The Rotary Club of
Centerville, OH
 
Chartered 1972
eBulletin - June 23, 2022
Centerville Rotary Meeting Highlights
Our theme this month is
Rotary Fellowship
 
President Brian Hayes welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led the Pledge of Allegiance. PDG Harvey Smith provided the prayer.
 
PDG Harvey Smith inducted Kelly McDonald as the newest member of the Centerville Rotary Club. Kelly recently moved here from Hawaii, where he was a Rotarian. We welcome Kelly to the Centerville club and look forward to getting to know him better.
 
 
President Hayes asked who would like to play in the upcoming Optimist Golf Outing - Kelly McDonald, Chuck King, and Arnie Biondo signed up and then the group nominated Frank Perez to fill out the foursome.
 
Mike Wier announced he has 16 tickets available for the July 6 Dragon’s baseball game. Contact him if you would like to go.
 
Lee Hieronymus shared information about another golf outing  to benefit the Miamisburg Alumni Association. He invited all golfers to sign up.
 
Adam Manning announced we will have a service day at the Foodbank from 10 am-1 pm this Saturday. Please let him know if you can help - they will be the program coming up in August.
 
Our program today was Judy Budi, Chair Educational Foundation and the 2022 Scholarship Recipients.
 
 
Judy presented:
I want to welcome our guests to the Centerville Rotary Club scholarship winners’ luncheon. We congratulate all of the graduates and their proud families for everything these students have accomplished.
 
During our interviews of the students we shared a bit of information about the club.   Rotary is an International Service organization with clubs around the globe focused on clean water and sanitation projects; polio irradiation; basic education and literacy; peace and conflict resolution; maternal and child health; and economic and community development. Interact and Rotaract are the branches of Rotary established to encourage young adults to participate in community service at an early age. There is an Interact Club at Centerville High School. Our graduates might want to consider joining their respective university’s Rotaract Club.
 
The Centerville Rotary Club’s Educational Foundation provides scholarships to graduating seniors from the Centerville/Washington Township community.  Criteria for these awards is based on financial need, participation in service oriented projects and potential for success in college or trade school. Since 1975, we have awarded over $262,000.00 in scholarship money.
 
Members of the Foundation Committee are Sofie Ameloot, Jim Harris, Mark Febus, Harvey Smith, and Susan Schnell. Rotary member Brad Thorp is our Investment Manager. I also want to thank Centerville High School Counselor Samantha Stingley for her assistance this year as we worked through this process.
 
The money for the scholarships traditionally comes from the pancake breakfast but this year we have pulled the money from the investments since the pancake event was cancelled last fall and this year’s golf outing supports our 50th Anniversary project at Grant Park.
 
I want to thank Kim Senft-Paras and her daughters and son-in-law for selecting the books. – supporting one of the Rotary areas of interest, literacy.
 
Judy then shared about each of the scholarship recipients and presented them with a book selected especially for each of them.
 
 
Andrew Kovacs
Andrew is one of 4 children, a  triplet. He is active in band and plans to pursue his education at the University of Akron with the hopes of becoming an optometrist. He was inspired from his first eye appointment and the amazing change when he got glasses His older sister is in college and his other two siblings will be going to college- all different school so no volume discount for his parents. I applaud his parents, at the interview Andrew shared he had just signed the Kovacs contract detailing his parent’s support level for college.  He is active in band, Wind symphony, and the drum line and a volunteer with United Sounds.
 
When asked what he learned about Leadership he said, It is okay if things don’t go well and Covid made it really hard to motivate others.
He is active with his church Youth group, one of the Pastor noting that Andrew has spoken and led with a wisdom beyond his years. He leads with initiative and creativity as he works out of  a great passion for all he sets his hands to do. He will continue to make the world a better place for those he encounters.
 
 
The book presented to Andrew was:
Award-winning author and journalist explores the meaning of identity and place, hamburgers, hard work, and basketball in this collection of wry, irreverent essays reflecting on the many aspects of Midwestern culture and life from an insider’s perspective.
 
 
Alexis Thornton 
Alexis was not able to be with us today, but she wants to pursue her degree in education  at the University of Dayton. Alexis has the support of her grandmother at this point in her life. She has at times worked several jobs.
 
