President Mark rang the bell and the Club stood singing our National Anthem. Kathy Waugh then came to the podium to read “My Creed,” by the people’s poet and Michigan’s poet laureate Edgar Guest, in honor of Dave Shipman’s birthday. We learned that Dave’s dad knew Guest.
Joe Diederich donned his BLJ and instantly became Joey D, leader of Joey D and the Dipsticks and Dipchicks. With Kathy Waugh singing at his side, and pianist Kurt Waugh playing the piano, the Club rocked “My Girl” by the Temptations, and “My Guy” by Mary Wells.
President Mark thanked all who helped put today’s meeting together: Linda Kentes, Bill McPherson, Dennis Burke, Agnes Reading, Don Deatrick, Jim Egerdal, Steve Kesler, Ashok Natwa, John Sepp, Mary Steffek Blaske, and Ugur Cetin. Guests were introduced and welcomed with warm applause: Bob and Nancy Harrington, Deb Polich, and Kathy Barden. Happy birthday wishes went to John White, Marlena Studer, Ryan Peterson, Christian Rinna and Henry Johnson.
President Mark’s punny presentation focused on health including the fact that fried foods can be good for you because the fry oil is, after all, made from vegetables.
The club was introduced to new member John Juroe, political economist and MBA now director of Balfour in Ann Arbor. We also were reintroduced to returning club member Brandon Black, mortgage loan officer at Bank of Ann Arbor. Welcome John and Brandon! We look forward to visiting and working with you both!
Sam Kottamasu announced that there will be a Yoga Retreat at the Kensington Court Hotel August 17-18 for both Rotarians and non-Rotarians who wish to focus on health and healing . Individual sessions are led by yoga therapists. Breakfast and lunch is included each day. If you wish to participate, sponsor or volunteer at this event, please contact Sam.
Barbara Eichmuller invited everyone to Happy Hour and President Mark reminded us to complete the annual survey sent to us online!
Rosemarie Rowney introduced speaker Russ Collins, the face of the Michigan Theater. Lifelong Ann Arborite. Collins was hired as the Executive Director of the Michigan Theater in 1983. Since then has only added luster to the Theater and Art House Theaters around the nation. He revamped the State Theater, and hosts nationally recognized film festivals and art house convergences.
Appointed by the Ann Arbor Bicentennial Commission, Collins began his talk by setting the historical background of Ann Arbor being peopled by the Three Fires Confederacy (Chippewa [Ojibwe], Potawatomi and Ottawa). Highlights from the 1720s , when the Europeans first came down the Huron River, to the Battle of 1812 brought us to the foundation of Ann Arbor, Dexter, Dixboro and Geddesburg in 1824. Collins made technicolor the life of Judge Samuel Dexter (founder of Dexter) with his work trying to establish the University of Michigan in Dexter, to underground railroad at Gordon Hall, and work on the transcontinental railroad. Collins took the Dexter family tree further to Samuel’s son Wilt who became a prominent lumberman and attorney in Chicago. Wilt’s daughter Katherine was an MIT grad who married Stanley McCormick of the McCormick Harvester clan. She, in turn, worked with Margaret Sanger on birth control issues as well as a proponent for women’s right to vote. In 1939, she bought Gordon Hall and hired Emil Lorch (UM architect professor) to restore it. She funded most of the research necessary to develop the first birth control pill.
Meanwhile back in Ann Arbor, Allen and Rumsey became outstanding promoters of Ann Arbor and secured Ann Arbor as the county seat. John Dix, who founded Dixboro, was forced out of town because his promises that the rail road would come through Dixboro never came to fruition. John Geddes established Geddesburg near Huron River Drive and Dixboro Road.
Collins brought us to Michigan’s Statehood in 1837. The room was on tenterhooks to hear more, when President Mark needed to close the meeting.
The members then stood and read aloud the four-way test:
* Is it the TRUTH?
* Is it FAIR to all concerned?
* Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS; and
* Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Steffek Blaske
Ann Arbor Native
Note:
If you enjoyed Russ’s talk (or missed it!) and would like to hear more, he will present the full-length program, with additional information about the people and early 19th century era of Washtenaw/Ann Arbor/Dexter settlement, on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St., Dexter, MI.
Click Here for a pdf file of the entire presentation.
