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Rotary's Theme for 2018-19     Centerville Rotary Club Meeting May 30, 2019   Official Greeters for the week:   05/30/2019 Adam Manning and Judy Budi 06/06/2019 Brad Huffman and Gerry Eastabrooks 06/13/2019 Butch Spencer and Kim Senft-Paras 06/20/2019 Sofie Ameloot and Rick Hauser   Here are our official greeters, Adam Manning and Judy Budi   The leadership meets before the meeting this day. President-Elect Chuck King, President Boyd Preston, and Vice President Frank Perez.   Vice President Frank Perez is glad to see Kisha Taylor back, and so is she.   And so is President Preston.     And Tom Broadwell and Kisha also hit it off big.   Frank was bringing in the flags, so the picture got more colorful with this triumvirate.   And then Tom Groszko, who likes to mountain bike, arrives.   Arielle Jordan, Publisher of South Dayton Lifestyle Magazine, to be out this fall, is back again and hopes to join us.   There's more to talk about before the meeting.   PDG Harvey Smith has made his rounds of the sick and also leads the prayer this day.   Where oh where does the time go? Rodrigo Garnica is soon to end his year's exchange and  make his way back to Peru. We will miss you Rodrigo. Keep in touch.   After this past Monday's slew of tornadoes and a boil water warning for days, we get bottled water and Gatorade and Pepsi to drink along with some boiled water for coffee this day. You see Jim Briggs coming in carrying an umbrella, as we still have rain, but not like the 13  tornados that came and tore up parts of Beavercreek, Brookville, Dayton, Riverside, Celina, etc.The number has increased to 14 by Friday.   Our guest speaker Bill Tschirhart, Chief Administrator of Five Rivers MetroParks, comes in at the same time as our other park expert, Carol Kennard.     Our new member Robert Ford arrives and is greeted by Judy Budi.     And another Dapper Dan, Brian Hayes arrives, with tie and matching pocket kerchief. Hard to  outdo this man.     Of course, some give credit to his wife, Erica....   Jim Harris and Doc Hoback, who is to become a Paul Harris Society member this day, join Tom at the table.   Our speaker and Carol Kennard get to chat before the meeting.   And here's our Treasurer Gerry Eastabrooks, who collects the Happy Bucks with Erich Eggers, only here she's pictured with Tom Groszko.     Ann Blackburn, our Chairwoman for membership, and Judy Budi, the new CEO of GraceWorks Lutheran Services, take time to discuss matters.     Doug Bockrath is back there in the corner.     Proud new dad Doc Herman arrives. Kim Senft-Paras congratulates him and his wife on their new daughter.     The Centerville Rotary Club met at the Clubhouse at Yankee Trace at noon. Club President Boyd Preston led the Pledge of Allegiance; Harvey Smith gave the prayer; and the singing of God Bless America was led by Adam Manning.   Menu this week:.   Hamburger--lettuce, tomato, onion, condiments. Potato salad.   Menu next week: Turkey sandwich--lettuce, tomato, on wheat bread; Chef's broccoli  salad, chips   Guests this week:    Our speaker Bill Tschirhart; Arielle Jordan   President Boyd Preston presided over the meeting.  Announcements:    President Boyd Preston thanked our greeters, Judy Budi and Adam Manning.   He put the Red Cross information on how best to help out the victims of Monday's tornadoes. They suggest money donations to be used to buy the things the people need most. President Preston said the district is hoping to work together to raise funds to help those in need, and said this day's Happy Bucks would go to that cause, with our club matching the member donations up to $500. The amount collected was $357 this day. Boyd said that Bill's Donut Shop is also collecting items, from bottled water to items needed for construction, like gloves and duct tape, and baby supplies, etc.   Boyd also gave an update on our club member Joyce Young, noting that she seems frustrated that her recovery is going to take weeks, though she is in good spirits and in no pain at this time. He noted that Raj Grandhi and Ram Nunna visited her last week and took her flowers, and he suggested people e-mail her or text her.   He also said that our club member Don Gerhardt suffered a stroke that seems to have affected his left side more than his right side. He said Don is in the Kingston Nursing Home in Miamisburg (near the high school). He said Don seems depressed about the situation and would appreciate visitors.  Afternoons would work best, he said, and he suggested our thoughts and prayers be with him. He suffered the stroke about a week and a half ago, he said. A card was passed around but it did not get to everyone, so Don, if you are reading this, don't be unhappy not to see some names you might expect...we all are thinking of you and hoping for the best outcome.   