The Rotary Club of
Springfield
 

February 18, 2021 Newsletter

President Dave's Message
My contribution to the Newsletter this week is short as I don’t want to detract from the following story on the Peace Builders Initiative presentation. I believe this will be the most significant program our club will have in the next five years. It is consistent with Rotary’s goal to create meaningful, positive change in our world through service above self. It is also consistent with the theme this year, that Rotary Opens Opportunities. New opportunities have arisen that make this the right time, and we are one of many organizations in our community that seek to identify its role in creating sustainable change in our society. Thank you to our committee leaders, but thank you also to the growing number of members of this group who are passionate about Peace and Civility.
 
Rod Buffington (image to right) has chaired the Rotary International Foundational Committee of our Club for fifteen years, and he is turning the reins over to Harry Mitchell at the end of this term. Please join us this coming Monday as we celebrate one of the top Foundations for good in the entire world. There will be a lot of people recognized as Paul Harris Fellows, Rod will share some insights of his role over the years, and we will be treated to Kathryn Harris reprising her role as Harriet Tubman. Her most recent presentation was through the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum, and it was wonderful. Please share your link to our meeting with friends, and have your household members join us as well. It will be a wonderful night!
Peace Builders Committee
 
Bob Moore, Vicki Megginson, and Bill Sturm provided an exciting overview of the goals and activities of the Peace Builders Committee at our February 15, 2021 club meeting. Bob and Vicki (pictured above) are the co-chairs for the Peace Builders initiative and Bill Sturm (image to right) is a founding member of the committee.
 
Bill provided some background on the development of this new initiative. He related that he had become increasingly concerned about the diminishing civility and acceptance of differing view points among people and that he had emailed Vicki the phrase "Rotary, promoting civility through service." The seeds for this initiative were planted in November of 2018, when Bill Sturm, Bob Moore, Bob Stuart, Vicki Megginson, and Dave Kromphardt met with the Springfield Mayor and Chief of Police about about ways that Rotary could promote civility in our community, including the possibility of sending a member of the Police Department to the Rotary Peace Institute. Bill noted that he was worried that much of the incivility that he saw was political and that might pose a conflict because Rotary is not a political organization. He further related that he was deeply moved by a statement from Rotary International President for 2020-2021 Holger Knaack that Rotary stands for values of equity, tolerance, and peace, and Knaack encouraged Rotarians to help correct inequities, including those that were the result of political actions. All agreed that Rotary is respected for its work to promote equity, tolerance, and peace regardless of the cause of the inequities and has a reputation for getting things done.
 
Vicki reported that that the current Peace Builders Committee members also include Jim Applegate, Kathryn Harris, Stacy Kelly, Naomi Lynn, Dave Kromphardt, Barry Tobias, Loretta Meeks, Justin Rose, Tony Williams, and Kathy Johnson. Vicki identified some of the criteria for what the committee wants to accomplish: (1) be a part of the conversation to reduce systemic racism, (2) build community partnerships, and (3) attract new members who want a peaceful and civil community. She relayed the need to have conversations with other organizations to identify specific projects to move the needle forward.
 
Bob noted that the committee has met with five organizations that all work with the community in preventing systemic discrimination: the United Way of Central Illinois, Frontiers International, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. Vicki noted that all of these groups brought something positive to the whole as well as different expectations and different viewpoints. The dialogue with these organizations and about specific projects to pursue continues. Bob expressed the desire and importance of input from the Club and asked members to send in suggestions and issues to be addressed. The overall goal of this important committee is to make Springfield a better place to live. 
Foundation Night is February 22!
Please don't miss our special dinner and program for our annual Foundation Night on February 22. Rod Buffington, Rotary International Foundation Chair for our Club will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Our Rotary Foundation Giving Circles will recognize 5 individuals as Paul Harris Fellows. We will also present special recognition to other Club Members for extended giving.
 
Kathryn Harris (image on right) will present a very special program for us. She will attend the meeting as Harriet Tubman, and we will have a chance to ask her questions about her life and adventures. We hope you will join us in person or online for this special evening.
 
Please invite other members of your household and guests to participate in this event. But remember, that the deadline for reservations for in person and curbside meals is Sunday, February 21 by 5:00 p.m. See article below to make a reservation. Forward this Newsletter to guests so they will have the link to the meeting or let them know that the Newsletter can also be downloaded from our website Home Page (www.spirotary.org).
February 22, 2021 Meeting Link
When it's time, join your Webex meeting here.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
More ways to join:
 
Join from the meeting link
 
 
Join by meeting number
Meeting number (access code): 186 737 0811
Meeting password: kRFgWDrW285 
 
Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only) 
+1-408-525-6800,,1867370811## Call-in toll number (US/Canada) 

Join by phone 
+1-408-525-6800 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) 
Global call-in numbers 
 
Join by video system, application or Skype for business
Dial 1867370811@webex.com 
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.  
From the Cisco internal network, dial *777* and the 9-digit meeting number.
If you are the host, enter your PIN when prompted.
February 22, 2021 Meeting Menu and Reservation
The menu for indoor dining at Maldaners Upstairs and curbside pickup for the February 22, 2021 meeting is:
 
Roast Sirloin of Beef
Potato Crusted Cod
Chef's Choice of Salad and Dessert
 
Maldaners has relaxed the earlier deadline for signing up for in-person and curbside meals for our special Foundation Night dinner. The deadline for getting your order in is Sunday, February 21 at 5:00 p.m. If you have not already ordered your meal in response to President Dave's email, please use the following link to make your reservations for the meal for indoor dining or curbside pickup by  clicking RESERVATION.  Contact Dave Kromphardt at dkromphardt@yahoo.com only if you have a late change.
 
Please note that in cases of inclement weather, we will adjust meeting in person as we previously did when we had the ice and snow storms. We will contact those who said they were planning to attend the in-person meeting and offer a chance to switch to curbside pick-up and will let everyone know if the meeting will be Webex only. People may switch to curbside or cancel entirely if they don’t feel comfortable about driving. 
 
For curbside users, please place your meal tickets or cash in an envelope with your name and “for Sheila Mack” on the outside of the envelope and give it to the Maldaners staff member that gives you your food. They will get the envelopes to Sheila Mack. Curbside pickup is between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. To pick up food, turn into the alley behind the building and pick up the food at the back door. It's easy to pick up your food and the meals are delicious.
Encourage Membership in Rotary
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? Club member Justin Rose joined Rotary to help heal communities. He is a member of our Peace Builders Committee. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
  • Is it the Truth? 
  • Is it Fair to all concerned? 
  • Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?  
  • Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?  
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our Membership Application in a new window. You can also download a copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org). You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at illinoisdelta@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you! 
 
Regards, 

Downtown Rotary Membership Committee
 
Thank you. 

Travis
 
Record Your Service Hours and Contributions
Please remember to report your service hours and related contributions. Just follow this link:
 
 

 
Website, Facebook and LinkedIn
Keep up with the club communications by checking the website at www.spirotary.org, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to "like" or "follow" us!
Please add mailservice@clubrunner.ca to your safe sender list or address book.
To view our privacy policy, click here.
 
ClubRunner
102-2060 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, ON, L6H 5R7
Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
ClubRunner Mobile