Happy October and fall to all of you! Such a delight to wrap up wonderful September programming by our very own Mary Beth Harper and to be mindful and thoughtful about intentional friendship and awareness around this topic. We also had our first new member induction (welcome Hattie Tracy) and will do another new member induction this week!
We are blessed to have such a strong new member influx and feel encouraged to continue on this journey. Thank you to all the current members that keep bringing prospective members to our Club. Advancing membership has been a strong point with Rotary International and I am glad that as a Club we are responsive to RI initiatives. Be on the look out for more events including the Homecoming parade, Pints for Polio fundraiser/happy hour, The Lord’s Lunch, and more!
I ask all of you to engage with the Club – your engagement will make us all stronger, bond more, and serve our community and fulfill our mission!
President Asad called the meeting to order at 12:15. Our patriotic song God Bless America led by David Dix, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation by Rebekah Kulis. In honor of this month’s programs about friendship by Mary Beth Harper, the club sang “Make New Friends.”
VISITORS
There were no visiting Rotarians. Guests of Kathy Myers were Hattie Tracy, CEO of Coleman Health Services, and Janice Simmons Mortimer, newly-named Director of the Portage Foundation. Rachel Kerns’ guest was Dominique Bollenbacher.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Todd Kamenash asked everyone to confirm their email addresses on the sheets he placed on each table.
Brad Ehrhart asked for volunteers to serve at the Lord’s Lunch on October 14 from 10 to 1 on Saturday October 14 at the Trinity Lutheran Church.
Stacey Richardson noted that there is an Auction Committee meeting after today’s meeting.
Amanda Senn invited everyone to attend the Happy Hour on October 19 from 5 to 7 at MadCap Brewery.
HAPPY BUCKS
Will Underwood honored his three daughters for National Daughter’s Day.
Randy Smith honored his daughter, Meghan, who just ran in the Berlin Marathon with a personal best time of 2 hours and 49 minutes. She was 9th in her age group.
Paul Organ noted that the women’s record was broken in Berlin with a time of 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Kathy Myers offered happy bucks for her two guests and for her son, Past President Dave, who retrieved AA batteries from his van so the microphone would work. Thanks, Dave.
Adam Alderson explained that he shaved his beard because he’s appearing at the Weathervane Playhouse as Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express; he plans to grow it back as soon as the play closes.
Steve Belli had a great time at the OSU Notre Dame football game on Saturday.
Tom Hall had a great time too – he shot a hole-in-one on the second hole at Twin Lakes. Congratulations, Tom.
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Jeff Roeger presented birthdays for the month and reminded everyone that the question to answer this year is “As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?” And, “As an adult, what would you do differently?”
Tom Hall, 9/5, noted that he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father and became a stockbroker and investment counselor.
Roger Sidoti, 9/6, wanted to fly jets but later became interested in history, government, and education.
Todd Kamenash wanted to be an artist or archeologist, but now wants do sdo some creative writing after he completes the dissertation for his Ph.D degree.
Mark Pennell thought about being an architect, but wasn’t good at math, and an actor, but couldn’t act, so he came to love his career in radio broadcasting.
Sue Whiting set her sights on following her grandfather as a veterinarian and magician. Today she loves her cats and goes to the circus every year. Sue won the free lunch.
NEW MEMBER INDUCTION
Hattie Tracy, CEO of Coleman Professional Services was inducted as the newest club member be President Asad and her sponsor, Kathy Myers.
PROGRAM
Amanda Senn introduced today’s speaker, Rotarian Mary Beth Harper, for her fourth and final program about friendship, Making Friends Later in Life. Mary Beth reviewed the book, Fans Have More Friends by Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak. The authors created a study that gathered convincing evidence that being a fan of a sports team leads to better friendships. In fact, the bigger the fan you are, the more friends you have and the more often you communicate with your friends. Fans engage with friends more often and value their friends and family connections more, too. Fans exhibit stronger measures of wellbeing and happiness.
Mary Beth offered these suggestions for how to make and engage with friends later in life.
If you’re watching a game on TV, text a friend whom you know is watching too.
Join a group, such as Rotary, a church group, or a book club.
Attend events –happy hours, wine-tastings, even the local Farmer’s Market
Set up a regular date to meet with friends for lunch, dinner, or some other planned event.
Get a dog!
Take a class.
Remember that friendships require emotional maintenance. Technology can help. It’s sometimes easier to text a friend with an invitation, but calling directly can also be appropriate. Mary Beth concluded her presentation with Amanda Senn showing the club how to access the contact information for everyone in Kent Rotary by downloading the Club Runner App to our phones.
RESPONSE
Dominique Bollenbacher, soon to become inducted as a new member, provided the response thanking Mary Beth for a month of important programs. She is encouraged that people are willing to talk and share and is looking forward to her time as a Rotarian and making many new friends.
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.
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