SOUTH HAVEN ROTARY SPOKES    

VOL.NO.32   March 2, 2021          

President Thompson welcomed everyone, and we opened with the “Pledge of Allegiance", followed by Art Ayers’ invocation. Of special mention were continuing prayers offered for Ann Gruber, Jerry, and their family, and Mike Livovich, Mary Ann, and their family. Also of special mention were prayers offered for Pastor Jeffrey Dick, who will be having hernia surgery tomorrow; for Bob Linderman, a friend to many of our members, who is undergoing hip replacement surgery today; as well as for the family and friends of Ron Goodrich, who are grieving his loss.

GUESTS: Mark Meyers, our guest speaker, and Dorothy Lockwood

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

President Thompson mentioned that a note was received from Rotarian Mark Odland, who is also the President of the Speakers Series Board of Directors, thanking our club for our generous donation in support of the February 18th program, which attracted over 800 viewers.

Maple Grove Elementary School’s Library Renovation Project had an Open House yesterday.

The Splash Pad Project was recognized by the American Public Works Association.

President Thompson acknowledged the receipt of a “Foundation Minute”, dealing with “Grant Models”, distributed by District Representative Kathy Gallagher.

We are still in need of 4 volunteers for the Thursday Night Supper on March 18th.

There will be a regularly scheduled Board meeting on March 9th.

 HAPPY BUCKS- Tom Ruesink

+ Tom mentioned that Mark Odland and Scott Smith had their photos in the paper, so fines would be forthcoming.

+ Korky’s wife, Linda, will celebrate her birthday on Friday.

+ Richard Swanson’s birthday was yesterday.

+ Tom Fleming’s wife, Dorann, had her birthday yesterday.

+ Bob Copping’s son, Mark, will celebrate a birthday on March 4th, while son Chris has a birthday on the 28th.

+ Dan Thompson was very proud to report that his son is getting his First Command, in Undersea Surveillance.

Closing out our segment, Larry Wittkop shared the “Happy Birthday” recording, “to the person whose birthday it is”.

 

+ DRAWINGS:

Our guest speaker, Mark Meyers, was chosen by Tom to pick the first number (#24), which belonged to Dorothy. Mark’s second number was #18, which made a winner of Jeffrey Dick.

Enjoy your winnings!!

SPOTLIGHT: Nick Tuit

Nick was born in 1943 in Paterson, New Jersey, and his family consisted of 3 boys and 2 girls.

In 1956, they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the result of his father’s job relocation.

Nick graduated from Grand Rapids Christian in 1961 and from Calvin College in 1966.

He and Nancy married following an 8-year romance.

Nancy received her degree in Elementary Education and, in 1967, they both took summer jobs at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit; needless to say, an INTERESTING summer to have been in Detroit.

Following a period in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nick and Nancy moved to Kalamazoo in 1970. He began working for the Upjohn Corporation in 1977 and retired in 2004, having worked primarily in the International Division.

He and Nancy have 2 boys, David, a CPA, and Stephen, a high school teacher. David and Stephen each have 3 children, making Nick and Nancy the proud grandparents of 6.

Nick has served on numerous school and church boards and has mentored 3 Haitian businesses, serving through hurricanes, as well as earthquakes.

He enjoys photography, skiing, golf, travel, and radio-controlled airplanes.

Nick became a Rotarian in 2013; his sponsor was Mark Odland.

 
 
PROGRAM: “Gone Boarding” with Mark Meyers

Program Chair: Tom Rummel, who provided us with an introduction of Mark:

Mark worked in private industry in Kalamazoo for several years before becoming a teacher. He has taught at Bangor High School for 20 years, where he has taught biology, anatomy, botany, and “gone boarding”, which is our focus today.

Gone Boarding is a course that was conceived and developed by Bill Curtis and Bruce Macartney, teachers in the Forest Hills Public School’s District in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

They wanted to create something that would engage students who were “slipping through the cracks” of the school system. The STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) curriculum includes standards for both math and VPAA (visual and performing arts), along with science, art, engineering, business, and an optional PE component.

Students within the program work in groups. They design, construct, and learn to ride all types of boards, including, but not limited to: surfboards, snowboards, skateboards/longboards, stand-up paddle boards, and wake boards. Students also take part in service projects involving the school district’s younger students, through a mentoring relationship built around action sports, and partner with the community to make an impact on the world, both locally and globally.

Mark indicated that he was first approached by the superintendent, who provided information on this franchised program. When it was decided to implement the program, they needed to clean out the shop, which took about 2 weeks with student assistance.

The franchise offers:
Full access to the online curriculum
2- or 3-day teacher training
All supplies and materials for the board builds
Access to a network of educators, students, and industry leaders, across the country
Enhancement and advancement opportunities for students with our partners in the action sports industry
All hard goods and safety equipment for running the optional PE component

What your school needs:

A “champion” teacher with a passion for kids
A workspace for designing and creating the boards (a fully functioning shop is helpful but not necessary)
Access to the Gone Boarding curriculum
Students willing to “Dream it- Build it- Shred it!”

 Mark’s classes have taken field trips to California, where they have surfed in the ocean, visited various surf shops, and have also traveled to Burton Snowboards in Vermont.

They have surfed on Lake Michigan, skateboarded on our bike and walking trails, and have been snowboarding at TimberRidge.

What a FABULOUS opportunity!!

President Thompson thanked Mark for a wonderful program and presented him with a gift certificate from Clementine’s, on behalf of our club.

Next Week’s Program: “Servant Leadership” with Mike Livovich

Program Chair: Don Kitchin

We adjourned with the Four-Way Test.
Respectfully submitted,
Art Ayers, Seasonal Editarian