President Chuck King opened the meeting with this welcome:

 

This is our thirteenth week since we stopped meeting in person, and our sixth Zoom club meeting – Since we started our zoom meetings. There were 24 members in attendance this day. He welcomed our visitors – Greg Birkemeyer, District 6670 Governor Elect (to take office soon!), and our Rotary Scholarship recipients.

 

The club recited the Pledge of Allegiance, Rotary 4-Way Test, and then Rev. Harvey Smith shared a meaningful prayer.

 

Harvey then shared good news about recognition awards our Club received from District 6670 – 1. Number 3 club in the district for per capital giving to the Rotary Foundation, 2. High level of giving for Polio Plus, 3. Gold Certificate recognition of Past-President, Boyd Preston for achieving all goals set for the club during his term. Boyd noted the work was not just his, but that of many hard-working members of our club. Congratulations to the entire club!

 

Sofie Ameloot thanked those who have donated linens and personal goods to donate to St Vincent de Paul and noted we are falling short of our previous giving level. Sofie is participating in the Tour de Gem biking event again this year and hoped to raise $500. She encouraged other Rotarians to join her to ride sometime between July 1 – September 6, or she will gladly take donations.

 

President Chuck King shared announcements:

Brian Hayes called on the club to share Happy Bucks.

 

Wayne Davis ($5) is happy to see everyone again and to support The Castle.

Arnie Biondo ($5) announced his middle child turned 24 and is now officially off his payroll.

Mike Wier ($5) is happy the sun is out and his trailer hitched so he is ready to go sailing.

Sivaji Subramaniam ($5) is celebrating his son’s successful work at the University of Cincinnati’s Admissions Office from home, and announced he had twin grandchildren born last week – a boy and a girl.

Kim Senft-Paras ($20) congratulated the scholarship recipients and noted her arm is finally healing.

Judy Budi ($20) congratulated the scholarship recipients.

Elda Gotos Gay ($20) congratulated the scholarship recipients.

Ron Hollenbeck ($20) congratulated the scholarship recipients and thanked his wife for the Father’s Day gift of 6 yards of topsoil.

Jeff Senney ($20) is happy to be leaving for the Outer Banks soon for a family reunion.

Carol Kennard ($10) is happy to be leaving after this Rotary meeting to visit her daughter, son-in-law, and 6-month old granddaughter, who has grown too much since she last saw her.

Dawayne Kirkman ($10) is also happy to be leaving for North Carolina tomorrow to revisit the location where he and his wife were married.

Harvey Smith ($10) congratulated the scholarship recipients and recognized Judy for the great work leading the Educational Foundation.

Brad Thorp ($5) announced his son, Isaac, graduated from the Air War College and also received a Masters focused on Space Strategy.

Sofie Ameloot ($10) thanked the Rotarians for their generous donations so far, and then Jeff Senney pledged a $100 donation to her Tour de Gem fundraiser.

Boyd Preston ($20) congratulated the scholarship recipients and said it was good to see John Callander.

Several other Rotarians congratulated the scholarship recipients. Jim Harris ($10), Dick Hoback ($10), and Chuck King ($20).

Dick Hoback ($10

 

 

Judy Budi, chair of the Educational Foundation committee welcome our guests to the Centerville Rotary Club scholarship winners’ luncheon. She congratulated all of the graduates and their proud families for everything these students have accomplished. It has been a tough spring and your resilience is commendable.

During our interviews of the students we shared a bit of information about the club. Rotary is an International Service organization with clubs around the globe focused on clean water and sanitation projects; polio eradication; basic education and literacy; peace and conflict resolution; maternal and child health; and economic and community development. Interact and Rotaract are the branches of Rotary established to encourage young adults to participate in community service at an early age. There is an Interact Club at Centerville High School. Our graduates might want to consider joining their respective university’s Rotaract Club.

The Centerville Rotary Club’s Educational Foundation provides scholarships to graduating seniors from the Centerville/Washington Township community.  Criteria for these awards is based on financial need, participation in service oriented projects and potential for success in college or trade school. Since 1975, we have awarded over $230,000.00 in scholarship money.

Members of the Foundation Committee are Kim Senft- Paras, Deb Dulaney, Mark Febus, Harvey Smith, and Ray Merz. Deb is our secretary and Judy is the chair person. Rotary member Brad Thorp is our Investment Manager. Judy also thanked Centerville High School Counselor Samantha Stingley for her assistance this year as we worked through this with school via online classes. Samantha made sure our scholarship application was posted for the seniors.

 

Money for these scholarships is raised from our annual Pancake Breakfast which is held the fourth Saturday in October at Centerville High School. Due to social distancing we may not have this program this fall.

 

A letter from a 2017 scholarship recipient, Christopher Kang was shared in mid-May. Christopher is a Biology and Psychology major at Emory University and he updated the club on his education and family.

