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Posted on Jun 30, 2026
Rotaryminder -- Mary Beth Harper June 30, 2026 PLEASE NOTE: NO MEETING NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 7, DUE TO JULY 4 HOLIDAY. TODAY’S SONG: “Oh, Canada” in honor of Canada’s Independence Day on July 1, Canada’s recent FIFA win and our very own Canadian—Laing Kennedy! ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bill Childers and his group of volunteers will be distributing food on Wednesday, July 1. Tom Hatch asked for volunteers to help write the weekly Rotaryminder. Please contact him. Larry Lohman attended the District Awards and presented the A.Z. Baker Award to President Amanda Senn and the club. Dennis Campbell announced the annual Heritage Festival downtown on Friday, July 3, including new events for kids and families—and fireworks NEW MEMBER Jeff Forstner was introduced by Dennis Campbell. Jeff owns the Forstner Insurance Agency at 711 S. Water Street in Kent—a Farmer’s Insurance Agency. He and his wife Megan have two sons. Dennis says Jeff is a dedicated community volunteer involved in a a number of causes. PROGRAM President Amanda Senn organized the final program of her “first” term and shared her thoughts. She said our club stays strong because of our members. Amanda credited the Board for their thoughtful responses, efficiency and how well they work together. Highlights of the year include a very successful auction organized by Dominique Bollenbacher and Nithya Venkataraman. The auction raised $42,930, including $3,150 for the new, renewable Rotary scholarship for a Roosevelt senior. Amanda thanked Rebekah Wright Kulis for organizing the holiday party and the Tech Team of Bill, Roger and Mark for helping each week with the PowerPoints. She presented Roberta O’Keefe with flowers to thank her for organizing the prayers each week for many, many years. She also thanked the Methodist Church and the cooks and lunch volunteers. Amanda explained that she will continue to serve as co-president next year as president-elect Stacey Richardson is dealing with health issues. However, the podium/meeting duties will be handled by former presidents Larry Lohman, Rebekah Wright Kulis, Kathy Myers and Brian Bialik. They will each serve a three-month term and continue until or if Stacey feels she can resume her office. Nithya reported on the progress of the flag program. A “soft” rollout is underway for July 4, but a few details need to be worked out. She thanked members for their enthusiastic support of the project. If you want to be a part of the program or have any questions, please contact Nithya. Larry reported that members of the Companion Club will assist in the rollout of the flag program. Currently, six to eight people are interested in the Companion Club, and four have completed applications. He expects to introduce these new members at a regular Rotary meeting sometime in September. Nancy Whitehead summarized the work of the Kent Rotary Foundation this year, which included awarding $48,000 to Kent and Portage County groups. The Foundation remains very solvent with a total of $607,000 in assets. A special fund has been created in the name of Rotarian Larry Wright, and the Wright family will give input on projects they want to support. Bill Childers inducted the new Board members. He said Amanda is the first president of the Rotary Club of Kent to serve two terms in our 126-year history—except for William Walls. See the list of Board members on the right. ROTARYMINDER AUTHOR: Mary Beth Harper
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Rotaryminder June 30 , 2026
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Mary Beth Harper
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2026-06-30 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent
Meeting on June 23, 2026
President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. Our patriotic song
was God Bless America accompanied by David Dix on piano, followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance. Our song was Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer with David Dix on
piano. The Invocation was offered by David Dix. Tech volunteers were Roger Kramer,
Mark Pennell, and Bill Nome. Nithya Venkataraman took our photos.
GUESTS & VISITORS
There were no guests or visiting Rotarians today.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Nithya updated us on the flag program.
• Dominique Bollenbacher informed us that the City of Kent is launching a
beautification program. If you or someone you know has a beautiful yard or garden,
please let her know.
• Nancy Whitehead told us that Larry Wright’s funeral is Thursday 6/25 at 11:00 at the
United Methodist Church of Kent with a reception to follow at the KSU Hotel. A fund is
being established in Larry’s memory; see Nancy if you wish to make a donation.
• President Amanda informed us that she has built a Google Sheets document to sign
up to volunteer for the Kent Heritage Festival on July 3. Volunteers are needed!
BIRTHDAYS
June 3: Jennifer Lennox related a memorable family trip to West and East Germany
when she was ten years old. Years later, when the Berlin Wall fell, she was reminded
that “I was there.”
June 17: As a child, much to his annoyance, Dave Sommers was dragged along on
family road trip vacations, visiting every state east of the Mississippi. As an adult, Dave
has come to appreciate these travel experiences. The road trip tradition continues today
in Dave’s family.
June 17: In 1997 Todd Packer took a memorable trip to India where he volunteered as
a teacher. The marked commonalities and differences between his own and Indian
cultures made an enduring impression on him.
June 18: Nancy Whitehead told us about two memorable trips: Several years ago, she
and her husband Tom visited Paris. At Notre Dame they encountered a huge crowd
waiting to enter for an ascension mass. Tom found a back door, so they were able to
enter the cathedral and witness the mass despite the crowd. In 2006, Nancy and Tom
visited Germany, which was hosting the World Cup. In a German bar they watched a
match between Brazil and Germany.
June 25: Twenty years ago Sue Hetrick visited Peru’s Machu Pichu. The difficult oneday hike to the temple complex got them there after sunset, so when they looked
through the Sun Gate all they saw was darkness. The next morning, however, they got
an amazing and unforgettable view.
Sue won the free lunch!
David Dix then led us in singing Happy Birthday to our June celebrants.
PROGRAM
Todd Kamenash led today’s program, which had two parts. In Part One, Todd reminded
us that Rotary International requires 100% participation in completing the Youth
Protection Awareness course. Todd has caused an email from NAYEN Training
Administrator to be sent to our entire club; it includes a link to the online course. If you
have not received this email, please inform Todd. If you have, please follow the link and
complete the course.
Todd then emphasized the essential nature of this training and our collective
responsibility to protect youth with whom we may come in contact during Rotary events.
He then counted down the Top Ten list of youth protection, as follows: 10. Youth are usually minors (under 18), but people in RYLA and the Youth Exchange
may be 18 or 19, and are considered Youth.
9. While the majority of sexual harassment involves a male harassing a female, cases
have also involved a female harassing a male, or men / women harassing members of
their own gender.
8. Sexual harassment and abuse occurs. It happens in all kinds of groups, clubs,
organizations, etc.
7. If youth are at a Rotary program, ALL Rotarians present are responsible for ensuring
their safety
•Not creating a hostile environment
•Not engaging in sexual harassment or abuse
•Reporting immediately if observed or informed by youth
6. Sexual harassment is unwelcome visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature.
5. Sexual abuse is engaging in implicit or explicit sexual acts with a youth or forcing or
encouraging a youth to engage in such acts alone or with anyone else, regardless of
gender or age.
For purposes of protecting students, and for purposes of reporting suspected
abuse or harassment, it is NOT necessary to determine which is which.
4. Young people often do not report sexual abuse because:
•They feel they may not be believed by adults
•Children tend to minimize abuse
•They are afraid they may be sent back home
3. Nearly 90% of the time the student knows the abuser.
2. Fewer than 4% of sexual abuse allegations prove to be false.
1. You may offer Privacy, but you CANNOT offer Confidentiality.
Tell Todd or Dave if you have anything to report, and also inform law
enforcement.
For Part Two of our program, Todd asked:
Have you successfully completed the online Youth Protection modules & quiz?
If YES! – Enjoy & participate in a Trivia challenge!
If NO – On a computer in the back of the room or your phone, go to your email, click on
the link, and complete it!
The general knowledge trivia challenge had three rounds and was a lot of fun. The
winning table comprised Sue Hetrick, Nythia Venkataraman, John Ryan, Janice
Simmons-Mortimer, Mary Beth Harper, and Will Underwood. Todd rewarded our win
with chocolate!
We closed our meeting with a recitation of the Rotary 4-Way Test.
Respectfully submitted,
Will Underwood
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Rotareminder 6/23/2026
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Will Underwood
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2026-06-23 04:00:00Z |
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Friendly Reminder for the Rotary Club Of Kent - Youth Protection training is mandatory per the District and must be done annually
- All current members have been sent an email to the address they have in ClubRunner to complete YP training
- The email comes from NAYEN Training Administrator with a subject of Rotary District 6630 Training Course: Youth Protection Awareness
- If you have not received an email, please look in your junk / spam folder. If you still cannot find it, please email Todd Kamenash at tkamenas@kent.edu
Example Email :
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Required Training for all Rotarians
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Todd Kamenash
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2026-06-17 04:00:00Z |
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Please consider volunteering to represent our Club through acts of service at the Kent Heritage Festival on Friday, July 3rd. We kindly ask that all volunteers wear their Rotary shirts while participating. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel free to reach out to President Amanda or Dennis Campbell at dcampbell@kentbiz.com. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to serving our community! Car Show: Timeslots from 8am - 2 pm Mini Train Rides: Timeslots from 2 pm - 6 pm
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Kent Heritage Festival Volunteers Needed
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2026-06-16 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder The Rotary Club of Kent June 2, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:15. We sang the National Anthem and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. President Amanda announced the passing of fellow Rotarian Larry Wright and asked for a moment of silence in his honor. Ann Moneypenny offered the invocation. David Dix at the piano led us in singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Kevin Wermer, District 6630 Youth Coordinator, from the Medina Sunrise club was a guest along with Guy Chapman, a Youth Exchange Student. Guests included Beth Khan and Zach and Liz Sullivan, both host families for today’ speaker, Youth Exchange Student Emelie Helbert. Chase and Marly Miller were guests of their grandfather, Chris Martin and their mom, Laura Martin Miller. Announcements Denise Baba invited everyone to the retirement celebration at PARTA for Director Claudia Amrhein on June 25 from 4 to 7 at the PARTA offices and garage. Nancy Whitehead noted that the Rotary Foundation will meet next Tuesday to consider a request for funding. Bill Childers invited volunteers to attend the Salvation Army Food Distribution on the first Wednesday of each month at the corner of Summit and Horning from 8:30 to 11. President Amanda announced the retirement of Roberta O’Keefe from her long time efforts to recruit fellow Rotarians to offer the invocation. If you are interested, we’re looking for a new volunteer to take her place starting in July. New Member Induction Natalie Pillsbury, CEO of PBS Western Reserve, was inducted as our newest member. Sponsor Mark Pennell introduced her noting that she had steered both WKSU and PBS Western Reserve through difficult times created by Federal funding cuts. PBS Western Reserve comprises two television stations, WEAO and WNEO, which cover Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania reaching five million people. She is a Kent graduate and is mom to two kids ages 7 and 11. Happy Bucks Many Rotarians offered Happy Bucks today to honor the passing of Larry Wright. Also honored were today’s speaker and her host families, the end of another successful year at Kent City Schools, community support for our schools, and special friends and family members. Today’s Program: Emelie Helbert, Rotary Youth Exchange Student at Theodore Roosevelt High School for 2025 and 2026 Emelie, a 16 year-old from Germany, was introduced by Asad Khan, representing one of Emelie’s three sets of host parents: Khans. Sullivans and Richardsons. Emelie began her presentation by thanking her hosts for making her feel fully a part of each family. During her year in Kent, she got to hang out with Peyton Richardson in Kent, travel to Washington with the Khans, and vacation in Florida with the Sullivans. At school, she felt warmly welcomed by friends and teachers and participated in three sports, swimming, tennis, and track. She will return to Germany in July keeping memories of her time and her many friends in Kent forever. Before she goes home, she’ll travel with other Rotary Youth Exchange Students on an east coast trip to New Youk, Philadelphia, and Washington. She’ll also travel to the west coast with stops in Arizona and California. Back in Germany, Emelie will complete her 12th and 13th year of high school and then attend university. Response Kathy Myers provided the response inviting Emelie to return to her Kent home as soon as possible. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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Rotareminder for Rotary Club of Kent June 2 , 2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-06-02 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent May 26, 2026 Past President Dr. Randy Smith, called the meeting to order at 12:18 Our patriotic song was God Bless America led by Mrs. Roeger on piano. It was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance Invocation by Paul Organ Dominique Bollenbacher led us in singing If You’re Happy and You Know It VISITORS Our speaker Diana is a member of the Ravenna club Guests: NONE ANNOUNCEMENTS: None Birthdays: We got to hear from Howard Boyle, whose birthday was back in April- the Green Briar is where he likes to go. Most unique thing, flying on an air craft carrier. May- Chris Martin- His daughter Sarah in Cali, got them a permit to hike Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in 48 states. Tom Meyers- Rome, Italy is his favorite place. Most unique Kairouan in Tunisia. He went for business and helped christen the first drilling machine in this area. Christie Anderson- grew up in Salem, Ohio and they had a family tradition of going to the cemetery of the family and sharing stories. TODAY’S SPEAKER/PROGRAM Introduction- Denise Baba Speaker- Diana Clarke- Executive Director, Portage Co Guardianship Service Board Prior to joining the Guardianship Service Board, Diana served as the Court Administrator and attorney for the Probate and Mental Health Department of the Ariziona Superior Court in Maricopa County. More recently, Diana was Director for a nonprofit organization that provided services, programs and activities for local seniors and persons with disabilities in Northern California. Her past work in these areas will help in developing new PCGSB community partnerships and in carrying out its Mission of providing trustworthy public guardianships that safeguard incapacitated, vulnerable adults whenever necessary. www.portagecountygsb.org They are the guardians of last resort appointed by the probate court. They also help people walk through the process of becoming a guardian to someone. There are 14 counties who has this program. 613 active guardian cases- and they run the public guardianships, with 94 cases, and they serve as guardians of 70 cases. They receive most funding from Coleman, Adult Protective Services, Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities among other organizations. Coleman and other nursing homes are who refer people to this organization. They also help get benefits and support the wards are entitled to receive. They also work with hospitals to create discharge plans. RESPONDER: Janice Simmons- Mortimer Respectfully submitted, Dominique Bollenbacher
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent May 26 , 2026
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Dominique Bollenbacher
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2026-05-26 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder The Rotary Club of Kent May 12, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:15. We sang the National Anthem and Mary Beth Harper offered the invocation. David Dix at the piano led us in singing “Hey Good Lookin’.” There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. Our Rotary Scholar from Japan, Naoko Chiba, was a guest. Announcements Nithya Venkataraman said that the Flag Program will roll out on July 4th this year in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. David McKeen asked for volunteers for the Gazebo cleanup starting at 9:30 on May 23rd. Will Underwood noted that he’s planning a program on August 4 for newer members of the club to introduce themselves. Doug Fuller encouraged everyone to come to tonight’s Tap Talk about the history and future of the Haymaker’s Farmer’s Market. Bill Childers promoted the Community Bus Tour from 9 to 1 on May 29. Kent Rotary Leadership for the Upcoming Year President Amanda thanked the nominating committee -- Christy Anderson, David Sommers, and Bill Childers – for their work in planning for the upcoming year. She also announced that, for personal reasons, Stacey Richardson will not be able to fulfill her role as president next year. Standing in for her will be four past presidents, each taking a quarter of the year. They are: Larry Lohman, Bill Childers, Kathy Myers, and Brian Bialik. Amanda will remain as the president of record for another year. The following members were elected by a unanimous voice vote: President Elect: Jennifer Lennox Program Chair: Will Underwood Treasurer: Matt Carter Secretary: David McKeen Membership Chair: Nithya Venkataraman Administration: Melissa Stewart Outreach: Rebekah Wright Kulis Today’s Program: Jessica Sabin, National Service Director for Axess Family Services Denise Baba introduced our speaker who over sees three Americorps programs specifically designed for senior volunteers. Ms. Sabin is a lifetime Kent resident and a 2002 graduate of Kent State. She currently oversees the Foster Grandparent program, the Senior Companion program, and RSVP which recruits, retains, and recognizes volunteers for other non-profit organizations in the community. These are state-wide programs. Foster Grandparents work in schools, childcare centers, and youth development programs providing tutoring, nurturing, and guidance to vulnerable children Their goal is to improve educational outcomes. Senior Companions provide assistance and companionship to older adults who need help with daily living. Americorps Seniors Volunteers help people remain independent longer, provide respite to family caregivers, and improve the health and longevity of older clients. RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) participants serve at food pantries, senior centers, clothing centers, museums, animal shelters, and more. Their goal is to make a difference in their community. Ms. Sabin gave a special thanks to Clyde Louise Adams who recently retired, at age 96 as a Foster Grandparent at Headstart and Ravenna Schools and to the Samaritins of Columbiana County who partnered with Americorps to provide new shoes for seniors in their community. Response Bill Childers provided the response thanking Ms. Sabin for the excellent work her organization provides to communities across Ohio. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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Rotareminder 05/12/2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-05-12 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent's own Jim Myers was honored at Kent Historical Society's 55th anniversary celebration held April 30 at the KHS headquarters and museum. Jim Myers received KHS’s Community Historian Award for his willingness to share his wealth of knowledge about Kent’s history. Myers, longtime pharmacist and owner of Thompson’s Drug Store, is a founding member of KHS and has served on its board all 55 years. The award will henceforth be known as the Jim Myers Award. Congratulations Jim !
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Kent Historical Society
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Nancy Whitehead
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2026-05-08 04:00:00Z |
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President Amanda welcomed the group by calling the meeting to order at ~12:10pm. Our patriotic song was our America the Beautiful and our tech team of Bill was the “one and only.” Due to absence of key rotarians (i.e., David Dix), there was no second song this afternoon. President Amanda did lead us in the pledge of allegiance. The Invocation for today’s meeting was offered by Ralph, with Nithya handling photos, and Brian as the newsletter author. There were no visiting rotarians. Student of The Month Our Stanton Middle School Student of the Month was Kai Johnson. Kai has been a student within the Kent City Schools in all but two years - 4th and 5th grades, where he attended the BioMed Academy. He is a straight – A student and quite involved in extracurricular activities. With college aspirations, we look forward to reading about this talented young man in the future. Visitors / Guests None Announcements · Doug announced that the next Tap Talks will be Tuesday, May 12th, as attendees can look forward to hearing from one of the founders of the Farmers Market, as part of the “Kent History Matters Series.” · Nithya shared some updates to the Flag program. Specifically, and in response to feedback, the following changes will be implemented: - The program will ask for a two year commitment and,
- A “donation” option will be added .
- An email is forthcoming regarding next steps.
· President Amanda reminded members about the “Exchange the Banner” district event on Monday, June 29th at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Brecksville, Oh. See Amanda for more details… Happy Bucks · Sue Whiting announced that she has now returned from her winter sojourn in Florida. · Nelson applauded his return from a visit with his 100 year old mother who remains well. · Tom Larkin extended well-wishes to our student of the month, Kai Johnson, as well as congratulations to Stanton Middle School principal, Kathy Scott, on her impending retirement after more than four decades of service in public education. Well done Kathy! · Sue Hettrick also extended congratulations to our Student for the month. · Kathy Myers wished a happy birthday to Chris and Carol Martin; her husband Tom; and hope for the passage of the Kent City School levy. · Will Underwood shared with the group that Betty Sweet, UMC Auxiliary, has turned 92. · President Amanda helped celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of her in-laws. She also was pleased to share with the club that she attended her first “Mother / Son” dance. Program Needs of Older Adults in Portage County KelliJo Jeffries, PhD, MSW, LSW KelliJo Jeffries, Director of the Portage County Jobs and Family Services (PCJFS), has been charged with the task of managing and guiding the path of PCJFS for a number of years. With thirty-two years of experience in the industry, she oversees a $32mm budget across 177 servant leaders. The organization itself is comprised of four divisions: · Child and Adult Protective Services, which ensures that children and the elderly of Portage County are living in a safe, healthy and stable living environment. · OhioMeansJobs Portage County, assisting local job seekers and employers with job search needs. · Public Assistance, providing families of Portage County with assistance in applying and securing benefits such as: food assistance; cash assistance; Medicaid services for children and adults; transportation to medical appointments; child care assistance; and emergency assistance. · Child Support Division, aiding in the healthy development of children across Portage County by assuring children receive the financial support from both parents. These divisions represent the primary corpus of an organization that strives to be an effective support system designed to promote self-sufficiency. Against this backdrop, funding sources can be uneven, affected not by the “weather of the day,” but, rather, the “climate of the political environment.” Not surprising, much of the assistance provided to county residents are mandated at either the state or federal level, without any corresponding level of financial support that mirrors the need. This lack of reliability of funding sources is further exacerbated by an increase in demand across most divisions: o 35% increase in Adult Protective Services. o A steadily-increasing caseload of 200+ young adults per month needing help to transition from public welfare to gainful-employment situations. o Public assistance in the form of cash or food-insecurity issues remain elevated. All data is as 12/31/2025. Despite these financial challenges, the instability of the fiscal landscape has helped mobilize community partners, however, in ways that alert local agencies and residents about assistance and how and where to access the same. This type of communal behavior is not sustainable, with more recognition and action needed at all levels of government. The needs of Portage County residents are not unique, but do underscore the importance of remembering who we are and how a compassionate community benefits from helping those who are disadvantaged. Fellow Rotarian and past president, Kathy Myers, delivered the club’s response. Respectfully submitted, Brian K Bialik
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Rotareminder for Rotary Club Of Kent 05/05/2026
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Brian Bialik
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2026-05-05 04:00:00Z |
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The Salvation Army is in need of volunteers on the first Wednesday of each month for the Red Shield Food Pantry. Located in the parking lot at 800 E Summit St Kent, OH 44242 ( Corner of E. Summit St & Horning Rd.) Time: 8:00AM - 11:00AM August 5 , September 2 , October 7 , November 4 , December 2. Please reach out to Bill Childers 330-730-3458 or billc@uwportage.org
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The Salvation Army of Portage County Red Shield Food Pantry
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Bill Childers
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2026-04-30 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder The Rotary Club of Kent April 28, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:15. We sang the God Bless America and Laing Kennedy offered the invocation. Dom Bollenbacher with David Dix at the piano led us in singing “I Saw Her Standing There.” There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. Jeff Forstner was the guest of Dennis Campbell. Announcements Will Underwood thanked Jeff Roeger, Mark Pennell, and Larry Lohman for the help they provided with the District 4-Way Speech Contest. Janice Simmons-Mortimer invited everyone to a special screening of the musical SUFFS at 7 pm at Hiram College. Hosted by the Portage Foundation and the League of Women Voters, SUFFS tells the story of the women’s suffrage movement. The musical will be broadcast on PBS later that same evening. Dennis Campbell invited everyone to attend a Chamber event at Erie Street Kitchen at 4:40 today to share in a discussion about the future of Kent City Schools. Larry Lohman noted that people attending the District Conference participated in a service project packing over 24,000 meals to be given away by the Cleveland and Akron Food Banks. Camp RYLA is scheduled at Hiram College this summer and two students from TRHS will attend. They will share their experiences at a meeting later in the year. Jen Lennox invited everyone to attend the North American Tree Climbing Championships at the SEED Campus on May 15 – 17. More info is available at www.davey.com/seed. Amanda Senn noted that David and Leah McKeen will head up the Gazebo Clean-up project taking over from Sherry and Dave Joy. April Birthdays April 5 – Ben Tipton recalled a great vacation in Newfoundland and Labrador scouting out moose. April 10 – Jim Myers is 95!! He recalled many unforgettable experiences including sailing the Chesapeake, heading up the School Board on May 4, 1970, visiting the British Parliament on 9/11, and attending a very special VIP experience at Augusta for the Masters Golf Tournament during Covid. April 10 – Amanda Senn recalled a visit to Prague in Czech Republic, her mother’s family homeland, during her honeymoon. Jim Myers won the free lunch. Happy Bucks Jen Lennox is celebrating 25 years at Davey Tree. Dennis Campbell is celebrating his sister’s recovery from cancer. Jeff Roeger donated $80 for the many reasons to love Kent City Schools. Christy Anderson honored Asad Khan, Nancy Whitehead and Randy Smith with a bad joke of her own: Question: What do you call a row of rabbits hopping backwards? Answer: A receding hare line. Laura Martin Miller is glad to be back at Rotary after the birth of her baby three months ago. Also with a new baby, Mark Pennel’s daughter’s horse gave birth recently to a blue-eyed white (colt??) named Salty. Carol Crimi and Amanda Senn both celebrated Jim Myers’ 95th birthday. Today’s Program: Ryan Brannon on How to Make a Great Cup of Coffee Mary Beth Harper introduced fellow Rotarian Ryan Brannon, a founder of Bent Tree Coffee Roasters and member of the Board of Directors of Kent’s Chamber of Commerce. Ryan started by noting problems that make for a bad cup of coffee: stale beans, inconsistent grind, unfiltered water, the wrong ratio of coffee to water. The solution: To achieve optimum flavor, grind beans just before brewing; use beans within 5 to 21 days after grind. Grind size matters as well and depends on the method used to brew. Too fine a grind leads to bitter coffee. Too coarse a grind can mean weak coffee. Best to use a burr grinder to insure uniform grind size. Using filtered water is the best way to make delicious coffee. The temperature should be between 195 and 200 degrees F. The best ratio of coffee to water is 1:16 by weight. Coffee flavor depends on the origin of the beans, how they are roasted and how the “cherries” are processed to extract the “beans.” African coffee beans can be very fruity. A light roast yields a bright flavor. A medium roast yields a smooth flavor, and a dark roast results in a bold flavor. Bent Tree uses only the finest beans available and are mostly variations on medium roasts. They are sold at the Bent Tree North Water Street coffee house and in grocery stores around the area. Coffee brewed at the coffeehouse is as fresh as it can be. Coffee purchased in stores has undergone a nitrogen flush and sealing process to insure freshness. Response Jeff Roeger responded noting that our speaker is another example of the successful entrepreneurs making Kent who a destination and impacting lives beyond our community. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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Rotareminder 04/28/2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-04-28 04:00:00Z |
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Official Banner Exchange on Monday, June 29. What is our Rotary Banner Exchange? The Rotary Banner Exchange will serve as a meaningful closing of Bob Oborn’s District Governor term with district awards and a kickoff for my term as District Governor, highlighting the strong bonds that connect each of our local clubs. What to expect? We will start with a cocktail hour, followed by the awards program, and conclude with the installation of new district officers. Attire is business casual. Save the Date: Registration will be opening soon. Please mark your calendars for this evening of fellowship as we celebrate the accomplishments of the current year and look ahead to our next chapter together.
