Ernie Schaefer had the honor of presenting a Paul Harris Fellowship to Tamara Tazzia. Jeff Duperon generously sponsored this recognition in appreciation of the many sponsorships Tamara has provided for our club events over the years. Even though she spends her winters out of state, her ongoing support of Rochester Rotary is deeply valued. 
Roger Roller reintroduced Fiona Poxson, who last year received a four-year, $1,500 Paul Harris Scholarship to the University of Michigan. Fiona has completed her first year—only three to go!
A $5,000 grant was awarded to Casa Colibrí to support their midwife training program. In areas where infant mortality rates once reached 50% and maternal deaths approached 25%, this program—designed for traditional birth attendants, many of whom are illiterate—is making a powerful impact. Through training in safe delivery practices, such as using sterilized scissors to cut the umbilical cord, the mortality rate has dropped significantly.
A second grant was presented to the Rochester Hills Public Library to fund renovations in the Youth Services Department. With an additional $7,500 in matching funds from the Library Board, a Rotary-branded puppet theater will be installed. Puppet play offers young children a range of developmental benefits, including enhanced social-emotional learning, improved communication and fine motor skills, fostered empathy and role-playing, and strengthened vocabulary and listening skills.Sheriff Peter Stuhlreyer had a blast using AI this week to dream up a list of fine-worthy antics!
First up: anyone who grabbed the mic and wouldn’t let go got slapped with a fine. Sheriff Peter had a meeting to get to right after his stint, and the microphone monopolizers were making him late!
- Russ Shelton was fined for being a party animal—rumor has it he tried to float a “party barge” made of Buick tires down the Clinton River after last week’s meeting. We admire the community spirit, Russ, but the Clinton River is for scenic strolls, not floating nightclubs!
- Phil Lowman, our fashionable banker, was fined for wearing socks decorated with caricatures of a very cranky-looking California Governor. Political statements or not, those socks were too wild for a Rotary meeting!
- Shirley Gofrank, our brilliant CPA, was fined for presenting an overly detailed statistical analysis of the optimal apple-to-art ratio at the Art & Apples Festival—complete with pie charts, of course.
- Blake McLellan, one of our younger financial advisors, suggested the club invest in a speculative “Golden Retriever Futures” market. Blake, we love our Leader Dogs, but that might be a ruff investment strategy.
- Brian Griffin, our Dueling Piano player, was fined until he rewrites the lyrics to Row, Row, Row Your Boat to make them Rotary-friendly. We await the world premiere.
- Jeweler Paul Haig was fined for critiquing the “gemstone quality” of costume jewelry at last year’s Art & Apples Festival. Apparently, they “lacked brilliance.” Paul, not everything needs to be a flawless diamond!
- Apartment Developer Ernie Schaefer was fined for sketching plans during the meeting to convert the historic Home Bakery building into “micro-apartments.” Sacrilege, Ernie! That’s hallowed cake ground.
Thanks to Sheriff Stuhlreyer's creative enforcement, we raised $207 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
Today’s speaker, Shelly Propson Lennon, is a passionate advocate for the arts and a dedicated leader in the nonprofit sector. Since the founding of Paint a Miracle in 2002, Shelly has served as its Executive Director, guiding the organization with vision and heart. Under her leadership, Paint a Miracle has flourished, empowering individuals with disabilities through the transformative power of art.
At Paint a Miracle, trained volunteers—artists and individuals skilled in working with people with special needs—sit with students to support and encourage their artistic expression. The results are powerful: original works of art are displayed in the studio and available for purchase on their website