Members Present: Alix, Loren, Shahid, Sundra, Bina, Mahbub, Matts, Barbara, Harvey, Marc, Parul, Jeffrey, & Frank
Meeting Highlights:
Meeting called to order at 12:15 by President Alix who led the pledge of allegiance and offered an invocation. The Club recited the 4-Way Test and sang the Rotary Song.
Alix requested a volunteer to offer the invocation every week.
Alix noted that Peggy is doing better. When she returned home from the hospital, flowers sent by the Club were there which she appreciated.
The minutes of September 20th and of October 3, 2017 were approved.
Happy Bucks of $17 were offered.
Alix inducted Marc Winter as a new member.
A host is needed for one week for a Youth Exchange student from Spain. Marc Winter offered his home.
A Rotary District presentation on Club Public Image will be on 10/23 at 6:15 pm. Bina will resend the link to register online at Rotary District 7320’s web site. The cost is $45 which includes dinner. Any member planning to attend and wishing to receive a $20 partial reimbursement should inform Alix in advance and then submit the expense reimbursement request that Bina sent to members last week.
Once again, the Yonkers’s Chamber of Commerce will sponsor ‘Stuff-A-Bus’ as part of The Pajama Project. We will collect donation of pjs and books in children – adult sizes until November 10th. The concept behind the project is that many low-income families can’t afford pajamas for their children. Matts explained that when the founder went on Oprah years ago the project exploded with donations. The donations are shared with programs that serve homeless and other low-income families.
Holiday raffle has distributed or sold 27 tickets. Our goal, in order to make money for the Club, is to sell 100 tickets. Lisa mentioned that the Chamber is having their monthly breakfast next week and if a Club member could offer the tickets for sale that might be successful. Encouraging Chamber members to join Rotary is a part of the Club membership strategy.
The Club Board has voted to expand the Board and to include the Chair of the Polio Fundraiser, Shahid this year, to the Board since it is such an important part of Rotary. The Club members will need to approve the expansion of the Board when all of the bylaw changes are proposed. Shahid is considering two polio fundraisers this Rotary FY: one in December and one in March. The Board will consider the Polio Committee’s fundraisers when they are proposed.
A Club international project will be a hemodialysis project in India. Parul is chair of the Club’s participation. The Board has approved $500 of the $84,000 project. Care of the patients extends beyond just providing the machine.
The Yonkers-East Yonkers Club Foundation needs to update its Board. Due to some confusion, the Board will consult with District Rotarian and retired judge George McKinnis for his direction.
Alix suggested that the invocation could also be led by members, it needn’t be only her voice. She opened the idea up to members. Barbara recommended that Alix appoint members but Alix stated the idea was for it to be a voluntary decision. There was discussion as to where Rotary prayers might be found. Lee Oppenheimer used to have a book of Rotary prayers. Alix said that the prayers are on line and that’s how she has found the prayers she uses. Loren was volunteered by members to lead the invocation next week but he remained silent when asked if he would be able to do so.