Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.

“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”

Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.

A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.

Rassin received Rotary's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.

Rassin’s nomination follows Sam Owori's death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.

Paul Sincock- District Governor

Paul Sincock joined the Plymouth Rotary Club in 1981 and is a second generation Rotarian, following in the footsteps of his late father, Robert, who also was a Plymouth Rotarian and Past Club President. Paul’s “Rotary Life” began early, attending many Plymouth Rotary Club and District events with his parents. Paul has incredible memories of working the serving line at the famous Plymouth Rotary Chicken Bar-be-que and attending many District Conferences with members of the Plymouth Rotary Club through his teen years.

Paul has served in many leadership positions of his club, Plymouth Rotary Foundation Board Member and President, and served as Club Board Member and served as President of the Rotary Club of Plymouth in 2001 – 02.

Besides his love for the City of Plymouth, where he serves as City Manager, Paul’s passion is the Rotary Youth Exchange program. With his firm belief that the Youth Exchange Program promotes Peace and Understanding around the world, Paul currently serves as the District 6400 Rotary Youth Exchange Committee Chair. Paul and his wife Traci, a member of the Northville Rotary Club have hosted numerous exchange students from around the world. As Chair of the Youth Exchange Committee, he has been instrumental in the transition that converted paper files to electronic files, which now allows easy club access to records and on-line applications for future students, club volunteers and host families. For his work with Youth Exchange, Paul was presented with a District COG Award in 2010 – 11.

Paul is a Paul Harris Fellow, a regular presenter on Customer Service issues and Youth Exchange, and has served on numerous District Conference Committees. He also can be seen as a volunteer airport ambassador at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and serves as chair of the Emergent Health Partners Quality Review Committee.

Paul and Traci, along with their beloved Labrador, Luke, look forward to serving District 6400 Rotarians.

RI Monthly Themes

July 2017

August 2017

Membership and New Club Development Month

September 2017

Basic Education and Literacy Month

October 2017

Economic and Community Development Month

November 2017

Rotary Foundation Month

December 2017

Disease Prevention and Treatment Month

January 2018

Vocational Service Month

February 2018

Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

March 2018

Water and Sanitation MonthApril 2017

Maternal and Child Health Month

May 2018

Youth Service Month

June 2018

The Rotary Foundation's 100th anniversary

Rotary Fellowships Month

The Adrian Noon Rotary Club is a vibrant, fun, and action-oriented club that is growing their membership and financial capability with strong committed members working towards improving the quality of life within the communities we serve.

Kathye Herrera - Club President

Welcome to our Club!

Service Above Self

We meet Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Lenawee Country Club

4110 Country Club Rd
Adrian, MI 49221
United States of America

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

2019 P.E.T.S.

As you may already know, every incoming president of the Adrian Noon Rotary Club is required to attend this 3-day intensive and informative training event. This year it will again be held in Kalamazoo and our President-Elect, Nelson Douglass, will be in attendance from March 14^th to the 16^th at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center.

The Great Lakes Rotary President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) is one of the largest multi-district PETS in the United States. It was formed with a view to becoming a premier training event with the atmosphere of a mini Rotary International Convention by leveraging the expertise of six Rotary Districts with clubs in Michigan Indiana, and Ontario.

With the ability to host exceptional speakers, informative workshops, detailed district training sessions, fellowship and networking, the basic purpose of our PETS is to motivate over an anticipated 400 attendees including club presidents-elect, presidents-elect nominee and assistant governors to ensure they are extremely well prepared for their year of service.

The Great Lakes Rotary PETS designs the three day conference to truly benefit the attendees providing opportunities to learn about the breadth of Rotary and share ideas with fellow Rotarians and have some fun along with it!

As a six-district president-elect training seminar, Great Lakes Rotary PETS has always attracted engaging, motivating speakers and the best trainers and facilitators from each of the districts. The curriculum is frequently updated so new ideas are presented and discussed. One of the keynote speakers scheduled this year is Mark Daniel Maloney, RI President-Elect.

Member Moment - Bruce Goldsen

Posted by Chuck Chase on Feb 09, 2019

Bruce Goldsen who will turn the big 6-0 this year and our newest member and a recent transfer from the Adrian Morning Club, gave his member moment today. Bruce said he grew up in Connecticut and started his radio career in 1976 in Wilmington, NC at a “big” radio station WMFD. His first day on the job he hosted their Tradio Show called Swap Shop, he said.

He said he met his wife, Sue, while living in Connecticut and going to school there. Bruce said he then went to a station in Tennessee and then in Florida and ended up in Jacksonville when he got a call from a friend who said that there were stations in Jackson that were for sale. So, in 1990, Bruce and Sue moved to Adrian and admitted that they didn’t know anybody so looked for a service club he could join to meet people.

He decided to join the Adrian Rotary Club who were meeting at the YMCA at about the time the organization admitted ladies. The Adrian club was quick to admit six. Bruce said it was an excellent move and that we still need to have more diversity. He said he was president in 1997-98 but then transferred to the Jackson Club due to his work with the radio stations there. Two years later he, along with Dave Maxwell and a few other Rotarians decided to start a Morning Club in Adrian which was chartered in 1999.

Bruce said that he has been a part of the Radio Industry for many years and very involved in it, too. He served on the 70+ member board of the National Association of Broadcasters as their Michigan representative from 2003-2009. Julie Koehn from WLEN, he said, served from 2009-2015. Bruce is doing another 6 year stint along with serving on their 10 member Executive Committee.

On the Rotary side of things, Bruce said that while radio is his vocation, Rotary is his passion. In 1993 he hosted the club’s first Youth Exchange student, Adolfo, from Brazil. Since then, he said, they have hosted his sister, and brother and others totaling seven altogether! They have kept in very close contact with all of them, he said, sharing their excitement when their own children were born who they consider their own grandchildren!

Bruce said that they travel extensively around the world with much of it being for Rotary. They have been to many Rotary International Conventions. They will be attend the one in Hamburg this year, he said. The past 3 years he has been proud to serve on the RI Youth Exchange Committee as well as serving as chair for the Youth Exchange meeting as part of the pre-convention activities. He, of course, has served as District Governor in District 6400 in 2008-09 as did Sue two years ago. They have been part of various service project oversees for Rotary in Ghana, India, and they look forward to their next project “wherever that may be”.

They remain very involved in the district with chairing many district conferences including the one coming up. Bruce said he also had the honor of chairing a Zone Institute for past RI Vice President, Jennifer Jones. There are 39 zones around the world comprised of a certain number of districts made up of local clubs.

When asked if he had any ambitions about becoming a future RI President, he quickly said without hesitation – “NO!”

Dempsey's - Tiffany Sieler

Posted by Chuck Chase on Jan 25, 2019

Downtown Dempsey’s – Tiffany Sieler

Tiffany Sieler (second from left in photo) shared with audience members how appreciative she was to have been chosen an Adrian Noon Club Junior Rotarian and being a past recipient of our club scholarship. She attended Adrian High School and graduated from the U of M and got her Master’s Degree from Columbia University.

