Lincoln Rotary Club’s Meeting at the Park

 

[July 03, 2020] 

Lincoln’s Rotary Club held an in-person weekly meeting on July 1, 2020, at the Rotary Pavilion at Memorial Park.

Some participants chose to greet the organization’s new President, Dr. Dennis Campbell, via a drive-through option in which he provided them with their club directories for the coming year. However, over 20 members brought their lunches and gathered for an hour-long picnic meeting in the pavilion. Distancing and facemask restrictions did not dampen the enthusiasm with which they caught up on program details and personal doings of friends.

This was the first face-to-face Rotary meeting since coronavirus pandemic restrictions shuttered the organization in mid-March. Though the planned program honoring outgoing President, Christine Short, had to be deferred, Campbell led the group through other meeting items, ranging from traditional song to an update on community service projects.

Rotary projects

Because of the coronavirus hiatus, finalization of the implementation of a Rotary District grant for an installation of handicapped accessible playground equipment has been put on hold. However, the Rotary has continued with their highway cleanup day and with assistance to local food pantries. Members have also made extra donations to project funds by contributing the amount they would have paid for a catered lunch at their former meeting venue.

Rotary Opens Opportunities

Campbell reported that the theme for this year’s Rotary International is “Rotary Opens Opportunities” and challenged members to be inventive in designing new projects for the year. “I am anxious to commit to weekly meetings and to organizing interesting programs,” said Campbell.

He later noted. “My training for this present post was modified and provided online, and necessity has strengthened our incentive to use technology in presentations.  But our membership has a long tradition of getting together, and that cannot be replaced. Until the pandemic threats are over, we will have to be flexible and are grateful for the availability of those places that can accommodate us.”

Back to a regular meeting schedule

Members agree that getting together in person is at the core of their activities. Bob Parrish, a Rotarian since 1981, Dale Meier, with the group since 1975, and Don Jordan, who joined in 1969, all concurred that the group has never had a time when they couldn’t hold weekly luncheon meetings. They may have had to cancel a single meeting because of bad weather, and have met at various venues, including the Lincoln Creekside Pavilion and the Memorial Park Rotary Pavilion, just for a change of scene. But in over 50 years, there has not been an extended break such as has occurred this year.

The group will be meeting on July 8 at the Knights of Columbus Beer Garden Pavilion at the Fairgrounds, and future meetings will follow the State’s Coronavirus safety mandates and recommendations, as was the recent Memorial Park Pavilion meeting. The official meeting starts at 12:15 pm, but Campbell said that there are several food trucks open on Wednesdays at the fairgrounds, so members can pick up lunch there or bring their own. Anyone interested in additional information about Rotary and their local and worldwide activities, or who wants to visit a meeting or even join the organization, can contact Dennis Campbell at [e-mail].

[Pamela Moriearty]