President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. PDG Harvey Smith provided the prayer.
Today’s quote: "I've learned that people forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou, American poet
Thanks to today’s greeter, Lisa Goris May.
Today’s guests: Mary Nenninger, Asst Dist Governor, Mary’s guest Raul Concha from the Franklin-Carlisle club, Gina Smith’s Aunt Teddi Mitchell who recently moved back to OH from GA, Arnie Biondo’s guests, his wife Nancy and son Peter, Brad Thorp’s guest Julie Wilkinson, a host family of Marti, and Lee Hieronymus’s guest Dave Martinsen, back here for a second time.
Announcements
- President Manning shared a video highlighting Kelly McDonald who has been selected as a Community Gem by the Dayton Daily News. If you missed it, here’s the link He will be highlighted in a DDN insert in the fall.
- Our meeting next week at the park has been cancelled to accommodate the families of our deceased Rotarians. It will be rescheduled in the fall. We will meet at the regular time, noon at Yankee Trace on June 6.
- Crissy Allums announced a new service project with the Library and Astronomers without Borders. Volunteers are needed on June 15, 10 am - 12 noon to inspect, sort, and package eclipse glasses to send to countries in need. The library has collected more than 20,000 eclipse glasses to recycle!
- It looked like our June 1 Dayton Diaper Depot clean up project was not going to take place, but last minute, Kelly got word that it is on, so volunteers are still needed.
- Bill Menker announced the next Adopt a Highway litter clean up program will be on Saturday, June 22, 7 am - noon. Please sign up.
Happy Bucks this month will go to Dear Dinah, who provides a safe place for survivors of human trafficking and helps raise awareness by connecting a community of people who are devoted to protecting and empowering the Dinah's of the world.
Pat Beckel was today’s Sergeant at Arms.
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
- Pat Beckel graduating kids are great as they have to put up with so much more than we did at their age.
- Uriah Anderson for leaving early, is excited that the professional women’s hockey league is off to a good start with a MN win, and announced June 8 is a Parking Lot Sale at the Joyce Young Center lot. Come find treasures or sign up to part with some of your own.
- Tyler Roark’s 7 yr old son got a winning hit in his baseball game.
- Bill Menker for Marti and the scholarship students.
- Vimbai Mazani was happy to be back.
- Ray Merz was thankful for his wife shuttling him around.
- Lisa Goris May was thankful for the students here today.
- Gina Smith was happy for her Aunt and other guests here today
- Arnie Biondo was wishful for no farm report.
- Elda Gotos Gay was happy for the students and shared that Jen Gibbs says hello to the club.
- Harvey Smith said it was a privilege to sit in the interviews with these outstanding students.
- Dan Johnson is attending the Noon Optimist Fishing Derby this weekend.
- Brad Huffman for Marti’s bravery to come here for a whole year and gave thanks to the host families, noting the Rotary Exchange program is a life changing learning experience.
- Brad Thorp said he heard Optimists are so optimistic because they are hoping to one day be Rotarians, and grandkids Palmer and Lilly are now crawling.
- Jim Harris for scholarship winners and guests.
- Boyd Preston gave congrats to Marti and for Kelly’s recognition.
- Mary Nenninger for Raul joining today, and said good luck to Marti.
- Ron Hollenbeck for Marti, scholarship recipients, and announced that with the two Rotary districts and RI match, we now have over $150,000 for water pumps, so now doing 7-8 pumps. (Goal was 6)
- Chuck King for Marti, congrats to the scholarship winners, and for a good week in Michigan.
- Crissy Allums for Marti, scholarship students, and Kelly
- Wyatt Thorp went to Camp Kern to speak to the camp staff and will be taking Palmer to camp for first time!
- Lee Hieronymus gave congrats to Kelly, and a short Farm Report - 80% of the crops for this year are in. Always try to plant by May 15 - there is a reduction of one bushel of return for every day planted after that date.
- Matt Kuhn announced his daughter got married in Malibu, with a small crowd of 180 people, and included a visit by the USC Marching Band. He has put their house on the market as they will be moving to California due to the lure of potential grandkids and his desire to no longer commute to the west coast for work, after 20 years.
- Carol Kennard for Marti and the scholarship students.
- Kelly McDonald for the scholarship students and Marti.
- Adam for the scholarship students and Marti.
2024 Rotary Scholarship Recipients
Amy Hary introduced this year’s Rotary scholarship recipients and presented each with a book specifically selected for them by Bill Menker.
Arya Gadre will be attending OSU in fall, studying Economics & Political Science, followed by law school.
Krista Lowell will be attending WSU, majoring in nursing. She is already a volunteer at Bethany Village.
Cohen Pulliam received the trade school scholarship, and will be enrolled in a welding program.
Our speaker today was our exchange student from Chile, Martina Berolone Lo Cascio, who shared about her year in Centerville.
Marti shared she is from Central-south Chile, a town called Santiago.
She is an only child so it was hard on her parents to let her come here for a year. Her parents are owners of a pizzeria. Her mom is from Argentina, which is where her parents met. They were very excited when Argentina won the soccer World Cup.
In Chile, she goes to school with the same group of friends from 4 years through high school. It was hard to say goodby to her friends, who had made her a book when she left. She was involved in dance & basketball in Chile.
She was very thankful for her host families, the Wilkinsons and Biondos. She got to have many wonderful experiences, including attending the Indy 500 last weekend.
She shared pictures of the dances attended here, noting they don’t have Homecoming in Chile but do have Prom. Her experience at CHS was good. People her age don’t drive in Chile.
She was really excited to get to go to concerts while here, and the Bruno Mars concert was a highlight. She went to Florida 3 times, including spending Christmas there, which helped relieve the sadness of being away from her family during that time.
She went to Chicago 2 times and had her first ride on a train. And got to travel to Hilton Head in an RV and even went to Buc-ee’s!
Marti then presented President Manning with a flag from her home Rotary Club.
She closed by saying it was a wonderful year with two host families and many friends she will never forget.
.png)
