The Editor would like to thank Boyd Preston for volunteering as guest editor this week!
Our right honorable, illustrious President Frank Perez called the meeting to order by leading attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Our President Elect, the noble, righteous Brian Hayes led the prayer (ok Carol, I am done. ☺)
Total attendees (including speaker) – 21
Frank’s announcements-
- Golf Outing- Looking fantastic- - 1 month away and sponsorships are blowing away our set goals. Focus continues to be on enlisting more golfers. We are targeting to have 10-15 groups of 4 and have over ½ to date.
- His requests any members planning on playing to complete sign up online and for all members to consider inviting friends or neighbors to play. Remember, funds are for our college scholarship program.
- In person meetings- starting end this month
- April 22- Memorial brick ceremony at Rotary Memorial in Grant Park assuming weather cooperates. We will be laying the bricks for John Callandar, Joyce Young, and Robin Parker.
- Bring a sack lunch and lawn chair as ceremony will be outside. Club will provide drinks & dessert.
- April 29- Regular meeting in person at Yankee Trace. Will be hybrid meeting so will also be broadcast via Zoom for members who prefer to stay virtual for now.
- Those in person will wear masks when not eating and we will practice social distancing.
- Districts Virtual Conference- April 23 and 24. No cost to participate and Frank encourages all members to attend.
Our Happy Bucks recipient is Luke5 Ministries. You can send your check to the club mailbox: Centerville Rotary Club, PO Box 41431, Centerville, OH 45441-0431
Boyd Preston was our Sergeant of Arms
- Elda Gotos Gay - $10- Sofie stopped by for a very nice visit.
- Sofie Ameloot - $10 – got her 2nd vaccine shot
- Boyd Preston - $20- to help Sofie re-find her sense of humor (OK Carol- now I am done ☺)
- Ron Hollenbeck .- $20 – was at Yankee Trace for some Life Screening testing and got to see some of the very nice changes made during the recent remodeling.
- Wayne Davis - $20- happy to have a fine police officer and great public servant speaking to us today
- Mike Wier- $10 – both he and his wife have had their vaccine shots now
- Brad Huffman- $20- $10 for getting his 2nd shot on Sunday and $10 as the family just got back from visiting Disney World and it felt good to have a degree of normalcy finally
- Jim Harris- $10- Very happy the Governor and state officials & health care personnel are doing a great job getting the pandemic under control in Ohio.
- Frank Perez - $10- just happy
Our speaker this week was Centerville Police Officer Tracy Sommers- school resource officer (SRO) for Centerville Schools.
Tracy Sommers was introduced by Centerville City Manager Wayne Davis who highlighted her 2+ decades of experience as a police officer, multiple assignments and her strong skill of interacting well and effectively with others.
Officer Sommers is from Youngstown, Ohio and a graduate of Youngstown State University. Moved to Centerville in 1998 as a dispatcher at Centerville Police Dept. After 6 months promoted to police officer (PO) and sent to the police academy. She was a SRO from 2009-2014 for Centerville schools and resumed that role in 2019 as a full-time role.
She is one of 3 Centerville PO’s assigned to the schools and their #1 priority is the safety of the students and staff. They host monthly safety drills, participate in Government classes to answer questions and they address any safety issues that might arise in the schools. While student vaping issues were a big challenge in her 2009-2014 SRO assignment, now it is more issues with misuse/ inappropriate use of cell phones by the students.
As an Alice (Alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate) instructor, she helps provide active shooter & preparedness solutions training. She is also involved in the Crime Scenes Investigation 1-day free camp the police dept. hosts each summer for all interested local middle schoolers. She is the Explorer Post advisor for students interested in a career in law enforcement.
Officer Sommers is trained as an Evidence Tech and a member of the Centerville Police Dept’s Honor Guard. She received the 2019 John P. Kalaman Respect for Law Award from the noon Optimists to honor those in our community who unselfishly give of themselves in service to others.
Frank Perez thanked Libby for continuing the good work and led the group in reciting of the 4-Way Test.
Our speaker next week is Officer Tracy Sommers, School Resource Officer.
