OPENING & CLUB BUSINESS
The meeting opened with Rotary protocol, including the invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and the Four-Way Test.
Notes:
Gene Sasso has completed the application to become a member. Amy will contact the board regarding being at a meeting to approve the motion for Gene to join and also to have enough board members present to vote on his induction.
- 4 way test contest - will be sending 3 students, Lisa and Terri attending
- March 21 - Katie reminded us last district grant seminar and need 2 people from club to attend to be qualified for a district grant
- Lisa brought postcards for artist sign up and to send our friends to save the date
- Jim Strunk guest: Todd Lenet, coffee truck possibly for art festival called Aloha Espresso
- Launching end of April with friends and family event, starting in May. Wants to be involved in giving back to the community and spread aloha. Will have authentic Hawaiian syrups.
- Terri mentioned potential service project to make fleece blankets to support the Interact service project. She purchased 10 kits from My Very Own Blanket
Speaker: Jessica Payne CEO and president from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cleveland. Katie, Amy, and Brian are big sisters/big brothers. Amy is also on the board for BBBS.
- This program is one to one mentoring - they create the connections and it is powered by the volunteers.
- Her staff supports enrollment and ongoing support - background checks, interviews, advice and coaching on issues that may come up.
- They have monthly events for the bigs and littles to attend if they want.
- Serve about 200 children in Cuyahoga County. Everything is free - a lot of organizations donate tickets, especially the Cavs which have been a great partner.
- They do have a waiting list of children looking to be matched and are always looking for more volunteers.
- Host a Christmas event including Santa and gifts for each child based on their interests.
- There are a few girls from Westlake HS who contacted Jess asking to be mentors. Launched a new program to help the children career planning and self exploration of their values.
- Have one day match events - come for a day to be paired up with a child to determine if this is for you.
- Getting back into schools post-Covid to launch programs with high school students.
- Big Day of Play June 20 at Edgewater Park - games and activities; children get tickets for participating in the activities that can be exchanged for prizes. Looking for volunteers and sponsors. This is the biggest fundraiser for the organization.
Amy presented a donation check of $1000 along with another check that is from Happy Bucks collected that can be distributed to the President's charity of choice and Amy selected BBBS. The second check was for $1300.
Meeting adjourned at 8:31am after a round of Happy Bucks.