Menu for August 26:Salad bar, vegetarian lasagna, meatballs in marinara, roasted vegetables, and mini desserts.
ATTENDANCE
If you couldn't join us on August 19th, you were missed! We had 32 people in attendance in the Rochester Hills Public Library's large meeting room.
INVOCATION
Annette Werner kicked things off with today’s invocation, giving thanks for the chance to meet in the park. Of course, Mother Nature had other plans—cue the rainstorm—so indoors we went. But hey, Annette’s prayer was so lovely it almost made us forget our soggy shoes.
FIFTEENTH HANDSHAKE
Our greeter, Merrick Maris, faced a true Rotarian crisis: two doors to the meeting room. With no way to crown the elusive fifteenth handshake, he threw in the towel and declared EVERYONE fine-eligible. Consider yourselves warned.
BIRTHDAYS AND ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES
No birthdays this week (so no cake—tragic), but we did have a few Rotarian anniversaries to cheer about! 🎉 Kay Ellen Wilkens and Paul Licker hit their one-year marks, while Megan Terbrack doubled down with her second year of Rotary greatness—and let’s not forget, she also wrangles the Rochester High Interact Club like a pro.
Meanwhile, poor Paul tried his best to make it to the meeting, but… plot twist! He missed the “Hey, we’re inside today” email. While the rest of us stayed dry in the library, Paul was probably out there wandering the rain-soaked park, wondering if Rotary had gone underground.
ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK
Annette Werner (yes, again!) still holds the Rotarian of the Week crown. Sadly, she couldn’t find a successor—apparently, no one lived up to her highly selective standards. So, she’s stuck footing the bill for an extra week. Better show up next time, folks, or Annette’s wallet may stage a protest.
HAPPY BUCKS
Summer Adventures & Shenanigans
Jay and Linda Eastman checked off two more MLB ballparks this summer because, clearly, their bucket list is longer than most people’s grocery lists. They ferried across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, where the Brewers took down the Pirates at American Family Stadium. Then it was off to Minneapolis, where the Tigers won (7-0, no less!) against the Twins. Yes, it rained. Yes, everyone was drenched. But Linda snagged a ball, so basically—they won the summer.
Alan McLellan was thrilled to have his college daughter home all summer… right up until he remembered what a quiet house felt like when she went back to school. Let’s just say “new normal” sounds a lot like peace and quiet. On the other hand, Alan's pocket book was thinner when he bought all the stuff in the Crate & Barrel "essential" supplies for a dorm room (https://tinyurl.com/3t5xk366). Headboards??
Kyle and Elizabeth Johnson celebrated their first wedding anniversary at Niagara Falls (spoiler: still falling). They biked around and hit a few wineries too—because nothing says “cheers to one year” like pedaling tipsy through wine country.
Vince Mattina was overjoyed when Oakland Township voters approved two library millages, officially restoring his bragging rights to the Rochester Hills Public Library. With that settled, he announced he’s off to Yellowstone for some wilderness therapy—probably to read in peace under a tree.
Shirley Gofrank rallied a crew of Rotarians to stuff backpacks for Neighborhood House’s Blast Off 2 School program, sending nearly 400 kids back to class looking sharper than the first day of Pinterest school.
Joyce Joyce is sending major gratitude to Henry Ford Hospital for coming through with equipment that means her daughter (and fellow Rotarian) can safely jet off on an international adventure. Travel goals, unlocked!
President Rachel Aviles has finally recovered her hearing after braving a sold-out concert at Little Caesars Arena with her kids. The band? Something called the Descendents Zombies. We all know that Rachel lived to tell the tale.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
George Krozier snagged another Paul Harris Fellowship—because clearly, one just isn’t enough. Speaking of Paul Harris, and back to schooling, the man himself once took a gap year (before gap years were cool), bopped around the world, and then casually came back to Chicago to invent Rotary. Oh, and just for fun, he added the first community service project and turned Rotary into an international movement. No big deal.
Mark your calendars for our annual Golf Outing—organized by Peter—coming up on Monday, September 22 at Twin Lakes!
Tee time is 10:00 a.m., with award presentations and a meal around 3:00 p.m.
Meal-only option available for non-golfers
Surprise entertainment and a cash bar
No regular Tuesday meeting that week
📌 Cost: $170 per golfer
📌 We need 100 golfers and event sponsors to make it a success!
Check your inbox for the flyer and an email from Tom Neveau with all the details, or download the flyer at https://tinyurl.com/358x79nw
You can register as a golfer, sponsor, or diner at https://rochesterrotaryclub.org/page/charity-golf-outing
The planning committee is forming now—the next meeting is August 12 at 11:30 a.m. Join us if you’d like to help make this year’s event the best yet!
SHERIFF'S SHENANIGANS
Sheriff Peter Stuhlreyer came in hot, first buttering up Library Director Juliane Morian with thanks for hosting us indoors… then immediately roasting her for having the library sprinklers on during the rain—nothing like indoor hospitality paired with outdoor irony.
Next target: Linda Eastman. Peter zeroed in on her forehead bruise (not really) and asked if she’d finally learned that baseballs are meant to be caught with a glove, not your face—pro tip, Linda: accessories matter.
Then he threw shade at Vince Mattina, suggesting maybe Vince should just hold onto his happy buck until after his Yellowstone trip. Because honestly, who knows? Bears, geysers, bad Wi-Fi—anything could take him down.
