If you couldn't join us on this last Tuesday of September, you were missed! We had 42 attendees, including Megan Terbrack, Interact adviser at Stoney Creek High School, along with Interactors Lauren Guest, Nathan Doe, and Mina Zezula.
FIFTEENTH HANDSHAKE
This week’s greeter, Dave Walker, declared Jennifer Lundy the lucky member to go fine-free!
ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK
Steve Oehler, who took on the onerous task of emptying the trophy, passed it on to Peter Stuhlreyer for putting together a fabulous golf outing.
HAPPY BUCKS
David Archbold, ever the devoted Lions fan, summed up Sunday’s game perfectly: “Even though it wasn’t pretty, we’ll take the win!” He also had another reason to celebrate: after working since he was 15, David is officially starting the next phase of his life. This Friday, October 2, he’ll be retiring! Congratulations, David, and enjoy every minute of what comes next!
🚲Free Bikes 4 Kidz recently held its annual collection day, and more than 2,000 bikes were collected! Rochester Rotary will be rolling up its sleeves to help clean and repair some of those bikes on October 23. Tim Duncan will coordinate our trip to the warehouse, where we’ll get some hands-on community service. And don’t worry—you don’t need to know how to ride or fix a bike to participate. All you need is an interest in living out “Service Above Self.”
Steve Oehler had a $20 Happy Buck in honor of his daughter’s wedding this past weekend. Congratulations to the happy couple!
Jay Eastman was happy that his lovely wife, Linda Eastman, is on her way home from Guatemala.
President Tami Salisbury was also happy to announce some exciting news for 2027. Beginning in January, Rochester Rotary will meet at the Rochester Hills Museum’s Calf Barn. The Club has signed a six-month contract, with meals catered by Cranks Catering. Even better, there will be no increase in the cost to members—we were able to negotiate a rate that keeps our current pricing in place. A new meeting space, good food, and the same great Rotary fellowship!
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
There were no birthdays this week, but long-time member Bob Potere, who is one of our past presidents and was a permanent secretary to the club for many years, is celebrating 62 years as a Rotarian; Christine Hage is celebrating 34 years, and Jay Eastman has hit the 26-year landmark.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Membership Leader Board has the Golden Connections leading with 20 points, while the Blue Diamonds have 17 points.
The Rotary Foundation Gala for our District #6380 is on Thursday, November 5 at the American Polish Century Club in Sterling Heights. We are hoping to have enough registrations from Rochester Rotary Club to fill a table of 8. Early bird pricing at $65 per ticket ends this Sunday, October 4. This is a great opportunity to meet other Rotarians in our District and hear about the Rotary Foundation's work. Please let President Tami know if you plan to attend. For details and to register, go to Rotary Foundation Gala Tickets.
SAVE THE DATE! Family Trivia Night to end Polio is coming up on Friday, October 23, from 7 - 9 PM. The event will be held at Rewold & Sons (303 E. Third Street, Suite 300 in downtown Rochester). Bring the whole family for a fun evening to help build a brighter future for a polio-free world.
Just a reminder that Rotarians are welcome to park at the Roxy for our weekly meeting. Enter the Roxy parking lot from Pine, and for Rotary meetings only, you can ignore the private parking sign.
The Stoney Creek Interact students have big plans for fundraising this year. Their long-term goal is to support HUDA Clinic, a Detroit clinic that provides free medical, dental, mental health, and vision care to people without health insurance. Depending on how their fundraising goes this year, they’ll choose between a one-year goal of $1,000, enough to sponsor the clinic for a day, or a two-year goal of $2,500, which would provide 25 patients with a healthcare visit, laboratory services, and a month’s supply of medication.And they’re not stopping there. Interact members also voted on some hands-on service projects for the year, including making fleece blankets, crafting items for hospital patients, and helping with the Cinderella’s Closet, which collects formal dresses for students who need something special for prom or homecoming.
Before the students could escape to their bake sale, Tim Duncan had one more thing for the Interactors, a very well-deserved honor. The 2025–26 Stoney Creek High School Interact Club received The Rotary Citation (formerly known as the Presidential Citation), which is the official achievement award earned by active Interact Clubs that accomplish specific goals set by Rotary International each year. Interact Clubs must complete at least half of a lengthy list of Rotary-related achievements to earn the award, and Stoney Creek clearly got the job done. The award, signed by the President of Rotary International and the Chair of The Rotary Foundation, recognizes the club for fostering a positive experience for its members and making a difference in its community. Oh, and there was also a little seed money coming their way—$250 to help get this year’sprojects rolling. Because nothing says “keep up the good work” quite like an award and a check!
