The meeting started at 12:30pm with the singing of our National Anthem with Tom Strode at the piano.
Our inspirational message today came from Cyril White, who asked us ‘What is your ‘why’?
Self-help materials says we need a strong ‘why’ to achieve goals and the deeper your why, the more it affects the larger self. When times get tough, then that deep ‘why’ can bring us through those tougher times. Cyril mentioned one example of this deeper why during an experience presenting to a group of kids in Detroit about careers, making money, financial success, etc. When asked why would they want financial success, outside of all of the standard ‘so I can buy a nice car’ answers, one young lady raised her hand and said ‘so I can move my mom/family to a better neighborhood.’ Fine example of a deeper ‘why’.
Today, Don Devine led a group singing of the songs ‘Seems Like Old Times’ and ‘For Me and My Gal.’
President Mark Ouimet announced that today, we have several guests, more than we have time to announce, so they were asked to please stand and be acknowledged! Mark gave special acknowledgement to Claire Foley who’s been doing a good deal of work behind the scenes and we thank her!
Birthdays and volunteers were acknowledged.
Tom Millard spoke about the STRIVE program and an ‘ask’ for support to provide lunch to a student from a local high school Jazz Band who will perform at an upcoming meeting.
Shelly MacMillan reminded us of an upcoming performance of Wine, Women and Song on Thur May 11th, 7pm, at Kerrytown Concert House – it’s a special event for Rotarians!
Don Duquette reminded us to complete our Climate Heros log and turn it in or email it to Nishta Bhatia for ‘credit’! During the past few weeks there have been many activities in/around Ann Arbor and he hopes you have taken part of those! The group will be on a brief hiatus in the summer but will be back strong come Fall semester.
Mark Foster spent a few minutes speaking about our upcoming membership dues which are due June 1. There will be a slight increase in dues across all age categories for this upcoming fiscal year starting July 1. Why? We have increased costs from RI, the Michigan Union, and other expenses that were previously excluded due to Covid.
Mark also gave some examples that, compared to some other large clubs both in and out of Michigan, our costs are considerably lower.
In honor of member Ann Schriber reaching Emeritus status, Joanne Pierson & Kathy Waugh entertained us with a fun singing presentation, sung to the tune of ‘Oklahoma’ and included some fun audience participation! Congratulations Ann!
President Mark then took the podium to introduce our speaker, Warde Manuel, the University of Michigan Athletic Director. Just a few accomplishments mentioned were: Warde was named the AD in 2016, he is a 3 time UM alum, he was a two sport athlete and he played for the legendary Bo Schembechler. Warde has a very prestigious background and is on the cutting edge of what is happening currently in college athletics, especially for colleges like ours who are continually in the spotlight.
Taking from Cyril White’s inspirational message of ‘what is your why’, Warde said his ‘why’ is the athletes and the spectators. None of the magic that is college athletics is even possible without the ‘audience’, whether it’s paid ticketed events or not.
A few stats of our athletes in this past academic year: 320 students had Academic All Big Ten honors and 66 athletes had All Big Ten honors. UM has enjoyed many accolades for our athletic program with many Big Ten awards and accomplishments that are also paired with academic success. Warde’s five ‘rules to live by’ for athletes/athletics include:
Win in the classroom
Win in the field of play
Develop as young people
Operate within the rules
Have fun!
Due to various reasons and funding streams, UM athletics must rely on philanthropic efforts – asking donors to support efforts and also infrastructure, buildings, etc. They are independent of state support, and because of this we have to self-support, if you will. Some buildings are aging and need upkeep and replacement. In other areas, we need to keep an eye towards sustainability, and one example is in the football stadium where all lighting is changing to LED. In addition the following areas will also receive new scoreboards: baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey, and finally, Keen Arena.
Regarding the recent hot topic of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in college sports, Warde’s comment was that with the use of the athlete’s name, appearance, etc. that they are now getting a portion of a sale (like a jersey you can buy with an athlete’s name on the back) – just like in professional athletics. Some students do a great job of balancing endorsements, NIL, and also education. Times have changed and more old school thinking is that we shouldn’t ‘pay’ student athletes. This is no longer the case and we have to change with the times.
A few questions that Warde answered from the audience were related to how students receive tax advice once they are receiving payments due to NIL. Athletes are encourage to attend events and seminars related to tax reporting, etc. Another question was about the addition of new schools to the Big Ten. There are challenges with the addition of new schools including USC and UCLA joining. This will heighten the level of competition and potentially be an opportunity – keep in mind the great alumni base we have on the west coast!
Warde also provided a few comments on the rise and ease of online gambling. They work to educate and monitor students, and also connect with staff on the importance of not gambling, and the risks involved.
Our Quote of the Day: “Those who stay will be champions” – Bo Schembechler
Ring the bell at 1:32.
Respectfully submitted by Pattie Katcher
