Rotary Informer

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey via Zoom on the world wide web. Christian Smith officiated the meeting. If you did not get the chance to attend, you can watch it from this:  Recording

Pledge/Anthem:  Howard Richards Played “America The Beautiful”

4-Way Test:  Christian Smith

Invocation:  Jeff Wynder

Something I am thankful for, laughter, except when milk comes out my nose.

Woody Allen

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Bob Metzger

Calendar Winners May 5, 2021

Visiting Rotarians:  Suzanne Perry, Sunrise Rotarian and today’s speaker

Guests:  None

Life Events: 

Rotary Care List:  Please keep Dave Thomas and his wife Carol in your thoughts and prayers as she is heading for a knee replacement and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Also, Neil Bidwell’s Mother passed away this past Sunday. Please keep Neil and Marsha in your thoughts and prayers.

Birthdays: 

David Finley

Anniversaries:  

Geno D’Angelo – 1 Year

Susan Metzger – 6 Years

Bill Winslow – 17 Year

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in singing Happy Birthday and Smile.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

100 Acts of Service:  This year our club aspires to complete 100 Acts of Service for our 100 years. If you did something to serve others in the last week, please be sure to record it in our online survey -- click here. Thank you!

Rotary Apparel Available for Purchase:  Our club is once again partnering with Harbor Springs-based Carter's Imagewear to offer our members apparel and accessories featuring the Rotary Club of Petoskey logo. In addition to general logowear, there will also be a handful of products featuring our 100th Anniversary logo. Click here to shop online. Orders must be placed by Sunday, May 23 and will be available for pickup from Carter's the week of June 7th. Please note -- this is custom apparel so there are no refunds. Please review product information and sizing charts carefully prior to placing your order. If you have any questions, please call Carter's Imagewear directly at (231) 487-1445.

Spaghetti Dinner Update:  Thanks again to everyone who helped with this event! Special shout-out to the committee: Reg Smith, Mike Snyder, Melissa Thompson, John Emley, Chris Hammond and Christian Smith. Also many thanks to Stafford's Hospitality. During the Spaghetti Dinner over 30 Rotary volunteers distributed more than 1,000 meals -- including meals to many community groups like Friendship Center of Harbor Springs, Harbor Hall, Nehemiah House, etc. This year's event garnered 9 sponsorships totaling $2,800. We also received day-of cash donations totaling $2,475. Overall this year's Spaghetti Dinner netted approximately $12,000 for our club's charitable initiatives. Congrats!!

131 Roadside Cleanup Update:  Many thanks to the 17 volunteers who joined us last Saturday to clean-up our three-mile stretch of 131. Together we collected 38 bags of trash (!!) and enjoyed a special guest appearance by Bigfoot.

Half Marathon Aid Station:  Save the date! On Saturday, May 29 Rotary will once again host an aid station for people running in the half marathon that takes place on the Little Traverse Wheelway during Memorial Day weekend. Rotarians cheer the runners passing by, as well as offer water and snacks. Karen Ragland is organizing it this year. Please stay tuned for more details.

4th of July Festivities:  Sunrise Rotary has taken over Petoskey's annual 4th of July festivities. They are asking other service clubs to become involved -- cash contributions, or join the program committee to plan the parade, etc. In its monthly board meeting, the Rotary Board of Directors approved a $1,000 donation toward 4th of July festivities. Please contact Karen Ragland if you are interested in helping with this on behalf of Noon Rotary.

Paul Harris Fellowship Matching Opportunity:  For a limited time only, April 26, 2021 through June 08, 2021, on a first come first serve basis, Rotary International District 6290 is offering to match a new gift of $500 to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund, with 500 recognition points to name a Paul Harris Fellow. (Note: “new” means that the entire $500 contribution must be made within the program dates.  Earlier partial donations cannot be counted towards the match.)

Please complete the form that was emailed to all members and send along with a $500 USD check payable to The Rotary Foundation to: (Please type or write clearly)

PDG Gernot Runschke

District Rotary Foundation Committee

1624 Gladys Circle

Grand Haven, MI 49417

Forms must be accompanied by a $500 USD check and postmarked no later than June 08, 2021. Questions?  Contact Gernot Runschke at 616 566 3815 or email Gernot @ gernotrunschke@gmail.com

Meeting in-person in June -- Save the date! On Wednesday, June 16 at 12:00 PM  we will meet in-person at an outdoor location TBD. There will most like not be a Zoom option for this meeting. There will also not be a program, just social time.

PROGRAM

Today we were joined by Sunrise Rotarian, Suzanne Perry, who specializes in freelance business storytelling through her company Excellent Point.

Suzanne told us about the mysterious world of cryptocurrency. Most of us have heard about it in the news, but we don't know what it actually is!

Cryptocurrency is digital money. It is decentralized -- exchanged peer-to-peer with no governing body. There are about 6,700 crpytocurrencies out there. The most popular one is Bitcoin. It is the first and biggest cryptocurrency, having been launched 12 years ago. There are only 21 million Bitcoins in existence. You can buy Bitcoin through Coinbase, WeBull, Robinhood and Paypal.

Next Week’s Program:  Centennial Committee – Tidbits of Club History

Parting Shots:  Howard Richards closed with 1921 Ivor Novello “And Her Mother Came Too”

I seem to be the victim of a cruel jest
It dogs my footsteps with the girl I love the best
She's just the sweetest thing that I have ever known
But still we never get the chance to be alone

My car will meet her
And her mother comes, too
It's a two-seater
Still her mother comes, too

At Ciro's when I am free
At dinner, supper, or tea
She loves to shimmy with me
And her mother does, too

We buy her trousseau
And her mother comes, too
Asked not to do so
Still her mother comes, too

She simply can't take a snub
I go and sulk at the club
Then have a bath and a rub
And her brother comes, too

There may be times when couples need a chaperone
But mothers ought to leave a chap alone
I wish they'd have a heart and use their common sense
For three's a crowd, and more, it's treble the expense

We lunch at Maxim's
And her mother comes, too
How large a snack seems
When her mother comes, too

And when they're visiting me
We finish afternoon tea
She loves to sit on my knee
And her mother does, too

To golf we started
And her mother came, too
Three bags I carted
When her mother came, too

She fainted just off the tee
My darling whispered to me
"Jack, dear, at last we are free!"
But her mother came too

This next section will be sent out in a separate ClubRunner email in Word Format so that you can fill it out and send it with your check

Rotary International District 6290

Rotary Foundation 500 Recognition Point Match Program

For a limited time only, April 20, 2021 through June 08, 2021, on a first come first serve basis, Rotary International District 6290 is offering to match a new gift of $500 to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund, with 500 recognition points to name a Paul Harris Fellow. (Note: “new” means that the entire $500 contribution must be made within the program dates.  Earlier partial donations cannot be counted towards the match.)

Please complete the information below and send along with a $500 USD check payable to The Rotary Foundation to: (Please type or write clearly)

PDG Gernot Runschke

District Rotary Foundation Committee

1624 Gladys Circle

Grand Haven, MI 49417

Forms must be accompanied by a $500 USD check and postmarked no later than June 08, 2021.

The following Rotarian wants to participate in the district 6290 recognition points match program:

Rotarian’s Name     

Rotarian’s Member ID Number                           

Rotarian’s Address

Rotarian’s Phone Number

Rotarian’s Email Address

Rotarian’s Club Name

  $500 Check payable to The Rotary Foundation, check # 

Name (as it is to appear on PHF certificate) of person to receive Paul Harris Fellow

Questions?  Contact Gernot Runschke at 616 566 3815 or email Gernot @ gernotrunschke@gmail.com