Tim went on to recognize the outstanding work of Interact Advisor Megan Terbrack. Megan was presented with a Paul Harris Award. The students did the work to receive the Rotary Citation, but Megan's leadership was evident.
SONG LEADER
Bob Lytle, songbird that he is, led us in singing songs celebrating Rotary. We started with the old chestnut, R-O-T-A-R-Y, which everyone knew, and followed it with The Rotary Song, sung to the tune of the Irish National Anthem, which few of us knew.
SHERIFF BARNETT BRINGS THE ENERGY AND FINES
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you give Mayor/Bryan Barnett a Rotary microphone, a room full of Rotarians, and permission to raise money, the answer is: pretty much anything can happen—and someone is probably going to get fined.
Sheriff Barnett was in fine form, mixing plenty of laughs with a whole lot of good news about the service work being done by the Stoney Creek High School Interact Club.
Speaking of supporting the Interact Club, Bill Ebinger deserves a shout-out for taking the phrase “service above self” in a delicious direction. When the Stoney Creek students stopped by with their bake sale, Bill sent them off with $10 and one simple request: “Bring me back cookies.” And just like that, Rotary had its first-ever DoorDash bake-sale experience. Efficient? Absolutely. Delicious? We assume so.
President Tami Salisbury received a well-deserved round of applause for navigating all the changes happening around the club.
Of course, no Rotary meeting would be complete without checking in on the infamous Rotary membership contest. Sheriff Bryan was happy to stir the pot, suggesting the whole thing is being run like a “Russian election” and questioning whether anyone outside the Blue Diamonds has a chance. His advice? Put $5 on the Blue Diamonds. The Golden Connections may disagree. But apparently, according to Sheriff Barnett, the outcome was decided long ago. We’ll let the voters, or whoever is actually running this thing, sort that out.
We celebrated Dave Archbold’s upcoming retirement with a round of applause. The Sheriff had a few thoughts about what retirement might look like for Dave, particularly the part about no longer needing an alarm clock. Apparently, we should expect Dave to start rolling into Rotary sometime around dinner and wondering where everybody went. We’ll miss having Dave on the clock, but we’re pretty sure he’ll figure out how to enjoy retirement. Retirement will look good on you, Dave!
The Deels are here, and that can only mean one thing: it must be their anniversary week. They’re going to post this like some romantic dinner that they had at an Italian restaurant for the anniversary. I’m not going to mention that they paid $16 for Rotary lunch. Happy anniversary, Ryan and Melinda!
Then came the moment every Rotary meeting has been waiting for: Meatball Court. Sheriff Bryan pointed out that there is an unwritten rule when it comes to Rotary meatballs. In a crowd like this, one or two is generally considered polite. So when someone was accused of taking four, questions had to be asked. Paul Haig apparently confirmed that one Rotarian was the alleged culprit. The defense? Weak. The verdict: $5 for each extra meatball. Total fine: $10. Consider it a public service announcement: At Rotary, take your meatballs seriously. And if you take four, prepare to pay.
Sheriff Barnett then turned his attention to fall, which meant it was time for more fines.
Had anything pumpkin spice? $5.
Attended a high school or college football game? $5.
Worn a vest? $5.
Visited a cider mill? $5.
And if you haven’t done any of those things yet, don’t worry. Bryan had plenty more opportunities coming.
He also shared a little cider history, noting that cider was once considered safer to drink than water because it was fermented. He then challenged the room to guess how many apples it takes to make a gallon of cider. The answer: 33–36 apples. So if you drink cider this fall, just remember, you’re basically drinking a small orchard.
Sheriff Barnett then moved into the trivia portion of his rampage.
First up: What is a pumpkin botanically—a fruit, vegetable, legume or something else? The answer: a berry! Technically, pumpkins are a type of berry called a pepo. Who knew? Apparently not enough of us, because another $5 was collected for the cause.
Then Sheriff Barnett turned to John Gaber, affectionately known as the smartest guy in the room, for some fall-themed trivia.
Why is October called October? Because octo is Latin for eight. It was the eighth month in the early Roman calendar before January and February were added.
And how many pounds of leaves fall from deciduous trees across North America? John guessed 4 trillion. The actual answer: approximately 4.1 trillion pounds. Once again, the smartest guy in the room earned his title.
Because apparently there was still time left, the Sheriff took us on a quick trip through history. On this day:
1789: Congress voted to officially establish the U.S. Army.
1816: John D. Rockefeller was born.
1966: The Dow experienced a record-breaking single-day drop.
1988: The space shuttle Discovery launched from Cape Canaveral, marking the resumption of NASA’s shuttle program following the Challenger disaster.
