President Joyce called the meeting to order at 12:30 pm

After the patriotic song, Meghan Armstrong shared her personal reflections on motherhood and her up-coming citizenship, emphasizing the intrinsic value of children and the importance of community involvement. She highlighted the need to act responsibly, stay informed, and contribute to the community, using Rotary’s mission and the Four-Way Test as guidelines for engagement. Megan expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in something larger than herself and for the club’s support in making it safe and enjoyable to do so.

Ingrid Sheldon then led that Rotary favorite, “Smile, Sing a Song,” and our visitors were introduced. Ken Fischer introduced Dave Garcia, the new executive director of Garrett’s Space, and JoAnn Peirson introduced member-elect Kristen Giant, the executive director of the Rotary Children’s Literacy Network. Jake introduced Doug Allen who is in commercial real estate, and Barbara introduced Ramon Harris, from AARP,  who will be joining our club next week.

Other announcements included:

• Ashish Sarkar and Karen Pancost have birthdays next week. Mark Ouimet is celebrating 47 years of Rotary service and Bob Buchanan is celebrating 43 years.
• President Joyce thanked Larry, Rob and Fernando for preparing the visual display of flags from different clubs  before the meeting starts each week.
• President Joyce announced the hiring of Daniel Burrow as our new Executive aAdministrator who will start on June 2nd.
• Marlena Studer discussed our highly successfully renewed Youth Exchange Program and  highlighted its role in promoting cross-cultural understanding. There is a continued need for host families for incoming students. The District is looking for homes for a 15 year old boy from France, and a 15 year old boy from Thailand. She suggested that we think of families outside of the club who might be interested. She also said that there are many ways to contribute, such as including our exchange students in family activities and events. We will be bidding farewell to our current exchange student Tamaki Mayuri at our June 11th luncheon. Be sure to attend.
• Roy More reminded us that the date of September 15th for our Golf and Pickleball Outing, which is our club’s primary fundraising event each year.

University Musical Society once again hits it out of the park

After an introduction by Norman Herbert, club member and president of the University Musical Society Matthew van Besien took the podium. He first discussed UMS’s upcoming 150th anniversary celebration for 2028 to 2029 and shared plans for a new physical home for UMS in partnership with the University of Michigan. He highlighted the organization’s commitment to strengthening its impact at the university and in the community, including ongoing work in Ypsilanti and the Freighthouse Residency program. He also announced a new series called “American Icons 250” to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026, featuring iconic artists and companies.

The upcoming UMS season will again hit it out of the park, featuring a diverse array of performances, including collaborations with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the Verdi Requiem, a residency with the Berlin Philharmonic’s Academy, and appearances by renowned artists like Wynton Marsalis and the Martha Graham Dance Company. The season will also highlight contemporary and experimental works, such as a theater piece on climate change and a seven-hour recitation of The Great Gatsby. Notable events include a world premiere symphony by Wynton Marsalis, performances by Ballet BC and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, and a series of school day performances.

Season tickets are on sale now. Single tickets will go on sale to the public on July 29th.

President Joyce concluded the meeting at 1:29 after we recited the Four Way Test.