The D-W Rotary Memorial Golf Outing

We have good news; we are moving to a Buffet type luncheon starting this Wednesday, July 21st, luncheon meeting. The menu includes: roast beef & cheddar on a wheat bun, tossed garden salad, with grilled chicken, fresh fruit, cookies and brownies. Since it is a buffet, we are not requiring you to preregister, instead you will simply state to the person covering registration whether you intend to eat lunch or not and you will be billed accordingly. 

The formal part of the meeting will start at noon; however, you are encouraged to come early (i.e., 11:45 a.m.) to socialize, get your meal and be seated prior to the start of the meeting.

OMAR MARES ORELAS RECEIVES ROTARY FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIP 

Thomas Worthington High School graduate Omar Mares Orelas is the first recipient of a full-ride scholarship to Columbus State Community College provided our club and the Worthington AM Rotary Club. (See related story about the initiation of the scholarship in the July ?? newsletter issue.) 

Concerned about college expenses and debt, Omar was delighted to learn about the new Columbus State scholarship program of the two Rotary clubs. “Because college is very expensive, I realized starting out at Columbus State and then transferring to a four-year college would be much more affordable for me and my family,” he says. “Graduating with no debt is very important to me.” 

Omar’s goal is to complete his general education classes, and then transfer to a four-year university, most likely The Ohio State University. He will pursue a degree in business management in hopes of one day opening his own restaurant.  

“The majority of my family is involved in the restaurant business, and I have grown a passion for it,” he explains. He plans on taking some culinary classes at CSCC to improve his skills and learn new techniques to one day implement into his future business. 

Omar knows the value of hard work, which he credits to the strong work ethic of his mother, a single parent. “Since I was little, I have watched my mom work herself from sunrise to sundown trying to provide a better life for my brother and me,” he says. “She did all that while still attending sporting events and other school activities.”  

Since turning 16, Omar has worked 35 to 40 hours a week at two area restaurants and a bakery, where he was promoted to a supervisory position after a few months on the job. “I wanted to contribute to the family income, provide for myself and take some weight off my mom’s shoulders,” he commented.  

Omar also credits his mother for instilling in him at a young age the importance of putting others before himself. “I’ve been in many positions where I have had the opportunity to demonstrate this belief in school, work, extra-curricular activities and community,” he says. 

He volunteered regularly for five years at The Salvation Army, where he was involved in planning, cooking, and serving meals to the homeless. He also restocked local food pantries and assisted in the Christmas kettles as well as other service projects.  

Omar also volunteered for four years at Worthington Service Day, assisting elderly community members, building a community garden, and helping individuals with physical and mental disabilities.  

As a captain for the TWHS boys soccer team for two years, Omar served as a leader and mentor to other players, taking time outside of practice and games to help teammates academically and personally. He was also a member of the Lacrosse and football teams and was a leader of the Latinx Club, a SOCA (Students of Color and Allies) board member and a member of the Diversity Club and yearbook. He was selected to be one of five Cardinal Crazies to lead students during events. 

A solid student and a fluent Spanish speaker, Omar was a member of the school’s Entrepreneurship Business Academy for four years, which lead to a 15-week internship at Avalos Food Enterprises, where he excelled.   

According to Darnell Perkins, chair of the scholarship selection committee, members were impressed with Omar’s character and accomplishments. The committee narrowed the 11 applicants to four finalists before selecting Omar as the recipient. 

“While all of the finalists were strong, Omar’s community service and school and work activities stood out,”’ he said.  “He has clearly defined educational and career goals and has demonstrated a commitment to helping others in our community, a key value of Rotary.” 

With the scholarship award being for two years, Darnell said that club members are looking forward to building a relationship with Omar and his family. “We want to help Omar be successful and achieve his goals.” 

Members serving on the selection committee were: Our club- Jennifer Heasley and Janet Wagner; Worthington AM Rotary Club, Pete Macrae and Joe Murnane.  

Photo Caption: Scholarship recipient Omar Mares Orelas. He will begin his two-year program at Columbus State Community College on Aug. 30. 

WORTHINGTON ROTARY CLUBS REVAMP SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS TO MAKE BIGGER IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES  

Our club has collaborated with the Worthington AM Rotary Club to provide a full, two-year scholarship to a senior from Thomas Worthington or Worthington Kilbourne high schools to attend Columbus State Community College, starting this year.  

The first recipient is Omar Mares Orelas, a recent graduate of Thomas Worthington. The scholarship will cover his tuition, amounting to approximately $10,000 over the two years. (Learn more about Omar in next week’s newsletter.) 

The scholarship is the result of an initiative of the two clubs, starting 18 months ago, to examine their scholarship programs and determine if they were still meaningful to recipients.  

In the past each club awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to a student at Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne high schools. The clubs announced their scholarships separately and set up selection committees that functioned independently.  

