February 8, 2023
Reporter: Gail Lyman
Wednesday’s meeting:
Gina Tinker-Williams, Executive Director
Community Dispute Resolution Center
“Conflict and Its Effect on Others”
St. Catherine of Siena and on Zoom
Join the Zoom meeting
WELCOME & TRADITIONS
NOTE: you can watch previous meetings by going to our YouTube channel!
After being faced with an inauspicious start from a nonworking Zoom camera, Club Secretary Joanne Lamoureux, filling in for President Mary, began our meeting with a moment of silence for the toil and anguish resulting from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.Guests were introduced:
- Shirley Way, our speaker, guest of Bill Highland
- Eric Machan Howd, Ithaca College
- Jennifer and Brian Wansink, guests of Paul Martin
- Steve Lawrence, guest of Frank Towner
- And visiting Rotarian Dewey Neild, Ithaca Sunrise
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Steve Johnson described himself as a “worrier” and, as such, wanted to share a Thought for the Day that would resonate with other worriers:
“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” – Winston Churchill
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Heidi Goldstein encouraged new club Rotarians to learn about the Rotary Foundation and how to be a leader at the local club level by attending an in-person Rotary Leadership Institute session on March 4th from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Johnson City High School (666 Reynolds Road, Johnson City, NY). The District 7170 fee of $35 will be covered by our club. If interested, e-mail Heidi Goldstein at hjorganics@aol.com.Sherrie Negrea reminded us that the Music for Ukraine concert is on Sunday, February 19th at 4 PM at the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca (306 N. Aurora St.). Donations are accepted at the door. The church has room for 300 attendees. Volunteers are needed to re-poster our city and bring refreshments of cakes and cookies. Contact Sherrie at sherrie@versatilewriting.com if you can volunteer.
Joanne Lamoureux reported on a decision made at a recent board meeting: Jim Showacre, a club member for 45 years and Treasurer for 35 of those years, has been named an Honorary Member of our club.
Brad Carruth is looking for volunteers to set up and tear down at our weekly meetings. A pink sheet with a checklist was placed on each tables to sign-up. Set-up volunteers are asked to be at our meeting location by 10:30 AM.
Save the date: Mary-Lynn Cummings and Bob Gravani have announced that the Spring Highway cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 22nd (Earth Day) from 9 to 11 AM; meet at the Tops parking lot. More details to come later!
Jean McPheeters wants us to hold former Rotarian Laurie Linn in our hearts for the loss of her nephew, Pete Reed, who was the young American aid worker who was killed last week in Ukraine when a missile hit his jeep.
FOUNDATION MINUTE
Jean McPheeters presented a PH+3 to Ann Coyne. Ann joined Rotary in 1991 as a member of the Suburban Rotary Club and joined our club when she returned to her alma mater (Cornell University). Ann spoke about the 2008 Rotary International Service Project in Nicaragua that created a school for the deaf as being very significant in her life.Joanne Lamoureux presented a PH+3 to Nathan Lyman. Nathan joined the Albion Rotary Club (NY) in 1981 as a young attorney through the encouragement of his father, Curtis L. Lyman. He joined our club when he and Gail moved to Ithaca fifteen years ago. Nathan strongly supports Rotary International’s Polio Plus, which started in 1985, and the Youth Exchange Program. Recently, he reunited after 50 years with a Rotary exchange student from Switzerland (Phillipe Hell).
LAST WEEK’S PRESENTATION
“What is the Alternatives to Violence Project?”
Bill Highland introduced Shirley Way, Administrator of the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) New York State in Ithaca.
AVP is a grassroots volunteer program dedicated to reduce interpersonal violence in our society. The project offers experiential learning workshops (typically 23 hours over a 3-day period) that present conflict transformation skills that empower people to lead non-violent lives through the building blocks of affirmation, respect for all, cooperation, consensus, communication, community building, trust, and conflict transformation. These workshops take place in prisons, schools, and communities. Run by trained AVP facilitators, the workshops strive to develop participants’ abilities to resolve conflicts in new and creative ways without resorting to manipulation, coercion, or violence.Shirley led our group in an experiential active listening exercise (groups of pairs, knee-to-knee) for practice skills of focusing on who is speaking, showing empathy, and maintaining eye contact.
To learn more about AVP, go to www.avpusa.org.
To contact Shirley Way: info@avpny.org or (315) 604-7940
HAPPY DOLLARS
Happy Dollars were offered in support of our Community Grants program:
Jean McPheeters: for a “Happy Sunny Day”- Gary Reinbolt: $3, added another aphorism from Winston Churchill in response to Steve Johnson’s TFD: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
- Jack Roscoe: $10, the Savage Club of Ithaca presented its “From the Heart” concert at the First Unitarian Church on Saturday, February 11th.
- Dewey Neild: just flew in from Tallahassee to bring a calendar to Jack Roscoe
Sarah Segal: $20, for the compassionate care given by Cayuga Medical Center to her 17-year-old son- Brad Carruth: $5, for the “heart and soul” of Rotary
- Bob Langhans: for the gradual restoration of his Ft. Myers condo complex following Hurricane Ian
Joanne Lamoureux ended the meeting by thanking everyone for attending!
THANK YOU ROTARIANS
Newsletter Reporter: Gail Lyman
Photographer: Mike Brown
Greeter: Heidi Goldstein, with puppet companion Jocko
Newsletter Editor: Loralyn Light
Set-up/Tear-Down: Steve Johnson, Harlin McEwen, Brad Carruth, Dale Flinn, Gary Reinbolt
Set-up Zoom: Mike Brown
Recording Archive: Paul Martin; click here
Club Service Facilitator: June Losurdo