in July celebration July 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom.  Todd asked Rotarians to fill out the survey by going to the link:  https://kent.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51Jai6HbDGfn1nn. Todd credited Alyssa Mazey with creating the survey.

Carol Crimi announced there is a special Foundation meeting at Steve Belli’s next Tuesday, July 14 from 5:30 – 7:30. 

Carol Crimi announced she need’s 5-6 volunteers to help prepare and distribute the meals for those in need on July 25.  Preferably, these should be people with no underlying health conditions.  Anyone who can help please contact her for details.

Roberta O’Keefe is looking for prayer givers from August through the rest of the Rotary year.  Please see her to sign up.

 

President Randy announced we have collected $15,500 in donations to help offset the loss from this year’s auction. 

 

President Randy announced he attended a district grant meeting to provide funds to the Imagination Library to help supply books from birth to age 5.  This will be handled through the Kent Library.

 

President Randy announced the new YouTube site for our Rotary meetings is up and running.

 

President Randy announced Dues are due.  Currently we have 44 members paid. 

 

 

Laing Kennedy introduced Kent State University’s Athletic Director Joel Nielsen.  Mr. Nielsen has been the athletic director since 2010 and has really continued the successful foundation that was put in place by his predecessor Mr. Kennedy.  The wins have come on the field/court/course between football, basketball, and golf specifically over the years.  Everyone sees the paper and can read the scores but even more important is the impressive GPA the combined sports have compiled.  All combined the academic GPA is a respectful 3.3.  This past year 95 athletes had a 4.0.  Mr. Nielsen presented a slide show covering the achievements of the past year and how we will move forward in the Covid-19 world.  His PowerPoint will be available for review. 

 

Response – Doug Fuller

 

Jim Myers provided a moment in history 1920.

Respectfully submitted,

The ROTARY CLUB OF KENT was elected to membership of Rotary International on November 1, 1920.  It was thus the 777th club to which a charter had been issued by the parent organization.

The conception of a Rotary club in Kent originated in the mind of William A. Walls, affectionately know as “Tubby” who at the time was superintendent of the Kent Public Schools. In the spirit of Rotary, which was always his, Bill Walls had the vision of what could be accomplished by bringing together the business and professional men of Kent into one service club. He perceived that through the medium of such an organization the members would develop a close acquaintance in Fellowship; and  that by the practice of the principles of Rotary the club would become a vital force in the social, religious and civic life of Kent.

In the early part of the year 1920, he discuss the subject of Rotary with a few of his friends and, after several informal meetings, decided to contact headquarters in Chicago with reference to the formation of a club in Kent. The officials of Rotary International we’re at first reluctant to give approval as they consider the city too small to support a club adequately; however, the vigorous efforts of the men interested overcame this objection. A committee was formed and eventually a survey made. The report stated “Kent is an established little city having a character distinctively its own not dependent upon other cities for its commercial success”. It also emphasize the fact that there were sufficient business and professional men of sound reputation to form a Rotary club.

On August 18, 1920, governor Sam Squires appointed William A. Walls chairman of an organizing committee with authority to select other members; and he, intern, extended an invitation to Dr. William B. Andrews, Dr. George H. Dumm, James S. Greene, and Hale B. Thompson to serve with him. At the next meeting the bylaws and Constitution were adopted. It called for regular noon meetings to be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Franklin Hotel. The admission fee was placed at $10, and the membership dues were set at $20 per year payable semi annually. There were 25 charter members, all prominent residents of Kent.

The first regular luncheon meeting of the club was held on Tuesday, December 14, 1920 at the Franklin Hotel. President Bill Walls  with the speaker. He discussed the purpose of the club, and outlined the program for the year. The club soon came to the conclusion that it was not sufficient to encourage wholesome fellowship and to extend the educational program; that it was necessary, in addition, to inculcate the workable technique of Rotary throughout the entire membership. The Crippled Children’S Movement, was then in the first stages of its growth and furnished an opportunity for the practical application of this tenant.

The Crippled Children’s Movement was Originated by Edgar Allen, a member of the Rotary club of Elyria. Edgar became commonly known among Rotarians and was familiarly addressed by his little protégés as “Daddy Allen”.

Early in 1921, Miss Elnora Getz, City Nurse, had called to the attention of the Rotary club of two crippled children both in the same family. The plans formulated comprised: (a) a listing of all crippled children in Portage County, (b) missionary work among the parents of these children, (c) the clinic, (d)  follow-up work. This project continued on through William Walls first two years of his presidency and an additional two more administrations until it was taken over by the state of Ohio. It was probably the finest project undertaken during the first 25 year history of the club.

 

Here are some interesting facts as it relates to the year 1920 when Kent Rotary was formed. A Rotary club was started in Madrid Spain the first to be organized in continental Europe . The first Rotary club was organized in Japan in Tokyo. The League of Nations held its first meetings. The International Court Of Justice was established. The 19th amendment giving suffrage to women was added to the Constitution of the United States of America. All this in addition to our club 777 being formed!

I’ll finish with an amusing story regarding the difficulty of transportation in its day for the Crippled Children’s Movement.

Sam Bissler’s experience may be cited as an example. For his business as funeral director Sam had a fleet of cars which were always spotlessly clean. At the time of one of the clinics  the dirt roads were almost impassable. The state has not yet paved many  side roads, and Sam’s assignment was in the southern part of the county, a long distance away from the main highway. He had started off early in the morning in one of his brilliantly polished cars. He reached the clinic in a car plastered with mud from bumper to bumper and from hubcap to hubcap. Sam himself was not as clean as when he started out, but when he entered the clinic he had one child by the hand and another in his arms. He was tired and bedraggled; nevertheless his radiant smile indicated a satisfactorily performed and profit gained by unselfish service. Sam is only one example. There were many Sam’s who labored that day to learn the truth of the Rotary motto, “he profits most who serves the best”.