The following proposed corporate members have emailed their application to the office. If anyone has a comment on these proposed members please forward it in writing within ten days to the Rotary office. Thank you,
Innovare: Jim Baker, Owner, Associate - Kevin McMillan, Account Executive/Sales - Associate 2 - Nick Baker, CFO, sponsored by John Pence
As part of our efforts to increase visibility of the club and recruit new members, we are planning to have a vendor booth at two festivals in June, Juneteenth and Lansing Pride. We need volunteers to staff the Lansing Club of Rotary booth. Volunteers will hand out promotional materials in two-hour shifts (chairs will be provided), with at least two members per shift. Here are the details:
Juneteenth: Saturday, June 21, 1030 - 3:00 St. Joseph Park, 2125 W. Hillsdale Street, Lansing Need: at least 4 volunteers
Lansing Pride: Saturday, June 28, 11:00 - 6:00 Turner and Chavez, Old Town Lansing Need: at least 8 volunteers
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Linda Sarnelli: linda@suitsandthecity.org, 517-614-6164
OnSaturday, June 7, 2025 from 10 - 3 p.m. in front of Potter Park Zoo at the Lansing River Trail. Help us protect local wildlife and keep our rivers clean by joining River Cleanup Day. If interested, please contact Jason Brunette jason.brunette@martincommercial.com
President Bahar-Cook brought the meeting to order with a ring of the Rotary bell and led all assembled in reciting the ever-impactful four-way test. Kate Snyder offered a light-hearted reflection which gave thanks to the teachers, mentors, and YouTube videos that help us learn. Singing of America the Beautiful ensued.
Tiffany Brown tossed the cube microphone; Patrick Brennan (abandoned by his sponsor Chris Holman), was there for visit #4, patiently awaiting Board Review of his membership application to pass him into Red Badge status. Dr. Robinson was absent, but his son was present (are attendance credits generational-transfer-eligible?). The health of the club is strong, absent any news to the contrary. Courtney Millbrook introduced the Halite Saxophone Quartet, who showed us why they recently won bronze at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (the largest chamber music competition in the world).
Club announcements included a shout-out to Craig Stile’s daughter who will be singing the national anthem at an upcoming ACC baseball game (FSU vs NC), a reminder about the Delta Waverly Rotary Golf outing August 7, and several opportunities to volunteer, including a June 7 Potter Park clean up, Juneteenth Festival Rotary Booth (June 21), and a Lansing Pride Festival Rotary Booth (June 28).
Kim Garland announced that $69,705 was awarded to 8 nonprofit organizations that serve Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties and thanked the Local Grants Committee for reviewing the 46 applications that were received. This year’s recipients are:
Allen Neighborhood Center ($10,000): To purchase seeds, tools, and compost to grow food to donate to the neighborhood.
Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties ($10,000): To purchase food and personal care items for their Direct Services program.
Haven House ($10,000): Housing Assistance Fund to cover essential move-in costs such as a security deposit, first-month’s rent, and utility assistance. These financial barriers often prevent families from securing stable housing.
Mikey 23 Foundation ($10,000): Motto is, “Instead of picking up a gun to commit gun violence, pick up a hammer and build up your community.” Funding will help train local at-risk students in various trade programs to help them build a career and live productive lives.
Woldumar Nature Center ($10,000): Funding used to offset costs of various environmental education programs.
Capital Area Housing Partnership ($9,705): Current truck is >20 yrs old. Reliable vehicle is essential for delivery tools, building ramps and supporting clean-ups across Lansing. Funding will be used toward purchase and outfitting of new box truck. With Rotary logo.
Highfields ($5,000): To assist economically challenged families at risk for abuse, neglect, and violence. Funding will be used to support immediate needs of families with resources like transportati0on, past due bills, security deposits, car repairs, furniture and more.
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church ($5,000): Drive-thru Gun Buyback Program in conjunction with the Lansing Police Department and Ingham County Deputies. MI State Police then take guns for destruction and recycle as coil wire. This is the only buy-back program in Mid-Michigan.
Susan Angel, Chair of the Month & Day, introduced Ben Shuldiner to give the Club an update on Lansing School District (LSD). With more than 25 years of experience transforming education through work as a teacher, professor, school board member and superintendent, Shuldiner has worked diligently to achieve a dramatic transformation at LSD. In just four years, graduation rates increased by 26% to a record 88%, attendance rose by 13%, and enrollment grew for the first time in over 30 years. According to Stanford University’s Education Opportunity Project, Lansing achieved the highest reading growth in Michigan from 2022–2024. Shuldiner is quick to give credit to the work done by teachers, families, staff, students and a lot of other people across the district. They are taking a different approach to CTE, with a new 4-yr comprehensive career and technical education high school. They’ve inspired support to close half-empty, crumbling schools and invest in new, updated facilities (and adding air-conditioning by end of ‘26 in every classroom). They put kids front and center, noting it “doesn’t matter if you taught it, but did they learn it?”. He cited the measure of success in a district is the ability to put on a school musical; such an effort takes an entire eco-system. Proudly, they did a middle-school production of Shrek Jr this year. Arts, sports, music – these are things that help make a school, and the student experience, great. From staff appreciation lunches to after-school tutoring programs and more, the narrative of LSD is changing. He invites the 6K kids in the district that are currently choosing other schools to visit and see how Lansing School District is rising, and everyone in the community to help tell the LSD story. Change the narrative; if you don’t fill the void with positivity, someone else will fill it with negativity.
Be sure to catch the Social Gathering on Thursday, May 22 at the Irish Pub from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. (no meeting on Friday due to the Memorial Day weekend).
competition in the world).