Meeting Notes for January 8, 2025: Marsha Chamberlin, Chair, Community Allocations Committee

Our meeting today was called to order by President Joyce Hunter at 12 noon. Then, Jody Tull led us in our patriotic song.

Today’s inspirational message, offered by Dennis Burke, touched on the great feats accomplished in our community, including the 80th anniversary of the Jonas Salk polio vaccine, announced here in Ann Arbor! Ann Arbor will celebrate with an event in April. Dennis also touched on John F. Kennedy’s announcement of the Peace Corps, which took place on the steps the Michigan Union. Moving to the present, Dennis lauded Ann Arbor’s current efforts to promote sustainability, including the efforts of our own Rotary club.

Marlena Struder led us in song today. In a nod to the folk music scene, we sang ‘Blowing in the Wind’ by Bob Dylan, accompanied by Jody Tull on the ukelele, and Marlena’s husband, Steve Ragsdale, on the guitar.

People standing and singing. — From left to right, Vic Stoeffler, Don Deatrick, and Rosemarie Rowney, singing “Blowin’ in the Wind. Photo: Mary Steffek Blaske

Our visitors and guests today included former member Roger Fraser, who wants to reconnect with the club, and Carolina Typaldos’ parents from Panama. We also welcomed representatives from organizations who are grantees of our Club, including the Pioneer Theater Guild, Washtenaw Area Council for Children, and Ballet Chelsea’s Adaptive Dance Program.

President Joyce offered thanks to all of today’s helpers and announced five birthdays and eight club anniversaries (ranging from 34 – 63 years!). Terry Foster then presented January’s Moment in Rotary History. It might surprise some to know that women could not join Rotary clubs until 1988. Since that time, however, we’ve had many women join and take on leadership roles, including Elaine Didier, who was the first woman to be president of our club.

CAC: Serving the Community

Woman smiling. — Marsha Chamberlin, chair of our Community Allocations Committee, explained how the committee decides who gets our grants. Photo: Mary Steffek Blaske.

Dallas Dort then introduced the speaker, our own Marsha Chamberlain, who is currently chair of the Community Allocations Committee (CAC). Marsha explained how the 19-member Community Allocations Committee works and then showed how the grantees are using the funds. Marsha’s presentation included videos from several of those organizations.

Marsha noted that while the amount of money that we are able to give out increases every year, so does the need. Last year, we awarded more than $60 thousand to deserving groups, but that was only a third of what the nonprofits requested. So, while our grants are appreciated and making a difference, there’s much more that needs to be done.

The request for proposals for this year’s grants has just gone out, and the submission deadline is February 28, 2025. After that, the hard job of deciding who gets the grants begins. If you are interested in helping the committee do that, please contact Marsha for more information.

Our meeting ended with us reciting the 4-Way Test:

Of the things we think, say or do…