And because no Sheriff session is complete without a random holiday… August 19 was National Potato Day. Peter’s hot take? Potatoes are beige, boring, and bland. The only thrill in their little starchy lives is dodging Fry-Days. Finally, riding the potato train to fine town, he dinged anyone who ever owned a Mr. Potato Head set. That’s right—your childhood toys just got you taxed.
Peter kept the sass train rolling with a new batch of fines:
Anyone whose name starts or ends with an “e.” Yes, apparently we’re now doing spelling-bee justice, Dan Quayle style.
Tom Townsend, for boldly guessing someone could chuck a potato 234 yards. A quarter of a mile, Tom?? What is this—The Olympics of Starch?
Anyone tipping the scale at the national average of 124 pounds of potato consumption per year. Sheriff Peter kindly pointed out that Kyle Johnson was the only one trim enough even to qualify. Sorry, folks—step away from the fries.
And finally, the cardinal sin: anyone guilty of double-dipping their potato chips. Because if the potato doesn’t get you, the germs will.
Thanks to Sheriff Stuhreyer's creative enforcement, we raised an additional $213 for our scholarship program! Remember, these “fines” are all in good fun and serve a great purpose: building camaraderie and raising funds for our charitable efforts, especially scholarships. Let’s continue living out the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self," with enthusiasm, punctuality, and a healthy dose of Rochester pride and humor!
SPEAKER
Our speaker this week was Blake McLellan, Chair of the Rotary Gateway Park Committee. To kick things off, Blake quizzed the audience with some Rotary Gateway trivia and handed out prizes to those in the know. Karen Joyce scored for knowing that the park was established in 1997, and Paul Haig claimed a prize for correctly identifying Bill Foxas the donor of the bronze fox statue.
Blake reminded us that Gateway Park is truly a community collaboration:
Rochester Rotaryfunded the original development and continues to support ongoing maintenance.
Rochester Hills Public Library maintains the lawn and sprinklers.
The City of Rochesterprovides lighting and trash maintenance.
The Community Foundation of Greater Rochestercoordinates the purchase of paving bricks.
Several Rotarians were thanked for their continuing dedication to “OUR park”:
Bill Ebinger, our all-around “eye on the park.”
Jane Quigley, master gardener extraordinaire.
Ron Lichtle, faithful cleanup helper.
Marty McClure, rose trimmer-in-chief.
We currently need volunteers to help level pavers and benches, and a donor to purchase a new clock motor. Replacement of the clock motor (approximate cost: $300).
Funding the Park:
Brick sales: Purchase or sell commemorative bricks. Blake will prepare a flyer you can share with clients, friends, and family. (Bricks can be located on the Rotary website.)
Andrew Moore Fundat the Community Foundation helps support pond care, including twice-weekly water treatments and regular pump maintenance.
Other possibilities: a fundraiser, a “Party in the Park,” or even a good old-fashioned garage sale.
If you’d like to get involved—or join the committee—please reach out to Blake McLellan. Together, we can continue to keep Rotary Gateway Park a true community treasure.
The park was initially developed in 1997 by the Rochester Rotary Club and continues to be upgraded and maintained through the volunteer efforts of club members and funding from the purchase of memorial bricks. For a more detailed description and history of the park, please visit the Rochester Rotary website at https://rochesterrotaryclub.org/Page/rotary-gateway-park
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Jay and Linda Eastman checked off two more MLB ballparks this summer because, clearly, their bucket list is longer than most people’s grocery lists. They ferried across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, where the Brewers took down the Pirates at American Family Stadium. Then it was off to Minneapolis, where the Tigers won (7-0, no less!) against the Twins. Yes, it rained. Yes, everyone was drenched. But Linda snagged a ball, so basically—they won the summer.
Shirley Gofrank rallied a crew of Rotarians to stuff backpacks for Neighborhood House’s Blast Off 2 School program, sending nearly 400 kids back to class looking sharper than the first day of Pinterest school.
President Rachel Aviles has finally recovered her hearing after braving a sold-out concert at Little Caesars Arena with her kids. The band? Something called the Descendents Zombies. We all know that Rachel lived to tell the tale.
George Krozier snagged another Paul Harris Fellowship—because clearly, one just isn’t enough. Speaking of Paul Harris, and back to schooling, the man himself once took a gap year (before gap years were cool), bopped around the world, and then casually came back to Chicago to invent Rotary. Oh, and just for fun, he added the first community service project and turned Rotary into an international movement. No big deal.
Day. Peter’s hot take? Potatoes are beige, boring, and bland. The only thrill in their little starchy lives is dodging Fry-Days. Finally, riding the potato train to fine town, he dinged anyone who ever owned a Mr. Potato Head set. That’s right—your childhood toys just got you taxed.
Our speaker this week was Blake McLellan, Chair of the Rotary Gateway Park Committee. To kick things off, Blake quizzed the audience with some Rotary Gateway trivia and handed out prizes to those in the know. Karen Joyce scored for knowing that the park was established in 1997, and Paul Haig claimed a prize for correctly identifying Bill Fox as the donor of the bronze fox statue.
The park was initially developed in 1997 by the Rochester Rotary Club and continues to be upgraded and maintained through the volunteer efforts of club members and funding from the purchase of memorial bricks. For a more detailed description and history of the park, please visit the Rochester Rotary website at