President George Powell started the meeting by having Rotarians shake hands with the people next to them and giving a nice round of applause for the good work that will benefit Good Works from last week’s Rotary Show… Gary Hague gave the invocation… Andy Kempf introduced visiting Rotarians and guests… Dave Millross was out music leader… and Marsha Smith won our 50-50 drawing.
 

We welcomed two outstanding new Rotarians into our club, Sue Bolde and Ruth Blick. Both have extensive professional and community backgrounds. Ruth was brought into the club by Steve Wade and Sue by Jayne Mohr.

There was plenty of energy in the room during Tuesday’s Rotary meeting.
     Maybe it was because we met in Kirkbride Hall in Building 50, where Ray Minervini was a gracious host to us.
     Maybe it was because the weather is finally starting to feel like spring.
     Or maybe it was because fellow Rotarian Doug DeYoung of Consumers Energy gave us an update on our upcoming power supply issues.
     “Natural gas is king right now,” said Doug. “Nine coal plants in the state are being retired, so we are going to lose capacity. Nuclear isn’t going anywhere because the last time an application was made to build a nuclear facility was 10 years ago – and the application is still sitting on a desk in Lansing.”
     So Doug and Consumers Energy, along with other area power providers like Cherryland Electric Cooperative and Traverse City Light & Power, are exploring options. Consumers and Cherryland both have new natural gas plants in the works.
     “We have enough power to get through an average day,” said Doug. “The problem lies in backup capacity. On a hot summer day when everyone has their air conditioners on, that’s when we’re going to have challenges. And when we have to go to the grid to buy power, the cost gets very expensive.”
     He talked about where Michigan gets its power and how it is regulated by an organization named MISO, which oversees nine zones in the Midwest.
     Consumers, like the other utilities, has rolled out options like energy optimization and green alternatives like wind and solar.
     “They all have to be part of the mix,” said Doug, who was introduced by Steve Wade.

This Newsletter is for the meetings of April 21 and 28, 2015.  We have been wonderfully busy in the Rotary office with the District Conference this weekend at the Park Place, A couple field trip meetings, The Rotary Show, and a change in our club office line up.  We were very blessed to have had Dottie Baker in our office helping Al and I with all things financial.  Dottie retired on Friday April 24th.  We are so grateful to her for all the work and the stability she has provided to the club with her gentle soul and attention to detail in regards to our clubs financial records.  We are transitioning this position and look forward to new opportunities and perhaps a few changes - Stay tuned!

Kathy Gray, introduced by Marsha Minervini, gave the club an evocative and informative presentation about the aid mission of the international medical organization Mercy Ships.

Kathy, a nurse practitioner, has spent years volunteering with this group.

 

The  hospital ship provides free lifesaving surgeries for people where medical care is nearly non-existent. The various hospital ships commissioned over the years provide free lifesaving surgeries for people where medical care is nearly non-existent.

 

In the poorest parts of Africa, children suffer and die from treatable causes. Mercy Ships sails to these regions to provide first-rate medical care that saves lives. A sailing hospital. A vessel of hope.

 

These ships are state-of-the-art facilities that offer clean water, reliable electricity and care centers. Because more than 75% of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of a port city, they're  able to sail a modern hospital ship with a crew of 450 volunteers directly to people who lack access to first-rate medical care.

 

At any given time during its 35-year history, Mercy Ships has had between 1 and 3 ships in service. Currently, the Africa Mercy is the only Mercy Ship in service, but it represents greater capacity than all prior hospital ships combined. Since the deployment of the Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships has been committed to adding another ship to the fleet by July 2017—the Atlantic Mercy.

 

Mercy Ships is a global charity that was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. Since that time, Mercy Ships has performed services valued at more than $1 billion, impacting more than 2.48 million of the world’s most desperate people. They have completed more than 581 port visits in 57 nations, using  hospital ships to transform lives and serve nations one at a time. A ship is the most efficient platform to deliver a state-of-the-art-hospital to regions where clean water, electricity, medical facilities and skilled personnel is limited to nonexistent. And because more than 75% of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of a port city, a hospital ship can reach many people who need care.

 

In addition to the surgeries performed onboard, ship-based teams also serve in local areas providing a wide array of services to increase health and well-being, including dental clinics, community health education and agriculture projects.  Around the world today,  billions of people live in fear and desperation,  with impure water, inadequate food and little or no access to health care.   Behind every statistic is a person waiting for hope and healing. 

 

The Mission of Mercy Ships,  a global charity,  is to operate a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations  and have done so since 1978.   With their Christian ethos, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor,  mobilizing people and resources worldwide.  Mercy  Ships  uses  hospital  ships  to  transform  lives  and  serve  nations

  one  at  a  time. 

Their stated values seek to:

1.  Love God. (Faith)

2.  Love and serve others. (Love / Compassion)

3.  Be people of integrity. (Integrity)

4.  Be  people  of  excellence  in  all  we  say  and  do.  (Professionalism  /  Quality  /  Responsibility).

THE GOVERNOR District Governor Al Bonney reminded us about signup sheets for the host home dinner opportunity on May 1.

 

He also said there are still openings for a District Conference Scholarship from the club. They will go to the first 20 to sign up..