Discussion: Bill Leske opened the meeting with a discussion about the incoming Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones. Moha has met her, and she was helpful on the Moroccan project Moha led for the Rockford Rockford Rotary Club. Jennifer will be at PETS training (President Elect Training), so our incoming co-prezes Patti & Barb will meet her soon.
Announcements:
- David Grant announced that our Club Foundation Committee has awarded Community Grants to 8 non-profits. There is an opportunity in the next two weeks to make additional charitable contributions to our Foundation on behalf of any of the 8 recipients, which will then be matched. See the enclosed story for more info.
- Bob Sanfilippo thanked the Foundation for the Community Grant this year. He also announced the Winnetka Thrift Shop annual spring sale is on March 3 – next Thursday.
Happy Bucks:
- Bill Leske is happy about the fantastic job Rich Lalley is doing with our hybrid meeting format.
- Patti VanCleave is happy she will be visiting Grandchild #3, Bennett, in Cincinatti.
- Rich Lalley is happy that he learned he will have a Granddaughter soon.
- Chuck Norton is happy to be down in Florida where people are not wearing masks.
- Barb Tubekis contributed $203 to honor three members of her family who have passed away recently; a dollar for each year beginning with her 95-year-old Mother-in-law, Mary Jane Tubekis.
- Marie sent a big zoom hug to Barb acknowledging her losses.
- Marie also announced that she has just been promoted to a Quality Assurance Editor at her publishing company.
Speaker: Rich Lalley updated us on our Club’s current Global Grant Project in Ecuador. Just this week he attended a virtual meeting with our co-sponsors of this project and the Host club sponsors, Jose & Lilly, from Quito, Ecuador. We support the CINCA farm just outside Quito. The farm teaches indigenous people about sustainable farming. The farm will be economically sustainable, will improve living conditions in the area, employ soil conversation, organic fertilizers, and is pesticide-free.