Calendar:
July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day
July 18 – 11 a.m. Board meeting and 12 noon Club meeting at The Exchange; Passing of the Gavel from Jason Miller to John Johnson
August 1 – Club meeting; (Board meeting?)
August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed
August 13 – CPY golf ball drop
August 15 - Club meeting
April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at The Exchange
Notes:
Volunteer Opportunity - Step up to be President Elect for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option. If you are willing to serve alone or with a co-president, let John Johnson know.
Special appeal - Donations from District 5960 to The Rotary Foundation are significantly below those of the last fiscal year, seriously negatively impacting the amount of grant money which will be available to us three years from now. We are especially active with matching grant projects here and abroad, both initiated by us and by partners. If you are able and willing to contribute to The Foundation before the end of the fiscal year; i.e., before July 1, please get a check payable to The Rotary Foundation to John Ordway, 3555 Willow Lake Blvd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55110. If you prefer to pay online, sign in to your account on MyRotary.org and make your contribution to the Annual Share Fund. Then tell John Ordway of your donation for our records.
Speaking of matching grant money – Cindy reported that $4,460 in matching funds was approved by the District Grants Subcommittee for our proposal to provide a STEM curriculum for CPY, teaching science through scientists. We will seek participation by other D-5960 Clubs to help reach the $9,000 total cost of the project.
Reminder - If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.
Program: Lebanon – A Country in Turmoil
Jed and Becky Mahmoud described the current state of affairs in Lebanon, having recently returned from visiting family there. Lebanon has a collapsing economy, political and social corruption, 1.5 million refugees (from Iraq, Africa and, most recently, Syria), high unemployment, runaway inflation, and shortages of supplies and water. Although there is adequate water available, corruption and poor leadership has failed to create the infrastructure needed to get water or reliable electricity to people’s homes. The February 2023 issue of The Rotarian magazine has an article on Rotary providing $1.7 million dollars in water assistance.
There is basically no public education, as the government has not provided sufficient wages for teachers nor appropriately fitted out classrooms.
Iran is sending financial aid to Lebanon as part of its efforts to gain control over the area, strengthening Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.