Mark Eckhoff called the meeting to order and administered the pledge.
Randy Kamps offered thoughts of gratitude and reflection.
Miriam Owsley gave an update from Rotary Charities, plus a request:
Rotary Charities is seeking Rotarian volunteers to get involved with our grantmaking process. We are currently in our Fall 21 Grant Cycle and are accepting applications for our Assets for Thriving Communities and Systems Change Accelerator grants. Rotarians are invited to participate in the process by reviewing a written grant application and sitting in on the application interview with Charities staff, board members, and fellow Rotarians. Reviewing a grant is a great way to learn about local nonprofits' work, and to be a part of making nearly $1million in grants to our local community each year. Time commitment is about 2-3 hours between September 20-October 15. Interested Rotarians may contact Miriam Owsley, mowsley@rotarycharities.org to get involved.
The Technology Committee is seeking volunteers to set up and run the Zoom meeting at our bi-weekly hybrid meetings. Set up is as easy as opening a laptop and plugging in the Owl. Training and support will be provided. Learn a new skill, help fellow Rotarians attend our meetings virtually. If we get a few volunteers, this would be a once a month or every other month volunteer opportunity...WE NEED YOU!
Ben Whiting, Chair of the Good Works Committee, said to spread the word that the deadline for the latest round of grants is Friday the 20th of August (We extended the deadline)
Al Bonney is hoping to get some volunteers on Sunday, Sept. 12 to help out at the Ironman race in Frankfort. These volunteers need to bring a kayak and provide support for swimmers. Al promises that it will be a good time! Volunteers need to be in place in the water at 7 am and are done around 10 am when the last swimmer leaves the water. The task is to line the outside edge of the 1/5 mile swim course to keep swimmers safe and secure. You do not have to worry about doing any actual rescuing, there are powerboats with trained personnel for that. This is just to help frame the course and provide something for the occasional tired swimmer to grab onto. Get with Al for details (albonney2@gmail.com), or go to https://www.ironman.com/volunteer. Scroll down to find the Michigan 70.3 race picture. Click on 2021 Volunteer Registration is now open and scroll down to "Kayak support for swim."
Mark Eckhoff reminded everyone that the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy will be hosting a demonstration of the iNaturalist community science platform specifically for Rotarians at the Mitchell Creek Meadows Preserve along Three Mile Road from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on August 17. Contact Jon for details at jon@gtrlc.org and see the story in this bulletin for more details.
K. Ross Childs and Chuck Benson gave a presentation about the Go Blue/Go Green Arena Polo and Barrel Racing event on Saturday, August 21st at the Flintfields Horse Park. Go Blue/Go Green is a 501(c)(3) organization providing scholarships to LOCAL students in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim, Benzie and Kalkaska Counties, through Northwestern Michigan College. Scholarships are given to current NMC students, and NMC students transferring to the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. The requests for scholarships continue to increase and all proceeds from this event will directly benefit well-deserving, local students.
It is with a heavy heart that we will be moving the in-person race this year to 100% Virtual, due to low in-person registration. With less than 30 days to the event, we don't have enough participants to cover the in-person race day expenses and donate to our Local First Responder Charity. However, we are shifting everything to 100% virtual so you can still participate and we can all honor our Local First Responders and the events of September 11th, 2001, twenty years ago.
This was a very tough decision and one we don't take lightly. We want to thank everyone who has registered and volunteered throughout the years. We wish you will all come back in-person next year!
I want to give a huge shoutout to our sponsors who are in full support of the race and are still donating to keep the spirit of this day alive. A special thanks to the Kurt Rivard Baird Group, UpNorthLive/TV 7&4, Floor Covering Brokers and the TC Rotary Club for staying with us and generating awareness to always remember the September 11th attacks and supporting our Local First Responders. We couldn't do this without you.
This time will be used to re-group with our local first responder leaders and see how we can best serve this community moving forward. Rest assured this event will remain committed to our mission of raising funds to support emotional wellness programs for our local first responders and honoring the lives lost on September 11th, 2001. We will never forget.
Participants have the option to switch to the virtual event, donate your fee to the race, or receive a full refund.
Thank you for your understanding. Please give us a few days to process the changes you request to your account.
Race Director, Jen Casey
The 9/11 virtual run is to honor those who lost their lives in the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, as well as Local First Responders. Proceeds will go to the Grand Traverse Region Public Safety Alliance. This non-profit fund was set up to recognize emotional wellness and develop programs for our first responders (Police, Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, 911 Dispatchers and Coast Guard).
Join us at the new Mitchell Creek Meadows property for hands-on training on the iNaturalist community science platform! The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is working to protect this incredible gem featuring over 200 acres of habitat, nesting eagles and more than 6,000 feet of frontage on streams that feed into Mitchell Creek. This is your opportunity for an early glimpse of the property and to help the Conservancy learn more about this land through community science!
The Basics: Volunteers will head over to the proposed Mitchell Creek Meadows Nature Preserve from 1:30 - 3:30 PM on August 17th to document anything, and everything wild! Your observations of plants, fungi, insects, mammals, amphibians and more will inform the Conservancy’s management plan for the property, helping us be a better steward of these sensitive features.
*Volunteers must download, create an account and login to iNaturalist before attending. You can find more information about all of the Conservancy’s community science initiatives including instructions on how to get started with iNaturalist, here: https://www.gtrlc.org/volunteer/community-science-initiatives/
What will volunteers be doing:
Traverse challenging terrain in search of new species observations
Submitting observations through iNaturalist
Observing sensitive species - please be mindful of when to handle, and when NOT to handle species - you may always refer to any leader if you are unsure.
What should I bring?
Sturdy shoes that can handle some mud - consider muck boots or waders if you’d like to see the wetlands
Bring a reusable water bottle and a snack
Sunscreen and bug spray
PPE - while this event will take place outdoors without masks required, please bring your own face covering.
The topic of affordable housing is having its moment in the news, but assisting families and individuals to secure stable housing is nothing new for Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region. Habitat has been awarded a $50,000 Assets for Thriving Communities grant in support of their Maple City Crossings Hope Builders Project. This development will bring six new energy-efficient homes to Maple City and will provide a place to call home for local families who live, work, and go to school in Leelanau County...CLICK HERE to view the full blog
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