Rotary Informer 

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

March 20, 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:  Howard Richards led us in America the Beautiful

4-Way Test:  Dibby Smith     

Invocation:  Reg Smith

Today is the Spring Equinox. In the spring I have counted 136 different kinds of weather in 24 hours. Mark Twain   

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Karen Ragland

Calendar Winners March 20, 2024

International Insight:  Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,700 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace in a variety of settings.

Visiting Rotarians:  None 

Guests:  Liz McKenney, Rich Perlberg, Prospective Members; Janet Begrow Chambers, Speaker

Life Events:  Joe Blachy recently went to Australia and got a chance to meet with Lee-Ann Behr Morris who was a former Rotary Exchange student who stayed with the Blachy’s when she was in Petoskey. She shared that her experience had a profoundly positive impact on her life.

Birthdays:

Dave Thomas

Anniversaries:  None

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in Smile.

ANNOUNCEMENTS  

President Reg Smith Announcement:  in appreciation of Rotary's support of the college's athletic program, Rotary representatives have been invited to attend and present the Comeback Athlete of the Year award at the college's upcoming Athletic Banquet on Thursday, April 25 at 4:30pm.

President Elect Christian Smith: The Rotary Foundation raffle winner was announced at the PETS event last weekend - a Charlevoix Rotary club member (Rachel Sytsma-Reed) won the grand prize of $2,400, cementing Christian's plan to purchase a ticket next year.

President Elect Christian Smith and President Nominee Andrea Coronado attended the President Elect Training School (PETS) event last weekend and found it insightful.

PRCCI Grant Cycle:  The PRCCI Grant cycle has begun, the application is available on our website petoskeyrotary.org. Please send to the organizations you would like to apply.

District 6290 Conference:  Save the date for the Rotary District 6290 Conference “Hoofbeats and Handshakes” May 2-4 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, MI.

Rotary Peace Fellowships:  Each year, Rotary awards fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders for continued education focused on peace. Applications now open!

April 3 is 'Bring a Guest to Rotary' Day:  On Wednesday, April 3 the Club will hear a program from Leadership Little Traverse. Members are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend, or family member who you think would be open to exploring membership with us. Rotary will pay for all guest lunches that day.

Spaghetti Dinner on April 18:  Mamma Mia! It’s time for the 72^nd annual Spaghetti Dinner. Save the date for April 18, 5 – 7 PM at Petoskey High School. Every Rotarian is asked to volunteer that day—from slinging spaghetti and working the ticket table, to washing dishes and cleaning up, there’s plenty of fun to go around. Sponsorships are available and we ask for your support to make this event a roaring success. There is still time to join the Spaghetti Dinner Committee – contact Drew Smith or Karen Ragland to learn more.

PROGRAM:  Janet Begrow Chambers – Build for the Future

Janet created Build4TheFuture after seeing a need to connect people with construction trades jobs. Construction-related jobs in our region are growing and there is a critical lack of skilled professionals to fill those positions. The top 25% of most construction jobs earn at least $60,000 annually.

Funded by the Robert Jensen Dau Foundation, Build4TheFuture has partnered with the Home Builders Association of Northern Michigan to develop a website portal of resources and job shadowing opportunities to learn about careers in the building trades industry in Northern Michigan. These careers include carpentry, masonry, painting, electrical, plumbing, HVACR, estimating, roofing, landscaping, excavating, design, accounting, truck driving, inventory management, purchasing, heavy equipment operating, customer service, and sales. 

The Build4TheFuture website helps people learn about careers, why people enjoy them, and their income potential. It also shares which companies are hiring, who is willing to train new employees, and which colleges and universities in Michigan have construction management programs and scholarship opportunities.

Benefits of the program include providing opportunities for people interested in the construction trades to "earn while they learn" through apprenticeships and on-the-job training, helping avoid unnecessary college debt. In addition, individuals learn hands-on skills that can help with both professional and personal home projects. 

Janet is getting the word out about the program by connecting with counselors throughout the Char-Em ISD, building trades programs, MI Career Quest, the Home Builders Association Home Show, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity.

To learn more about the opportunities in working in the building trades you can contact them at www.build4thefuture.com.  

Next Week’s Program:  Ron Kerver – Nehemiah House

Two-Week Notification:  The board of directors met March 12 and voted in Liz McKenney as well as three other members of Camp Daggett for a corporate membership. This is the second of a two-week notification. Steve Schnell, Kayla Pennington, Sam Matz are the three additional members.

We also had a podium board meeting today and voted in Rich Perlberg and this is the first of his two-week notification.