President Arnie Biondo welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. PDG Harvey Smith provided the prayer.
President Biondo thanked Don Overly for providing the weekly quotes all year and for greeting today.
Today’s quote: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others." Mahatma Gandhi
Guests today included Christine Balsan, Jack Lohbeck, Braden Huffman, Jesse Campbell, Andrea Share.
Carol Kennard shared that Jackie D’Aurora is having surgery and asked that all keep her in their prayers.
Sofie Ameloot announced the pool party has been rescheduled for August 18. Mark your calendar now!
Happy Bucks this quarter are going to East Palestine Rotary Club. Pat Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms.
Pat announce this year’s Americana Festival attendance is expected to be higher because Dayton cancelled their July 4th event. Beckel’s Humidor will have a float in the parade - a living room with comfy chairs on a flatbed!
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
- Pat Beckel was honored by the Sons of American Revolution for patriotism and support of Veterans in the community. Congrats, Pat!
- Chuck King, Scott Kujawa, and Dale Berry were happy.
- Brad Huffman for his son, Braden joining us today.
- Mark Febus was happy.
- Larry Marchand was back from vacation.
- Boyd Preston for the retiring and future Centerville Rotary board members.
- Ray Merz for this year’s leadership and all the good work completed by them.
- It was discovered that Uriah Anderson and Sofie Ameloot were wearing each other’s name tags!
- Susan Schnell was happy to be back.
- Uriah Anderson for the Rotary boards and name tag switch.
- Adam Manning for all the hard work Arnie put in during his year as president.
- Arnie Biondo was thankful for Pavlovid (having recovered from COVID again)
- Sofie Ameloot for the Board, and she is leaving for Belgium tomorrow for 5 weeks.
- Elda Gotos-Gay was happy.
- Erich Eggers was gone for 2 weeks and enjoyed his 40th University of Dayton reunion weekend!
- Mark Balsan for his wife, Christine visiting today.
- Kelly McDonald for the great work by the Board this past year and is looking forward to working together this next year.
- Matt Kuhn was glad Adam agreed to be president two years in a row ;-)
- Ron Hollenbeck for sitting at the Remodeling Designs table, for the Rotary Board, and noted he attended the West Milton Rotary with Boyd for a presentation on the Heart to Heart program, and was shocked that Boyd said something nice about him!
- Ginger Clark was happy.
- Mike Weir for the rain and return of the sun.
- Lisa Goris May was happy to be here and that Andrea will become a member next week.
- Andrea Share for getting to go on a mission trip last weekend to Kentucky.
- Jeff Senney was appointed president for the CWPD park board and was nervous chairing his first meeting until he remembered hearing the advice, “No one man can destroy an organization in one meeting!”
- Ron Bowersocks is going to his cabin after this celebration meeting.
- Lee Hieronymus thanked Elda for polishing the bell that had not been polished since we received it from the Miamisburg Rotary Club 51 years ago! He said Socks & his wife will ride on the firetruck for the July 4th parade, but we need more people. Just show up 9:30 am at the City building, to load up on the truck. You must be able to operate a squirt gun!
- Jack Lohbeck announced the Rotary golf team is lined up to play at 5 courses this year. If interested, send an email to Jack at Jlohbeck1949@gmail.com. The first 12 to respond get a slot, and you pay as you go. He also gave a shout out to Uriah for serving as a panelist for an elderly care advisory committee.
- Sherre Wright was also on a mission trip last week in South Dakota.
- Carol Kennard will be gone next week to Gatlinburg for Kaycee’s dance competition and thanked Boyd for filling in for her.
- Gina Smith said the Author Event last week went well, and she appreciated that everyone in the club makes her laugh each week!
President Arnie Biondo provided a Year in Review as his term is coming to an end.
President Biondo thanked those who served on the Board during his presidency:
- Adam Manning, President-elect
- Sofie Ameloot, Vice President
- Brian Hayes, Past President
- Don Stewart, Treasurer
- Mark Balsan, Secretary
- Sofie Ameloot, Education Foundation
- Frank Perez, Rotary Foundation
- Crissy Allums, Community Service
- Brad Huffman, Club Affairs
- Susan Schnell, New Generations
- Bill Menker, International Service
President Biondo then awarded some special recognition to club members. He invited Frank Perez forward to present some Paul Harris Fellow awards. Frank noted that many Rotarians are doing Rotary Direct, so they reach new PHF levels throughout the year, not just during Foundation month.
Please thank the following for reaching new donation levels:
- Kelly McDonald who reached PHF +5
- Brian Hayes who reached PHF +7
President Biondo then gave special recognition to Mark Balsan, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for 10 years as the Club’s secretary. Thank you Mark!
Service Above Self awards were presented to the following for going above and beyond in club activities this year. Thank you!
- Sofie Ameloot
- Crissy Allums
- Adam Manning
- Brad Huffman
Rotarian of the Year was presented this year to Kelly McDonald, who has been involved in almost everything we’ve undertaken this year, continues to volunteer twice a month at the Dayton Diaper Depot, and has agreed to lead the Golf Outing next year. Well done, Kelly!
PDG Harvey Smith then inducted the 2023-24 Centerville Rotary President & Board:
- Adam Manning, President
- Sofie Ameloot, President-elect
- Kelly McDonald, Vice President
- Arnie Biondo, Past President
- Don Stewart, Treasurer
- Brian Hayes, Secretary
- Sofie Ameloot, Education Foundation
- Uriah Anderson, Rotary Foundation
- Crissy Allums, Community Service
- Susan Schnell, New Generations
- Bill Menker, International Service
Thank you all for giving your time to further the goals of the Club.
President Arnie also gave thanks to the Yankee Trace staff and then asked all Club members to step up and help President Manning in the 2023-24 year.
President Manning and Frank Perez then made a presentation to Past-president Biondo and thanked him for the wonderful job he did, noting no one rocks a baby diaper like Arnie!
In thanks for his service as President, Arnie was presented a PHF+5. Thank you, Arnie!
President Manning then thanked Arnie and and the humble way he recognizes the success of others. He then thanked Chuck King, Frank Perez, and Brian Hayes - the Pandemic Presidents who worked hard organizing and leading the club remotely through those unusual times. They truly exceeded expectations.
President Manning looks forward to continuing our tradition of community involvement, laughter and service. Leadership may be changing, but the shared vision continues.
President Manning shared a favorite quote, “Look for the Helpers” He got to spend a lot of time with his grandparents, Bill & Ruth Manning. Every day they ran errands, visited family, and made meals for others. He would ask, “Why?” And was always told, “Because its the right thing to do.”
He shared, “You will always find people who are helpers.” We are a service organization and there are so many in our backyard who need help.
President Manning said he is coming up on 7 years in the club. Ray Merz asked him to join and the camaraderie, presentation and message experienced his first meeting made him want to come again and again. He gave a big thanks to Ray for the introduction and positive impact Rotary has made on his life.
Soon to be past-president Biondo then led reciting of the 4-way test and wished all a good week.
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