President Preston then called up Harvey Smith and Dick Hoback soi Harvey could present Dick with a pin indicating that he is now a member of the Paul Harris Society, those who have pledged to donate $1,000 a year to the Paul Harris Association.   Judy Budi was asked to talk about the six Centerville Rotary Club scholarship presentations that occurred last week. The scholarship winners and their families will be guests at our June 13 meeting, she said.   Sgt.-at-Arms Erich Eggers and Club Treasurer Gerry Eastabrooks collected the Happy Bucks to benefit the victims of Monday's tornadoes in the area. As was mentioned above $357 was collected, which the club will match. This replaced the Artemis House donations this week.   HAPPY BUCKS: Happy Bucks this quarter go to Artemis House. The program supplies support and intervention for victims of domestic violence.   Most all of the club members gave generously to the Happy Bucks this day, some giving $20 or more, so we will not list all the names. Arnie Biondo mentioned that several of the club members attended the Foundation to Fight Blindness dinner in Springboro last night, which Rodrigo had brought to the group's attention a number of weeks ago. Bill Tschirhart noted that there was no structural damage to the Five MetroParks, though there was no power for two days. Carol Kennard said one of the tornadoes came close to her mother-in-law's house. Don Stewart said he was glad his daughter Malory's graduation party was held on Monday rather than Tuesday, or it wouldn't have happened. Doc Dave Herman noted his and his wife Lauren's little girl was born April 29. She weighed 6 pounds and three ounces. Her name is Sarah-Kate with a middle name Joy. Harvey Smith said the United Theological Seminary in Trotwood only had a couple of trees down. Brad Thorp said his second son has gotten a job as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University.     Below you find info about our past member Mae E. Berkel-Ave, who now lives in Holland, but is a member of the Bali Kuta Rotary Club. An excerpt from her club is included below, along with info from a card she sent to your bulletin editor, asking to pass along her good wishes.   Above you see Hans Berkel second from left and Mae Berkel fourth from left. This  was taken at the House of Bread in 2014. Don Cotrone was still with us then.   MAE BERKEL – AVE IS OUR MEMBER Posted on | June 11, 2016 |  HANS BERKEL became a Rotarian late in life. He was to busy with his patients. and his family. When he found Rotary Hans fell in love again. I was happy it was not another woman but an Institution to be proud of. Later he became the President of a Rotary Club of 350 people. They asked him to become District Governor. At that time I was a member as well and started the  INNER WHEEL CLUB. it is the women part of Rotary. This group of about 15 ladies helped to set up the farm for an orphanage and school in Kenya. Our money got them 2 cows, goats and chicken. We have 3 girls, one adopted from Iran where I was for a year teaching English in a mission school. We have 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.Hans passed away more than 3 years ago. I went to Bali then to be with my brother Joop who was very sick as well. In the meantime I helped the personnel of the Ramada Bali Bintang Hotel to speak better English and had 154 students. It helped me to get over the loss of Hans. Then my brother passed away. Now in October 2016 already 1000 days ago. Life goes on and now I am living in Holland but my heart is still partly in Bali and I am so happy that I can still be a member of Rotary Club Bali Kuta Category: Members of RC Bali Kuta   This picture shows Mae Berkel at our club in 2015. She is on far right. Note: Several weeks ago your bulletin editor wrote to Mae Berkel, our former Rotary Club member, who now lives in the Netherlands. She wrote back saying "Please give the club members my love and good wishes. They wouldn't let her in a Netherland club, saying she was too old, but listen to this. She was from Indonesia and said she was in Bali for an opening of a team park her late brother started 20 years ago. "There was no money left but then five years ago just before my brother died, a conglomerate from Jakarta put money in it and finished the work. It was lovely to see his dream finished and for everybody to enjoy." She said "I am still a Rotary member from the Bali Kuta Rotary Club so I went with the members to visit several projects like an old folks home, an orphanage home, the Red Cross Blood Bank, and a small library. On my birthday I gave an afternoon tea and asked people to give me money instead of flowers, and I had four bathrooms redone at the old folks home. The club had a garage sale and I sold a collection of silver coins from my brother. Altogether we had a blast. Helped write a grant to get a new mobile blood bank to go inland and get people to donate blood. They just received the money last month."