PROGRAM:
Rtn. Dimy Doresca announced that the Mandela Washington Fellows are in attendance at the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club today for the 4th year in a row. The group is here for 6 weeks to receive specialized training in leadership and entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa. Each Fellow will make at least 1,000 connections through networking in the community. The group is lead by Rtn. John Fraser and includes future African leaders in nonprofits, businesses, and government.
This year’s Mandela Washington Fellows include 25 young African leaders representing 19 different countries. Each year 49,000 applications are received for the program and only 700 Fellows are selected. This year’s Fellows include leaders in the farming, fishing, education, medical, tourism and hospitality, financial, public health, and manufacturing industries.
A Fellow from South Africa thanked the club for their warm welcome to the Iowa City community. She was 11 years old when Nelson Mandela was released from prison and she and all the Fellows are still trying to make the places they live more secure and stable. Many of the Fellows focus on projects to improve food security, tourism, sanitation, and health in their countries. Their goal is to share their knowledge and to learn and build themselves.
The meeting ended at 12:56 pm as President Steve Quigley led the assembly in reciting The Four Way Test.
MEETING:
Singing: America the Beautiful and This Land is Your Land were led by Rtn. Bob Crane with Rtn. Devin van Holsteijn on piano.
Rtn. Joe Hughes announced visiting Rotarians Phil Peterson (Iowa City AM) and Mark Ruggeberg (Iowa City Downtown).
Guests of Rotarians: Emma Dinneen (Karen Seda); Mary Seda (Karen Seda); Heather Croskrey (Shawn Reineke); Marilyn Lippold (Steve Quigley); Michelle Catlett (Steve Quigley); Teresa Morrow (Mace Braverman); Aubrey Yates (Assata Caldwell); Sonia Ettinger (Ronald Ettinger).
Program: Tom Cilek; Attendance: Nancy Droll
Please forward any newsworthy items and/or photos to Jon Brown or Janice Baldes to include in the weekly slide decks emailed to members prior to each meeting and shown just before Rotary meetings at the Club. You can send information to: Janice Baldes janicebaldes@gmail.com or Jon Brown at mjonBrown@taxesplusiowacity.com
It is our policy to have all members silence their cell phones before the meeting and refrain from answering their cell phones during the meeting out of respect to the speaker and fellow members.