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This Week at Rotary: June 7, 2018
 
This week we recognized and celebrated the 2018 Rotary Scholars!
 
Rotary Educational Foundation Chair, Kim Senft-Paras presented Lilith Holloway with the book, Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance.
 
Lilith will attend Wright State University to study biochemistry with the goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon.
 
Megan Knauer received the book, Phantoms in the Brain.
 
Megan will attend Duke University to study neuroscience.
 
Trisha Kulkarni will attend Stanford University to study computer sciences or symbolic systems. Trisha received the digital book, Enchantress of Numbers: a novel of Ada Bryon Lovelace.
 
Danielle Meyer received the book, Find me unafraid: love, loss, and hope in an African slum.
 
Danielle will attend Wright State University to study business and theater with her goal to become a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. 
 
The final scholar rushed in from work just in time for the group photo. Cassidy Tobin (right) will attend the University of Cincinnati's School of Chemical Engineering with her goal to become an astronaut. The Glass Universe: how the ladies of the Harvard observatory took measure of the stars was the book selected for Cassidy.
Speakers
Jun 14, 2018
WWII in the Pacific
Jun 21, 2018
Installation of Officers @ Benham Grove
Jun 28, 2018
Clod Buster Base Ball Club
Jul 19, 2018
Saluting Our Grandmas: Women of WWII
View entire list
Bulletin Editor
Kitty Ullmer
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Bob Fry
June 15
 
Matthew Kuhn
June 17
 
Donald K. Gerhardt
June 22
 
Carol Kennard
June 28
 
Spouse Birthdays
Carlos Quiñones
June 1
 
Kate Huffman
June 4
 
Bev Callander
June 22
 
Anniversaries
Harvey B. Smith
Carolyn Smith
June 8
 
Dick Hoback
Marilyn Hoback
June 16
 
John Beals
Sally
June 21
 
Peachy Metzner
Pamela Metzner
June 21
 
Chuck King
Elaine King
June 25
 
Donald K. Gerhardt
Phyllis
June 25
 
Raymond A. Merz
Sue
June 26
 
Boyd Preston
Deborah Preston
June 27
 
Don Stewart
Teri Stewart
June 28
 
Join Date
Michael Wier
June 1, 1981
37 years
 
Ann Blackburn
June 5, 2001
17 years
 
Bob Fry
June 8, 2005
13 years
 
Don Overly
June 13, 1972
46 years
 
Harvey B. Smith
June 13, 1972
46 years
 
Lee Hieronymus
June 13, 1972
46 years
 
Matthew Kuhn
June 30, 2004
14 years
 
Shelley Fisher
June 30, 2006
12 years
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Centerville
Service Above Self
We meet Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Golf Club at Yankee Trace
10000 Yankee Street
Centerville, OH  45458
United States
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Rotary's Theme for 2017-18
 
Centerville Rotary Club Meeting June 7, 2018
 
 
The GREETERS​​​: ​​​​ 
 
06/07/2018  Dan Johnson and friends
06/14/2018  Greg Horn and Carol Kennard
06/21/2018  Ray Merz  and John Beals..meeting is at Benham's Grove
 
 
Our official greeter today was Dan Johnson and friends, as Greg Horn did not make the meeting, being at another Rotary's outing.
Dan did a great job of greeting, coming in to greet the early arrivals, Don and 
Dottie Overly.
 
Our club president Peachy Metzner and Kim-Senft Paras discuss the day's program, which includes introducing the five Rotary Scholarship recipients chosen from 13 applicants. Each of the five seniors will receive a $2,000 college scholarship from our club. The Optimist seal Peachy is holding was left on the podium, so Kim said she would return it to them.
 
Ron Hollenbeck has returned from his trip to Haiti, where he made contacts to help in pursuing a global grant to put more clean water wells in Haiti. He saw two wells made operable with the help of Design Outreach, the Ohio firm that makes pumps that can reach 400 feet down to bring up clean water. They also connected with a Rotary Club there. He said he plans to make a presentation with a video and pictures later. 
 
I think these people are onto the camera and making it look like a fight ready to break out.
Gotta watch them or one day maybe it will. Not with these two though.
 
Here's ever smiling Don Gerhardt, bless his soul, even though he is very concerned about his wife Phyllis's poor health. We wish her well.
 