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Save the Date - Rotary Banner Exchange
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Amanda Senn
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2026-04-28 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent Meeting on April 21, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. Our patriotic song was The Star Spangled Banner accompanied by David Dix on piano, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Our song was Edelweiss with David Dix on piano. The Invocation was offered by Mark Pennell. Roger Kramer and Mark Pennell worked tech; Dom Bollenbacher took our photos. VISITORS There were no visiting Rotarians today. GUESTS Tom & Kathy Myers’s daughter Anne is visiting from Oregon for a dentist appointment. Randy Smith’s wife Susan Asad Khan’s wife Beth and daughter Sara John Emig’s wife Vicki ANNOUNCEMENTS Larry Lohman reminded us about the many features and events of the 2026 District Conference & Learning Assembly on April 24–25 at the Cleveland Marriott East, 26300 Harvard Rd., Warrensville Hts. You can just show up if you want to attend. Volunteers are still needed to staff our club’s tables. Larry also informed us that the TRHS Interact club is looking for service projects. Doug Fuller told us of the Tap Talk Tuesday evening with WKSU’s Jeff St Claire, 7:00 p.m. at North Water Brewing. Nancy Whitehead informed us that the Kent Rotary Foundation has three grants under consideration. She also said that the won two TRHS Pops Concert tickets that she wants to give away; see Nancy if you want them. Todd Packer informed us about an opportunity to connect with and support our military veterans in Youngstown on April 23. A similar event will take place in Portage County on July 23. Contact Todd for more information. President Amanda Senn announced that the eBulletin will now include a list of events of area organizations; see Melissa Stewart to add a listing.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH TRHS Principal Dennis Love introduced our April Student of the Month, senior Simon Khan. Dennis listed Simon’s many qualifications: He is helpful and an active listener; he leads from behind; he is an A student taking advanced courses; he is a standout soccer player. Simon has participated in several internships and started a small business. He is headed to the College of Wooster in the fall. PROGRAM ONE Larry Lohman introduced Rotary Peace Fellow Wisdom Addo, Executive Director of the West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation. Wisdom updated us on the current work of the foundation, at which Nobel Peace Laureates challenge students to take action to solve a problem in the area of peace and conflict resolution. PROGRAM TWO Mary Beth Harper, informed us that at next week’s program on April 28, Ryan Brannon, co-owner of Bent Tree Coffee Roasters and a new Rotarian, will show and tell us how to make great coffee and give us the inside scoop on his company. Mary Beth then introduced our main speaker, John Emig, a 26-year Rotarian and KSU graduate who started his real estate appraisal business, Spalding/Emig Company, in Kent in 1983. John Emig began with a joke that people become appraisers because they lack the personality to be accountants. He then presented us with a broad ranging program on what real estate appraisal is and what it is not. Appraisers estimate the market value of property. The market determines the actual value. Some reasons for requesting an appraisal: Value for sale/purchase Tax appeal Estate planning Eminent domain Rental value
There are three approaches to valuing property, sometimes used in combination: Cost: What it would cost to rebuild the property at current prices Comparable Sales: Examining recent sale prices of comparable properties in the area or in similar areas. Income: For commercial properties, estimate how much income it will generate net of expenses
Most residential properties can be valued by using the comparable sales method. For a typical home, Zillow will give a pretty accurate estimated value. For unique or unusual homes or commercial properties, the calculus is more complicated. John gave us several examples of the latter, including: Deshawn Watson’s $5.5 million mansion, which cost $10 million to build Akron’s abandoned Rubber Bowl, which ultimately sold for $40,000 MGM’s Northfield Park, valued at $1.05 billion, whose gaming license contributes significantly to its value Top Golf, which John apprised due to a tax appeal. The valuation involved separating the business fixtures, like the net and poles, from the real property value.
Important factors in valuing a home include: The date, location, lot size, size of the house (using the ANSI standard), and the numbers of bedrooms, bathrooms, garages, basements and quality of finishing, attics, fireplaces, patios and porches, pools, and outbuildings. What appraisers do NOT do: John concluded with a discussion of the current affordability crisis, giving the example of a typical rental property in Kent that in 2021 was valued at $300,000 and is now valued at $400,000. This inflation has significantly affected rents. Q&A: Brian Bialik asked about the effect on property values of the Covid-19 pandemic John said that it has been massive, stating that commercial office space has only recently achieved 51% pre-pandemic occupancy, and has lost 70% of its value. Lee Higgins asked whether swimming pools add or subtract from a home’s value. John answered that it is entirely in the eye of the prospective buyer. RESPONDER John Ryan thanked John Emig for his thorough and informative program and expressed appreciation for his starting his business in Kent and serving the Northeast Ohio area. We closed our meeting with a recitation of the Rotary 4-Way Test. Respectfully submitted, Will Underwood
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Rotareminder 04/21/2026
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Will Underwood
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2026-04-21 04:00:00Z |
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Rotaryminder for the Rotary Club of Kent April 14, 2026 President Amanda Senn, called the meeting to order at 12:12 Our patriotic song was My Country Tis of Thee led by David Dix on piano. It was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance Invocation by Roger Sidoti Dominique Bollenbacher led us in singing Your Song. VISITORS There were 0 visiting Rotarians. Guests: Mary Beth Harper’s son and granddaughter Sam and Ellie harper from Washington dc ANNOUNCEMENTS - Will underwood- Springfield high school 8-12 4 way test this Saturday. Still need judges and timers
- Denise Baba- PARTA has a golf outing May 15th FORE! transit – to help subsidize fares for non profits in the county.
- Rachel Kerns – Habitat Beer Pairing event has more seats available.
- Larry Lohman- District Conference is April 24-25 Marriot East in Warrensville heights.
- Tom Hatch- Tap Talks is next week at 7 pm at North Water Brewery. Jeff St. Clair will be talking about his career at WKSU.
- Randy Smith – Next week they are putting solar panels at the church so be mindful of parking
Paul Harris Fellow recognition John Emic 2x Sandee Reid 4x Brian Bialic 4x New Member- Joe Hartman- president of insurance at State Farm in Kent. TODAY’S SPEAKER/PROGRAM Introduction- Mary Beth- How to Month Speaker- Kirk Gordon, husband to our very own Shawn Gordon. He started his hobby of making Tiffany stained glass lampshades in 1981. He went over the history of the Tiffany shades, which started in the 1890s. Paul Christ was a mentor of sorts and helped make the process that is widespread now. The glass is very important, and the tools he uses is very important as well. He gets to go to a glass store over in Pennsylvania, it is his candy store. His work is on the front cover of the national calendar. There is still original Tiffany glass out there for repairs. He has created 30-40 so far. RESPONDER: Rebekah Wright- Kulis Respectfully submitted, Dominique Bollenbacher
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Rotareminder 04/14/2026
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Dominique Bollenbacher
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2026-04-14 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent Meeting on April 7, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. Our patriotic song was God Bless America accompanied by David Dix on piano, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Our song was You’ve Got a Friend with David Dix on piano. The Invocation was offered by Ryan Brannon. Bill Nome, Mark Pennell and Roger Kramer worked tech; Dom Bollenbacher took our photos. VISITORS There were no visiting Rotarians today. Incoming Rotarian J. R. Campbell’s guest was his wife Melissa. ANNOUNCEMENTS ■ Dennis Campbell updated us on forthcoming Kent Area Chamber of Commerce events. ■ Will Underwood reminded us of the need for volunteer judges and timers for the District 6630 4-Way Test Speech Contest at Springfield High School on Saturday, April 18. Contact Rich Cole of the Port-Summit club to volunteer. ■ Todd Packer informed us about an opportunity to connect with and support our military veterans in Youngstown on April 23. ■ Jennifer Lennox announced an event Tuesday at Spin Bowls, the first in a series of events partnering with the Kent Jaycees and other local service organizations. Look for announcements of future joint events, including perhaps a social event later this summer. ■ Carol Crimi updated us on 2013 Rotary Scholarship recipient Yeonm n Kim, who received his Master’s and PhD at Kent State University. KSU Professor Landon Hancock is traveling to S. Korea to Yeonm n Kim’s university to explore establishing a peace studies center there. ■ Dave Myers announced the March Madness Bracket Buster Challenge winners: Brian Bialik won the men’s bracket. Brian picked Michigan to win. Steve Belli won the women’s bracket. Steve picked UCLA to win. ■ Mary Beth Harper announced forthcoming April Rotary programs, two of which will feature Rotarians Ryan Brannon and John Emig. NEW MEMBER INDUCTION Mary Beth Harper introduced us to walk-on Rotarian J. R. Campbell, Executive Director of the Design Innovation Initiative at Kent State’s School of Fashion Design & Merchandising. President Amanda Senn did the honors of inducting J. R. into our club. Welcome, J. R.! STUDENT OF THE MONTH Stanton Middle School Principal Kathy Scott introduced our April Student of the Month, 8th-grader Soren Olson. Soren is an A student with broad interests, including art, music, linguistics, and social studies. He also runs cross country and track. PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT Mary Beth Harper introduced us to “How To” Month, featuring programs by our members (and one member’s husband), who will show us—or talk to us—about HOW TO do something. Next week: Kirk Gordon, husband of Shawn Gordon, is an incredible stained glass artist and he will show us some of his work and explain just how he does it. On April 21, John Emig, will tell us how our property is valued--the inside story of real estate appraisal. On April 28, Ryan Brannon, co-owner of Bent Tree Coffee Roasters and a new Rotarian, will show and tell us how to make great coffee and give us the inside scoop on his company. TODAY’S PROGRAM Mary Beth introduced members of the Famous Rotary Book Club (FRBC) spoke on How to Choose a Book, discussing recent reads, how they selected them, and why they particularly enjoyed and recommend them. Jennifer Lennox discussed The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides. Paul Organ told us about Kindred by Octavia Butler. Kathy Myers informed us about The Women by Kristen Hannah. Laing Kennedy chose The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. Will Underwood selected Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt. Mary Beth Harper talked about What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci. RESPONDER FRBC member Randy Smith was our responder. He told a real groaner of a joke, and then proceeded to discuss how much he enjoys and benefits from the FRBC reading and fellowship. Randy said that the person who reads the first page of a book is a different person than the person who reads the last page. We closed our meeting with a recitation of the Rotary 4-Way Test. Respectfully submitted, Will Underwood
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Rotareminder 04/07/2026
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Will Underwood
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2026-04-07 04:00:00Z |
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GUESTS: Angela Carney, Coordinator, Operations and Special Projects, Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Kent State University Dean Alicia Crowe, College of Health, Education and Human Services at Kent State University Amanda Johnson, Director of the Read Center for International and Intercultural Education ANNOUNCEMENTS: District Speech Contest is April 18 at Springfield High School looking for volunteers, according to Will Underwood. Those who have not contributed to Every Rotarian, Every Year will receive an email from Steve Dennis this week. Please consider attending the Rotary District Conference. See Larry Lohman for details. Bracket Buster top picks are Brian Bialik and Sandee Reid. According to Dave Myers, the fundraiser totaled $600 for literacy programs. President Amanda Senn will be posting golf outings on the meeting PowerPoint. MARCH BIRTHDAYS Dave Myers loved his trips to visit his grandparents in Tucson, Arizona. Rachel Kerns swam in Lake Ohrid, the deepest lake in the Balkans and one of the oldest lakes in the world. Randy Smith attended an Easter morning service in the Florida Keys. NEW MEMBER Executive Director of the Portage Foundation Janice Simmons-Mortimer was introduced by Dennis Campbell. Janice, who lives in Hiram, is involved in a number of organizations and holds a master’s degree from Kent State University. SPEAKER Jennifer Kulics, who serves as Senior Development Director of the Northeast Ohio American Heart Association, was introduced by Dave Myers. Jennifer served in a number of positions in her 25+ years at Kent State University, including Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. A lifelong athlete, Jennifer talked about the leadership lessons she learned playing basketball from her dad and her high school and Bowling Green State University coaches. She received both a master’s and doctorate at Kent State University, where her mentors included Coach Bob Lindsay and retired Athletic Director Laing Kennedy. She said Laing was the best boss she ever had, and she embraced his philosophy that “There never is a right way to do a wrong thing.” RESPONDER: Laing Kennedy ROTARYMINDER AUTHOR: Mary Beth Harper
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Rotareminder Story 03/31/2026
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Mary Beth Harper
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2026-03-31 04:00:00Z |
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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
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Rotareminder March 24 , 2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-03-24 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder March 17 2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-03-20 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent Ebulletin 03/17/2026
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Melissa Stewart
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2026-03-17 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent Meeting on March 3, 2026 President Amanda welcomed the group by calling the meeting to order at ~12:10pm. Our patriotic song was our National Anthem and our tech team of Mark and Bill were on hand. In the interest of time, president Amanda announced we would forego today’s song. President Amanda did lead us in the pledge of allegiance. The Invocation for today’s meeting was offered by Anne Moneypenny, with Dominique handling photos and Brian as the newsletter author. There were no visiting Rotarians. Student of The Month Stanton Middle School principal, Kathy Scott, introduced this month’s student of the month – Gigi Lewis. In the first half of this academic year, Gigi has achieved a perfect grade point average, underscoring her prowess in the classroom. Gigi is a multi-talented individual who enjoys dancing, music, as well as serving as a student ambassador and morning crew announcer. She aspires to be a professional educator one day as she contemplates college in the not-to-distant future. Visitors / Guests Dennis Campbell introduced his guest Joe Hartman; Tom Hatch introduced KSU faculty member JR Campbell; Todd Kamanesh introduced his son Charlie. Announcements - PP Bill Childers announced United Way’s watch party at Ray’s on Friday, March 20th. All are invited. He also announced that Salvation Army would be conducting its next food distribution event on Wednesday from 9-11am, for the Red shield Food Pantry, near the intersection of Summit Street and Horning Road. (In the parking lot across from the Christian Life Center.)
- Dominique announced that the City of Kent will be hosting a reception for Student artists on March 13th at city hall. In addition, Dom reminded everyone that next week is the auction, so there will be no normal lunch meeting. There is still room to sign up, so please reach out to Dom if you would like to attend.
- PDG/PP Larry Lohman provided literature on Companion Clubs. There will be a meeting at Belltower restaurant on March 12th to learn more. Please see Larry about any interest you may have in attending. In addition, Larry announced an upcoming district grant seminar on March 5th (Zoom call) starting at 6:30pm, with another seminar scheduled for March 21st (Sat) from 9-11am. Finally, Larry reminded club members about the upcoming district conference starting on April 24th at the Marriott East in Warrensville Hts. The conference actually starts at 2:00pm on Friday and goes into Sunday. There will be a slew of interesting speakers which will include the winners of the 4-Way District Speech Contest. All are encouraged to attend.
- PP Dave Myers announced he is now accepting entries into the club’s annual March Madness fundraiser, whose proceeds go to support literacy needs locally.
- Todd Kamenesh and his son Charlie, will be conducting a small preview of the Rotary auction event – Night at the Races - while judges of the club’s speech contest compile contestants’ scores.
Program Rotary Club of Kent’s Four-Way Speech Contest Will Underwood, current member, introduced faculty member and student advisor to our speech contestants, Nicki White. Nicki White comes to us from Phoenix, AZ where she ran a middle school theatre program, taught ELA, and founded a Speech and Debate Team at the high school she taught in. Now she has revived the Speech and Debate Team here at Roosevelt, and Kent has a competitive speaking team for the first time in twenty years. She also teaches English, including for the celebrated Expedition Academy, and is a mom of two young children. Today, she has the privilege of introducing three of her speech proteges competing for the honor to represent our club later this month in the District Speech Contest. Avian Gillig-Monroe Avian is a student of the Forestry and Environmental Studies program and proud Yale applicant. He is an avid social activist with a passion for writing, public speaking, and plant science. He is a National Merit Scholar, and the historian of the Speech and Debate Team. Avian competes in Lincoln Douglas Debate – a one-on-one values-based format that focuses on philosophy, ethics, and morality and asks students to debate on both sides of every resolution. Avian’s speech topic this afternoon is on State Bill (SB) 104, sometimes refered to as the “bathroom bill,” that has implications for people who are transgender. Ash Riddick Ash is a student of the engineering academy, a Glisten Education Network; member of student council; future medical leader, and National Honor Society member. She is a member of the speech and debate team and competes in international extemporaneous speaking – a competitive, limited-preparation speech event focusing on foreign affairs. Participants have thirty minutes to prepare a seven minute speech answering a specific, prompt-based question regarding international politics, economics, or culture. She is a state qualifier and will be competing in the Varsity State Finals this weekend. Ash’s speech topic is one familiar to many – “climate change.” Colemann Packer Colemann is the vice president of the Environmental Club; president of the Chess Club; involved in the band, and an officer in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent’s Youth for Justice group. He has been accepted to Haverford College and intends to study philosophy. Colemann is also the president of our Speech and Debate Team. He is a state qualifier in Lincoln Douglas Debate and will also be competing in the Varsity State Finals with his classmate Ash, this weekend. Colemann’s speech topic deals with the slaughter of Ukrainian jews during WWII. As cliché as it may sound, this year’s contestants were extraordinary, making the job of judging, once again, difficult. It was the decision of the judges , however, to select Avian as our club winner, and district representative later this month. Fellow rotarian, Jeff Roeger, delivered the club’s response. Respectfully submitted, Brian K Bialik
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Rotareminder March 3, 2026
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Brian Bialik
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2026-03-03 05:00:00Z |
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 Welcome Bryan Harvey to the Rotary Club of Kent.
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New Member Bryan Harvey
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David McKeen
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2026-02-24 05:00:00Z |
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The Rotary Club of Kent is collaborating with the City of Kent, Kent City School District, Kent Junior Mothers, and Kent Parks and Recreation to build a permanent Safety Town. The site next to Holden Elementary School will feature a scaled-down street network, a specially designed safety garden, and will be open year-round as a park. 
