Club Assembly

Attendance on Club Assembly Day: 17 present and 1 Zoomer, total 18.

President Erin Dobbins had a to‑the‑minute agenda, opening the meeting with the ringing of the Dick Hedke Award bell and the Pledge of Allegiance. Bob Carris had the Invocation. There were Happy Bucks galore, with Rotarians waxing eloquently, collected by Sharon Pommerville, with the Rotary Park Pavilion #1 Re‑dedication taking center stage.

From the picture, you can see members of both Livonia Rotary clubs, the restored signage and Rotary wheel on the fireplace chimney, and the plaque in memory of Cooper Drake, who had been killed in the tornado of June 2024.

Special kudos were given to Nancy Darga as a polio survivor for her outstanding speeches both at the District 6400 Conference in May and yesterday at the Grosse Pointe Sunrise Club. 

Up‑dates (with Rotarians again waxing eloquently — so much for Erin’s to‑the‑minute agenda. Good try, Erin!).

• Bill Friske presented for the Ad Hoc Committee (chaired by Claude Kendrick) for the Rotary "Difference Maker” award and the Club President Nominee. Give either gentleman suggested names. Bill also mentioned to the august assembly that future speakers are needed, and one can go to our LAMR website "Speakers Program" page and fill out a suggested speaker form.

  

• There is now a Suggestion Box at each Club meeting for members’ suggestions.

  

• Bob Carris and Claude Kendrick reported on Touch‑a‑Truck. With strong work from the Churchill High School Interact Club, the August 22nd event is rolling along. Trucks are still being lined up. Again, members chimed in eloquently!

• The Kids Coalition Against Hunger (KCAH) meal‑packing event is still a possibility for October. Tammy Bonifield is getting the information.

• Tammy also reported that the Spaghetti Committee has met and the October 28th World Polio Day Community Spaghetti Dinner, sponsored by both our A.M. and Noon Rotary Clubs, is moving into high gear. This year we want to sell tables of 8, with time limits. 

• Gordie Howe Bridge Walk — Saturday, September 26th. This is the same date as our Road Clean‑up, but Greg Greene is looking at a possible change of date for the Road Clean‑up project to Saturday, September 19th.

  

• “Pollinator Peter” Dale gave a “flowery” report on our Pollinator Project at Greenmead. The weeds are stubborn, but the poison ivy has been cleared out and watering has been done. He also mentioned the Brightmoor Garden Pollinator Project in Detroit, in which we will be “horticulturally‑mentoring” the Detroit A.M. Club.

Steve Alexander then presented three detailed handouts of potential new projects. Nice job, Steve! These projects are:

1) Clement Circle Park Monarch Butterfly Garden

2) All‑Terrain Track Chairs at Greenmead in partnership with Michigan Outdoor Freedom

3) Greenmead Accessible Garden, a garden that now exists and would be expanded, in partnership with the LVC (Livonia Veterans Connection, of which Steve is President). This would help veterans in wheelchairs with raised garden beds.

It was also pointed out that we have a lot of unfinished business (projects) at Rotary Park. Nancy Darga noted a few of these.



Finally, Erin’s agenda is still progressing; she heralded Victoria Haltom and Wayne Kinney of our Membership Committee. With an eloquently waxed presentation, the Club was told about a unique Open House for prospective new members on Wednesday morning, August 26th. Flyers for this will be ready at our next meeting. The target is to encourage new potential members to look at our Rotary club — not a meeting per se, but an Open House with a few brief (ha, ha!) presenters! This is not to the neglect of our LAMR Volunteer Corps. Also, Victoria shared about Rotary business cards, which each member can get; just fill out the form.

Sorry, Greg, no time for jokes. We closed the meeting with a fast rendition of the “Four‑Way Test” and the gong.

— Dave Stechholz, taker of the notes

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