And Carl Gill, soon to be a member of the club, is back. Peachy said as soon as the FBI clears him, we will allow him in...I think he's already got an in, with his good personality.
 
Our meeting took on a youthful and sprightly brilliance, like a Mozart symphony, as our other guests began to arrive: the five teen scholarship winners.
In the middle you see Lilith Holloway, one of our scholarship recipients, with her sister Molly, 14, to her left, and mom Urmila on the right. Lilith plans to study biochemistry at Wright State University.
 
And here's Danielle Meyer with her dad Tom and mom Terri Meyer. She plans to study international business and theater with a minor in Spanish at Wright State University.
 
Lilith's grandfather Frank has just come in.
 
And here comes the ever-reverent Ray of Sunshine Merz with his cheerful wife...Sue
 
And Dan Johnson greets Frank Perez
 
Katie Neubert has a new short hairdo and I almost mistook her for a guest. Brian Hayes didn't though, and sidled up to make a great fashion duo.
 
And here come two fashionable ladies, mom, Kathy Knauer, on the left, 
and Megan Knauer, our scholarship recipient, on the right. Megan plans to study neuroscience and global health at Duke University. 
 
Trisha Kulkarni (R) and her mom Benu Kulkarni are accompanied by Trisha's seeing-eye black lab/golden retriever Libby. Trisha plans to attend Stanford University to study computer science and symbolic systems.
 
Our fifth scholarship winner Cassidy Tobin....is seen here with Kim Senft-Paras and Judy Budi. She arrived at the end of the meeting, due to a work conflict. 
 
Ham sandwiches and chips and pasta and cherry or apple pie were the summer fare.
 
Mark Gerken talks with Katie and Carl. Still had to look twice to make sure that was Katie. I know Mark is not Eric Beach...who has been missing in action for a while.
 
Mark Febus...on far right, was on Rotary Foundation committee that helped select the five scholarship recipients...Brad Thorp, at left of Ron Hollenbeck and Arnie Biondo, is the one who takes care of the club's financial matters outside our treasurer's duties.
 
Sally Beals dressed in a sunny yellow, blue, and white sweater this mild summer day. Phil Raynes is pictured on the left.
 
The Centerville Rotary Club met at The Clubhouse at Yankee Trace at noon. Club President Peachy Metzner led the Pledge of Allegiance; Ray Merz gave the prayer; and Brad Thorp led the singing of God Bless America.
 
The guests at this week's meeting included:
 
Our scholarship winners and their families, and Dottie Overly, and Ray Merz's wife Sue, and Carl Gill, of Hospice of Ohio.
 
President Peachy Metzner presided over the meeting.
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
 
 President Peachy asked Boyd Preston to make an announcement, which was that members should use the sign-up sheets on the tables to let them know if they will be at the June 21 meeting at Benham's Grove, so an adequate number of box lunches can be provided.
 
Frank Perez then announced that the House of Bread needs five volunteers to help out on Sat. June 15 from nine to noon. Let Frank know if you can help.
 
Peachy said the next Board meeting will be June 18 at Park Headquarters, off Main St. in Centerville.
 
Ron then got up and told the members he will have a presentation on his Haiti trip in the near future. He told everyone to be thankful for everything and anything you have, ....as that evidently is a lot more than the people of Haiti have.
 
President Peachy reminded everyone that June 21 will be our meeting at Benham's Grove when our new president takes over and other transitions are made. New officers will be inducted. The meeting was moved from June 28 to June 21 so Harvey Smith could be there to help out, Peachy said.
 
 
Reminder Note...the July 5 meeting has been cancelled....though you can "make it up" by riding on the fire truck driven by Lee Hieronymus in the Americana Parade on July 4. You're to meet at the city building around 9:30 a.m. if you want to ride...Water will be provided for squirt guns. If you have a Super Soaker, bring it along, Peachy said.
 
PB&J and applesauce are still needed for the House of Bread and kids lunches during the summer, Peachy said. Drop off can be here at a future meeting or at Pat Beckel's insurance office on Franklin St.
 
 
HAPPY BUCKS:
 
Our Sgt.-at-Arms Erich Eggers and our club treasurer Gerry Eastabrooks usually collect the club's Happy Bucks, but Happy Bucks were not collected this day because of our special guests.
 