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Kent Safety Town
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David McKeen
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2026-02-24 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of Kent February 24, 2026 Meeting opening: President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order. Sound booth volunteers were Roger Kramer and Bill Nome. Nithya Venkataraman agreed to take photos. Our patriotic song was the National Anthem, played by David Dix. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the invocation, offered by Christie Anderson. Our second song was Hey, hey Good Lookin’, with song leaders Dom Bollenbacher and Bill Childers, along with piano accompaniment by David Dix. Visitors/Guests: Nancy Whitehead introduced Olivia Pilon, a visiting Rotarian from the Akron Club. Olivia is now running the Portage County Land Bank. Mary Beth Harper introduced J R Campbell. Asad Khan introduced his daughter Sarah. Matt Carroll introduced his wife Natasha. Todd Packer introduced Jim Boling, Kent city engineer, who is helping with Safety Town. Announcements: Roberta O’Keefe passed around a sign-up sheet for offering invocations. Nelson Burns stated that the capital drive for the Kent Rotary Foundation is wrapping up. Nelson will be contacting folks about their pledges. Will Underwood reminded us that the Four Way Speech contest will be held next Tuesday. He needs several Rotarians to volunteer to be judges. Nithya V is encouraging folks to purchase tickets for the auction. She will help anyone having difficulty using the QR code. At the auction there will be a special raise the paddle fundraiser designed to begin funding a community service scholarship at Theodore Roosevelt High School. This is a joint venture of the Kent Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Club. Larry Lohman needs volunteers to attend the two remaining grants management seminars. Attendance is required in order to qualify for district grants. Also Larry provided a preview of the exciting presenters coming to the District Conference in April. Larry also needs volunteer help at the Conference. Todd Kamenash announced the March programs as follows: March 3 - speech contest March 10 - auction at Bell Tower March 17 - Laing Kennedy on the golden season March 24 - Eric Mansfield and Vance Voyles - moonlighters March 31 - Eboni Pringle, Student Life at KSU David Myers will help with March Madness bracket contest to raise funds for literacy. Carol Crimi is hosting a dinner at her house tonight to watch CoCoDa water programs. She can also supply zoom links if people want to watch future programs at home. Bill Childers is seeking volunteers for the next Salvation Army food drive on March 4th. Carol Martin Miller says thanks for the card sent by Rotary welcoming her new baby. Induction of a New Member: Tom Hall introduced Bryan Harvey, who is the golf coach of the girls team at Kent Roosevelt High School. Bryan also has been running the Twin Lakes golf course. He is married and has four children. Bryan was inducted by President Amanda and welcomed as our newest Rotarian. Happy Bucks: Todd Kamenash collected money from a group of Happy Rotarians, including Jeff Roeger, Rachel Kerns, Janice Mortimer, Tom Myers, Laing Kennedy, Will Underwood, Asad Khan, Anne Moneypenny, Kathy Myers, Carol Crimi, Amanda Senn. Program: Jen Lennox introduced the program for today. This is another in the series of Rotary initiatives. She introduced Asad Khan and Todd Packer as the presenters. Asad began the program by giving credit to Dave Myers as being the catalyst for Safety Town. Dave noted that he was impressed with the large projects that other Rotary clubs have offered. He gave credit to Asad and Todd, who have been able to take the concept forward. Safety Town is a scaled down street network for kids to learn. Safety Town has been run during the summers by the Kent Junior Mothers club. Todd and Asad showed a project map and location near Holden School. The project will contain a specially designed safety garden. It will be used for Safety Town programs in the summer. It will also be a park that is used year-round. The project development has been led by our Rotary Club along with many other partners, including the Kent School District, City of Kent Kent Junior Mothers, and Kent Parks and Recreation. There has been additional support from a Safety Town expert, Fionnuala Quinn; Jim Bowling, city engineer; and a design group. Large drawings were on display. Those drawings will be shown at the auction. Fundraising will be an important next step. The group is hoping for groundbreaking to occur this summer. Grant funds and sponsorships are being pursued. Some funds were received from the state and some from the Rotary district. After initial construction, there will be a need for on-going maintenance. Asad began the program with a joke and Todd apologized and said he was required to tell a joke to close the presentation. There was time for a few questions at Tahoe end of the program. Response: Dave Myers thanked Asad, Todd, and the whole team for taking the concept forward. The meeting closed with the Four-Way Test. Respectfully submitted, Sue Hetrick
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Rotareminder February 24, 2026
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2026-02-24 05:00:00Z |
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Jenn Lennox is filling in for president Amanda Senn, called the meeting to order at 12:16 Our patriotic song was My Country Tis of Thee led by David Dix on piano. It was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance Invocation by Rachel Kerns Dominique Bollenbacher and President Amanda led us in singing Lift Every Voice VISITORS There were 0 visiting Rotarians. Guests: JR Campbell KSU Uni Brian Harvey – Fairways of Twin Lakes Rosie Love- HFH office and fam Samier- Nithya’s Son ANNOUNCEMENTS - Doug Fuller- Tap Talks tonight about Davey Tree’s SEED Campus
- Ben Tipton- quiet crossing project. Info about the potential of not having trains
- Larry Lohman- Grants management seminar are February 21, March 4, and March 21. This will go over how clubs can apply for grants, local or abroad. We need at least 2 people to go. District Conference is April 24-25 Marriot East in Warrensville heights. Looking for someone to help and step up and man the club table. This will be judged.
- Nithya reminded us that the auction is in 3 weeks we only have 45 tickets sold.
- Bill Childers- Foundations
- Carol Crimi- COCODA info will be given soon as she has it
Student of the month - Kaidyn Harris- Roosevelt High School. Determined to keep a smile on her face and make others laugh and feel included. Hard worker and does internships as well. Team captain for track and holds some records! NHS, Career Tech NHS. Wants to be a doctor in the ER.
TODAY’S SPEAKER/PROGRAM Introduction- Jenn Lennox Speaker- Nancy Whithead Annual report of the Kent Rotary Foundation. Local vs. International International focuses on 7 objectives, and one that we as a club care about is water. Every Rotarian Every Year donations go to international Local- stays in the area. Not a lot of clubs facilitate local funding. 1.2 million from our club has gone locally. The vision was started with Glenn Saltzman in 1980, in 1984 lead by David Dix we incorporated to be a 501c3. The auction is a big way the foundation is filled. They also take individual donations as well. Rotarians can also bequest donations. 50% growth on our capital fund also goes to the foundation. There is an achievable and easy application for people who are seeking to apply. $38,130 given throughout Portage Co. Glenn Saltzman honorary award is given at the auction. Last year we honored Carol Crimi. Capital campaign – in 2021 members pledged $207,000. $148,450 was given. Aim is to increase $500,000. We have hit that goal, actually over it. Total net worth- $595,000. Matt Carroll has been the treasurer the last 7 year Bill Childers- thankful for the award of $3,000 for United Way’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. We took a FUN club photo! RESPONDER: Nelson Burns Respectfully submitted, Dominique Bollenbacher
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Rotareminder for February 17, 2026
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Dominique Bollenbacher
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2026-02-17 05:00:00Z |
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If you would like to propose someone for membership, please follow this link and complete the proposal form.
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New Member Proposal
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David McKeen
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2026-02-17 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder for the Rotary Club of KentFebruary 10, 2026 Meeting opening: Past president Kathy Myers called the meeting to order. President Amanda Senn was unable to attend the meeting today. Sound booth volunteers were Mark Pennell and Roger Kramer. Nithya Venkataraman agreed to take photos. Our patriotic song was God Bless America, played by David Dix. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the invocation, offered by Kathy Myers. We then sang “That’s Amore”, with David Dix on piano and Dom Bollenbacher leading the singing. Visitors/Guests: There were no visiting Rotarians and no guests. Announcements: Carol Crimi brought a card to congratulate Laura Martin Miller on the birth of her baby. Tom Hatch announced the next Tap Talks program featuring Sandy Reid explaining the Seed Campus of Davey Tree. Larry Lohman is seeking folks to attend Grants Management Seminars for our Club. Contact Larry for dates and times. These are on-line. The District website also has information. Nancy Whitehead noted that the Foundation Board will meet tonight. She also told us about a peace conference that she attended along with Rachel Kerns and Kaleena Gharky. Dom Bollenbacher handed out flyers about the Rotary Auction event on March 10th. Janice Mortimer, a guest of Nithya, distributed flyers about the Pickleball Classic sponsored by the Portage Foundation. Todd Kamenash is looking for someone to run the March Madness event for Rotary. He will coach an eager volunteer through the process. This event raises funds for literacy projects. Happy Bucks: Joan Seidel contributed to the fund to celebrate her tickets to the World Cup Chris Martin added happy bucks as a happy Grandpa who has welcomed a seventh grandchild to the family. Justin Gates offered happy bucks for Tom Larkin and family, even though the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl. Kathy Myers offered consolation bucks to Doug Fuller for the Patriots and for her daughter, who lives in Seattle and celebrated the Seahawks win. Program: Jen Lennox noted the theme of programs this month as being initiatives of our Club. Today we were given an overview of companion clubs for Rotary. Past District Governor, Larry Lohman, explained the purpose and role of companion clubs. Larry outlined some historical information about membership trends. Although our membership roster remains over 100, we tend to keep to the same basic membership numbers. We do well each year recruiting new members to join our club. However, some of our new recruits find that the Rotary club is not meeting their needs or desires. Recently a team of members went to a Rotary District workshop on companion clubs. Larry Lohman, Rebekah Wright-Kulis, Rachel Kerns, and Jen Lennox wanted to bring this concept to our members. A companion club holds a meeting about one time per month. In addition the club performs 1 or 2 service projects during the month. And there may be a social meeting or event as well. Members of a companion club would pay the same dues as regular Club members. Regular Rotary club members could float back and forth between the regular club and the companion club. The companion club would be guided by a chairperson, not a president. Right now the companion club exploration team is seeking names of individuals who might be interested in such a venture. In addition the team wanted to get some feedback from the audience about this novel concept. There was an animated question/answer period. There were questions to determine the benefits of this new venture versus making changes to our current situation that may help us retain more of our new members. There were more questions and comments than we had time to discuss today. Stay tuned for further exploration. Response: Dom Bollenbacher thanked the speakers and applauded the questions and the conversation on this topic. The meeting ended with the recitation of the Four-Way test. Respectfully submitted, Sue Hetrick
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Rotareminder February 10, 2026
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2026-02-10 05:00:00Z |
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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.
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Kent Rotary Flag Program
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Nithya Venkataraman
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2026-02-05 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder The Rotary Club of Kent February 3, 2026 President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:20. We sang the National Anthem and Mark Pennell offered the invocation. Dom Bollenbacher led us in singing “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” with David Dix at the piano. There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. Janice Mortimer from the Portage Foundation was the guest of Nithya Venkataraman, Nick Miller was the guest of Asad Khan, Joe Hartman was the guest of Dennis Campbell, and Brian Harvey was the guest of Tom Hall. Announcements Nithya Venkataraman reminded everyone that the annual Rotary Auction will be held on March 10. She and Paul Organ explained how businesses and individuals can become event sponsors and encouraged participation. Melissa Stewart announced a workshop on consumer fraud sponsored by Hometown Bank held on March 6 at Ravenna Elks Lodge. Sign up at ht.bank/fraudscout. Dennis Campbell invited everyone to an After Hours event at Laziza on Thursday, Feb 5. The upcoming trip to Italy will be discussed. A Heart Health breakfast seminar will be held on Feb 18 at UH Portage. Check the Chamber website for registration details. Nancy Whitehead thanked everyone for donations of produce for Kent Social Services. We contributed 130 bags of produce and fruit, more than 500 pounds. Amanda Senn thanked all who participated in the recent International Dinner event held Sunday at North Water Brewing. February Birthdays Answering this year’s question, “What’s an amazing place you’ve visited that you will likely never be able to visit again?”, were Steve Belli, whose most unforgettable experience was visiting Machu Picchu in Peru, and Paul Organ who watched a sunrise during his climb of Ojos del Salado, the second highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. It’s located between Chile and Argentina. Student of the month Nicholas Roberts drew Paul’s name as the winner of a free lunch. Students of the Month Stanton Middle School February Student of the Month is Jacoby Siciliano, who was joined at the meeting by his grandmother and great-grandmother. He’s a four-sport athlete and well-known by his teachers and friends for his strong leadership skills. We also celebrated the January Roosevelt High School Student of the Month, Nicholas Roberts, who was joined by his parents. He has an almost perfect GPA (4.4), is disciplined, intelligent, and Senior Class VP. Nick participates in the Athletic Healthcare program at TRHS. Happy Bucks Asad Khan and Rachel Kerns lauded the Students of the Month and their children’s accomplishments. Doug Fuller is looking forward to cheering his team at the Super Bowl (Seahawks? Patriots? Don’t recall which…). Mark Pennell is happy that he was not injured after getting wrapped up in his new dog’s leash and falling. Howard Boyle thanked Mark for his invocation and related a story about his experience being lost for words on the day of the Challenger Disaster when he was supposed to deliver the invocation. Carl Pierson, UMC minister, rescued him and handled the responsibility on that difficult day. Today’s Program: Kent Rotary Flag Program Jen Lennox noted that this month’s programs will feature service programs within our community that Rotarians can become involved with. She introduced Rotarian Nithya Venkataraman, who has initiated a new way for the club to raise money for the Kent Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Flag Program has been implemented successfully by other Rotary clubs in our area including Wooster, Twinsburg, Wadsworth, and North Canton. Nithya learned from her grandfather, a Wooster Rotarian, that the Wooster club raises about $50,000 per year sponsoring this program. Here’s how it works: People sign up for a fee of $55 to display the American flag in front of their homes during five holidays: Flag Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. With the help of various local youth clubs and organizations, the flags are delivered to participant’s homes, inserted into special sleeves placed on the tree lawn, and then collected a few days later. Because of the generosity of the Wright/Kulis family, our flags will be stored at Wright Heating and Cooling. Dom Bollenbacher, Roger Sidoti, and David McKeen have helped Nithya with planning, meeting with the city of Kent, and getting advice from other Rotary Clubs about how to be successful with this program. The initial year’s cost will pay for the flags, poles, and sleeves. Revenue from subsequent years will go to the Kent Rotary Foundation. Nithya expects this program will promote Rotary and enhance community pride. Many of our club members have already signed up to participate. Response Jen Lennox responded and thanked Nithya for bringing this innovative idea to our club. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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Rotareminder 2-3-26
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-02-03 05:00:00Z |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Stacy Richardson: As part of the upcoming President-Elect Training, Rotary Clubs are conducting a fundraiser to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which provides free books for every Ohio child from birth to age 5 each month. Stacey passed out flyers showing three ways to support. Nithya Venkataraman: Our International Potluck dinner will be held Sunday, February 1 at North Water Brewery from 4 to 7 p.m. Contact Nithya for details. Rotary Auction will be held on Tuesday, March 10, at Bell Tower Brewery. Nancy Whitehead: Nancy (with help from John Ryan) delivered more than 108 bags of fresh fruit and vegetables to Kent Social Services this month. Nancy proposed the idea of Kent Rotarians donating fresh fruit and vegetables to the KSS pantry, as she heard that would be appreciated by those who get free groceries there. Our Rotary Club has 108 members. Bill Childers: The Salvation Army food give away is scheduled for Wednesday, February 4. A group of Rotarians have volunteered. Bill also says that a warming center at Shepherd’s House next to Birdie Shack on Route 59 is in need of laundry soap. President Amanda Senn: When Doug Fuller saw a student stuck in the snow at the church entrance drive, he stopped to help her. Amanda named Doug our Rotarian of the Day! HAPPY BUCKS! Lots of Happy people in the house! PROGRAM: Professor Neil Cooper, Director of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University, was the final speaker for the January programs called “Seeking Peace in a Conflicted World,” coordinated by Bill Childers. Cooper, who has spoken to our club previously, reiterated his interest in Rotary International, as he was involved with Rotary Peace projects in the UK. Cooper’s presentation, called “Peace and Conflict: Trends and Data,” centered around arms control and military expenditures around the world. Although he admitted that most of his research and information was negative, Cooper pointed to the positive point that global nuclear stockpiles have come down massively since a high point in the 1980’s. And spending on defense as a percentage of GDP remains relatively low compared with the Cold War days. However, the number of countries involved in conflicts and the number of fatalities in these conflicts is the highest since 1946, the end of WWII. As economic growth has increased in the U.S., China and Russia, so has the percentage share of global military expenditures. Cooper discussed concerns about the stability of nuclear deterrence and concluded with points for optimism. He says, “Bottom-up peace initiatives make a difference, including Rotary’s work on peace.” RESPONDER: Nithya Venkataraman
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Rotareminder January 27, 2026
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Mary Beth Harper
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2026-01-27 05:00:00Z |
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 Kent Rotarians are amazing! Our January "Operation Full Plate/Produce Jamboree" benefitting Kent Social Services concluded this week. Our club contributed 130 bags of apples, oranges, potatoes, and a variety of other fresh produce weighing over 500 pounds. Our goal of 108 bags (one for every Rotarian in our club) was surpassed! Kent Rotarians truly embody the Rotary motto - "Service Above Self."
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Rotarians donate produce to Kent Social Services
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David McKeen
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2026-01-27 05:00:00Z |
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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.
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Donate to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio
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David McKeen
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2026-01-27 05:00:00Z |
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 Shanti Nandana Wijesinghe spoke about the youth-led reconciliation efforts following Sri Lanka's civil war. After the civil war, which lasted from 1983 to 2009, there were deep social divisions. The youth of the country helped to identify a pathway of reconciliation through shared experiences. The key insight was that reconciliation succeeds not through dialogue alone, but through shared living, learning, and creating.
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Shanti Nandana Wijesinghe
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David McKeen
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2026-01-20 05:00:00Z |
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President Amanda Senn called the meeting to order at 12:20. We sang the “My Country ‘tis of Thee” and Asad Khan offered the invocation. Dom Bollenbacher led us in singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with Mrs. Roeger at the piano. There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. Janice Mortimer from the Portage Foundation was the guest of Mary Beth Harper. Rotary Exchange Student Emelie Helbert and Neil Cooper of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies were also guests. Laura Martin Miller brought her daughter, who was out of school because of a snow day. Announcements Tom Hatch announced that Tap Talks tonight at 7 pm will feature Steve Sosobee and Dr. Zeena Salman, founders of the non-profit HEAL Palestine. He also encouraged everyone to RSVP to Nithya Venkataraman to attend the International Potluck on February 1 at North Water Brewing. Rachel Kerns invited everyone to attend the 2026 Community Peace Summit of February 7 at Stocker Arts Center at Lorain County Community College in Elyria. This is a free event sponsored by Rotary District 6600. Register at www.d6600peacesummit.org Nancy Whitehead thanked everyone for donations of produce for Kent Social Services. So far we have contributed 45 bags of produce, plus more this week, with a goal of 108 bags by next week. Dom Bollenbacher noted that the Auction Committee meeting will be held next week. The Auction will take place on March 10 with a Kentucky Derby theme. She also has tickets for the Jaycees Reverse Raffle to be held on February 27. Dom encouraged anyone interested to attend an informational meeting on January 28 at City Hall about serving on an advisory committee planning for major disruption in our downtown because of new sewer installation. Lastly, she invited everyone to show up next Saturday for Main Street Kent’s Snow Day event in downtown Kent. Randy Smith thanked all who participated in the recent Lord’s Lunch event. January Birthdays Answering this year’s question, “what’s an amazing place you’ve visited that you will likely never be able to visit again?”, were Kaleena Gharky who loved visiting Disney World, Stacey Richardson who recalled a once in a lifetime trip to Northern California with her whole family, and Carol Crimi who visited a small district in Italy, Molisano, where her grandfather was born. She described attending a 350 year old religious tradition where children were dressed as angels and saints and paraded throughout the town on the shoulders of local citizens. Rotary Exchange student Emilee drew Carol Crimi’s name as the winner of a free lunch. Today’s Program: Youth -led Reconciliation in Post-War Sri Lanka Bill Childers introduced Professor Shanti Nandana Wijesinghe, a visiting professor at Kent State’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies. He is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Peradeniya, the most prestigious university in Sri Lanka. Professor Shanti discussed his work with youth following the Sri Lankan Civil War, which lasted from about 1983 until 2009. The goal was to bring reconciliation and a renewed sense of cultural identity to Sri Lanka by engaging youth in joint creative activities, painting, dance, and writing, bolstered by psychological support, social empowerment, and leadership training. He shared images of Sri Lankan children from various backgrounds, Tamil, Muslim, Christian, and Hindu, working together to learn, create, lead, and heal together. He also passed around copies of their creative work. Key insights resulting from his work are: Reconciliation succeeds not through dialog alone but through shared living, learning, and creating. Reconciliation is experiential, not rhetorical. Youth networks function as long-term peace infrastructure Arts and culture outperform formal dialogue tin trust-building. When young people experience unity in daily life, reconciliation becomes irreversible.
Response Asad Khan thanked Professor Shanti for his presentation and noted that empowering youth as leaders in their communities is an idea that can help reconcile opposing factions in our society. Respectfully submitted, Thomas Hatch
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Rotareminder January 20, 2026
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Thomas Hatch
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2026-01-20 05:00:00Z |
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 Professor Okantah painted a picture today drawing on the history of the United States and its turbulent past. He wove in his original poetry while speaking, and wrapped up by inspiring us about hope he sees within his students who have friends from all parts of community and society.
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Professor Mwatabu Okantah
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David McKeen
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2026-01-13 05:00:00Z |
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 Marti Flacks offered global insights into the current position of the US in the global supply chain as well as where we are heading in the future.
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Marti Flacks, CEO of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs
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David McKeen
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2026-01-06 05:00:00Z |
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The Rotary Club of Kent has been awarded $125,000 by the Ohio House of Representatives under their Strategic Community Investment Fund for the Kent Safety Town. Safety Town uses hands-on activities taught in a small-scale city with streets, homes and sidewalks to teach safety skills to kindergarten-aged children.
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Rotary Club of Kent Wins $125,000 Grant for Kent Safety Town
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Jennifer Lennox
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2024-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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Seven longtime members of the club were honored with Proclamations, which are available on our Club website. Each Proclamation was written by a committee of Rotarians who were close friends.
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Proclamations for Rotarians who passed away since Covid restrictions disrupted our meeting schedule
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Thomas Hatch
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2023-05-16 04:00:00Z |
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 Congratulations to Rotarian of the Year Jim Myers for this wonderful piece from The Portager. Jim has been a fixture in our community for a long time and we’re so fortunate and grateful that he continues to serve Rotary and our club. Here is Jim’s article.
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Kent Rotarian Jim Myers-A fixture in our community
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Dave Myers
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2022-07-18 04:00:00Z |
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Our club is incredibly proud of our member Larry Lohman!
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2022-07-06 04:00:00Z |
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Leadership Portage County Speaks to Kent Rotary Club
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2022-07-05 04:00:00Z |
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 March Madness is back. Before sharing his tips on tournament betting strategy, Kennedy had some thoughts to share on matters of collegiate athletics policy. Kennedy commented that one of the hot issues is the new ability to compensate players for using their name and likeness in advertising. Kennedy is concerned about how this wealth and popularity can affect teams. Transfer portals are another concern; turnover is becoming quite high, affecting team cohesion. Kennedy said wellness coaches are essential to support the health and well-being of student athletes, a positive addition to sports departments. He also said social media networks present a challenge for college teams. When social media first emerged, Kennedy instituted a rule: “No student athlete at Kent State can be on social media.” The rule lasted about a week — it violated freedom of speech. He also cautioned parents and athletes against sports camps that claim to guarantee D1 athletic scholarships. And finally, he said that the NCAA has a long way to go in creating equality in women’s sports. Kennedy offered tips about filling out March Madness brackets: 1) Usually #1 and #2 seed teams win games. 2) Don’t pick your underdog to win the tournament, but you can give them a shot at the Final Four. 3) Don’t pick a team seeded #8 or greater to win it all, unless it’s Kent State. 4) If you pick all favorites to win the first round, you’ll likely do well. Todd Kamanesh offered his alternative approach to picking teams: Bill Childers throwing darts. “You can listen to Laing … or you can take it from the fingertips of Bill Childers.”
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Laing Kennedy prognosticates on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament
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Ben Wolford
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2022-03-15 04:00:00Z |
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 Never underestimate the importance of our weekly programs or the speakers who give of their time to address us!
