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. Several prospective members have now attended three meetings. A club vote is scheduled for next week, with new member installation anticipated for the last Wednesday of the month, pending scheduling availability.
Club Business
Four-Way Speech Contest Debrief: Appreciation was extended to everyone who helped with the speech contest at Westlake High School, with special thanks to judges Tiani, Jim Strunk, and Jim Kubacki. The first-place winner was a ninth grader from Westlake High. Lucian from Westlake was the second-place winner and is scheduled to advance to the district competition, but he has a potential scheduling conflict with a Science Olympiad. Alice Jones, a four-year participant from Bay, is the designated alternate. An inquiry was sent to Rich to clarify if an alternate from a different school can participate.
District Competition Arrangements: The district competition is on April 18th in Akron from approximately 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The club will sponsor attendees, including lunch. Members were encouraged to attend to support the club and Terry, who will be a district judge.
Art Fest Sponsorship Update: A spreadsheet and template letter were sent out to assist with outreach. The club has secured $14,000 in committed sponsorships toward a target goal of $20,000.
Upcoming Service Projects:
o Youth Challenge Van Cleanup: Scheduled for Saturday, March 28th, at 9:00 AM. More volunteers are needed, as only four have signed up.
o Providence House Diaper Drop: Diaper collection for the April event can begin. A Costco run will happen next week for those wishing to contribute funds.
President-Elect Training: The training is taking place this weekend in Columbus, where Fran De Wine will speak about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project.
District News: The Dolly Parton Imagination Library project is wrapping up, and a club in the district is being recognized for having the highest number of individual donors (37). The Rotary Club of North Coast is hosting a wine and food pairing event.
Member News: Condolences were shared for Tina Ingram on the passing of her father-in-law. A card was circulated for members to sign for Herb Papi’s 98th birthday on March 26th.
Speaker Presentation: Semester at Sea
Leah, a junior at Kent State majoring in Psychology, presented on her experiences in the Semester at Sea program. Program Overview: Semester at Sea is a study abroad program on a retired cruise ship, the World Odyssey, which serves as a floating campus for about 500 undergraduate, gap year, or recent graduate students. “Lifelong learners” (adults 30+) can also participate. The program combines academics with cultural immersion, visiting ports every 4-10 days.
Voyage Details: The speaker’s voyage started in Amsterdam and visited Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, disembarking in Thailand. The ship was equipped with classrooms, a library, a student union, dining halls, a gym, and a medical clinic. Rough waters with waves up to 14 feet were experienced during the first and last weeks.
Academics and Demographics: The speaker took 12 credit hours, including a mandatory “Global Studies” class that prepared students for each port. She was the only student from Kent State; the University of San Diego and Colorado State University had the largest representations. Due to a lack of Wi-Fi on the ship, she missed on- campus class registration and is now taking online classes.
In-Country Experiences: Students spent 3-7 days in each country. The speaker’s experiences included an African safari and shark cage diving in South Africa, visiting a cocoa farm in Ghana, a field program to the Taj Mahal, seeing a mosque in Morocco, riding camels in the Sahara, and practicing Tai Chi in Vietnam.
Personal Highlights and Reflections: Ghana and Vietnam were the speaker’s favorite parts. A field program in Ghana with a local school was a particularly meaningful experience. In Vietnam, she enjoyed a lantern Festival in Hoi An. She noted that the people in Africa (Morocco and Ghana) were the most welcoming. An unexpected aspect was the poor air quality and dirtiness of India, which sometimes obscured visibility.
Post-Graduation Plans: The speaker graduates next year and plans to present her experience at Magnificat to advocate for the program.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25am after a round of Happy Bucks.