 
HAPPY BUCKS: The Happy Bucks this quarter go to help the Brunner Literacy Center, which tutors adults 19 and older in reading, writing, and math skills, etc.
 
 
Remember last week, when it was noted that two of our local girls with ties to the club would be competing in the state track meet in Columbus June 2.
Well....they both did extraordinary well...
 
Congratulations are due.
 
Perri Bockrath, a recent Archbishop Alter grad, seen here with her dad Doug, a club member, at the previous week's meeting, came in second in the 3200 meter girls race at the OHSAA Track meet in Columbus June 2 with a time of 10:37.36. Archbishop Alter is in Division 2.
 
Here's Perri with her medal:
Centerville High School Freshman Emma Bucher came in second in the girls 1,600 meter race with a time of 4:53.4 at the OHSAA state tournament in Columbus, June 2, 2018. Centerville High School is in Division I.  She is the great granddaughter of Irene Ullmer, honorary club member, and the great grand niece of Kitty Ullmer, club member. Here's Emma with her medal after the race. Doesn't even look winded.
These pictures were taken at the end of the meeting. Kim's presentation follows, with bios of the recipients, etc.
 
 
 
And
And
 
This Week's Speaker: Kim Senft-Paras and four of the five scholarship recipients: Lilith Holloway, Danielle Meyer, Megan Knauer, and Trisha Kulkarni.
Kim gave an overview of what Rotary is all about and then told about some of our earlier scholarship recipients who kept in touch, and then allowed each of our guest scholarship recipients to tell a little about their plans for the future.
What follows is part of her presentation.

I want to welcome our guests to the Centerville Rotary Club scholarship winners’ luncheon. We congratulate all of the graduates and their proud families for everything
these students have accomplished.

Interact and Rotaract are the branches of Rotary established to encourage young adults to participate in community service at an early age. There is an Interact Club at Centerville High School. Our graduates might want to consider joining their respective university’s Rotaract Club.

The Centerville Rotary Club’s Educational Foundation provides scholarships to graduating seniors from the Centerville/Washington Township community.  Criteria for these awards is based on financial need, participation in service oriented projects and potential for success in college or trade school. Since 1975, we have awarded over $220,000.00 in scholarship money.

Members of the Foundation Committee are Judy Budi, Deb Dulaney, Mark Febus, Dick Hoback, and Ray Merz. Dick serves as our secretary and I am the chair person. Rotary member Brad Thorp is our Investment Manager. I also want to thank Centerville High School Counselor Samantha Stingley who was invited to our luncheon, but could not be with us today. Samantha made sure our scholarship application was posted for the seniors to consider and assembled the documentation for the Foundation Committee to review.

 

Money for this project is raised from our annual Pancake Breakfast which is held the fourth Saturday in October at Centerville High School.  Mark your calendars now for October 27 and plan to support an event that supports our community. I want to thank club members for their support of our scholarship program through our annual Pancake Breakfast.

Before I introduce this year’s winners, I want to bring you up-to-date on several of our past scholarship recipients:

Zachary Balsinger

2015 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

 

University of Cincinnati

Business and Finance

 

Zachary is currently taking classes to finish up his junior year at UC. To date, he has completed 85 credit hours and has a 3.76 GPA. He works full time as a financial management intern at Western and Southern Financial Groups Real Estate Subsidiary, Eagle Realty Group. This fall in service to his community, he will volunteer with Junior Achievement at Cincinnati Public Schools. He has also been selected to be a P.A.C.E (Professionalism, Academics, Character and Engagement) Leader for the Lindner College of Business.

 

Kaarthika Thakker

2016 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

Rice University

Economics/Poverty/Policy development

 

This summer, Kaarthika is interning for Google in Cali, Columbia. She is working on a project with a team designing a customer friendly interface for people who have never used the Internet.

 

Casey Swoboda

2016 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

University of Cincinnati

Leadership

 

Casey is living in Cincinnati this summer, working in three labs and taking classes. In one lab, he is studying how neural circuits affect motion and reflexes. In the environmental engineering lab, he is researching how to make biofuel from coffee grounds and trap grease.  In the molecular biology laboratory at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Casey is working with mice to study muscle growth and cell fusion under Dr. Robert Millay. The mechanism they are working with will hopefully be used to help treat muscular dystrophy.

