The meeting was called to order at 12:25 by President Dawn Johnson. After the patriotic song and 4-Way Test, Shelly MacMillan gave the inspiration and led the singing of, “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

The business portion of the meeting included the following announcements:

• GPO: With special recognition to Roy Moore’s long-standing participation and leadership, Past President Mark Ouimet thanked the committee chairmen and many volunteers who made the Golf and Pickleball Outing an outstanding and financially successful event.
• Pricilla Perkins, CEO of The Accounting Aid Society, thanked Rotarians for volunteering their services for tax preparation. She especially recognized Bob Mull and Dawn Johnson as Rotarians who exemplify Rotary’s core value of Service Above Self. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax services to individuals who earn less than $67,000 per year.
• Rotaract: Dennis Powers introduced Carlie Peterman who is a Rotaract member and senior at the Ross School of Business. Carlie spoke of the importance of mentors and encouraged more Rotarians to participate. She especially thanked her mentor, Melissa Foster who has provided both personal and career advice.
• Pennies for Polio: John White announced the kickoff of the Pennies for Polio campaign and noted that over 1600 pennies were donated before the meeting started. Members were reminded to collect their pennies and donate them over the next four weeks. The funds raised, which will be matched by the Gates Foundation, will go to Rotary’s End Polio Now project. The campaign will culminate on World Polio Day on October 24th.
• Adopt a Highway Clean-up: Ed Johnson and Leo Shedden announced a highway cleanup event scheduled for Saturday, September 27, at 8:30 AM along I-94, with a box lunch to follow.

How the James Webb Space Telescope is aiding scientist discover the origins of stars, planets and life

Dr. Michael Meyer, Chair of the Astronomy Department at the University of Michigan, discussed the James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities and its significance in studying the universe, emphasizing its ability to observe infrared wavelengths, which is crucial for understanding the formation of stars and planets. He highlighted the telescope’s technical achievements and its role in advancing astrophysics, including the study of brown dwarfs and the atmospheres of exoplanets. He also mentioned ongoing research at the University of Michigan, including efforts to understand carbon in interstellar clouds and the water content of planet-forming disks.

Dr. Meyer focused on the James Webb Space Telescope’s success and its ongoing importance, despite its high cost. The discussion touched on dark matter research, the telescope’s role in studying gravitational lenses, and the challenges of identifying extraterrestrial life. The speaker expressed optimism about the existence of life in the universe but highlighted the difficulty of recognizing it due to its potential diversity.

He also talked about the Extremely Large Telescope, a collaborative project of the University of Michigan and European partners, which aims to detect Earth-like planets around the nearest stars and is set to begin operations in 2029. It is located in Chile and is larger than the University of Michigan’s Big House. Interestingly, The University of Michigan is the only U.S. participant in this global project.

The talk concluded with questions about dark matter, the existence of biochemical life, scientific progress, undergrad majors in astronomy (doubled,) why Chile was chosen for the Extremely Large Telescope, and the importance of funding.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:32