Elkhart Rotary Club Meeting March 2, 2020

President Candy Yoder opened the meeting and introduced Elkhart Public School Superintendent Steve Thalheimer who shared positive words from a prayer credited to Sir Francis Drake, led the Pledge, and Four-Way Test to start the meeting.

Thanks to our Welcome Table volunteers: Jan Farron, Deb Osza, and Ashley Bowen, who also introduced today's guests including: Visiting Rotarians from South Bend Club Ryan Kringle(sp?) and Judy Jankowski. Guests of Rotarians included Erin Thompson (Aileac Deegan), Lon Timmerle, Emma Schmelter, and Anne Lehman (guests of Irwin Larrier), James Stewart Brown (Deborah Domine), Allie Canniff (Brad Canniff), Jamison Czarnecki (Anthony Hunt), Billie Eubanks (Rob LaRoy), and Paul Warning introduced this month's Elkhart Central High School Guests Mikayla Stanford and Lauren Dibley. Welcome to ALL, we hope you can all join us again some other time!

Announcements and continuing club reminders for March 2:

• Fran Conner, Caring Committee, reminded club members to share good news, birthdays, and information about those who could use our good thoughts.
• Peter Norton for the Grant Committee: This spring's COMMUNITY GRANT APPLICATIONS are now available on our website and will be accepted through March 13. Please share this with not-for-profit leaders you know. This is what we raise funds through weekly fines for!
• Ryan Kringle(sp?), Visiting Rotarian from the South Bend Club announced a fundraiser for Rotary International their club is sponsoring themed around NCAA Basketball's March Madness. Buy a square on the big board for $20 and you've got a chance to win! Ryan will be back at next week's meeting, bring some cash if you'd like to participate.
• Pete McCown announced that a team from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County (including club president Candy Yoder) would be presenting their proposal for funding to support the redevelopment of the Tolson Center on Monday night at the City Council Meeting; attendance was encouraged to be a part of this public process.
• Eric Garton announced our March, 5th Monday Dinner event at the Matterhorn; for details CLICK HERE, RSVP with Eric directly.
• REMINDERS: 
  • The Marketing Committee is looking for events and volunteer opportunities among our NPO members! Are you a Rotarian who works at a not for profit who needs volunteers or help promoting your events that have volunteer opportunities? Let Erin Wagler know, the committee will help spread the word through our Rotary Facebook page.
  • The Marketing Committee is also looking for help managing the club's Facebook page (and seeks others to help out with the Marketing Committee); have some skills and interested in helping?... let Erin know! 
  • Please consider attending an Elkhart Morning Rotary Club meeting, see Eric Garton or Jim Rieckhoff for that schedule (it varies through the month, but is always held on a Thursday at either 0700 [no breakfast] at Elkhart Health & Aquatics or at an offsite location at 5:30 p.m. - stay tuned for more information!)
• Meeting Reminders: 
  • Executive Committee this Friday at 7 a.m., Baker's Nook
  • An upcoming Caring Committee Meeting on Monday, March 16 (third Monday) at 11:15 at the Matterhorn before our Club Meeting.

Today's speaker was introduced by Anthony Hunt: Krista Bailey, Director, IUSB Center for a Sustainable Future, presenting: Sustainability: What, Why, How

About Krista 
Krista’s work with IU South Bend's Center for a Sustainable Future began in 2008 as a graduate student studying sustainable urban food systems. After graduating, she became the Center’s Assistant Director, helping to develop curriculum, teaching classes, facilitating community workshops and events, working with student interns, and coordinating the Center’s online presence. After 2 ½ years, she accepted a position with the City of South Bend as the first Sustainability Coordinator in the Office of Sustainability. In that role, she led community outreach and education initiatives and coordinated the development of sustainability goals and objectives for the Office and for the Green Ribbon Commission. She returned to the Center in 2016 as Director of the Center. Previous professional experience is in the areas of community development and environmental education, including as Director of the Elkhart EnviroCorps AmeriCorps program in Elkhart, Indiana, which developed and implemented scores of environmental education, restoration, and volunteer projects.

 

Center for a Sustainable Future:

The Center for a Sustainable Future works with the campus and community to find innovative and engaging ways to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We focus on the discovery and dissemination of practices and strategies that are ecologically friendly, economically sound, and socially responsible. Our goal is to help Michiana become one of most vibrant and leading regions in the newly emerging green economy.

 

Since its establishment in 2008, the Center has developed new sustainability curriculum, facilitated research in sustainability, and fostered civic engagement to help develop sustainability action plans.

 

The Center strives to engage the campus and greater Michiana communities in creating a future focused on the "triple bottom line:" choices that are good for people and the planet, as well as profits, and that take into account ecological and social performance, are promoted and encouraged by the Center.

 

Here are selected slides from Krista's presentation:

 

Climate change/destruction of nature (and our ability to inhabit the earth) is the top issue in the world today.

 

CO2 levels in the atmosphere are rising at unprecedented rates since the 1950s. This greenhouse gas traps heat around our globe and has increased the average temperature of our planet over the years.

 

The earth's atmospheric temperature has increased over 1 degree C over the last century.

 

Global temperature increase and climate change are causing human's to conflict in areas around our planet.

 

The negative effects of climate change/temperature increase affect those who are impoverished at a disproportionate rate. For instance, those with means are able to simply move "away" from the negative effects (i.e. drought, famine)

 

The US leads the world in food waste - - wasting(landfill) food waste produces methane, an even MORE EFFECTIVE greenhouse gas than CO2, which exacerbates global warming. Stop sending food to the landfill!

 

Examples of impact cycling.

 

We must establish a norm of cooperation in order to change our pathway.

 

Barriers to sustainability are more social and psychological than technological.

 

What IS sustainability and what can we do as individuals to make an impact?

 

We'll need to make changes to our lifestyle.

 

Intergenerational, child-to-parent transfer of knowledge is our best best - - particularly young daughters to their dads!

 

Thanks, Krista, for a very informative presentation! If you'd like to learn more about the IUSB Center for a Sustainable Future, visit their website.

 

• March 9: Terry Mark, ECCVB, Vibrant Communities - Well Crafted!
• March 16: Jamison Czarnecki, Director of the Elkhart Environmental Center, Sustainable Elkhart: A Project of the Elkhart Environmental Center
• March 23: To be announced 
• March 30: Dinner at the Matterhorn, **5:30 p.m.** A fun evening gathering of the Elkhart Rotary Club - details to follow! RSVP to Eric Garton
• April 6: Mark O'Brien - Cardno, Native Plants and Pollinators
• April 13: **Double-Feature**: Melissa Ramey and Mike Yoder, Elkhart Leadership Academy & The Consolidation of the Elkhart Circuit and Superior Courts Locations
• April 20: Steve Van Scoik - Past District Governor, Rotary Foundation Initiatives and Updates from Steve Van Scoik, PDG and Concord Rotary Club member
• April 27: Rob Staley and Sara Ryman, Crossing School of Business & Entrepreneurship