Flaherty's Arden Bowl is optimistically looking at perhaps being able to open on May 18. Peggy Engel, our catering host, inquired how our club is doing and we have responded to her about our Zoom meetings and happy hours. If it is possible for Flaherty's to host a Rotary weekly meeting on May 19, let me know if you are willing to meet in person or if you have concerns about such in-person meetings due to COVID-19 virus issues. While we have no real idea when we may again be able to meet in person, I suspect initially we will have some members meeting in person and others who aren't comfortable doing so. In that case I believe we would be able to allow those members to join the live meeting via Zoom from the club's laptop and still be able to see the program.
Kent Peterson, Stephanie Cosgrove, Ken Hola, Mark Stange and Mike Spellman have been working with the coalition of service clubs and local foundations to serve those affected by the virus crisis. Our club donated $1000 in seed money to the Suburban Ramsey COVID-19 Response Fund. Individual contributions are also encouraged. The focus will be on assisting those with housing issues and food scarcity although the method of doing so is still being developed. A fund raiser is being planned for July.
At the May 5 meeting we will vote on Stephanie Cosgrove's nomination to become president-elect nominee on July 1. Hopefully, Al Ramos will be able to report on the results of the Survey Monkey poll on the visioning statements developed by Dennis Erno's team.
I will continue to host Zoom happy hours on Thursdays at 5 pm. If you haven't done so, please join us for some virtual fellowship. I have been impressed with our attendance at our Zoom weekly meetings. Around 24 members are joining. Our programs have excellent as usual. Kudos to Glenn Bowers' volunteer program locators who have arranged Zoom programs so far: Anoop Mathur, Stephanie Cosgrove, Ken Hola and Charlie Oltman.
I have been very impressed how our members have stepped up to the challenges of continuing to meet and to provide service to our community. Kent Peterson and Stephanie Cosgrove have really taken the lead in the community service clubs' response to the virus. I am also impressed how the private sector and private citizens have stepped up to manufacture personal protective equipment and to research a possible vaccine or therapy for those afflicted by the virus. Businesses and people like that are what makes America great!