23 brave and hardy souls joined us for the coldest Rotary Meeting of the year.

 

The Rotary Club welcomed the following guests:  Jackie Haffenberg a friend of Louise Holland; Mary Birkenstein, David Birkenstein’s better half; Jim Corboy, a friend of Liz Taylor; and Rick Penrod, Heather Higgin’s son-in-law and former teacher at New Trier.

Announcements: Jean Wright is still in Sarasota, but feeling much better in 70 degree weather.  She loves phone calls at 847-217-1906 and promises not to gloat about the weather.  Her address is Brookdale Palmer Ranch, 5111 Palmer Ranch Parkway, Sarasota, FL  34238. Louise Holland reminded everyone that March 10 is Winnetka’s 150^th anniversary.  There will be a celebration at the Winnetka Community House at 2:00PM featuring WTTW personality and Chicagoland sightseeing guru Geoffry Baer.  Children are welcome and encouraged to come.

 

March 15 is packing day for Kids Against Hunger.  Rich Lalley is hoping for a great turnout of Rotary Members.

April 1 is the 50^th Anniversary of the Winnetka Youth Organization (WYO) at the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club.

 

Happy Bucks:  Patti Van Cleave was glad to have been in the hospital and even happier to be out.  John Thomas is enthusiastic about the WYO’s 50^th anniversary. 

Dig and Grin:  David Birkenstein shared Winston Churchill’s dry wit with us and then introduced our speaker.

Our speaker: was Roberta Rubin who was recently inducted into the Glencoe Hall of Fame and the former owner of the Book Stall.  Roberta sold the Book Stall on July 1, 2013 and almost immediately became the chief cheerleader for the American Writers Museum located at 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago.  She was joined by the Director of Development, Linda Dunlavy.

 

The American Writer’s Museum is a recent (2017) addition to the Chicago Museum scene.  It was voted in 2018 the best new museum in the US.  It features many interactive displays sure to attract the attention of the children including a display of old fashioned manual typewriters that you can try if you want to remember your college days again (if you are over 60).  There is a Wall/Timeline of fame presenting 100 writers (all deceased) who have made a difference in America.  Writers include not only writers of prose but also song writers, poets, children’s authors and other creative story tellers.  The museum regularly hosts traveling exhibits.  “Frederick Douglass the Agitator” is now in the Roberta Rubin Writer’s Room and “Bob Dylan: Electric” is in the Meijer Gallery.  Other special features in the 11,000 square foot Museum are the Waterfall Room, the Chicago Room, recordings of famous writers reading from their creations and lots and lots of inspiration for young writers.  

   

 

27 members attended today’s meeting. Guests were our speaker, Paul Sally; Liz Taylor’s guests, Jim Corboy, and Larry Dickman; Brian Schiller, head of marketing for the Community House; and Tim Sloh from the Village of Winnetka.

 

Birthdays this week were Bob Sanfilippo and Markie Gekas.

Anniversaries were Bob Thomas, 1 year, and Christina Gikas 1 year.

Announcements: February 2^nd is a Rotary Regional Seminar- all are invited; February 17 features Random Acts of Kindness; March 16 is Kids Against Hunger; June starts our participation at the Winnetka Farmers Market; Save June 1^st on your calendars for our annual summer event. Possible new events include a Poker Night and 4^th of July Parade float. Barb Tubekis thanked everyone who participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. day events. A grand time was had by one and all.  President Leske asked us to think good thoughts for Jean Wright who was in the hospital and is now in a rehabilitation facility in Sarasota and for Patti Van Cleave who was in the hospital but is now recovering at home.

 

Dig and Grin: Leo Padgett entertained us with math jokes in honor of our speaker.

 

Today’s speaker:  Dr. Paul Sally, Superintendent of New Trier High School District 203, was introduced by Wes Baumann.   Dr. Sally has spent the last 25 years in District 203 with 19 of those years in the classroom absorbing the wonderful energy created by the students.

 

Dr. Sally said the New Trier East building was a wonderful metaphor for the School district itself, It has the old side and the new side and a futuristic glass section in the center.

The district has been working on a new strategic plan that will honor the past and be innovative as it looks to the future. Just as in 1901, our community still wants a high school so good that nobody will want to send their children to a private school. To make sure that pledge and all community support is honored, New Trier must today and in the future insist on innovation and leadership.

 

Dr. Sally then showed a 3-minute video called the Future of Work where, companies are experimenting with robots and artificial intelligence completely changing the work environment.

Education must respond to changes in the work environment by teaching students to think critically and be able to adapt to change while at the same time retaining the humanity that allows us to work together as a community.

 

Dr. Sally then handed out a draft folder of the strategic plan for New Trier 2030.  There is a Mission: “To commit minds to Inquiry, hearts to compassion and lives to the service of humanity.”  There is a vision: By creating a culture in which students discover purpose in their intellectual, creative, social, and interpersonal endeavors, we will develop in every graduate the skills and dispositions to lead meaningful, compassionate, and impactful lives. A process for reaching these goals was set forth in a set of six initiatives with core values and goals as more fully set forth in the brochure.

 

During the question and answer period, Rich Lalley asked what can the 4 Rotary Groups in New Trier 203 do to help? Dr. Sally said that kind of a response is what makes District 203 great. He said he would be back to Rich after a bit more reflection.

 

The Club Foundation Board has approved new guidelines to apply for grants, and a new 'Grant Request Form' which can be found on our Club Website at https://wnrotary.org    Hint: Look in the lower left hand column under the heading 'Download Files' or find the 'Grant Request Form' by link here:

 

The deadline to apply for the 2018-2019 grants is November 30, 2018. Recipients are eligible for only two awards within a three-year period. Starting this year, our recipients will also be restricted to organizations that are (1) located in the Metro Chicago area; (2) have an annual expense budget of $1 million or less; and (3) have a specific project or program that is the subject of the request that must fall within the area of funding determined for the year. This year our area of funding will focus on providing services to or for children’s education and/or health; Awards will be made in March, 2019.