Elkhart Rotary Club Meeting November 18, 2019

Posted by Eric Garton on Nov 18, 2019
Welcome to the Elkhart Rotary Club Meeting on November 18, 2019; Today we welcomed Elizabeth Keiling who shared about her upcoming experience with TeachBeyond. Soon, Liz will be embarking on an adventure to Chiang Mai, Thailand, serving students as a science teacher.

President Candy Yoder opened the meeting and introduced Jeff Wells who shared positive words, led the Pledge, and Four-Way Test.  

Welcome table volunteers were Julie Cotton and Rob Laroy. Rob introduced today's guests including visiting Rotarian Don Phillips and guests of Rotarians: ECHS visiting students Christian DeSantos and Kyree Lewis (Paul Warning), Cindy Hearns (Brad Canniff), and Mike Jackson (Eric Garton). Welcome to ALL, we hope you can all join us again some other time!


Announcements and continuing club reminders for November 18:

  • Candy Yoder announced the election results for our open board of directors positions. Thanks to all who said 'YES' to running for the open seats, we appreciate your engagement and willingness to serve! New board members are:
    • Dawn Fisher
    • Andy McCaskey
    • Peter Norton
    • Todd Stone
  • The Welter Foundation has generously donated a table for 8 guests to the December 6 Salvation Army Gala in which the Elkhart Rotary Club is being honored. We'd love to have Rotary well-represented, if you would like to attend, please contact Candy Yoder directly. Spots are first-come, first-served, and can be for you and your 'plus one'. Don't miss this exciting event!
  • REMINDER: Save the Dates from Matt Lentsch - - Salvation Army Fundraising Chair
    • Friday evening, December 13: Restaurant Fundraising for Salvation Army
    • Saturday, December 14: Ringing Bells for Salvation Army - - SIGNUP with Matt Lentsch directly at lentschmc@comcast.net or his phone:  574-535-8679. Shifts are two hours, come help with this important fundraiser -- it's fun!
  • Dave Lehman: Bring $20 next week if you'd like to support Thanksgiving Dinner at Matterhorn, presented by Salvation Army and Kurt Janowsky
  • Stan Cohen: Last chance to help with the Concord Rotary Club's raffle ticket fundraiser - - grand prize is a trip to the Super Bowl in Miami in February 2020! Contact Stan directly for tickets, don't miss the chance for an amazing prize while supporting their club's efforts in our community.
  • Julie Cotton announced she'll be overwintering in Florida and bidding our club a fond adieu. She thanked the club for making her experience a wonderful one with a lovely song. We wish Julie the very best and hope she'll be able to continue her Rotary service where she relocates to.
  • Reminder: Rotary District 6540 Matching Gifts Campaign continues through January 31, 2020 your personal donation of $100-$5,000 to the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation will be matched with FOUNDATION RECOGNITION POINTS. Your matching foundation recognition points can be used in several ways: 
    • For your own Paul Harris designation, at the first level or toward the next multiple. For example, your personal gift of $500 will be matched with 500 points for a total value of $1,000 to achieve designation as a Paul Harris Fellow.
    • To recognize another individual with a full Paul Harris Fellow designation or an initial contribution. For example, your $1000 check will be matched with 1,000 points to award Paul Harris Fellow designation to a relative, a community member, or another Rotarian. 
    • For multiple recognitions, any combination of points designations for yourself and/or other individuals, with a minimum of 100 points per designation. For example, your personal gift of $500 will earn 500 points. You can keep 200 points for yourself to attain the next level, and award 300 points to a deserving new member of your club to inspire future sustaining contributions to the foundation and a future Paul Harris Fellow designation. 
    • INSTRUCTIONS for the matching promotion:
      • Mail a personal check payable to "The Rotary Foundation" to District Rotary Foundation Chair, Judy Walker, including donor information and designating the beneficiary(ies) of the matching points if applicable. 
      • Mail to: Judy Walker, 8421 Manor Ave. #406, Munster, IN 46321
      • Questions? Voice or text 219-680-6557; email jwalker.rotary@gmail.com
      • Only those donations submitted per the above instructions will be matched
      • Club checks or online donations are not eligible for this offer
Today's Sergeant was Don Rodda who poked some fun and extracted some fines from our club members. Nice job of FUNdraising today, Don! Rotary fines are collected weekly and are pooled into a fund throughout the year. In the spring more than $10,000 is distributed as grants to not-for-profit organizations around our county. Thanks, All, for your contributions!
 
