Club President Brad Thorp opened the Centerville Rotary Club meeting at The Clubhouse at Yankee Trace by leading the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Ray Merz led the prayer, and Brad led the singing of God Bless America.

 

 

Boyd Preston gave an overview of the club's survey results on the projects it has been doing over the years and projected new projects the club might want to do. He handed out sheets showing the results of the 25 surveys filled out by club members, noting that all but one of the current six big projects received a grade of A and the one that did not have an A grade was a B-plus. 

 The surveys showed "we are on track," he said. The Adopt-a-Family project received the B-plus rating, possibly because it only serves 20 families and just 40 percent of our club is involved in that, he said.

 He said the project committee agrees that the club should keep the Big Six projects and add a project that could be done in the Spring, as we don't have any big projects happening then.

 He said Jeff Senney has agreed to lead the House of Bread project, which would like to see a set schedule for those helping out there. Club members said they would be amenable to working once or twice a year at the House of Bread, if the club agrees to help out once each quarter. 

 Boyd said Forest Field Park could use a swing set so small children would have a place to play...It has no swings now. We could donate funds to pay for it, and also could help build/install it.

Leaders are needed to help with the projects. Jim Harris has volunteered to help with Project Warm, he said. 

Ron Hollenbeck, who got the project started at our club said thus far the club has donated 600 coats for children and a goal has been set to try to donate 250 coats, to beat last year's 223 coats. He said the club is already 35 percent of the way there with the district grant of $1,000, and this week's Happy Bucks brought in many more $20 donations for coats, with Peachy promising to buy two coats at the next meeting.

 President Brad noted that the next Trilogy, to educate Rotarians about the work Rotary does, will be held September 9, a Wednesday, at Normandy Church, beginning at 5:45 p.m., with a dinner and meeting. This is for the whole district, and last year's program "was super," Peachy said.

 

  It was noted again that the Rotary Cocktail Club will meet at the Warped Wing Brewery Co. at Fourth and (26) Wyandot streets in the Oregon District from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday July 30.

 

 Past president Judy Budi noted that the club has a provision that "On the rare occasion that a member is unable to pay fees and dues, a hardship may be requested. The Board will consider a hardship if the member is not working; is having difficulty covering the basic expenses of life; qualifies as a senior member; has served as a Director or Board member in the past; and has an attendance rate of 60 percent or better. The Board must approve a hardship, which may be granted in intervals up to six months. Annual fees, dues and the cost of meals are waived during the hardship period."

 

Club member Cynthia Fraley, director of the Hithergreen Senior Center, said the transition from Hithergreen to the remodeled area at Rec West should take place within a month. The new location will be called the Rec West Enrichment Center, she said, adding: "It's going to be lovely." Washington Twp. has invested $1.3 million to do the renovation, she said. 

Hithergreen will be closing its activities Aug. 14, with the actual moving transition made Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, with the opening of the new senior location Sept. 9. On Sept. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m., a Mardi Gras celebration will take place for the community at the new location. The Hithergreen Center will have its goodbye closing party from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 1 at Hithergreen.

 

Carol Kennard announced that on Tuesday at 5:53 p.m., her daughter-in-law had a baby girl. Pictures of "the most perfect grandbaby" show a great resemblance to her son at birth, she said, proving this with pictures of the two posted side-by-side.

 

 

Judy Budi, our club historian, noted that club member Mike Gentile has moved. He donated a sign from the Senior Open held at Yankee Trace in 2005, noting that the club had sponsored Hole 8 on the course, with signatures of club members who were there on the back of the sign. He also donated two Rotary International portfolios, each with a writing tablet.

 President Brad Thorp said he was asked to escort Arnold Palmer for a number of holes to keep the paparazzi and autograph hounds away from him at the 2005 tournament. Asked if he got Arnold's signature, he said "No," that it was his job to stop such things.

 

Arnie Biondo said that on Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m., an exchange student he will be helping to host during the year, will be arriving at the Dayton Airport. He has as board meeting that will keep him from being there to receive the young man and is hoping some of our club's Rotarians will be able to meet the young man and take him to dinner and entertain him for about three hours. Hosts are also needed for the second and third parts of the young man's stay.

 

 Pat Beckel noted that The Taste of Centerville will be Sept. 10 at Benham's Grove. The cost of $25 will bring more than sandwiches from the 18 food purveyors who will be there, he said.

 

 Jed, who grew up in the Chicago area, now lives in Lebanon with his wife Katie and their three boys. Mitch Biederman asked Jed to speak to Rotary after meeting him while he coached his son's soccer team.

He said Jed played soccer and was a two-time state champ in Chicago, where he grew up. He also played for professional soccer teams, the Columbus Crew, and D.C. United, he said. He was defensive player of the year around 2010, Mitch said.

He was with CUSA in Centerville and now is selling everything so he and his wife Katie and their three children can go to Mexico on a three-to-ten-year mission to help heal orphan children in need. Mitch said he planned to run a marathon this year to help raise money to support Jed and his family, but due to knee surgery will not be able to run until next Spring when the Flying Pig is run. He asked that we remember him and Jed's mission then.

 Jed showed a video explaining why he and his wife are making this move. In the video he said he grew up in a broken home with an abusive father. His mother ended up raising him and his siblings by herself, and he found soccer "the way out of poverty." He and his wife, a teacher, met in Mexico, he said. She said she wasn't thrilled at first, "but he pursued me." They have three boys, the oldest, 4, followed by  twins. 

Jed said in Mexico most children only go to school through the ninth grade and then often end up on the streets as 14 and 15 year olds. 

He wants to help the orphans, who live 50 to 60 in several homes in the Monterey, Mexico area. He needs a team for support and financing and prayers to make this work, he said. 

His first trip to Mexico was in 2008. He came home and started looking at what he had compared to the orphans he saw. "I had 4 of everything in my closet," he said.

He said he left his job June 1 and plans to go to Mexico Sept. 21. He said there is no foster care or adoptions in Mexico, and he would like to change that and get the kids to go to high school and college through the help of donations.

He said that it will cost $140 a day for his family to stay there. He still needs $8,000 to move to Monterrey, Mexico, and is hoping to get more donations to help out.