It’s that time of year again! The first three Thursdays in December: 3rd, 10th, 17th we will be ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. Same place as last year, Circle Center Mall, parking garage escalator landing near Harry & Izzy’s. Sign ups are starting now! Please call Fred Lesh at 251-2638 or Jennifer Hobbs at 237-5610 to schedule your one hour time slot ( two Rotarians per time slot ) from 11 A. M. – 7 P.M. with a friend or meet a new Rotarian. Remember in the spitir of the Holidays it is about beating the Kiwanians!!
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Fall Membership event promises another slam dunk for growing membership
Rotarians, mark your calendars for this fall’s membership event to be held Wednesday, November 18th at Conseco Field House, home of our Indiana Pacers. Last year our inaugural event at Lucas Oil Stadium added 34 new members to our wonderful club. The evening reinforced that the Rotary Club of Indianapolis is the premier service club in town!
Thanks to the generosity of our Corporate Member, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, an out of the ordinary experience will await prospective members and their Rotary hosts in the Pepsi Square and exclusive Legends venue. The 6pm reception and Rotary presentation will be followed by the Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks basketball showdown.
Last year’s success was attributed to our warm Rotary hospitality, the hard work and planning by Rotary staff and the Membership Committee but most importantly the guest list featuring key prospective members. Please support this effort by providing names and contact information to the Rotary Office of those you know who should be introduced to club membership.
Special guests and other surprises await, assures Janet McCully, Event Chair. -
Committee focus on sustainable “green” efforts
The Environment & Beautification Committee is continuing to grow and evolve as we focus on not only beautifying the city, but also improving the environment through sustainable or “green” initiatives. By integrating our efforts with other committees, we’ve been able to expand and promote opportunities for all Rotarians to get involved in the community. We’re actively planning at least one spring work day, and likely more. The Environment & Beautification Committee is working with Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. (IDI) in preparing for the traditional Rotary Greenway Mulching Day in the spring, and continues to engage neighborhood organizations in new and ongoing projects as we collaborate with groups like Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and IDI. Our group is continuing to work with the Ransom Place and Flanner Neighborhoods, and is looking forward to building a relationship with the Concord Neighborhood on the near south side as they pursue opportunities to beautify their neighborhood and become more sustainable. The Committee is currently working on replacing the signage of the Rotary Greenway at 10th Street and West Street in order to provide better visibility to motorists and pedestrians. We are also continuing to develop our “Go Green for Rotary” sustainability tips that appear regularly in the email newsletter…if you have a tip you’d like to see published, please let us know.
Our committee has proposed a program for next spring celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day, and promises to be a meeting you won’t want to miss. We’re also always looking for new members, so if you like to help brainstorm, plan, and occasionally get your hands dirty for the benefit of the community you’re welcome to join us. We regularly meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 4:00 at the Rathskeller Restaurant. Contact our Committee Chair Jeff Mader for more information if you’re interested.
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4-Way Test and School on Wheels Planned
Your Education Committee has a very busy year planned. Initiatives include the support of three IPS Elementary School wish lists; a Rotaract Club at IUPUI; Interact Clubs at IPS #2 and Howe Academy; the Marion County Spelling Bee; High School honors day; Eagle and Gold Scout recognition; Altruism awards at Butler, University of Indianapolis and IUPUI; conducting a Rotary Youth Leadership Award camp for the second year in District 6560; and conducting four 4-Way Test Programs at IPS Middle-Schools. The committee meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 11:00 am (except July and December) in the Scottish Rite Cathedral Ballroom. All are welcome to see what we have going on.
The 4-Way Test Programs are our signature events and are a place where Rotary members can volunteer on a one-time basis. We visit an IPS middle-school for roughly two hours and work in small groups with 1-2 Rotarians and 3-4 students per table applying the Rotary 4-Way Test to real-life moral dilemmas. It is an enriching experience for Rotarians and the students. Our next scheduled program is at IPS #2 on November 4th from 10:45am-12:30. Please contact Scott Armstrong to volunteer. And, at Howe Academy on October 13th from 8-10:30AM. RSVP to Dene Nidiffer by October 8th. First timers are definitely welcome and will be paired with a “veteran” if they desire.
We are recruiting volunteers for School on Wheels. This is an organization that provides tutoring to homeless children in Indianapolis. The aim is to use education to stop the cycle of poverty. Volunteers are asked to commit to one hour per week at the same time/place each week. All locations are near downtown Indianapolis, and after work time slots are readily available. You may volunteer for one school semester. A volunteer training session can be scheduled at the Scottish Rite if we get a sufficient number of volunteers. Please contact Scott Armstrong right away if you are interested in more information or in volunteering.
