Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives through its Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives by helping everyone learn skills that will allow them to become economically self sufficient. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
Instead of our regular noon meeting, Rotarians will gather at 6 p.m. for the 110th Anniversary Party, Paul Harris Fellow Induction and Valentine’s Day Party at the Tyler History Center. The reservation deadline has passed; no tickets will be available at the door. Attendees are encouraged to wear something red.
Rotary Last Week
Congratulations to Dr. Y.T. Chiu on his 51st anniversary as a Rotarian!
Dr. Virginia “Dee” Banks encouraged RCY members to make their own discoveries about the Harlem Renaissance artists. Dr. Banks is an infectious disease specialist, Athena Award winner, and an art aficionado. Her appreciation of art was nurtured by her mother, age 107, and her late husband, Al Bright, who was a member of the YSU art faculty.
The Harlem Renaissance lasted from 1918 to 1937. Dr. Banks’ presentation on Feb. 5 focused on three artists: Jacob Lawrence, who found inspiration in everyday Harlem; Augusta Savage, a sculptor who was commissioned to create a piece titled “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens; and Archibald Motley, who was classically trained in France and created lively, colorful scenes of city nightlife and activities.
The Butler Institute of American Art has a Lawrence painting in its collection, she noted.
John Fahnert organized the Youth Exchanger Overnighter for inbound and outbound high school students on Feb. 8 at the Downtown YMCA. The teens shared meals together, walked over to the Covelli Center to watch a rodeo, enjoyed the Y’s gyms and pool, and played card games. RCY members and other District 6650 Rotarians chaperoned in shifts. Good luck to these young people who are on exchange or thinking about participating.
Rotary Next Week
We will continue to celebrate the club’s 110th Anniversary during our lunch meeting on Feb. 19 at the Wick Park Pavilion. Bring a friend!
POLAND NIGHT AT THE RACES
On the eve of our Beerfest, Poland Rotarians will have a Night at the Races Fundraiser at Holy Family Church. If you cannot attend but want to buy a Super Bowl Block or a $50 raffle ticket for a 1 in 200 change to win $5,000, then call Ron Butch at 330-810-1628.
TWO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
A message from Elsa Higby, RCY Environmental Committee Chair:
We have 192 lbs. to go and only two more plastic collection days to meet the Trex recycling goal. It’s a little too close for comfort. For those of you who intend to start collecting, please use these last two months of this campaign and bring in your plastic!
As for meeting our OP District Challenge, listed below are some action items from the complete list of eligible activities found here. You will find more resources at this link, such as garden design, recipes, and a list of books to read.
1. Promote OP topics on social media consistently. At least monthly. When you do this, send Elsa the link: 10 points per 10 posts. (Perhaps we can divide this up between a few of us? Email Elsa if you are interested at elsahigby@gmail.com)
2. Plant a pollinator’s garden (at least eight varieties of native plants) in your community or in a club member’s yard—15 points per garden.
3. Host an event for your community. This may be educational and include inviting community members to a meeting with a relevant speaker. Have a mixer or club meeting to invite prospective members and serve pollinator cocktails (see link above) 10 points per event.
4. Grow a native plant or milkweed in your yard, window box, or pot. OR choose another project from the resource packet or on the back of this page.
5. Read a suggested or related book or article, and for extra points, share takeaways with the club during fellowship or in the club’s newsletter. 1 point per article read. If you share takeaways at a meeting, we get an extra point. Here are a few suggestions:
Who celebrates an anniversary and Valentine’s Day on the same evening? This club! Wear something red to RCY’s 110th Anniversary Party, Paul Harris Fellow Induction and Valentine’s Day Party at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St. Saratoga Restaurant will prepare the menu, to include vegan and vegetarian options. Cost is $45 per person. A cash bar will be available. Register here by Feb. 4.
SAVE THE DATE
St. Patrick’s Day Program, March 12, Wick Park Pavilion.
Neighborhood Cleanup with Youngstown City Schools students and Kool Boiz Foundation, March 28; more details to follow.
WILDFIRE RELIEF CAMPAIGN
A message from District 6650 Governor Elayne Bozick:
Once again we are coming together out of concern for those affected by the wildfires in California. Dan Himelspach, the RI director representing California, has reached out regarding how we can help. Please read and share.
From Director Himelspach:
We are now up to 10,000 structures destroyed in the Los Angeles area, 36,000 acres burned, 150,000 ordered to evacuate, and another 166,000 warned they may need to flee.
Firefighters have come in from all over the U.S. and Canada. Civil authorities are responding the best they can, but the situation at this point is out of control with more high winds in the forecast.
Our Rotarians are responding to the best of their ability, but many have been personally affected. Districts 5280 and 5300 are being heavily impacted and both are deeply engaged in organizing disaster relief efforts. Both have activated District Disaster Relief Funds to assist the victims of the fires.
District 5280 (Los Angeles) has also created a Resource Directory and online spreadsheet for In-Kind Donations.
Cheers to RCY’s Environmental Committee, led by Elsa Higby, for employing zero-waste strategies during Beerfest!
Food vendors served their offerings with compostable plates, napkins and flatware, thanks to an in-kind donation of goods from Berk Enterprises, Inc. of Warren. Drinking water was available from large dispensers – not plastic bottles – and sipped from compostable plastic cups.
Cardboard and film plastic from vendors’ packaged products were dutifully collected for recycling. Multiple stations were placed around the ballroom for guests to deposit trash into recyclable, compostable, and landfill containers. The portable recycling stations were purchased with support from Gasser Chair, our Beerfest sustainability sponsor. Alison and Mark Gasser (in photo with Higby) attended Beerfest, as did Mark’s wife, Jennifer. The equipment is now in storage at the Downtown YMCA and can be used at other events.
Nick Demart, environmental educator with the Mahoning County Green Team, assisted during both Beerfest sessions. Higby also had Rotarian support, including Linda Kostka, Sharon Stringer, Don Foley, and Barbara Brothers.
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