Pete Brock advised he was inspired reflecting on the principles taught to him at Jesuit High School in Portland Oregon which emphasized that one has been given gifts by God and has a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts. The school prioritized academics and viewed sports participation as a privilege that had to be earned through academic success. Applying these principles to football, Pete thinks that following them to football success will also lead to success in other areas of life. They are:
- show up
- have a good attitude
- challenge yourself every day
- work hard.
Added to this formula is the observation of the famous football coach Lou Holtz had that players should concentrate on their responsibilities over their rights and privileges.
Announcements
President Holly Applegate expressed our Club concern over the loss of life and human hardship occurring in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Peace is the cornerstone of the global mission of Rotary International which joins the international community in calling for a cease fire, withdrawal of Russian troops and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Holly expressed that our thoughts are with our Rotary members in Ukraine coping with this conflict and she requested a moment of silence to reflect this spirit.
Holly advised that she had attended the great Providence College - Xavier U. game won by PC in triple overtime. Our Club arranged for Students of the San Miguel School to attend the game and Holly expressed thanks to Anthony Landi and Bob Murphy in arranging this event. San Miguel Principal John Wolf and two students spoke to the meeting by Zoom and expressed thanks to the Club for providing a great experience.
Liz Messier advised the next Rotary After Dark Event will be House Game Night held on the evening of at Rob Black’s House on Thursday, April 14, 2022 for $10 per person. Look for the time in emails.
Steve Hug advised that The Rotary Book Club is meeting monthly and last read “Red Roulette”,a very interesting book about current events in China.
Kris David gave a Polio update announcing sad news that there have been outbreaks in Afghanistan and Mali and that 6 workers giving inoculations in Afghanistan were murdered.
Wendy Marcus announced Club members March birthdays : Laraine Beck, Maxine Cohen, Bill Applegate, Barry Fain and Anthony Landi.
Happy Bucks
- Margaret Kane - 5$ for great PC game and to support Ukraine.
- Rob Black - $ 5 for Ukraine.
- Wendy Marcus $ 5 for Ukrainian American neighbor Ulia with relatives in Ukraine.
- Art Norwalk - $ 2 for being back at in person meeting and Pete Brock’s inspiration.
- Liz Messier - $ 5 for attending Broadway show “Company” with her son last weekend.
- Jim Gilcreast - $ 5 in honor of Cy Wyche and for great Rotary quiz conducted by Kris David at last meeting.
- Holly Applegate - $ 20 for guest speakers today and for Pete Brock’s inspiration.
- Bob Murphy - $ 20 for great time at PC game with San Miguel students and fellow Rotarians.
Special Presentation
Mx Rush Frazier of Youth Pride expressed the thanks of Youth Pride to the Good Works Committee of Providence Rotary for the donations of food to their food bank which provides food to youth in need, particularly those of the LGBTQ community.
Speaker
The Club was addressed by Kimberly Dumpson, President For College Advancement of Rhode Island College and a member of Providence Rotary.
Ms Dumpston achieved her undergraduate degree at Towson State College in Maryland and Juris Doctor degree at Ohio Northern University.
Ms Dumpson gave a history of RIC as it evolved from the RI Normal School established in 1858 with emphasis on the College today. RIC is composed of 5 academic Schools and its basic goal is to support the RI community and to provide students with a good education at an affordable tuition. The affordable tuition both increases the pool of students who can attend, and results in graduates not having excessive student loan debt. The average tuition now still is under ten thousand dollars a year.
Three of the five academic schools have had particular relevance to the Covid Crisis - the schools of Nursing, Education, and Social Work.
The Feinstein School Of Education has done excellent work in partnering with school systems and non profit organizations.
Off campus facilities have been established in Central Falls for workforce development and the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center which is doing collaborative work with Brown University.
Ms. Dumpson narrated a visual presentation showing many recent improvements on campus consisting of both new buildings and renovated and repurposed buildings. In regard to future goals RIC aspires to expand educational options (in online courses, for example) and provide improved mental health services for students. Another important goal is to increase affordability through more scholarship opportunities. Achievement of this goal also furthers the diversity in student population.
In closing, Ms Dumpson advised that the financial health of RIC had been improved in recent years with the assets of the RIC Foundation increasing from a very modest amount to $43 million at the current time.