Menu for November 26th: A variety of premade wraps, chicken pot pie sour, hearty vegetable soup, salad bar, and snickerdoodle cookies
ATTENDANCE
If you couldn’t join us on November 19, you were missed! We enjoyed the return of Brian Griffin from Midwest Dueling Pianos for his second visit. Forty-one of us gathered for lunch and welcomed two special guests: Wisdom Addo from West Africa and our speaker, Pattie Jacques, from Gifts for All God’s Children.
INVOCATION
This morning, Parson Tom Townsend attended an oratory presentation by his grandson, who delivered a 10-minute memorized excerpt from JFK’s inaugural speech, including the famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you…” Tom used this inspiring moment as our invocation, encouraging us to consider how we can serve our community and live up to our motto, Service Above Self.
FIFTEENTH HANDSHAKE
Juliane Morian greeted everyone at the door today, offering a warm welcome. She declared Ernie Schaefer the lucky member to go fine-free!
ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK
Phil McPeek passed on the glamourous trophy to Tom Neveau for all he does for Rotary International and our club!
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
We celebrated the birthdays of Zack Thorne and Yolanda Udell today. Dave Archbold harassed the president, claiming that he and Tom Neveau were not recognized last week for their birthdays. Not True! It was pointed out that both gentlemen were recognized at the meeting and in the auspicious RotoScoop! No one will complain when they pay another $5 birthday happy buck.
HAPPY BUCKS
Tim Crawford reminded us of the upcoming Rochester Hometown Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 8, featuring Grand Marshal and Oakland University basketball coach Greg Kampe. He also took a moment to boast about Ohio State’s recent football victory, as OSU wins don’t often make it onto other members’ Google Alerts.
Vito Pampalona shared the exciting news that 50 injured soldiers will attend a special Christmas party at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He also expressed gratitude to Tim Crawford and Steve Cooper for their financial support of this event and praised a wonderful Veterans Day breakfast at Stoney Creek High School.
Rachel Aviles joyfully announced that she became aunt for the first time. .
Dave Archbold highlighted Coach Kampe’s 700th win and celebrated the Detroit Lions’ rise to first place in the NFL.
Tami Salisbury commended the outstanding performance of Game of Tiaras by the Stoney Creek High School Theater students last weekend.
One of the great things about Rotary meetings is the engaging conversations we share. Recently, Phil Lowman and Bill Ebinger were overheard chatting about phones. Phil proudly sang the praises of his trusty flip phone, noting that it meets all his needs: it makes calls, sends texts, and even has a flashlight! Will wonders never cease?
SAD BUCK
Mary Lee Kowalczk has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently exploring treatment options. Please remember her in your prayers during this challenging time.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Club received two recognitions at the recent Rotary Foundation Gala. We were the third largest contributor to the RI Foundation in our district and received a certificate for our contributions to the fight to eradicate polio.
President-Elect Rachel Aviles presented a graphic of the Rotarians who have submitted orders for poinsettias. Orders will be taken for one more week, and the poinsettias will arrive the week after Thanksgiving. To encourage sales Linda Eastman distributed a maze that helped an elf fint the missing poinsettia. Tim Duncan was the winner, but passed on the prize of a Starbucks gift card.
Rachel also announced that the Club Christmas party would be held at the Rochester Hills Banquet Hall on Star-Batt Drive on Thursday, December 19th (note the date change). Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased online or on a signup sheet that will soon be circulating.
Wisdom Addo, Executive Director of PeaceJam West Africa (https://wacpfgh.org/) and a Rotary Peace Fellow was the keynote speaker at the Rotary Foundation Gala last week. Mr. Addo appreciates Rotary's Peace Fellowship program which allowed him to study in Indoniasia and Japan from 2019 - 2021. The West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation (WACPF) is a non-governmental organization that serves young generations in schools and communities through education on human rights, gender issues, conflict resolution, leadership and peace building in Ghana. West African Center for Peace Foundation (WACPF) is an official Ghanaian Chapter of PeaceJam Foundation. PeaceJam Foundation, a non-profit (501-C3) organization founded in 1996 in Denver Colorado, is an international education program that connects youth with Nobel Peace Laureates with the goal of creating a generation of young people committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world. During the year-long program, youth study the life and work of the Nobel Peace Laureates and learn about issues such as violence and intolerance facing young people today. Youth then have the unique experience of attending a two-day PeaceJam Youth Conference with the Nobel Peace Laureate. Since 1996, nearly 600,000 youth have participated in the PeaceJam Program across the United States and in eight other countries around the world.
SONG LEADER
Bob Lytle selected a seasonal hit (?) Poinsettia Song #3, catchy name isn'r it, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. The club gave a robust performance of this song, which was followed by the Rotary Song sung to the tune of The Soldier Song, the national anthem of Ireland. This was the second time we gave this song try and we did pretty well!
