Rotary Informer 

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

February 7, 2024

102 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Reg Smith; officiated the meeting.

If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter.

Pledge/Anthem:  Andre Strydom is still recovering so we recited the Pledge of Allegiance

4-Way Test:  Andrea Koch

Invocation:  Jean Frentz

Rivers do not drink their own water.

Trees do not eat their own fruit.

The sun does not shine on itself and

Flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature.

We are all born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is.

Life is good when you are happy,

But much better when others are happy because of you.

         Pope Francis

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Bill Topham

Calendar Winners February 7, 2024

Visiting Rotarians:  Rachel Sytsma-Reed, Charlevoix 

Guests:  Patrick OBrien, Maggie Steffy, Potential Member; Rachel Sytsma-Reed, Speaker; Janice Smith; Charlie MacInnis; Jenny Johnson, Miranda Fisher

Life Events:

The Club received a nice Thank-you note from Lee Maldegen over the loss of Bob and how much Rotary has meant to the both of them for many years and kindly thanked us for our remembrance of their family in the time of his loss.

Birthdays: 

Bill Hicklen

Rocky Karr

Verne Osterlund

Anniversaries:

Betsy Newton – 5 Years

Ingrid Flemming – 11 Years

Mike Snyder – 52 Years

Singing/Song:  Andre Strydom is still gone. People within a two-block radius are still hoping to not hear us sing. We did sing Happy birthday and Smile. People were cringing down the block. Reg was surprisingly off key but we excuse him because he just got back from a wild and fun filled vacation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Club Notification:  Drew Smith notified the club that the YMCA of Traverse City Area returned more than $50,000 to the club from Diamonds and Denim 2019 due to the unfortunate closure of the local YMCA. The board will discuss methods of re-distribution of the funds next week. Stay tuned.

Service Club Signs:  The two service club signs that greet travelers on both ends of town will be removed this year and replaced with a more generic sign without the service club emblems, but will have information on how to learn more about our area’s service clubs.

Rotary Foundation:  Jane Millar encouraged members to buy a ticket for the District 6290 50/50 Rotary Foundation. Several members of the club have won in the past and it is a great way to support the Rotary Foundation. Tickets are $20.00 so see Jane for purchase.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing:  We received a thank you from the Salvation Army and next year plan on scheduling two days of bell ringing since the spots filled so quickly in 2023.

Save the Date:  Save the Date for Career Day at Petoskey Public High School on Wednesday, March 13. Rotarians will be called upon to represent their professions again this year.

NOTE ABOUT ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Going forward, announcements will be limited to Rotary-specific topics. If you have an announcement for personal or work projects, fundraisers, opportunities, or campaigns, you can email Terry Newton or Andrea Coronado to be shared in the newsletter and on social media. This will aid our efforts to keep meetings to one hour.

PROGRAM:  Rachel Sytsma-Reed, Great Lakes Center for the Arts – Education Director

Next Gen Director

The Great Lakes Center for the Arts offers broad experiences and school matinees that reach many students across the region, as well as intensive opportunities that reach specific student groups. Area youth interact with and learn from world-class artists while cultivating a stronger appreciation for the performing arts. Thanks to the generous support of our Family of Donors and a grant from the State of Michigan, student performances are offered free of charge. The GLCFA presents opportunities for students at all grade levels, pre-kindergarten through high school, across many genres. Working with a team of teachers, the Center staff aligns its events with the Michigan Standards and Curriculum. Teachers are provided with pre and post-lesson plans to use in their classrooms to optimize learning and enhance the theater-going experience for students. Students from across the region experienced matinees, master classes, workshops, movies, and evening events all free of charge.

Next Week’s Program:  Chuck Hayes, NW Michigan Works