banner
Stories

Join May 31, 2022 meeting

Kathy Myers is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
 
Topic:
Carol Crimi, Kent Rotary Foundation - Annual Kent Rotary Foundation Presentation
 
 
Meeting ID: 358 947 2094
Passcode: 495060
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,3589472094#,,,,*495060# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,3589472094#,,,,*495060# US (Chicago)
 
Dial by your location
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
 
Meeting ID: 358 947 2094
Passcode: 495060
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abQZZBmWIx
 
Phone participants can enter the following commands
via tones using your phone's dial pad while in a Zoom meeting:
*6 - Toggle mute/unmute
*9 - Raise hand
            Please mute your microphone when the meeting begins.
Myers’ Musings, May 31, 2022
Dear Rotary Friends,
It’s that time again, Kent Rotarians!  Grill for Good will be held on Saturday, June 11th.  While Governor Larry is planning to be there that day to set up and help get things going, he will have just arrived back from the Rotary International Conference in Houston.  We need to quickly get volunteers lined up for two-hour shifts that day as well as someone to help with the shopping.  If you are willing to help in anyway, please let me know.  We will have sign-up sheets on Tuesday. 
 
Who loves Monarch Butterflies?  Maybe a better question is, who doesn’t?  We have another chance to increase their presence in our area by planting milkweed.  We had a team that planted last fall and, as the Portage Park District has received an additional supply, we can increase the number of milkweed plants AND (it should follow), the number of Monarch butterflies in our summers.  Thank you, Anita Herington for spearheading the project from the start.  I am not certain when the planting date will be, so look for an announcement.
 
Thanks to Sherry Joy and all those who worked for a couple of hours on Saturday morning to beautify the gazebo in downtown Kent!  While I think some of the workers had left before the photo below was taken, you can see our amazing, hardworking group here.
It was my distinct pleasure to welcome Nithya Venkataraman to our club’s roster at last Tuesday’s meeting.  I look forward to getting to know Nithya better and to have her as an active, engaged member of this great club.
 
As a reminder, we are collecting Mac and Cheese and Granola Bars to donate to the Ben Curtis Family Foundation for distribution this summer in the BCFF’s Birdie Bags.  It’s a part of our Spring Story Walk Project, which is set to launch on June 18th. This month-long literacy event in Kent, will feature the book, “Share Your Rainbow” posted in pages around store windows in Kent.  Please be sure to bring your favorite child or grandchild (oh heck… you don’t need a kid for admittance… just come and enjoy the stories and the artwork in this lovely book).  Thank you to the stores and everyone involved!  This is another literacy project that our club has sponsored.  Kudos to Curt Stumpf and Dave Myers for taking the lead for our club. If you bring the Mac and Cheese or Granola Bars to a meeting, we will collect them and ensure that they are delivered to the Ben Curtis Family Foundation.
 
Thank you to each of you for all that you do for our club and our community.
 
See you Tuesday!
 
With gratitude,
 
Kathy
Read more...
Rotareminder for May 24, 2022
President Kathy Myers welcomed the group.
 
Patriotic song is our National Anthem by David Dix, followed by our Armed Forces Medley.
 
President Kathy led the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
The Invocation was offered by David McKeen.        
 
Brian Bialik is handling Rotareminder duties.
 
Visiting Rotarians
None
 
Guests
  • Asad Khan introduced his spouse Beth and Rotary inductee Nithya Vankataraman of Kent Displays.
  • Kent Fire Chief Bill Myers introduced Kent Police Chief Nick Schearer.
  • Jeff Roeger introduced Amy Goth of UCC and former Marketing Director of PARTA Frank Hairston.
 
Announcements
  • Rotary District 6630 “End Polio Now” night of baseball at Progressive Field and the Cleveland Guardians.Event will be on July 13th. Tickets can be procured if you visit the District 6630 website.
  • Gazebo cleanup scheduled for Saturday, May 28th at 8:00am. All volunteers are encouraged to bring tools.
  • Preliminary Auction results are coming in close to $20k.
  • June 18th with be the launch of Storybook “Share your Rainbow”.
  • United Way of PC has organized a fundraising event at the Kent Stage – Buffet at the Kent Stage – Saturday, June 11th at 7:30pm.Tickets may be procured at United Way Office or the Kent stage website. Contact Julia Colecchi at 330-297-1424.
  • There will be a baby formula food drive next week at Rotary. Money or formula will be accepted. Amanda Senn can provide information on where one may buy formula.
  • Grill for Good is scheduled for June 11th. Amanda, while out of town, has invited anyone from the club to take the lead on this project.
  • The prayer sign-up sheet was distributed by Roberta O’Keefe.
  • Anita Herington is organizing a milkweed planting on either June 23rd or 24th. Please reach out to Anita for more details on date and location.
 
