Rotarian Eric Amt Highlights Some of the Club's
Accomplishments Over the Last 25 Years
President Ann McCuistion, rang the bell calling to order the July 10, 2017 meeting of the Elkhart Rotary Club. Ann also called Scott Puckett to the front and thanked him for serving as President 2016-2017. She also thanked him for being a unifying President and true leader and presented him with a beautiful plaque. Ann also called Dawn Fischer to the front and thanked her for serving on the Board of Director’s for 2016-2017.
Visiting Rotarians: Mo Jacobsen
Visitors: Sandy Amt (Eric’s wife) and Char Speicher, former member and Chair of the Restaurant Committee
Greeters: Shannon White, Howard Edwards, and Tiny Weldy
Birthdays: Wayne Barker 7/12, Bob Homan 7/14, Bill Bissell 7/16
Anniversaries: Doug Thorne 7/11
Club Membership Anniversaries: Victoria Toney
Invocation, Pledge, and 4 Way Test were led by Fran Conner
Announcements:
Eric Garton – 8/10/2017 Elkhart Rotary will be having our 100-year Gala at Wellfield Botanic Gardens. The Gala’s festivities include:
4:00 PM – VIP Reception
4:45 PM – Dedication of the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Garden and Time Capsule
5:30 PM – Dinner and Program with Rotary International President Ian Riseley
6:45 PM – Auction of Commemorative Art by Ben Roseland
7:00 PM – Entertainment by Paul Decker and the Real Deal
4:00 PM – VIP Reception
4:45 PM – Dedication of the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Garden and Time Capsule
5:30 PM – Dinner and Program with Rotary International President Ian Riseley
6:45 PM – Auction of Commemorative Art by Ben Roseland
7:00 PM – Entertainment by Paul Decker and the Real Deal
Web page is available and you can register on line at https://wellfieldgardens.org/elkhart-rotary-100-year-anniversary-gala/, at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Cottage or by calling Wellfield at 266-2006
David Toney – The Elkhart Council on Aging will be out $10,000 if the City Council on Monday approves a revised Community Development Block Grant budget; this will eliminate 400 trips. Please call and write the City Council and let them know this cannot happen.
Today – July 10th, the Sergeant for the day was Sherm Hansen. Sherm imposed the following fines:
Dave Dygar for being a grand poohbah, Scott Pucket was charged $5.00 for his previous years from Prairie Home Companion, Ann McCuistion for not being at the last meeting for the swearing in of the new President; Peter Norton was not fined because he was notified at 11:45 at the last minute that he had to be the Sergeant for the day and was very prepared for it being last minute; Mo Jacobsen – Does Mel (his brother) pay for your lunches when you visit- - Mo said “No”, so he did not fine Mo but fined Mel $1.00. Sherms questions/answers:
-Crayon invented a new blue crayon that it is down to 5 names in calling it, the blue will be replacing the dandelion, only the third time in the company’s history that it retired a color. The other colors that previously got the boot were maize, raw umber and orange yellow.
-Rotorazor was created to replace the Saber saw and the jig saw.
-1st time in the history of baseball that there was a triple hit that never left the infield; 4 infielders went to the pitcher’s mound.
-What do they predict the population to be in 2100? 525 million
-87 years ago in July the Hoosier Dam was built and it is 1244 feet long, 660 feet thick, and 726 feet high concrete behemoth holds back so much water that it deformed the earth's crust and caused 600 small earthquakes in the decade after its construction.
-Nathans hot dog eating winner was Joey Chestnut, nicknamed Jaws, ate 72 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
Sherm’s closing comment “If God would have wanted you to touch your toes he would have put them on your knees.
Special Speakers: Fran Conner, Eric Amt, Eric Garton, Bea Philips –
Elkhart Rotary 1917-2017; 100 years of Service: The Last 25 Years
Things that were very different in 1917 is there would be no woman leading the 4 Way Test, Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation. Men’s life expectancy was 47 years, Fuel for cars was sold in drugstores as was marijuana, Only 145 of homes had bathtubs, Only 85 of homes had a telephone, Maximum speed limit was 10mph, Average worker was paid 22 cents in 1910, Tallest structure was the Eiffel Tower.
Competent accountant made $2,000 a year, whereas the average worker made $200-400 per year. Sugar was 4 cents a pound. The flag had 45 stars. 2 out of 10 could not read or write. 18% of households had at least one full time servant.
