At precisely 12:30, President Susan called our meeting to order with a ring of the bell. She led us in the 4 Way Test and turned the podium over to Nathan Triplett for our reflection. Nathan shared the Poem “To Be of Use” by Marge Piercy. He chose this poem because it aptly describes our speaker, Martha Peak Helman. It was a great poem, so I have included it here for those who weren’t in attendance or who would just like to read it for themselves:
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
The reflection was followed by “America, The Beautiful” accompanied by Hari Kern on the piano. Alex Hernandez handled the microphone duties, and we had 4 visiting Rotarians in attendance.
President Susan let us know that Rebecca Bahar-Cook was continuing to do well and would soon be back among us. Ben Bakken was back after his heart issues and thanked us all for the love and support while he was out.
Our special music was introduced by Terry Terry and was very special indeed. We were treated to the music of Jeff Baldori and Dave Ludington. Some will remember that Jeff was part of the Woolies back in the 60’s. He also played with Chuck Berry. We also learned that Jeff and Terry Terry are cousins. Jeff and Dave treated us to three selections, including “Bring It on Home to Me” by Sam Cooke and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” by Kris Kristofferson.
Sunny Nadolsky reported on July birthdays. Only two Rotarians answered her question. Lisa Smith would like to travel to China and Sunny would go to the International Space Station. Collections so far are $450 with 60% participation. Additional contacts will be made as it is never too late for your birthday donation!
Amy Partin gave her Blue Badge presentation, modeling it after our 4 Way Test. Her truth is that she is a child of God, mother of 3, Spartan Alum with two degrees and grew up in a village of 600. She also loves big cities. Her fair is represented by her quest for joy and finding understanding. She has had a number of roles in both the private and public sectors. Amy spreads goodwill in her rewirement as the volunteer COO for the Empowerment Institute for Michigan. She works to develop friendships by staying active, participating in a golf league among other activities. She is finding Rotary to be beneficial and is happy to be here.
President Susan commented that many Rotarians are unhappy about the current state of Rotary Park as it has not been well maintained by the city. She is gauging interest in a clean up day and has reached out to the city, as has Laurie Baumer. There will be a letter written to the city as well, with the possibility of adding signatures from club members.
Volunteers are needed for Downtown Lansing’s Big Red Ball on November 21st. Look for information on how to volunteer elsewhere in this Rotogram. There is also a volunteer opportunity at the Greater Lansing Food Bank on September 22nd. Lastly, the Loftus Day Committee will meet prior to this week’s meeting at 11:30.
President Susan introduced Tim Lee, our District Governor, to introduce our speaker. Martha “Marty” Peak Helman is a Rotary International Director representing 40 districts. She is a former RI Foundation Trustee. She has pledged to visit all 40 districts over the next two years.
Marty began by sharing one of her husband’s favorite sayings – may you live in interesting times – and commented that the times we live in are indeed interesting.
The world needs Rotary and the sustainable changes that Rotarians can create.
The RI Foundation is consistently highly rated as a charitable organization. Trustees have no say in how the money is spent; that is determined by the Rotarians working through clubs and districts. The Foundation operates with 35 currencies and in 192 countries. It is consistently judged as highly transparent and lauded for its low expenses.
Yet people aren’t breaking down our doors to become members. In fact, numbers are dropping in most countries. Marty believes that people will join if they view our organization as one that is able to get stuff done. It is more effective to invite prospective members to participate in a project or fundraiser than to invite them to a meeting.
The fact is that we need to grow just to stand still. Statistics show that clubs will lose 15% of their membership every year. Further, half of new members leave within two years of joining. Members who stay 3 years tend to remain for many years.
The world is changing faster than Rotary is changing. We need to look at alternatives to traditional clubs and meetings. Some clubs are having success forming companion clubs that are organized around a common interest or passion.
All Rotary action starts at the local level. Our efforts to eradicate polio started with a club in Manila that started a local polio project.
Marty concluded by stressing that the difference between us and those in places like Guatemala and Africa is simply where we are. Her wish for each of us is that we enjoy a lifelong roller coaster experience.
After a few questions, answers and conversations, President Susan thanked Marty for speaking to us and let us know that next week’s speaker will be Bob Trezise, President and CEO of LEAP.
And with a concluding ring of the bell, the meeting was adjourned.
Email for Linda Lynch: linda.j.lynch@gmail.com
Bob Trezise has been President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) since November 2011. LEAP is a private/public 501©6 representing Metro Lansing (Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties). In 2021, LEAP was named one of the nation’s Top 20 economic development organizations by Site Selection magazine. Since Bob’s tenure, LEAP projects have helped the private sector create over 10,000 direct jobs, ranging from Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants, mixed use community development urban buildings to new high-tech firms. Total project value is $7.2 billion. During the pandemic, LEAP administered over $21 million in small business grants for the Lansing region, including equitable methodologies created by LEAP. LEAP has also created nationally recognized and numerous entrepreneurial programs, including the 2021 IEDC Gold award winner One&All program. In total, LEAP has won Silver or Gold awards a half a dozen times.
DowntownLansing Inc is having its annual Big Red Ball on Saturday, November 21, and they are looking for volunteers to help with the event. DLI’s mission is to “strengthen and nurture the culture, health, and sustainability of our downtown district.” Shifts on November 21 include event setup 2:30-5:30 pm, various shifts during the event from 5:30-10:00 pm, and event tear down and cleanup from 9:30-11:30 pm. More information can be found here: 
We have a service opportunity at the Greater Lansing Food Bank on Tuesday, September 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. located at 5600 Food Ct., Bath Township. Please let Jason Brunette know if you can help: 