This program provides children ages birth to 5 with a free book in the mail every month. That's 60 books mailed to every child born in Ohio to start their own personal library and build necessary literacy skills.
Now through March 13, Rotary's Statewide Presidents-Elect Service Project is raising funds for this important project. Click HERE to donate online.
The Rotary Club of Kent is excited to introduce the Kent Rotary Flag Program, and community-wide initiative designed to honor our nation, beautify our neighborhoods, and support meaningful local projects. Entirely volunteer-driven, this program offers residents and businesses a simple and patriotic way to celebrate America's most cherished holidays. Join us in creating a powerful display of unity across Kent - one flag at a time.
An annual subscription is $55, and the flag can be displayed at your home or business.
This week we had the pleasure of hearing from two Kent State University moonlighters! Eric Mansfield and Vance Voyles both have full time jobs outside of their work as writers. Eric is the KSU Assistant Vice President, Content Strategy and Communications and Vance is a KSU police officer. It was inspiring to hear how both make time for their passion. It’s easy to get caught up in work, family, busy schedules and I think it’s such an important message for all of us to hear, that it is not only possible but necessary to make time in your life for hobbies/work that fulfill you. I can’t wait to hear if the Rotary Club of Kent book club decides to read “Soldier’s Heart”.
Reminder: this Sunday, Nithya will be putting together Easter baskets for donation at North Water Brewing. Please contact her if you are interested in joining us: nvenkataraman@kentdisplays.com
Rotareminder The Rotary Club of Kent March 24, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:15. We sang the America the Beautiful and Dennis Campbell offered the invocation. Dom Bollenbacher with David Dix at the piano led us in singing “Don’t Fence Me In.” There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. River Kale was the guest of Rachel Kerns. Lisa Mansfield, wife of one of today’s speakers, was the guest of Todd Kamenash. Announcements Bill Childers noted that the next United Way food giveaway will be held on April 1. Tom Hatch reminded everyone that Tap Talks will be tonight at North Water Brewing. Rotarian Ryan Brannon is the speaker. Nancy Whitehead announced the next Kent Rotary Foundation meeting will be held on April 21. She encouraged people to apply for grants. Nelson Burns noted that the Capital Campaign that started a few years ago is winding down. Please get him any pledge changes or new pledges by June. Dave Myers reported that this year’s Bracket Buster Challenge raised over $600 for our literacy programs. Larry Lohman thanked those who attended the grants workshops. He encouraged attendance at the District Conference to hear keynote speakers Wisdom Addo, Rotary Peace Fellow from Ghana and Katie Spotz who is raising money for water projects through endurance rowing and cycling feats. She’s currently training for a solo row across the Pacific. Dom Bollenbacher noted that Portage County residents are eligible for a Summit County Health Department program to reward those who switch to electric powered lawn equipment. She is seeking to enlist advisory group members in anticipation of massive sewer work that will disrupt our Downtown soon. Kaleena Gherky encouraged everyone to attend a benefit for Habitat for Humanity on April 20 from 6 to 8 at North Water Brewing. Look forward to live music, craft beers, a five-course meal from Over Easy at the Depot, and a basket raffle. Contact her for more information.
Nithya Venkataraman asked for volunteers to help assemble Easter baskets for needy children on Sunday at North Water Brewing. Happy Bucks Steve Dennis congratulated his students on their many awards. Mary Beth Harper is excited to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers play in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen this Thursday. Both Jim Myers and Chas Madonio are great-grandparents. Dave Sommers celebrates his 17th wedding anniversary. Jeff Roeger is happy for KSU Baseball, Bill Childers for the return of Jim Myers, Amanda Senn for Main Street Kent’s March for Art displays of Kent Schools student’s art currently displayed in venues all over the city, and Todd Kamenash for his kids on a school trip to Ireland. Randy Smith told a Dad Joke. Today’s Program: KSU Moonlighters – Eric Mansfield and Vance Voyles Todd Kamenash introduced today’s speakers, both of whom are writers of screenplays and books of fiction. They’re also both currently employed at Kent State University and have had a career in the US military services. Eric Mansfield is a retired US Army and National Guard Major who served in the Iraq war. After a 20-year career in broadcast journalism, he is now Assistant VP for Content Strategy and Communications at Kent State. He’s also an award-winning playwright and a member of the Dramatists Guild. A recent play, Trial by Fire was produced by the Theater Department at Kent State and played to sold-out crowds on three nights. Mansfield’s play details the fictional predicament of Ohio teacher Georgia Grimm, a Kent State graduate under fire for assigning her high-school students books recently banned by the governor. Mansfield advised would-be writers about storytelling and the importance of getting an emotional reaction from the reader. He encouraged everyone to write about things “that just won’t leave you alone.” He’s currently working on an idea for a mystery novel set in Kelley’s Island. Vance Voyles spent eight years in the US Army as an Arab Linguist. He came to Kent State after a career in law enforcement investigating sex crimes in Orlando, Florida. He’s now an instructor in Creative Writing at Kent State. Voyles has written and published poetry, plays, fiction, and music. A recent work, Soldier’s Heart (which is the first known term for what we now call PTSD) is a thriller about how a disabled female veteran confronts her complicated past and present. Soon to be published is The Girl Scout about a real-life person he met who is the first female NFL scout.
Voyles recommended that aspiring writers check out the website NYCMidnight.com, which challenges writers with a writing prompt suggesting genre, location, and an object to include in a piece that has to be written and submitted within a narrow time frame. He read us one of his action suspense (genre)submissions set in a fish market (location) and included a drone (object). Amazing! Response Mary Beth Harper responded noting that neither speaker talked about how hard it is to write and how much time it takes. She thanked our speakers for an inspiring program. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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 rotarykentohio@gmail.com. We will add it to the next appropriate eBulletin.