What Fran thinks is a Rotarian is they are good people doing good things, service above self and we want to help others in the world.
There was also something known as a “Rotary Ann” – this was a woman allowed to attend a Rotary meeting as a guest, which was usually on the arm of a member who was probably her husband since in those days they would not be taking their secretary or co-worker.
Fran is thankful that women and people of all diversities are welcomed into Rotary.
Fran distributed the Rotary Songbook International which included songs like, if you’re happy and you know it, Old McDonald, Daisy, Daisy give me your answer, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America, which we all stood and sang.
Eric Amt got up and spoke about 1993-2017.
President started with 1993-1994 James Brotherson and ended 2016-2017 with Scott Puckett.
What Eric believes to be true of Rotarians is that real happiness is helping others, lend a hand, Service above self and Lead the way.
1992-1993 - 180 members, 123 Paul Harris, 9 women, Dow Jones 3301.11
2016-2017 - 153 members, 101 Paul Harris
1992-1993 Funded Bicycle Helmet Safety Program, raised $3,200.
1991, 2001, 2003 Built Habitat Houses
1994 Rotary International declares Western Hemisphere Polio free
1995 Roaming Rotarian Jack Kissinger dies
1995-2008 Conducted Strive Mentoring Program
1998 Rotary International Convention held in Indianapolis. Terry McKay was District Governor. Had 196 members and the goal was 200 (of which we have not hit).
2001 Kurt Janowsky raised the monthly meal charge by 25 cents; 1st increase since 9/11
2004 Rosalie Smith was the 1st Elkhart Rotary Woman President
2004 City of Elkhart and Public Works agreed to lease the Garden to Elkhart Rotarians
2004-2006 Funded Masterplan for Wellfield Botanical Garden, 75% of the club agreed to fund raise and raised over $250,000.
2005 Wellfield Botanical Garden put out their first shingle. The garden is meant for: Inspiration, Conservation, Education, Entertainment, Community, Development, and is a Generational legacy.
The garden is 36 acres and 18 acres are water; all ponds are manmade.
The first Garden was English Cottage Garden.
Well house 1 was built in 1915.
The annual garden gets planted twice a year in the spring with 200 tulips and then again in the fall
2005 Present Interact International Program
2005 10the Annual Rotary International 1.2 million Rotarians, 31,000 clubs in 166 countries
2005 Elkhart Rotary International Club begins Dave Kitson Library project in Nosara, Costa Rica
2006 Salvation Army bell ringing passes $50,000.
2007 International Project-Youth Foundation
2008 Terry McKay Service above self
2009 Taste of the Gardens
2010 Elkhart Rotarian “Spokesman” goes on-line
2011 Community Foundation of Elkhart County receives David Gundlach gift
2012 Elkhart Rotary goes online with Facebook
2013 Hosted Group Study Exchange from Austria
2014 Def But Not Mute Hearing Aid Project in India
2015 Since 1980 500,000 cases of polio are down to less than 100
2015 $1.3 billion raised by Rotary
2016 Meatless Monday introduced once a month
2017 Added 25 members
2017 Elkhart Rotary celebrates 100 years
Eric Amt ended with “What lies behind us. What lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Emerson
Do we have a purpose?
Eric Garton spoke of Ghost of Wellfield present, where we are today at Wellfield.
Restrooms are built. Under construction: Island Garden – designed by Sadafumi; Event Plaza; Bridge Garden Patio and the Children’s Garden. We are connecting people to their environment.
Bea spoke about the Future of Rotary; believes in Awareness through Social media; Share the stories; Get children engaged in Rotary early; Support and Strengthen Rotary by offering new ways to connect
Next meeting: Noon Monday at the Matterhorn Banquet and Conference Center, 2041 Cassopolis St.
Upcoming programs:
July 17th – Dr. Pamela Riley
July 24rd – Interact Trip, Students that went to Costa Rica
Save the Dates:
Thursday August 10th. 4 pm. Elkhart Rotary’s 100-year Anniversary Gala at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens.
Saturday August 26th, annual Taste of the Gardens gates open at 11am.
Visit: www.wellfieldgardens.org for more information.
Information: Visit: www.elkhartrotary.org or call Tom Shoff at 293-5530 or email tom@shoff.com www.facebook/ElkhartRotaryClub