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Better Know a Member – Susie Harmless
Rotary’s own Executive Director, Susie Harmless, was raised as a daughter of a career Air Force Officer. She, her sister and mother joyfully followed Dad all over the country and the world where she was blessed to experience living in Germany and Japan. She began her college career at the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany and finished her degree in Political Science on the main campus at College Park, Maryland.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, her father became Director of Development for DePauw University in Greencastle. It was the summer between her Junior and Senior years that she met her husband and partner for life, Michael. Soon after college they married, had one (1) wonderful daughter, Heather, and have lived in Greencastle for thirty (30) years. Michael served the community of Greencastle for eight (8) years as the Mayor of Greencastle and later joined Crowe Horwath as a Director. Their daughter, Heather, Director of Client Services for Multiple Sclerosis of Indiana is married to Bart who is employed by Baldwin & Lyons.
Prior to joining Rotary as our Executive Director, Susie enjoyed a career in state government working for the Indiana Department of Commerce where she was Director of Community Development and also worked within the Indiana Department of Revenue. Her time with Rotary has gone very quickly for her over these past six (6) years and she feels that Rotary is never a dull moment. The continual planning for wonderful speakers/meetings each week keeps her and staff very active to meet the requirements of the club meetings and our members. Susie truly enjoys, and would say her favorite piece of Rotary is being able to have interaction with club members from such diverse backgrounds. She feels continually enriched by knowing our members, and by planning and serving the transitions from year to year with the Rotary’s Board.
Rotary not only touches Susie’s professional life, but also touches her personally as she feels better informed on issues of the state and world which is a direct result of the quality of our programs, feels connected internationally due to her attendance and participation in the International Convention and is pleased to be able to serve others through the work that Rotary does here and in the world.
Susie’s hobbies and interests include loving to cook, consuming wonderful wine and traveling. She has spent some time recently being involved with the American Pianist Association as she loves music.
Her only regret may be that she did not go to law school to obtain a degree as she has always wanted to be an attorney. Her continued drive each day comes from her father’s influence on her throughout her life where he encouraged her to “always try harder” which is why she is so pleased to see our club always reaching to improve and to try harder to be the best service club in the state.
When asked whose the most interesting person Susie has ever met, she quickly noted that her two (2) meetings with Hillary Clinton rank high on her list as they both shared their passions for public and community service for others.
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Rotarians Volunteer at the 39th Annual Indiana Black Expo
Rotarians volunteered at two Indiana Black Expo events this year:
Economic Development Roundtable: “Survival Skills for Small Businesses in the Current Economy” and Elected and Appointed Officials Reception.
These were the two most prominent events for the BBC and were well attended. The BBC is a great opportunity for our club to reach out and show our support in the community.
HISTORY
IBE has been a pillar of the Indianapolis and Indiana community for 39 years. It has encouraged, uplifted and celebrated the accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans throughout Indiana. IBE has made and continues to make its imprint on this community and throughout the country.One component of IBE that continues to gain stellar recognition is their Black Business Conference (BBC). This conference was created over 10 years ago and has become a significant enhancement to IBE’s overall imprint in Indiana. The BBC takes place the entire week of July 13th with workshops, roundtable discussions, lecture series’, receptions and a vast array of networking opportunities for MBE’s/WBE’s as well as community organizations and leaders.
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Better Know a Member – Greg Albright
Indianapolis born, Greg Albright, owner of Greg Albright Design realized at a very young age art was a passion that would stay with him a lifetime. This passion set into motion his path toward years of education and hard work to bring this childhood vision to reality as a designer and artist.
He began this journey in eighth grade when Mr. Bower, his art teacher, encouraged him to purse his talent. By the time he was in high school, he had decided to attend the John Herron School of Art at IUPUI (now the Herron School of Art and Design).After graduating from the Herron, Greg began his career as a design intern at Channel 4 WTTV. He left WTTV to pursue his career with Public Relations firm Borshoff (Erik Johnson, Rotarian). After working for several other firms and on his own, Greg recognized the importance and the future of web design and in 1999 began his journey learning this craft. Through self-motivation and self-education, he grew his knowledge and talent in web design and took his abilities with a leap of faith to become a business owner, thus, the birth of Greg Albright Design was realized in 2005.
As a sole proprietor, Greg’s days begin in the early morning hours and often go late into the night. Hard work has never been a stranger to Greg. He began working in the restaurant business on his fourteenth birthday working his way through the kitchen to head cook and left at age 20. He carried the tradition of hard work to his professional career as a designer. When asked of his greatest accomplishment, he responded with “I am providing a product parallel in excellence and service to larger, full size firms.” And his greatest challenge as sole proprietor, he says “getting the message out.”
Along with his successful web and graphic design company, Greg donates numerous hours a week to our Rotary Club. When you log onto, www.indyrotary.org you will witness first hand Greg’s talent for art, design and detail. His current Rotary Club project has been developing our new website. Greg is also Chair of our Communications Committee, and is a member of the IT, Social and Softball committees. In June, he managed the Rotary softball team to a three-peat victory over Kiwanis!
