The meeting began with President Joyce Hunter asking us to join in singing the patriotic song, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Mary Steffek Blaske’ Inspiration is attributed to the 6th century BC. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu.

If there is to be peace in the world. There must be peace between nations.

If there is to be peace between nations, there must be peace between cities.

If there is to be peace between cities. There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home.

there must be peace in the heart.

Dave Keosaian led us in a 17th Century ballad followed by Ramblin’ Rose made popular in 1961 by singer Nat King Cole.

Emily Olson’s guest was her son Quinn Bugala

This week’s birthdays included:

Susan Shipman, June 19

Andrew Brenner, June 20

Phil Hughes, June 21

John Juroe, June 24

Norman Herbert awarded a Paul Harris Fellow award to Jodi Tull for her generous donations.

Downs shared a note from Russ Reister’s family thanking Rotary for keeping in touch with their dad over the years. Russ is a past president in 1981-1982 and is now 90 years old.

Next was the annual tradition of passing the shirt and the gavel.

Wagar A. Glas, Club President in 1954-55, as a dedicated Rotarian attended several International Rotary Conventions. He brought back “The Shirt” from a Rotary International Conference in Hawaii.  He gave it to President Carl Gingles (1980-81), who passed it on to incoming President Russ Reister at the start of his 1981-82 term. Russ continued the new tradition by passing the shirt to Dan Balbach when he took over in 1982.  Since then, each President has carefully stored the mantle of leadership as they anxiously await the end of their reign, so they can pass the shirt on to the next President.

This year the shirt and President pin goes to incoming president, Dawn Johnson, along with a gavel – a new tradition introduced by President Joyce. Dawn responded that it was an honor and privilege to serve as the next President of our club. Joyce was then presented with a Past President pin.

GPO

GPO will be Monday, September 15. It will be held at Barton Hills Country Club. Between now and the end of July there are reduced prices for both the golf outing and the dinner only presentation. Members can go on our website and purchase their tickets now.

Ultimately our auction catalog will be online. Some of the items will be available for purchase before the event itself. So, stay tuned, a lot of very exciting things will be announced.

This year Broadway, comes to Barton, and instead of an after dinner speaker, we are going to have six very special student performers from the number one ranked Musical Theater program in the United States from our own University of Michigan, and these students will be presenting a special performance.  Melissa Foster will be organizing volunteers.  If you have a special bottle of wine, vacation home, sports tickets to donate, please let Rosemary know.

IHPC

Wendy Zielen spoke about the International Humanitarian Projects Committee introducing Karen and Andrew Brenner, who met while serving in Niger, presented their humanitarian project, Solar Panels for Niger (SPAN), which aims to electrify rural health clinics in the country. They explained that Niger, with its high fertility rate and limited infrastructure, faces significant healthcare challenges, particularly in remote areas lacking electricity. The project, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Rotary Club of Niamey, provides capital for solar power installations in clinics, leveraging the region’s abundant sunlight to improve access to healthcare services.

The meeting focused on a solar-powered healthcare initiative in Niger, where Rotary has funded 14 clinics with equipment including solar panels, lithium batteries, and refrigeration systems to maintain vaccine storage. The program has achieved high vaccination rates for first doses (80%) but faces challenges with second doses, with 70,000 children aged 1-2 lacking access to vaccines. The project, which began with local fundraising efforts and grew through partnerships with the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, is transitioning from lead acid to lithium batteries for longer-lasting performance, and has been adopted as a model by UNICEF for expansion in adjacent regions.

After the 2023 coup in Niger, the country has stabilized, though Western donors have withdrawn while Russia maintains a limited presence. The high fertility rate of 7 children per woman presents challenges, particularly in rural areas where birth control is less accepted due to religious beliefs, while urban areas show more openness to family planning. The country’s maternal and child health programs have been affected by political changes, with the previous first lady’s initiatives now paused, and economic conditions have improved despite rising prices, though affordability remains a barrier for many families.

We ended with 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.

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle Julet