SHERIFF'S REPORT
Sheriff David Blair was on fire today, collecting an impressive $185 for our scholarship program. Here’s how he did it:
The Hacker Table:aka the "old geezer" table was fined for their antics.
Linda Eastman: Fined for presenting a simplified challenge to promote poinsettia sales.
Pete Duhamel: Despite it being great to see him back, Pete was fined for insufficiently cheering on the Detroit Lions.
Salvation Army Bucket Warnings: Sheriff Dave gave playful warnings about what not to put into the buckets next Monday.
Tim was cautioned against contributing dog treats.
Juliane and Linda were told to avoid torn-out book pages.
Rachel was humorously reminded to keep poinsettia sales materials out of the buckets.
DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER LAGNIAPPE Mark your calendars for Downtown Rochester's annual Lagniappe on Monday, November 25, with the Big Bright Lights switching on at 7 p.m. Shop owners traditionally hand out small gifts to shoppers, and Sheriff Dave jokingly claimed: Paul Haig is giving out diamonds. Funeral director John Modetz is handing out shot glasses of embalming fluid.Take it all with a grain of salt!
GUESSING GAME: BIG BRIGHT LIGHTS Sheriff Dave challenged members to guess how many lights are strung up for the Big Bright Lights. The guesses were entertaining:
Kyle Johnson guessed "a couple of hundred."
Marty McClure ventured 40,000.
Annette Werner went bold with 75,000.
Phil McPeek gave the classic answer: "a lot!"
For the record, the Downtown Development Authority estimates over 1.5 million lights!
SPEAKER
Pattie Jacques has dedicated over 37 years to volunteering and is a seasoned nonprofit executive. As a former President of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and the founder and Executive Director of Gifts for All God’s Children (GFAGC), Pattie’s work has profoundly impacted the Detroit metro area.
About GFAGC
GFAGC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides Christmas gifts and new clothing to over 3,000 urban children annually through partnerships with 49 urban churches in the Detroit metro area. Beyond holiday gifts, GFAGC strives to meet children’s broader needs by sharing God’s love and offering additional programs.
Ms. Jacques emphasized the importance of serving young children, noting a stark statistic: The State of Michigan uses the number of third-graders unable to read proficiently to estimate future prison bed needs.
Transformative Impact: East Bethlehem Lutheran Church
One success story highlights GFAGC’s partnership with East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit, a congregation now made up of mostly older, retired members and struggling financially.
In 2009, GFAGC began working with the church, starting with a Valentine’s Day party for families in the surrounding neighborhood. Flyers distributed locally brought in 87 attendees. The results were immediate: 10 children attended Sunday school the following week.
From there, GFAGC supported a series of programs that fostered growth:
Easter fairs
Summer camps
Back-to-school backpack drives
The annual Christmas giveaway
This consistent outreach transformed the church. Last year, East Bethlehem celebrated 35 baptisms and now boasts over 160 children actively participating in its children’s ministry.
GFAGC is now replicating this model in other urban churches, helping them revitalize their congregations and serve their communities.
Lessons Learned
One key takeaway from GFAGC’s work is the importance of tracking event participants. Following up with personal invitations to future events has proven vital in building ongoing relationships and encouraging community engagement.
Pattie Jacques’ tireless efforts show how strategic outreach and the power of God’s love can create lasting change for both children and churches.
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Wisdom Addo, Executive Director of PeaceJam West Africa (https://wacpfgh.org/) and a Rotary Peace Fellow was the keynote speaker at the Rotary Foundation Gala last week. Mr. Addo appreciates Rotary's Peace Fellowship program which allowed him to study in Indoniasia and Japan from 2019 - 2021. The West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation (WACPF) is a non-governmental organization that serves young generations in schools and communities through education on human rights, gender issues, conflict resolution, leadership and peace building in Ghana. West African Center for Peace Foundation (WACPF) is an official Ghanaian Chapter of PeaceJam Foundation. PeaceJam Foundation, a non-profit (501-C3) organization founded in 1996 in Denver Colorado, is an international education program that connects youth with Nobel Peace Laureates with the goal of creating a generation of young people committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world. During the year-long program, youth study the life and work of the Nobel Peace Laureates and learn about issues such as violence and intolerance facing young people today. Youth then have the unique experience of attending a two-day PeaceJam Youth Conference with the Nobel Peace Laureate. Since 1996, nearly 600,000 youth have participated in the PeaceJam Program across the United States and in eight other countries around the world.
Bob Lytle selected a seasonal hit (?) Poinsettia Song #3, catchy name isn'r it, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. The club gave a robust performance of this song, which was followed by the Rotary Song sung to the tune of The Soldier Song, the national anthem of Ireland. This was the second time we gave this song try and we did pretty well!