Co-Chairs Patti and Barb opened the meeting with an induction of two new Club members—  Michael Goldenberg and Matthew Butler. Assisting were Amy Skalinder, Robert Mardirossian, and Rich Lalley who summarized the importance and expectations of Rotary membership, including the many programs that it sponsors/supports to benefit society such as the polio eradication program, donations to Ukrainian refugees, and our local coats and shoes programs for needy children. Robert ended the presentation by saying that as the Club’s Membership Chair he really enjoyed getting to know both new members and he added that another important task for both new and regular Club members is to bring in new members.

There were 18 members present with one additional member on Zoom. The members greeted a former resident and member, John Zeddies, who indicated they he has had some job change situations but now plans to become active again in the Club.

DIG N GRIN: Bob Baker filled in with a couple of truisms—e.g. overweight women live longer than the men who complain about it—and the other night he was awakened by a burglar who was searching his house for money and he willingly joined in the search!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Rich said that there are a few tickets still available to the Operation Warm Benefit event Oct. 14 and even for non-attendees they can participate in the silent auction up until 9:00 PM that night. Doors open at 6:00 pm, dinner is at 7:20 and a great band starts playing soon after. Then on Nov. 12th the Rotary Clubs in the New Trier area will arrange for a “distribution” event somewhere in Chicago’s Ukraine Village for Club members to distribute the coats/shoes to the kids.

Bill Leske and Terry Dason asked for Club volunteers to help at the Winnetka Farmers’ Market this coming Saturday where the Club will have a table/tent to distribute Rotary material and share with the crowd all the good things Rotary does in the community. They are looking for 6 volunteers to cover from 9 pm to noon that morning.

Barb thanked all those members who attended the recent Glencoe Garden Club event which was fun and very informative. They were informed of the Garden Club “Pumpkin Smash” which is held Nov. 5th from 9 am to 1 pm at 380 Old Green Bay Road to bring “used pumpkins” to be composted rather than thrown into our waste facilities.

HAPPY BUCKS: Bill Leske gave due to his son getting married recently; Liz gave because she spent her whole day off from work last Friday going to school with her grandkids; Fred mentioned his NT graduation class of 1950 lost another outstanding person and life long Winnetkan—Ted Weldon passed at 90 years of age (he was husband of Barb Weldon who has been honored by the WCH for all her theater work with children.)

SPEAKERS: Kelly Tess (Supt. Of Winnetka Public School District 36) and Emily Rose (President of School District 36 School Board). Kelly and Emily gave background information on past school elections pertaining to raising money for improvements at Winnetka’s 5 elementary thru 8th grade public schools. They described the education program that the District is undertaking to explain the reasons for another such vote coming up on Nov. 8, 2022. There is available plenty of information on what work needs to be done at these 5 schools, the reason it is important to do it now, and what happens if the proposed program is rejected by the community. The speakers passed out very clear information sheets identifying the work to be done at each location; the last time that improvements have been made on the facilities; and the increased difficulty in attracting quality teachers when some of the Winnetka children don’t have a lunchroom or have to attend classes in mobile trailers. The 82 million dollars raised by a successful referendum would be used for such important things as health & safety improvements, critical repairs and renovations that have been postponed in the past. The 5 schools total between 1600-1700 students and that number has been relatively stable for the last few years. If approved, the project would start this year and hopefully be finished by the summer of 2026.

For more detailed information on the project go to the website Winnetka36.org and click on 2022 Downsized Capital Improvement Proposal. This website should also tell the Village residents the Proposal’s impact on their individual taxes based on the value of their homes.

There being no time left for further discussion, the members recited the Rotary’s 4-Way Test and the meeting was adjourned.