Liz Kunkle is a Winnetka resident who enthusiastically advocates for each of us to be personally responsible stewards of protecting and preserving our environment. She recently received special recognition from The Volunteer Center for her work as a volunteer to protect our environment through sustainable and reasonable measures. Lynn is a practicing attorney, so this has become an incredible avocation, enlisting groups and schools along the way.
She formed Go Green Winnetka in 2011 after she coordinated groups to set up an environmental awareness booth at the Winnetka Sidewalk Sale. She enlisted Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Winnetka, The Garden Club, the Winnetka Community House and the Volunteer Center to plan the day. After then, it was all about coordinating efforts to get the word out about each of our responsibilities to our earth and preserving its gifts and life. She formulated Go Green Winnetka, became a 501 C 3 and is continuing to grow its impact. Her recycling program with the District 36 schools educating about composting and facilitating plastic bag recycling through the Trex Plastic Bag Challenge between the Winnetka Schools. She has successfully impacted our recycling by working with fellow Winnetkan Charlotte McGee to build a recycling program for Styrofoam – egg cartons and disposable cups and packing materials now have another use than occupying the landfill – being repurposed into something useful. Liz is on the Village of Winnetka’s Environmental and Forestry Commission and will advocate anywhere to decrease our landfills and save our planet. She is tireless about this and demonstrates this within her own home. Her family of five fills only one garbage bag a week – which isn’t even always full.
Liz will be discussing additional measures we can take to recycle food and other ways to preserve the health of our environment at Rotary's July 26th meeting.
Former President Tom Nash presided at the meeting. There were 30 members present and several guests including Deb Guy (guest of Liz Taylor from Women’s Exchange), Elisha Gray (guest of David Birkenstein and retired banker), Mark Schusteff from WCH, Lyle Staab (candidate for Rotary District Governor in the medical manufacturing business), and Melissa Mills (Administrator with Rotary’s Environmental Sustainability Action Group). During their introduction, Lyle mentioned the importance of Rotary’s InterAct and RYLA programs and that Rotary is looking to be of service to more kids. Melissa explained the six projects her Group is developing and publicizing, including the “trees that feed” initiative and controlling the plastic pollution of our oceans.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Peter Skalski, ArLynn Presser and Tom Evans all celebrated birthdays for which they were serenaded by the Rotary’s “glee club”. Jean Wright announced that her real estate firm, Hudson, has just been purchased by Compass, which will have around 4000 brokers, and its Winnetka office will be on Spruce Street. Tom Nash announced his new position at Wintrust Bank.
HAPPY BUCKS: Ned Misner donated for being selected to be our speaker in August on his visit with several charities in Ecuador. Rich Lalley donated for the 13th Rotary Club (Number One from downtown Chicago) joining our group of a dozen Clubs funding the “trees that feed” project. Fred Schwimmer donated due to his watching a special awards TV program honoring Jake Wood, Jim Kelly (former NFL quarterback) and the 300 women who were victimized by Larry Nasser at Michigan State. Tony gave in honor of Michael Janiski being selected to be a Rotary exchange student to Poland and remembering that her mother, Kristen Janiski, was a Rotary exchange student to Japan when she was in high school. Barb Tubekis was happy because her five week assignment teaching 60 2nd to 7th graders in the local “Adventures in Learning” was completed and her summer now begins! Robert Mardirossian was happy that his colleague at the Family Service Center was our featured speaker today. One of our outstanding luncheon assistants, Jill Joyce, made a donation in honor of her outstanding daughter who has been in the high school and college rowing programs at New Trier and Wisconsin, and has recently been selected to go to Poland to be on one of the four teams competing for the USA World Rowing Championship. Wes Baumann donated because of New Trier making the decision when he was Principal there to start a student rowing program. Two of our guests, Melissa Mills and Deb Guy, donated because they were happy to have been invited to attend just a great luncheon meeting.
Dig and Grin: was handled by Rich Lalley with a story about roosters winning the “No Bell” and “Pulletizer” Peace prizes!!
SPEAKER RENEE Z. DOMINGUEZ, PHD and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FAMILY SERVICE CENTER SERVING WILMETTE, GLENVIEW, NORTHBROOK AND KENILWORTH: Renee is a licensed clinical Psychologist who was educated at the University of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine and La Rabida Childrens’ Hospital. She oversees clinical operations, provides supervision to staff, collaborates with community partners, and provides therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Some of the points she made about the child raising techniques of many parents in today’s culture were as follows: Parents are usually well intended, but need to avoid doing what the child should be doing, such as tasks around the home and at school—this tends to interfere with the child developing “life skills” necessary to make it on their own; parents need to forget about their own ego and not try to relive their childhoods; parents are sometimes too driven to make sure their child doesn’t fail which prevents the child from learning how to be their own advocate; children have to learn how to manage their negative feelings; parents should avoid categorizing their children as good or bad in life’s activities, such as good in sports or bad in math. Studies show that a child achieving success as they grow into adulthood is 35% ability and 65% effort. In other words, parents should apply the “growth mindset” versus the “fixed mindset”. The brain is like a muscle that can get better with practice. Intelligence can be developed through work and discipline.