The book presented to Alexis was:
The Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker and writer shares what she has learned about confidence, self-reliance, mental health, embracing pain, and achieving your dreams.
 
 
Maddie Thomas
Maddie was not able to be here today but she will get her degree from Bryn Mawr. She loves the size of the school. She wants to work in education. She has a passion for English and literature.She feels called to serve her community and empower students through learning. She is fascinated by the extent to which schools act as gatekeepers to and models of, the majority of American culture. She was the head captain of the Mock Trial and Science Olympiad team and co-founder of the journalism club. She excelled in German with gold level achievement on the national exam. Maddie’s father is a physician and her mom is with her today and is currently enrolled in graduate school. Her brother attends Emory. She volunteers with hospice and told us she has learned a lot from the patients, listening to their life stories she came to realize that they value relationships over the career or high school achievements.
Rotary- is about the connections and rooting oneself in community and this is what she would like to teach her students.
 
The book presented to Maddie was:
The novel is a multi-generational family saga set between the 1940s to the 1990s and centers on identical twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes. The two light-skinned black sisters were raised in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana, and witnessed the lynching of their father in the 1940s. In 1954, at the age of 16, the twins run away to New Orleans. However, Stella disappears shortly thereafter.
 
Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by The New York TimesThe Washington PostTime, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Vulture, USA TodayGQVanity Fair, Harper's BazaarGlamour, and Bustle
 
 
 
Sophia Wang
Sophia will pursue her degree at UCLA in public affairs – she likes that the program is a mix of neuroscience and philosophy. She hopes to be an advocate for change and impact world hunger. In high school she has learned that everyone is willing to help and you can’t do everything- it works well to build a team. She is joined today by her father. Both of her parents are professors. She was President of the Speech and Debate team, and co president of the Key Club. She founded a calligraphy club, plays piano and swims.
She was named the Centerville-Washington Park District Youth Volunteer and worked for Desiree Tims For Congress campaign one summer. She was state winner of a National Music Week Essay and several art and writing awards and attorney awards at competitions.
Her Key Club advisor noted: she exemplifies all that a service leader needs to bring a better world to the community around her. She truly enjoys people and has a heart to support the needs of the community.
 
The book presented to Sophia was:
An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.  A #1 New York Times Bestseller
 
 
 
Kevin Whitehead:
Ranked first in his class at Centerville, Kevin is a volleyball and piano player. Will work towards a degree in Economics at Princeton. He liked Princeton because of the schools commitment to service and humanity. His twin sisters are both in college. He loves math. He volunteered as a legislative assistant in Rep. Tom Young’s office and was one of 50 students in Ohio to be an Ohio Attorney General Teen Ambassador Board, participated in Junior Leadership Dayton, served on Student Council and a class officer and volunteers with Hannah’s and the House of Bread.
 
When asked what he knows about rotary he mentioned we are people that give back to the community and give someone a hand when we can and represent leaders in the community.
 
The book presented to Kevin was:
In this informal and engaging history, Eli Maor portrays the curious characters and the elegant mathematics that lie behind the number. This biography brings out the central importance of e to mathematics and illuminates a golden era in the age of science.
 
 
Judy encouraged the students to stay in touch and congratulated them on their wonderful accomplishments.
 
President Hayes welcomed our visitors this week: Chris Norman who recently accepted a job with the Kettering Health Network Foundation and was checking out the club; Wesley Board, from the Oakwood Rotary Club.
 
Kisha Taylor’s daughter Autumn subbed for her mother as a greeter today. Thanks Autumn! Come back anytime!
 
We will be sending our Happy Bucks for this quarter through Matthew 25 Ministries to provide support where needed in the Ukraine.
 
Sergeant of Arms this week was President Hayes.
 