After sitting down with Greg, it became apparent to me, that the Rotary Club of Indianapolis would not be the same without him. We are fortunate to have in our club members like Greg who adopt service above self as a personal core value. I asked Greg, “What are the benefits he sees as a Rotarian?” He replied, “Friendships and community outreach.” He also added he would like to see growth in member-to-member networking and business relationships. When you see Greg next time at Rotary, shake his hand and take a moment to thank him for his countless volunteer hours developing a first-rate, awesome website, club branding and for sharing his multiple talents and gifts so willingly throughout the club.
When Greg finds time, he enjoys cooking and golf. Greg is also an avid runner. He recently finished his 6th marathon. He also enjoys his rescued stray dog, Snoopy (pictured). And spends lots of time with his niece, Katie, nephew, Joseph, sister Donna and mother JoAnn.
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Nick Reich participates in the 2009 GSE trip to Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique
When I was first selected to participate in the 2009 GSE trip to Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, I tried to learn as much as I could about the countries I would be visiting. I quickly realized that I knew a lot less about Africa than I realized. As the trip grew closer, I tried to take all of my preconceived notions about what the trip would be like out of my head. I wanted to go into the experience free of prejudgments and just learn and experience everything I could while I was there. This turned out to be a wonderful way to approach the experience, because nothing could have prepared me for what it was actually like and what I would actually feel.
Many people have asked me since I’ve returned what I learned when I was there. Initially, this question was difficult to put into words. But after much reflection, the answer became clearer. I learned respect. I learned appreciation and patience. I learned cooperation and sacrifice. I learned the true meaning of service above self.
But most importantly I think, I learned that we are all alike and connected. The differences in us and the individuals I came in contact with are not that great. We all have the same wants and needs, hopes and dream, fears and desires for the futures of our children.
During one evening in Mozambique, we were schedule for dinner and a presentation at 7:00 pm. We started the program at 9:30 pm. This was my first experience with “Africa time,” a concept difficult for us time sensitive Americans to understand. Sometimes, a “quick” stop at a store or restaurant was not such, especially if our host ran into a colleague or friend that they haven’t seen in a while, even if we were late. A Rotarian informed that it is considered rude to see someone you know and not stop for a conversation, even if you are late for an appointment. What an interesting concept; in Africa, people are more important than time. Maybe we should all work a little more on “Africa time.”
The greatest part of this exchange is the people. Each team member had a unique experience due to the host family that they were with in each city. Not only did we stay with native African families, I also stayed with Europeans, Indians, and Iranians. Each host provided a look into a culture different than my own and sometimes, shared their experience living in a place where their culture differed from the dominant culture. I suddenly find myself paying more attention in the world. I have been following Malawian politics and Zambian soccer. I have been closely watching the elections of Iran and India. All of these things now greatly impact people that I have come to care about and call friends. So thank you to Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Indianapolis for making my world a smaller place.
Nick Reich, BSW Director of Student & Family Services Indianapolis Metropolitan High School
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As Rotary Club thrives, people reap benefits
The economy is in its deepest recession in 75 years. Unemployment is approaching 10 percent. Groups that rely on endowments and charitable donations have seen their coffers dry up, and apparently no one can survive without a government bailout.
However, someone forgot to tell all of this to the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. According to the monthly “dashboard report” that President Denny Sponsel provides to the membership, Indy Rotary is running a budget surplus, membership has increased substantially, dozens of service projects are in the works, and the club has a two-year winning streak against the Kiwanians in their annual softball grudge match.
On Tuesday, the club officially completes its $1 million pledge to Riley Hospital for Children, on time and with money to spare. This was not the result of one large donor or any government intervention. Rather, this money was raised through membership raffles and good old-fashioned fundraising.
The club also will donate well over $50,000 to the Rotary International “End Polio Now” campaign. For decades, Rotary International has led the worldwide effort to eradicate polio. With that goal within reach, each local club was asked to contribute $2,000 for the final push. The donation from the Rotary Club of Indianapolis represents the largest club donation in the world.
In an era when many service clubs are struggling, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis sees its best days ahead. The club started the year with 400 members and is close to its goal of 450. The average age of members is declining, and everyone is represented, from young professionals to retired executives. The membership reflects the diversity of our community, with a healthy mix of business and not-for-profit members and a solid “who’s who” of community leaders on the roster.
The true success of Indy Rotary, however, is not who they are, but what they do. Besides raising money, the club runs a clean-water and AIDS prevention program in Africa and education and health initiatives in Jamaica, and locally supports literacy, crime prevention and neighborhood beautification, just to name a few worthy causes. To borrow a phrase from Oldsmobile, this is not your father’s service club.
This success is not by accident. Sponsel, owner of RJE Business Interiors, is one part taskmaster and two parts cheerleader, with a heavy dose of eternal optimist. For him, the glass is never half empty or half full, but always has room for more.
As the club approaches its 100th anniversary, it doesn’t look a day older than 29. The economy may be in a recession, but the Rotary Club of Indianapolis refuses to participate. For this club, it’s all about building good will and better friendships.