2008: The Dow plunged 777.68 points after Congress failed to initially pass the $700 billion bank bailout package.
And celebrating birthdays:
🎂 Jerry Lee Lewis
🎂 Andrew “Dice” Clay
🎂 Calvin Johnson
🎂 Kevin Durant
Lions, Wolverines, and fall football - Naturally, no Michigan Rotary meeting in September would be complete without a football check. The Lions were 2–1, the Wolverines 3–1, and the Spartans were doing their best to keep everyone guessing. In other words, fall is officially here.
And thanks to Sheriff Bryan Barnett, so are the $207 in fines, the trivia, the laughs, and, most importantly, a whole lot of Service Above Self.
SPEAKER
Paul Harris Fellow: More Than Just a Pin
Rotarian Steve Oehler, who is a member of our Rotary Foundation Committee, provided information on Paul Harris Fellows.
How much do you know about the Paul Harris Fellow program? As questions and requests for Paul Harris recognition started coming our way, it became pretty clear that many of us—including some of us on the Foundation Committee—didn’t fully understand how the process works. So, we decided it was time for a little Paul Harris 101.
Established by Rotary in 1959, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who accumulate 1,000 Rotary Foundation recognition points. Those points can come from your own contributions to the Foundation, points transferred to you by another Rotarian, or a combination of your contributions and club matching points.
And here’s an important distinction: it’s really about 1,000 points, not necessarily $1,000 out of your own pocket. Every dollar you contribute to The Rotary Foundation generates one recognition point in your Rotary account. Those points accumulate throughout your Rotary career and can be used toward your own Paul Harris recognition, or transferred to someone else to recognize their service.
Your first 1,000 points earn you a Paul Harris Fellow. Additional recognition comes at 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 points and so on, with the familiar Rotary pin gaining additional stones as you move up the recognition ladder. At 10,000 points, you move into Major Donor recognition.
So where does our club fit into all of this? The Foundation Committee has several ways to help members reach their next Paul Harris level. Each year, the club makes a $25 Foundation contribution on behalf of every member, giving you 25 additional points. It also helps us reach our goal of 100% member participation.
We also have a $500 matching program. The club has set aside $5,000 for matching contributions. If you contribute $500 toward your next Paul Harris Fellow, the club can match that with 500 points, giving you the 1,000 points needed for recognition. And the match can be used for smaller amounts if you are less than $500 away from your next level.
Not sure where you stand? Just ask. Members of the Foundation Committee can tell you how much you have contributed, how many points you have accumulated and how close you are to your next Paul Harris recognition.
The club is also making great progress toward its Foundation goals this year. After just three months, we have already exceeded our $10,000 Every Rotarian, Every Year goal, with more than $17,000 contributed. About 95% of our members have contributed at least $25, and our average contribution is approximately $235 per member—well above our $100 goal. We have also contributed $1,500 toward our $2,000 PolioPlus goal.
And don't forget our Foundation fundraisers. Sponsorship dollars from Foundation-focused events are credited directly to the sponsoring member's Foundation account. Our upcoming October 23 PolioPlus fundraiser is another opportunity to support Rotary's work while earning Foundation points.
So, if you've ever wondered what those colorful stones on someone's Rotary pin mean—or wondered how close you are to earning one yourself—now you know. Ask a Foundation Committee member, check your Rotary account, and see what opportunities are available to you.
After all, Paul Harris recognition isn't just about the pin. It's one more way Rotary recognizes Service Above Self—and the time, talent, and treasure our members give to make a difference.
Jay Eastman then proceeded to present Paul Harris Awards to
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Steve Oehler, who took on the onerous task of emptying the trophy, passed it on to Peter Stuhlreyer for putting together a fabulous golf outing.
SAVE THE DATE! Family Trivia Night to end Polio is coming up on Friday, October 23, from 7 - 9 PM. The event will be held at Rewold & Sons (303 E. Third Street, Suite 300 in downtown Rochester). Bring the whole family for a fun evening to help build a brighter future for a polio-free world. 
Tim went on to recognize the outstanding work of Interact Advisor Megan Terbrack. Megan was presented with a Paul Harris Award. The students did the work to receive the Rotary Citation, but Megan's leadership was evident.
Bob Lytle, songbird that he is, led us in singing songs celebrating Rotary. We started with the old chestnut, R-O-T-A-R-Y, which everyone knew, and followed it with The Rotary Song, sung to the tune of the Irish National Anthem, which few of us knew. 
SHERIFF BARNETT BRINGS THE ENERGY AND FINES 
Rotarian Steve Oehler, who is a member of our Rotary Foundation Committee, provided information on Paul Harris Fellows.
