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Tomorrow’s meeting:
Laura Branca and Deborah Hoard “Move When the Spirit Says Move” - a film about Dorothy Cotton Laura is a Senior Fellow of the Dorothy Cotton Institute. Deborah is president of PhotoSynthesis Productions. Watch a short teaser at vimeo.com/304879309
Join the Zoom Meeting April 21, 2021
Newsletter Reporter: Margaret Frank | Photos: Mike Brown | Editor: Ted Schiele 60, 70, 154, 244, 9:29. President Geoff Dunn’s numbers for last week’s meeting were 60 days to the start of summer, 70 days to the end of the Rotary year, 154 days to the start of fall, 244 days to the start of winter, 9 minutes-29 seconds to murder George Floyd. President Geoff read the Statement from Rotary International, issued June 2, 2020, in response to the chain of events following the death of George Floyd: At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work.
We have more work to do to create more just, open and welcoming communities for all people.
We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice.
Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change. “We have more work to do… [We] will do our part… We [will] continue to contribute…” And we will follow the Four-Way Test: Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it Build good will and better friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned? Thanks last week to Harlan McEwen, Loralyn Light, Walt Cottrell, and Loretta Goss.  The Thought for the Day was read by our incoming Vice President, Joe Giordano who, reading Rotary Magazine, was inspired by the incoming Rotary International president who said, “A Rotarian is a volunteer, and being a volunteer means yes, I want to do something.” Dream big, Joe said! And also, if you have any suggestions for 2021-2022 speaker ideas, send them to Joe or Heidi.
There were no guests at the meeting.  For last week’s Member Moment, Joanne Lamoureux added a bit of a twist to her introduction of Loretta Goss: Joanne sketched the basics — Loretta joined the Club in 2004, she ran the concession stand for Little Apple Fall Follies (LAFF), she co-chaired the Sunshine committee — and then she had some questions. So they had a bit of a chat.
JL: Are you a Tompkins County native?
LG: Yes. She grew up in the same west end house her father grew up in. JL: Tell me about your hobbies.
LG: Dancing; adult tap class, singing, working in the yard, doing crafty things.  JL: What is your favorite meal, and do you prepare it yourself?
LG: Thanksgiving, and yes.
Neatnick or sloppy? Likes things in their place. Compulsive or procrastinator? Compulsive — get it done. Extrovert or introvert? Extrovert. Loretta will be celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary on May 8. She has two daughters, four grandchildren, a sister and a brother, and no pets at the moment. And she loves thoroughbred racing!
 Bob Gravani put out a last call for volunteers for the Spring edition of the Route 13 clean-up, which took place in the bright sunshine last Saturday morning. The staging ground was the Visitors Center on East Shore Drive.
Bob reported to me that they had a total of 19 volunteers, with 12 Rotarians, several Rotary spouses, and 5 members of the community involved in the project. The latter included representatives from Ithaca High School, Zero Waste Ithaca, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and the Food Science Club at Cornell. On final tally, the crew picked up 28 bags of trash and other assorted large pieces of debris (wood, metal and car parts) from the roadway. What a fabulous service to the community! On behalf of the entire Club, many thanks to all involved.  May program coordinator Bill Murphy gave a preview of next month’s speakers, which will kick off with Public Health Director Frank Kruppa giving a COVID update on May 5.
This past Valentine’s Day, Mike Katz and a driving band of Rotarians, generated $900 for the Club by volunteering to deliver Edible Arrangements to customers throughout the area. Now with Mother’s Day fast approaching, Mike is looking for a spring bunch of volunteers. Here’s the pitch, delivered by President Geoff: Mothers Day is fast approaching and Rotarian Mike Katz is in search of volunteers for deliveries of “Edible Arrangements.” Mothers Day is on Sunday May 9, but Mike could use help delivering on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that week. The protocol once again is Contactless Delivery — just knock and leave — and masks are required.
Mike very much appreciates the enthusiasm and support of past volunteers and it's an easy win-win fundraiser for Rotary! There are no official shifts, but here are the days and hours drivers are needed, even for just a couple of hours at a time:- Thursday, May 6, 11-3
- Friday, May 7, 10-3
- Saturday, May 8, 10-4
- Sunday, May 9, 10-3
It's pretty easy and fun to be delivering happiness to MOM in the form of fruit and chocolate. Mike can be reached at ithacafruit@gmail.com or by his cell at 607-351-1395.  The meeting divided into breakout rooms for ten minutes, after which Happy Dollars broke out with Larry Robinson being happy that he’s getting close to the top of the kidney transplant list! Also included was an apology for an obscure Orwell reference, anticipating first outdoor dining with neighbor, a second vaccine and two weeks out from being able to sit with friends inside, and the third week of rehab for knee operation.
Brett Bossard has opened Cinemapolis for limited movie viewing! The Cayuga vocal ensemble met in person and sang together for the first time (all masked and some distancing.) To hear harmony was so joyful.
Jack Roscoe introduced speaker Anke Wessels who has been with the Center for Transformative Action (CTA) for 23 years. The CTA is celebrating its 50th anniversary this April, and Anke took us back through some of its history.  In the late 1960s and 1970s there was a lot of progressive social change work happening at Cornell, including the 1969 takeover of Willard Straight Hall. Rev. Jack Lewis started Cornell United Religious Work and then Cornell decided to create the Centre for Religion, Ethics & Social Policy (CRESP), “a creative vehicle for the work of personal and social transformation…” Early projects included CIVITAS, the Learning Web, the Durland Alternatives Library, EcoJustice, and the Women’s Opportunity Center.
In 2009 the name was changed to Center for Transformative Action. Groups come under the CTA umbrella, which is legally responsible for them. CTA then provides mentorship for the group, and gives the group time and space to focus on their startup idea, and figure out how to make it work. The groups launch programs, raise money, innovate, and do it all under the CTA 502c3. Some projects spin-off and some stay with CTA, such as Vitamin L, and the Durland Library. Some recent spin offs include Tompkins County Workers’ Center, Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming, Discover Cayuga Lake, and the Youth Farm Project. Spin-offs are successes, but so are programs that stay with CTA. Newer projects include the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (NYC), Susan Christopher Center for Community Planning (a collaboration with Cornell’s City and Regional Planning Dept.), Anabel’s Grocery (a student run grocery at Cornell), Open Doors English (Julie Rudd Coulumbe Language Program), The Memory Maker Project (Binghamton), Jahajee Sisters: empowering Indo-Caribbean Women (NYC), and the Unbroken Promises Initiative. Visit CTA online at centerfortransformativeaction.org. You may reach Anke at akw7@cornell.edu. To see their (amazing) projects page, click here!
Visiting Rotarians: None
Students: None
Workers:
• Thought for the Day, Joe Giordano
• Introductions, Rotary hosts introduced their guests
Zoom Manager: Trina VanAtta
Bulletin Reporter: Margaret Frank
Photographer: Mike Brown
Bulletin Editor: Ted Schiele
Club Service Facilitators, Beverly Baker & June Losurdo
Sunshine Chair, Kellyann O’Mara
April 28, 2021 Laura Branca and Deborah Hoard “Move When the Spirit Says Move” - a film about Dorothy Cotton Laura is a Senior Fellow of the Dorothy Cotton Institute. Deborah is president of PhotoSynthesis Productions. Watch a short teaser at vimeo.com/304879309 Join the Zoom Meeting
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