President Roy called the meeting to order followed by singing the National Anthem. This week’s inspiration was delivered by 
Leo Shedden who spoke about the United States Declaration of Independence and our country’s 250th Anniversary as a nation.
Shelley MacMillan led us in singing a revised version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
“UM Women’s Basketball Team”
Join me soon in the Crisler –
Find me near center court.
I will be cheering for our women’s team!
Please let their shots all drop in real clean!
Let’s all cheer, cheer, cheer for our home team.
If we don’t show…what a shame!
For it’s pass, catch, drib-ble and shoot at the wo-men’s game!
President Roy shared photos of our club’s participation in the Fourth of July parade in downtown Ann Arbor and reminded members of the Centennial Park dedication ceremony on Saturday and a Rotary-hosted ice cream sandwich giveaway on Sunday, July 12.
Announcements
- Dennis Burke and fellow Rotarians will be hosting a Rotary table at the “Dart for Art” on July 14 on Thompson Street. This is Art Fair Eve so it will be a fun time to see what’s happening at the Art Fair before it opens.
- Jody Tull shared information about an upcoming Ice Cream Social on July 30 at Story Point Senior Living with fellow Rotarians Lois Jelneck and Fred Beutler.
- Greg Stejskal reminded us of the Golf and Entertainment Outing (GEO) being held on Monday, September 14 at Barton Hills Country Club. There will be fabulous golf on the beautiful Barton Hills course, a fantastic silent auction (think travel plus fun things to do), a gourmet dinner and spectacular entertainment by the University of Michigan’s Music, Theatre and Dance. Melissa Foster was at the check-in table signing up volunteers for the day of the event.
Past President Mark Ouimet introduced Kim Barnes-Arico (KBA) the University of Michigan’s women’s basketball coach. She has been at Michigan for 14 years and during her tenure women’s basketball had a record 312 wins. Twice she has been awarded the Big Ten Coach of the Year. But beyond those impressive numbers, she is a teacher, she is a coach, she is a mentor and she is someone her students can look up to and emulate.
Coach KBA discussed the University of Michigan women’s basketball program, emphasizing its role in mentoring young women and helping them find their voices. She highlighted the program’s commitment to developing strong, talented, and driven players who reflect the university’s community and culture. She also shared her personal dedication to Michigan after more than 14 years with the program and described its broader goal of empowering women to advocate for change and equality.
Coach KBA reviewed the women’s basketball team’s successful season, which included 28 wins and an Elite Eight appearance, and noted the positive influence of sharing a facility with the men’s national championship team. She described how college athletics has changed rapidly in the past three years, particularly with NIL opportunities expanding dramatically, including football’s growth from a potential $3 million to $40 million. She also discussed the challenge of retaining standout players such as Syla Swords and Olivia Olson, who are attracting significant professional interest, along with four potential WNBA draft picks. In addition, she explained how a new NCAA rule extending the graduation requirement for student-athletes from four to five years will affect roster management. She encouraged members to support women’s basketball by attending games or becoming season ticket holders.