New Member Induction
  • Asad Khan introduced new member Nithya Vankataraman.
 
Program
Dr. Geraldine Hayes-Nelson / Christie Anderson / Renee Ruchotzke… Critical Conversations in Kent
In remarks centered around racism, Dr. Geraldine Hayes-Nelson, Christie Anderson, and Renee Ruchotzke (who fielded post meeting Q&A), offered their own experiences and thoughts on racism in our broader community, and the path going forward for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
 
As a young person raised in a Baptist church, Dr. Nelson grew up believing that being good and getting an education were central to achieving success in life.  The “content of one’s character” should define how one is assimilated into mainstream society.  Her life experiences however, painted a different picture.  Her family would be viewed as “blockbusters” – families of color that choose to live in white neighborhoods.  It wasn’t that families were overtly unfriendly, but it was her first experience with what some refer to today as “micro-aggressive” behavior. 
 
In college, Dr. Nelson, for the first time, experienced “white privilege” as fellow classmates had equipped their rooms with the spoils of having resources that were otherwise lacking in the African American community.  Moreover, she noticed how female classmates would not use the same washroom sinks.  It was not until her enrollment in the ROTC program when a superior officer pointed out to her that because she was a female and black, that the military could not protect her.  This was the triggering moment for her to become an activist for social justice. 
 
Dr. Nelson’s involvement as President of the Portage County NAACP; her services to first-generation under-resourced students and their families; and her near lifelong commitment to positive change, serve as evidence of her mission to be the change she hopes to see.
 
Her hopes for herself and other minority groups is to have a chance to “have a seat at the table…”
 
Ms. Anderson extended these comments by stating that white individuals live in an unintentional bubble, who must make the effort to extend outside of the same.   African American individuals on the other hand, are compelled to step out of theirs every day.  The latter are, in general, reluctant to speak up about racism for fear of the possible consequences.  Even in a community such as Kent, characterized as a progressive community more accepting to DEI, hurdles still exist.  A quick study of the City of Kent shows that ~20% of the local population is non-white, while only 3% of its entire workforce for the City is non-white.  These statistics suggests that communities like Kent must reinvent their outreach process to engage minorities to create a workforce representative of communities they serve. 
 
What some experts have concluded is that open conversations about race present a better long-term solution for communities to blend together where all can derive some benefit.
 
Christie ended her remarks by paraphrasing the opening lines of a Star Trek episode to describe her wishes for all future communities “…Brotherhood and Equity are the final frontiers for the City of Kent…”
 
Due to time constraints, Renee Ruchotzke agreed to field some questions after the meeting.
 
Today’s responder to the program was MaryBeth Harper.   
 
Next Week’s program
May 31 - Carol Crimi -Kent Rotary Foundation
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Brian K Bialik
Read more...

Rotary Club of Kent Ohio - Videos

Rotary Club of Kent eBulletin Submissions
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.
Speakers
May 31, 2022 11:45 AM
Annual Kent Rotary Foundation Presentation
Annual Kent Rotary Foundation Presentation
Jun 07, 2022 11:45 AM
“The Education of a First Year School Bus Driver”
Jun 14, 2022 11:45 AM
Interim Executive Director Kent Area Chamber of Commerce-"Reflecting and Reinventing KACC”
Jun 21, 2022 11:45 AM
Jun 28, 2022 11:45 AM
Review of Rotary Year, Induction of New Officers
View entire list
Sponsors
Interested in being a sponsor?
Download the website sponsorship guide
Upcoming Events
Online Kent Rotary Foundation
Jun 14, 2022
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
 
Online -Kent Rotary Club Board Meeting
Online
Jun 16, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
 
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Chris Martin
May 3
 
Christie Anderson
May 7
 
Tom Myers
May 7
 
Bill Arthur
May 16
 
Sharon Sledzik
May 19
 
Bill Nome
May 21
 
Will Underwood
May 21
 
Doug Fuller
May 22
 
Larry Wright
May 23
 
Anniversaries
Bill Doane
Shirley (deceased 2015)
May 3
 
Club Information
Meetings may be attended in-person or via Zoom.
Kent
Service Above Self
Tuesdays at 11:45 AM
United Meth. Church
1435 E. Main St.
Kent, OH 44240
United States of America
Mailing address: Rotary Club of Kent P.O. Box 6 Kent, Ohio 44240
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
VenueMap
Venue Map
Executives & Directors
President
 
President Elect
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Membership Director
 
Program Director
 
Service Projects Director
 
Outreach Director
 
Club Administration Director
 
Ways & Means Director
 
Immediate Past President
 
Foundation Liaison
 
Youth Protection Officer - Chair
 
Advertisement for Russell Hampton
Advertisement for ClubRunner
Advertisement for ClubRunner Mobile