If it’s Friday and you’re at the Lansing Center, this must be Rotary! Just as John Dale Smith was finishing up his last song, President Fliehman hit his mark and pulled an Anita Ward “Ring my Bell” moment. Michell Reynaert graced us with thanks for the bread and the hands that brought it to our table invocation. She lauded all of the volunteers who serve un-noticed but appreciated by those in need. When it comes to patriotic songs, there’s nothing better than standing next to Ken Beachler and Heidi McNaughton for the “God Shed His Grace on thee” part. Sends chills down my spine every time. Steve Slocum? Steve Slocum? President Fliehman called in vain for someone to ferry the mic for the introduction of guests. Must be Slocum’s day Off (Buehler?). We had about 4 or 5 guests taking advantage of free taco and all you can eat cookie buffet. Try the oatmeal raisin ones, they’re absolutely delish. Susan Angel brought a recording studio with her to grab the Rotary equivalent to Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame. In our case, tell us what Rotary means to you in 15 seconds or less. 15 Seconds was agreed upon because of our collective average attention span. There was a line out the door of Rotarians stepping up the plate. I’m hoping there’ll be a day 2 down the road so more can share their epigrammatic comments (President Fliehman suggested “pithy” comments, but I think he meant to epigrammatic). With another Veteran’s Day upon us, special music was performed by our very own Rotary choir. We sang the Army Goes Rolling Along, The marines’ Hymn, The United States Air Force Song and Anchors Aweigh. I wouldn’t characterize our singing as “rousing” but those who served were honored to the best of our ability. My dad was a Guadalcanal Marine and there’s only 2-3in the club old enough and Marine enough to have possibly served with my dad and to those gentlemen, I tip my hat. The focus of this month’s speakers was “community” and we were once again favored with one of our own as speaker of the day. Joe Garcia, Executive Director of Cristo Rey took us on a tour of what Cristo Rey is and what it isn’t. Amongst its programs are (1) food access (2) community kitchen (3) personal needs (4) family health center (5) prescription assistance (6) counseling services. Cristo Rey is a safety net organization. Despite its name, it provides its services to all, not just Christians and not just Hispanics. It is a North Side of Lansing community resource that has no prerequisites for receiving services. If you need, they’re here to help. Garcia cited a number of personal stories of how individuals have made a difference in the lives around him. The focus at Cristo Rey is providing that opportunity for those in need to find a path. Seeing someone who was once homeless and troubled come to you ten years later, having a job, independence and dignity sounds like it would be reward enough. Reward enough if you’re inclined to work for non-profit wages, perhaps! For the rest of you, please, go out and earn a decent living and when you think about making a difference, mete out your largesse to organizations that have the ability and passion to make a difference. Garcia indicated he’s been touched by Rotary and Cristo Rey for their dedication to their core principals. He answered a number of questions about budgeting, funding, immigration. Tours of Cristo Rey are also offered and I would suggest some day maybe we hold a meeting their and have a post meeting tour. President Fliehman thanked Joe for speaking, gave him the traditional Rotary coin and we called it a day. |