We had really good attendance at this week's Zoom meeting - 13 members were on the call. Even John Souza was able to attend from FL!
Christine will take over as Host for these Zoom meetings.
Our guest was our next DG, Diana Nestorova. Welcome, Diana.
Membership Update
Charlie and Frank are working on membership and recruitment. They are following up on 16 leads for potential new club members.
General Topics
Flower Box project - we have fewer sponsors due to COVID-19 concerns and business challenges and shut-downs. The Board decided to give struggling businesses a waiver. John Souza contacted The Garden Spot and they will work with us to keep the project going.
Frank has completed his work on our by-laws and has clarified the definitions and made other improvements.
Christine and Claire reviewed the initiative to provide meals for our first responders. We will focus on using restaurants who support our Rotary, and who offer family-style meal options. This will help struggling restaurants as well as the first responders. The plan will be finalized by April 13.
We reviewed the need for Rotary-branded shirts and apparel. There are a few purchase options, but it would be good to use local vendors. Consistency is key.
We will make every effort to continue with the Calendar Raffle drawings once we sort through some logistics of how to get the materials from Rye and Thyme.
Guest Speaker
Diana Nestorova, DG Elect
Diana talked to us about many of Rotary's ongoing events. Currently, the District Training is being offered online over several evenings. Johnny, Charlie and Frank have attended a few already and found them very well-done and informative. In addition to the great learning, another bonus to attending live is that you will be entered to win a Rotary Leadership Institute scholarship.
Diana's passion really centers around the youth programs. She is hopeful that the various youth programs will go on as planned in 2020 in spite of the coronavirus.
STAY INSIDE! PROJECT IDEAS
FUN YARN PROJECT
BAKE A CAKE
INDOOR GARDEN
Fun Things to do While Socially Distancing
If social distancinghas you stuck inside going stir crazy, there are several activities you can do to pass the time and keep yourself grounded, and many of those activities can be done with the help of local businesses.
Now you might actually have the bandwidth to pick up a hobby, and why not look to the arts and crafts arena? Find a small arts and crafts supply store in your area and purchase everything you’ll need to create a masterpiece: think yarn and needles for knitting, needlepoint kits, or paints and canvases.
Do puzzles & play games
Another great way to put your brain to work is by doing a puzzle. Whether it’s a traditional jigsaw or a book of Sudoku, puzzles are extremely stimulating, and they can be purchased at local game shops.
Small specialty food stores might also carry baking kits that can help you whip up a treat you’d usually only ever buy at a fancy bakery. Instead of binging Great British Bake Offfor the umpteenth time, get off the couch and make something spectacular yourself.
Start an indoor garden
It might seem surprising but one of the most effective ways to practice self-care is to take care of something other than yourself. With that in mind, this might be the perfect opportunity to start an indoor garden. Start your plant-parent journey by reaching out to your local plant store to find out which type of greenery will do best in your home and if the store is offering delivery during this time. For those of us who don’t have yards to escape into while still social distancing, becoming a plant mom or dad will be especially rewarding.