What the clubs learned during their study was that in some cases, the recipients were the same. They also recognized that with the rising cost of college tuition, the amount of their scholarships had a small impact on total college expenses and did little to alleviate the growing debt that many students face after graduation. 

Both programs took into consideration financial need, community service involvement and academic performance of their recipients; however, the scholarships did not appear to make a difference in whether the recipients were able to attend college. The study also found that all past recipients pursued a traditional, four-year college program.    
 
To make their programs more impactful and meaningful to recipients, the two clubs decided to work together, combining their financial resources and broadening their recipient base to include students pursuing vocational, technical and trade-school educations as well as a four-year college degree. The selection criteria were retained.     

Recipients may choose to pursue certificates or degrees offered at Columbus State, which include technical and vocational training, trades or courses of study that may be continued at a four-year college. They must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and are responsible for regular reporting of their progress over the two years. In addition, they must live in accordance with Rotary’s Four-Way Test with its emphasis on truth, justice, friendliness, and helpfulness, and with standards of community conduct. 

Immediate Past President Jim Miller, who chaired the joint-club task force, is pleased with the new partnership approach to awarding scholarships and the willingness of leaders of both clubs to take a hard look at their programs and determine if there was a better way to meet the needs of graduates planning to pursue higher education.  

“We wanted to make a bigger impact in the lives of local students and I think we’ve succeeded,” Jim said. “We’re not only providing financial support, but building a relationship with recipients and their families over two years.” 

Peter Macrae, a member of the task force and chair of the Worthington AM Rotary Club’s scholarship committee, agrees. “Our award of a full ride to Columbus State will have a far greater impact on the life of the recipient this year than in past years,” he said. “Recipients can graduate debt free with a university degree and then transfer to pursue a four-year degree.” 

Peter said the program attracted 11 applicants from the two high schools with strong career aspirations, and all of the finalists had donated their time and talents in service to the community and to their?schools.? 

“We had an outstanding group of students from which to select this year’s recipient,” Peter added. “Omar has especially admirable career goals.” 

Our club continues to provide a $1,000 scholarship to a senior at each of the Dublin high schools, Dublin-Coffman, Dublin-Scioto and Dublin Jerome. The Dublin AM Rotary Club has a similar program. 

The D-W Rotary Memorial Golf Outing
This has been rescheduled for Friday July 30^{th ad} and will be held at Glen Ross Golf Club  
Cheshire Rd., Delaware, Ohio
Tee times starting at 12 noon
2021 Memorial Honoree is Bill Shantz
Call Mike if you have questions
614-507-4395

The Bill Shantz Memorial Golf Outing
September 20^th, 2021
Organized by the Powell Chamber of Commerce
Starts at 8am at Scioto Reserve

More details to come. 

Rah-Rah
The Rah-Rah was a complete success even with the trivia not working. It was fun and well attended. Stay tuned for information about the next event. There are currently talks of maybe a brewery. There will also be a District Picnic in October. 

Rotary Award Recipients 

THREE MEMBERS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE 

Three club members were honored for their contributions to the club at the annual Installation and Awards Program on June 23. (See related Installation story in June 28 Issue.) 

Steve Payerle was named Rotarian of the Year, and Paul Cynkar received the Rookie of the Year award. John Butterfield was honored for club and community service, two of Rotary’s five Avenues of Service. 

Rotarian of Year 

Steve, who joined the club in October 2017 and was selected co-Rookie the following year, served as president-elect this year. The owner of Next Level Technologies, an IT services company offering information technology support to businesses, Steve used his expertise to guide the club in using video teleconferencing platforms, as well as other online resources, when in-person meetings and activities were suspended during the pandemic. He combined his technical know-how with strong interpersonal and management skills to move the forward throughout the year. 

“There was no person better to help us meet these challenges than Steve Payerle,” Jim Miller, one of several members who nominated him for the award, said in making the award presentation. 

Although he had aspired to earn the award someday, Steve indicated he was surprised to be this year’s recipient. He joined Rotary because he believes in "doing good" and “giving back,” not as a way to develop his business. 

“Rotary allows me to satisfy that inherent desire to be a positive influence and this award is certainly fuel for that fire,” he said. He views the award as a vote of confidence for his role as club president for the coming year, which he greatly appreciates. 

Rookie of the Year 

In introducing Paul as Rookie, Christie Bruffy, last year’s recipient, noted the unique way Paul found to become engaged in the club during the pandemic through written profiles of members. What started as a Red-Badge task to get to know 10 members through written profiles has grown into the development of profiles of all members. 

John Butterfield, who nominated Paul for Rookie, believes his project is a major contribution to the club.  “The interview stories have the potential to foster relationship-building among all members and to identify strengths and interests of members which can be tapped to strengthen our club,”?he wrote in his nomination. “What a great way to help members understand the characteristics of servant leadership and then apply them to the interviews of club members.” 

