Meeting Recap October 15

There were 27 members in attendance at this week’s meeting.  Our lone guest was regular visitor Penny Fields from the Highland Park club.  John Thomas began the meeting by inducting a new member, Rhonda Miller, a third generation Winnetkan.  John also announced that Patti Van Cleave’s Visioning Committee would be meeting on Monday, October 19^th from 5 – 9 p.m. at the Community House.  All Club members have been encouraged to attend this meeting and contribute to the forward thinking for our Club.  A representative from Rotary International will moderate the session.

 

Operation Warm has three weeks remaining in its current drive to raise funds for coats for those in need of warm winter coats.  Please consider a generous gift to this Rotary project under the leadership of Rich Lalley.  Currently we are trying to provide coats for 6 – 12 month olds being served by the Crisis Nursery at Maryville Academy.

 

President Thomas announced that he plans to have the two groups of candidates for three openings on the Village of Winnetka Council come to Club meeting in January to present their case.  There are three persons proposed by the Caucus and three persons running as independents.  They will be invited to separate meetings, but given the same set of questions to respond to.  John is looking for volunteers to prepare the questions.  At this week’s meeting Tony Kambich, Keith Reed and Rhonda Miller agreed to be added to the committee.

 

This week’s speaker was Robert Beezat, a former city manager and city management consultant who recently wrote a book “Knowing and Loving: The Keys to Real Happiness.”  While not a Rotarian, he has spoken to over 75 Rotary Clubs.  He effectively used Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self’ and “The Four Way Test” in illustrating his ideas expressed in his book.  He emphasized that he always tries to learn from people and that one of the very influential persons in his life was his Polish grandmother.  She had a tough life but always had a good outlook on life.  He remembers her telling him that the only difference between a Polish wedding and a Polish funeral is that there is one less person dancing at the Polish funeral.