President Brad Thorp called PDG Harvey Smith to the podium for a presentation of a Paul Harris Fellow to Stacey Wert Hood, wife of Chris Hood. Rick Hood, the father of Chris Hood and a California Rotarian, visited the club last week and came again this week to make the presentation to his daughter-in-law, and to honor his son, who was in the service when he received his first Paul Harris Fellow. His sister had to receive the award for him at the time, as he was not allowed leave to come home. 

 

Rick said both his son and daughter-in-law are active in the Centerville community. He said his son spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force and that Chris and his wife, who hails from Texas, met in Belgium. They lived in Huber Heights before moving to Centerville. He said his daughter-in-law is on the board of the Recreation Center, and works with Helping Hands, and that his son is president of the PTO of an elementary school, among other things. We thank them for honoring us by coming to our club for the presentation.

 

Brad said the Centerville Rotary Club is to receive an award soon for being the top club in our district for per capita giving to the Paul Harris Foundation. Besides the campaign to eradicate Polio, the Foundation is involved in getting clean water to impoverished areas, among other things, Harvey said. 

 

Dale Berry spoke a bit about the Kettering Fairmont/Centerville High School football rivalry that grew over the years and led to the establishment of the Spirit Chain rivalry between the two schools to get rid of the sometimes destructive behavior that occurred before games, causing damage to property and football fields. The Spirit Chain idea was started in 1985, he said. It was decided that each of the two schools would collect money to donate to a charity of their choice. Dale was a student advisor in Kettering at the time, he said, and helped start the Spirit Chain idea. 

 The students explained Centerville's choice of charity this year, stating they hoped to create a broader scope than their usual local charity choice The two schools have raised more than $1.7 million since 1985. This year Centerville chose the Cooperative for Education as the recipient of the Spirit Chain money. The Cooperative for Education creates sustainable textbook, computer center, reading and scholarship programs in Guatemala. For more information you can visit: http://www.coeduc.org/

The school will be holding its main Spirit Chain fund-raising event at the Centerville High School West Commons. It will feature culinary arts along with a silent auction. Many of the children in Guatemala don't have the basic necessities to learn that students in Centerville do, the students said. 

 

Brad said that next week the club will pass the hat to collect donations for Centerville's Spirit Chain. Whatever is raised next week will be matched by money the club has allocated for such an occasion in the budget. 

 

Carol Kennard and Gerry Eastabrooks were called on for updates on info from the Pancake Committee. They said there will be another Bob Evans Community Fundraiser for the club on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Pancake Breakfast Committee will meet at 11 a.m. there that day. 

 

The deadline for getting in sponsorships for the Breakfast is next week, Carol said. She held up the insert like the one that will appear in the Dayton Daily News before Pancake Day. It will feature pictures of all the Rotarians, unless you tell her otherwise about your picture, and have ads from the sponsors. Anyone able to help Jack and John put up signs around the community should let them know. Judy Budi said people are still needed to help cook pancakes and sausages in the kitchen on Pancake Day, though she did get a lot of volunteer help from Alter and Interact students.

Carol noted that Oct. 15 our meeting will be held at Oak Grove Park. She needs to know who will be attending, as box lunches will be provided by DLM. Also, if you are bringing a guest, she needs to know that, so enough lunches are available.

 

Kim Senft-Paras, director of the New Generations Committee and Interact, said the group has been helping with the youth exchange program, and that the Interact Club has been planning a book drive and strategizing on how to raise funds for the water pump project our club is supporting through Design Outreach. Twelve Interact Club members signed up to work at the Pancake Breakfast, she said. She said there are about 40 members in the club. Three mentors are required for the program and Arnie and Kim and another person may make up the three.

Arnie Biondi said he needs help in finding host families since he is a newcomer to the area. 

 

Boyd Preston said the book labeling will take place after next week's meeting and will be held behind Cline Elementary on Virginia Avenue. 

 

March 19 has been selected as the Service Day for the club and people will be able to choose from a variety of service opportunities: House of Bread, Project Read, DayBreak, etc. March 26 will be the date for those who cannot participate on March 19. The club is hoping for 100 percent participation, Brad said. 

 

Boyd Preston said the club has been working with Habitat for Humanity on fighting illiteracy and has a list of about six books that it will be adding to the bookshelves the club is helping to put in the Habitat homes to be built. They are on such things las personal finance, fixing up homes, etc., that should be of use to the new occupants.

 

 

  Sgt.-at-Arms Erich Eggers was not at the meeting, so Ron Hollenbeck stood in for him.

  The club only needed 10 coats to reach the goal of 300 coats and got more than that from its generous membership. The club was reminded that Erich said he would pay for five more coats if the club reached its goal in his absence, and someone said he should be reminded of this at our next meeting. The total number of coats funded will be announced at the next meeting.

 

 

Just a reminder: 

 

The Pancake Breakfast is sung to the tune of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. 

 It goes: Take them out for some pancakes./ Give them some sausages too./ Serve them some OJ and applesauce./ It's a great meal, at a very low cost./ Go and sell all your tickets./ If you don't, it's a shame,/ cause there's food and fun for everyone,/ while we build Rotary fame.

 

 

 

There were no official speakers, though the students mentioned above addressed the club, and the club members gave committee reports as part of the club assembly.