President James Engleman, 1928 to 1938 was retiring and it was time to select his successor. Keep in mind that having been established in 1910, it was 1925 before Kent Normal won its first Football game. And during 1932, our team not only failed to win a game, it never even scored a point all season. Later our football head coach was Joe Begala, who became a legend later as our successful wrestling coach and coach of our golf team to its first Ohio Conference Championship in Golf that included two of our former members, Bill Gressard and Don Ulrich. But I digressed, back to Engleman's replacement.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for March 8, 2022
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Jim Myers
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2022-03-08 05:00:00Z |
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 Assad Khan introduced November 30 2021 speaker – Hafiz Haq, an independent entrepreneur from the United Kingdom. He is presenting via Zoom and will be providing remarks regarding his 52 year professional journey…. Mr. Haq has amassed a remarkable professional record across the past 52 years – from manufacturing and logistics to a business development consultancy. An engineer by education, Hafiz’s professional journey has taken him all across the world, providing invaluable experiences that have helped shape and expand his knowledge of the inner workings of business. He attributes his success to a subscribed set of themes that have served as guiding principles: Self-development and competitiveness – This comes from within. An individual must make a whole-hearted indivisible commitment to the idea or notion of success. Ambition and Passion - Cited an example from a former mentor who gave him an impossible task. What he learned from this experience was that it was not good enough to be good…one must strive to be different. Managing people - What was key here is the importance of catching people when they achieved success and to reinforce the same. People need to know their contributions are valued – cultivating ideas from them will help boost your relationship to develop a chemistry necessary for successful collaborations. Learning from Cultural aspects – Helps develop / foster better understanding; needs/desires; behaviors and work ethic. In closing, Hafiz shared with the audience what occupies his time today – an organization called Transformation Beyond Imagination. It was founded out of the need to pay the lessons of success forward. The program is geared towards individuals and provides professional scholarships to those who lack financial resources to receive the proper educational opportunities to improve oneself. Today’s responder to the program was Tom Larkin.
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Hafiz Haq speaks to Kent Ohio Rotary
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Brian Bialik
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2021-11-30 05:00:00Z |
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 President Kathy Myers presented herself as the speaker on November 23, 2021 with little fanfare, noting most everyone knew all about her. Her topic for the program was Attitude of Gratitude and she utilized a series of slides to organize her presentation into various parts. The introduction included an overview of research studies she had reviewed, listing the definition and the underlying benefits derived from gratitude: -it may be broadly defined as the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to ourselves. -it makes you happier. -it helps you sleep better -it improves you physical and mental health. -it can help our financial life. -it improves our work life This set the stage for a participatory exercise by the members of the club in the form of a Gratitude Quiz. Using booklets on the tables, they were given a list of statements and asked to individually rank them 1 thru 7: 1 STRONGLY DISAGREE, 2 DISAGREE, 3 SLIGHTLY DISAGREE, 4 NEUTRAL, 5 SLIGHTLY AGREE, 6 AGREE, 7 STRONGLY AGREE. The statements were: - I have so much in life for which to be thankful.
- If I had to list everything, I feel thankful for, it would be a long list.
- When I look at the world, I don’t see much to be grateful for.
- I am grateful for a wide variety of people.
- As I get older, I find myself more able to appreciate the people, events, and situations that have been part of my life journey.
- Long amounts of time can go by before I feel grateful to something or someone.
Club members were directed to add up their scores for items A, B, D, & E. They were directed to invert their scores for items C & F (1 becomes 7, 2 becomes 6, etc.), add them to the total. President Kathy speculated, based on our club membership being a “happy group,” most of us scored between 35 and 42, demonstrating a high degree of gratitude and appreciation in our lives. She indicated that, based on research, there are various ways to impact gratitude. In the last part of her presentation, President Kathy explored these practical, researched ways, by posing the question “How Can We Cultivate Gratitude?” Write a Thank You note She noted that a thank you note becomes a treasure and provided note cards, and envelopes the members could take home and utilize for this activity. Thank someone mentally Simply find ways to do this, such as while driving, etc. Keep a Gratitude Journal List each day a pre-selected number of items you are thankful for that day. Include items you may be thankful that don’t happen. Count our Blessings Take a moment to think about all the things that went right and how moments of gratitude make you feel. Especially those moments of giving. Prayer Even if not religious, a small prayer of gratitude. Meditate Practice mindful meditation, focusing on the present without judgement, being grateful for the simple things of nature, etc. Kathy summed up her presentation by reminding us that as we move forward this Thanksgiving week, take the booklet with us. Start writing down those things we are thankful for. Take the note cards and write a thank you note to someone you care for. Let them know how much you appreciate them. Citing author Lisa Ryan, “If you tell someone, you leave a memory. If you write it down and give it them, you have given them a treasure”, Kathy encouraged us all to follow through in this exercise. She encouraged us to share with someone why you are grateful for them this week and ending her presentation. Asad Khan prefaced a question by thanking Kathy and asked what her inspiration for the program was. She indicated that her happiness is linked to maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” and keeping things in perspective, especially during this week of preparing for the Thanksgiving celebration. Responder The response was provided by Nelson Burns. He Thanked President Kathy for her presentation, noting that her husband Tom and son David were happy they did not have to respond. He noted that her message reminded him of the idea that in giving gratitude, you get it back twofold! He pointed out that we all can apply the ideas she presented over this Thanksgiving holiday.
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The Gratitude Project
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Kathy Myers
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2021-11-28 05:00:00Z |
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 Sri Peruvemba is CEO of Marketer International Inc., a marketing services firm specializing in the global high-tech industry. Sri’s Zoom appearance was arranged by Program Chair Asad Khan, as part of his “Immigrant Success Stories” month. Peruvemba was previously Chief Marketing Officer for E Ink Holdings, where he played a major role in transforming the startup to a $1 plus billion global ePaper company. With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Peruvemba has been an influential advocate in the advancement of electronic hardware technologies. He is an acknowledged expert on sensors, electronic displays, haptics, touch screens, electronic materials and related technologies; and consults, writes and presents on those subjects globally. He is a personal mentor to 35 people and involved in a number of activities, including a cricket club he started in Silicon Valley. Sri told stories about his academics in India and journey to the U.S., where he took his first job at Pizza Hut to help pay the bills while studying for an MBA. He was frustrated with the slow pace of business in India and thrilled with his quick promotions in America. He shared stories of his “lessons learned” and positive attitude and work ethic with the group, including a breathing exercise and gratitude habit. He says the key to success is to have people who believe in you—and to be a person who believes in others.
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Sri Peruvemba - Spoke to Kent Rotary on November 16, 2021
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Mary Beth Harper
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2021-11-16 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Carol Crimi
Click here to for the evening's program VIDEO PRESENTATIONS Mr. Knaack, who resides in Germany, was unable to attend our celebration and sent this video in his stead. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has a longstanding relationship with Rotary International’s initiative to end polio. Richard Wiland, Kent Rotary President in 1949 – 50 raised $100,000 to end polio and the club has made a substantial contribution to this effort in recent years as well. For this reason, the 100th Anniversary Planning Committee selected this video to be shown during the celebration of the Club’s 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary 100th Anniversary
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Carol Crimi
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2021-10-31 04:00:00Z |
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 On October 26, Asad Khan, continuing his theme of “Immigrants in Leadership,” introduced Shila Garg, PhD, emeritus professor of Physics at the College of Wooster, who told us her life’s story of growing up in South India where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree and then went to England where her father had ties, completing her doctorate in studying the composition of Plastic Crystals at the University. She settled in Wooster, Ohio with her husband and was a stay at home mom for 10 years raising her two children. Opportunities to audit courses at Wooster College perked her interest and after auditing as many as 15 courses, she became enthralled with the idea of a broad liberal arts education. She took a job as an assistant in the physics laboratory and in 1987 was hired on a part-time basis to teach physics to undergraduates. Eventually she was hired full-time. A good networker, she formed a relationship with the Liquid Crystals Institute at Kent State University, where she was able to renew her studies and also provide summer research opportunities for her students at Wooster College. Her program became widely recognized and she was asked to give presentations to intercollegiate faculty and administrators who wanted similar opportunities for their own students. Her administrative talents and initiatives led to her becoming Chair of the Department and then Dean of the Faculty, a position that spread her so broadly she convinced the president of Wooster College to divide up the job and name her Provost. As Dean and then Provost, she worked to get all Wooster departments to use the same software to end silo type planning. She became active in globalizing education at Wooster College and was active in intercollegiate academic associations. She also set up short term programs for students in the sciences in Europe and Asia. Science students, she explained, are too busy to experience many of the liberal arts opportunities like this that students in the Humanities enjoy. She also led faculty short term seminars in India to benefit the Wooster College faculty. Professor Garg said that the Wooster Rotary Club became involved in efforts to restore one of the villages that was wiped out when the 2004 tsunami destroyed so much of the coastline along the Bay of Bengal. The word for village is Nagar and the village has been renamed Wooster Nagar. Professor Garg retired from administrative duties and returned to teaching before finally retiring. She continues to serve in an emeritus position that enables her to remain active in the study of Physics. As a resident of Wooster, she also volunteers with AARP to help the elderly fill out their tax returns. She mentioned that her older brother, who became an engineer, emigrated to the USA and currently resides in Brunswick, not far from Wooster. In his introduction, Asad said that Professor Garg had been his advisor when he was a student majoring in physics at Wooster College and credited her for his success in academia prior to going into business at Kent Displays. Professor Garg said that teaching students and experiencing their enthusiasm as they mastered their studies was the most rewarding part of her career, but she added that she enjoys organizing and liked being an administrator also.
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Sheila Garg, PhD, emeritus professor of Physics at the College of Wooster
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Dave Dix
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2021-10-26 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Dave Dix
 Meeting opening: President-elect David Myers, filling in for President Kathy, led Club members in singing, “America the Beautiful,” and Past President Randy Smith provided the invocation. Both versus of “Home on the Range” were sung. Announcements: Habitat: Rachel Kern reminded us that Habitat Humanity has a fund-raiser at 6 p.m. November 13, “Home for the Holidays,” at NEOMED’s New Center to raise money to cover the rising costs of construction. Habitat has a home under construction. Halloween Volunteers: Curt Stumpf reminded Rotarians of the Main Street Kent Family Friendly Halloween on October 29 where the club has committed to providing candy and people to distribute candy.
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Rotareminder for October 26, 2021
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Dave Dix
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2021-10-26 04:00:00Z |
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Following the year Charlie Zumkehr was President, 1979-1980, Glenn Saltzman accepted the gavel and announced the highlight of his term was the Past President Ted Rowe gift to Rotary International of $35,098 and as a result many Past Presidents received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.
Now I have Good News and Bad News!
First the BAD NEWS!
This will be my last History Moment for the near future! Since June of 2020 I’ve given these weekly moments some 70 times, trying to remind us of our illustrious past and encourage us to build on that heritage to even better tomorrows!
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Oct. 19, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-10-19 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Anita Herington
 Meeting opening: David Dix played the Star Spangled Banner; Dave Myers gave the invocation, and the song was Let There Be Peace On Earth. Guests: There were no visiting Rotarians. Guests included Dale Barak, father of the Kent Theodore Roosevelt Student of the month Nicholai Barak; Asad Khan’s wife Beth; speaker Alfonso Hinojosa’s wife Erin; Jeff Roeger’s pharmacy intern from NEOMED Sukndeep Singh; David Sommers’s guest architect Ted Manfrass, and Dave Myers’s guest and soon to be member David Patterson.
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Rotareminder for October 19, 2021
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Anita Herington
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2021-10-19 04:00:00Z |
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 Asad Khan introduced today’s speaker, Atoosa Alavi. Atoosa is an intellectual property attorney and entrepreneur. She is currently the Chief Cousel for AlphaMicron in Kent and owns the start-up company Immobileyes, Inc. Her presentation was titled Iran: Then and Now. Atoosa was born and raised in Mashad, Iran. Mashad is a holy city and a pilgrimage destination. Her parents still reside in Iran, but she says she is unable to visit them at this time as she feels it would be unsafe. After high school, she moved to England to attend school and spent 15 years there where she studied to be a dentist and oral surgeon. She eventually moved to the United States where she earned her JD from Case Western Reserve University. Atoosa shared a slide show featuring the geography, history, tourism, and religion of Iran, noting that a common misconception is that the entire country is a desert filled with camels. While they do have some deserts they also have green, mountainous areas too. The country has a rich history dating back to the Persian Empire, which has influenced the architecture and gardens of Iran today. The capital city, Tehran, saw 6 million tourists in 2017. She shared images of her family and growing up in Iran prior to the Revolution in 1978-1979, which she says was similar to the US at that time. She also shared facts about the nation’s capital and the country’s wealth obtained through the oil and petroleum industry. She acknowledged that women in Iran are in a different position than some of their neighboring countries with 60% enrolled in university. They are required to wear a hijab now which came about after the revolution. A Q&A session followed her presentation during which she indicated that she misses the warmth of the people of Iran most when she thinks of her home country. When asked what she likes best about living in America she says that it is the unique feeling (considered arrogance by other countries) Americans have knowing that they can do anything or become anything and that they have a path to do so. She is thankful that she sees this in her own children.
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Atoosa Alavi, intellectual property attorney and entrepreneur
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-10-12 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Stacey Richardson
 President Kathy Myers welcomed those attending in-person as well as the Zoom attendees. David Dix led us in the singing of God Bless America which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Today’s Invocation was presented by Roger Sidoti. David Dix played piano while the group sang along to the song Piano Man. There were no visiting Rotarians. Guests - President Kathy Myers introduced Bill Russel from Coleman Health Services.
- Asad Khan was joined by his wife, Beth Khan.
- Tom Hatch welcomed Bengt George from Kent Historical Society.
- Jeff Roeger introduced Kevin Medina, a student from NEOMED and future pharmacist.
- Amanda Senn introduced David Patterson, who will be joining the club soon
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Rotareminder for October 12, 2021
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-10-12 04:00:00Z |
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 Assad Khan introduced todays’ speaker – Husein Kitabwalla, a Kenyan native, who came over to this country in response to an opportunity to attend the College of Wooster. Mr. Kitabwalla is the CEO of a global company called Sodexo… whose mission it is to conduct good business in a good way that has a powerful positive impact on the 100 million consumers it serves everyday. They create quality of life when they integrate their unique wide range of On-site, Benefits and Rewards and Personal and Home Services. They are driven by their care for its people and their quality of life is their top priority.Mr. Kitabwalla is here today to share his five core principals – notions that have guided him through life and contributed to much of his success professionally and personally. - GOOD LUCK --opportunity and preparedness- have a plan…
- NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
- HUMAN SPIRIT – Dream / Believe / Courage / Trust - have faith…
- LOVE – Passion / Focus / Commitment – follow your heart…
- ATTENTION / INTENTION – energize and transform..
The opportunity to came to this country has had a profound effect on Mr. Kitabwalla. As others have extended kindness and opportunity to him, so too will he pay it forward.
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Husein Kitabwalla, CEO-Sodexo Service Operations North America
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Brian Bialik
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2021-10-05 04:00:00Z |
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My history moment today is going to jump ahead in time considerably. Why? Well due to a nice note I received from past president Charlie Zumkehr now in Key Largo, FL, along with a very generous donation to our 100th anniversary book project. He questioned why I hadn’t covered the period of time from the 60s to the 80s. When I started this in June of 2020, I started with the first book of our history representing the first 25 years. I am now in the second book of our history 1945 to 1984. Since it appears that with our 100th anniversary being celebrated on the 25th of this month, I will not have time enough to finish even our second book. For that reason and Charlie‘s request I’ll skip to the 60s and 80s with apologies to the following presidencies of Dick Donaghy, Leland Keller, Bob Dix, George Bowman, Vic Yahner and Bob Green, ending the fifties.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Oct. 12, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-10-05 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Brian Bialik
 President Kathy Myers welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix followed by a rendition of Caberet. President Kathy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Ralph Kletzien. Brian Bialik handling Rotareminder duties. Visiting Rotarians None. Guests David Myers introduced David Patterson.
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Rotareminder for October 5, 2021
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Brian Bialik
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2021-10-05 04:00:00Z |
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 David Myers presented the proclamation in honor of Glen A. Saltzman, who passed away. He was a member who made a dramatic impact on our community and our club! Delayed due to our past COVID driven ZOOM video meetings, the framed proclamation was presented to Ruth Saltzman amidst a standing ovation in honor of her husband.
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Memorial Presentation - Glen A. Saltzman
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Roger Sidoti
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2021-09-28 04:00:00Z |
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When colorful Ted Rowe took over the Presidency of the Kent Rotary Club in 1952–53 he promised a year of enlightening programs, a year of action and a greater commitment to the ideals of Rotary. Ted Rowe was a self made industrialist who perfected and patented rubber gaskets and fittings for industrial pipe. His business had grown from his garage to a large manufacturing plant in Kent. His imagination helped change the Kent Rotary club during his year as president. That plant today is near the underpass on SR59 towards Ravenna that bears the name “Sorbothane”.
During the year, Larry Woodell and Bert Fageol were appointed to assist donor, Burt Spellman, in establishing and improving Comfort Spellman camp, named for his daughter. It is located just west of Twin Lakes and was intended to improve the life for handicapped citizens, especially children.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for September 28, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-09-28 04:00:00Z |
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Paul Beck, our club President in 1951-52 came to Kent at the request of George Bowman to become the comptroller for Kent State University. He later retired to become President of the Kent National Bank, now Huntington National Bank. As President he entertained a newly elected Vice President of Rotary International, Ray Colette of Maine who was a longtime friend of Ted Rowe.
That year there was a summer picnic at Fred Fuller Park, a tour of Kent State University with lunch on campus and remarks by President George Bowman, and continued work on Camp Spellman which gave variety to the year’s programs. As usual, speakers came from many walks of life. There was a look at the FBI out of the Cleveland office, an economic forecast from the B.F. Goodrich Company and Emil Burg who spoke of university business.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for September 21, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-09-21 04:00:00Z |
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1950-51 President was Zanesville, Ohio native Turner Stump who came to KSU in 1930. Within two years he was named head of the Department of Speech and build it into a major school on the KSU campus. The large theater on campus is named for him.
Internationalism set the theme for the year. Hallock Raup Of KSU brought an up-to-date account of Korea then prominently in the news. Dr. Allen Birchenoug of Ravenna Grace Episcopal Church caused a lot of commotion and comment when he recommended that we try to halt Russia by using the atomic bomb. Rotarians heard a member of the Hungarian Parliament who spoke on mid-Europe’s problems and Iranian Pera Benjamin, who came to this country destitute, but is now a successful merchant in Daytona Beach, Florida told of his path to success. Harold Van Dorn head of the political science department at KSU reviewed the subject of his recent book, “Communism in China“. One program by a clergyman concerned “What the Church has to Offer to the World in the Mess it’s In”.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for September 14, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-09-14 04:00:00Z |
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In 1949-50 our most youthful president of Kent Rotary was Dick Wiland, a native Kent young man who had just returned from war service. His youthfulness brought new energy to the club and established many new young members on the rolls.
Evidence of the changes in the business world had a big impact on Rotary at our mid century mark. Many programs were to inform Rotarians of the future of business including those of Dr. John Davidson of Goodyear research who talked on “Practical Use and Effect Of Atomic Energy”, Dr. John Furbray of TWA who spoke on “Air Age Business”and Dr. J.O. Perrine, assistant vice president of AT&T on “Horizons In Communications”.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for Sept 7, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-09-07 04:00:00Z |
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In 1949-50 our most youthful president of Kent Rotary was Dick Wiland, a native Kent young man who had just returned from war service. His youthfulness brought new energy to the club and established many new young members on the rolls.
Evidence of the changes in the business world had a big impact on Rotary at our mid century mark. Many programs were to inform Rotarians of the future of business including those of Dr. John Davidson of Goodyear research who talked on “Practical Use and Effect Of Atomic Energy”, Dr. John Furbray of TWA who spoke on “Air Age Business”and Dr. J.O. Perrine, assistant vice president of AT&T on “Horizons In Communications”.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for September 7, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-09-07 04:00:00Z |
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I trust everyone is enjoying a lovely, relaxing Labor Day weekend as I write this. I can’t believe it is September already! The great news is that this Tuesday, we will have lunch served by the women of the Methodist Church, just like the good ol’ days. We will still be meeting in the gym for the video/Zoom component of the meeting. Lunch will be $12 per person. This month our program theme is Women in Leadership. Asad Khan has put together an impressive lineup of speakers for us. First up will be Dr. Marcela Castaño from Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Please invite others to join us for the meeting.
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Myers’ Musings – September 7, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-09-07 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Suzanne Hetrick
Meeting opening: President Kathy Myers called the meeting to order. David Dix led us in singing our patriotic song, God Bless America. President Kathy led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and Mary Beth Harper offered the invocation. We used our songbooks to sing the KSU Fight Song, since Saturday is the home opener for KSU football. President Kathy announced that the audio booth volunteers for today are Dave Myers and Mark Pennel. Sue Hetrick is today’s Rotareminder author.
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Rotareminder for September 7, 2021
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-08-31 04:00:00Z |
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Our club president during the years 1948-49 was Ray Cheetham, District Manager of the Ohio Bell Telephone company. He was our 28th president of the club and was widely known in northeastern Ohio. Cheatham was extremely active in many community endeavors and especially gardening. He had founded the Akron Men’s Garden Club and did the same thing here in Kent when he started the Kent Men’s Garden Club which has lasted to now more than 70 years. Our Kent Rotary club was named the outstanding club in the district of 52 clubs during that year.
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Kent Rotary History Moments for August 31, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-08-31 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Anita Herington
Meeting Opening: David Dix played God Bless America; President Elect Dave Myers led the Pledge of Allegiance; Carol Crimi offered the invocation, and the song was Sidewalks of New York. Up Next: Dr. Marcela Castana, senior material analyst for Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Lunch will be served by the United Methodist Church Women starting next week. There were no visiting Rotarians or guests. AV assistance by Mark Pennell. Announcements: - Carol Crimi asked Rotarians to include members of our Rotary Family as their guests for the 100th Anniversary Dinner October 23 at the Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center.
- Amanda Senn asked members to RSVP for the Happy Hour, September 22 from 4-6 p.m. at The River Merchant.
- Rachel Kerns announced the Beer Pairing event September 20 to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Cost is $50 and tickets are going fast.
- John Flynn announced a friend has four tickets available for the Ohio State vs University of Akron football game September 25. Tickets are $57 each. Contact John if interested.
- President Elect Dave Myers was filling in for President Kathy. He reminded people to look at the Rotary t-shirts and shirts on display. The shirts will have the Rotary emblem embroidered. He also thanked Amanda Senn for organizing the August luncheons.
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Rotareminder for August 31, 2021
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Anita Herington
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2021-08-31 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Dave Dix
President Kathy called the meeting to order in the Auditoria of Stanton Middle School where we convened to avoid interrupting preparations for the “Trash and Treasure” rummage sale at the Methodist Church. With no piano available and David Dix assigned the Rotareminder, President Kathy dispensed with the club singing a patriotic song and a Rotary songbook song and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Paul Organ offered the invocation. President Kathy reminded us that Bill Myers, the new Kent Fire Chief and a new member of our club, will be our speaker next Tuesday when we are back at the Methodist Church. Visiting Rotarians: There were no visiting Rotarians.
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Rotareminder for August 24, 2021
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Dave Dix
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2021-08-24 04:00:00Z |
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 Walt Strawman’s obituary was printed only in the Akron Beacon Journal one day and not in the R-C. With no services or calling hours, I wondered if we could or should include a link to Walt's obituary in the eBulletin. Walt was a devoted Rotarian of 51 years, who always helped with the Shoebox project among many others. Thanks, Mary Beth Harper
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Walt Strawman’s obituary
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Mary Beth Harper
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2021-08-17 04:00:00Z |
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I hope EVERYONE can join us IN PERSON for our August 17th meeting!  I will start the meeting at noon so we can be done by 12:45. We will go outside to the church steps and quickly find our places and SMILE! The last time we had a club photo taken was in 2009. This one will represent our wonderful Kent Rotary Club for our 100th year. I hope everyone can be there that day. If it rains, we will reschedule. As rain cells can come and go quickly around here, please plan on the photo and be at the meeting.
