Category: Programs

Marianne Black, a staff member for United States Senator Joe Donnelly, will discuss the history of theVeterans History Project as well as the efforts Senator Donnelly makes to promote the VHP throughout Indiana.  She’ll also talk about the mutual benefits to veterans and volunteers of conducting a VHP interview, and how Rotarians can participate.

In an effort to collect, preserve and make available the personal stories of American veterans, Congress created the Veterans History Project (VHP).  The VHP is an archive of veterans’ oral histories, and they are housed in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, one of the world’s most respected research and cultural institutions.

On Tuesday, August 16, please join us as we listen to an inspired presentation about our very own Indianapolis Indians baseball team.

Longtime Indianapolis Rotarian Cal Burleson, Vice-President for Indians Baseball and Administrative Affairs will give a brief presentation on the Indians in the community, including a new initiative the Indians are starting with Indianapolis Public Schools.

Then, Cal will introduce veteran Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman who will give us a presentation on Baseball, including a few of his favorite stories from the Indianapolis Indians archives.

Howard Kellman is in his 39th season as the “Voice of the Tribe,” having called his first Indians game during the Tribe’s 1974 campaign in the American Association. Kellman’s illustrious career behind the microphone features a selection as Indiana’s Sportscaster of the Year in 2002 and an induction into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Chef Thom England, is a professional chef, food writer, educator and mentor and has shared his expertise with many aspiring and seasoned chefs for over 20 years. Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Chef England trained in New York at the Culinary Institute of America. He spent much of his professional career in New York and in Central Indiana. He is an ACF Certified Executive Chef (CEC) and Certified Foodservice Educator (CFSE). He is also well versed in the production and pairing of alcohol, running and consulting for wineries. He is a Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS)

Chef England currently serves as program coordinator at the Ivy Tech Hospitality and Culinary Arts program. Additionally, he is active in the community as a local foods activist as co-founder and president of Dig-IN: a non-profit for the promotion of Indiana Food, Beverage, and Agriculture. Working together with Hoosier farms of all sizes and varieties, agriculture associations, community organizations, and the consumer, Dig IN is working to create and sustain a new future of Hoosier food and agricultural economy.

Join us next Tuesday for a presentation by David Shaheed, Retired Marion County Judge and a performance by students and teachers of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.

The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO) is a youth and family development program that uses music for social change. Founded by Betty Perry in 1995, it is now the flagship education program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and a two-time recipient of an Indianapolis Rotary Foundation grant. The program is designed to use the life skills learned through music instruction to engage youth in activities that discourage at-risk behaviors and keep them committed to staying in school.

This season MYO is celebrating its 20th anniversary of transforming lives through music. Judge David Shaheed will share his experience as the grandfather of an MYO student and an adult participant. Join us to learn about how this program is so much more than just music education- it is about creating great citizens through character education, family engagement and mentorship.

What Truth Can Set Us Free?

Almost every day brings a new report of violence and discrimination based on a person’s religious beliefs. Powerful voices have argued that the world would be better off if religious beliefs simply disappeared. But religious beliefs will not disappear, at least any time soon. Instead, what is needed is a better way to understand and deal with religious differences. This presentation, by the founding Board Chair of the Center for Interfaith Cooperation, will look at how to view the religious beliefs of others in ways that encourage respect and not fear and hatred.

Donald E. (Don) Knebel earned a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue and a law degree from Harvard.  Don retired from Barnes & Thornburg at the end of 2013 after 39 years as an intellectual property litigator.  He now serves as Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor at the Center for Intellectual Property Research at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, teaching antitrust law and patent litigation.  Since September 2015, he has served as Interim Executive Director of the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, on whose Board he has served since 1986.

Authentic Networking/Building Authentic Relationships

• What do we mean by authentic relationships?  
• Why are authentic relationships important?  
• What are typical mistakes we make in relationship building?  
• What are the success principles to building relationships?

Learn some basic authentic relationship-building techniques and understand how to take your relationships to a deeper level through your communication, your care and your “service above self” mentality.

This will be a professional development opportunity for Rotarians to learn more about how to maximize networking by building authentic relationships that will help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Tommy Richardson has a 40+ year career that has included experience as a business and personal coach, trainer and speaker, a teacher and athletic coach, small business owner, sales manager and insurance executive in sales and leadership with a major insurance company. Today, as Rainmakers Director of Training & Development, Tommy leads individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential thorough speaking, training and coaching.