She said that she went to Florida to complete an internship where she saw some of the abuses of plastic and other refuse in the waterways. She returned to Adrian and is now the General Manager of the new Downtown Dempsey’s restaurant in Downtown Adrian where she has initiated the sustainable dining effort, using as many compostable/ biodegradable items as she can in the restaurant. Her folks, Les and Mary Sieler own Sieler’s Water System and bought the restaurant from Loretta Dempsey ensuring that family recipes got passed along.

Tiffany developed a project called “Dine to Donate” designed to take contributions and distribute to different non-profit each month. When you dine in at Downtown Dempsey's, 10% of your purchase goes to that non-profit being featured for the month. The month of February will be United Way Lenawee/Monroe Counties (inside the Gallery of Shops). The month of March will be Hospice of Lenawee.

Rotary Woodworking Warriors - Luke Barnett

Posted by Chuck Chase

Luke returned to the podium today to speak about this new and “signature” program of the Adrian Noon Rotary Club. The full board last week approved the recommendation to submit a formal proposal to the board of directors of the Adrian Rotary Foundation for $25,000 in support of this important program. A motion to approve was made by Kathryn S. and seconded by Bob Behnke and was passed unanimously! Luke made special mention of State Representative Bronna Kahle’s hand-signed letters she gave him expressing total support of this program!

Luke then proceeded to give more details of the program and answered a number of the audience's questions. The basic focus of the program, he said, was to offer PTSD support, allow veterans to use the shop and all of its equipment, receive valuable/marketable education through the classes that are taught and even certification through the state so those who want to pursue a career.

Mike Tobey, a fellow club member and veteran himself spoke next saying that he served in Viet Nam and has medical issues from exposure to Agent Orange. He left Viet Nam in 1966 but it wasn’t until 1986 that he was diagnosed with PTSD. He continues therapy to this day. Hollywood and the media, Mike said, need to be quickly corrected when they allege that those veterans suspected of commiting crimes, always attribute it to PTSD. Mike quickly put that to rest and added that it is actually less than 5% of all crimes.

PTSD, Mike said, was something that could be addressed through woodworking which not only gives vets something to do but helps them interrelate with one another. “The program can potentially reach out in so many other directions, too.” Mike clarified that alcohol would not be part of this program unlike groups such as the VFW and the American Legion. It is an environment that is less than appropriate for people with PTSD who might have a weakness for alcohol.

Nate added that the Brownstown Rotary Club in Brownstown Michigan started an organization called the Victory Gym and was aware of what we’re doing at the workshop and expressed much interest in learning to provide a similar woodworking program at their gym. They said that they would be willing to learn from us and therefore touch even a larger group of vets than are in Lenawee County alone. District Governor Noel Jackson provided a bit more info on what the Brownstown Club was doing.

Luke summed everything up by saying that this program will officially launch in May of this year and that every Wednesday the Sam Beauford Workshop will be closed to the public. It will be called Woodworking Warrior Wednesday and run from sun up to sun down. Vets can simply show up and not do anything they want if it's only to enjoy fellowship and coffee with other vets. For others who want more they can embark on official vocational certification. Those who do simply come in and chat could further be encouraged to get involved in woodworking at some level and eventually seek certification, Luke said. There will be scheduled class time for those who would like to participate the workshop's typical 6-week classes, Luke said. Remember – there will be no charge to veterans regardless of their level of involvement.

Side note: every member should have received a copy of the full color brochure that was distributed. (Shown at the right).

Member Moment - Rod Hokenson

While “Member Moments” are generally presented by the club’s newest members, longtime member, Rod Hokenson, was invited actually to do our program today….. He and his wife, Helen, will be leaving the area and the club to begin a new season in their lives,"back to a college dorm” lifestyle (actually The Fountains at Kalamazoo near oldest son, oldest granddaughter and families). Rod is originally from North Dakota, a farm kid during the Depression and Dustbowl, the youngest of 10 children! He said he actually had two lives here in Adrian: the first, 1972-89, as Pastor of Christ Redeemer ELCA church on Maumee -- he admitted trying to cut it short here after 6-8 years, thinking he had done most of what he could. But "the Lord,kept pulling on my coattails” and seemed to want him to stay put. So he did, . Then he really got involved in community activities. Rod said he’s really loved Adrian.

His life of 38 years as a Pastor, 17 of them here, he said, was very rewarding; particularly fulfilling in retrospect seems to be in the Copper Country 1964-72, helping two old ethnic churches (Finn and Swede) merge and build new facilities in the face of great economic uncertainty. After leaving Adrian he ministered in Oak Park MI, Hammond, IN, Connersville, IN, retiring in 1996. Earlier churches, following College in MN and Seminary in Chicago, were in WI and MN. “I am not shy to say I have reached age 87” he added.

After seven years “away" , Rod and Helen decided to Adrian for their “second life”, now at 23 years. They are moving to where some of their family lives. That is, however, at the moment on hold (possibly moreso by the government shutdown and its possible impact on FHA loans). As you know, Rod and Helen started the Great Pasty Project to benefit Habitat for Humanity (Shown at last year's program at left).

Rod then spoke about Rotary and specifically about the first Rotary Show he was in (about 2002 titled “Who Wants to be a Billionaire?”). He was put into a role which even won him the “Cracked Mirror”award for being the "best looking character in drag " playing the coveted role of “Miss Birdsall”! He actually joined Rotary while in Connersville, IN and was recognized “The Most Valuable Rotarian” his very first year as a member! It was Joe Wagley III, Rod said, following his year as president, who invited him to join this club. Joe was starting in real-estate at that time: he helped Rod find their present house, and ironically is again handling its sale. Nate Smith, he said, was his banker back then so it felt like he was truly coming home, he said.

Rod said he joined Rotary because he has a passion for international involvement and to raise the awareness that the US is not the only country in the world. Rod lived in Germany, traveled to India, and “hit another continent in between”. One recent focus was on developing solar power in Africa. Another passion of his, he said, was RI’s GSE program – Group Study Exchange. He shared with the audience an experience he had with Chip Moore who took a group of visitors in the two-engine King Air at the Adrian airport, going over Cedar Point and Detroit and the group “loved it”. As a private pilot he also took a group from India on an overflight of Lenawee County, apparently their first time in a small plane.

“To sum up my lifetime”, Rod said, he is gratified to still be able to do things and to care for his “beloved wife”. How very grateful he’s been, he said, to be able to grow old together, in sickness and in health. The simple phrase “I love you”, Rod said, has been spoken more often in the past 5 years in their home than ever before! …… In closing Rod wanted to leave a word of wisdom , especially to the newer members – “Don’t wait to be asked to do something, be bold, look at yourself and ask ‘what do I have to offer?’ You don’t have to be a Bruce Goldsen, a Mark Murray, or a Nate Smith. Simply volunteer and make clear to the leadership what your interests. abilities and limitations are. Come, then, with what you have to offer and your passions and maybe they will become someone else’s”. “It’s been a pleasure to be a part of this club. I love you all, God Bless You”.