Today's speaker was introduced by club member and good friend Brad Canniff, who welcomed Elizabeth Keiling, who shared about her upcoming experience with TeachBeyond - - Teaching in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Liz will be embarking on an adventure to Chiang Mai, Thailand, serving students as a science teacher through "TeachBeyond". 
 
Liz said she was inspired to go abroad to serve by a short-term mission trip that she participated in 7 years ago. She'll be teaching at Grace International School in Chiang Mai, which is supported and funded by sponsoring organizations such as TeachBeyond. Liz has made a two-year commitment, she is responsible for a large part of her own fundraising, and is an unpaid volunteer during her service time in Chiang Mai. 
 
 
About TeachBeyond - Transforming Educational Services
  • Our Vision Prayer: We wholeheartedly desire to serve our Father’s world, to love Jesus Christ, and to see individuals and communities transformed by His Spirit through education.
  • Our Mission: As followers of Jesus we are a global community providing transformational education to children and adults. We provide teaching and learning services in order to see individuals and communities become all God intends, promoting holistic personal growth and enduring social benefit.
  • Our Statement of Faith: We ascribe to the statement of faith of the World Evangelical Alliance that grounds our understanding of God and His world.
Our perspective on Transformational Education
Teachers impact lives and cultures through education every day. Our vision is to go beyond – integrating faith and learning in the simple, yet profound belief that through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, lives and cultures will be transformed into Christ’s image.
 
To Teach Beyond
We teach in classrooms – and beyond to informal community settings. We teach for vocation – and beyond to life, meaning, and purpose. We teach knowledge and skills – and beyond to character, values, and attitudes. We teach in our home towns, but always with a heart open to going beyond – to new places in the global community where Christ may send us. We go wherever there is a teaching-learning environment, because education provides an especially effective means of engaging people. We partner together in a global community of lifelong learners who depend on the Holy Spirit for the transformation to which Christ calls us.
 
Thanks, Liz, for a great presentation. The club wishes you the best of luck and good fortune on your journey to help others. If you would like to learn more about TeachBeyond or see how you can support Liz's efforts, visit her TeachBeyond webpage. 
 
About Rotary:
Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, community leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and act to create lasting change – across the globe, in our local communities, and in ourselves. The Elkhart Rotary Club was founded in 1917 and serves its community through volunteerism, providing grants to not-for-profit organizations, sponsoring, and participating in service projects such as ringing bells for the Salvation Army, twice-yearly roadside trash collection, and are the originators and continuing supporters of Wellfield Botanic Gardens. Elkhart Rotary Club’s membership consists of approximately 150 dedicated individuals from various professional backgrounds and diverse interests. Membership in the Elkhart Rotary Club is by invitation. We welcome guests to attend any of our meetings and hear from our great lineup of weekly presenters.
For more information on the Elkhart Rotary Club, visit elkhartrotary.org or email elkhartnoonrotary@gmail.com. Like and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook/ElkhartRotaryClub to stay current on meetings, upcoming events or speakers, and initiatives in the community.
 
Upcoming Meetings and Programs:
Join us for our next meeting:
All meetings are at noon on Mondays at the Matterhorn Banquet and Conference Center, 2041 Cassopolis St. in Elkhart IN, 46514. In months that include a FIFTH Monday, the Elkhart Rotary Club holds an alternative meeting or activity.