 

This year, 13 seniors applied to our Foundation and we awarded five $2,000 scholarships totaling $10,000.

 

Rotary’s motto ‘service above self’ has been exemplified by the 5 students Centerville Rotary is honoring here today. Each of our winners will briefly talk about their academic and career goals and their commitment to service.

 

During our interviews with the students, some remembered receiving a dictionary or thesaurus from the Centerville Rotary Club when they were in third or fifth grade. In keeping with tradition, each student was provided a book in support of Rotary’s work in the area of literacy. Because we are not together, these were mailed to their homes. Each student received a book specially selected for them because of an interest, career or educational goal described to the committee during the interview. Thanks to Kim Senft-Paras and her daughters for making the personal selections.

 

All of these students were involved in numerous school clubs such as Lunch Buddies, Elk Connectors, Octagon Club, Unit Assembly, Chem Buddies, Honor Society, Scholar Athletes, etc. There are so many to name that Judy only highlighted some of their other activities.

 

 

 

Jeremy plans to attend Bowling Green State University and major in forensic biology. Jeremy’s parents are Dale and Ella Davidson and he has a younger brother. Jeremy is a runner participating in cross country and track. He served as captain the past two years of the Cross Country team and was elected captain of the Track team this year .He has been a Boy Scout for 8 years, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, served as a senior patrol leader and participated in their leadership program. He has volunteered for the Relay for Life for the past four years assisting in setting up the Luminaria ceremony and is a member of Hope United Methodist Church. Jeremy’s heart for service is visible as he serves as both a member of the youth ministry and a member of the church. He participates and leads in many community projects. Jeremy had a couple of surgeries this past year impacting his running and he shared how overcoming this adversity has impacted his life.

 

One of his references said, “Jeremy’s heart for service is visible as he serves as both a member of the youth ministry and as a member of the church. Jeremy is always willing to help with any church program- to volunteer- not just when asked, but wherever and whenever he sees a need.”

 

The book selected for Jeremy was “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach. In the book, Roach gives firsthand accounts of cadavers, a history of the use of cadavers, and an exploration of the surrounding ethical/moral issues. She places each chapter's content into a historical context by discussing the history of the method of using a cadaver she is about to witness.

 

Jeremy thanked the club for the generous scholarship and noted he chose forensic biology because he wanted to study more in the STEM field. The topic interests him as he will be able to apply his knowledge to help others. BGSU has a top notch program in forensic biology. He said he finished the book yesterday and found it very interesting. He has been exposed to service opportunities since very young through scouts and his church and looks forward to new opportunities to help people.

 

 

Ella is the daughter of Jeff and Karla Snead and she has an older brother studying at Indiana University. Her grandfather Warren was a member of the West Carrolton Rotary Club. She plans to attend The Ohio State University and study biochemistry which would provide a strong basis for several post graduate programs. She was accepted into OSU’s Mount Scholarship program which is a program focused on service. This is just another example of how important service is to Ella. She has been a member of Centerville’s swim and dive and track and field programs. She is involved in several clubs and is proud of her participation in Bold (Building our lives Drug Free).  She is a participant in the PIE Club. She is a student ambassador with the Mark Kreusch Memorial Fund and supported Operation Prom Dress, Shoes for the Shoeless and the victory project. She has received numerous academic and athletic honors. She helped develop the senior video this year. She hopes to improve society through her major and entry into the health field.

 

One of her references had this to say: “As much as I respect Ella for her achievements in the classroom, I respect her even more for the person she is, a strong school citizen. In this day and age of stories about teens who are irresponsible, self-centered and short sighted, Ella is a refreshing young woman of strong character.”

 

The book selected for Ella was “Lab Girl” by Hope Jahren. The author describes the life she’s lived and the knowledge she’s learned as a scientist trying to find her way in the world. Focusing mostly on a period of professional development that stretches from 1997 to 2008, the bulk of the narrative follows Jahren from her first appointment as a professor in Atlanta to her current job at the University of Hawaii. Navigating personal and professional challenges including bipolar disorder, meager budgets, and sexist work environments, Jahren and her eccentric lab manager, Bill, learn a lot about themselves, each other, and the mysterious lives of plants.

 

Ella thanked Rotarians for the scholarship and said she wants to go into the medical field to be able to help people. She feels fortunate to have lived the life she has and wants to seek out more opportunities to help those less fortunate than her.

 

Divleen And Divnoor Singh- twins daughters of Ranbri and Kamapreet Singh.  Many of us may recognize them because they participated in RYLA last year and have been busy as officers with Interact. They both serve as volunteer greeters at Kettering Hospital. United Way Leadership program, Model UN, Jazz Band, Volunteer at Bethany Village to tutor in electronics, knitting club and work at Parkway Market

 

They will both attend The Ohio State University, but not room together or have the same major.