Following Rod’s presentation President Kathy presented him with a maple wooden plaque designed and made by Luke in honor of his 20 plus years of service to the Adrian Noon Rotary Club. ……. Ed note: We’re going to miss you Rod and Helen. God Speed.

Habitat for Humanity - Carrie Hartley

Posted by Chuck Chase

Carrie is the Development Director for Habitat and told members that what Habitat does is “all about neighborhood revitalization”. It’s helping people repair homes as well as build them so people have a place to live. Habitat, she said, partnered this year with the Adrian Morning Club and focused on the Parish Park neighborhood in particular. Habitat has campus chapters at both Adrian College and SHU working in construction, working at Habitat’s Restore, volunteering in their office, etc. The students really love helping out, Carrie said.

Carrie showed photos of a new home built for the Steffen family. Carrie said it was so nice to talk with the children to ask them what their hopes and dreams were and hearing their responses. One said she was very excited about having her own bedroom she could decorate herself. Another child was just happy about now having a place she could come home to. Their Mother was grateful that she could now give stability to her family.

Carrie said that Habitat was even partnering with RI, that they really have similar missions and that they were exploring grant monies that might be available. She showed pictures of the proposed housing plan at the former McKinley School property. She spoke about their Faith Build Program where local churches contribute to their cause. She said that in order to be successful, 15 churches must be involved. These could be small groups at these churches being involved.

Carrie announced that The Great Pasty Project will be January 24 and 25. She pointed out that it was our own Rod and Helen Hokenson that started this important program which usually makes about $20,000 a year, involves 300+ volunteers who make over 3,000 pasties! A new Breakfast pasty, she said, will be available this year.

Carrie closed by announcing Habitat’s 30^th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for February 18^th at Adrian College in the Tobias Room.

Woodworking for Warriors – Luke Barnett

Luke began by making this statement: “This program is an opportunity for veterans to go to the Sam Beauford Workshop and work for free”! The group’s mission, he said, is: “PROMOTING POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR VETERANS THROUGH PEER MENTORSHIP AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION”.

According to the US Government, he said, only about half of veterans get the help that they need due to such reasons as: many suffer from shame and stigma, the fear of being seen as weak, a lack of understanding about treatment options, concerns over wait time and the inability to travel distances for care. This program, Luke said, will provide them what they need right here in Adrian. These will not be therapy sessions but will go a long way to increase the self-esteem of the men and women who served our country.

While we’ve all heard of PTSD (a condition caused generally by a single event), Luke said, CPTSD is a different condition and a bit harder to treat. It is repeated trauma over an extended period of time. Both, he said, can be addressed through woodworking. The program will consist of “Woodworking Wednesdays”. The workshop will be closed to the public those days and be a veterans ONLY day. No classes for the public will be scheduled that day, Luke said.

Veterans will be able to come in and choose from several options. One option will allow them to use the machinery to make whatever objects they want with some materials the workshop will provide. There will also be the educational component which will allow veterans to participate in training by skilled instructors. Classes will be offered in guitar making, knife making, etc. There will also be a PTSD support group even though it won’t be called that.

The success of the program, Luke said, will be measured in several different ways. A veteran who completes a high quality project will be deemed a success. “These are not your typical popsicle sticks and toilet paper tubes. These are projects that have marketable value in the world.” Veterans will see their accomplishments as meaningful. As participants develop skills on machines, they get vocational certification for doing it through a national accredited organization, Luke said. It will be a real plus for those wanting to get into the woodworking industry long term.

Luke shared with the audience the cost involved which was just under $35,000 that would include instructor wages, materials, facility expenses, marketing, tooling & software, and certification fees for up to 20 veterans. Thanks to the equipment the workshop currently has, the costs to launch and run this program have been greatly reduced. This program will seek funding from outside donors as well as from our club who has already confirmed it as a club program. It could very well be our “signature project”!

Following our regular meeting a group of members and veterans from the area as well as four who traveled from Big Rapids met to discuss the details.

Christmas Program - Students from Michener Elementary

What a wonderful presentation put on by nine students of Michener Elementary School under the direction of Mrs. Force. They sang a medley of popular songs to put us all in the holiday spirit. Today's program was a complete surprise to us all. Joining them were Reading Specialist, Kathy Sielsky, and Building Principal, Anne LaCasse.

Launch Lenawee

Mary Murray kicked things off before handing the mike over to Naomi Lolley by saying that Launch Lenawee is a new program actually run by volunteers to assist individuals who want to start their own businesses in Lenawee County. She thanked Adrian Morning Rotarian, Dave Maxwell, for his efforts in the program along with Nate Smith as well as Naomi Lolley who she asked to share more about this program.

Naomi said she has been very proud to be a part of Launch Lenawee. She said that the program began with 12 applicants initially which was later narrowed down to 7 who participated in a very structured business training program. All sessions are approximately two and a half hours in length every Wednesday evening at the Adrian Armory and Events Center for six weeks conducted by herself and Gary Clemetson from Lenawee Now. At the conclusion of the training, a mentor is assigned to each. Naomi showed the audience a short video describing the program. You can see it again at: www.launchlenawee.org. Interested candidates, Naomi said, meet with her to determine what things they need, where their deficiencies are and then direct them to the proper resources. A critical partner of Launch Lenawee has been Lenawee Now.

Naomi introduced two students currently participating in the program – Jay and Guinne Marks and Joe Kozakiewicz and Jay Marks. Both spoke about the tremendous help they have received from going through the program and mentioned the importance networking, having a business plan and knowing who their customers are.

Mark Murray concluded this informative presentation by mentioning how proud he was of all of the participants in this program and the leadership team. The Kauffman Institute, he said, whose only job is to educate entrepreneurs for over the past 50 years, makes available a blended on-line program that is intense yet critical to each of the participants. He said that the partnerships with the Adrian Rotary Clubs, Lenawee Now, the Adrian Chamber and everyone else who is on board to support Launch Lenawee have contributed to its success.

Potential candidates in the program, Mark said, should they be selected to participate in the program understand that they must commit to: Two and a half hours per week in the classroom for a total of 8 weeks; 4 hours of homework in between; monthly meetings with cohorts – checking; business topic presentations; monthly individual meetings with their Primary Mentor; other individual meetings with Resource Mentors; attend various networking events.

Mark ended by encouraging all members to seriously consider becoming a mentor since Launch Lenawee is an official Rotary project!

DG Paul Sincock's Official Visit

Posted by Chuck Chase

Assistant Governor, Marilyn Kremer was on hand as DG Paul and Tracy Sincock paid his official visit to our club. She introduced Paul by mentioning that he joined the Plymouth Rotary Club in 1981 and is a second generation Rotarian, was club president in 2001-02 and his passion is the Youth Exchange program. His Father and Mother were both Rotarians. He and his wife are multiple Paul Harris Fellows. Paul is a C.O.G. Award recipient in the 2010-11 year. He is the City Manager of Plymouth for over 17 years.

