Bob grew up on a farm in SW MI not far from Kalamazoo as the oldest of 7 children. He had many opportunities to listen to visiting missionaries who visited his country church to share of some of the great physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. God put a passion in his heart to began preparing to serve as a missionary physician. He married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Shannon, who became an RN called serve with Bob. Bob graduated from Univ. of Michigan Medical School in 1973 followed by a surgical residency in Ann Arbor. God blessed them with four delightful sons, Luke, Matt, Josh, and John. They were commissioned as ABWE missionaries in 1980 and after French language training they arrived in1983 in Togo, W. Africa. They arrived to become part of a pioneer bush hospital working at the new Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital.
Since those early days in the mid-80’s this small rural hospital with 40 beds in southern Togo became a major referral center for the southern region and, unbelievably, the second busiest hospital in the country eventually. It has had a major impact on the health of the region. The hospital has its own nursing school and a mobile medical team that has also been a great tool provide healthcare education and service in the region. It has been training Togolese nurses for 20 years and is now gearing up to become a surgical training center for African surgeons and expanding to 100 beds in the next 5-8 years.
The Hospital of Hope opened it doors almost two years ago in the city of Mango 250 miles to the north two years ago. It is a busy 65 bed with over 15,000 new outpatients annually along with over 3000 admissions and 1000 surgeries annually. The excitement of this Muslim city to having comprehensive healthcare for the first time ever has brought great hope and joy to this city. What a blessing and we also see a great spiritual hunger for the Truth and knowing about our loving God whe cares for them.
Since 2003, our home base has been Ann Arbor, MI. Our focus has been recruiting healthcare professionals with a passion for reaching people groups where no or minimal healthcare exists and giving them an opportunity to have a healthy life. It is a joy to take a team to Africa or Asia three or four times yearly to experience medical missions first hand. Today, we travel North America looking for healthcare professionals with a similar passion to be involved in missions as physicians, nurses, technicians, and administrators, to staff our hospitals and clinics in 10 different countries. If you are interested in how you can help us, write us at rcropsey@gmail.com.
The following proposed member has emailed an application to the office. If anyone has a comment on this proposed member please forward it in writing within ten days to the Rotary office, before approval by the board of directors. Thank you,
Next Monday - February 13th - the Big Banquet Community Charity Challenge Kicks off with online voting for 25 non-profit organizations in our area. The East Lansing Rotary Foundation has been invited to participate in this year's challenge and will be contributing all of the funds raised from this event to the
Weekend Survival Kits (WSK) program, which is sometimes referred to as the "backpack" program.
Their goal this year is to recruit 2,500 individuals to cast at least one $5 "Vote" online for the WSK program. Cast your votes online by Tuesday, March 21st at 5:00 p.m. atwww.university clubofmsu.org/theclubwithaheart, once there click on the BIG BANG-QUET COMMUNITY CHARITY CHALLENGE LINK, then scroll to: THE EAST LANSING ROTARY FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE "WEEKEND SURVIVAL KITS" program.
President Davis called the meeting to order at the UClub while Rotarians enjoyed a delicious and nutritious lunch. The invocation by Heidi McNaughton was followed by American the Beautiful before Justin Sheehan facilitated the introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians…one of whom will soon be changing his FB status. Dick Ammons reported the health of the club is good and President Davis took full advantage of his mic time to lead a litany of announcements, including a reminder about New Member Orientation on Feb. 21st from 3:30-5pm at the MI Chamber, an invitation to hear Rotary International President John Germ speak at the Rotary Peace Conference March 31-April 1 at UM (www.2017peaceconference.org), a reminder about a special meeting following the meeting of those who got ‘the email’, a congratulations to Paula Cunningham who will receive the Community Service Award at next week’s Chamber Dinner (year #2 of a Lansing Rotarian getting this honor – Mark Hooper ’16), and encouragement to cast your $5 vote in the Big Banquet Challenge (www.universityclubofmsu/theclubwithaheart) in support of the East Lansing Rotary’s Weekend Survival Kits Program. Whew.