 

Judy recognized them each individually.

 

Divleen plans to be a cardiac surgeon. She has served as an officer in the clubs mentioned above. She notes she has learned perseverance in high school and from her father. One of her references described her as a “nurturing, compassionate young lady with a heart of gold. Always with a smile on her face.”

 

The book selected for Divleen was “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong child, her American Doctors and the Collision of Two Cultures” by Anne Fadiman

Through miscommunications about medical dosages and parental refusal to give certain medicines due to mistrust, misunderstandings, and behavioral side effects, and the inability of the doctors to develop more empathy with the traditional Hmong lifestyle or try to learn more about the Hmong culture, Lia's condition worsens. The dichotomy between the Hmong's perceived spiritual factors and the Americans' perceived scientific factors comprises the overall theme of the book.

The book is written in a distinctive style, with every other chapter returning to Lia's story and the chapters in-between discussing broader themes of Hmong culture, customs, and history; American involvement in and responsibility for the war in Laos; and the many problems of immigration, especially assimilation and discrimination

 

Divleen is grateful for the scholarship and noted her chosen field will give her the opportunity of give back – service will be part of her everyday life as a doctor who cares about everyone’s well-being. She has a great interest in science and wants to be able to serve people every day.

 

Divnoor will study neuroscience and biology with a goal of going to medical school. She has been a great leader in the Interact Club and leads many large projects. She organized the dodgeball tournament and fundraiser for Syrian refuges. She worked as a volunteer at the House of Bread. She shared her role model is her mother who went to college to be a nurse a second time since her degree from India was not accepted and had the twins at the same time. Divnoor believes in social justice issues.

 

The book selected for Divnoor was Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

Oliver Sacks’s compassionate, compelling tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains, and of the human experience. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people–

 

Divnoor thanked Rotarians for this honor, and noted her future goals combine her priorities of meaningful work and service. She has a love of science and wants to give back to society and make changes for the better.

 

 

Alex has known for many years that he likes working with his hands. He was in the Environmental Management Career program at the high school. He has been in scouts since kindergarten and has held several Leadership roles including patrol leader. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout last fall, played soccer and ran track where he was elected captain. His 4 x 400 relay team went to state and placed 10^th in 2019 and was looking forward to this spring season. When the pandemic hit and school was more online, he went out and got a job working in landscaping and he did his school work in the evening. When asked what he has learned at Centerville he noted- form your interest and don’t worry what others care about.

Alex’s parents are Arno and Amy Weller and he has a younger sister. Alex plans to attend the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology and achieve 5 certifications in 10 months. During school he also worked at Doubleday’s. Both of his references talk about his leadership skills and noted he is a person of great character.

 

Active in his church youth program he is an active leader with poise, preparation and gifts in leading. He is polished and professional beyond his years. His other reference noted, “Alex will be highly successful in whatever he does in life. Along with his great aptitude, is also is a person of great character, which is a must in today’s world.”

 

The book selected for Alex was “Why We Make Things and Why It Matters” by Peter Korn

 

This is not a "how-to" book in any sense. Korn wants to get at the why of craft, in particular, and the satisfactions of creative work, in general, to understand their essential nature. How does the making of objects shape our identities? How do the products of creative work inform society? In short, what does the process of making things reveal to us about ourselves? Korn draws on four decades of hands-on experience to answer these questions eloquently, and often poignantly, in this personal, introspective, and revealing inquiry.  

 

Alex thanked our Rotary Club for the scholarship and noted he first got interested in welding when he had a chance to try it out at Boy Scout camp. He likes to do things with his hands and stay busy. Throughout his experience with scouting, many people were willing to help him and he is thankful they were willing to give their time to help him achieve his goals.

 

Judy noted this concludes our program. She thanked the scholarship recipients for their presence and time. And requested they keep in touch!

 

President Chuck King reminded everyone that if you are interested in attending the FREE virtual Rotary International conference, you must register first. The link to the 2020 Rotary International Virtual Convention is:   https://www.riconvention.org/en This link provides schedules, and other information and also the link to register

Chuck congratulated the scholarship recipients and wished them the best. He thanked Greg Birkemeyer for attending our meeting.

 

Dick Hoback stated he was very impressed with the students and said to contact him if anyone needs a reference to medical school. (Retired doctor, and Buckeye grad!)

 

Greg Birkemeyer said, “Go Falcons” to Jeremy and encouraged him to join the BGSU Rotaract Club.

 

Sofie Ameloot congratulated the students and noted that if you prefer, you may send a donation for St. Vincent de Paul – note in the check memo that it is for this donation. She also offered to pick up donations at your house.

 

Chuck ended the meeting with: “Everyone have a good week, stay safe and healthy!”