You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the words of the great Yogi Berra, an all-star catcher who played in over 19 seasons for the New York Yankees.  A sportswriters’ favorite, Berra had countless expressions and turns of phrase that were memorable because most of them didn’t make any sense. At the same time, each one had some truth to it. 

 

Clearly, the past six weeks have presented a number of “forks in the road” for the club.  As we deal with our social separation, our club is taking the steps to move forward down the road.  Here are this week’s highlights.

 

Club Operations and Financials.   To say that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has negatively impacted our club would be an understatement. Our club relies on several events, like the community Health Screen, to help cover our expenses and fund our charitable activities. Our annual district conference and weekly meetings also provide valuable funds for our cause.  The cancellation of these events has put a large financial burden on club operations, even causing us to make staffing changes. To be clear, the situation is manageable with continued support from our members.  We will do our best to keep you informed and would simply ask that all Rotarians keep the club in mind as we work though the next few months.

 

Support for Our Club during This Time of Social Distancing.  Last week, I sent a letter to all Rotarians who prepay for their weekly meals.  Since these folks have made a payment for something not received, we felt it was fair to offer to reimburse them.  Alternatively, they could donate the lunch portion of their dues back to the club to help us through this difficult time.  The response from these members has been overwhelmingly positive!  Many have agreed to donate the meal portion of their dues back to the club.  Acts of kindness like these, will go a long way to alleviate some of the financial pressures we are experiencing.  

 

Board of Directors Videoconference Meeting April 21st.  We will be conducting our May Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, April 21^st at 4:30pm.    This meeting will be held via videoconference to respect the social distancing guidelines in force in Ohio.  We will be addressing some important issues facing the club and create a game plan for our club over the next few months.

 

Weekly Meetings and Events.  As you know, our weekly meetings are cancelled through the end of April and it is difficult to determine at this point if we will resume our tradition beginning in May.  We are hopeful.   But without clearance from the Ohio Board of Health and the Krassas Center, it is tough to plan for that at this point.  We are in the process of planning a “virtual Rotary meeting” for all to attend.  This may be held on May 1^st, if we are unable to meet in person.  Stay tuned for more information on this in the near future.

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For our Christian and Jewish friends, this is a time of great joy.  I wish all people of faith to be inspired during this week and to have a blessed season.