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Myers’ Musings – August 17, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-08-16 04:00:00Z |
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Harry Longcoy, local grocer, was completing his year as president of our club and announced that he and his wife were giving a gift of a $500 fund to aid 4H clubs and future farmers to be administered by our club. It became known as the 4H Beef project, loaning start-up money for youthful farmers to raise cattle for future purchase and to help them with their education funds. He also promoted rural-urban relations, and farmer-businessman’s dinners. It was no surprise then that Harry Longcoy was awarded the 2nd Annual Medal for Public Service by the Kent Chamber Of Commerce!
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Kent Rotary History Moments for August 10, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-08-10 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Stacey Richardson
President Kathy Myers welcomed Rotarians. Patriotic song God Bless America was led by David Dix on piano followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Laing Kennedy offered today’s invocation. David Dix played piano while the group sang Home on the Range and Don’t Fence Me In. Visiting Rotarians None Guests Rachel Kerns introduced her sister, Melissa Altintas, visiting from Istanbul, Turkey where she has taught English for that last 25 years.
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Rotareminder for August 10, 2021
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-08-10 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Sidoti
 President Kathy Myers called the meeting to order, reviewing the agenda for the day. David Dix opened the meeting with the patriotic song GOD BLESS AMERICA. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by President Kathy. Doug Fuller provided the invocation. Continuing a long-standing club tradition, the membership sang an opening song. The selection was DON’T FENCE ME IN included in our Rotary song book. President Kathy asked for any guests to be introduced: -Rachel Kerns introduced Jessica Miller from Huntington Bank -George Joseph introduced David Kleckner from Shook Construction -Jeff Roeger introduced Tom Pascarella, retired professor from Hiram College -Kathy Myers, on behalf of Ben Wolford, introduced Michael Indriolo
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Rotareminder for August 3, 2021
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Roger Sidoti
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2021-08-03 04:00:00Z |
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Harry Longcoy’s 1945–1946 year as president of Kent Rotary started with the programming in the summer of 1945 centered around post-war hopes for the city of Kent. Mayor Alf Lovell lead off the programs that covered recreation, economics, veterans hospitalization and postwar reconversion were the subjects discussed.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for August 3, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-08-03 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mary Beth Harper
 Announcements: Our Rotary meetings will now start at 12:10 p.m. Our barbeque lunch was prepared by Pit Stop Pub and owner and executive chef Neil Dukes, a 1998 Roosevelt graduate. Next week’s lunch, also organized by Amanda Senn, will feature boxed sandwich lunches from Little City Grill for $9. Jeff Roeger’s mom, Sandy, graciously filled in as our pianist and song leader. State Representative Gail Pavilga was a guest of David McKeen. She spoke briefly about recent legislation in the Ohio House. Sage Culley was a guest of Sandee Reid. July birthdays were announced. The birthday question of the year is “Describe a meaningful moment or time in which you were able to serve others.” Sherry Joy won the Indians (Guardians?) ticket raffle.
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Rotareminder for July 27, 2021
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Mary Beth Harper
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2021-07-27 04:00:00Z |
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The war was over! Everyone was waiting for definite word from the Emperor of Japan that arrangements have been made for the formal surrender. The “bomb” had been dropped (twice) and the fact that Hirohito was ready to surrender had virtually ended the fighting.
That situation had saved hundreds of American lives while MacArthur had a chance to arrange surrender details. This was the world into which the Rotary entered for its 26th year in Kent. No one really knew what the postwar years would be like but Rotarians were anxious to share and help prepare for a lasting peace.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for July 27, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-07-27 04:00:00Z |
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Here’s the link for sandwich orders for this week. If you signed up last Tuesday, you do NOT need sign up for this. This week’s lunch is $9 and includes your sandwich, cole slaw, chips and a cookie. I will bring bottles of water.
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Myers’ Musings – August 3, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-07-20 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Thomas Hatch
 President Kathy called the meeting to order at 12:15. Guest pianist Sandy Roeger, mother of Rotarian Jeff Roeger, led today’s patriotic song, “America the Beautiful,” followed by the invocation by Randy Smith and the Pledge of Allegiance. Today’s Song: Sandy Roeger played Oh Rotary, My Rotary which is set to the tune of Oh Tannenbaum. The singing was led by former Rotary Octet members Tom Myers and Jim Myers (no relation). Visitors: There were no visiting Rotarians and no guests at today’s meeting. President Kathy welcomed one of our newest members, Andrew Popp, who is attending his first in-person meeting. Welcome Andrew.
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Rotareminder for July 20, 2021
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Thomas Hatch
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2021-07-20 04:00:00Z |
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It’s taken me a year to recap the first 25 years of our club as recorded in our “Silver Anniversary Edition” History of the Club No. 777 of Kent, Ohio, 1920-1945. I quote from the epilogue pages that sum up our club’s progress.
The 25 business and professional men who became charter members of the Rotary Club of Kent did not fully appreciate the full significance of Rotary, nor did they completely sense the potentialities of the organization they were founding. They soon learned that a realization of the two slogans, “Service above Self,” and “He profits most who serves best,” were not to be treated lightly, but the application of the principles embodied in these mottoes were the true spirit of Rotary.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for July 20, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-07-20 04:00:00Z |
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 City Manager, Dave Ruller, noted that it is good to be able to meet in person again. The city is still livestreaming meetings, but has begun in-person meetings as well. He offered kudos to front-line staff in the city, including police, fire, and health departments. He also noted that we are not out of the woods yet and urged precaution due to covid variants. Dave also urged us to be extra kind to others. Crime is up in the city. Disputes and domestic violence incidents are on the rise. Drug use is not abating either. After the somber notes, Dave talked about positive changes in the city.
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City Update on the Road to Recovery
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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ORDER YOUR LUNCH FOR TUESDAY BY NOON ON MONDAY! I’m sorry this is getting out so late, but next week should be smoother. Many thanks to Amanda Senn, Rachel Kerns and Chas Madonio for helping to set up lunch delivery for Tuesday. The lunches will be delivered to the church prior to the meeting so you won’t have to stand in line for them. Pay Matt Carter by check or cash (checks payable to the Rotary Club of Kent) when you pick them up. Here’s the link to order: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kent-rotary-lunch-order-form-7202021-tickets-163235891947
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Myers’ Musings – July 13, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Suzanne Hetrick
 Meeting opening: President Kathy Myers called the meeting to order. David Dix led us in singing our patriotic song, America the Beautiful. President Kathy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Shawn Gordon offered the invocation. We used our songbooks to sing, “Let There be Peace on Earth”, accompanied by David Dix. Guests: Sandra Reid introduced a colleague from Davey Tree, Jennifer Lennox. Bill Childers introduced his guest Emily Murnane, an intern at United Way. President Kathy asked new members Bill Myers and Steve Smith to stand and be recognized.
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Rotareminder for July 13, 2021
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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At the regular meeting held on July 17, 1945, Vice President Jim Laing announced that a committee of citizens under the Kent Chamber of Commerce, would soon meet to consider the erection of a suitable memorial to the men who had gone into military service from Kent and vicinity during World War II and that George Bowman had been appointed to represent Rotary on that committee. The following week the guest speaker was mayor Alf Lovell who talked on “Your City- Kent“
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Kent Rotary History Moment for July 13, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Anita Herington
Meeting Opening: David Dix played God Bless America; Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Kathy Myers, and Sue Hetrick provided the Invocation. Rotarians returned to the Rotary Song Book to sing Home On The Range. Guests: There were no guests or visiting Rotarians at today's meeting. Announcements: - President Kathy announced that the 100th Anniversary Committee would be meeting in person today after Rotary. She also said the Capital Campaign Committee would be meeting this evening at Paul Organ's office.
- President Kathy informed Rotarians that incoming District Governor Larry Lohman's induction and banner presentation would be July 14 in Parma. For details visit www.rotarydistrict6630.org. You can also learn more about the Rotary Indians game the evening of July 22 when the Rays will be visiting the Indians on that site.
- Membershp Chair Amanda Senn announced that the next Rotary Happy Hour will be tomorrow, July 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the North Water Brewery. A food truck is planned at the site.
- She also announced that the joint Kent Service Clubs will be hosting a Happy Hour at the upper room of Laziza on July 30 from 4 to 6 p.m.
- Foundation Chair Carol Crimi reminded Rotarians that the Foundation will be meeting in August. If you have funding proposals, get them to Carol no later than July 31.
- Roberta O'Keefe passed around the sign up sheet for invocations for the rest of the year. If you would like to offer a prayer, please text Roberta at 330-235-3598.
- Program Chair Asad Khan announced that he is excited about the programs scheduled for this year. Programs will begin locally and then move to themes, some of them remote. He said that almost the entire year is booked but there is one month available. Anyone interested in chairing that month should contact Asad.
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Rotareminder for July 6, 2021
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Anita Herington
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2021-07-06 04:00:00Z |
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It was great to be together again in-person and online. Here are some quick notes for us for the coming week or two. DUES – As I mentioned in the meeting on Tuesday, the board approved raising our dues for the coming Rotary year (July 1, 2021 – Jun30, 2022) to $225. We have increased costs due to our new hybrid format and we will not be collecting additional funds from members for each lunch purchased. Doing the latter penalizes those who attend in person. Treasurer Matt Carter will be sending the dues notices out and will have copies at our Tuesday meetings. If you have any questions, please reach out to me or any board member.
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Myers Musings-July 6, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-07-06 04:00:00Z |
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On the evening of July 3, 1945, a Rotary family picnic ushered in the activities of the Kent club for the year 1945-46, when Harry Longcoy was President. Upon the invitation of Martin Davey, the event took place at the Davey Farm located a short distance west of Twin Lakes. For the occasion Martin provided a large tent which had been erected on a knoll overlooking Lake Martin and which gave an ideal setting for serving the tureen supper enjoyed by Rotarians, Rotary Anns and their children. An abundance of roasted peanuts and soft drinks were provided by the host.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for July 6, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-07-06 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Brian Bialik
Hybrid Meeting on June 29, 2021 President Randy Smith welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix followed by a rendition of Happy Days are Here Again. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Rebekah Wright Kulis. Brian Bialik handling Rotareminder duties. Visiting Rotarians None Guests President Kathy announced Stu Bozart, Akron Rotary member, is zooming in to today’s meeting.
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Rotareminder for June 29, 2021
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Brian Bialik
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2021-06-29 04:00:00Z |
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What an incredible honor to have been inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Kent for the 2021-2022 year! Thank you, President Randy for your year of service to this club. Your Rotary year will go down as one of the most challenging ever. You not only rose to the challenge, but you excelled. It was so wonderful to be meeting in person again! While I did not get a count of who was in attendance in person and online, it was so great to be together! Thank you, President-Elect Dave, for spearheading the hybrid meetings. He has a small cadre of members who will be assisting to keep the hybrid format running smoothly… not only for members who are unable to attend in person, but to allow us to continue to have remote speakers for our meetings. I think we all agree that we had excellent programs last year, both local and at great distances, thanks to using Zoom. If you are interested in joining the Zoom Squad, please contact Dave Myers, dmyers11@gmail.com.
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President Kathy's thoughts for the eBulletin July 6, 2021
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Kathy Myers
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2021-06-28 04:00:00Z |
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 This week we got an update on what our local health care providers have been experiencing over this last year keeping us safe during the pandemic. Bill Benoit, President of UH Portage Medical Center spoke to us and provided some interesting statistics. Next week we are finally back to in person at the church, but we will be across the hall in the gymnasium. This will allow us to livestream meetings for those not comfortable attending in person or traveling out of town and also allow us to connect with great speakers remote from our location. We will be wrapping up the year with induction of new officers and directors. I will give a recap of my year and we will hear from new President Kathy.
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President’s ramblings for June 22, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-06-28 04:00:00Z |
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 Bill Childers introduced today’s speaker, Bill Benoit, COO of University Hospitals South Market, noting that he has worked very hard over the last few years to enhance and upgrade all things at UH Portage, formerly Robinson Hospital. Mr. Benoit is a native of New Orleans, grew up in Brunswick, Ohio, and previously worked at Lima Memorial Hospital in Lima, Ohio.
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Bill Benoit, COO of University Hospitals South Market
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Thomas Hatch
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2021-06-22 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Thomas Hatch
President Randy called the meeting to order at 12:15. David Dix led today’s patriotic song, “America the Beautiful,” followed by the invocation by Nelson Burns and the Pledge of Allegiance. Visitors: There were no visiting Rotarians and no guests at today’s meeting. President Randy welcomed our newest member, Bill Myers, Kent’s fire chief, to his first meeting as an official member.
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Rotareminder for June 22, 2021
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Thomas Hatch
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2021-06-22 04:00:00Z |
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The senior boys of the two high schools were entertained by Rotary on May 29, 1945. There were only 49 of these young men in attendance. The reduction in number entertained indicated the inroad which had been made in the schools senior registration by Selective Service to meet the demands of the Army and the Navy. The names of the 20 members of the classes then in military service or engaged in war industry were read by Bob Clark.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for June 22, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-06-22 04:00:00Z |
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We were still in the War years in the early part of November 1944. Dr. George Dumm suggested that the Rotary Club could render a service to men and women then in the armed services in selecting a business or professional career after the termination of the war. The club adopted the suggestion and appointed a Service to Veterans Committee under the direction of George Dumm, with Jim Laing of the Vocational Service Committee and Paul Brehm of the Community Service Committee , who along with the members of their respective committees were to organize and carry forward this project. The purpose of the committee was to make contact with men and women in the service with a view to helping those whose educational program had been interrupted by military service, and assisting them to make preparations now for finding the proper field of training when they returned home.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for June 15, 2021 Meeting
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Jim Myers
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2021-06-15 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Sidoti
President Randy Smith called the meeting to order, noting David Dix would play the opening song, Tom Larkin would lead us in prayer, and Roger Sidoti would be the Rotareminder author today. David Dix opened the meeting with the patriotic song God Bless America. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by President Randy. Tom Larkin provided the invocation. President Randy asked for guests to be introduced and noted none in attendance.
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Rotareminder for June 15, 2021
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Roger Sidoti
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2021-06-15 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from technology expert Sandra Wheatley Smerdon, who also is president elect Kathy’s sister-in-law. Her talk opened our eyes to the sophistication of internet “hackers” and steps we can take to protect our online devices, which now include not only our computers but phones, televisions, security systems, “alexa-like” devices and entertainment devices. Next week we hear from Bill Benoit, President of UH Portage Medical Center.
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President’s ramblings for June 15, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-06-14 04:00:00Z |
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A new committee was created by President Art Perry and named the Liason Committee designed to work between the Rotary Club and the Kent Chamber of Commerce to prevent overlapping of activities and to secure mutual assistance where needed on community projects. At the meeting of January 2, 1945, the chairman of the Community Service Committee reported that all members of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce were Rotarians, indicating the interest manifested by club members in the civic activities of the community.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for June 8, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-06-08 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from new KSU Athletic Director Randale Richmond. He told us where he has been and a glimpse of what KSU athletics will look like in the future. Next week we hear from technology expert Sandra Smeardon about internet scams.
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Presidents rambling’s for Week of June 8, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-06-08 04:00:00Z |
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Crew that worked on the gazebo downtown
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Randy Smith
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2021-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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This week we had the rare opportunity to hear from a U.S. ambassador. His excellency Francsico Santos Calderon spoke about his countries relations with the United States and answered questions from the audience. This week Lange Kennedy has arranged for the new Director of Athletic’s at KSU, Randale Richmond, to be with us.
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Presidents rambling’s for Week of June 1, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mike Lewis
Meeting opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix played a patriotic song, “God Bless America.” President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. Al Barber offered the invocation. Guests: Assad Khan introduced Mauricio Echeverri, Ph.D., who is a scientist working with him at Kent Displays. Assad mentioned that Echeverri is a native of Columbia and invited him to attend our meeting because the Columbian ambassador was speaking. David Dix introduced Ricardo Sepulvedo, the director of the Kent/Blossom program, who arranged for the speaker today. He also introduced Juanita Rojas, an intern at the Columbian embassy in Washington, DC.
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Rotareminder for June 1, 2021
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Mike Lewis
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2021-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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The programs for the year 1944-1945 reflected the spirit of the war period. The industrial obligations and difficulties confronted by management under government control were outlined by three of the members of our club. On August 15, 1944, Ernest Ferry gave a talk on the activities of the Ferry Machine Company and its contributions to the war effort. Paul Davey, of the Davey Compressor Company outlined the difficulties experienced by a small company under war time restrictions. One of the honorary members of the Kent club, Roy Smith, President of the Lamson and Sessions Company told of some of the difficulties in bringing their product up to the new Army and Navy specifications occasioned by the heavier demands made upon mechanical equipment used in the world wide war. They manufactured nuts, bolts and screws at their plant on Mogadore Road.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for June 1, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from former Kent Rotarian and Kent City School’s Superintendent, Marc Crail. He discussed his book about a fictional first year teacher in Holmes County, “Tales Out of School” and the follow up, “More Tales out of School”, about a first year principal. These stories are based on his experiences and can be found at www.crailstales.com. Next week we have the rare opportunity to hear from a foreign ambassador when Francisco Santos Calderon, Columbian ambassador to the U.S., is with us.
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Presidents rambling’s for Week of May 25, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-05-25 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mike Lewis
 Meeting opening: President Randy Smith called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song, God Bless America. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and David Dix offered the invocation. Guests: Asad Khan introduced Dr. Clinton Bragza. He also noted that Bill Myers, who was in attendance, may also be a potential new member.
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Rotareminder for May 25, 2021
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Mike Lewis
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2021-05-25 04:00:00Z |
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Four more members of the Kent Rotary entered military service in 1943-44. Honorary service memberships were conferred on the following: Dewey Barich, Bill Getz, Karl Leebrick, and Dick Wiland. Due to war conditions, the International Convention was not held this year.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for May 25, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-05-25 04:00:00Z |
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This week’s program featured Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Dewine. As the son of Governor Mike and Fran Dewine he was very complimentary of our club’s involvement in his mother’s favorite charity, the Imagination Library. This week we hear from former member Marc Crail as he discusses his book “Tales out of School”.
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President’s ramblings for week of May 18, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-05-18 04:00:00Z |
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 He did his undergraduate work at Miami University and received his law degree from the University of Michigan. He has had experience as a Hamilton County Commissioner and served in the legal system, eventually joining the Ohio Supreme Court.
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Inside the Ohio State Supreme Court
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-05-18 04:00:00Z |
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Todd Poole, Principal of Holden Elementary in Kent asked that we share information with the club. Below is a link to connect Kent businesses to Holden School. The goal is to expose students to different career opportunities and increase awareness of how math is related to those careers. We appreciate any opportunity to introduce students to future pathways and the required skills. Please click the link to submit your name. Any questions, please reach out to Todd Poole at tpoole@kentschools.net or 330-676-8400.
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Connect with Kent Kids!
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Rebekah Wright Kulis
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2021-05-13 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Suzanne Hetrick
President Randy Smith called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song, God Bless America. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Christie Anderson offered the invocation. Guests: Asad Khan introduced Dr. Marcela Castano, a potential new member. He also noted that Bill Myers may also join the meeting, as another potential new member.
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Rotareminder for May 18, 2021
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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Our President during the 1943-1944 year was Dr. John Painter. In a characteristic manner, John stated that he would give his best efforts to have a successful year and that he anticipated an exceedingly busy 12 months for the club due to the existing war conditions. Throughout the year each of the weekly notices carried a special communication from the president. These messages were styled “Paintergrams.” They varied in content from President John‘s personal meditations to quotations from ancient seers, and all messages were founded on Rotary principles.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for May 18, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard about the life of a career naval officer when Commander Mike Sargent spoke to the group. Mike grew up in Kent and spoke about how this community influenced his life path and future. Next week we hear from Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Dewine.
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President’s ramblings for week of May 11, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Stacey Richardson
Meeting Opening: David Dix played God Bless America; Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Randy Smith, and Debbie Krutz provided the Invocation blessing for military personnel. Guests: Asad Kahn introduced potential members Bill Myers and Dr. Marcela Castano. Announcements: Mary Beth Harper updated the club on the shoe box project that has benefited children of the dump in Nicaragua for many years. Due to Covid and political unrest in Nicaragua, no American was able to go for the distribution to the children this year which normally occurs around Christmas. While the Kent Club did not participate last year, the boxes from other clubs are still being held in customs hoping for a release late summer. Hence, no boxes will be collected this year. If the project restarts, Mary Beth said she would chair the project.
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Rotareminder for May 11, 2021
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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Hale Thompson returned from the 1943 St. Louis Rotary International Convention and stated that the meeting was one of seriousness, the theme being “Rotary Serving in War and In Peace”. He referred to the fact that many of the addresses centered over the sixth object of Rotary, international understanding and goodwill.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for May 11, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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 Will Underwood introduced Richard ‘Pete’ Peterson as today’s speaker. Richard is an author and is presenting today on his book titled The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.
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Richard "Pete" Peterson, Author
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-05-08 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Stacey Richardson
President Randy Smith welcomed the group. David Dix led today’s patriotic song, America the Beautiful. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Randy followed by an invocation by Carol Crimi. Guests Asad Khan introduced his guest Bill Myers. Bill will soon be the new fire chief in Kent and is hoping to become a member.
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Rotareminder for May 4, 2021
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-05-04 04:00:00Z |
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This week we finished up our month featuring local authors with Pete Peterson discussing the long-standing rivalry between the Steelers and the Browns. Thanks again to Will Underwood. Next week we hear from Kent native USN Commander Mike Sargent, Operations officer at Fleet logistics in Pearl Harbor.
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President’s ramblings for week of May 4, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-05-04 04:00:00Z |
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Various members of the Rotary club actively participated in the war effort by occupying positions of responsibility in the home front program.
Hale Thompson was appointed chairman of Civilian Defense Committee of the Kent Chamber of Commerce in 1941 which was recorded in 1942 as the official organization of the Office of Civilain Defense;
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Kent Rotary History Moment for May 4, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-05-04 04:00:00Z |
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 Will Underwood introduced our Speaker Mark Dawidziak – an internationally-recognized Mark Twain scholar, who has portrayed Mark Twain for the past forty years, among his many achievements. Here is the full video. Dawidziak, long an admirer of Mark Twain and his works, as well as a fan Rod Serling of the Twilight Zone TV series in the 60’s, has been able to draw some interesting parallels between two men who were once considered the best in their profession. Separated by nearly a century, each was dedicated to their profession – Twain, who got his start writing for newspapers and magazines, and Serling, who experienced an epiphany of sorts by discovering his love for writing when he enrolled in Antioch College after a stint in the military.
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Mark Dawidziak, author and journalist
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Brian Bialik
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2021-04-27 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Brian Bialik
President Randy Smith welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Doug Fuller. . . Brian Bialik handling Rotareminder duties. Visiting Rotarians None Guests Asad Khan introduced friend and colleague Dr. Mauricio Echeverri.
