Transcription Summary from Audio Recording (Full notes available upon request.)
OPENING & CLUB BUSINESS
The meeting opened with Rotary protocol, including the invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and the Four-Way Test.
Four-Way Test Speech Contest logistics
o Katie confirmed readiness for her role in the event tonight.
o District-level Four-Way Test event noted for the 18th.
o No specific changes or issues raised.
Youth Challenge van cleaning volunteer day
o Jeff sent a poll for the best date; 9 responses so far, with 8 oreferring Saturday, March 28; other options: Saturday, April 18 and Saturday, May 16 (4 each).
o Jeff will resend the link and asks everyone to respond today with names.
o More volunteers welcome; family/teenagers okay, but not young children.
o Goal: finalize the date by end of this week.
Club 57th anniversary recognition in April
o Club turns 57 on April 10.
o Proposal to celebrate with a hot breakfast aligned with the club meeting on Wednesday, April 8.
o Need to confirm the speaker schedule for April 8 (Nicole Donnelly, Morgan Conservatory/papermaking).
o Plan to coordinate with Lisa to add the breakfast to the calendar after confirmation.
o Consider inviting Bob Oborne.
Fifth Wednesday diaper drive for Providence House
o Collection planned for Wednesday, April 29.
o Members can bring diapers (all sizes) to stack above the coat rack; organizer will shop at Costco for those who prefer to contribute funds.
o Providence House luncheon: Tuesday, April 28, 11:30–1:30, $100 individual ticket; open invite to join.
Art Festival planning and sponsorships
o Status on track: 32 artists signed up; food trucks secured; volunteers to be addressed closer to the event.
o Sponsorship drive: Brian distributed a three-page list of local companies (Westlake and Bay Village) for outreach. Members should claim organizations where they have relationships; Brian will send a canned email with attachment and online sponsorship purchase link. Current sponsorship total: about $12,200; target: $20,000.
Spreadsheet color codes: Yellow = participated previously; entries below yellow = previously declined (may be worth revisiting). Names next to companies indicate the assigned contact; master spreadsheet tracks committed sponsors.
o Tent cost discussion:
Raffle booth 20x20 tent rental: ~$400; sides extra. Purchase option: ~$4,000 for a 20x20 commercial-grade tent; ROI ~7–10 years; adds setup/takedown and storage needs. Potential storage may be available via former wall storage; may not need to rent sides due to available art- hanging sides. Alternative: secure a $1,000 tent sponsor rather than purchase. Library purchase considered, but renting/loaning to others not aligned with library’s model. Shade solutions needed for music seating area; explore options. Terry may have access to a shared large tent; will discuss offline to see if it can replace a rented tent.
o Additional outreach: Inquiry about Hilliard Lakes Golf Club golfers for potential sponsorship ask. Fundraising solicitations received
o King Nut Company (Peterson Nuts) proposed a nut fundraiser; no interest from the group.
Proposal for golf course bench signage o Request: $790 for one year to place club signage on a bench at a golf course (benches at every other hole; vendor creates the bench sign). o Some members questioned visibility value for the community.
o Alternative visibility ideas: city telephone pole banners/signs (progress underway, possibly low/no cost) and direct mailers to new city residents.
o No advertising committee exists; limited history of advertising. o Suggestion to consider forming an advertising/visibility committee and draft a simple plan.
o Conclusion: No decision to proceed with the $790 bench sponsorship; sentiment favors other visibility channels.
District events and timelines
o District conference on the 24th–26th.
o All Ohio PETS on the 13th–14th (very soon).
o Dates noted; attendance and responsibilities not assigned.
Pack Away Hunger service project and fundraising
o Assembly-line packing of grain and nutrient bags; distributed overseas or to local food banks.
o District conference will include this as a service project; sponsors needed to pay for the bags.
o Contributions reportedly sufficient to fund 20,000 meals.
o Deadline referenced as “this week, the 6th” for contributions.
o Goal cited: $8,000 to pack 20,000 meals.
o Conclusion: Fundraising target appears met for 20,000 meals; sponsorships for bag costs still welcomed.
Rotary fundraising status and partnership with The Literacy Cooperative/DPIL
o Donors thanked; members encouraged to continue donating this week; online giving is easy and ongoing (suggested district deadline March 14).
o Club is second highest in the district for this initiative.
o Speaker Bob Paponetti (The Literacy Cooperative) presented on
early literacy and DPIL.
Overview of The Literacy Cooperative and DPIL
o Focus areas: adult literacy, career pathways, early literacy, parent engagement.
o DPIL provides a monthly, age-appropriate book by mail from birth to age 5.
o Cuyahoga County: ~40,000 children enrolled; ~2.5 million books mailed since 2014; expected to reach 3 million this year.
o Ohio added an opt-in checkbox to the state birth certificate application to enroll newborns; newborn enrollment tripled since August of last year; Ohio is the only state with DPIL enrollment integrated into the birth certificate application.
Early literacy context and impact
o Two of three children in the county, and ~80% in Cleveland, start kindergarten not fully prepared.
o NAEP: Cleveland ranked 24th of 25 reporting cities; only 8% of 4th and 8th graders proficient; 72% below basic.
o Families report increased reading frequency with DPIL (81% read more); in higher-poverty areas ~75% say DPIL books are the majority of home books; countywide 53% say more than half.
o Benefits include improved readiness, bonding, reduced screen time, increased attention span, and executive function development.
o Libraries see increased usage; DPIL in Ohio offers bilingual books; foster care children automatically enrolled.
o Evidence base: Colorado 3-year study, Hancock County IN study, and Dollywood Foundation international survey show stronger language/literacy and increased family reading among
enrollees.
Program costs and funding model
o Cost: ~$2.60 per book via Dollywood Foundation; State of Ohio pays $1.30/book; local partners raise $1.30 plus local operations.
o Annual local cost framed as ~$30 per child for 12 books.
o Undeliverable books: USPS returns cost ~50,000/year to retrieve and process returns and correct addresses; club previously helped remove labels from undeliverable books for redistribution.
Statewide scale and Rotary partnership
o Ohio has 415,460 registered children in DPIL—more than any other state—credited to state leadership and funding.
o Rotary clubs across Ohio are fundraising with a goal of $250,000 by March 14; funds routed through the state to cover local book costs by county/zip code.
o Retail round-ups (e.g., Ace Hardware) have contributed (nearly $3,000 for Cuyahoga County).
Ways to support DPIL and local partners
o Encourage families with children under five to enroll; share enrollment info.
o Subscribe to the newsletter and follow on social media.
o Consider donations; $30/year suggested while a child is enrolled.
o Bookmarks and promotional materials available.
o “Peeling” service project (processing undeliverable books) was enjoyable and good for socializing; consider scheduling another session.
o Club has previously provided financial support; appreciation expressed.
Read Across America event
o Celebration on April 23; downtown venue.
o Keynote: Randy McShepard (RPM); interview by Dan Moulthrop.
o Marks the 10th anniversary; past speakers included Steve Potash, Fran DeWine, Amy Acton, and others.
QR code donations and Rotary Club credit
o QR code may default to District 6630 in the donate box.
o At the bottom of the donate box, click “change” to credit “Westlake Bay Village” so funds go to the local club.
o The platform adds a 15% tip by default; donors can adjust the slider.
Dolly Parton visit context and state support
o Dolly spoke in Columbus in 2019; typically only one visit per state, so future Ohio visits unlikely.
o Fran DeWine is a strong proponent; she will attend AOP to award the top-contributing district; Governor DeWine will also attend the dinner.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25am after a round of Happy Bucks.