DG Paul met with then club’s board prior to the regular meeting for an update on what he had accomplished thus far and what we had planned for the future. During his formal presentation Paul started with a selfie as he does when he visits all other clubs. He commended our club on its long, rich history and acknowledged the fact that we will be celebrating our 100^th anniversary thanks to 24 charter members in 2021 and one of the oldest clubs in District 6400.

He spoke about how our club and all of the other clubs make a difference around the world. Paul repeated what RI President Barry Rassin says many times and which is his theme this year - “It is our time to be the inspiration.” Paul mentioned his district theme – “Pursue the Dream.” Paul said he wants us to think big particularly in Rotary’s six areas of focus: Clean water, Prevention of Family Disease, Promoting Peace, Maternal Health, Supporting Education, and Growing Local Economies. Walt Disney said “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them!”

One such dream, he said, is the eradication of polio and “it’s a dream that can come true because Rotary has the courage to dream.” Paul made special mention that for every dollar given to eradicate polio, the Gates Foundation will contribute $3!! “Rotary is on the front line of changing peoples’ lives as the Adrian club has with programs like the River Raisin Cleanup as just one example of all of the other things you do”, he said. Paul emphasized RI President Rassin’s priorities for the year: Support and strengthen our clubs (through membership), increasing our humanitarian service (through the RI Foundation), and enhancing our public image and awareness (through RI’s Brand Center via the Internet). DG Paul encouraged our club to contact at least five “Rotary Alumni” and to determine what impact Rotary has made on their lives.

DG Paul encouraged members to consider attending his District Conference in Windsor (Caesar’s Windsor Hotel) scheduled for May 10-12, 2019. It’s the very first time in 40 years, he said, that it will be held within our district! For more information, visit the district’s website at www.rotary6400.org. DG Paul promises that it will have “real take-home value” with many fabulous speakers which starts Friday evening, continues all day Saturday and well into the evening and concluding Sunday morning. Following Paul’s presentation, President Kathye presented him with a wooden plaque in the circular shape of his theme for the year specially made by President-Elect Luke! It was wonderful to see the Sincock’s today.

Salvation Army Update - Bryan Bowers

Posted by Chuck Chase

Pattie introduced fellow board member and chair of the Salvation Army, former Adrian Noon Rotarian, and an investment counselor in Adrian, Bryan Bowers who spoke about the good things the organization does in our community. He’s been a board member for 22 years, is a grad of MSU, is married with 3 sons and very active with the Boy Scouts, and is a church board member.

Here is what he shared with us today. The SA was founded in England in 1852 and this local agency has served Lenawee County for some 122 years! They are actually an Evangelical Christian Church with a chapel who hold weekly services and youth programs as well as a “social welfare organization", he said. A social worker is on staff there.

The SA has a canteen, a truck with a kitchen built into it that feeds many in need following natural disasters. Their truck has also traveled out of state to help with hurricane relief efforts specifically with food and shelter. SA’s social service area is their primary focus. They feed some 140 people twice to three times a week out of their facility here in Adrian. Their Fresh Food Initiative provides fresh produce to over 600 people each week on Tuesdays in the county.

Pathway to Hope is another SA program that provides families with the necessary education and tools (i.e. learning finances, how to apply for a job, family relationship skills, etc.) that are so critical to assisting them in breaking the cycle of poverty and social welfare dependence, Bryan said. Another big SA program is their annual Toy Drive in conjunction with Wagley Funeral Home in Adrian and Blissfield.

The SA provided space for Share the Warmth until 2017 because they are now in their own building. SA also coordinate with area churches to shelter nuclear families in particular at local hotels and have spent over $28,000 this past year. SA helps families with their utility bills. Overall, various assistance, he said, is provided to between 1,800 and 2,400 people per month. SA has a resale store, of course, and staffed by 7 people. This store provides half of SA’s revenue to provide assistance to those in need.

The SA is looking to expand their existing store on Church Street by adding a rag processing facility which will take clothes that cannot be resold and bundling them and sending them overseas. The SA will also be upgrading and expanding their kitchen facility for a cost of $400,000 due the increasing numbers of people they feed each week and to prepare for a natural disaster when they might have to feed up to 1,000.

Bryan closed by saying that another Annual Kettle Drive is being planned in addition to a Kettle Kickoff event on November 9^th at the First United Methodist Church at 7am to build community awareness about the organization. Hope you will be able to attend!

Hospice of Lenawee - Dr. Justin Voorhees

We were honored to have representatives of the Hospice of Lenawee with us today. Joining our speaker, Dr. Justin Voorhees, were the Executive Director of Hospice, Travis Havens, and our own Anne Sherman.

Justin is a native of Missouri and the son-in-law of Kevin Keller! He attended Texas A & M, studied medicine in Grand Rapids, practiced internal medicine for some time and then became interested in “end of life” care. He participated in a Hospice Fellowship program and moved to Michigan as Hospice of Lenawee was looking for a medical director. He started in July and has been very encouraged since he’s been here as to ”how people in this community are pouring into this organization”. Hospice not only helps their patients, they help their families, he said, providing extensive resources.

Justin said that Hospice has its beginnings during the time of the Crusades. Cicely Saunders, Justin said, is widely regarded as a key founder of modern hospice programs as well as one of the first leading advocates for palliative care to help ensure patients with terminal illnesses are treated with compassion and respect. She was formerly a nurse who later became a physician.

Hospice, he said, focuses more on comfort than on a cure. In other words, on pain management. Medicare Part A helps with the costs of people needing Hospice’s services. Certain criteria, however, need to be met. Patients need a terminal diagnosis by two separate physicians, and must be within 6 months of their demise, Justin said. Covered items include all medications, equipment and services related to the terminal illness. “Volunteers are a huge help to us at Hospice”, he said.

In some cases, a Hospice patient’s health actually improves and their medications will be cut back, he said. Many are discharged and the average is about two a month. For these patients a medical plan is developed moving forward. Should their conditions worsen again, they can re-enroll.

As Justin was wrapping up his presentation, Frank Dick mentioned how fortunate our community is to have a Hospice to meet the needs of the terminally ill and that we should all support it.

Gerrymandering – Gwynne Fisher, Judith Hammerle and Marcia Boynton

Posted by Chuck Chase on Sep 29, 2018

These ladies presented a lot of information about the League of Women’s Voters’ efforts on this subject and passed along a site members might want to go to for more information on this important issue: www.lwvmi.org

An overall summary of the issue and a quote from the site: On December 22, 2017, The League of Women Voters of Michigan and 11 individual voters filed a lawsuit against the State of Michigan in federal court in Detroit to end unfair, partisan gerrymandering of Michigan’s Congressional, state senate and state house districts.

