PEKIN  ROTARY
Pekin Rotary Newsletter |   www.pekinrotary.org
Quick Links


Noteworthy
May
Anniversaries

Mary Burress
6 years

Greg Cassidy
4 years

Matt Deverman
4 years

Steve Martin
6 years

Donna Sassman
6 years

Matt Stropes
10 years
Service Above Self

  May  2016
Presidents Message
At our April 20th meeting, Pekin Rotary elected the following people to serve as our Board of Directors for 2016-17.
 
President- Gregg Ratliff
 
President-Elect- Matt Deverman
 
Secretary- Sue Woodruff
 
Treasurer- Mike Krohe
 
Community Service- Melinda Figge
 
Club Service-Heather Fitzanko
 
International Service- Danielle Owens
 
New Generations- Len Ealey
 
Vocational Service- Paul Scherer
 
Rotary International Foundation- Jerry Tupper
 
Past President- Gary Gillis
 
 
A special welcome to Danielle and Paul and a big thank you to retiring board member Brian Ford who served as Community Service Chair for a number of years after he had served as club president.
 
I am especially grateful to our newer members (those who've joined in recent years) who have stepped up to a leadership role.  Of the 12 people who have joined since 2010, 9 now serve the club in some capacity.  We also announced that 5 people have agreed to serve as trustees on our soon to be tax exempt "Pekin Rotary Charities" board.  They are:  Mary Burress, Melinda Figge, Gary Gillis, Matt Stropes, and Ken White.  More information on this club addition will be forthcoming.
 
Finally, make sure to mark Tuesday, May 17th, 6:30 pm on your calendar.  That's the evening of our Scholastic Awards Night.  To allow for more seating and less expense, we have done away with the dinner, replacing it with refreshments after the event.  We have also added a new "Service Above Self" award to be presented that evening.  A big "thank you" to Len Ealey, Danielle Owens, and, as always, Charley Hanley for putting this event together.
 
Gary Gillis
President  
Speakers Chair
May 4 - Blake Lippi will introduce speaker, Rev. Valerie Mapstone Ackerman.  Her talk is titled Morals and Economics. 
May 11 - Dr. Kirk Moberg, Unity Point Health physician in charge of Addiction Medicine, will be discussing the services available to treat addictions - gambling, eating, smoking, drinking, prescription medicine abuses, narcotics abuses, just to name a few.  He will also share facts about the widespread nature of addictions and the issues surrounding people who would benefit from treatment. 

May 18 - Ken White will invite Dr. Chris Reynolds who is the Athletic Director for Bradley University.  He will be accompanied by Dave Snell who broadcasts all the Bradley Basketball games.

May 25 - Greg Henderson TBD
 
An evening of celebrating 
Pekin's youth.

The 21st Annual Scholastic Awards Night

May 17, 2016
6:30 pm
      F.M. Peterson Theatre
Pekin High School 

Member Spotlight
 
  If not for the fact that there is an aging rock icon by the name of "Meat Loaf," Pekin Rotary's own Lloyd Orrick might lay claim to that name.  It is by far his favorite meal selection for our meetings and I suspect that the staff at Avanti's Dome may have given him that nickname.

   Born in Bloomington, IL, Lloyd graduated from Pekin High School in 1962.  A football player, he played both linebacker and fullback on a team where most players held an offensive and defensive position.  "Not a lot of people went out for football back then," he told me.  "I played all 48 minutes.  You didn't have the specialists you have today.  Basically, you played the (entire) game."

   After graduation, Lloyd went on to Illinois State Normal University (now ISU) to pursue a teaching degree, but decided college was not for him.  Teachers weren't getting paid much so he went to Caterpillar since it was experiencing a "boom time."  He decided that his initial position was not for him but eventually landed an apprentice course with the company.  This led him to his calling in the Office of Manufacturing Development.  He then earned a degree in Manufacturing Technology from ICC which was almost a 3-year program.  That was where he stayed for the rest of a successful and productive career.

   Shortly after he retired, Lloyd found himself joining Rotary.  At that time he was serving on Pekin's City Council and discovered that he enjoyed being involved in the community.  Rotarian Jim Jones was also serving as a city commissioner and recruited Lloyd to Rotary.  He joined our club on January 3, 1996.  Soon, John Dethloff, who was club president, convinced him to serve on the board where he eventually assumed the role of treasurer and stayed there for several years.  In addition, he has been especially active in our newly renamed "Rotary Grill" at the Marigold Festival.  For many years, his knowledge of beef and pork prices has helped us get the best product at the right price.  He also possesses a special talent for knowing how much we need and when we need it.

   Among his civic duties, Lloyd took a break from the city, serving as a Pekin Park Commissioner for several years. During his tenure, he showed his talent for organization and process, clearly putting in many hours doing his homework on a myriad of park issues.  This diligence also resulted in assuming a number of volunteer roles at Pekin's First United Methodist Church where he was drawn by a Pekin Past-Rotarian, Reverend Terry Edele.  He has served as the Chairman of the Trustees and on the Administrative Board. 

  While active in so many things, it's Pekin Rotary that holds a special affection for Lloyd. "Until you get involved in Rotary," he said, "you don't really know the aspect of service."  He points to our reading programs such as being a volunteer reader at Pekin's Pre-School Family Education Center.  "I didn't realize," he confessed, "that we could impact children's lives like that."

    Rotary taught Lloyd Orrick the value and personal fulfillment one can derive from "Service Above Self."  He not only believes in it but lives it every single day.  He is both a dedicated asset to our community, and especially to our club. 
     
Gary Gillis     


Like us on Facebook

Text | Optional Link


Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.