(And that you score some great Black Friday Deals)
Enjoy Thanksgiving
After that great meeting last week featuring Dan Drexelius and plans for the DeGlopper Memorial Veterans Memorial (more about that below), you have this week off to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends. If you are traveling, or others are coming to you, please be safe and careful. Then - while you are digesting, watch the football game, and rest. You need to be on your best game at 6 AM Friday morning, don't you!
December Meetings Have Changed!
We need to set direction for coming months (and years), and have all Members see and consider the effort that your Strategic Planning Committee has done to outline a way forward for the Club. But an Outline needs you to fill it out!
On Wed. Dec. 4, lets meet at the Launch Club for Dinner and a Club Assembly. President Elect Sherry and Brian Graham will show us their outline of our GI Rotary Club for 2019 - 2022. But they need you to review, change if necessary and certainly fill in that outline. Please be ready for that special Wednesday evening dinner and meeting.
Then try the new eatery on G I Blvd - Eggsquisite Eats: on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18
On Dec. 11 the Club Board will meet (at 7:05 AM) to review the Strategic Plan that you helped 'flesh out' the previous week, and get ready for a meeting with District Guv Bob Artis in January. On Dec. 18 (at 7:15 AM) we will have a regular breakfast meeting. Details on the program for that meeting and more on all these December events will be coming the next few weeks.
Great Intro to the coming DeGlopper Memorial
At Wed. evening meeting, Dan Drexelius (Double D!) gave us a wonderful explanation of development of this memorial to a real home-town hero - Charles DeGlopper - who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism single-handedly holding down German fire so his Glider Infantry mates could move forward taking a bridge. Dan is now leading the effort you see at G I Blvd & Baseline to create a memorial to this young man, and the many other both fallen and surviving veterans, for whom we are all so grateful. Much has been done for this Memorial Park, much (including his statue) are in progress, much needs to be done. We would strongly urge you to look at the DeGlopper Memorial web site and GET INVOLVED, perhaps physically, certainly financially! Perhaps inscribed pavers for all the veterans in your family; this will soon be as noteworthy a spot on Grand Island, as the Miracle Field and Playground has become!
As we also heard Wed. evening, there is a particularly 'Grand Islandish' way to help this Memorial. You have seen, heard, of the Solar Park going in off Whitehaven - please consider joining them by signifying to National Grid that you want to use their solar power.. At no cost to you (and with you soon getting a 10% cut in the power generation segment of your electric bill) consider telling you want to be part of the GI portion of SolarPark. The DeGlopper Memorial will get $100 for each customer who signs up! To have the Memorial get that $100 bonus, make sure you tell Solar Park Energy in the Email or call that signs you up - that you are a Grand Islander and you want the DeGlopper Memorial to get credit for your joining.
You know we need to identify a President-Elect to follow Sherry Miller, who will be Pres. in 2020/21. Rotary Leadership Institute assists in educating members about Rotary and has eased concerns many member have about being a leader in Rotary. So, if you aren't feeling prepared for leadership, here is an opportunity to explore what that means and talk to other clubs about the leadership in their clubs. RLI consists of three Parts. Our District has these 3 parts, Sat. Dec. 7 in Niagara on the Lake. Please talk to President Dick Earne or Pres. Elect Sherry about the content and advantages of this excellent program.
President-Elect Sherry Miller will be President in 2020/21, you knew that. Please help her fill out a Leadership Team for that year (starting July 2020, AKA just 8 months away).
Please consider taking the Pres. Elect post in 2020 /21, as a prelude for Presidency the next year. Sound like TOO much of a challenge? Perhaps as a team, Co-VP's then Co-President in 2021/21. Sure, it's a challenge, but many have done it, rewards and satisfaction follow. The leadership talks in RLI, that we mentioned above, will help show you the path to leadership both here in Rotary and in your larger life. Talk to Sherry.
There are also a Director (a 3 year slot) and Secretary position to fill. In addition, Director Mary Haggerty needs at least one Member to join her on the Scholarship selection committee. Those High School scholarships are a very important feature of our support to youth - join in the process of selecting outstanding service-oriented youth.
District Scholarship Available for a College Student
A one year scholarship award is available for an area college student currently in First Year of Study. Does a College Freshman you know need an extra $3000? I'll let you answer. Past years this was available only to students who had no Rotary connection - just the opposite now! Application requires an essay about the Ideals of Rotary, plus a demonstration of "Service Above Self" and certainly some evidence of academic merit. A great chance to have a college student you know get some advantage from Rotary - and learn about Rotary Ideals, while doing so! Does this sound interesting, doable for someone you know - the deadline for application is December 31, have them go to:
Look at Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringing Dates!
In our Events Column, you should see those dates for Bell Ringing at Tops:
Saturday & Sunday Dec. 14 & 15, plus 21 & 22, and a midweek day, Dec. 11, primarily for our Interact, EarlyAct partners. Check your schedules and other commitments now, please free up time one - better yet several - of those days, be prepared to sign up and help.
And the Holiday Season is also Coming -
Share Your Happiness with Neighbors Foundation
Above, we suggested donating a few cans, boxes for the temporarily distressed Islanders thru Neighbors Foundation. What the Foundation really needs, are funds to fill out their Holiday Baskets for some of your G I Neighbors. Their Share Your Happiness fund raising campaign will provide Tops food gift cards, Target gift cards for children involved, turkeys, hams, etc to fill Holiday Baskets for perhaps 50 families. Checks can be sent to P.O. Box 155, Grand Island NY 14072. Again remember that GI Rotary started the Foundation 45 years ago; it carries on a tradition of helping Island families with a quiet, all-volunteer staff. Want more info on the Neighbors Foundation? See their web site: www.gineighbors.org or Email Hank Kammerer, Past President of Foundation.
Volume 1 | Issue 22 (11/23/2019)
.jpeg){kind=logo}