“The Michigan League of Women Voters today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of voters throughout Michigan to end the practice of unfair, partisan gerrymandering,” said Judy Karandjeff, president of the Michigan League of Women Voters. “Michigan’s State House, Senate and Congressional districts are among the worst in the nation when it comes to partisan gerrymandering, and today’s lawsuit aims to fix the problem and restore voters’ rights to choose who best represents them. Ending partisan gerrymandering is critical to preserve our democracy and ensure every vote counts,” said Sue Smith, director of the League’s Redistricting Program.

Results of Branding Survey - Potthast & Chase

Well, the results are in! Here is the info we compiled as a results of the responses to the 3 questions we asked:

Here were the number of times the following words showed up in our responses:

Service/Serve (27)
Community (22)
Rotary (10)
Club (9)
Opportunity (9)
Helping (8)
Adrian (5)
Organization (4)

Equal weight (scored 3)

Support
Fellowship
Involved
Professionals

Additional Noteworthy Words Used include:

Better
Compassionate
Devotes/Dedicated
Improve
Impact
Caring
Fun

Next steps include:

Key word analysis (Done)
Answers/phrases analysis and review (By PR Committee)
Brainstorm (By PR Committee)
- Strategy developed
- Draft of “elevator speech” developed
- Formal Plan development
Present plan to members (By PR Committee)
Feedback from members (ALL)

Mark suggested that when we ask reach out and ask non-Rotarians to help us on different projects, that would be quite significant to possibly increasing our membership.

Jim closed by saying that all research on this subject reveals that story telling is the most impactful way of getting our message out to others.

Club Assembly - PR Committee Presentation

Today was actually a Club Assembly in addition to Sinner of the Year and Perfect Participation Awards. Yours Truly kicked thing off by letting the audience know that the Public Relations Committee was working on the issue of identifying exactly who are club is and what do we do. Committee member, Jim Potthast, went on to explain further why this was necessary and asked those in attendance to take time to complete a very brief questionnaire that would help the PR Committee answer those questions and eventually develop a brief, consistent “elevator speech” all members could learn and respond to anyone asking them “So, what is the Adrian Noon Rotary Club and what do they do?”

Jim took us through a number of slides during his presentation and said the thrust of it would be to be able to tell others who are not familiar with Rotary what it is that we do in a short, concise sentence or two which would also be helpful when recruiting other members yet we say something different every other time!

“We have slogans and symbols everywhere! And, they change every year. But none of the capture who we are!” In his research on RI over the weekend, he said, he came upon two mottos. One read: He profits most who serves the best. He said that the exercise he was going to put us through should be fun. All ideas should fuel off another. We are in this together. It’s a total team effort, he said. The bottom line is: What is the message we want to deliver verbally, on social media, radio as well as print that communicates an emotional connection with others.

Take Harley for instance, they use words they live by in their communications like “ruggedness”, “adventuresome”, “strong”, “American”, and “rebel”. It’s the makings of an “elevator pitch”, Jim said. We’ll take everyone’s comments which will then be developed into a Marketing Plan. Prior to giving the audience a few minutes to complete the questionnaire, Jim concluded by saying that we are in need of additional people to serve on the PR Committee. Please let us know if you would like to serve.

Perfect Participation Awards

The following members were recognized today for their consecutive years of perfect participation in the Adrian Rotary Club. If you are not on the list, please consider making it a goal for yourself. The criteria is basically to do 50 things in the spirit of Rotary (including meetings) for the year. Please let Allen know if you choose this as a goal and keep him posted regarding your activities. Congratulations to:

Luke Barnett- 1

Barry Reinink-1

Kevin Marti-2

Susan Tobey-2

Mike Tobey-2

Sue Lewis-3

Dane Nelson-3

Kathy Williams-3

Brent Mercer-8

Mary Murray-9

Gerry Burg-10

Kathye Herrera-10

Chuck Chase-14

Nate Smith-14

Rod Hokenson-15

Bob Sack-16

Patty Clark-17

Rhonda Gage-17

Allen Slater-17

Kevin Keller-22

Mark Murray-23

Sinner of the Year Award

The following members were fined these amounts last Rotary year in ascending order:

Sutherland ($1)

Ellerholz ($6)

Sack ($7)

Sherman ($7)

Behnke ($7)

Maxson ($8)

Kojima ($10)

Potthast ($11)

Gage ($12)

Slater ($12)

Kathryn S. ($13)

Easton ($13)

Salazar ($14)

Hokenson ($14)

Douglass ($15)

Burg ($15)

Lewis ($19)

S. Tobey ($20)

Williams ($20)

Barnett ($22)

Keller ($22)

Herrera ($25)

Pender ($26)

Smith ($56)

Chase ($66)

Japanese Exchange Program - LISD

Ed Lyons, a fulltime teacher at Sand Creek Schools and LISD Japan Exchange Student Coordinator who spoke about the program which results in an exchange of students twice a year between Adrian and Moriyama Japan – Adrian’s Sister City! Ed began by thanking our club for its support of this program over the years.

A delegation of middle school students (usually 4 boys and 4 girls) and teachers (2) from Japan in October each year who travel here and stay with host families there for 7-10 days which includes a trip to Washington D.C. Then in June of the following year, they host a similar delegation from Lenawee County which includes a trip to Hiroshima.

Two of the 8 students who just returned from Japan in June, Liam Cornish (Tecumseh Freshman this year) and Maddie Bowman (a Blissfield Freshman this year), shared their experiences while there with the audience. They spoke about the lasting friends they made, the foods they developed tastes for and the different activities they were involved in.

Maddie said that, in Japan, students stay in the same classroom throughout the school day and the teachers go to them to conduct their classes! Liam said that he learned so much about the Japanese culture and language while he was there he had never known before. While there, he was able to play on a Japanese high school soccer team.

Ed concluded the presentation by saying that the money we donate supports the cost of admissions to various sites when the Japanese delegation comes here along with lunches and transportation expenses. Should any student (6^th and 7^th graders in Lenawee County) wish to become part of this program, a registration site (https://www.lisd.us/instruction/programs/japanese-exchange/) will be up and running this November and December, Ed said, to indicate their interest.