Madison Balsinger

2017 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

University of Cincinnati

Nursing

Madison finished her freshman year at UC’s College of Nursing with a 3.9 GPA. She volunteered at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a bedside tutor and

co-founded a new student organization known as Dance to Enhance. The mission of the club is to perform in dance community outreaches for school children around the Greater Cincinnati area. At the end of spring semester, her group had a great time performing at Ronald McDonald House. Next year, she will work as a learning assistant for a biochemistry course to mentor freshman nursing students. She also plans to continue volunteering at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and looks forward to expanding the dance club into elementary schools in the Cincinnati area.

Christopher Kang

2017 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

University of Dayton/Emory University

Biology and Psychology

 

This is Chris Kang, recipient of 2017 Centerville Rotary Club Scholarship. I just wanted to update you and the Rotary Club on how I did in the past year and how thankful I am for the Club's help!

I have successfully finished a year at the University of Dayton. At UD, I spent majority of my time as an Undergraduate research assistant at Dr. Amit Singh's research lab, where I was assigned my own individual project to test and observe the role of calcium signaling pathways in the Alzheimer's disease, using a fruit fly model. I was given first authorship on the paper for the project will be published in the coming months. I was also placed in the Honors program and on the Dean's list.

However, sadly I won't be continuing my education at UD. I've accepted a full scholarship at Emory University in Atlanta where I will continue my research and education in biology and psychology.

Thank you, and the Club, for everything and believing in my education and future. I hope to one day repay the gratitude. I will keep you and Club updated in the coming years.

Rose Minton

2017 Centerville Rotary Scholarship Recipient

Ohio University

Pediatric Physical Therapy


From Rose’s father, Tim Minton: Rose finished her freshman year with great scores and made many friends. She chose to join the Army National Guard. At this time, she
 

is in basic training and will not return until school starts back. Please let everyone know she truly appreciated the scholarship and will continue to do her best. Thank you.

 

This year, 13 seniors applied to our Foundation and we awarded five $2,000 scholarships totaling $10,000.

 

Rotary’s motto ‘service above self’ has been exemplified by the 5 students Centerville Rotary is honoring here today. Each of our winners will introduce their families and briefly tell how their academic and career goals relate to one or more of Rotary International’s areas of focus that I mentioned previously.

 

During our interviews with the students, some remembered receiving a dictionary or thesaurus from the Centerville Rotary Club when they were in third or fifth grade. So today, we want to again include a special element to today’s presentation. Each student will receive a book especially selected for them because of an interest, career or educational goal described to the committee during the interview.

 

Lilith Holloway

 

Lilith Holloway is an accomplished musician, dedicated leader and selfless volunteer.  She participated in several Centerville High School musical ensembles and her commitment to the marching band program earned her a position as one of the Drum Majors, an honor given to only the most outstanding student leaders. Band Director, Brandon Barrometti, writes, ‘Lilith is always the first person to offer help to another student in need, and she is very selfless in her approach.’ She has volunteered as band librarian, served as a Chem Buddy and maintained band lockers and storage units. Former Band Booster President, Margaret Buttram, details Lilith’s strengths for mentoring new students; organizing the sheet music, equipment and events; and genuinely caring about those around her. Lilith will attend Wright State University to study biochemistry with the goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. Better: a surgeon’s notes on performance by Atul Gawande is the book we selected for Lilith. Dr. Gawande writes of the struggle to perform well when we are faced with fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities to do whatever we choose to do. Nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives may be on the line with any decision. Please welcome Lilith Holloway.

  Lilith thanked the club for the scholarship and promised to keep us up to date on her progress.

Megan Knauer

 

Megan Knauer is a Centerville High School graduate who will attend the Duke University to study neuroscience. Her scholastic activities included National Honor Society, Scholar Athlete, AP Scholar with Distinction and National Merit Finalist. She volunteered with the school’s Chem Buddies and Elk Connector programs; served as Vice-President of her graduating class; and assisted with children’s running programs for CGXC Running Camp and Up and Running. Megan has been employed at Mathnasium of Centerville for the past three years. Her references detail her initiative, drive and passion. Cross Country Coach David Dobson writes, ‘Megan carries herself in an honorable and respectful manner that immediately exudes confidence in her own abilities, but also with the grace to understand her imperfections. She is highly respected by her peers, teachers and coaches. She is looked up to by every athlete on our team.’ Megan wrote in her essay that she wants to use her knowledge of neuroscience and political science to promote peace and understanding in international circumstances through outreach to underserved communities. With this in mind, Megan is receiving the title, Phantoms in the Brain by V.S. Ramachandran who writes about uncovering answers to the deep and unusual questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. Dr. Ramachandran recounts how his work with patients has shed new light on the deep architecture of the brain, and what these findings tell us about who we are. Please welcome Megan Knauer.