If all of that news (and the cultural reminders about the Symphony, Williamston Theater, Peppermint Creak and MSU Student Theater shows this weekend) didn’t have your head spinning, the size of the check presented by Rotary Foundation President Courtney Millbrook to the Tri County Office on Aging in support of their Meals on Wheels program should have you cheering. The $6,000 check, made possible by gifts from individual Rotarians to the Foundation, will help to fund shelf-stable meals that are essential to ensuring more than 3,300 seniors in our community have good on hand when volunteers can’t get through inclimate weather to deliver the more than 503,000 meals they supply each year, often to people who have no other human contact. THANK YOU to those who give to the Birthday appeal and Christmas appeal, and support the golf outing each year; you make grants like this possible! The next round of grants will be under review soon; tell non-profits you know to watch the website for the application to go-live soon, if they wish to apply for funding.
John Grettenberger Sr. accepted the praise of the Club for yet another contribution to the growth and development of our region that his family has been instrumental in for decades; LorAnn Oils will be expanding, and John Grettenberger Jr. is in Chicago eating Garrett’s Caramel Corn.
President Davis finally relinquished the mic, allowing four new members to make their presentations and trade their red badge in for a blue one. All four are fantastic additions to the Club and we look forward to their contributions and service above self. Here’s a little bit about each of them; to learn more, seek them out at the next meeting!
Heidi McNaughton: Now an account exec at Liberty Title, she was a mortgage lender for 27 years. She has an MBA in Finance, a grown daughter, and has lived in EL for 26 years. She sings in the MSU Choral Union and the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Choir, is active in GLAR, WCR, Inner Circle and more. She loves travel, cooking, family and friends. She is a 2X Paul Harris Fellow and has handcuffs from a visit to the San Diego Rotary.
Wayne Sieloff: Without AV for his 92 PowerPoint slides, Wayne was left to his handwritten notes, which detailed his path to us and the Capital Region Airport Authority, which included three degrees in Architecture, time at Lawrence Tech and a graduate thesis on the revitalization of a downtown (Trenton). Growing up in Trenton wasn’t enough; he had to go back and knock on 6,000 doors to find his wife and got elected City Commissioner in the process. He and Lori will be married 20 years this April, and she’s been by his side knocking on those same doors when he successfully ran for Mayor, supported him when he joined the Wayne County Government, took a transfer to DTW (the day before 9/11), and came to Lansing! He’s been on the school board for more than 12 years, active in Cub Scouts, Godparent to a Rowing Program and overall engaged in the lives of his 3 kids. He’s seen all 50 states with his family by his side in their Motorhome – okay 48 of them. The other two required alternative transportation.
Bob McKee: Bob continued the family theme, noting he was the 2nd of 5 kids and is father to 7 children, prompting Rotarians in the room to encourage Tim Salisbury to give him a raise. Bob was born in Chicago, grew up in S. Lyon’s great outdoors, vacationed in northern Michigan and played baseball and football in high school. He played with the MSU Baseball team one year as a walk-on and majored in finance. He met his wife, Gina, at Riverview Church where they still attend. Their 3 boys and 4 girls are the reason they call medicine a practice – they were initially told they couldn’t have kids. They live in Holt and have seen lots of our beautiful country while en route to various kids sporting activities. He plays golf, fishes, and is excited to contribute to our community via Rotary.
Doug Wiesner: On the tail end of the ‘the crud’, it was probably best that Doug was the last one to hold the mic (sorry President Davis). One of 6 kids, he moved a lot as a child, which contributed to his nomadic spirit and love of evolving technology. He went to the Colorado of Mines (not Mimes, apparently), where the anthem was “It’s alright, it’s okay, you’ll be working for us one day!” He has a PhD from MSU in Bio-Chem and a wife named Alex(andra), who happens to be the daughter of the beloved Virginia Hilbert. He did his post-doc work in Chicago but they returned to MI to join the family business – PTD, Lansing Computer Institute, which was started in 1978. Almost 40 years strong, PTD Technology is still supporting the training needs and more of our region. He and Alex have two boys; Doug plays soccer 2x week and doesn’t know his right from his left. His parents are spending his inheritance by starting a chocolate company, so let him know your V-Day order soon.
President Jack wrapped up the meeting with a mic wrapped in a cloth napkin. Next week’s meeting will be back at the Lansing Center on the 2nd floor, with Dr. Robert Cropsey, a surgeon who practiced medicine in Togo, Africa.
Next Monday - February 13th - the Big Banquet Community Charity Challenge Kicks off with online voting for 25 non-profit organizations in our area. The East Lansing Rotary Foundation has been invited to participate in this year's challenge and will be contributing all of the funds raised from this event to the