Legislative Update - State Rep Bronna Kahle

Bronna started by thanking our club for the work our club has done throughout the community and that she was proud to represent Lenawee County in Lansing. Bronna said she was proud of her accomplishments the past year and a half that strengthen our economy, raising incomes through additional training in skilled trades, reducing taxes and regulatory burdens, increasing resources to school classrooms, and rebuilding Michigan’s infrastructure. She went on to speak about the issues before the legislature in Lansing:

Securing the necessary resources for our senior citizens
Fixing Roads - $4B investment for roads & bridges
Reducing Debt – for our children and grandchildren so they are not saddled with this debt
Ending Driver Responsibility Fees – allowing thousands of Michigan drivers to get their licenses back so they can return to work
Making Government Open & Honest – increasing the transparency of our state government so it restores the taxpayers faith in the government
Respecting & Protecting Taxpayers – The state saved $1B in their Rainy Day Fund (Budget Stabilization Fund) which will better protect taxpayers during tough times
Work for Welfare – so that able-bodied people can work and be on a path of success in exchange for welfare payments that build people up
Income Tax Relief – by increasing personal tax exemptions that tie in with those made at the federal level recently
Providing Tax Relief for Moms and Dads – various tax breaks that have been enacted
Combating Opioids – collaboration efforts have been successful between organizations like Rotary and the health community and need to continue
Improving Mental Health – we appreciate the suggestions we continue to get locally, Bronna said
Results for Students - Record funding for K-12 education – the biggest ever - $14.8B which represents 28% of Michigan’s budget. Bronna has been able to leverage an additional $6.8M for Lenawee County schools during her time in the state legislature!
School Safety - $25M has been set aside for grants to improve building security and the school reporting system
More Skilled Trades – better opportunities to prepare students with the help of local educators to help break down the barriers to training that still exist to moving these programs forward. A big skill gap still impacts this state.
Getting Real World Experience – helping high school students earn course credit and even get paid by completing an internship or work study program so they can build experience while they are still in school to see if they like it before investing in college
Stopping Identity Theft – for seniors in particular. Securing free credit freezes
Tax Credits for those 62 and Older
Protecting Meals on Wheels – Bronna continues to push hard for increased funding to insure nutritious meals for the homebound
Helping Victims of Human Trafficking – through continued legislation

Other efforts she is working on, Bronna said, include auto insurance rates, anti-bullying and Alzheimer’s Awareness (Bronna was selected to receive the Champion for Alzheimer’s Award from the Alzheimer’s Association last year!). Thank, Bronna, for a great update and all you do for Lenawee County.

ProMedica Presentation - Katie Young

Members from ProMedica’s administrative staff presented today’s program. First up was Katie Young who is the Executive Director of the ProMedica Bixby, Herrick and Hickman Hospital Foundation and a member of the Y board of directors (and also a Kiwanian!). Katie acknowledged Dave Hickman who attended the meeting and who is the general chair of the ProMedica Charles & Virginia Hickman Capital Campaign. The hospital will be named after Dave’s parents. Also attending from ProMedica’s offices in Toledo was Christi Ansburg, VP of Philanthropy. Katie then called on Ronda Winans, Associate VP of Operations for ProMedica Bixby/Herrick/Hickman Hospital who took us through a slide program.

Ronda told the audience that a site plan for the new hospital has been prepared and work has begun at the new location and adding: “Things will start to go vertical at the site by October with the steel structure being constructed”. Ronda presented an aerial view of the campus and pointed to where the entrance will be in addition to the ER. The main lobby, by the way will be named the Frank & Shirley Dick Lobby! The original cart path will be maintained and provide a walking path for visitors. The hospital, Ronda said, would be over 200,000 square feet, consist of 58 acute care beds, 40 med-surgery beds, 8 labor and delivery rooms and have two helipads.

She then explained what would be on each of the three levels: 1^st floor - ambulatory services, Radiology Department, women’s health area, diagnostics, outpatient services, mammography and the ER; 2^nd level - the administrative offices, med-surgery units, pre and post-op surgery, pharmacy, and various nurses’ stations. And, finally, on the 3^rd level will be the second of the 2 med-surgery wards, 10 CCU units, and the 8 labor units. The original clubhouse on the golf course will remain on the grounds and serve as office for the various contractors working at the site.

Katie then returned to the podium to provide details of the new YMCA of Lenawee ProMedica Wellness Center. “This is a unique collaboration and the first of its kind in the ProMedica system” and that ProMedica was excited to be partnering in this way, she said, and added that a study conducted by an outside consulting firm hired by the Y showed that the potential for membership growth was four times what it is now due to the new facility at this location. Katie pointed out that there was considerable green space around the facility and would lend itself to possible playground space, baseball diamond, etc. that could be used by others in the community. The Y Wellness Center, she said, would house 2 pools, a gymnasium, kids’ space, fitness/workout rooms and locker rooms.

Katie then spoke about the ProMedica Farms, Hoop House (only the second one in the entire country!) on the campus. This one was funded, she said, by the Eisenhower Center out of Ann Arbor. The Hoop House is a medical-clinical facility which is handicap-accessible and offers numerous rehab opportunities throughout. The Hoop House, Katie said, would feed into ProMedica’s Veggie Mobile. She concluded her presentation by announcing the goal for the Y campaign which is $18M. The combined cost of the hospital and Y project is $145M of which ProMedica is contributing $125M. Of the $18M goal, she said, $12.2M has been raised. She said that she was aware that our club had supported the current YMCA in the past and that the new facility would “be a great opportunity for our club or any individual to partner in this project”.

2017-18 Fluency Friends Year Wrap-Up by Kathy Sielsky

Posted by Chuck Chase on Aug 03, 2018

Yet another successful Fluency Friend’s program has come to an end and Michener Elementary’s Reading Specialist, Kathy Sielsky, was on hand to provide the update. Here is what she shared with us:

155 HOURS OF EXTRA READING PRACTICE WAS PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTEERS!
100% OF THE STUDENTS BENEFITED FROM THEIR FLUENCY FRIEND EXPERIENCE!
63 % OF THOSE STUDENTS MADE THEIR PROJECTED GROWTH GOAL ON THE NWEA ASSESSMENT!

The year was capped off with another Celebration Reception at the Michener Elementary Library on May 24^th.

Kathy thanked our club for once again purchasing over 500 books of which each student was able to select 5 to keep and take home and read during the summer! The remainder of the books were shared with summer school students and some were added to the Fluency Friends Library collection! An afternoon was set aside for club members to affix labels to each of the new books.

Among the comments made by members who volunteered this year were:

“I really enjoyed the girls - I think they worked hard and were very nice.”
“Watching the students learn more words and being able to read without a lot of coaching”
“I enjoyed working with the boys and seeing them engage with the story”
“Building relationships with the students by giving them one on one attention.”

Among the feedback from students participating in the program this year were:

“I like going with my Fluency Friend because I get to read books and also get a pride ticket.”
“She helped me with hard words.”
“I got to read different books than what was in my classroom.”
“She was really nice and I got to read good books.”
“I felt very special when I got to go and read books with him. ”

Kathy concluded the presentation by saying that “The students really appreciated your dedication by sharing your time and talents with them. The extra reading practice and the kindness you all showed them was priceless”!

A special thanks goes to Mary Murray for chairing this important event again this year and helping to make it the success that it was!!

Victory Gym - Char Haener

Brownstown Rotary member, Char Haener, spoke to us about the collaborative effort of her club and other Rotary clubs in the area to create a gym for veterans and first responders who have served our country at no charge. Char is the gym’s Executive Director. Staff members are all volunteers, she said. The organization boasts of over 2,000 members who go to the gym to exercise, enjoy peer support and helps vets suffering from PTSD.