One area that parents should work on in raising kids is becoming more comfortable with social media and other aspects of our digital age. 70% of our kids’ social communication is now done digitally and most of the time this starts when the kids are too young. Today, childrens’ empathy development is 40% less than it was 20 years ago. It’s a lot easier for kids today to communicate hurtful things to others on social media. Children are avoiding life’s discomforting aspects by resorting to their digital devices. This interferes with their skill building, resulting in more depression and anxiety. It is very easy for the average kid to view the world and their friends as being far happier than they are.
Thank you to the 32 members of our club who donated a total of $11,430 to The Rotary Foundation's Annual Program Fund in the 2017-18 Rotary Year, exceeding our goal of $10,000 and setting a record level of giving!
Please thank these Rotarians for making their annual contribution, especially those in bold who are Paul Harris Fellows:
Sam Badger*+, Wes Baumann, Jean Beckman, Mary Lou Bilder Gold, David Birkenstein*+, Laura Cunningham, Joe Fell, David Grant*, Heather Higgins,Tony Kambich*, Gerry Keenan, Mark Kotz, Marie Kuipers,Rich Lalley+, Bill Leske, Robert Mardirossian, Rodger Morris*, Tom Nash, Chuck Norton, Felicia O'Malley, Lee Padgitt, Brooke Peppey, Keith Reed, Randy Reeves, Bob Sanfilippo, Fred Schwimmer+, Heidi Sibert, Peter Skalski, John Thomas,Barb Tubekis, and Patti Van Cleave, Carl Yudell. * signifies a Major Donor+ signifies Paul Harris Society ($1,000 per year)
There are many reasons to give to the The Rotary Foundation:
Contributions support humanitarian and educational projects initiated and run by Rotary Clubs and Districts in six areas of focus- Disease prevention and treatment, maternal & child health, education & literacy, water and sanitation, economic & community development and peace & conflict resolution. Learn more by reviewing the Foundation’s annual report.
Contributions come back to support projects of our club's projects, like our coats for kids, Kids Against Hunger and International grants projects like our breadfruit tree project in Haiti, the water and sanitation project we helped fund for school in Guatemala, and the digital x-ray/community health clinic project organized by District 6440. This year, we received nearly $4,000 for our Kids Against Hunger project! But we must give to receive.
Giving to The Rotary Foundation is an easy way for you to participate in Rotary’s service work beyond our club, providing you a personal connection to this great organization and the good it does throughout the world.
It’s easy to give. You can donate with a check or credit card at lunch; you can send a check to “WNRCF” (mark TRF in the memo line) to our club at 620 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka; you can donate via PayPal by clicking here, or you can donate directly to The Rotary Foundation at www.rotary.org or by calling 866-976-8279. One very convenient way to give is by making a recurring monthly gift on your credit card, which you can set up on Rotary’s website.
If you have not already supported The Rotary Foundation this year, please do so now.
If you have any questions about The Rotary Foundation or how to give, contact Rich Lalley.
We are pleased to announce our formal agreement with the Rotary Club of Les Cayes, District 7020, Haiti, to partner on a Global Grant project that will bring sustainable jobs and locally grown protein rich food to the Jeremie region of Haiti.
We are looking to raise approximately $20,000 for this project, which when matched $2.50 to $1 by The Rotary Foundation, will provide $70,000 in funding for this project. Rotary Clubs interested in participating should email info@wnrotary.org.
Areas of Focus
¨ Economic & Community Development
¨ Maternal & Child Health
¨ Bonus: Positive Environmental Impact
Project Objectives
¨ Restore and expand breadfruit production in Jeremie region of Haiti that was devastated by Hurricane Matthew
¨ Create a local, solar-powered breadfruit processing facility
¨ Provide vocational training to farmers, facility workers
¨ Develop the domestic and export market for breadfruit products
Planned Activities
¨ Propagate and grow 5,000 breadfruit saplings
¨ Provide ready-to-produce tress to small holder farmers and coop orchards
¨ Fund processing equipment for new facility (building funded by cooperating NGO)
¨ Provide packaged breadfruit breakfast meals to local schools
¨ Provide vocational training to farmers and workers
Expected Outcomes
¨ Produce 2.5 - 5 million lbs. of breadfruit annually
¨ Economic impact on region- $470,000 - $900,000 annually
¨ Good jobs and businesses for local population in poorest region of Haiti
¨ Provide nutritious meals to school children
¨ Develop an export industry for Haiti
Contribute to this project with the button below. Donations will be matched 2.5 to 1 by The Rotary Foundation.
Areas of Focus