President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer.
Today’s quote provided by Don Overly: “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer
Thanks to today’s greeters, Bill Menker and David Williamson.
Welcome today’s guests: Pat Beckel’s guest, Jackie Rusek Zofkie, Arnie Biondo’s son Peter, and Brad Huffman’s daughter, Bella, visiting while on spring break.
Two new members were officially inducted into the Centerville Rotary Club: Brian Sortman and Vince Carone. Brian is a third generation Rotarian, as his father, Dan is a current member, and his grandfather, Don was a members of this club. Vince is a physical therapist and professional body builder. Welcome to you both!
Announcements
5:30 pm tonight is Rotary Women Connect at Old Scratch Pizza
Saturday Highway cleanup - meet at Yankee Trace at 8 am.
Monday, Apr 20, 5:30 pm Board meeting at the RecPlex
Golf Outing May 8 - we still need volunteers. See Arnie to sign up.
Arnie B also announced Our “Coffee Satellite Club” is partnering with St. Mary’s Development Corp. on a project to help our military veterans living at the V.A. Saturday, May 2, 8:30am-Noonish we will help assemble 10 raised garden beds at Lions Place II, of the V.A. Gardens. We will work with the residents to assemble, fill and plant vegetables, and need around 15 volunteers. Remember many hands make light work. In addition to your energy, hands, and enthusiasm, we ask that you bring: Work Gloves, Shovel, Landscape Rake, Trowel, and Wheelbarrow if you have one. Please go to this link to sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4AAFAC2EA3FEC43-63354639-varaised#/
Sign up for the Dayton Dragons game on May 28, 7:05 pm, 50 tickets available for our club, and includes 2 parking passes & $5 baseball bucks
Brian Hayes announced, “Pay your bill!”
Happy Bucks this quarter will be donated to Operation Warm, providing winter coats to children in need in partnership with Hannah’s Treasure Chest.
Pat Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms today with assistance by Brian Hayes.
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
Pat B said Greg Fay had him on a podcast this week. Greg is a Optimist so Pat said he appreciated all they do for the community and some day we might let a few Optimists into Rotary. :-)
Wyatt T gave a happy $50, as they are expecting a girl in August, his wife’s birthday is next week, and they are going to the south of France for one last hurrah before the baby arrives.
Raj G for the new members and beautiful day.
Wayne D paid a fine for recent articles in the paper about him.
Sivaji S for new members and the warm weather.
Bill M for the new members and weather.
Jim H for the new members and guests.
Chuck K for the new members, getting to play 18 holes of golf yesterday, and a call from Robert Erwin at CHS to report the fruit trees we purchased have been planted.
Harvey S for the new members, and noted 20 years ago he performed Brian S’s wedding!
Rand O for 11 weeks in a row and will start out for hiking the Appalachian Trail after next week’s meeting.
Ron H gave a welcome to Brian, Vince and Bella.
Dan J for the new members and scooter bucks, as he has to leave early today.
Adam M for the new member.
Carol K for the new members and today’s guests.
Arnie B for the new members.
Brad H for Bella being here today and looking forward to her scrimmage tonight and game on Saturday.
Lisa GM for Operation Warm, welcome to the new members who she reminded to sign up for a committee, and for the wild women of Rotary meeting tonight at Old Scratch.
Boyd P for today’s guests, and shared they were in Chicago last week visiting their Jewish friends and had the pleasure of participating in many of their Jewish ceremonies.
Socks B for the new members and will be gone for 3 weeks on a river float.
Ron T welcomed new members and guests, got to spend time with his kids and had all 5 grandkids together.
Our speakers today were Zac Phillips and Greg
Chaffin with Fantasy Drones.
Zac shared that drone shows are far more impressive in person than they appear in videos. The company originally grew out of a pyrotechnics business and began with 160 drones; today they operate a fleet of 900. They have produced shows from the East Coast to the West Coast and currently employ six full‑time staff members, with headquarters based in Nebraska.
Greg said they use Verge Arrow drones, which are manufactured in Austin, Texas, along with the accompanying software. Each drone is limited by a battery life of about 14–15 minutes, and most shows use between 200 and 300 drones. They also hold a Guinness World Record for creating the tallest animated fictional character in the sky, using 3,100 drones.
During the presentation, they showed a video collage of their work and explained that prices have come down over time. Their process begins with creating a storyboard to tell a complete visual story, allowing almost any image to be translated into the sky. The storyboard is sent to the design team, which programs the drone positions so the entire show can be previewed before launch. Customers receive a rendering and can request adjustments, add a soundtrack, and finalize everything for show day.
All drone movements are computer‑controlled. A flight file is uploaded to each drone, giving it precise instructions for timing, light color, position, and speed, accurate to within one centimeter. During the show, staff members monitor the drones in case any issues arise. The drones are laid out in a grid before takeoff.
They frequently combine drone shows with fireworks and have the authority to integrate pyrotechnics into their displays. AI tools now allow them to generate images in minutes, helping them create three‑dimensional aerial art. They have also secured contracts with companies such as Warner Bros. for movie launches.
The company follows strict FAA regulations, as drone shows are considered swarm operations. They obtain waivers for factors such as the number of drones, lighting requirements, and altitude, and they must also comply with local laws. Earlier drones could not fly in rain, but newer models are more capable. They can operate in winds up to 34 mph, though battery life decreases; their operational limit is sustained winds or gusts of 25 mph. If a drone strikes something, it automatically stops and slowly descends. Weather is checked continuously up to 30 minutes before a show.
Each drone costs roughly $900–$1,000, plus additional expenses for technical support and firmware, bringing the total to about $1,200–$1,500 per unit. Verge, the manufacturer, is based in Austin, but most parts and assembly occur in Malaysia.
Show pricing starts around $15,000, with typical rates of $100–$150 per drone. They recommend using no fewer than 150–200 drones. On major holidays such as July 4 and New Year’s Eve, the price can rise to about $400 per drone. Business sponsorships are a strong marketing opportunity for these events.
President Manning thanked Tej for the great information, led reciting of the Four-Way Test, and wished all a good week.
GREETER SCHEDULE
Please arrange for a sub if you are unable to greet on your assigned day or contact Carol Kennard.
APRIL
4/16/26 Rand Oliver & Don Overly
4/23/26 Frank Perez & Bob Fry
4/30/26 Boyd Preston & Tyler Roark
ROTARY NEWS
Rotary District 6670 Night at the Dragons at Day Air Ballpark.
We have reserved Saturday night, August 8, for our event. Game time is 7:05 PM. Tickets are $18.32 including a small service charge, and $7.50 from every ticket will be donated to the End Polio Now fund at The Rotary Foundation. You can use this link to purchase tickets:
This is a new section where members can share Rotary projects they discover as they travel around the world. Please send your photo and location to Carol at cgkennard@woh.rr.com
Gina S's cousin sent her this from her travels to Barcelona.