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Rotareminder for April 27, 2021
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Brian Bialik
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2021-04-27 04:00:00Z |
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On July 24, 1942, the Rotary club of Kent acted as host to the officers assembly of the 158th district at a meeting at Twin Lakes country club. This was the first time in the history of the district that the Kent club had been honored by having the privilege of entertaining the assembly.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Apr 27, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-04-27 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from author and journalist Mark Dawiziak who took us on a journey into the lives of Mark Twain and Rod Sterling. While on the surface these men would appear to have little in common, his program delved into their ability to teach moral lessons using the media of their time. Next week we end our literary journey, compliments of Will Underwood , with author Richard “Pete” Peterson discussing his book about the long rivalry between the Browns and the Stealers.
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President’s ramblings for week of April 27, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-04-27 04:00:00Z |
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Early in World War Two, in May 1942, Paul Davey suggested to the Rotarians that the members of the military service inducted from Kent would welcome a chatty newsy hometown letter and outlined the formation of an “Uncle Zenas Club” composed of Rotarians who would be willing to correspond with the servicemen. He said the name “Uncle Zenas” seemed a fitting title as it dated back to Zenas Kent, the founder of the city. The plan was cordially received by Rotarians and by the men in the service, and relations set up in this manner were continued for a long period of time. Eventually the large number of men taken from Kent made the plans so cumbersome that it was impossible to continue to correspond with each inductee.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Apr 20, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-04-20 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from author Gary Sosniecki about his book describing his family’s personal tragedy of the murder of his great grandmother by her husband. This week we hear from Mark Dawiziak , author of “Moralists in Disguise”.
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President’s ramblings for week of April 20, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-04-20 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Thomas Hatch
President Randy called the meeting to order at 12:15. David Dix led today’s patriotic song, “God Bless America,” followed by the invocation by Mary Beth Harper, who read a prayer about kindness by Mother Theresa, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Visitors: There were no visiting Rotarians at today’s meeting. The family of Jayden Triplett, today’s RHS Student of the Month were our guests. Student of the Month: Theodore Roosevelt High School Student of the Month was Jayden Triplett; he was introduced by Dennis Love, THRS Principal. Jayden is a member of the National Honor Society and captain of both varsity baseball and track teams. He plans to attend University of Arizona to study business and entrepreneurship.
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Rotareminder for April 20, 2021
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Thomas Hatch
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2021-04-20 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Sidoti
President Randy Smith called the meeting to order, making a quick review of the agenda and asking David Dix to kick off our meeting with a patriotic song, David played “My Country Tis of Thee” and Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. Sue Hetrick followed with the Invocation. President Randy asked if there were any guests to be introduced and seeing none, he welcomed our newest inducted members Phil Lanier and Ben Wolford
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Rotareminder for April 13, 2021
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Roger Sidoti
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2021-04-13 04:00:00Z |
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You may recall that prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 a committee had been named on national defense. Our district governor had commended President Crecraft most favorably for naming a committee on national defense stating that it was the first club he visited that had the foresight to place in its organization a committee to meet the anticipated emergency.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Apr 13, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-04-13 04:00:00Z |
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 Kent Rotary Club welcomed Rona Simmons to speak about her latest book The Other Veterans of World War II. Rona Simmons has written both novels and works of historical fiction. She coauthored Images from World War II, celebrating the art of WWII veteran and artist Jack Smith. The daughter of a World War II fighter pilot herself, she is proud to honor veterans and their stories through her work. Her stories, articles, and interviews have appeared in regional and national literary journals and online magazines.
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Rona Simmons, Author
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Roger Kramer
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2021-04-13 04:00:00Z |
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Rotarians, We’ve been challenged by the Stow Munroe Falls Rotary Club to see who can donate more to a food drive in the month of April. More than bragging rights are on the line. Each club’s leadership has agreed that the losing club will donate $100 to the winning club’s choice of charity. Let’s show them what we’re made of!! The Stow Monroe Falls club will be donating to one of their local charities. Our club will be donating to our familiar friends, the Ben Curtis Family Foundation.
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Food Drive Contest with Stow Munroe Falls Rotary
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Todd Kamenash
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2021-04-06 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard about our Foundation’s plan to increase its endowment. This will ensure that our club will continue to impact our community by providing resources for worthy projects. The income generated from this fund will augment our yearly fundraising projects as well as cover shortfalls during unusual occurrences, such as this current pandemic. Next week begins a month of programs arranged by Will Underwood. We will hear from a series of authors about their latest published work. Should be quite entertaining and informative.
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President’s ramblings for week of April 6, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-04-06 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mary Beth Harper
Welcome to new members! Phil Lanier, Director of Marketing and New Business Development at DS Architecture, and Ben Wolford, editor and publisher of The Portager, were inducted as new members. Lanier lives in Kent with his wife Emily and two children. Wolford is our first member who lives in a foreign country. He and his wife, Christina, who is a human rights attorney with the UN, live in Brazil with their two young children.
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Rotareminder for April 6, 2021
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Mary Beth Harper
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2021-04-06 04:00:00Z |
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The meeting of the Rotary club of Kent held on July 1, 1941, witness the installation of a new president Earl Crecraft. President Earl referred to the fact that he remembered the Rotary club of Kent when he was young in years and reminded members that in 1921, when he was a professor in Akron University, he had appeared before the club and had spoken on the “City Manager Plan.”
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Apr 6, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-04-06 04:00:00Z |
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 Thank you to the Kent Rotarians and Habitat for Humanity of Portage County staff who volunteered to serve others through Salvation Army’s food program that kicks off May 5 th. If you are working that day, please arrive between 8:00 & 8:30 a.m. Everyone should dress for the weather. After all cars have received their food and departed, cleanup begins and is usually done by 12:00-1:00 P.M. The site is in Kent at the corner of 261 and Summit St. in the Kent State parking lot. It is located down the road directly across from Kent Christian Life Center Rachel Kerns
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Salvation Army needs help with food drive...
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Rachel Kerns
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2021-03-30 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Dave Dix
Meeting opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. Dave Dix played our patriotic song, “God Bless America.” President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Paul Organ offered a Rotary invocation. Guests: Dave Myers introduced his guest, Ben Wolford of The Portager, soon to be a member. Philip Lanier, Director of Marketing for DS Architects, introduced himself. He will also soon become a member.
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Rotareminder for March 30, 2021
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Dave Dix
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2021-03-30 04:00:00Z |
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This week we heard from Mike Daniels, Director of KSU Student Multicultural Center. A colleague of Todd Kamenash in doctoral studies at the University this wrapped up a month of programs arranged by Todd. Next week we will hear from Paul Organ about a capital campaign for our Kent Rotary Foundation.
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President’s ramblings for week of March 30, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-03-30 04:00:00Z |
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In January 1941, there was an interesting meeting of the club in which the speakers were Kent Rotarians. Howard Hall, Vice Chairman of the Program Committee, presented a meeting related to the community obligations of the Club. Jim Green spoke on “Re-dedicating Ourselves to Kent”; George Morse discussed “Visualize Growth of Kent State University” and “Our Industries” and “Work for a Larger and Better Kent”; and Roy Donaghy talked on “Help Develop Kent Through Membership in the Chamber Of Commerce”.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Mar 30, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-03-30 04:00:00Z |
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 The Portage county Health District is conducting COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Tuesdays at the KSU Fieldhouse and I am Volunteering, therefore I may miss the next few Rotary meetings. The PC Health Dept is in need of more Volunteers both Medical and Non-medical. The link is below. Thanks, Bill
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Portage County Health District needs volunteers...
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Bill Childers
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2021-03-29 04:00:00Z |
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Salvation Army is doing a food drive...giving food to families in need, once a month starting in April. This drive is located in Kent (by the big bus pick up she said). They are in dire need of volunteers to serve others. I told them my Habitat team will donate a few hours to do this May 5. I have roughly five leadership staff that will volunteer that date. Their Captain mentioned she thought I was on the board for Rotary and wondered if I could get five more people from the club. I explained I was not on the board but would be happy to facilitate the request. She is asking all clubs to donate one day to help. Since Habitat has five people, we only need five more. I will mention this to the club next week to see if we can get five members to volunteer on that date? Thanks all! Rachel
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Salvation Army needs help with food drive...
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2021-03-26 04:00:00Z |
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This week we were entertained by contestant’s Kaylie Lowery and Isabella Mineo at our annual 4 Way speech contest. Kaylie will be moving on to the District contest. Next week we will hear from Mike Daniels, Director of KSU’s Student Multicultural Center.
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President’s ramblings for week of March 23, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-03-23 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Suzanne Hetrick
 Meeting opening:President Randy Smith called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song, God Bless America. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Laing Kennedy offered the invocation. Guests: David Sommers introduced Philip Lanier, Director of Marketing at DS Architects. Dave Myers introduced his guest, Ben Wolford of The Portager. Both guests are soon to be members. Program: Speech Contest President Randy noted that the usual order of business would be modified today. Announcements and the 100th anniversary moment will follow the speech contest. He then asked Olivia Pilon to introduce our program. Olivia thanked Pam Farr who helps with this contest annually in her role at Kent Roosevelt High School. She was unable to be with us today. Also, we had a third speaker for today’s contest, who had to cancel due to an emergency. Olivia introduced the three judges for today’s speeches. They are club members Kelly Tremaine, Sharon Sledzik, and Steve Smith. Olivia introduced today’s speakers and their speech topics. The first speaker was Kaylie Lowrey, a senior at Roosevelt, talking about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Her speech topic is How Diet and Exercise Effect Your Body. Kaylie talked about the benefits of working out for thirty minutes every day and eating healthy food. She applied the Rotary Four Way Test to her topic.
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Rotareminder for March 23, 2021
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-03-23 04:00:00Z |
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District Governor H.K.Carpenter, addressed the club in August of 1940. He spoke of his early life in Ravenna where he was born and being one of the first graduates of Kent State Teachers College. A special feature for the luncheon was the ice cream served for dessert made in airplane molds, the gift of Todd Fenn of the Fenn Dairy.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Mar 23, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-03-23 04:00:00Z |
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President Elect Kathy Myers welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix. President Elect Kathy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Rachel Kerns. . Brian Bialik handling Rotareminder duties. Visiting Rotarians None Guests Paul Organ introduced future member Philip Lanier of DS Architecture.
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Rotareminder for March 16, 2021
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Brian Bialik
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2021-03-16 04:00:00Z |
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On October 17, 1939, the club had one of its own members as speaker. Griffith Evans, a representative to the General assembly of Ohio, spoke on the subject “The State Legislature.” His remarks were pointed and humorous showing many of the procedures not seen by casual observers. The club had 100% attendance, with 4 members attending other clubs within the time period to make the record attendance.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Mar 16, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-03-16 04:00:00Z |
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Brackets and Squares for United Way NCAA Games
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Bill Childers
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2021-03-15 04:00:00Z |
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Up Next: Laing Kennedy will prepare us for NCAA March Madness. Meeting Opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix played God Bless America. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Rick Bissler provided the Invocation.
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Rotareminder for March 9, 2021
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Anita Herington
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2021-03-09 05:00:00Z |
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It was February 1940 and our Rotary club in cooperation with Kent State University conducted another Forum on International Affairs. Karl Leebrick, President of the university, was also the committee chairman. The lectures were held in the auditorium of the Kent State Training School, and due to the war conditions in Europe and the position of the United States, the discussion centered around the question of neutrality.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Mar 9, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-03-09 05:00:00Z |
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Amanda’s presentation, titled Supporting Students with Disabilities in College, shined a light on the variety of disabilities today’s college students have and all the ways in which her department offers accommodations so students can have a successful college career. Amanda’s presentation began with a quick breakdown of statistics related to disabilities of college students. Nationwide, 19% of undergrads, or 1 in 5 students, has a disability. Disabilities vary from psychological (depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar), learning, medical to physical. In addition, 25% of student veterans have a disability as do 11% of graduate students. At the KSU Main campus there are 2,000 students served by her office. Amanda came to KSU in 2011. Since that time, the Accessibility Services department has put a focus on mental health of students. Amanda reported that since she came to KSU her department has seen an 80% increase in students reporting a psychological disability. This is exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and a recent nationwide poll showed that 60% of college students reported an increase in mental health issues like anxiety and depression related to the pandemic. Amanda’s department assists students to the best of their ability, though unlike students in elementary, middle and high school, her department relies on students reporting their disability to the university. There is no burden to find or identify students needing assistance. Once a student begins working with the department they can receive assistance finding appropriate accommodations. Her department has a list of 250 accommodations available. Accommodations include anything that removes a barrier for a student, whether it is physical, social, educational, or calendar related. The department also seeks to change the culture on campus around those with disabilities and includes educating faculty and staff, parents, campus leaders, and state legislators. Amanda and her team advocate for proactive inclusivity and universal design on campus and in the community.
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Amanda Feaster. Director of Student Accessibility Services at Kent State University
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-03-07 05:00:00Z |
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President Randy Smith welcomed Rotarians. Patriotic song God Bless America was led by David Dix on piano. President Randy Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance. Nelson Burns offered today’s invocation. Guests David Sommers welcomed Phillip Lanier (DS Architecture), soon to become a member David Myers welcomed Ben Wolford (The Portager), considering becoming a member
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Rotareminder for March 2, 2021
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-03-02 05:00:00Z |
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Here is a document submitted by Dave Ruller following his February 23 program. I thought it might be good to share it with Rotarians as Dave was unable to finish updating the club on all his talking points. Thank you to Todd Kamenash for forwarding this to me from Dave. Stacey Richardson
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Dave Ruller's City of Kent Ohio Update
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Stacey Richardson
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2021-03-02 05:00:00Z |
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Amanda Feaster, KSU Director of Student Accessibillity Services, discussed the wide array of services available to college students with disabilities this week. She pointed out that unlike state mandated services in primary and secondary schools which require active screening, these services are provided only when sought by individuals enrolled in higher education. As pointed out by our members this a much more comprehensive program then what was available many years ago. Next week we hear from former member Lori Wemhoff who is now Senior Vice President Communications and Marketing for the American Osteopathic Association.
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President’s ramblings for week of March 2, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-03-02 05:00:00Z |
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You may remember that one of the first projects of our club underfounder William Walls was listing children of Portage County who had physical infirmities and assisting them in getting medical help. That was back in 1921. In 1939 under the leadership of Jim Green the Crippled Children’s Committee became active in an investigation of the conditions in Portage County. Jim called attention to the fact that the county by reason of failure to provide funds for its share of the necessary expenses had failed to provide for the indigent crippled children in conformity with the laws of the state of Ohio. He and other members of the club met with the probate judge, the auditor and the county commissioners to address the issue of funding for the care of crippled children in the county.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Mar 2, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-03-02 05:00:00Z |
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Todd Kamenesh delivered a nice introduction to our speaker today – Kent City Manager, Dave Ruller, who has prepared remarks on how the pandemic has affected the city. To the surprise of no one, Dave stated that the city was not immune to the effects of the pandemic. Approximately 50% of the city’s workforce was either diagnosed or has COVID. Many businesses have been hurt with a number of pandemic-induced closures. For all of the bad, Dave believes the city is better for the experience. In a way, the city has become an ecosystem of sorts – provoking various departments to learn how to work differently by working smarter. A “unified command model” has led to better coordination of department duties, as well as developing a healthy reliance on each other. Words such as “collaboration”, “cooperation” and “leadership” served as a rallying cry to leave no stone unturned and to seek and invite creative solutions. As Dave opined…”it is open season on good ideas.”
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Dave Ruller, Kent Ohio City Manager
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Brian Bialik
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2021-02-23 05:00:00Z |
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Zoom Meeting on February 23, 2020 President Randy Smith welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Hal Loughry. Brian Bialik handling Rotareminder duties. Visiting Rotarians None
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Rotareminder for February 23, 2021
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Brian Bialik
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2021-02-23 05:00:00Z |
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More than 80 farmers of the district were entertained at a joint meeting of the Rotary, Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce at a banquet given at the Congregational Church Gymnasiumon the evening of February 28, 1939. Moving pictures of the Sixth World Poultry Congress were shown by Merle Wagoner of the club. In as much as the Seventh World Poultry Congress was to be held in Cleveland in July the pictures were especially interesting to the farmers in attendance.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Feb 23, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-02-23 05:00:00Z |
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During the summer of 1938 the recreational director for the city desired to arrange for a Kid-Kar derby and requested Rotary’s assistance and cooperation. Under the sponsorship of Kent Rotary, through the Boy’s Work Committee and the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration, a federal program for the unemployed under President Franklin Roosevelt’ New Deal during the Great Depression), the Kid-Kar auto races were held for the next several years. Similar, but a little different from the International Soap Box Derby, the races were held on Main Street Hill, starting on a special ramp constructed at the intersection with Mantua Street and ending at the east end of the bridge across the Cuyahoga River.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Feb 16, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-02-16 05:00:00Z |
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Early in September 1937, the community service committee headed by its chairman, Phil Ott, appeared before the city council with a request that a park board be established to outline a park system project for the city. The committee offered the assistance of the Rotary club in the development work after a park commission had been named. Ernest Ferry, Rotary President, was named chairman of the Kent Recreation Commission in February 1938. The recreation program, a WPA project was fostered by the Rotary club in 1936.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Feb 9, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-02-09 05:00:00Z |
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Announcements: Invocation: Christie Anderson read parts of Amanda Gorman’s poem from President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Community Meal: Carol Crimi needs volunteers to help serve a community meal on Saturday, February 20, at the Faith Lutheran Church. Contact her if you can help dish up dinners, deliver to curbside or prepare desserts.
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Rotareminder for February 2, 2021
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Mary Beth Harper
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2021-02-02 05:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotarians were shocked and saddened by the announcement of the death of William Walls, Superintendent Of Kent Public Schools and the founder of Rotary in Kent, due to an automobile accident while on his way to Columbus August 14, 1937. Funeral services were held at Methodist Episcopal Church in Kent with burial in Steubenville Ohio.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Feb 2, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-02-02 05:00:00Z |
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We heard from former AP national journalist Liz Sidoti who described her career path since growing up in our local community. Another amazing story of how our community has impacted the world in a positive significant way. Thanks again to Amanda Senn for a month of inspiring programs. This next week we celebrate “Heart” month with speaker Tracy Behnke, Executive Director Northeast Ohio/Western Pennsylvania American Heart Association.
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President’s ramblings for week of January 26
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Randy Smith
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2021-02-01 05:00:00Z |
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Be mindful of the following date: It was autumn of 1936 and at the suggestion of a district governor, our President Fren Musselman proposed to the Rotary club of Kent that they promote a series of lectures by nationally known speakers and thereby initiate a “ Forum of Foreign Affairs” in Kent. The purpose and objective of the undertaking was a course of lectures and conferences on international problems especially as they bear on American daily living and thought. Our national security and our desire to live peaceably in the complex and jumpy modern world depended greatly on an intelligent American public opinion on these subjects as well as our sympathetic understanding of the attitudes of people of other nations.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Jan 26, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-01-26 05:00:00Z |
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 Meeting Opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix provided the patriotic song, “God Bless America”. President Randy led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and Mary Beth Harper provided the invocation, which focused on the necessity of patience as the Covid-19 vaccines are distributed.
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Rotareminder for January 26, 2021
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Dave Dix
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2021-01-26 05:00:00Z |
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  Kent Rotary Members- we need your help! Kent Rotary has an active grant project entitled, "Imagination Library at the Kent Free Library". This grant assists with delivering free books every month to children ages 0-5 years old in Portage County. We are looking for volunteers to help with outreach and ideas to help recruit parents with young children to enroll in the program. The first informational meeting is this coming Tuesday evening, January 26th at 7:00 pm. New members, we always hear that you are looking for ways to get involved---- well, here's your chance! Zoom info for the meeting is listed below. Please attend and find out if this is something you would like to be involved in. Best regards, Curt Stumpf
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New service opportunity...Imagination Library!
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Curt Stumpf
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2021-01-25 05:00:00Z |
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We heard from a local entrepreneur Mason Kisamore who, along with his wife, runs a farming operation in Portage County. It is obvious that small farms are alive and well in our community. The entrepreneurial skill they display is impressive both in scope and planning. This week Liz Sidoti, Managing Director Abernathy MacGregor, will be our speaker. The daughter of Past President Roger and a Kent Theodore Roosevelt Grad, she will undoubtedly bring us a program with national political insight.
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President’s ramblings for week of January 19
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Randy Smith
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2021-01-25 05:00:00Z |
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The City of Kent in line with the rest of the country was slowly working its way out of the economic depression at this time; yet work was needed for those who were unable to secure a regular employment. To create worthwhile jobs for some of the worthy unemployed and, at the same time to afford recreation for underprivileged children in the city, vice president Ernst Ferry suggested that the Rotary Club sponsor a recreational program for the children and youth of Kent and use the idle men of the city to develop facilities for the promotion of the project. This was a citywide undertaking with several civic organizations joining with the City of Kent to promote the plan.
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Kent Rotary History Moment for Jan 19th, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-01-19 05:00:00Z |
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 Amanda Senn introduced Mason Kisamore, who frequents the Kent Farmer’s Market. Amanda noted that Mason met his wife Stacy at the Randolf Fair. Mason, his wife along with sons Harlan and Emerson raise animals, supplying meat for Dumas and the Farmer’s Market. Mason told us that he has been involved with farming his entire life. He started helping on his dad’s farm and now he has his own farm business. He owns over 20 acres of land and leases an additional 600 acres of land, to grow crops and raise animals. They raise cattle, lambs, pigs, turkeys, chickens, laying hens and milk cows. They sell pork, lamb, beef to customers at Dumas Meats and the Kent Farmer’s Market. They also sell fresh turkeys and eggs.
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Mason Kisamore Farms, LLC
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Mike Lewis
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2021-01-19 05:00:00Z |
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 Meeting opening: President Randy Smith called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song, God Bless America. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Doug Fuller offered the invocation. Guests: David Sommers introduced Philip Lanier, Director of Marketing for DS Architects. Shawn Gordon introduced her guest, Andrew Popp, an attorney with Weisenburger Law in Ravenna.
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Rotareminder for January 19, 2021
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2021-01-19 05:00:00Z |
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This week we heard the amazing story of another Kent native, Dr Ellie Yanchar. Her journey to serve the homeless and disenfranchised in New York City was a testimony of how her family and community have shaped a career that it is making an impact. Her altruism is inspiring! Next week we will hear from Mason Kisamore who is making an impact closer to home with the Mason Kisamore Family Farms, LLC.
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President’s Ramblings for week of January 12
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Randy Smith
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2021-01-18 05:00:00Z |
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Meeting Opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Ralph Kletzien provided the Invocation. Guests: David Sommers’ guest was Philip Lanier, Director of Marketing for DS Architecture and Shawn Gordon’s guest was Andrew Popp, attorney with Weisenburger Law in Ravenna.
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Rotareminder for January 12, 2021
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Mike Lewis
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2021-01-12 05:00:00Z |
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James Green was our President during the year 1935.
That year Kent Rotary played an important part in relief work necessitated by the Depression. The following members assumed leadership roles of various organizations.
