David Anderson welcomed everyone to the Rotary Club of Miami Evening Satellite Club Meeting. 

 

Jay Almeida gave the invocation.  Cathy Cahill led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Announcements:

Today’s Date in History; August 3^rd.  In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail on his first voyage.  Little did he know that he was going to discover a completely new continent.  In 1914, Germany invaded Belgium and declared war on France, effectively starting World War I.  In 1934, Adolf Hitler merged the office of Chancellor and President declaring himself “Fuhrer” (leader).

 

Rotary’s Seventh Area of Focus: A little more than a year ago, Rotary International established an additional area of focus: Supporting the Environment.  In our Club, we recently created ESMAG, the Environmental Sustainability Miami Action Group. ESMAG is an action group that is part of the our Club’s Community Service function and is open to all Members of our Club, their family and friends, and others who are interested in addressing environmental issues in our area. Everyone is encouraged to join, participate and come up with additional projects that we may handle. ESMAG has its own website: www.esmag.org.  Please visit  this website. ESMAG also has its own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/esmag1917. If you conduct any solo environmental activities, please take some photos and email them to Robert Bull.  He will post them on ESMAG’s Facebook page.  Additionally, students may earn Community Service hours, just let us know, send some photos as proof and a Community Service Certificate will be emailed to the student.

 

International Coastal Cleanup:  Saturday, September 18^th is the International Coastal Cleanup Day.  Thousands of volunteers will cleanup coastlines and rivers across the World.  Our Club will be working in Matheson Hammock again this year.  Sign up for this event will be in a few weeks.  We will keep you posted.  Our Club is also supporting (funding refreshments and supplies) the Miami Yacht Club on this day as they plan to have about two hundred (200) volunteers working in area close by the Club.

 

Keynote Speaker: Katherine Avrakotos from the Coral Restoration Foundation was our keynote speaker.  The Coral Restoration Foundation is working on the largest coral reef restoration project in the World and it is right here along the Florida Keys.  After Ms. Avrakotos presentation and question & answer session, David Anderson presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation and let Katherine know that we will be planting a tree in her honor.

 

Inspiration Note: Yesterday, August 2^nd was Friendship Day.  According to the founder of the Rotary Club, Paul Harris, “Friendship was the foundation rock on which Rotary was built” and “Rotary is the door to friendship.  Let us throw it open to everyone.” Happy Friendship Day!

 

Four-Way Test: To end the meeting, President Noreen Timoney led us in the Four-Way Test.