President Mark Ouimet opened the meeting at 12:30 on the day UM students returned to campus. Tom Strode played America the Beautiful. President Mark honored Tom’s 30-year service playing our patriotic song and Steve Pierce serenaded him with “He’s A Jolly Good Fellow”. Michael Barg announced the birthdays, including Tom’s.
Michael Barg’s Inspiration noted that each of us is unique and everyone has the privilege and responsibility for recognizing, developing, and encouraging the uniqueness of fellow human beings. He believes education is the cornerstone of a successful life.
Ingrid Sheldon played a video of Musical Theater students singing “Imagine.”
President Mark honored Past President Rosemarie Rowney for her leadership and vision in transitioning us to Zoom when the pandemic hit. Many clubs did not survive, but we thrived.
Lori Walters took the podium to talk about some of the social events available through the Golf and Tennis Outing Silent Auction. Sporting a green wig and witches’ hat, she invited us to the first Twisted Witches Brew Ha Ha on October 30. She also highlighted the Preview Party, Condo Crawl, Bob Buckler’s Elegant Pizza and Champagne Party, and Greg Stejskal’s ever-popular FBI tales dinner at Paesano’s. These social activities and many tempting items will be fully described in the auction catalog which will be available next week. These events are unique and unlikely to be repeated so you will not want to miss them.
Guests of Mary Avrakotos and Lois Stenger were introduced, including a Global Grant Scholar from Japan. Rotary flags were exchanged.
Rosemarie Rowney talked about the threatening resurgence of polio and said that now is the time to speak up about Rotary’s still being in the determined fight against this dread disease that we have come SOOOO close to eradicating. The Polio Plus Committee will be auctioning off a teddy bear in October to raise funds for polio. These funds will again be matched by the Gates Foundation.
John White announced an exciting new service project, “Send Hunger Packing.” It is sponsored by the three Rotary Clubs in Ann Arbor and will involve 150 volunteers to work an assembly line to pack up nonperishable food for people in need, both locally and internationally. This event will be held on Saturday, November 5 at Pioneer High School. More information on volunteering, donating, or joining the committee is available at: a2rotary.org/sendhungerpacking.
President Mark told us that John U. Bacon will be the speaker on November 2. His topic will be leadership. Guests are invited to this meeting and because he is such a popular speaker, Rotarians are asked to register guests in advance so the Union will be properly prepared.
Notes from the Speaker
Our speaker was Angela Bingham, the new Director of Ann Arbor’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). OLLI is one of four Michigan Medicine Community Programs. OLLI presents lectures, social events, study groups, and interest groups that foster intellectual and physical growth for persons 50 years of age or older. It is a volunteer-powered organization that has a small professional staff. There are 125 OLLI chapters in the United States, with four in Michigan. The current staff is all new and is taking OLLI in a new direction, expanding its outreach and presenting programming that reaches more people. There will be evening and weekend programming with hybrid and in-person activities. September 7 will be the Fall Kick-Off event at Washtenaw Community College at 10:00 am in the newly-renovated Morris Lawrence Building. Representatives from the events, special interests, and study groups will be there to talk with interested people and there will be some other fun activities to get things started. The Fall catalog is available online (http://www.olli-umich.org) and in print.
After a few questions, President Mark noted that it is National Waffle Day. He quoted Leslie Knope:
Remember what matters in Life
Friends, Waffles, Work
Waffles, Friends, Work
It doesn’t Matter – Work is Third
Reporter: Agnes Reading
Photographer: Steve Pierce
