Former President Susan Froelich called our meeting to order today as she is filling in for President Joyce Hunter. Thank you to Jody Tull who lead us in singing ‘America the Beautiful’ as our patriotic song.
Our inspirational message today was provided by Dennis Burke who spoke about a powerful 1964 University of Michigan commencement address by Lyndon B. Johnson, titled ‘The Great Society’. Some would say this was UM’s most famous commencement address. Some brief highlights (you can read much more about this famous speech online): we should ask ourselves, not how much, but how good; not just creating great wealth (as an individual or nation), but how to use it; and a great nation’s first test is the quality of its people.
Rick Ingram’s musical selection today was ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’.
We welcomed several guests at today’s meeting including a friend of Agnes Reading, Marsha Chamberlain’s granddaughter, and 3 visiting Rotarians from India. A flag exchanged ensued and one of the visitors provided us with information about their club in northern India and the many projects that they are involved with.
Thanks you to all the helpers for today’s meeting: Linda Kentes, Rob Shiff, Mark Foster, Shrilee Kipp, Rosemarie Rowney, Susan Shipman, Michelle Foster, John Sepp, Pattie Katcher and Glenna Miller. Tom Millard then announced the 6 birthdays coming up in the next week!
If you haven’t already, consider volunteering for the GPO
The Golf and Pickleball Outing (GPO) is coming up! Brandon Black let us know that today is the last day for early bird pricing for participants. We are still looking for volunteers as well – please see our website for more information about that. Be looking for announcements of the event on Facebook and share, share, share! We will also have a few auction items available ‘early’ / before the event, as they are football tickets to games occurring prior to our event. This early auction will be open from Aug 21 – 28, 2024, and look for more information in your email.
Bob Mull provided an overview of the annual VITA (tax assistance) report, and here are a few quick items: we have 63 volunteers and 884 total accepted tax returns. The combined amount of federal and state refunds = over $1.5 million! This is up 14% from last year. Some changes that in most cases helped filers came from the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Property Tax Credit. Bob presented two examples of clients who benefited from our volunteer team of tax experts, including a single mother of 3 who was able to received a very nice tax refund, and also an individual filing as single/no dependents who is mainly a ‘gig’ worker who is mostly paid in cash. The takehome message for those working in the so-called ‘gig economy’ is to keep receipts and keep accurate records. Thank you to all of the volunteer helpers and to our club which donated $2500 in financial support of this effort.
A2SF audiences are back!
Alicia Pani introduced today’s speaker, Mike Michelon who is the Executive Director A2 Summer Festival. Mike presented a sort-of annual report of the 44th season of the Ann Arbor Summer Fest (a2sf.org) which attracted 800,000 people this year! The A2SF makes our community vibrant! For many, it’s a summer job. For 4 people it’s a year round job and for 800 people it’s a one-month job. The Summer Fest turns Ann Arbor into a town square atmosphere for a month each year. If you did attend this year, perhaps you were at the Top of the Park musical opening with Thornetta Davis, or maybe (like me) you attended on the last day to hear some of our local greats of Lady Sunshine and the X Band and George Bedard and the Kingpins!
Mike summarized a few takeaway points: 1) Audiences are back!…in this 3rd season since Covid shutdown, 2) the event showcases a diverse range of artists including 57% of whom are women, 3) we have the support of a broad group of businesses with annual gifts, 4) it’s the best example of ‘town & gown’ and 5) it’s part of a collaborative arts community including the example of a partnership of the Ann Arbor District Library and A2SF who brought in a circus-type group who performed out of their food truck!
Looking ahead: check out the ‘Hear Now’ events which are mini neighborhood concerts and be looking for the opening, on September 4, of Monuments – a large scale art installation which involves projecting monuments onto trees. This will be held in Wheeler Park.
Our meeting closed with membership reciting the 4 Way Test:
Of the things we think, say or do…
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
- Is it beneficial to all concerned?
Respectfully submitted by Pattie Katcher
