A small group of us gathered before the meeting on Zoom and, we discussed the usual mix of topics, including:

• Bob Dascola’s trip to England,
• the Dayton Hamvention, which is the largest gathering of amateur radio operators in the world,
• Gregg shorthand
• the upcoming Fourth of July parade
• cursive writing

At 12:30 pm, Tom Strode launched into his rendition of “America the Beautiful,” followed by Becky Pazkowski’s inspirational message on the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month. Marlena Studer provided the music, “Summertime” by George Gershwin.

President Susan then welcomed members and guests, including a visitor from Hononlulu Sunrise and the PDG from District 6400. After thanking the volunteers, President Susan than announced the birthdays.

Next on the agenda, President Susan welcomed Eldon Beery as our latest emeritus member. We learned quite a bit about Eldon, including that he has lived in 37 different homes over his lifetime, and in his work as a minister, he served in about a dozen different churches. Perhaps the most surprising thing, though, is that before becoming a minister, he worked for the FBI in Nashville, TN. He has three children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. His wife, Katie passed last year. Eldon and Katie were married for nearly 71 years.

Tom Millard then updated us on the June 12th Music at the Playground celebration event at Gallup Park. It will take place from 1 – 4 pm, and include music, speakers, and ice cream. Volunteers are needed. Sign up now with SignUpGenius.

Tom was followed by Marsha Chamberlin, who talked about Embracing Our Differences, an outdoor exhibit that features art works that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Via this exhibit, our Rotary Club is addressing these vital issues. Numerous school groups have visited this exhibit and many more are scheduled before the exhibit closes in September. Volunteers are also needed for this effort. If you are interested in helping out with this event, you can sign up online.

Agnes Reading and Burt Voss then introduced one of our newest members, Nancy Peel. Nancy is the new general manager at Glacier Hills. We all welcome Nancy and look forward to working with her.

At 12:55, Yolanda Whiten introduced our speaker, Meghan Thiel, associate program director of Ele’s Place in Ann Arbor, which is a healing center for grieving children, teens, young adults, and their families.. Thiel explained the group’s beliefs about grief, the need for grief support, and the programs at Ele’s Place. For example, Ele’s Place has peer support groups for children as young as 3 years old as well as teens as old as 18. She explained the how the group tailors their programs so that they are age-appropriate.

We’re fortunate to now have Ele’s Place in Ann Arbor. Its services are free of charge, and it’s a great resource for those greiving the loss of a loved one.