Sundra opened the Meeting. Following the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation. Members recited the 4-way test and sang the club song.
Happy Bucks: Happy bucks collected $12
Matts spoke about report on Fundraiser. Greg said he will take care of report on Fundraiser.
October 31 meeting Speaker: City Council President will not be there for the night meeting in October. Mark Johnson, President of Briarcliff Manor Rotary will be the speaker and he will talk about the Cookstove Project.
Delinquent Dues: Jeffrey said whoever did not pay their membership dues should not be considered as Members. They should be deleted from our membership roster before RI bills us for the 2nd half of the year.
Oldies Concert: Jeffrey was very enthusiastic about the oldies concert which will help to open free library in Liberia Africa. Sundra will bring soda, juice and chips, Seeme will bake two cakes for the bake sale, Bina will bake cakes and brownies , Alix will bring napkins, plates and forks , Mahbub will bring cases of water for the evening of fun on 20th October 2018 6:30 at Will Library in Yonkers
Pajama Program: Members have collected some Pajamas for Pajama Program. Jeffrey, George, Philippe, Alix, Harvey, Mahbub, Sundra and Bina have donated pajamas. Our Club is joining the Yonkers Chamber on this program.
District Grant Project: Barbara said she received a check from the District which she deposited to the Club Foundation account.
Roy Letsen Memorial: Greg spoke about the $11,000 project at St. John's Hospital, out of which $8,000 coming from NYS. The Club Board has agreed to fund the remaining $3,000. Club has requested the Foundation to give $3,000 to St. John's. Greg said project will be finished by end of November.
Pledge of Allegiance: Sundra proposed that the Pledge of Allegiance shouldn’t be in weekly meetings as Rotary International is all about love and respect for all countries. Alix felt American vision is taken away from her with current prevailing situations. Matts said we can honor our flag and don’t have to salute flag so International visitors don’t feel awkward. Alix said she doesn’t like dictatorship and values Freedom and further added she doesn’t take America for granted but at the same time thought Pledge of Allegiance is not a Rotary thing She further said raising flag is not only way to show we are Americans we have spirit in our heart and soul as Americans. Seeme said it’s highly important to have Pledge of Allegiance for Y-EY as Yonkers is in America and we need to value our flag and show our patriotism. She further added other international visitors don’t have to follow if they don’t want to, if they don’t want to put hand on their heart or even stand but we as Americans should follow Pledge of Allegiance.
At this point, Loren pointed out as an African American whose ancestry goes back to slavery, whose forefathers and mothers were not immigrants ccoming to this country seeking asylum or a better way of life, who were stolen away as children from their homeland, had millions of our people dying on the passage from Africa to America, who were forced into the most dehumanizing form of slave labor known to man for more than 400 years, fought for their rights as human beings under a flag that did not represent them at all. Yet, we hold it in reverence, not for the stars and stripes, but for the ideal that it stands for and represented in the promise of the Constitution of these Unites States; “..., that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Under this flag, we have fought long and hard for these rights and have made the world a better place in which to live for all mankind. We know that the flag has not always been our friend, but the ideal has been our allegiance. We salute the flag because we believe, mind, body and soul in it’s ideal.
Sundra adjourned meeting.