Like Lilith, Megan said she plans to become a doctor, and thanked the club for the financial help in that regard. 

Trisha Kulkarni

 

Trisha Kulkarni will attend Stanford University to study computer sciences or symbolic systems. She intends to gain exposure to different disciplines and learn how technology will play a continual role in our civilization’s progress. Trisha was a member of the National Honor Society, AP Scholar, 2018 candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, vice-president of the Centerville Speech and Debate Team and state qualifier in public service announcement for Health Occupations Students of America program. She serves her community by teaching younger students taekwondo; organizing the Kulkarni Family Gold Outing Retinal Research Fundraiser; and helping as a Leader Dogs for the Blind camp counselor. Her references note Trisha’s exceptional intellect especially for mathematics, natural curiosity and great sense of humor. The book, Enchantress of Numbers: a novel of Ada Bryon Lovelace by Jennifer Chiaverni, is the book selected for Trisha by the committee. Enchantress of Numbers tells the story of Ms. Lovelace, Lord Byron's daughter and the world's first computer programmer. This book is being delivered digitally to Trisha through the Libro.FM website. Please welcome Trisha Kulkarni.

 
Trisha thanked the club and said she hopes to be able to give back to the community, and that she believes in the future and will have to leave us for Silicon Valley.

Danielle Meyer

 

Danielle Meyer is a Centerville High School graduate whose academic awards coupled with her other numerous activities include National Honor Society, President of the STAGE Theatre Club, Lunch Buddies, youth drama camp counselor, and chairperson for the Food for All food drives at Incarnation Parish.  Danielle’s references site her extraordinary communication and leadership skills, dedication to whatever she sets her mind to do, and commitment to bringing out the best in those that she serves. She will attend Wright State University to study business and theater with her goal to become a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. The committee selected Find me unafraid: love, loss, and hope in an African slum by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner for Danielle. Jessica is an American theater student who studies abroad in Kenya and meets Kennedy, a young leader in the community, together they start a school for girls in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Please welcome Danielle Meyer.

Danielle thanked the club and said her mom Terri and dad Tom were her role models and grounded her in a religious upbringing that has led to her aspiring to become a United Nations 
Goodwill Ambassador. She, like Trisha, said she believes in the goodness of humanity and added, "thank you for loving all of us."

Cassidy Tobin

Cassidy Tobin actively uses both sides of her brain as a dancer and a scientist. For the past eight years, she has danced with the Miami Valley Dance Company and their community outreach program. Through Centerville High School’s engineering program block, she participated in the Project Lead the Way program. Members of this group demonstrated the joy of building robots and other mechanical devices with kindergarten classes to encourage children to appreciate and study science, technology and math. Cassidy has been accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s School of Chemical Engineering. Her goal is to become an astronaut. The Glass Universe: how the ladies of the Harvard observatory took measure of the stars by Dava Sobel is the book selected for Cassidy. This book narrates the little-known true story of a group of women at the Harvard College Observatory whose contributions in the mid-nineteenth century to the growing field of astronomy forever changed our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe. 

(As noted above, Cassidy did not arrive until the meeting had ended, but she expressed her thanks to Kim and Judy Budi and others for the scholarship award.) 

This concludes our program. Thank you all for your presence and time. I hope to see scholarship winners and their families October 27 at the Pancake Breakfast. And do please keep in touch!
 

 
The meeting was closed  as usual with the reciting of the Rotary Four-Way Test.
 
 
THIS WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 
Did you know you don't even have to be on Facebook to see what's posted on the Centerville Rotary Facebook page? You can get to it easily by clicking on the FB link on the home page of the club's website.
 
Each week in the eBulletin, we'll make it even easier for you to connect through social media, by including links to our Facebook, website, and LinkedIn.