Past President Pam Tubbs at the piano accompanying Mary Insley with a holiday sing-along
At the annual meeting, we elected the following officers:
President Jeff Wells
President-Elect Barbara Lipskis
Vice President David Duncan
Secretary-Treasurer LauraBeth DeHority
Immediate Past President Laurie Harrison
The following will serve as directors during the 2023-2024 Rotary year:
Bob Batcher Rachel Bellis
Michael Desplaines Lauren Kiger
Barbara Lifland Jeff Ryder
Jim Tucker
President Laurie thanks those who are willing to serve our club in the upcoming year. Congratulations to all who were elected.
The membership also approved the dues and meals:
Active membership:
$137 Dues
$540 Operations and Meals
$677 Total
Senior Active/ Meal Waivers & Leave of Attendance:
$137 Dues
$228 Operations Charge.
$365 Total
Any member requesting a meal waiver a meal may incur an additional meeting assessment due to Norfolk Yacht & Country Club charging per member in attendance, not by those eating a meal.
Committee Reports:
Jeff Wells (President-Elect) reminded club members that the application for a grant from our club must be submitted no later than February 14, 2023. He also reported that the participation in Holiday parade had 33 people participating.
David Duncan (Secretary/Treasurer) and Gus Stuhlreyer (Finance Committee) reported that the club’s annual budget is about $130,000 per year.
Barbara Lifland advised of the upcoming relocation of the club’s office.
Marty Raiss (Fellowship) reported that the successful golf tournament raised about $5,000 for PolioPlus. Fun socials were held at the homes of Linwood Beckner and Susan Donn. The Million Bulb Walk and the social at Norfolk Botanical Garden were delightful.
Sharon Laderberg (Public Image) thanked Brian McGuire for his work on Rotations, Jim O’Brien will work on the club’s history, Joey Rothgery’s committee has provided meaningful resolutions, Sigur Whitaker maintains the club’s website, and all are invited to post relevant content to our Facebook page.
Lauren Kiger (Membership) is planning to have a membership drive during February. Please plan to bring prospective members to the club.
Chris Bugg (Fundraising). GrowlFest raised about $3,100. Suds & Buds will be Thursday, May 18. The third partner this year is CHKD. We are currently seeking sponsors for the event, our largest fundraiser of the year.
Kelly Stefanko (Community & International Service) reported that to date we have 612 volunteer hours which has an economic value of $14,400. Eleanor Schoonover and Bernhanu Mengitsu are continuing work on the Ethiopian water project.
Tom Ambler (Vocational Service) stated that the Club is supporting one person for RYLA. Career Day is returning after Covid and volunteers to have a high school student shadow them for a day learning about the member’s vocation are needed.
Sigur Whitaker was awarded the James Pierce Leadership Award for her work on behalf of the Rotary Foundation at the Foundation banquet.
The Meeting
Dr. Bill Lehew is in rehab at Lake Taylor.
We welcomed Al Carmichael’s wife, Ann, and Pam Tubbs’ husband, Ace, to the meeting. We also have visiting Rotarian Ralph Peters who is with the German Navy currently stationed at NATO.
Happy Bucks:
- Bill Davis confessed that his phone went off at last week’s meeting.
- Jim Kitz has contributed $200 because Army beat Navy last weekend in football. He wants Jim O’Brien and Chris Bugg to pay up because Navy came out on the short end of the game.
- Eleanor Schoonover and Jeff Wells attended the wonderful Vienna Boys’ Choir concert.
- Lois Kercher contributed because Norfolk Botanical Garden was beautifully bedecked with a million bulbs.
- Lorna Cochrane was happy golfing in our balmy weather while her brother in Canada was enduring minus forty degrees. BRRRR!
- Susan Donn is happy that her former home has sold.
- Joe Massey confessed that he was without his Rotary pin. Joe also made a remarkable contribution to the club in excess of $6,000 for which he received a standing ovation.
- Marcia Conston has received an Inside Business Award for Women. Congratulations to Marcia.
Join us for a Rotary Club of Norfolk Winter Social on Thursday, January 26 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Harbors Edge retirement community in downtown Norfolk. More information in the coming weeks.
Our next meeting will be on January 3rd at Town Point Club. Parking is across the street at Town Point Garage.
Santa enlisted about 20 Rotary elves and their family members on December 10 to help bag and tag thousands of toys for the upcoming Salvation Army toy distribution in partnership with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots and The Joy Fund programs. Thanks go to Rotarian Jeff Ryder for organizing our volunteer team, which included a visiting German Rotarian working in our area with NATO. Thanks also go to our club member, Major Donald Dohmann, who heads our area Salvation Army Command and whose wife Major Laura Dohmann led our volunteer teams. 
Rotary Club of Norfolk members, family and friends shared the spirit of Rotary at the November 19 holiday parade in downtown Norfolk. Thanks go to the ever-enthusiastic Jeff Wells for spearheading our club's Rotary float and marching brigade that lit up the night. It was a spectacular parade made even better by having Rotarians participate. 