Rotoscoop 20November2018 (Nov 20, 2018)

15^th HANDSHAKE

Roger Roller was this week's 15th handshake and was thus granted immunity from all fines... should there be any. Congrats, Roger!

ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK

The bejeweled trophy continues under the care of Buck Crossley for another week.

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

Linda E announced that the Guatemala Dental & Medical Mission team will be leaving on December 1. They will see 1,000 people from a 40-mile radius around the town where the clinic is located. Medications that the team will be bringing include: pain relief, antibiotics, and dermatological. Charities Board President-elect Tom Neveau made following MOTION: That the Rochester Rotary Charities approve a $5,000 grant for this dental and medical mission. The motion was approved unanimously.

Mary Grace announced the online Poinsettias sales will be extended through midnight Thanksgiving, so there's time to invite your family members to buy poinsettias while they eat their Thanksgiving dinners. To date, 1,727 poinsettias have been sold. Donations are always accepted. To add to the total Jay and Linda Eastman auctioned off seven champagne bottles for the cause. Cheers!

Kyle J thanked everyone who participated in last night's Ring the Bells" for the Salvation Army during Lagniappe. Stay tuned for an update on what was collected!

Linda E -- additional bakers are still being sought for this year's Cookie Walk.

Bill E -- Rotary Endowment Fund brochures are available for those interested in another way to support our local Rotary Club.

OU Rotaract Club VP, Brandon, thanked the club for its support of their projects, including the recent hygiene kit drive.

The 2018 Christmas Parade will be Sunday, December 2, and Rotary will have a float and share it with the Rochester Area Neighborhood House! Walkers are needed to help celebrate Rotary during the 1 1/2 - 2 mile parade route. Meet at Stoney Creek High School by 12:30 p.m. See you there!

The 2018 Cookie Walk will be Saturday, December 15, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., in the OPC Auditorium. Bakers are needed to help fill our tables with delicious cookies for the holidays. Please see Linda Eastman for more info.

The Rotary Christmas Party will be on Thursday, December 20, at Great Oaks Country Club, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be $60/person for regular members and $30/ticket for younger members. Mark your calendars!

REMINDER: The Masters Raffle will be back in 209. 300 tickets will be available at $100/ticket. Start talking it up with your golfing friends!

BIRTHDAYS AND CLUB ANNIVERSARIES:

Happy Birthday:

Mary Ann Reidinger, Nov 24

Christine Hage, Nov 26

Happy Club Anniversary:

Jo Allen, 23 years

Ron Diliddo, 7 years

SONGS

It began really well as Bob Lytle led us in a rousing rendition of Poinsettia Song #2 (Jingle Bells tune). Things fell apart quickly during the second song, Poinsettia Song #3 (Chestnuts Roasting tune). It appears that we will not be using this particular song for quite a while.

SHERIFF... not (Thanksgiving Trivia instead)

$233 in fines for Rotary Scholarships, bringing the YTD total to at least $4,850 toward our $11,000 goal. PLEASE NOTE: fines are now $5. Thank you everyone!

PROGRAM

Rhonda Panczyk introduced Ibim Semenitari, who is the President of the Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan Rotary Club in Nigeria. She is an accomplished businesswoman and leader in many different areas and is a tireless advocate for inclusion and for women. She is married to her husband, Henry, and they have four children, all of whom are Paul Harris Fellows. She spoke to us and offered an update on the Play for Peace program in Port Harcourt as an alternative to the street gangs in the community. This project aims to use street soccer, the most popular sport, in Nigeria, as a vehicle to reach out to young people in conflict. The idea is to broker peace and foster friendship among youth from all the inner city and suburban communities in Port Harcourt Township. It seeks to take these youth away from the streets, creeks, and criminality, through the popular game of soccer and help them transit to becoming responsible members of society and role models for other young persons. Aspects of the program have been implemented even as they await further grant assistance from RI. We were grateful to have Ibim as our speaker today!