Our Club’s weekly meeting convened, via Zoom, with 77 members in attendance, at 12:30 p.m.  on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.  This week’s Rotary Orchestra had technical difficulties, so the Pledge of Allegiance was substituted for our usual patriotic song.  There followed a series of announcements, summarized below:

• Amy Goodman, speaking on behalf of the non-profit industry, provided a different perspective on the current arm’s-length+ social guidelines.  There are some counter-productive aspects:  For example, for some children, going to school keeps them safe from a negative neighborhood or home environment or provides them with needed food. Many homeless people need one another for warmth on cold nights. The need for support of the non-profit sector is greater than ever.
• President Rosemarie announced that we have a new member:  Lois Stenger has been approved by the Board for reinstatement.  Welcome Back, Lois!
• Lori Walters announced that our annual survey is still available and encouraged EVERYONE to complete it.  (Click here to find the survey.)  The deadline has been extended to April 8.
• Mary Avrakotos suggested a way Rotarians can show appreciation for health care workers during this time of extreme vulnerability for them.  Make a couple of signs saying “Thank You” to them and display them in your yard or at other appropriate locations.
• There is a Rotary Club of Ann Arbor ad in the current (April) issue of the Ann Arbor Observer.  It can be found on page 21.  Our Public Image people have other ads lined up for future issues, and they are working to adapt the next one to reflect appreciation for health care workers.
• Dan Lewan reported that the International Humanitarian Projects Committee has tabled its international work until summer and instead is looking for ways to act as a pandemic response team.  They plan to reach out to non-profits and look for ways to provide assistance and leverage District and Rotary Foundation funds.  He has asked the Board to create a Pandemic Response Account to which members can donate and from which grants would be made.  President Rosemarie will refer the recommendation to the Board at its next meeting.
• John White reported on things the Rotary Foundation is doing to respond to the Pandemic.  His slides may be viewed here.
• Bob Mull reported that the VITA tax project is looking for ways to continue to advise people without face-to-face meetings.  The goal is to file returns, even for folks who otherwise wouldn’t have to so that they can qualify for relief checks approved by Congress.
• Next, our Rotary newsman, Steve Schram provided the Rotary news report.  The news was all pandemic, all the time, without the usual does of Wolverine sports or other humorous anecdote that we had come to expect.  Thanks, Steve, for working up these reports.  We appreciate it, even when the news is what it is this week.

Program:  Our program was an experiment to see if we could show a video via Zoom.  It turned out that we could and the video of Chris Wells’s talk at the Hamburg Rotary Convention on Dogoodery was shown.  Click here to watch it.

Finally, what’s coming up this month?  Next week will be a focus on youth led by Lauren Heinonen.  Later meetings will feature live speakers, Collyer Smith on April 15 and Jim Kosteva on April 22.

With that President Rosemarie rang the bell.  Have a good week everyone.

(notes by Michael Field; photos by Michael Field and Fred Beutler)