The gym is open to outsiders for a nominal fee and a banquet hall on the site helps to provide revenue throughout the year to help offset operational costs of the gym. The last piece of the puzzle is connection, not only with peers but the community. Transitioning back to civilian life presents a number of challenges, particularly with PTSD, Char said. Interacting with other gym members during workout and socializing in a comfortable setting eases the process. All too often, PTSD leads to isolation and depression. The gym offers a safe haven to promote a healthy lifestyle!

Char mentioned that improvements are still being made to the facility. The heating system is in and functioning but the AC has yet to be installed. They have and will continue to apply for grants to assist them with necessary building improvements in the months to come. Char said that her goal is to see a gym for veterans in ec=very state.

Neighbors of Hope - Pastor Steve & Tim

Steve started out and spoke about the new Women & Children’s Shelter that was once Herrick Manor on Tecumseh and about all of the hurdles the organization had to go through to pave the way for it to become a reality. The process began in August of last year, Steve said. Neighbors of Hope (NOH) has been around for 13 years and Steve said he has been part of it for the past 12.

The deal, he said, is scheduled to close soon and then the renovations will begin. It should be fully operational, Steve said, by September/October of this year. Among the anticipated improvements will be work to the existing kitchen, an expansion of the the pantry and separating the utilities that are connected to the hospital building. Steve said that there are currently 4 paid staff people at NOH and that 80% of all donations go to operations. When the new facility opens, he said, five to seven more staff will be hired. Volunteers, however, are the life blood of the organization.

Kathy then spoke next about the fundraiser scheduled for next week Friday the 13^th in front of County National Bank through the following Saturday. She further elaborated on the purpose of the new shelter saying that it will offer homeless women and children in Lenawee the chance to stay together and get off the street. It will be a transitional housing facility. There is currently no permanent facility in our community for homeless women and children who are not victims of domestic violence.

Tim then thanked everyone who helped recently with their garden last month. He also spoke about our support of their 3^rd Day Farm Project and mentioned that the shed the club bought for them that was erected on the Bethany property originally was too large to move and required them erecting a new but smaller Amish one on the current Methodist Church property on West Maple. They are selling produce now at the Tecumseh Farmer’s Market. Tim said that the City of Tecumseh has asked NOH to take over their community garden next year which he said will be a challenge but also an amazing opportunity.

Steve concluded by mentioning that their property on Broad Street was put up for sale by the landlord. Steve said he wasn’t worried about being asked to leave since he doesn’t think it will sell.

ARF - Mark Murray & Brent Mercer

Adrian Rotary Foundation Chair, Mark Murray and fellow ARF board member Brent Mercer shared with members facts about this local foundation. Mark went around the room asking these questions. The real answers are included.

1. What is the ARF and how is it different from the Rotary International Foundation (RIF)?

Answer: The dollars donated to the ARF (a 501C3 organization) stay in Adrian and are used by our club for programs/causes as determined by the ARF board of directors. Half of the monies donated to the RI Foundation go to RI and the other half come back to our district who then decide which clubs to give matching grants to.

2. How old is the ARF?

Answer: 55 years old as of 2018 (Began in 1963)

3. When the club held a luncheon to celebrate the ARF’s 50^th anniversary, how much money was raised at that event?

Answer: $50,000

4. There are several levels (Fellows) of recognition within the ARF. Who is the highest level of recognition named after?

Answer: Frank Dick. A Frank Dick Fellow are donors who contribute $5,000 or more to the ARF. Ken Roof Fellow - $2,500-$4,999; ARF Fellow - $1-$1,999.

5. Who are the members of the ARF?

Answer: All Adrian Noon Club members.

6. What are the 3 main responsibilities of the ARF board of directors?

Answer: (1) monitor the accounts where money is invested (2) administering the funds (3) grow the corpus

7. What percentage of funds from the ARF are given to the club each year?

Answer: Five percent of the corpus is given each year to the Adrian Noon Rotary Club and the club's board of directors determines how it is to be used.

8. When is that 5% of the holdings allocated each year?

Answer: The holdings (account balances) are calculated on December 31^st of each year and 5% is distributed to the incoming president the following July 1.

9. How much money is in the ARF as of March 31, 2018?

Answer: $436,574.14

10. How much money was in the ARF 15 years ago?

Answer: $199,000

Additional ARF Information

The ARF monies are held in three separate accounts:

General Fund (equities/stock portfolio) at Old National Bank
Restricted Fund (Scholarship fund with Siena Heights University) at Old National Bank
Gleaner Annuity (pays 3-3.5%/Year) at Gleaner’s

Member Moment - Chuck Davis

Chuck Davis missed his calling! He should be a stand-up comedian and a motivational speaker. He took time today to tell us about himself and here’s what we learned: He is 53 years old, born in Virginia and raised in Southfield, Michigan and, contrary to what most people think, he was not born in a taxi cab but a real hospital!

He played high school football as a running back and linebacker at Plymouth/Canton, graduated from Adrian College on a scholarship and has a degree in Business and Psychology. He worked at Merillat’s in Adrian for about 5 years and UPS to pay his way to school. Toward the end of college he worked at Herrick and Bixby Hospital as an in-house counselor. He currently has a Series 7 Broker’s license and was going to go to New York but “God had other plans”, he said. While at Herrick Hospital he met his first wife. They had 5 children – Zachary, Zane, Zariah, Zoey and a dog named Zeke!

“I have been blessed beyond words”, Chuck admitted, and that people have 160 reasons to trust him – which represents $165M in home sales since he began his real estate career. Yet, he wished that he had King Solomon’s wisdom go along with that which, he said, was another story! He now has six pets – 3 cavaliers and 3 cats. His passions and hobbies include bow hunting and even took his lunch breaks and go 15 feet up in a tree to hunt, he said. He hasn’t done that in a while because of his brain tumor.

Chuck said he also loves to teach Sunday school going all the way back to his days in Ogden. He said he accepted Jesus when he was just 8 years old. He is also a professional Karate instructor. He is skilled in the deadly Japanese Karate, he said. He is now in Tai Kwando and even took time to show audience members the art of Key Eye. That is, when someone attacks you, take your car keys and hit them in the eye!!!

Twenty years ago doctors found he had a brain tumor. He owned his own real estate company at the time employing 30 agents and he noticed that when he tried to play basketball, he noticed a flicker in his eye. After a successful eight and a half hour surgery, he woke up and said “Thank you, Jesus”. He said he is a firm believer in “God’s will be done” and he has a passion to this day to do God’s work. He concluded by saying that “Rotary is the essence and the vehicle to be all that I can be because of God’s leading me”!

M.A.D.D. - Kathye Herrera

One of our own again, Kathye Herrera, gave a very moving presentation that she has been giving for well over 25 years now to vast numbers of audiences. It was 27 years ago today, she said, that she buried Matt, her son, who was tragically killed in a truck accident. Her hope throughout the years, she said, was to help people understand what drinking and driving can do.

