Watch today's meeting here:  https://youtu.be/N_exUbjlsIM

 

Our Meeting was called to order by President Barb Thomas

 

 

Rtn. Devin van Holsteijn provided Zoom reminders.

 

President Barb Thomas reminded everyone that it’s time to pay annual dues.  If you have done quarterly ACH payments in the past, you do not need to take any action to renew. 

 

Rtn. Linda Farkas announced that June 7^th is the Fore the Families Golf Outing.  Only six foursome spots are available as of today.  You can register at: https://rmhc-eiwi.org/events/fore-the-families/.  You can also sponsor a hole by contacting Verne Folkmann at: 319-331-0974 or verne@vernefolkmann.com.  Volunteers are still needed, you can sign up at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054ea5a62aa2f49-fore.  There is also an opportunity to Adopt a Program if you’re not a golfer, at: https://dev-rmhc-eiwi.pantheonsite.io/donate/adopt-a-house/# you can sponsor a toy, meals, or a weeklong stay at the House.

 

Rtn. LaDonna Wicklund announced that she and Tara Minetos attended the Ames Rotary meeting on Wednesday morning to listen to Rotary International President Elect, Shekhar Mehta, who joined the meeting from India.  LaDonna reminded the Club that we are all involved in an amazing international organization that does great things all over the world.

 

A former speaker, Jennifer Blair, shared an example of the “Miracle of Rotary.”  She provided an update on the water project in Tanzania.  The Bukoba Club is 6 hours away from the remote village of Kumwambu and has adopted the project.  Progress is under way thanks to the fundraising efforts in Iowa.  Local clubs raised $63,000, which was matched by the District, and then on the International level to fund this important project.

 

Rtn. Barb Thomas also let the Club know that a survey will be arriving in your inbox soon regarding your willingness to return to in-person meetings, as well as some other housekeeping items regarding future meetings.  Please complete the survey by next Friday, May 21^st.

 

The Rotary Moment of Gratitude and Positivity was delivered by Rtn. Tracy Tritle.  It’s been 103 days since Tracy left Iowa in a vintage VW camper van.  She has been traveling and working from the road for the past 3 months, which has been an experience in grace and gratitude.  She has learned that what she thought would be a solo journey has become an opportunity to connect with others.

 

Rtn. Nancy Quellhorst introduced today’s speaker.  Dean Adrien Wing is a professor and Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law Programs at the University of Iowa College of Law.  She is a graduate of Princeton, UCLA, and Stanford for her BA, MA, and JD respectively.  Dean Wing teaches classes in Critical Race Theory, Sex Discrimination Law, and Law in the Muslim World.

 

Dean Wing discussed some potential reforms to the criminal (in)justice system on national and Iowa levels.  Policing is a topic that has been discussed very publicly in recent years.  The United States has the highest rates of incarceration: 1 in 5 inmates in the whole world are incarcerated in the US.  People who are arrested and convicted can become second class citizens and are severely challenged to vote and to find employment, education, and housing.  The US spends more than $75 billion on corrections, which exceeds spending on education.  The War on Drugs is responsible for many of those incarcerations.  While rates of incarceration are declining, it could be decades before we reach our pre-1970s levels.

 

African Americans are vastly overrepresented in our criminal legal system – 40% of the prison population is Black when only 13% of Americans are Black.  A Black man has a 1 in 3 chance of imprisonment (white men have a 1 in 17 chance).

 

In Iowa, we have much work to do.  Iowa’s incarceration rate is horrendous, and disproportionately impacts people of color – Iowa is among states with the highest Black/White incarceration ratios.  A Black Iowan is 7.3 times more likely than a white person to be arrested for marijuana possession.

 

Reform is not hopeless - we can reduce the numbers and money spent and focus on rehabilitation.  There are reforms being proposed on the national level with the Step Act, sentencing reform, and ending private prisons.  In Iowa, we have an opportunity for many reforms.  Simply decriminalizing marijuana can make a large impact.  A constitutional amendment or law (versus an executive order) restoring voting rights would also be beneficial.  Investing in inmates will also help, giving them meaningful education opportunities so they are employable after their sentence.

 

You can visit the UI Center for Human Rights to view any of the 30+ webinars they’ve presented in the past year.  Please visit https://uichr.uiowa.edu.

 

Dean Wing welcomes you to get in touch with her at adrien-wing@uiowa.edu.

 

The meeting ended at 1:02 PM as President Barb Thomas led the assembly in reciting The Four Way Test.

 

 

Visiting Rotarians included: Gary Wicklund (Vail, CO)

 

Guests of Rotarians: Adrien Wing (Nancy Quellhorst); Jennifer Blair; Samantha Johnson (Ryan Bell)

 

Program: Devin van Holsteijn; Attendance: Nancy Droll