Rotary Informer

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

April 26, 2023

101 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Nominee Christian Smith officiated the meeting. If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter.

Pledge/Anthem:  Howard Richards led us in God Bless America

4-Way Test:  Lyle Peck

Invocation:  Dave Thomas

This morning we are entering slightly tricky territory. As you may know, today is “Hug a Friend Day”. Today is also Administrative Professionals Day. The HR department has asked me to remind you NOT to confuse the two. So, with guidance from HR and all the other 3 & 4 letter acronym organizations – I encourage you to hug your mom, hug your kids, hug a friend. Fathers are complicated, I will leave that to your own discretion. And one more, if you like. In the last 100 years our military lost:

• 116,516 in WW I        

• 405,399 in WW II

• 33,686 in Korea          

• 58,209 in Vietnam

• 4,404 in Iraq and   

• 1,086 in Afghanistan

That’s 619,300 of our friends and forefathers waiting for that hug at the pearly gates. However, there are untold wounded and served available at any time for your hugging pleasure.

Peter Marshall, Senate Chaplin (1947-49) said it best: “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right”

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Jeff Leslie

Calendar Winners April 26, 2023

Visiting Rotarians:  None

Guests:  Kay Winslow

Life Events: 

Birthdays:  None  

Anniversaries:

Becky Philipp-Kranig – 3 Years

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in Smile.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra Concert:  Terra Nostra this Saturday Great Lakes Center for the Arts 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Tickets

Alzheimer’s Foundation:  Looking for volunteers, See Melissa Thompson.

Jane Millar:  Northern Community Mediation has newsletters on the table and an upcoming open house.

Toys for Tots Campaign:  Dave Thomas gave opportunities to donate to Toys for Tots. See Dave for details.

Roadside Cleanup:  Save the date for roadside clean-up on Saturday, April 29, 8:30 - 10 AM. Sign up with Christian Smith!

Rotary Foundation:  Dibby Smith announced that, now through June 9, donations to the Rotary Foundation will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Service Club Day at Camp Daggett:  Save the Date! On May 6th, area service clubs are invited to come to Camp Daggett and help with various projects as they prepare for the summer camp season. See Liz McKenney for further information.

Rotary District Conference:  You can find information on the upcoming District Conference May 19 - 20, 2023 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids. You can find reports, meeting information, and tools for the president. 

Pet Photo Contest:  The Rotary Club of Holland is holding a pet photo contest! Great prizes for winners! More info Here. Deadline is May 14.

PROGRAM:  League of Women Voters  –  National Popular Vote

The League of Women Voters of Michigan supports the National Popular Vote, which guarantees the presidency will be won by the candidate who receives the most votes in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

National Popular Vote will apply the concept of “one person, one vote” to our presidential elections, making every voter, in every state, have an equal vote in every presidential election. Michigan voters of all political stripes, along with other pro-democracy groups, support a National Popular Vote for president because it will help safeguard our democracy.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan supports House Bill 4156 and Senate Bill 126, which would add Michigan’s 15 electoral votes to a growing number of states supporting National Popular Vote.

For more than 100 years, the League of Women Voters of Michigan has worked to ensure every person has the desire, right, the knowledge and confidence to participate in our democracy. We are proud to be a nonpartisan organization that works on vital issues of concern to our democracy, including the National Popular Vote, which we have supported since the 1970s. The direct election of the president by popular vote is essential to representative government.

Leagues across the state are holding public town hall events on this important effort to make our government more representative of all voters. Check out the calendar pages of out local Leagues in Michigan to find a presentation near you.

Next Week’s Program:  Teacher of the Year Award