Kathye said that 7 years prior to quitting her job 46 years ago she was drinking and decided to move to California with her then 4 year old son. She could not find a job and ended up, she said, “drinking more and more and more” and overdosed because she was also taking pills at the time. She entered the San Bernardino Mental Ward and her Father, who was a part-time deputy here in Adrian, went to Judge Glaser and got custody of her son.

The next year Kathye was determined to get her life together and get her son back and she started attending AA. When she did regain custody he was still angry with her and scared she would leave him again. While it was a pretty rough time in her life “we made it”. Kathye then got married and returned to Michigan and started her life again which “wasn’t that good either”, she said, “but I did remain sober”.

However, on Memorial weekend when her son was 17, he asked his Mother if he could go to Archbold, Ohio with buddies to the Mud Bogs which Kathye said he could. Nobody checked the ages of anyone at the event, she said, and many were drinking. When he returned after a full day there, he was the only sober one out of the six others he went with. Matt, she said, now had a choice to make.

He could have chosen to go back with his girlfriend who was there who had her own car and was sober. He could have even called her who would have gone right down there to bring him back but Matt, unfortunately, decided to return with those he went with. On the way home, the driver lost control of his vehicle on railroad tracks and Matt was the first one thrown from the pickup, she said, “sliding a quarter of a mile down the asphalt”. A policeman she knew went to her home and said “it’s bad”. Matt had been life-flighted to St. Vincent’s. A friend drove her to the hospital along with her other son, Mic, and Matt’s girlfriend.

Upon entering his room, she said, she saw he was hooked up to all kinds of machines and the extensive injuries were to his head, face and arms were indescribable. Eleven hours after being admitted, a nurse, she said, came in and told the family that Matt was brain-dead and they would be grateful if the family would agree to donating his organs. At first, Kathye said “no” but after further to speaking to the nurse, she agreed. One recipient was a retired fireman from Monroe. Three others were also recipients of Matt’s organs but have since passed away yet lived 13 more years because of Matt, Kathye said. Kathye said that Matt’s favorite holiday was always Christmas, ever since his death, she has never put up a Christmas tree.

Exactly one week after Matt’s death, Mic attempted suicide. He spent the next eight weeks in the Adolescent Psych Unit in Tecumseh. “He wouldn’t eat for three weeks, wouldn’t stop wearing Matt’s clothes, didn’t want to talk and had bad dreams”. He was medicated and “through the grace of God”, Kathye said, Mic connected with a person at the Psych Unit and “started to come around”. He felt guilty because he wasn’t there to keep Matt from getting in “that truck”. Kathye said she had the same guilt inside of her.

Mic would have another bout of depression and would attempt suicide once more and was admitted to Charter Hospital. Having come around again, he started high school. Mic too, Kathye said, faced a number of his own choices. “He didn’t do his homework, didn’t go to school many times and just hated life”. Kathye told him, however, that “you will graduate”. He would be hospitalized three more times for depression and for suicidal tendencies. Yet, Mic did graduate and thanked his Mother for pushing him. He got a job while he lived at home but one day she found marijuana in his bedroom, confronted him and told him he had to leave but could return if he could prove that he was longer using it.

He packed his bags and left. Within 2 months, she said, he was arrested and spent the next 6 years in prison for which she said she was grateful since the other 6 friends he hung around with had since overdosed and died. Mic came home “determined to get his life together again”. He was on parole at the time and it “went pretty well for a while” but Kathye said she found out that while he’d turned 21, he was drinking and Kathye said that this was “not okay”. Mic has been in sobriety for 5 years now!

Kathye said that she is MAD! Mad at Matt for getting into that truck whose driver was drunk. She’s also mad at Jason, the driver of the truck who decided to drive after he’d been drinking all day. Kathye told the judge at his trial not to send him to jail even though it was his third drunk driving arrest. “He has a problem and he needs help”, she said. He was sentenced to 5 days in jail and a $50 fine but her family “had a life sentence”. Jason, Kathye said, had 2 more drunk driving arrests and 2 more accidents. He then started to do Meth and even ran a lab, was caught and sentenced to do a year in the Lenawee County Jail. Shortly after he was released he overdosed on OxyContin and died at 32 years of age. Two young men are dead, Kathye said, because of “bad choices”.

Kathye then went back to college to get her Master’s Degree in hopes of working with children who she could prevent going through what Matt did. She became the Executive Director of Big Brothers & Big Sisters and saw so many wonderful things “happen with that program” and often wonders what her kid’s lives would have been like had they had a club like that as they were growing up.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Kathye. What courage you have. What an ambassador you are to others who face similar issues and know that what you do and the experiences that you have can truly change other peoples’ lives!

Member Moment - Bob Behnke

One of our newest members took the podium and told us about himself. Bob said that he grew up in South Warren. His Father was an electrician and the school district was not one to promote a college education. He cited three distinct situations while in school that made him believe that where he was today was by “luck”. One day at school his Social Studies teacher pulled him aside and told him if he wanted to go on a tour of Central Michigan University. He decided to go and became the first generation college student!

Six months later a counselor mentioned the trip to CMU and asked him if that was where he was going to apply. Bob said “Yes”! Bob completed an application, was later admitted and worked for the campus police while there. After graduating he took a teaching position at the Huron Valley School System then went onto Assistant Principal and then Principal. He then became the Principal at Lakeland High.

He mentioned that the work we do with Fluency Friends is so important in being a positive influence in a child’s life. His Mother’s expectations was for him to be an assistant manager at Farmer Jack’s someday. He said that while she meant well, she didn’t fully grasp the other opportunities that might have been available to him as he chose a vocation. He credits his own teachers for setting high standards for him. He reminds his own staff today at APS that they can have that same influence on the students right here in Adrian by being role models for them while they are going to school. The students, in turn, can then reframe that perspective with their own parents so they can take that different pathway, Bob said.

Bob added that college and a 4-year degree was not for everyone and that there was currently a shortage for people entering the trades. APS is committed to providing the best education for students, he said, while suggesting different paths they can take following graduation. That included partnership with the LISD and their Tech Center which is second to none, he said. The key is to get kids involved early so they will recognize that it is not the traditional “shop class” anymore but that it cutting-edge technology, he said.

Within APS, he said, they had an outstanding Educational Foundation providing state-of-the-art programming and facilities, the arts, as well as an outstanding orchestra equal to Oakland Public Schools. Bob then mentioned the International Baccalaureate Program (IBP) – “an opportunity to provide and accelerate and provide an outstanding focus on looking at things from a global perspective”.

He thanked Gerry for helping to “blur the lines” from high school to college and then onto the workforce at APS with the work he has been doing. Kids from Springbrook, he said, are attending the high school to take advanced classes due to their proximity. Dual enrollment programs are also being worked on, Bob said, where students get college credit which helps offset tuition costs when going to college.

Kathye Herrera - Club President