Meeting Minutes 10-14-2026

Official Meeting Notes & Detailed Proceedings

(Note: meeting notes were taken from Zoom recording.)

 

I. Opening, Fellowship & Visitor Welcomes

  • Call to Order & Invocation: The meeting commenced with a opening prayer led by Joe.
  • Guest Presentation Welcome: The club welcomed Chris Whitmore, Executive Director of Scranton Road Ministries, as the featured keynote speaker. 

II. Keynote Presentation: Scranton Road Ministries

  • Presenter: Chris Whitmore, Executive Director, Scranton Road Ministries.
  • Mission & Impact:
    • Since 2001, the ministry has impacted over 26,000 youth and family members.
  • Core Community Programs:
    1. Academic Enrichment (Ages 5–14): Delivers trauma-informed care and social-emotional learning. 76% of participating students demonstrated at least a 10% aptitude gain in math and literacy.
    2. Youth Jobs Partnership (Ages 15–20): Focuses on career readiness and workforce development. 81% of enrolled 12th graders successfully graduated and transitioned to employment or higher education.
    3. Legal Clinic: Offers legal advice, brief services, and representation. 96% of clients reported a successful resolution of their legal issues.
  • Community Survey & Demographics:
    • A 6-month survey of 925 community residents identified key local priorities: productive youth engagement, job placement assistance, and curbing drug activity.
    • Serves diverse student populations (e.g., within Westlake City Schools where 40% of students identify as Hispanic, 33% as African American, and over 26 distinct languages are spoken).
  • Rotary Involvement Opportunities: Rotarians expressed strong interest in supporting the ministry through financial donations, career panels, youth tutoring, mentoring, and pro bono legal assistance. 


The organization focuses on holistic community revitalization in Cleveland, operating under the vision of transforming the city "one life at a time" by engaging community members directly rather than running temporary programs. 

 

III. Fundraisers & Event Recaps

 

  1. Annual Golf Outing
  • Recap: The golf outing was a major success, generating over $5,000 on the day of the event (final net proceeds are being calculated as remaining expenses clear).
  • Feedback & Logistics: Participants expressed high satisfaction with the new event venue and overall organization.
  • Action Item (Katie): Send a thank-you email to all golf outing registrants and gather feedback to guide future improvements. 

 

  1. Annual Rose Sale
  • Logistics: Rose delivery coordination is underway for orders totaling approximately 30 dozen units.
  • Timing for Pickup: The timing for pick up is delayed from the vendor. Expect delivery to the pick up point around 9:30am.
  1. World Polio Day (October 24th)
  • Dunkin' Donuts Purple Donut Campaign: The district is managing the Dunkin Donut participation but it is unclear if the Westlake location is participating. Terri will provide an update.
  • Club Involvement: There was not sufficient interest to have a table at the library to help drive awareness. 

 

IV. Youth Exchange

  1. Youth Exchange Program
  • Hosting Deadline: The club faces an October 30th deadline to formally commit to hosting an international exchange student.
  • Key Challenge: Securing committed local host families remains the primary hurdle.
  • Action Item (Westlake-Bay): Touch base with club members outside the regular meeting to reach a final decision on proceeding with the Youth Exchange program.