President Linda Gerber welcomed members to the 29th meeting of the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Susan Prout led the group in the Why We Are Rotarians statement and Susan also shared the Thought for the Day. She shared several inspirational quotes from Martin Luther King’s writings including, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is an Attitude.” Susan also shared an interesting fact that MLK gave a speech at the 1^st United Methodist Church in Evanston in May, 1963, on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

 

 

Ann Weatherhead: Walk For Warmth was  held on Martin Luther King’s Day, as some 550 community members and leaders--plus many more who joined in spirit—joined in an event to raise awareness about homelessness in our community. There were 38 teams, including Faith Community members of Interfaith Action, Reba Place, Citizens for Greener Evanston, Evanston Community Foundation, and more. ELRC had about 15 - 20 members who walked the “frozen tundra” along a path to view the Faith Communities that provide overnight shelter during the winter months. The walk ended at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, which is the location of Interfaith Action’s Warming Center. 

Ann mentioned that there is a need for additional volunteers for the overnight shelters – evenings to set up and early mornings to break down. Please contact Ann Weatherhead and/or check out the Interfaith Action website for additional information.

 

Chris Joyce:The Young Leaders Committee will meet Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom. It is an important meeting. We will decide whether to recommend that the Club sponsor attendees at the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program this spring. All members are encouraged to attend.

 

Katherine Peterson: Back by popular demand, we will enjoy the warmth around the campfire once more at Emily Oaks Nature Center on Feb. 6 at 3:30 p.m. for safe outdoor fellowship. We are permitted to bring snacks this time, so please feel free to bring a goody to share or just come and enjoy the camaraderie.  Emily Oaks is at 4650 Brummel St., Skokie. Everyone is welcome. Contact Katherine Peterson to join. Limited to 30 attendees.  Club Service member Kelly Fedei is starting a Happy Hour event to gather informally and connect bi-weekly beginning Wednesday, January 23.  The Zoom link has been sent to all members via Club Runner. Reach out to Kelly with questions.  Hope to see you there.

  

Sue Bova: The International Service Committee’s monthly meeting is rescheduled for Monday Jan. 31, 7:15 a.m.-8:30 a.m.  We will vote on the Right To Be Free grant.  We have four other international projects to consider. Jose Lopez will be joining our meeting to share a project in the Dominican Republic. Three other projects--two in Mexico and one in Malawi--that are empowering women and girls through education and community projects will be discussed. These projects come from our relationship with Rotarian Ron Appuhn, who is very involved in the Heart2Heart organization. You will receive emails with information on all the projects to review before our meeting.  All are welcome. Please email Sue Bova suebova@outlook.com for the zoom link and any questions.

 

Marina Mattingly, from the Carol Stream Rotary Club, who shared an announcement about a raffle they are organizing. It is titled “Ultimate Golf Raffle.” Playing at golf courses all over Northern Illinois will be offered as prizes, including the world-renowned Medina Course No.3. Please go to Carol Stream Rotary website for additional details and for registering.

 

Linda Gerber: Clarence and his wife Wendy Weaver have been selected as Northwestern Women’s Basketball “Together We Win” community leaders. Written by members of the athletic department, “Together We Win” is a mantra that has been used to represent the department’s inclusion statement. The purpose of the initiative is to raise awareness of their commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive community that fosters belonging and celebrates authenticity. Clarence and Wendy will be recognized at the game on January 20 vs. Penn State at 7 p.m.

 

Linda Gerber shared an appeal from one of our Taste of Evanston partners, Heather Bublick, co-owner of Soul & Smoke: “Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for us to face the facts. Independent restaurants need you.  We need you in the same way as we did in the beginning of the pandemic. Many of us won’t survive the winter. Between normal January slowness and this newest wave of Omicron, it is almost too much to bear. Things are unpredictable. The last time we mobilized around our Taste partners, there were government programs that provided financial assistance, such as the Payroll Protection Plan. That is no longer the case. If you are able, please support Evanston’s restaurants in the best way you can.”

 

 

Dr. Gerry Baumann was honored by being presented with the Paul Harris Award, as a major contributor to the Rotary Foundation. Hearty congratulations from all the club members!

 

 

 

 

Claudette Roper, who teaches classes on culture, media, and intersectionality, was our special guest and she spoke about Race and Media for our club meeting on the day after MLK Day.

 

She asked the question: what does the MLK holiday mean to us? She shared a clip of Dr. King reading a speech from his cell in the Birmingham jail. She contrasted that speech from the more famous “I have a Dream” speech and we had some interesting discussions related to those.  She also asked the group what white privilege meant to each of us and again some very thought-provoking discussions ensued. She called on us to challenge the status quo and implored us to get involved to make a difference.

 

Our speaker began her career in media, working for Multimedia Entertainment Productions. Through that association, she worked on NBC’s “Today Show” and ABC’s “The Last Word,” with talk show veteran Phil Donahue, followed by a stint on the Emmy Award winning show, “Donahue.” She also held several positions with Carsey-Werner Company, including Director of Public Relations for its groundbreaking NBC series, “The Cosby Show.”

 

During one of the most poignant appointments of her career, she served as a key member of the team that produced the historic Yankee Stadium event to welcome Nelson Mandela to America, prior to his presidency of South Africa.

 

She has worked with Black Entertainment Television, the City of New York, the White House during President Clinton’s administration, Chicago Urban League, the YMCA, and Sara Lee Corporation. Projects have run the gamut from educational endeavors, media training, DEI initiatives, speech writing, philanthropic strategies, public relations campaigns, and television productions. Currently, she is documenting the multi-generational history of her family and African Americans on the near north side of Chicago. 

 

 

 

Marina Mattingly from the Carol Stream Rotary Club

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Carlson, 24 years

 

Kristen Brown, 10 years