Iowa City Noon Rotary

Summary of the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club Meeting on July 23, 2015

Posted by Kristin Reynolds 
on Jul 24, 2015
 
David Gould, University of Iowa’s first Obermann Center Public Scholar
Andre Perry introduced David Gould, the University of Iowa’s first Obermann Center Public Scholar, a member of its adjunct faculty and an accomplished filmmaker. Mr. Gould recently returned from spending 14 months working with the Downtown Project; a Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh led organization dedicated to transforming downtown Las Vegas into the most community-focused large city in the world. During his tenure with the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Mr. Gould organized a Faculty Institute, designed to help faculty connect their teaching and research with the social challenges facing the modern city. He was also instrumental in developing the University of Iowa’s Interdepartmental Studies: Engaged Social Innovation major.
 
Through his speech entitled “Don’t Put Your Hand Down” Mr. Gould provided insight on the importance of engaging twenty-somethings. There are 50 million-somethings in the U.S. today who need to in addition to finding well-paying jobs and professional careers look for things that make them come alive and trust in those things in order to be remarkable in today’s society. Through his teachings at the University of Iowa he helps students understand their passions, coaches students on how to answer the fundamental question, “Why am I here?” and stresses that work has to have meaning. In the words of Howard Thurman, author, philosopher, theologian, educator, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
 
For more information, visit http://myweb.uiowa.edu/dlgould/lifeclas/
 
 
CALENDAR
Oct. 1 – Joint Service Club Luncheon @ University Club
Nov. 5 – Noon Rotary Centennial Celebration at the Iowa Memorial Union
 
 
MEETING
Singing:  Bob Crane led the singing of America the Beautiful and R-O-T-A-R-Y with Maggie Mowery on the piano.
 
Announcements:
 
Sean McIntyre had the following announcements:
 
  • A new general email has been established for the secretary position. All administrative questions can be directed to: secretary@iowacitynoonrotary.org.
  • Nancy Droll is due home from the hospital today. So, please send her get-well-soon wishes; she’d really appreciate that!
 
Centennial Celebration Raffle Ticket Update: Linda Farkas announced that raffle tickets will be at the back bar at every meeting if members have questions, need to turn in money or require additional tickets. There will be additional opportunities to sell raffle tickets at other community events. Sign-up sheets are available for the following upcoming events: Fry Fest on September 4 and Move It! Dig It! Do It! on September 20. Please consider signing up to sell raffle tickets during our Centennial Year to support our Club projects as well as our local libraries in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty!
 
Outbound Scholarship Winner Selection: Gene Wandling introduced Megan Henry who will be studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany next year and presented her with a $2,500 Outbound Scholarship check to apply toward her studies. Megan is a West High graduate and will be pursuing multiple majors in Voice Performance-Opera, German and Environmental Science. In addition, Megan will receive an additional $1,000 stipend from the Allin Dakin fund at the University of Iowa Foundation.
 
Rotaract Advance Team’s Visit to Xicotepec: Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, Greta Doucette and Joshua Laraby gave a brief overview of their recent trip to Xicotepec sponsored by District 6000 and designed as a partnership between the District 6000 Rotaract Committee (co-chaired by past District Governor John Ockenfels and Usha Balakrishnan) and the District 6000 Xicotepec Committee (chaired by Jim Peterson). Designed to encourage these younger generations of budding Rotarians to learn about community needs and spearhead cross-border collaborations, this Rotaract Advance Team (2 Rotaractors from Iowa City and a Rotaractor from Fairfield) set up the first-ever Rotaract-Rotaract exchange program with Rotaractors in Xicotepec. Such a collaboration between Rotaractors is aimed to leverage the decades-long efforts of Rotarians both in Iowa and Mexico; and thus bring in new generations to get more involved in and shape Rotary’s work.
 
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
Sean McIntyre introduced Visiting Rotarians Judith Guernsey (Halifax Nova Scotia), Hazel Seaba (Iowa City AM), and Devin van Holsteijn (CR Metro North); as well as guests Charles Read (Visiting Rotarian Judith Guernsey), Gregorio Sanchez (Bernie Cremers), Paul Weller (Linda Farkas), Megan Henry (Gene Wandling), Sanjana Raghavan,  Elena Osinskaya, Joshua Laraby, Greta Doucette and Julia Julstrom-Agoyo (Usha Balakrishnan), Renell Forrester (Jerry Forrester), Christina Kimerle (Verne Folkmann), Sally Scott (Kathy Jacobs).
 
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Program: Tom Cilek; Attendance: Nancy Droll; Greeters: July 30 – Patrick Donnelly and Tom Cook, August 6 – Gene Fisher and Sarah Campbell, and August 13 – Glen Meisner and Mark Nolte