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Join February 8, 2021 meeting

Kathy Myers is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
 
Topic: Lynn Rollins - CWRU on Engineers Without Borders
 
 
Meeting ID: 358 947 2094
Passcode: 495060
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Myers’ Musings – February 15, 2022

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Hi Rotarians and Friends!
 
The BIG news for this week is that we will finally be back in Pierson Hall for Tuesday’s meeting!!!  It has been two years (give or take a week) since we have met in the more acoustically friendly room.  Thanks to work by President-Elect Dave, we will continue to offer our meeting both in person and via Zoom.  I hope that everyone who is local and can attend in person will take advantage of the warmth, friendship and delicious lunch we have treasured for years in Pierson Hall!
 
Our new hybrid setup in Pierson will be possible the first few weeks thanks to several people, BUT it cannot continue without more volunteers stepping in to keep our hybrid meetings running smoothly.  PLEASE consider being part of the team of Rotarians keeping our Zoom in the Room.  I promise you will get all the training you need to feel comfortable.  We need to get several club members volunteering so they can participate on a rotating basis.  We don’t want any one person to be the only one running the simpler equipment we will be using in Pierson Hall.  Let Dave Myers or me know if you can help.  THANK YOU!
 
I learned today that former Kent Rotarian and Club President, Jim Callahan died February 6th.  He was one of those wonderful, kind, generous, modest, involved people that truly represented what a Rotarian should be.  A memorial mass will be held at University Parish Newman Center on Saturday, February 19th.
 
I enjoyed participating in last week’s program via Zoom while visiting my mother in California.  What an interesting program given by Jack Organ on his years in Romania.  He is truly a young man who is changing the world for the better.  (Paul, if he is local, please invite him to attend meetings and join the club!)
 
I look forward to seeing everyone IN PERSON in Pierson Hall this Tuesday!  If you cannot join in person, please join via Zoom.  We need feedback from our Zoom participants on how things work from our new/old home!
 
With gratitude,
 
Kathy
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Rotareminder for February 8, 2022
Up Next: Lynn Rollins, CWRU on Engineers Without Borders
 
Meeting Opening:  President-Elect David Myers filled in for President Kathy Myers. David Dix played God Bless America; Nelson Burns gave the invocation, and the club sang Home On The Range. Asad Khan and Mark Pennell were the AV techs and Rachel Kerns provided the photography.
 
February Birthdays: Jeff Roeger announced the February birthdays: Pam Petrus on the 2nd; Hal Loughry on the 10th; Ralph Kletzien on the 13th; Matt Carter on the 15th; and Steve Belli and Paul Organ on the 16th. Paul Organ won the free lunch drawing.
 
Guests: Paul Organ introduced his wife Mary and his staff; Tom Hatch’s guest was Fulbright Scholar Adina Ionescu from Romania; Laing Kennedy’s guest was Brian Grubich, Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement, and Bill Childers’ guest from Rwanda was Pacifique Niyonzima.
 
Announcements: President-Elect David announced that Rotary will return to Pearson Hall for next week’s meeting and reminded the Club that the Kent Rotary Auction will be held in person for the first time since 2019 on May 6 at the American Legion. Anyone interested in helping with the auction should come to a meeting next week right after Rotary.
 
Nelson Burns commended David Dix on his Sunday column about John Flynn establishing a Mount Union University scholarship for a Kent Roosevelt High School student.
 
Doug Fuller reminded members of the Main Street Kent Tap Talk next Tuesday at 7 pm. at the Water Street Tavern to hear Mark Pennell talk about Inventing Franklin Mills.
 
Will Underwood said the District 4-Way Speech Contest Committee would meet immediately after the meeting in Pearson Hall.
President-Elect David asked for members to attend the District’s Grant Management Seminars. Dates of the seminars are February 24, March 1 and March 5. At least two members need to attend the seminars for the Kent Club to be eligible to receive District grants. See David for details.
 
Speaker: Paul Organ introduced his son Jack to talk about the five years Jack and wife Kelly spent in Romania between 2013 and 2018.
Jack said his wife Kelly had a semester abroad in Romania while they were in college and she was recruited to be a volunteer there after graduation and their wedding.
 
Jack said Romania is a very beautiful country that has been conquered throughout history beginning with the Romans in the first century AD. Other conquerors included Hungary, the Otto Empire and Russia. He said the last communist dictator was Nicolae Ceausecu who ended the country’s debt through heavy taxes that impoverished the people; outlawed abortions and birth control which led to numerous orphanages, and developed the secret police who coerced people into informing on each other and disallowed public gatherings.
 
Sociologists have theorized that the history has caused the Romanian people to develop learned helplessness. The attitude is “That’s life and there’s not a thing you can do about it.”
 
In 1999 New Horizons Foundation developed a summer Camp called Viata to teach children to trust people and each other through ropes courses, hiking and other group activities. Seven or eight years into the program, alumni from Viata approached the foundation about developing impact clubs to do service projects in the country.
 
From 2014 to 2018 Jack and Kelly ran one of the clubs. Jack said the key to Impact clubs is service-learning which he described in detail. He said the first project his club members selected was a way to get children off their phones and to play outside. The project included after school competitive games to which 50 children participated. The children in the impact club not only achieved their goal but learned about project planning.
 
Another project was to try to reduce the violence in the school. The members did presentations to classrooms the Principal said were the most violent. He also asked them to moderate a situation between two fighting boys. They even got permission to do a mural at the school that demonstrated violence makes you ugly.
 
A third project was to figure out how they could do something about the trash in their city. They mapped the areas of the city with the most trash and presented their findings to the Mayor asking him to do something about the trash and institute a recycling program. This taught them about research and government process.
 
Jack said his take-a-ways from his experience is that normal in Kent Ohio and the US is not the same as normal in Romania. He used examples of grocery choices and lawn care. He also said discrimination in Romania is anti-gypsy while in the U.S. it is led by white people.
 
He recommended Rotarians doing service, learn about service-learning. He said you need to learn about the people you are serving before you try to serve them.
 
Response was by Adina Ionescu, Romanian guest of Tom Hatch. Adina said Jack’s program was very emotional for her. The Fulbright scholar said she has been a teacher for 12 years and is working to make changes in the Romanian educational system. She said she has received grants to take her students to other countries including Spain and Italy.
 
Respectfully submitted, Anita Herington
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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
Feb 15, 2022 11:45 AM
CWRU on Engineers Without Borders
CWRU on Engineers Without Borders
Feb 22, 2022 11:45 AM
Two Years Teaching English in Indonesia
Mar 01, 2022 12:45 AM
KSU Assoc VP for Student Affairs & Dean of Students (and Todd’s boss!) shares her career journey
Mar 08, 2022 12:45 PM
Leads 4-way test speech contest
Mar 15, 2022 12:45 PM
Prognosticates on the NCAA men’s & women’s basketball tournament
Mar 22, 2022 12:45 PM
will plan an inclusive, interactive program to jog our membership’s wit and memory
Mar 29, 2022 12:45 PM
KSU Executive Director and University Architect, discuses updates to KSU’s facilities planning
View entire list
Sponsors
Interested in being a sponsor?
Download the website sponsorship guide
Upcoming Events
Online -Kent Rotary Club Board Meeting
Online
Feb 17, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
 
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Pam Petrus
February 2
 
Hal Loughry
February 10
 
Ralph Kletzien
February 13
 
Matt Carter
February 15
 
Paul Organ
February 16
 
Stephen Belli
February 16
 
Anniversaries
Bill Nome
Carolyn
February 7
 
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
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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
 
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