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2019–2020
President: Geoff Dunn
President-Elect: Catrina VanAtta
Vice President: Mary Kane
Treasurer: Jay O'Leary • Secretary: Joanne Lamoureux 

Stories
News 2021-01-20

Tomorrow’s meeting:
Dr. Jonathan Gibralter, Wells College President
“Learning to Thrive in the New Normal”

Join the Zoom Meeting

January 20, 2021

WELCOME & TRADITIONS

True to the get-it-done spirit of the new administration in Washington, D.C., President Biden took the Oath of Office a number of minutes before the appointed time of 12:00 Noon. I joined the television broadcast at 11:58 and he was already well into his Inaugural Address. But no matter, there was plenty of inspiration to come. My favorite line was, “We will lead not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” I love that! The Power of Our Example. That (my friends) is the Four-Way Test in my heart.

Our Club President Geoff Dunn paid tribute to the Inauguration by asking everyone at the meeting to unmute and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The echo of Mr. Biden’s Address was noted in the background during the Pledge.

President Geoff also spoke of the pre-inaugural National Moment of Unity and Remembrance to honor the lives lost to COVID-19. Some of us might have participated in virtually, Geoff said, maybe lit a candle, or rang a bell. He urged us to continue to remember those we have lost to the virus, as we look to a more positive year going forward and to putting the pandemic behind us.

President Geoff then asked for a moment of silence for the 19 (now 22) Tompkins County neighbors lost to COVID-19, and for the 400,000-plus Americans lost to the pandemic nationwide since last March.

For his Thought for the Day, Bob Gravani shared a wonderful quote responding to the question, what is a meaningful life?

“A meaningful life is not about being rich or being popular or being highly educated or even being perfect. It's about being real, being humble, being strong and be able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others. It is only then that we can have a full, happy and contented life.” (author unknown)

I guess that's why we’re Rotarians, Bob said, because we reach out, touch people, and make lives better.

There were no guests or visiting Rotarians at the meeting.

 



ANNOUNCEMENTS

Having sold 140 tickets for the Dozen Dinner Draw (DDD) is “amazing,” chair Juliet Gibbs cheered at last week’s meeting, but there is still a long way to go to reach the 300 ticket goal by February 10. Fellow Rotarian Gary Stewart recently recorded interviews with reps from two of our beneficiary organizations, that will air on Gary’s “All Things Equal” program on WHCU radio. Juliet is hoping these interviews will generate ticket sales to support the organizations. The interviews will air at 8:40 a.m. on WHCU as follows:

  • January 26: Karl Graham, Alternative Impact, AFCU COVID-19 Business Grants
  • February 2: Josiah Jacobus-Parker: Family & Children Services of Ithaca

Since the episode with Karl will have already aired when you are reading this, look for it on the show’s archive page, here.

Juliet also gave a shout out to Brett Bossard for updating the Club website with current DDD information.

Dennis Gray, Jessica Gosa, Nancy Potter, and Mary Berens helped to distribute 200 boxes of food from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier to our FoodNet. The distribution was made possible through the Friendship Donation Network.

President Geoff reported that fellow Rotarian Mike Katz is still looking for volunteers to help with delivery of Edible Arrangements over Valentine’s Day weekend: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14. These will be contactless deliveries, with masks and other safety protocols. Mike will donate $15 to our Club for every delivery. If you’re interested in helping on one or all of these days, please email Mike at ithacafruit@gmail.com. Complete details are at the end of this newsletter.

Pres Geoff asked June Losurdo to bring out her MacKenzie-Childs “Urn” (she verified that it’s just an ice bucket) to collect Happy Dollars.

Mary, June and Gail gave for inauguration of a new U.S. President, and Larry grieved the passing of the “last civil war widow” and the recent loss of his 93 year old father-in-law. Nancy contributed $10 for every club member wearing “Pearls for Kamala” on this Inauguration Day. John Vineyard and Richard Kops were vaccinated with (small world, eh?) President Geoff checking them in! John and Richard boasted about the “remarkable effort relatively free of chaos” exhibited by the Cayuga Medical team. Lenore was vaccinated at Kinney Drugs in Cortland. Maricelis gave for Geoff’s reassurance that “we all will get the vaccine,” and for our club receiving a new international student who is a recipient of the Rotary International (Peace) scholarship.

  

 



LAST WEEK’S PROGRAM

Marshall McCormick introduced our fellow Rotarian Diane Cohen, Executive Director of Finger Lakes Reuse, and described her as a leader, visionary and superhero.

Twenty-twenty started as a promising year for Finger Lakes ReUse, but then came COVID-19. ReUse closed in March, but was able to adapt to what NYS defined as an “essential business,” allowing for a reopening in May. While they were closed, job training continued with in-person and virtual instruction, new donation guidelines were developed, and hundreds of families were served with the delivery of free materials.

ReUse was formed with the clear goals to reduce waste, relieve poverty and teach job training skills through its ReSet program. Diane describes the organization’s culture as respectful, inclusive and anti-racist in nature, providing skill building, career development and living wage opportunities impacting more people each year. We provide a Community ReUse Model, Diane said, offering a space for reused items along with “social connections for healing.”

By the end of 2019, ReUse employed 50 living wage employees, increasing to 78 employees by the end of 2020. Although the pandemic has reduced their number, 90 volunteers contributed 24,421 hours in the year 2020. While the pandemic has made ReUse more financially fragile, the organization has developed tools to work through this difficult time.

An application called “A Model ReUse Ecosystem for a Waste-Free World” has been submitted to the Earthshot Prize, a new global prize for the environment that is “designed to incentivize change and help repair our planet over the next 10 years.” This video provides more information about the Earthshot Prize.

 



THANK YOU ROTARIANS

Workers:
  • Thought for the Day, Bob Gravani
  • Introductions, Rotary hosts introduced their guests
Zoom Manager:

Bulletin Reporter: Gail Lyman
Photographer: Mike Brown
Bulletin Editor: Ted Schiele

Club Service Facilitators, Beverly Baker & June Losurdo
Sunshine Chair, Kellyann O’Mara

 



COMING THIS WEEK

January 27, 2021

Dr. Jonathan Gibralter, Wells College President
“Learning to Thrive in the New Normal”

Join the Zoom Meeting



 

Mike Katz and Edible Arrangements Valentine’s Day Delivery for Donations

  • Valentines Day is Sunday February 14, 2021
  • Volunteer deliveries Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that week.
  • Masks required, no drivers will be allowed into the store.
  • All deliveries are Contactless Delivery — just knock and leave.
  • Mike will donate $15 per completed delivery. 70 deliveries could raise over $1000.

From Mike’s email:
I'm trying not to hire strangers so Rotary volunteers would be appreciated if members are willing and able. I don't have shifts, but if people tell me when they can be available, we can work with that. Even a couple of hours at a time. My needs are:

  • Thursday 11-3
  • Friday 10-3
  • Saturday 10-4
  • Sunday 10-4

It's fun to be delivering happiness and smiles in the form of fruit and chocolate!!

 

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