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Weekly Meeting
ZoomJun 14, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM -
Weekly Meeting
ZoomJun 21, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM -
Weekly Meeting
ZoomJun 28, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM -
Weekly Meeting
ZoomJul 05, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM -
Weekly Meeting
ZoomJul 12, 2023
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
We are currently meeting at
Secret Garden At The Harbor
2209 W Main, Benton Harbor MI
Wednesdays at 7:00 AM
Zoom can also be used to attend
the meetings virtually.
Please contact us for a meeting link
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Write to us at:
Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary
PO Box 1552
Benton Harbor. MI 49023-1552
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Riverwood Center: 1-800-336-0341 For help with suicidal crisis, emotional distress, substance abuse, family crisis
Lifeline Crisis Chat - provides online emotional support, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention services 24/7.
Veteran's Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, Chat is also available, or you can send a text message to 838255
District Governor, Nathan Triplett, joined our club via Zoom. He had three things to discuss: Rotary International (RI), District 6360 and Local clubs.
The president of RI this year is Holger Knaack. He has four “opportunities” this year for us. 1: New club models (check out this month’s district newsletter.) He wants all clubs to operate in an effective way for them. 2: Set aside at least 1 meeting a year for strategic planning. As we rotate presidents from year to year, this makes continuity available. 3: Select members carefully to make sure we have inclusion, and this sets up success to target recruitment of folks who want to be Rotarians to make sure they are committed to being involved in serving our community. 4: Keep our promise to children to eradicate polio. Be sure to attend the Polio RI Zoom meeting Oct. 6 about polio.
The district’s goals are a net positive membership at the end of June and each member donating $100 per year.
Rotary needs diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels, RI, district and club. We are innovative and adaptive. This has been proven by our ability to revamp our meetings with no notice. He reminded s that we really won’t have “normal”, but we can have a new, better, normal.
During the question period, it was noted that the District is matching donations to RI Foundation again this year. If interested, contact Kathy Gallagher. More info is in the district newsletter.
Sunrise Rotary Club of Benton Harbor
Minutes for Dec. 16, 2020
The meeting was brought to order at 7:15 AM via Zoom.
The slate of officers was presented and more nominees was asked for.
Having no more presented, a motion was presented by Lee Scherwitz, seconded by Dave Bly to elect the following for the 2021 Rotary year:
President: Julie Webb
President Elect: Felicia Smith
President Nominee: Dyann Chenault
Past President: Farai Rukunda
Secretary: Jesse Tennison
Treasurer: Michael Mason
Vote was taken by hand signals and oral Aye. Motion passed unanimously.
The following will also be on the board:
Service: Mike Kinney
Bookkeeper: Brian Saxton
Membership: Cindy Kinney
Youth Services: Larry Jackson
Fundraisers: Eddie Marshall
Administration: Dan Utroske
Public Image: Kyra Utroske and Heidi Anderson
Other chair positions will be:
Rotary Foundation: Jim Smith
Club Foundation: Dave Bly
Attendance Secretary: Whitney Hadanek
Programs: Alice Ford
Club Grants Dave Krieger
Bulletin and Club Runner: Janet Drews
The guest speaker was Eddie Marshall, founder of Toys for the Needy.
His philosophy is, “The Gift of learning is an everlasting gift.” He is very concerned about the children in our community as the connections to school are electronic and not all the kids have good internet connection or any internet connection and some kids don’t learn well electronically. He is also concerned that single working parents have a hard time keeping track of their children when there is not school.
In 1956, when Eddie was a child, his mother had his baby sister at Christmastime. Since she knew she would be in the hospital, she entrusted all of the Christmas money to a cousin who used it for himself. As a result Eddie and his siblings had no presents that year. It was traumatic for him and he doesn’t want any child to go through what happened to him. All children need a present for Christmas.
He founded Toys for the Needy in 1996. He had been soliciting money and toys for kids for Christmas, and realized he needed to get, applied for and received a 501C3 Nonprofit status in 2014. He has a list of families and is always on the look out for more children who, without his help, may not have a Christmas present.
He is looking for toys, but cash, and gift cards are better, to use as gifts. He is very grateful for the help our club has given him.
