When paying with a Credit Card, fees approach $1 per transaction, Cash is preferred.
Announcements
Easter Seals is no longer available for meetings. Club committees will now meet at Tom Tarzwell’s office, 490 Woodruff Ave., Wakefield.
August 30, 8AM is the monthly breakfast/coffee at Meldgie’s in Wakefield.
Beth explained that the Little Red Schoolhouse (homage to the fact that Paul Harris grew up in a similar structure) has been dedicated to collecting funds for Alzheimer’s research. Last year club members donated $750. Please give when you see it on the podium at meetings.
Help is needed to plan logistics for the fall Bumper Ball Beach Challenge. Meet at Narragansett Town Beach Wednesday, September 4 at 6 PM.
Last call for the annual picnic! It will be Sunday, September 8, from noon to 3 PM at the Matunuck Community Association, Matunuck Beach Road. The menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, stuffies, chowder and clam cakes, baked potatoes, sweet corn and fixings is free. If you want to add steak or lobster it will be $15. Bring a dish to pass, either an appetizer, snack, salad, or dessert. There will be music, games, and an auction (see below).
One of the hot auction items is Lori Horton’s condo in Waterville Valley, which sleeps up to 10 people and includes a fireplace and deck. You can check it out at http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p109357
Other auction items include a new 21-speed men’s mountain bike, a deep sea fishing trip, OLLI gift certificate, wine, and MORE!
Our September 12 program will be a visit from the District Governor. Bob announced that the DG position is open if anyone is interested in being nominated.
Happy Bucks
Russell just returned from an RV trip to Glacier National Park and the upper Midwest. He saw a lot of wild animals and tall Norwegians.
Martha is happy that school is beginning.
Sandy is proud that she swam all the way from the URI Bay Campus to Dutch Island.
Martin is celebrating his 37th anniversary.
Betsy has tickets to Zac Brown at Fenway.
Bob and Bill helped fellow-Rotarian Donna move to her new house.
Beth reminded us to give to the Little Red Schoolhouse for Alzheimer’s research.
PROGRAM
Program: An Update on the University of Rhode Island Student Services by Dean of Students Dan Graney and Director of Health Services Ellen Reynolds
URI is growing, currently enrolling 14,600 undergraduates, 2200 graduate students, and 1330 continuing education and certificate students. About half come from Rhode Island, the other half from all over the United States and across the world. The campus will welcome 3300 new students this fall. Admission is competitive, with the average new first year student bringing a 3.4 GPA from high school.
The campus has undergone a good deal of construction in the past year. The new Engineering Center opens next week, the 500-bed Brookside apartment complex will open in January, the bike path will be extended onto campus by December, and the Fine Arts Building will undergo a phased renovation, starting now with the exterior. Meade Stadium has a new turf field and lights — the first night football game is set for September 7.
Dan and Ellen discussed the points of pride for the university (athletic teams, the International Engineering program, Digital Cybersecurity and Forensics, and extensive federal research support) as well as challenges (increasing cost of higher education, declining state funding, a declining high school population, mental health issues, and financial/food/housing insecurity). The staff in Student Affairs is dedicated to meeting the needs of all of the students and identifying resources to help meet their challenges. For example, the Health Center that Ellen oversees is a comprehensive ambulatory care facility including x-rays and a pharmacy, and serves 200 patients per day (seven days a week) during the academic year.