North Ridgeville Rotary - Newsletter - Current (Feb 22, 2010)

Fellow Rotarians,

The month of February is very special in the Rotary calendar since it is designated World Understanding Month. This month also includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary (held on February 23, 1905), now designated World Understanding and Peace Day.

During this month we must remember Rotary’s Visionary - our Ohio Rotarian and the sixth President of Rotary International, Arch Klumph. On June 18, 1917, when the world was inflamed with war, Arch found the need and the opportunity to establish an endowment fund, which is our Rotary Foundation today. And his call to action on this historic day was the beginning of Rotary’s march towards World Understanding and Peace.

World Understanding Month is also a chance for our club to pause, plan and promote the Fourth Avenue of Service ~ Rotary's continued quest for goodwill, peace and international understanding, and also to ask yourself what can you do as a fellow Rotarian to further this worldly cause?

Yours in Rotary service,

Shawn

Four Quick Questions With. . .

Denny Johnson

1. Which famous person (living or dead) would make a good Rotarian?

Ronald Reagan. Reagan saw the United States as an example to the world of what free and decent people can do. He may not have been a Rotarian, but he did live the Four Way Test and he's largely responsible for making me more aware of the responsibility to give back some of the blessing that has been given to me.

2. In your opinion, what is the best invention ever?

Bear with me . . . It's the telegraph. Before the telegraph, someone had to physically travel with information when the distance was beyond a good shout. All the wonderful instant communications inventions we now enjoy have evolved from the telegraph.

3. What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?

Tinkering with my house, yard and old cars.

4. Why does hard work pay off?

Hard work alone does not pay off well. When paired with thoughtful innovation, it can make each person as effective as dozens. A hard working man can dig a basement in a few months with a shovel. He can do it in a day with a few hundred dollars and a backhoe. Rotary pairs that thoughtful innovation with hard work -- we bring power tools, not hand saws.

Brian Ramser

1. Which famous person (living or dead) would make a good Rotarian?

Jerome Lippman, the inventor of heavy-duty, waterless hand soap. He was the founder of Gojo Industries. He passed away in 1995 at the age of 92. He built a company that started out of his garage into one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio. Jerry was the son of Eastern European immigrants who came to American with nothing. Through all of his success, he never forgot where he came from. He had a program in the Gojo cafeteria where his workers always had a free lunch. He refused to allow his workers to go to work hungry. Lippman was a dedicated philanthropist who supported charities for the poor and victims of violence. He had a keen interest in helping children obtain an education, and put up the first $1,000 for what became known as the Jerome Lippman Jewish Community Day School. In recent years, his company established a scholarship in his honor for nontraditional students pursuing a degree at Summit College in Akron.

2. In your opinion, what is the best invention ever?

The best invention was the all-inclusive vacation package that I just took to Mexico. All the food, booze, entertainment, and relaxation that my family and I could enjoy with no unexpected costs. Thank you Apple Vacations.

3. What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?

Relocating to a warmer climate as a district sales manager at my company. Hopefully close to where my daughter is going to college.

4. Why does hard work pay off?

There is only one person who truly has your best interests at heart – You. Investing in yourself is never a bad investment. With that being said, if my daughter decides to marry a rich guy, I would not complain too much!

Chapter News

On The Mend
About 3 a.m. Saturday morning (Feb. 13), Tom Klear slipped on the stairs and fell about half-way down. He has no broken bones but many large bruises and had a blood clot on his leg. Keep Tom and Carol in your thoughts and prayers. . . and here's to a swift recovery.

Not Just Lip Service

Dennis Carson, on behalf of Tri City Family Medicine, donated $1,600 toward the annual Easter Egg Hunt. He presented the check to Shawn Mueller, Kerry Mueller and Pat Blakely. Thanks Doc!

Thank You Easter Bunny

On February 15 (President's Day) 23 Rotarians (and family) met at First Merit Bank in the basement to stuff 10,000 eggs in preparation of the club's Annual Easter Egg Hunt! The eggs were filled with treats for the kids. Do you deserve a treat?

Be Our Guest

The North Ridgeville Rotary welcomed several guests including:

Rick Winrod, president of Rolling Thunder Window Cleaning, Inc.

and owner of The Grateful Dog Bakery.

Steve and Tina Ali, owners of Xtreme Performance automotive

repair and maintenance

Four Way Test Speech Contest

On Friday March 26 we will have high school students competing in our Annual Four Way Test Speech Contest. If you haven't seen this before, you have to come check it out. The students will apply Rotary's Four Way Test to a topic they are passionate about to find out if it i) is the Truth, ii) is Fair to all concerned, iii) will Build Goodwill and better friendships, and iv) will be Beneficial to all concerned.

If you have questions, contact Brian Ramser 440-309-4602

Spring Fling Update: On The Lookout For Silent Auction Items
Need ideas for auction items? Adam Sonnhalter has been hard at work coming up with great ideas -- here are just a few:

Airline Miles
Sporting Event Tickets
Tax Preparation Services (people will have less than 1 month to finish their taxes at the time of the Spring Fling event, what a great last minute purchase!)
Meals (if you or someone you know likes to cook, perhaps they can play chef for the day)
Music Lessons (I know we have some musicians in the group, why not let someone bid on a couple of sessions with you for some training? I know I have a guitar that I've never learned to play and I'd bid on this!)
Hotel Passes
Restaurant Gift Certificates
Memorabilia of Any Kind (could be from athletes, stars, etc.)
Gift baskets are typically one of the most popular items each year for our Silent Auction. Here are a couple of themes we're looking for items to fill in our gift baskets:

1. Wine: red, white, pink, whatever strikes your fancy!
2. Liquor: bourbon, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, or your personal favorite.
3. Sports: any combination of Browns, Cavs, and Indians gear and/or tickets
4. Home: items for the kitchen or bathroom can always add a nice touch to someone's home

If you are looking for some ideas of what to ask for, click here to access our Donation Request form. If you are having troube accessing this form, try clicking here and logging onto the Member section of our web site where you can also access the form.

Perfect Attendance -- 2nd Quarter
Congratulations to the following club members:
Dotty Alberto, Emil Bagi, Pat Blakely, Warren Blakely, Chuck Bowman, Bob Bunsey, Doug Charboneau, Carl Commons, Chris Costin, Kathy LeRoy, Shawn Mueller, Kerry Mueller, Adam Sonhalter

Did You Know?

Traci Purdum has created a YouTube page for the club. The URL: http://www.youtube.com/RidgevilleRotary

Each week Traci will tape the song of the week, inductions and various speakers. All videos are set to a low-resolution default. You may view the videos in HD, but note it will take longer to buffer. Currently, the page contains the following videos (click on the picutre to go straight to that video):

Greg Willey Induction

Ron Arndt -- Toastmasters

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

My Country Tis Of Thee

Quotable Paul Harris

"Singing is not indulged in by Rotary clubs of some countries and all clubs are given full privilege to do as they please about including it in their programs."

Roto News is published on or around the 3rd Friday of the month. To contribute news, photos or articles, please send submissions to me, Traci Purdum >> tracipurdum@yahoo.com. All submissions must be in by the 2nd Friday of the month.