Emmet Stopher was elected President of the Kent Welfare Association. Many members energetically participated in the Community Chest Drive. Will Reed had charge of the drive for finds that raised more than the quota set by the Welfare Association
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History Moment Jan 12, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-01-12 05:00:00Z |
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 Dr. Ellie Yanchar was born and raised in Kent. She graduated from Kent Roosevelt in 1999. She took a roundabout journey to get to medicine, which was sparked by working for the American Red Cross during Hurricane Katrina, and she did not start medical school until she was 29 years old. She is now dual boarded in family medicine and psychiatry. She did her most of her medical training on the west coast, with medical school in Oregon, and residency in San Diego, where her training was focused primarily on working with homeless and underserved populations, and those suffering from addiction. After residency she moved to NYC to complete a fellowship at Columbia University, where she was working at a shelter for men with mental illness in the Bronx.
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Dr. Ellie Yanchar
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Mike Lewis
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2021-01-12 05:00:00Z |
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 Ben Askren from the Aurora club asked me to distribute the attached flier to our club. He says they "...haven't been able to have a fund raiser for well over a year now. Its a 50/50 drawing and hopefully we will have a big pot. People who want to enter can via the Aurora Ohio Rotary Facebook page."
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Aurora Valentine Drawing Flyer
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Will Underwood
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2021-01-12 05:00:00Z |
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Amanda Senn kicked off our month of programs highlighting local talent. Marcquis Parham, a talented athlete in the local sports scene during the 1990’s, described his journey as an impoverished black male in a single parent matriarch family in our community. His powerful message of influencer’s in his life can provide a path for us as individuals and an organization. I believe our efforts to support our schools and literacy programs with our time and money truly make a difference. Next week’s speaker will be Dr Ellie Yanchar, another 1990’s local talent, who now serves on the front lines of health care in New York City. Should be another informative and interesting program.
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President’s ramblings for week of January 5, 2021
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Randy Smith
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2021-01-10 05:00:00Z |
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John Gettrust was our President during 1934-35. Our club’s membership had dropped to 50 members, still the result of the Great Depression. Major Roy Smith through his efforts as Vice President of the Lamson & Sessions Company, donated to the city of Kent, a track of land along the Cuyahoga River for a municipal park system. A committee of Rotarians was name to aid the city in developing and beautifying the park project on the land recently donated.
Major Smith was the first member of our club to be named a board trustee of Kent State University, an honor bestowed by Governor Davey.
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History Moment Jan 5, 2021
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Jim Myers
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2021-01-05 05:00:00Z |
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Up Next: January 12 Ellie Yanchar, Psychiatrist and Family Medicine Physician at the Bronx NY Health Collective will speak about her experiences working with underserved populations, primarily homeless and marginally housed individuals in community health center and homeless shelter settings. Ellie is a proud 1999 alumna of Kent Roosevelt High School. Meeting Opening: President Randy called the meeting to order. David Dix played our patriotic song. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance and Sue Hetrick provided the Invocation.
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Rotaryeminder Rotary Club of Kent January 5, 2021
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Anita Herington
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2021-01-05 05:00:00Z |
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 January program chair Amanda Senn introduced her 2002 Kent Roosevelt High School classmate Marquis Parham. He is the Assistant Director of the Career and Leadership Development Center at his alma mater Ohio University. Marquis holds bachelors and masters degrees in recreation and sport pedagogy with an emphasis in coaching education and recreation management and administration. He is an educator, motivator, personal trainer, fashion model and television celebrity. Marquis told his life story about how his successes and failures during his early years in Kent have shaped his life. He gave great credit to his mother Jackie Peoples Duke for raising him and his older brother alone. She worked two jobs to provide for them.
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Kent Rotary's Meeting Speaker-Marcus Parham
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Anita Herington
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2021-01-05 05:00:00Z |
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Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award Nominations
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Sandra Reid
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2020-12-22 05:00:00Z |
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David Myers presented today’s program which came about due to research he began during quarantine on his great grandfather, Paul Davey. Dave spent time reading The Kent Tribune newspaper as part of his research. He adapted that research for today’s program in which he shared popular, and often comical, headlines and more from every month of 1920 as written by the Kent Tribune. The Kent Tribune is available online thanks to a grant received by Kent Historical Society. Those interested in reading the paper on their own can find it at: https://kentohiohistory.org/collections/newspaper-archives-kent-tribune. David closed his presentation with a reading of the poem Little Old Newspaper from My Old Hometown.
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A year in the history of Kent Ohio - The Kent Tribune
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Dave Myers
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2020-12-15 05:00:00Z |
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President Randy Smith welcomed Rotarians. David Dix played two Irving Berlin songs, White Christmas and God Bless America, to start the meeting. President Randy Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roberta O’Keefe offered today’s invocation.
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent December 15, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-12-15 05:00:00Z |
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The Glenn Saltzman Award Winners 2020
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Carol Crimi
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2020-12-15 05:00:00Z |
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Zoom Meeting on December 8, 2020 President Randy Smith welcomed the group. Patriotic song God Bless America was arranged by David Dix. President Randy led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Invocation was offered by Debbie Krutz.
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent December 8, 2020
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Brian Bialik
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2020-12-08 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history. The year 1933-1934 presented many handicaps and problems due to the effect of the continued economic depression. While the administration at Washington attempted to call conditions a recession, the country and the local community recognize the effect of a genuine depression. The morale of the average citizen was low and this was reflected in his attitude towards all activities even extending into Rotary.
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History Moment Dec 8, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-12-08 05:00:00Z |
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 Dave Myers introduced our speaker Rita R. Colwell, PhD. Dr. Colwell’s vitae is vast having received undergraduate and graduate degrees in Bacteriology, Genetics and Oceanography. Moreover, she has been awarded 63 honorary degrees from institutions of higher education, as well as receiving recognitions from a number of world leaders for her achievements in science related to infectious diseases and clean water management. She is a nationally-respected scientist and educator, and has authored or co-authored 19 books and more than 800 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, Invisible Seas, and has served on editorial boards of numerous scientific journals. She serves as Chair of the Research Board for the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (2010-2020). Her latest book is “A Lab of One’s Own: One Woman’s Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science” (2020) with Sharon Bertsch McGrayne.
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Guest Speaker - Rita R. Colwell, PhD.
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Brian Bialik
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2020-12-08 05:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent Federal Tax Return Available
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Matt Carter
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2020-12-04 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history. While I’ve been recalling how our club managed to survive during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, let’s step back a decade to remember what happened 100 years ago on tomorrow’s date.
The Kent Club was elected by unanimous consent to membership in Rotary International on November 1, 1920 and was awarded charter No. 777. Because of the non-receipt of the necessary legal documents from national headquarters, the meeting tentatively announced for November 10, 1920, could not be held. The charter and other necessary papers were received November 18, 1920; and the date for the formal installation was fixed for Thursday, December 2, 1920.
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History Moment Dec 1, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-12-01 05:00:00Z |
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Program chair Dave Myers kicked off the month with a program from Rotary International Foundation describing how our donations impact the world as well as locally. Since we did not organize an “Every Rotarian, Every Year” campaign we are counting on members to make their contributions individually. An opportunity is available to give during our Holiday online gala during the “Happy Bucks” segment. Members will be able to donate to Polio Plus as they commemorate something positive in their life. While we have set a $5 minimum, here is a challenge to “dig deep” to support this worthy cause that has been Rotary’s signature project for decades. This week I’m excited to hear from Dr Rita Colwell, former director National Science Foundation to hear her take on the Covid pandemic.
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President’s ramblings for December 1
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Randy Smith
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2020-12-01 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder December 1, 2020 President Randy Smith called the meeting to order, noting that this is Giving Tuesday. He announced that Carol Crimi would give the Invocation, David Dix would play the opening song, and Roger Sidoti would be the Rotareminder author for the meeting. David Dix played the opening patriotic song God Bless America, and this was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by President Randy. Carol Crimi provided the opening prayer.
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Dec 1, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-12-01 05:00:00Z |
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Salvation Army Bell Ringers Needed
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Bill Childers
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2020-12-01 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history. In the spring of 1933 and the Presidency of W.W.Reed, economic conditions of the Depression affected our club as well as everything else in our universe. Club membership slipped from 60 members to 58 and would fall even further in the future. Annual dues were again reduced from $20 to $15 and could be paid quarterly! President Reed and Presidents-elect, Amos Heer, issued the following joint statement, a portion of which follows,
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History Moment Nov 24, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-11-24 05:00:00Z |
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President Randy called the meeting to order at 12:15. David Dix led today’s patriotic song, “God Bless America,” followed by the invocation by Shawn Gordon and Pledge of Allegiance. Visitors: There were no visiting Rotarians. Guests were Stephanie Shulda, guest of Bill Childers, Mark Pennell and Michelle Hartman, guests of Kathy Myers, Andrew Popp, guest of Shawn Gordon, and Kent McWilliams, Director of the Glauser School of Music, guest of Tom Hatch.
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 24, 2020
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-11-24 05:00:00Z |
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A big thanks to Tom Hatch for our excellent month of programing for November. This week we heard the impressive history of Blossom Kent as we anticipate its return this summer. We will learn about the Rotary International Foundation from Rebecca Silber on the first Tuesday in December, “Giving Tuesday”.
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President’s ramblings for November 24
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Randy Smith
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2020-11-24 05:00:00Z |
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Tom Hatch introduced today’s guest speaker, Ricardo Sepulveda, Director of the Kent Blossom Music Festival.+ Kent Blossom is in its 53rd year. It was started as a collaboration between the Cleveland Orchestra and Kent State University at the time Blossom Music Center was created. Early supporters of the project and founding members of the advisory committee included world-renowned classical musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, James Gingold, Pierre Boulez, George Szell. The original idea, to provide a truly professional experience for young musicians, still guides the program today. Students receive instruction from KSU Faculty and Cleveland Orchestra members. They also perform at Blossom Music Center, rehearse at Severance Hall, and play a side-by-side concert with the Cleveland Orchestra.
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Guest speaker, Ricardo Sepulveda, Director of the Kent Blossom Music Festival
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-11-24 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Todd Kamenash
(This link works best on full-size computer. If it does not work for you email registration names to rebekah@wrightheating.com )
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Holiday Gala - Online
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-11-22 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 17, 2020
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 17, 2020
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Mary Beth Harper
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2020-11-17 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Thomas Hatch
Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting Abdoulaye Fall, former ILEP scholar talks about KSU's READ Center
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting Abdoulaye Fall, former ILEP scholar
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-11-17 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Rotary History Moment Nov 17, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-11-17 05:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of November 17
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Randy Smith
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2020-11-10 05:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of November 10
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Randy Smith
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2020-11-10 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 10, 2020
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 10, 2020
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Dave Dix
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2020-11-10 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Rotary History Moment Nov 10 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-11-03 05:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for November 3
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Randy Smith
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2020-11-03 05:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent October 27, 2020
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent Nov 3, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-11-03 05:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting - Historic Facades of Kent, Ohio by Mike Prues, Tom Hatch and Doug Fuller
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting-Historic Facades of Kent, Ohio
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Dave Myers
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2020-11-03 05:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Rotary History Moment Nov 3 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-11-03 05:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of October 27
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Randy Smith
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2020-10-27 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent October 27, 2020
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Rotareminder October 27, 2020
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Anita Herington
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2020-10-27 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Rotary History Moment Oct 27, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-10-27 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent October 20, 2020
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Rotareminder for October 20, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-10-20 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Foundation Financial Summary
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Carol Crimi
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2020-10-20 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of October 20
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Randy Smith
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2020-10-20 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history. Today’s history moment involves our city, club and my family.
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Rotary History Moment Oct 20, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-10-20 04:00:00Z |
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To sponsor this eBulletin and Rotary Club of Kent website, see the Website Advertising Guide. (Right hand column of eBulletin provides sample banner ad.)
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Sponsorship opportunity...
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Roger Kramer
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2020-10-19 04:00:00Z |
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Congratulations to Kent resident and alumni Sandra Reid who was recently honored by the Girl Scouts of NE Ohio with a “Women of Distinction” award!
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Sandra Reid honored by Girl Scouts
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Roger Kramer
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2020-10-16 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent October 13, 2020
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Rotareminder for Kent October 13, 2020
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Brian Bialik
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2020-10-13 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of October 13
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Randy Smith
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2020-10-13 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Oct 13, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-10-13 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of October 6
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Randy Smith
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2020-10-12 04:00:00Z |
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2020-10-20 Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting _Craft Spirits, Bourbon and more_ Josh Daily and Amy Mesh of Middle West Spirits
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting Craft Spirits, Bourbon and more
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Curt Stumpf
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2020-10-08 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting - The Art of Cheese and Wine - Tim Sahr from the Kent Cheesemonger
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Curt Stumpf
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2020-10-08 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary's Zoom Meeting Northwater Brewing Company, Kent's New Microbrewery
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Curt Stumpf
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2020-10-08 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent October 6, 2020
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Rotareminder for October 6, 2020
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-10-06 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Oct 6, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-10-06 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of September 29
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Randy Smith
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2020-10-05 04:00:00Z |
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Todd starts with origin and use of some colloquial phrases & closes with video of Jim Valvano: "If you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day".
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2020-09-29 Kent Rotary's Zoom Mtg Todd Kamanesh standing in for District Governor
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-09-29 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 29, 2020
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Rotareminder for September 29, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-09-29 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Sep 29, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-09-29 04:00:00Z |
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President’s Ramblings for week of September 22nd
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Randy Smith
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2020-09-28 04:00:00Z |
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Thank you to Rick Wagner for speaking with our Rotary about his experience in the auto industry
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Dave Myers
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2020-09-22 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Sep 22, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-09-22 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 22, 2020
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Rotareminder for September 22, 2020
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Mary Beth Harper
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2020-09-21 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of September 15
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Randy Smith
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2020-09-21 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Sep 15, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-09-15 04:00:00Z |
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Annual United Way Kickoff
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Bill Childers
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2020-09-15 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 15, 2020
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Rotareminder for September 15, 2020
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Dave Dix
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2020-09-14 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 8, 2020
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Rotareminder for September 8, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-09-14 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of Sep 8th
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Randy Smith
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2020-09-14 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of September 1, 2020
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-31 04:00:00Z |
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President’s ramblings for week of August 25, 2020
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-31 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 1, 2020
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Rotareminder for September 1, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-08-25 04:00:00Z |
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Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent August 25, 2020
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Rotareminder for August 25, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-08-25 04:00:00Z |
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President's ramblings for week of August 18th
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-24 04:00:00Z |
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Another reminder of our 100 year history.
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Kent Rotary History Moment Sept 8, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-18 04:00:00Z |
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From the Silver Anniversary Edition History of the Kent Rotary Club
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Kent Rotary History Moment Sep 1, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-18 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary History Moment for August 25, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-18 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary History Moment For August 18, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-18 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Club August 18, 2020 meeting minutes
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Rotareminder for August 18, 2020
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Brian K. Bialik
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2020-08-17 04:00:00Z |
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President Randy's ramblings for week of August 11, 2020
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-17 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Club August 11, 2020 meeting minutes
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Rotareminder for August 11, 2020
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-08-17 04:00:00Z |
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President Randy's ramblings for week of August 4th
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-10 04:00:00Z |
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We just received the following self-explanatory letter.
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Letter from The Edna House
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-08-09 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary History Moment August 11, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-04 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Club August 4, 2020 meeting minutes
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Rotareminder for August 4, 2020 emeeting
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-08-04 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary history moment August 4, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-08-04 04:00:00Z |
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President’s Randy's ramblings for the week of July 28
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Randy Smith
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2020-08-03 04:00:00Z |
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69 people purchased tickets to the event which was so good that it needed an extra hour to complete! Rotarians and friends contributed to, participated in, and watched the unique variety show co-hosted by Alyssa Mazey and Todd Kamenash. With registration, sponsorship, a targeted ask for Kent Social Services, and the live auction, the event raised over $13,000 with ZERO in the expenditure column of the balance sheet, unless you want to count the extra hair that Todd didn’t need anyways. The planning team of Alyssa, Todd, David Myers, Lauren Talion, Rachel Kerns, Roger Kramer, and Randy Smith are proud to supplement our Foundation’s availability to give back directly to our community’s needs.
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Rotary Christmas in July, 2020
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-08-03 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary History Moment July 28, 2020
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Jim Myers
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2020-07-30 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Foundation Grant Application
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Carol Crimi
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2020-07-27 04:00:00Z |
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Bill Childers reminds us that the July Month of Caring Supply Drive and drop-off BBQ is July 29 2020.
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July Month of Caring Supply Drive and drop-off BBQ July 29 2020
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Bill Childers
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2020-07-27 04:00:00Z |
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President Randy's ramblings for week of July 21 meeting
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Randy Smith
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2020-07-27 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Club singing reputation.
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The singing Rotarians...
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Jim Myers
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2020-07-21 04:00:00Z |
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President Randy's ramblings for week of July 14th
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Randy Smith
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2020-07-20 04:00:00Z |
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Because our founder Tubby, William Walls, started his presidency in mid year he served as the only president through two terms. By then, the Constitution was adopted for meeting regularly at noon on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Franklin Hotel. Ultimately Rotary International requested that we start meeting weekly and have so ever since. When the constitution was changed to weekly meetings, a lively discussion followed. Several members felt it would interfere with their business to attend meetings each week and resigned! Many of these men were back on the roster within two years.
During that period of time the club lost its first charter member by death, William S. Kent, for whom Kent State University is named.
A list of some of the 25 charter members contains several names a few members might recognize: Dr. William Andrews, Arthur Babbitt, Forest Bryant, Martin L. Davey,
Dr. George Dumm, Frank Elgin, Griffith Evans, Byron Fessenden, John Getz, David Green, Fred Gressard, William Kent, Harry Longcoy, Dudley Mason, John McGilvrey, John Paxton, William W. Reed, Roy Smith, Hale Thompson, Dr. Nicholas Ulrich, Duncan Wolcott and of course, William Walls.
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Kent Rotary Club History 1920-1922
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Jim Myers
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2020-07-16 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Club July 21, 2020 meeting minutes
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Rotareminder: July 21, 2020
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Dave Dix
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2020-07-14 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary e-Club meeting minutes of July 14, 2020
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eMeeting on July 14, 2020
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2020-07-14 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on July 6, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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Looks like we are off to a great start to the new Rotary year as Lange Kennedy kicked off this month’s programs with speaker Joel Nielson, KSU athletic director. Looks like after a draught of sporting events during this pandemic we will get a much needed update on KSU sports this month. Thanks Lange. Hope you have marked your calendars for our upcoming online event, Christmas in July. Todd Kamenash , Alyssa Mazey and their committee have planned an entertaining evening for July 25th. Register online for this fun event and raise money for the Kent Rotary Foundation. We’ve gotten off to a great start with over $15,000 contributed so far thanks to our pacesetting givers. I’m confident we can reach our usual goal of over $30,000. Speaking of money, here’s your reminder that dues for the upcoming year are due before we are assessed by the district and Rotary International at the end of July. $180 for the year or $90 for the first half. PLEASE NOTE- we have a new Zoom site with information on logging in listed below. It will change weekly due to new security instituted by the vendor to avoid “Zoom bombing”, preventing unwanted intrusion by third parties with commercial or political content. I’ve been reminded of a fundamental life lesson recently, KEEP IT SIMPLE. We own one of those “holes in the water that you pour money into”- a boat. For the last two years it has frustratingly quit running intermittently. This persisted after the dealer replaced the fuel pump wiring, then I replaced the fuel pump, then the fuel pump relay, bought an engine code reader that showed no faults, and cleaned every engine harness connector. So my son, the mechanical engineer, comes to the rescue. Finally that investment in an education in the country’s top rated engineering school is going to pay off! Surely the solution will be a feat of profound investigation requiring unfathomable calculations and manipulations. NOPE- he cleans the main battery terminals and it has worked perfectly since. My point in all this. While we search for a solution to this life changing COVID19 pandemic let’s not forget the simplest way to protect each other. WEAR A MASK!
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President Randy's ramblings for week of July 7th meeting
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Randy Smith
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2020-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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The founding and other stories.
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Stories from Kent Rotary Club’s 100 year history
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Jim Myers
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2020-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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Registration for the Rotary Club of Kent: Christmas in July on 7.25.20 is now available at Tiny.cc/Rotary. The event will be a variety show hosted by Todd Kamenash and Alyssa Mazey. There will be a combination of live and pre-recorded elements including musical entertainment. There will be a live auction and a chance to give to a specific local organization. The concept is to have a fun experience, be entertained, and raise money for our foundation to give directly back to our community.
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Registration for the Rotary Club of Kent Christmas in July
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-07-13 04:00:00Z |
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Dear Kent Rotarians, As the newly minted Immediate Past-President, I want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” for all your support during this very interesting Rotary Year. I hope I, and the board, operated in a way that reflected the historical heart of our club, as well as providing thoughtful leadership in setting priorities for our future. One of our Club’s greatest strengths is the process of succession, beginning with the Program Director, moving through President-Elect, and President. It provides a seamless transition at the end of the year, but also provides an opportunity for a person to enter and bring new ideas to the team. I want to encourage all members to give thoughtful consideration to stepping up and becoming part of the succession process. Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve as President this past year! Roger Sidoti We Welcome a New President/Watch It on Our New YouTube Channel In a video presentation shared at last Tuesday’s Zoom Rotary Meeting, Dr. Randy Smith was inducted as President for the 2020-21 Rotary Year. Randy’s 36-year dedication to Rotary serves as an outstanding foundation to lead the club into our second century! This week our July Program Chair, Laing Kennedy, kicks off his month with KSU Athletic Director, Joel Nielsen! With all college athletics being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, this should be very informative for everyone. See you on Tuesday! Another Kent Rotary Technology First A big THANK YOU to Roger Kramer who created the Kent Rotary YouTube Channel. We will upload all of our Rotary Programs on this channel! For most of us, our Zoom meeting journey has been a technological stretch, but we have persevered by helping one another adapt. Do not hesitate to ask other club members if you need any help in navigating our tech updates!
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Past-President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-July 6, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-07-06 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on June 30, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-07-04 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Randy Smith
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2020-21 Kent Rotary Club Budget
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Randy Smith
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2020-07-02 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Dave Dix
Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on June 23, 2020
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Dave Dix
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2020-06-29 04:00:00Z |
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A Big THANK YOU! We cannot thank the members of our club who have already stepped up in donating over $10,000 toward our Foundation for this coming year. They have become true pacesetters in the effort! As stated in the letter you received, our work will be ongoing in raising the funds necessary to continue our work in the community. We hope you see the value in these efforts! Ken Wertz As is our tradition, we will schedule a memorial dedication at a future club meeting. Bill Childers has volunteered to help with the memorial, and we are looking for a few more Rotarians who can contribute to the process. Please coordinate with Bill if you are interested. Update I hope those who were in attendance this past Tuesday found WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz as informative, entertaining, and engaging as I did. She was insightful in her analysis of the current impact COVID-19 has had on broadcasting in general, and WKSU in particular. Her broadcast each morning has become a staple for many in our community. We hope she will be a guest at future club meetings. Our Program on Tuesday will be the annual program of induction for our new president. Randy Smith will be inducted and, in turn, will induct the Kent Rotary Board of Directors for 2020-2021. I hope everyone is able to join us in honoring our past traditions, adapting to our current circumstances, and planning for an uncertain future! Please join us in showing support for next year’s Kent Rotary Club leadership team!!
