Speaker Date Topic
MAJ Patrick Linford Dec 20, 2023
U.S. Army - operational vs. institutional

MAJ Patrick Linford will dicuss the many career opportunities available in the U.S. Army, highlighting the differences between operational and institutional roles.

Jef Fisk Jan 10, 2024
"Right Brain / Left Brain: Creativity takes many forms"

Jef is a singer, songwriter, playwrite and producer. He operates a business producing small-scale video promotions, etc. while also writing, recording and performing music. His topic, "Right Brain / Left Brain: Creativity takes many forms", will trace his own history from singer/songwriter through Chief Information Officer and beyond, highlighting how creativity helped him achieve success in a variety of endeavors.

Some parts of this journey are depicted on his website: www.jef-fisk.com

Ruth Azar Jan 17, 2024
Speak Life
Ruth Azar is the Founder & Director of The Second Mile Center of Detroit. She also happens to be the spouse of one of our members, Scott Matthews.
 
Ruth is going to be speaking about the power of positivity.
 
Ms. Azar says a calling from God led her to open the Center in 2007, which serves over 200 children, ages 3 to 19.  On a daily/weekly basis, the Center offers after-school programs, a summer camp, provides donated free clothing, furniture, and baby goods, holds a Monday Night Community Dinner, and runs a computer lab.    It also brings in a no-cost annual mobile health fair and takes the children on field trips to expand their horizons. Mixed in all of this is ministry work, spreading the word of God.
 
The Center operates on a very tight budget of $150,000 plus $100,000 in-kind services.  Even with these limited resources, it is able to offer the programs listed above and also prepared 10,000 meals in 2019. 
 

Ms. Azar believes the children want to belong to something and the Center offers them an alternative to gangs.  Her goal is to teach the children who they are, that they have value, and that they are valued. To learn more, volunteer, or donate, visit www.secondmilecenter.org.

Adam Hollier Jan 24, 2024
Best way to Support our Veterans
Cissie Cappola Jan 31, 2024
New Member Presentation
Steve Tengler Feb 07, 2024
The SET Fund: Rebuilding Michigan - one scholarship at a time!

Steve Tengler resides in Grosse Pointe Park. When both 1) his uncle died at the age of 59 and 2) he struggled to cover his next college tuition bill, he decided that his $6k would start a scholarship for students “like me” who volunteered to do unpaid work on behalf of others, despite their own financial need. Hence, the SET Fund was born.

According to Steve, "The eventual irony: the quality of winners have been sooooo incredible that I wouldn’t even come close to being a finalist for our scholarship."

The SET Fund is now 25 years (and nearly $200k) into providing scholarships, and the stories are amazing: a few fleeing immigrants who came to our country and volunteered, a victim or two of death or violence, and several that started their own charities despite unpaid tuition. Steve will discuss a few stories and the fund's unique structure, and describe the fund's annual friend-finder.

You can learn more at www.setfund.org

Nicole & Bob Deem Feb 14, 2024
PTSD

Nicole and Bob have both served our country and have since retired from military service.  Bob suffers daily from the effects of PTSD.  Nicole has offered to speak on the unique situation of working with, parenting with, and loving a spouse who lives day-to-day with PTSD. 

At this moment in time, Bob is hoping to join Nicole.  If Bob is at our meeting, his therapy dog (German Shepherd) Halogen, will be there with him.  Bob and Nicole are parents to two children and live in Grosse Pointe Woods. 

You might want to watch the movie called "Thank you for your Service" prior to this attending very special Rotary meeting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_You_for_Your_Service_(2017_film). 

John Mozena Feb 28, 2024
Impediments To Economic Development

John C. Mozena is the president of the Center for Economic Accountability, a Grosse Pointe-based nonprofit that works for transparency, accountability and market-based reforms for state and local economic development programs across America. 

In his work with elected officials and local partners across the country, he has identified some common mistakes communities make in erecting unnecessary barriers to growth and prosperity. 

His talk will focus on some of the ways that Michigan, Metro Detroit and the Grosse Pointes could reduce or eliminate those barriers, as well as other opportunities to promote broad-based economic growth.

Linda Smith, Exec. Director Mar 06, 2024
U Snap Back: All we do
Dio Rockers Mar 27, 2024
New Member Presentation
Bob Montgomery Apr 17, 2024
GP Theater
Grosse Pointe Theater just celebrated 75 years of live theater in our community, an impressive milestone with an all-volunteer organization. 
 
Grosse Pointe Theater will be sharing the history of 332 main stage productions, how a typical show comes to life in three months, the commitment to Arts education and community engagement, and the exciting future at the new performing arts center, the Schaap Center.
 
 Speakers include executive Director, Linda Zublick and president of Grosse Pointe Theater Danielle Caralis.
Michael Tengler Jun 05, 2024
the charity Happycheeks