Happy Bucks were shared for:
  • Mark Febus for the scholarship recipients.
  • Kelly McDonald gave thanks for the warm welcome and for the scholarship students.
  • Carol Kennard for having all 5 siblings together with their dad this Father’s Day (it’s been a LONG time since that happened), and for a great visit with her youngest granddaughter.
  • Susan Schnell for the scholarship recipients
  • Wesley Board shared he was recently at Rotary International in Evanston IL for a tour, and got to meet an exchange student from Hungary who will probably end up working the US. He got to see the incoming president, the first female president for Rotary.
  • Ginger Clark for the scholarship recipients.
  • Ron Hollenbeck for the scholarship recipients, and shared this past Saturday, he, Chuck, and Kelly traveled to Columbus to helping clean rods for next shipment of water pumps for 20 pumps. He was certain their 2-hr shift did much more than the other group.
  • Ger Eastabrooks for the scholarship recipients.
  • Chris Norman for the wonderful welcoming to the new community.
  • Chuck King for the scholarship recipients. and for celebrating his 34th wedding anniversary.
  • Arnie Biondo thanked Autumn for helping out today.
  • Ray Merz noted Sunday is his 51st wedding anniversary.
  • Judy Budi for the scholarship recipients, and spending a few days with her parents fishing in Canada where they caught 900 fish!
  • Jim Harris for the scholarship recipients, and his son who has been living out of country for 11.5 years is moving home!
  • Adam Manning for scholarship students
  • Dale Berry for the scholarship recipients and to welcome Kelly to the club (he happens to be Dale’s neighbor).
  • Bill Menker for missing last week due to the grand opening of the Creativty Commons at RecPlex. He also shared he went to Beavercreek Rotary last Friday and heard greatest praise for our club.
  • Harvey Smith for the scholarship recipients, and said he is totally impressed with these outstanding young adults.
  • Don Overly for the scholarship recipients.
  • Scott Kujawa announced his son in the Coast Guard will be home for visit - they haven’t seen him in 7 years!
  • Lee Hieronymus recognized President Hayes for his last official meeting at Yankee Trace and noted incoming president Arnie Biondo will get his initiation in the fire truck at the Americana Festival parade. There’s room for more people on the truck!
  • Crissy Allums for the scholarship recipients - she’s very impressed with their accomplishments.
  • Uriah Anderson for having his father in town since Friday. He’s happy to spend time together.
 
NEXT WEEK
President Hayes reminded everyone that the meeting next week will be at Benham’s Grove at noon for changing of leadership.
 
 
GREETER SCHEDULE
Please arrange for a sub if you are unable to greet on your assigned day.
 
June 30 - Pat Beckel & Sivaji Subramaniam (at Benham’s Grove)
July 7 - Lee Hieronymus & Jim Stuart
July 14 - Doug Bockrath & Don Stewart
July 21 - Tom Broadwell & Harvey Smith
July 28 - Judy Budi & Jeff Senney
 
 
50TH ANNIVERSARY 
 
To view the 50th anniversary videos, visit the Centerville Rotary Club YouTube:
 
Celebrating 50 Years
 
Exchange Student Reflections
 
Charter Members Share Fellowship
 
 
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Centerville
Service Above Self
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Golf Club at Yankee Trace
10000 Yankee Street
Centerville, OH 45458
United States of America
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Carol Kennard
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Don Overly
July 3
 
Larry Marchand
July 9
 
Kim Senft-Paras
July 13
 
David Trout
July 14
 
Nick Cruz
July 14
 
Michael Wier
July 17
 
Erich Eggers
July 23
 
Ron Hollenbeck
July 30
 
Spouse Birthdays
Allison Durnbaugh
July 28
 
Anniversaries
Uriah Anderson
Melissa Shaw
July 2
 
Brad Huffman
Shannon Huffman-McAfee
July 4
 
Frank Perez
Maureen Perez
July 14
 
Join Date
Rebecca Quiñones
July 7, 2016
6 years
 
Carl Gill
July 12, 2018
4 years
 
Scott Kujawa
July 21, 2021
1 year
 
Ron Hollenbeck
July 29, 2008
14 years
 
Speakers
Jul 28, 2022
The Foodbank
Aug 04, 2022
Dayton's First Families of Pizza
Aug 11, 2022
Real Estate Market News
Aug 18, 2022
Washington Township Developments
Aug 25, 2022
All the great things in store for the Club!
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Meeting Greeters
Please get a sub if you're unable to greet on your assigned day!
 
June 30 - Pat Beckel & Sivaji Subramaniam (at Benham’s Grove)
July 7 - Lee Hieronymus & Jim Stuart
July 14 - Doug Bockrath & Don Stewart
July 21 - Tom Broadwell & Harvey Smith
July 28 - Judy Budi & Jeff Senney
 
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