Christie also recognized Paul’s attendance at club meetings. Even though he joined other “snow-bird” members in Florida during the winter months, Paul made it a priority to attend club meetings through Zoom and stay engaged while outside of central Ohio, she pointed out.  

Paul joined the club in December 2019. He lives in Worthington and was an administrator for the Worthington School District for 25 years, having served as principal of Worthingway Middle School and an assistant superintendent.  He also was chief operating officer for Battelle for Kids, a nonprofit organization that works with Ohio school districts to improve student achievement. He currently serves as a grant evaluator for the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. 

Paul said he was honored to be recognized as Rookie, but questioned how a 69-year-old qualifies as a rookie. “It doesn’t make sense, but I really appreciate it,” he commented. “It got me thinking about my youth.” 

He gave an entertaining presentation entitled “My Path Around the Bases,” in which he described his passion for baseball, which started as a Little League player and continued into adulthood as a player/coach, finally ending at age 65. (Ask Paul about scoring the fifth run on a grand-slam homerun.) His heroes were baseball players.  

“Today my heroes are members of this club,” he said, noting that he has known about the contributions of members and the club to the community for many years. “Thank you for inviting to join your team,” he concluded. “I feel like I’ve finally made it home.” 

Avenues of Service 

President Jim said the Avenues of Service Award is the highest recognition by the club. Awarded by District 6690 based on the nomination of the club president, club members who receive a citation in each of the five service avenues –club, community, international, vocational and youth – are then eligible for Rotary’s overall Avenues of Service Award.  

Jim nominated John Butterfield, whom he said has been a core part of the club for many years, for the club service and community service awards. John served as president last year, chaired the membership and social committee for many years and developed the club’s updated website two years ago.  

“John puts his heart into everything he does,” Jim said, noting John’s energy and knowledge of the club’s history, members and culture. “He’s a great adviser.” 

A 24-year club member, John said he chose to apply his career skills and experiences to foster relationships among members, strengthen communications with members and the community and increase membership.  

In 2000 he initiated Rotary After Hours (RAH RAHs) first at area restaurants and pubs and then at member-hosted events at their homes or businesses. Since then, the club has held 55 RAH RAHs with 34 members serving as hosts. In May 2020 in response to Covid restrictions, five consecutive nights of RAH RAHs were scheduled through Zoom, one even connecting members with fellow Rotarians in the Dominican Republic. “If you have hosted an event, you have made our club stronger,” he said in thanking hosts. 

John said that many years ago he became concerned about the decline in the club’s membership and the demographic aging of the club. The club’s membership peaked at 123 in 2002 and began its decline to 80 in 2017, with a loss of 28 the previous four years. This year the average age of members is 66 with 72 percent of members 60 or older and about half, 70 or older. 

Six years ago he got involved in the membership committee and began tracking age, gender, ethnicity and work status of members, leading to the development of a plan to grow the club’s membership. As a result, the club’s website was revamped to appeal to target markets, and the board adjusted club meeting times, changed meeting locations while improving the food and lowering the cost and expanded our membership categories. “Most importantly, we made members aware of the issue and sought your help,” he said. “Because of these initiatives and your support, we grew our membership to 90 by the end of the 2018-19 year.”   

But membership growth is an on-going challenge, he stressed. Although the club gained 10 new members last year, 15 members dropped out. With Covid hampering recruitment efforts this year, the decline has continued with membership likely to be at 79 by the end of June.   

John believes the club is again at crossroads and described two different paths: a vibrant club with new and experienced members and a diverse membership or a club with aging members and the further loss of members and resources.  

“Let club leaders know your preferred vision,” he urged, pointing out that new members bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm and commitment to service and are the future leaders of our club. Five of the current board members, including the president and president-elect, joined since 2017-18.  

“Tapping members’ expertise and interests into meaningful engagement and fostering strong relationships are also key to the club’s growth and health,” he added. 

Regarding community service, John considers it as the heart of the organization and has looked forward to joining fellow members on improving the quality of life in our?community in a variety of projects over the years. One of his most memorable is the September 2019 landscaping/beautification project on the grounds of the Mirolo Community Pavilion, which he co-chaired with Mike Moulton.  

He thinks the project had all of the right elements – partnerships, community and member engagement, multiple funders, adult and children volunteers and tangible results. “We created a place of beautify and enhanced the natural environment,” he said. “It reinforced that when everyone works together in the service of others, amazing things happen.” 

“I can’t think of a better place to serve others and make a difference than alongside not only 80 amazing people in the Dublin-Worthington Rotary Club, but also the thousands and thousands of Rotarians worldwide,” he concluded.?“We may recite the Four Way Test in different languages across the world, but we have the same motto: Service Above Self. We are here to serve.”

Photo 1: Rookie of the Year Paul Cynkar. 

Photo 2: Rotarian of the Year Steve Payerle. 

Photo 3: John Butterfield, left, accepts Avenues of Service Citations for club service and community service from President Jim Miller, who nominated him for the awards.