If you can send a check or gift cards, his address is
Toys for the Needy
PO Box 8831
Benton Harbor, MI49023
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Why not join our Rotary Meeting on Wednesdays at 7:15 am? As participants you may call in or join by video. For video you only need to install the app on your phone, tablet or computer. There is no charge to use the app and participate in the meetings! If you don’t want to use the app there is also a list of numbers at the bottom of this invitation that you can use to dial into the meeting. Sorry, none of them are toll free numbers, but it does avoid installing the app. If you choose that route you can skip down to the meeting details, note the Meeting ID, dial in and follow the directions. For those that want to use their smartphone, tablet or computer I’m including a couple of YouTube links to help. Give yourself about 10 minutes before the meeting to set it up on the fly. Click on the Join Zoom Meeting below and the site will prompt you to install the app and start up. You will need to give the app permission to access your audio, video access is optional. You do not have to enter any personal information to join the meeting, but entering your name will help everyone see who is on and identify who is speaking. This video is the easiest way to get going on any of your devices. Join a Meeting Participants using cell phones and tablets can follow the above paragraph pretty easily. Laptops with built-in microphones and webcams can as well. If you are using a desktop PC or a laptop with external webcams or microphones you may want to setup the application and test prior to the meeting. This video does a little more in-depth explanation regarding setup and testing. How to Join a Zoom Meeting as a Participant. Email info@bhsunriserotary.org for an invitation to our Zoom meetings. |
The Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Foundation set a deadline of April 8, 2020 for grant applications. The Foundation is looking for projects which focus on the youth of Benton Harbor and target literacy, numeracy, leadership development, or personal development. The grants will usually be for $500 but the the grant amount is based a combination of the project details and available funds.
To download the grant application click here. You will also find it www.bhsunriserotary.org, just click the Grants/Foundation button on the menu bar and select 2020 Grant Application.
There are just a few rules to follow: 1) Organizations that have received grants in the past may only apply if their project is complete and the grant report has been submitted, and 2) organizations are limited to one application per cycle.
Our own club's Lee Scherwitz did a TED talk on Polyglots. Polyglots are people who learn many languages. The focus of the TED talk was how to learn a language. First, start speaking from day one. Learn simple phrases like how are you? Where is the bathroom? Please and Thank you.
Polyglots have one thing in common. It is not how to learn. Everyone has their own unique way to learn. And everyone has some activity that gives them joy. So, second, So use that joy. For example, listen to an audio book in the language you want to learn. Find unexpected time to dedicate to your plan. And use that method.
Third, create a system/plan that includes that method every day. And stick to it.
This leads us to the fourth step: be patient with yourself. Set reasonable goals. Take your learning into your own hands. Be sure to track your learning so you can actually see results.
To review the Ted Talk by Lydia Machova click here.
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Our own Lee Scherwitz lived in Germany for 14 years, and he has made many trips back since then. He lived in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down. The Berlin wall was built around and through the middle of Berlin after WWII. It separated West Berlin from the rest of Berlin and all of East Germany. As the wall was being built, people ran, jumped, tunneled, and went in air balloons to escape before it was too late. It was very difficult as the families, relatives, and friends were split up, there was not enough food, the people lost their joy and happiness, and except for the buildings close to the wall, the city was never reconstructed after the war. The analogy was going from color to a dingy, dark world. To go from Frankfort to Berlin, normally a 4-hour drive, would take a day and a half because of the check points. This presentation was a very emotional one because of these memories. In November of 1989, East Berlin got their freedom back and the wall was opened up. People were chinking away at it, and when doorways were opened, painters painted the “door frames.” Lee’s daughter really wanted to go to Berlin after the New Year’s Eve celebration, so they went. Freedom!! The joy in the streets was palpable. Chink, chink, chink could be heard everywhere as people were taking down the wall and keeping pieces as part of living a piece of history. Lee and his family joined in. At the end of the day, Lee’s hands were bleeding from hammering and removing a part of the wall. Prayers, anger, and a lot of emotion were there that day. Freedom! People’s eyes went from dull to sparkling. | ||

Service Above Self
For mail: PO Box 1552
Benton Harbor, MI 49022-1552
United States of America
Bulletin Subscribe
Emma Kinnard - March 3
Felicia Smith - March 7
Michael Mason - March 15
Jim Smith - March 27
Alice Ford - April 5
Jim Bentham - April 15
Bob Kynast - April 19
Dave Krieger - April 19