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes 6-29-20
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-06-29 04:00:00Z |
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Ken Wertz I am sad to report that Kent Rotarian Ken Wertz has passed away. Additional information is unavailable at this time, but we will keep you updated as the details come in. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Club FinancesIncluded in the letter to all Kent Rotarians soliciting support for the lost Auction income, was an update of our regular club finances to date for our Rotary year starting July 1, 2019. In response to a member inquiry, I thought it important to report there was a carryover from the previous year that keeps us in the black (but just barely) by the end of this year in June. Our Ways & Means ad hoc Committee has been working with President-Elect Randy Smith, to establish a realistic budget under these extraordinary circumstances. I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Board Meeting Minutes I would encourage everyone to read the minutes from last Thursday which will cover the Budget approved for the coming year, as well as items related to our July 25 th fundraiser activity. Please take a moment to read those minutes. Update I want to thank our Foundation Board for providing such a comprehensive review of how the board operates, the funding of projects, future plans for expansion, and the underlying philosophy of having a Foundation. An educated membership is critical in being able to have knowledge conversation about the value of the Foundation and providing full transparency. More important is access to the financial data in real time. Any Kent Rotarian can sponsor a request for support of a charitable project to the Foundation for consideration. I want to believe we now all have an informational baseline for any future discussions concerning the Foundations operation. This week’s program will feature WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz. She will take us through the daily life of putting together WKSU’s Morning Edition, and weekly sports commentaries with Cleveland.com sports columnist Terry Pluto. In addition, she will discuss how WKSU switched to operating a newsroom remotely and how the radio station has stayed live on the air during Ohio’s Stay at Home orders, and how WKSU and NPR play an especially vital role in the media landscape during these unprecedented times. Consider inviting a guest for another great program!
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes 6-23-20
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-06-22 04:00:00Z |
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Please follow the link below to take a survey regarding the Christmas in July: 7.25.20 event. This information will be helpful so we can plan and create an inclusive and fun program. You will be asked to share information about yourself and even upload a picture or two. The more surveys filled out, the more the event will reflect your interests, so please fill it out! Yours in service, Todd Kamenash & Alyssa Mazey
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Survey re Christmas in July: 7.25.20 event
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-06-22 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mary Beth Harper
Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting-on July 28, 2020
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Mary Beth Harper
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2020-06-15 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Stacey Richardson
Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on June 9, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-06-15 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on June 2, 2020
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Brian Bialik
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2020-06-08 04:00:00Z |
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Since March, Kent Rotarian Will Underwood has been delivering food 2 or 3 days/week to clients for the Center of Hope. COH Director LaJoyce Harris took this picture of Will and his van as he readies to deliver food throughout needy homes in Portage County. He indicated that, while his Rotary pin is not visible, “I did wear it most days!” While the Center of Hope is phasing out home delivery, here is an example of a Rotarian voluntarily filling a community need during this crisis! I am sure there are many more stories out there about Rotarians going above and beyond during the COVID-19 crisis, whether donating time, money, or resources helping others in need. Actually, I have first-hand knowledge and know many who would prefer not to be publicly acknowledged. I want to congratulate Will Underwood and thank him for allowing me to use his story as an example of my strongly held belief that what binds individual Kent Rotarians is a mindset of “Service above Self,” and is manifest in our individual actions. Roger Sidoti
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Kent Rotarian In The Spot-Light
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-06-08 04:00:00Z |
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I have heard a variety of descriptors for the current year from many friends and from a variety of people on social media. I think we can all agree that, so far, 2020 has disrupted our lives socially, economically, and politically. Many times, out of turmoil, artists try to make sense of what is going on through a variety of mediums. This week our program will feature Roger Hoover, local photographer who launched The Front Porch Project in Kent during the COVID-19 shut down. His iconic pictures of regular people practicing social distancing at their homes on their “front porch,” were prominently featured on local and national television. I’m sure you are as interested as I am in hearing his story and how he became inspired to create this story! Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the great time we all had last Tuesday listening to Oliver Everett, Librarian Emeritus of the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. One of my goals is to create YouTube Channel for members to access all of our recorded programs from a link in our E Bulletin. I suspect Oliver will have many downloads! Reminder Roberta O’Keefe has asked for volunteers for the prayer/invocation at our meetings. If you are willing to help, please contact her directly to schedule a date.
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-June 8, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-06-08 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary member survey results...
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Randy Smith
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2020-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on May 26, 2020
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Anita Herington
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2020-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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This coming Tuesday, our first program for June will be something special and with a little twist. Oliver Everett, Librarian Emeritus of the Royal Library, Windsor Castle; Former secretary to both the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales; and Keeper of the Royal will be our presenter “live” from England via Zoom! Clear your schedule and plan to join us!! Please invite a guest if they are fans of the English Royals and email me so I know they are signing in! To maximize the time available for the presentation, we will forgo announcements and move to the program as quickly as possible. If you have announcements, also send them to me, and I will get them out to our membership via email! In looking back, we had another timely program for members last Tuesday, when Darla Scott from Coleman spoke of the impact COVID-19 has had on children the past 3 months. Her insightful comments and suggestions for parents were well received. Justin Gates, Director of Student Services for Kent City Schools provided the response, reinforcing the thoroughness of her presentation and the support she and Coleman can provide families. Read all about it in the Rotareminder! Reminder Roberta O’Keefe has asked for volunteers for the prayer/invocation at our meetings. If you are willing to help, please contact her directly to schedule a date. Ways & Means Committee On September 3, 2019 we proposed, and subsequently passed, some revisions to our Kent Rotary By-Laws. If you recall, we also formed an ad-hoc committee to study creating a sub-committee for club fundraising and the possibility of an additional board director position. The goal was to review how we do fund raising in our club and consider some organization to our fundraising process. David Sommers graciously volunteered to chair the committee and what follows is the committee’s report. I want to thank Dave and the committee members Chas Madonio, Roger Kramer, and Randy Smith for their commitment to the process. Click here to review the Ways & Means Structure and Responsibilities.
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-June 1, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-06-01 04:00:00Z |
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While I intend to speak to the question of holding in-person meetings and projects in the upcoming newsletter, I believe it important to touch on the subject separately. As most of you know by now, the Board of Rotary International has extended guidance to all districts. The guidance strongly recommends that no in-person meetings or events occur through December 31, 2020. The 2020-2021 District governors are specifically advised to conduct their club visits in a virtual format and no Rotarian is required to attend any meeting or event. At the R.I. level, all Board and Committee meetings will be virtual. While the orders issued by Governor DeWine and Dr. Acton are evolutionary in nature, they still would prohibit or likely prohibit regular club meetings, Board meeting, etc. Part of the R.I. guidance is an instruction that all federal, state, and local health related orders be followed. It has more recently come to my attention that there is another risk inherent in holding a meeting or event at this time, particularly one that might violate state and/or local health department orders and instructions. COVID related litigation is possible against a Rotary club or District that holds a meeting, particularly if that meeting violates an order. The existing Rotary International insurance package may not provide coverage for such a suit, and if it does not, it may also not provide for a defense. And while no one can be certain at this point, it is likely that the liability insurance package from R.I. for the 2020-2021 Rotary year will likely not provide coverage or a defense. Thus, at least through December 31, 2020, no in-person Rotary meetings should take place absent extraordinary circumstances and those circumstances should include legal, medical, and insurance advice as to why such a meeting is truly necessary and will be in compliance with relevant orders and regulations. The District is following both Rotary International guidelines and instructions and thus will be meeting virtually through December 31, 2020, absent further instructions. Your concern for your fellow Rotarians, family and friends is appreciated. Yours in Rotary Service -
John Reyes2019-2020 Rotary International District 6630 GovernorTel: 330.258.6469Email: jreyes@bdblaw.com
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Letter from John Reyes, District Governor
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-05-25 04:00:00Z |
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Last Tuesday as I was listening to Bill Benoit, President of Uh Portage, I felt reassured that there are decision makers who are knowledgeable, clear, and concise in providing information about this current COVID-19 crisis. UH is critical to the health and wellbeing of our greater community and it is clear that Bill’s leadership has provided a steady, and reassuring hand to that mission. And lest I forget, a big “thank You” to Rotarian Shawn Gordon, who arranged Bill’s availability to our club! This week’s program will feature Roger Hoover, Local artist and musician who will talk about his recent work during the pandemic “Porch Portraits.” He has been featured on the Today Show and CNN, and brings a unique perspective to the impact of the virus on our community! Rotary Board Meeting The Rotary Board will meet, via Zoom, this Thursday, May 21 at 7:00pm. As in the past, if you would like to attend email me so I can admit you.
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-May 12, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-05-18 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mary Beth Harper and Sue Hetrick
To our fellow Rotarians, As we approach the time to begin organizing our annual Shoe Box project, things have changed. For the past 12 years our club has been most generous in supporting this important initiative. We have shopped, filled and sent 50 shoeboxes and 15 layette bags each August to help people who really need help—the Children of the Dump in Chinandega, Nicaragua. Our members have reached into their purses and billfolds and contributed well over $1,200 each year to buy clothes, school supplies, toiletries and toys to make Christmas a little brighter for these children who live in extreme poverty. We have heard from the organizers, who are proceeding with the project despite concerns about the coronavirus. However, we have decided that it is not a good idea to participate this year. There are three critical issues. One is that it will be difficult to raise the money without in-person meetings to “pass the box.” Secondly, shopping for the items would be difficult and probably not safe. Sue usually makes about 40 trips to stores, and Mary Beth makes at least 10 trips. Much of our success is due to Sue’s shopping prowess, and we have determined that we could not find bargains online. Finally, storing the items and organizing a packing party would be difficult under the current conditions. So, we have decided to skip our participation this year. We hope to ramp up again next year. Again, thank you to all our Rotarians for supporting this project. Yours in Rotary Mary Beth Harper and Sue Hetrick
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Letter from Mary Beth Harper & Sue Hetrick
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Mary Beth Harper and Sue Hetrick
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2020-05-18 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on May 12, 2020
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Shawn Gordon
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2020-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on May 5, 2020
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Stacey Richardson
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2020-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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As mentioned, LoveLight is seeking support in leveraging their funds to secure a loan for the purchase the KSU Golf Clubhouse for their center. Anyone interested, please visit www.lovelightcares.org or www.facebook.com/lovelightcares for more information about donations to this cause.
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LoveLight
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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This past Friday, May 8, was the scheduled date for the Rotary Foundation Auction. This tradition to raise funds for utilization of charitable work in our community fell victim to the COVID-19 crisis. What won’t fall victim will be the various requests to our Foundation throughout the coming Rotary year for a variety of needs in our community. The Foundation Board and the Rotary Board are wrestling with this dilemma. I know it is also on member’s minds, as a number of you have reached out with queries and suggestions. The uncertainty of the next few months make it difficult to plan effectively but be assured that both Boards and the Auction Committee are in discussions and we hope to have a proposal to our membership in the near future. I hope you enjoyed author Jeffry Miller’s presentation this past Tuesday as much as I did! It is always wonderful when people raised in the Kent community provide a program that aligns with one of Rotary’s goals, in this case literacy. Read more about the program in the attached Rotareminder! This week’s program will feature Bill Benoit, President of UH Portage Medical Center. He will be presenting “The Impact of COVID19 or UH Portage Medical Center and Portage County.” This timely and pertinent presentation should be of great value to our membership. Membership Survey If you have taken and submitted the online survey, “Thank You!” If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so. President-Elect Randy Smith is leading the Strategic Planning Process for our club and the data from the survey will help guide the committee’s work. Please check your email and complete the survey.
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-May 5, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-05-11 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on April 28, 2020
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Brian Bialik
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2020-04-28 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on April 21, 2020
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-04-21 04:00:00Z |
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Laing Kennedy has informed the current Rotary Board that he will not fulfill the Program Chair role as he had originally intended for 2020-2021. David Myers has been nominated to this position. The following is a vote for you to consider David Myers serving in the Program Chair role for 2020-2021. All voting will be anonymous. Thank you, Todd E. Kamenash
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2020-2021 Program Chair
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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I want to thank the 42 Rotarians who joined our digital meeting on Tuesday to have a little light-hearted fun brought to us by our own Todd Kamenash. Checkout the attached Rotareminder for details! We always find that some of our best weekly programs come from our own membership! With that said, next week’s program will be Kent State May 4 presented by our own Doug Fuller. He brings a firsthand perspective and, based on his other presentations in the past, this should be outstanding! I hope some of you that have yet to digitally join your fellow Rotarians on Tuesdays will sign-in for this timely program.
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President Roger's Digital Meeting Notes-April 14, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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The Kent Community Heart & Soul initiative is a community driven effort to gather information about how people think about the place that we live, work, and play in. As Michelle Hartman asked the question “What would we miss in Kent if it were not there after the COVID-19 crisis?” it meshed nicely with a survey from Kent Heart & Soul is now taking. It is a short, one question survey. While Michelle’s question referred to downtown businesses that may not survive the subsequent economic crisis caused by the pandemic, I think you will find a similarity in this survey question. I would encourage you to go to their Facebook page and click on COVID-19 Question of Hope. Here is the link to their page: www.facebook.com/kentheartandsoul/
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Kent Community Heart & Soul
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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Most of us remember Fred Dubois as a longstanding Kent Rotarian and businessman. His dedication to Rotary ideals was reflected when he bequeathed $50,000 to the Kent Rotary Foundation at his passing. Now his family continues fostering those ideals through The DuBois Family Foundation. During our COVID-19 crisis, the foundation is partnering with Family and Community Services in leading The Great Ohio Health Hunt. Its focus is personal protective equipment to support frontline COVID-19 caretakers! I would encourage you to go to the Project URL for more details:
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The DuBois Family Foundation
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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REPORT OF KENT ROTARY FOUNDATION APRIL 16, 2020 At its regular bi-monthly meeting held on April 14, 2020, the Kent Rotary Foundation Board approved the following grant requests: 1. “Ready Set Grow” $1,000.00 (This organization teaches gardening skills to children of the City of Kent Schools and helps to furnish fresh food to local pantries.) 2. Portage Medial Center Foundation $5,000.00. Grant monies will be funneled to the Kent Fire Department to acquire AED’s (Automated External Defibrillators) The AED’s provided for in this grant shall be placed in community spaces or schools. 3. “Edible Kent” $1,400 -- This organization plants the community gardens near the Farmer’s market and a garden at Kent Social Services. All that is grown if for the benefit of the public and Kent Social Services. 4. “Great Trail Council” (Boy Scouts) $1,500 This grant will help maintain the three area camps that for the benefit of local children. Thanks for your support and generosity which made these grants possible. The next meeting will be held June 9 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at a place to be announced at a later date. Any member of the Rotary Club of Kent is welcome to attend meetings of the Foundation Board. We ask that any proposals be submitted no later than May 26. Submitted by: Carol Crimi, President Kent Rotary Foundation
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Report of the Kent Rotary Foundation
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Carol Crimi
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on April 14, 2020
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Anita Herington
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2020-04-16 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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eMeeting on April 7, 2020
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-10 04:00:00Z |
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A Message From Jeff Roeger
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Jeff Roeger
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2020-04-10 04:00:00Z |
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Joan Seidel's COVID-19 Update
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-04-05 04:00:00Z |
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Kent Rotary Board meeting actions!
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Kent Rotary President's Update
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-03-21 04:00:00Z |
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A yearly commitment to doing good in the world! ZONES 30 & 31
PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY
BLITZ!
FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL 2020 When you join The Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Society, you will join a special group of Rotarians that make a $1,000 or more yearly commitment to help change lives around the world. The Paul Harris Society member’s ongoing donations are vital for The Rotary Foundation to continue to do good in the world!
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The Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Society
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Randy Smith
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2020-03-20 04:00:00Z |
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Brief Bio: Todd Kamenash
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-03-20 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on March 10, 2020
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Suzanne Hetrick
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2020-03-10 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on March 3, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-03-03 05:00:00Z |
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Thank you to Megghan Featherstun, Dietician & Wellness coach, for sharing information on fad diets: the facts, pros, and cons. Is it a coincidence to have her speak on Fat Tuesday? We’ll leave that for you to decide 😀
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Megghan Featherstun, Dietician & Wellness coach
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Todd Kamenash
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2020-02-29 05:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on February 25, 2020
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Mike Lewis
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2020-02-25 05:00:00Z |
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Big thanks to Chase Leonelli and Jacy Watson for speaking to us about Sequoia Wellness Center! What great information they shared regarding health and wellness. Pic includes Vice President Randy Smith and Amanda Senn from NEOMED...Amanda invited the pair to speak.
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Sequoia Wellness
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Rachel Kerns
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2020-02-24 05:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on February 18, 2020
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Thomas Hatch
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2020-02-18 05:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on February 11, 2020
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Shawn Gordon
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2020-02-11 05:00:00Z |
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Thank you to Rotarian Ted McKown for sharing his journey walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. A wonderful presentation that was both educational and entertaining! Ted is pictured.
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Ted McKown shared his experience
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2020-02-06 05:00:00Z |
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Congratulations to the Rotary student of the month from Roosevelt High School, Luke Larkin! Luke is pictured with Rotarian Dennis Love.
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Roosevelt High School student of the month
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Roger Kramer
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2020-02-04 05:00:00Z |
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Congratulations to the Rotary student of the month from Stanton Middle School Elizabeth Burroughs! Elizabeth is pictured with Rotarian Anthony Horton.
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Student of the month
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Roger Kramer
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2020-02-04 05:00:00Z |
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It was Rotary President Sidoti's pleasure to induct Dr. Todd Diacon, President of Kent State University, as an Honorary member of the Rotary Club of Kent. Assisting in the induction was David McKeen, Chair of our Membership Committee.
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Dr Todd Diacon induction
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Roger Sidoti
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2020-02-04 05:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent meeting minutes
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Meeting on February 4, 2020
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Shawn Gordon
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2020-02-04 05:00:00Z |
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Meeting on January 28 2020
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Brian Bialik
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2020-01-28 05:00:00Z |
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What we read- September 2018 through 2019
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Kent Rotary Book Club
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Will Underwood
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2020-01-14 05:00:00Z |
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Congratulations to the Rotary student of the month from Stanton Middle Ashley Legg! Ashley is pictured with Rotarian Anthony Horton.
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Rotary student of the month from Stanton Middle Ashley Legg!
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Roger Kramer
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2020-01-09 05:00:00Z |
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Thank you to Rotarian Mary Beth Harper for inspiring us to choose our word of the year! Mary Beth is pictured.
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Mary Beth Harper & word of the year!
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2020-01-09 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Dec 09, 2019
Congratulations to Rotarian Todd Kamenash. Todd was given the Rotarian of the Year award!!!! Todd works hard on Rotary’s behalf every day. Todd is actively recruiting new members, assisting with fundraising campaigns, assisting with social media marketing and a member of the Rotary board of directors. He is a great example of someone who serves others with a giving heart. He is pictured with President Roger Sidoti.
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Rotarian of the Year - Todd Kamenash
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Roger Kramer
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2019-12-09 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Nov 19, 2019
Thank you to the Roosevelt High School Leadership Retreat planning team for presenting to the Rotary Club of Kent this week. Students shared their experience with the 34th annual event. This year’s theme was “The Anatomy of a Leader: Nurturing Mind, Body, and Soul.” 109 delegates attended. Pictured are students on the planning committee (P), Interact members (I), and the Student Activities Coordinator / Co-Adviser Heidi Jurging (*). Front Row (left-to-right): Lizzie Lohman (I), Jess Giaimo (P), Aly Guinto (P), Jenna Senderling (P) Back Row (left-to-right): Anaya Corwston (P), Tanner McKown (I), Katie Kulis (P), Kyle Doershuk (P), Jordan Carlton (P), Chloe Alexander (P), Heidi Jurging (*) Members of the planning committee unable to attend include Kent Gordon, Courtney Kenworthy, and Jenny Coffee.
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Kent Roosevelt Leadership Planning Retreat
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Roger Kramer
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2019-11-19 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Nov 12, 2019
Thank you to Kent Rotarian Steve Dennis who shared what our Rotary Foundation has gives back to districts in the form of grants. Steve is pictured.
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Rotary Foundation gives back to districts
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Roger Kramer
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2019-11-12 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Nov 12, 2019
Thank you to Kent Rotarian Paul Organ who shared what our Kent Rotary Foundation has been giving to our local community. Paul is pictured.
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Kent Rotary Foundation
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Roger Kramer
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2019-11-12 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Nov 12, 2019
Congratulations to the Rotary student of the month from Roosevelt High School, Kyle Doershuk! Kyle is pictured with Rotarian Dennis Love & President Sidoti.
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Rotary Student of Month
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Roger Kramer
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2019-11-12 05:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Oct 29, 2019
Big thanks to Torsten Hegmannfor from Kent State University”s Advanced Materials Liquid Crystal Institute for sharing incredible information about Liquid Crystal Materials and how it can and will improve our lives!
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Torsten Hegmannfor from Kent State University”s Advanced Materials Liquid Crystal Institute
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Roger Kramer
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2019-10-29 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Oct 29, 2019
The Kent Rotary Foundation presented a check today to Davey Elementary. The money will support a wonderful “book gift” program for some students at the school!
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Kent Rotary Foundation check to Davey Elementary
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Roger Kramer
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2019-10-29 04:00:00Z |
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Posted on Sep 03, 2019
Congratulations to the Rotary student of the month from Stanton Middle School, Scottie Spears! Scottie is pictured with President Roger Sidoti & Rotarian Anthony Horton. A second picture includes some of Scottie’s wonderful family. This week’s meeting included a brief club assembly. If you have ideas or suggestions for our club’s leadership, let us know!
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Rotary student of the month from Stanton Middle School
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Roger Kramer
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2019-09-03 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Aug 01, 2019
Thanks to John Reyes, District Governor of 6630 for 2019-2020. Governor Reyes & President Sidoti presented the unsung hero Rotarian award to Jeff Roeger. Jeff has a work meeting and had to leave early, but his wonderful mother Sandy accepted the award and is pictured.
Governor Reyes spoke about this year’s focus on Rotary connecting the world. He shared the parallels to his hobby of rock climbing to a vision for Rotary. Enthusiasm, adventure, teamwork, planning, trust, and risk management can help us achieve our 4-way test.
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Unsung hero Rotarian award to Jeff Roeger.
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Roger Kramer
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2019-08-01 04:00:00Z |
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Posted on Jun 25, 2019
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Transition!
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Roger Kramer
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2019-06-25 04:00:00Z |
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Posted by Roger Kramer on Jun 25, 2019
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Kent Rotary outbound youth exchange student
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Roger Kramer
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2019-06-25 04:00:00Z |
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Posted on Jun 25, 2019
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New Officers & Board 2019-20
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2019-06-25 04:00:00Z |
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Rotary Club of Kent 
