We received two excellent reports on the June 18 meeting – from Ryan Murphy,
and from Sarah E. Lee. So please enjoy Sarah’s details and observations as we enjoyed Ryan’s a few days ago.
Our first meeting back in person! President Karan banged the gavel at 12:17 p.m. for the hardy bunch of Rotarians entering the main door (we’ve upgraded) at the Italian Cultural Center. Masks were optional.
First, our faithful server Tina announced the new directions, per Covid protocol, that we are to follow to get fed. Bread, butter, coffee and two jugs of water are put on the tables. In the buffet line, you hand your plate under the plexiglass to be server. The salad already has dressing. You are to reserve your dessert with Tina. If you are a tea drinker, please use the provided black gloves for the tea bags and hot water.
Second, President Karan announced that per Covid protocol we will not sing, no exceptions – not even the national anthem. Pianist Gary and his keyboards were absent. Creative Rotarians substituted clapping for time we would normally sing.
The Pledge was led by Larry Neal; “The Four-Way Test” – which we fumbled a bit – by Ryan Murphy. Tom Davies gave a heartful grace. We were served cavatappi pasta, chicken in mushroom sauce, broccoli, green salad with dressing and ice cream maple syrup sundaes.
PRESIDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
We will be passing out checks to our beneficiaries next week, June 25. Please make every effort to come to this meeting. The President’s Party is August 27 at Belle Maer, in the showroom. The boating outing is September 3 and the Dick Pierson Golf Outing is September 17. No Rotary meetings those two days.
FUNDRAISER UPDATE
- The Party of the Century Gala has been rescheduled to Saturday, August 14, 2021 at Villa Penna. All the gala features remain the same. The website will be updated with the new information and pricing.
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- Despite the pandemic, our fundraising has been strong! Jeff announced he received another $10,000 donation and to date $117,000 in cash has been pledged. This generous underwriting means the ticket and sponsorship prices have been reduced by 25 percent. Everyone who has already purchased VIP tables, sponsorships and single tickets will be contacted shortly via email about options to affirm commitments, receive a credit or 50/50 tickets to match the pricing, or receive a refund. If this is you, watch your email.
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- Virtual Down-Payment Party Friday August 14, 2020: On the original date of our fundraiser, we will draw three 50/50 tickets [up to $17,500] and award the first $50,000 to our beneficiaries. The event will take place at 7 p.m. No venue has been confirmed.
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- Unsold 50/50 Tickets: These should be either sold or returned to Don Carnaghi by July 16. The unsold tickets will be retired. Again, if this applies to you, please follow up with Don.
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- Linda May’s Service Circuit column, Macomb Daily, posted Friday, June 19: Linda May wrote a great article about our club and our delayed fundraiser. One point stood out that due to Covid, our beneficiaries had no choice but to cancel their fundraisers. If it wasn’t for the Mount Clemens Rotary, these groups would face a grim future. But thanks to us, that won’t happen. This is Rotary at its purest and should answer anyone’s question why do we exist.
GUESTS AND VISITORS
One visitor, our guest speaker, Tim Strutz.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
No one celebrating these events came to the meeting (No flower for you!) Flowers were sold to Jeff for his wife Angela and for Don Carnaghi doing a great job on the 50/50 tickets. Nancy Dedenbach bought a flower for Luca; Ted DeVantier for Mary Ann Hosey; Larry Neal for our speaker; Don for our server Tina; Ryan Murphy for Karan and Mary Ann for Larry Neal.
SUNSHINE REPORTS
Bob Lee’s wife, Gail, has been in a nursing home for three months, battling Covid and other issues. She returned home this week and Bob now has his hands full. Reach out to Bob when you see him.
MEMBER RESIGNATION
Ken Kish is resigning due to health reasons.
RECOGNITION BY NANCY DEDENBACH
Larry Neal, $5, for having his hair cut this morning before the meeting; Ryan Murphy showed up in scrubs. Is this advertising? Not really, as Ryan left his white coat at the office; $1.
Nancy then presented a quiz about the 1918 Pandemic. Ted DeVantier got the first question wrong, $3. Jeff got the second question correct. Ryan Murphy missed the third question, $1 and Doug Norris guessed the last question wrong, $3. Correct answers were Wilson was president during the 1918 pandemic. There was a run on Vicks vapor rub, the pandemic ended in 1920 and advice given to people in newspapers was not to clean your ears.
SPEAKER
Tim Strutz, retired Police Chief, Dearborn Police Department
Your scribe met Tim before the meeting who said he came to talk about white collar crime, specifically, embezzlements. Given the current climate, Tim decided to take questions from the audience. And we did not disappoint.
Tim pointed out that unfortunately history repeats itself, as there were similar incidents in his day that are happening today. Are police officers allowed to shoot someone running away? No. It was once legal but now is not. In the Rayshard Brooks’ case (Atlanta Wendy’s shoot-out), why didn’t the officers just let him walk home. Tim answered that another earlier similar case, the DUI person went home and beat up his wife. The wife sued the police department for not arresting her husband. It’s because of liability that police must arrest a person under the influence.
Police departments have a strong culture of us versus them. They’re well aware of street justice and they don’t like to snitch on each other. Thus, the two rookie cops in the Floyd case were in a hard situation: intervene and be ostracized, or do nothing. The majority of crimes come from domestic abuse and mentally ill people. There has been training for police since the ‘90s. Tim pointed out a story in Thursday’s Detroit Free Press about the money spent on police departments and mental health.
How about defunding the police? It is a legitimate argument; government has limited resources. Is the answer to build more prisons? No. Better to support better parenting. Privatizing prisons is not the answer either, as the profit motive is not applicable in public institutions. Tim was asked about the CHAZ, Capital Hill Autonomous Zone, in Seattle, where the police literally moved out and left-wing protestors moved in. He wasn’t familiar with CHAZ, but did say when police went on strike, chaos ensued. Sure enough, the New York Post journalist, in his June 20 story, described his five days in CHAZ as “a continuing experiment in anarchy, chaos and brute-force criminality.”
50/50
Joe Casasanta won $22.
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