Notes from the La Porte Rotary Club Meeting of January 28, 2013
President Deb Varnak called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four-Way Test of Rotary. Mike Sutton offered the prayer. Leigh Morris led us in singing “You Are My Sunshine”.
Happy $$’s – Christina Dougherty, Judy Hamilton, Judian Breitenbach, Kregg Van Meter, Glade Montgomery, Gene Burrows, Deb Varnak, Mike Sutton.
Ice Fishing Derby/Chili Fundraiser – Mike Sutton thanked everyone for the great support for the Ice Fishing Derby and the Chili Sales. "We had a GREAT day at Cummings Lodge with the community. A big thanks to all the volunteers that came out for the day and others that sold and bought chili tickets. Fifty-five "fishermen" registered for the event. A special thanks to our local sponsors, IU Health LaPorte Hospital and LaPorte City Park Dept." (Mike has chili for sale – a frozen 5-pound bag for $15.00.)
Announcements – President Varnak asked us to keep Rotarian Mike Rosenbaum in our thoughts as he travels to New Jersey for his mother’s illness.
New Member Induction – Marv Goad inducted into Rotary Brad Hindsley, Spire Farm-to-Fork Restaurant.
Paul Harris Fellows – Leigh Morris, Foundation Chair for La Porte Rotary, recognized three members for reaching the Paul Harris Fellowship level of giving to the Rotary International Foundation. They are Keith Schwingendorf, Christina Dougherty (plus 1 level), and Judian Breitenbach who was honored with a Fellow designation by District 6540 at its annual meeting in fall 2012.
Mr. Morris invited all Rotarians to contribute to the Foundation. Our club’s goal for this year is an average gift of $125 per member and for our club to become one of only 2000 Rotary clubs to have 100% participation in Foundation giving. Rotary International Foundation uses members’ contributions worldwide to foster peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development.
Program –Tom Brady, Dean of the Engineering and Technology Department at Purdue North Central. Keith Schwingendorf introduced Dean Brady who focused his remarks on the recently-developed engineering program at PNC. The Mechanical engineering program is in its 7th year; Electrical engineering in its third year, and a civil engineering degree is to be added this fall. 90% of PNC’s engineering students are from Porter, Starke, and La Porte Counties. The department strives to produce highest-quality engineers who are comparable with those produced by the engineering program on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus. PNC's program is structured to retain students by providing two semesters of “fundamentals of engineering” to give students indepth background in math and engineering practices to ensure their success in the program. Dean Brady focused on the importance of engineering degrees by citing the National Academy of Engineering “Grand Challenges for Society”. View the Challenges at this site -- http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx
Rotarians in attendance were: Mike Arnett, Judian Breitenbach, Gene Burrows, Bert Cook, Christina Dougherty, Marv Goad, Judy Hamilton, Bill Hedge, Norm Juday, Neil Mangus, Bonnie Miller, Glade Montgomery, Leigh Morris, Jon Salisbury, Keith Schwingendorf, Mike Sutton, Kregg Van Meter, Deb Varnak, Ed Volk. Visiting Rotarians: Mick Faloon (Elkhart). Guests/Prospective members: Rev. Kit Billings, La Porte New Church and Cindy Preston, Wells Fargo Bank (guests of Judian Breitenbach), and Danielle Eigenmann, First Source Bank (guest of Tyler Smith). Guests: Michael Eldridge and Evan Miller, members of the La Porte High School Slicers baseball team.