..."Love and greetings to all of you." New members did not get to share her and her late husband Hans great generosity. Hans went with the group from our club that helped immunize Nigerians against polio.   Speaker of the Week: Bill Tschirhart, Chief of Administration for Five Rivers MetroParks.  Bill has been Chief Administrator for Five Rivers MetroParks for almost three years. He was Director of Business Services for Five Rivers MetroParks before that, from Oct., 2014 to October, 2016. Before that he served the City of Kettering for 16 years and nine months. He was an Assistant Facility Manager from 1998 to 2004 and Business Services Manager there from Nov., 2004 to October, 2014. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga  in 1997, and his Masters Degree in Public Administration from UD in 2005.   Bill said many do not know that Five Rivers MetroParks administers the 2nd Street Market as well as 18 clean, safe parks and 11 conservation areas, for a total of 30 locations.   The Five Rivers MetroParks is a leader in conservation and connecting individuals with the outdoors, he said. They protect more than 16,000 acres of land, which they own or lease, 90 percent of which is maintained in its natural state, protected from development. The Sugarcreek MetroPark, which is in Greene County, is the most popular park for hiking and running and they have to schedule school groups, so as not to have too many runners on a trail at one time, he said.  Birders like the Englewood MetroPark, and there's mountain biking at Huffman MetroPark MoMBA You can rent bikes on Saturdays. Germantown MetroPark has the largest areas of old growth forest in Montgomery County, making it excellent for hiking, he said. He said there are nature play areas in some of the parks, made by using logs and wood and natural materials from the area. At Hills and Dales MetroPark you can wander through an urban forest. The Englewood MetroPark is nature filled and one of the largest in the region, he said. Lots of people visit the Cox Arboretum MetroPark, which has a tree tower that sways a bit in the wind. People have weddings there and high schoolers often come to have Prom pictures taken, he said. They grow all the trees there that they plant in the MetroParks, he said. Riverscape MetroPark draws people to the downtown Dayton area for numerous events and activities, he said. It has spurred economic growth in the area. It is the only park that never closes. The 2nd Street Market will be have Sunday hours starting this Sunday, he said. People view this as a community gathering place and can find everything from Mexican food to cabbage rolls, the Flower Man, handmade jewelry, lunch, a Farmer's Market...It is a great melting pot, he said.  Five Rivers MetroParks offers educational programs from canning and cooking to backpacking and survival courses, gardening so you can feed yourself, etc. There's horseback riding at Carriage Hill Riding Center, among other activities. The program practices habitat restoration, and deals with wildlife and invasive species control, and culling the deer population when needed.They practice air, energy, and water conservation and protection. Bill said some 300,000 people participate in the education programs each year, some of which are free and some pay. They try to teach people to appreciate nature, he said. When his son found a bullfrog in their backyard he wanted to keep the frog and call it George, he said.  At Eastwood MetroPark people can enjoy water activities as well as rock climbing.  Our area now has the largest paved off-street bikeways around and has the largest bike-to-work festival around. MetroPark Rangers patrol the parks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, to  help keep the parks safe, he said. You can call a ranger if you have a shelter reserved and someone else tries to keep you from using it, he said. They have bike patrol officers and officers assigned to boats and bikeways.  They have staff building a trail at Possum Creek MetroPark, as people want trails, he said. A pair of shoes is all you need to get started on the trails, he said. The parks help improve the quality of life, but you need to get out into them to get the best of their offerings, he said. Voter approval of the November 10-year levy helps continue their  work, as about 80 percent of their funding comes from the property tax levy, he said. Asked about ticks and mosquitoes, Carol Kennard said the best protection is to dress properly with long sleeves and leg covering, and check for any ticks and bites once home from a hike.