Club UpdatesDon't forget that in 2 weeks we have no meeting because we will be marching in the Tulip Time parade as grand marshalls. Signup for Tulip Time Grandstand Greeters is still open. If you're not marching in the parade Thursday with the area Rotarians, you can be in the stands having fun with the visitors. And speaking of marching in the parade, did you know that your family is welcome as well? Robert Ortman is looking for a few more people to portray Wizard of OZ characters on the float. We need a tin man, scarecrow, and cowardly lion. Annual West Ottawa Challenged Student's Luncheon Every year we meet with the students and their teachers and aides. Students are brought in from every school in the West Ottawa Public School District.  About 25 Rotarians attended lunch at WOPS Lakewood School on April 28 with the Challenged Students from that district. Lakewood is the learning center for all elementary age special needs learners and the middle and high school kids were bussed in. We were greeted by Principal Ghareeb and Special Education Director Tanya Uganski and Rotarians, students, and staff had a nice gathering time of getting to know each other. We had a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Noelle and her team and the students sang a lovely song called Working Together. Also present were the Lakewood Links, 4th and 5th grade students that volunteer as learning partners with the Challenged students. Many students and staff wore red tee shirts for Autism Awareness.  Catherine Ristola Bass presented a check for $1,000 from the Club to the school to help defray the cost of snacks and cleaning items needed for this population of students and additional cash and other gifts were collected. Jim White, our returned snowbird, was presented with his two checks for having won 3rd and 6th place from the District Foundation raffle and he promptly offered one of those up as an additional gift to the program. It was a wonderful meeting, many thanks to Robert Ortman for shepherding this project every year. |
Steve VanderVeen has a varied career. He spent 32 years in academia, teaching marketing, leadership, and entrepreneurship at Calvin University, Trinity Christian College, and Hope College. At Hope College he directed the Center for Faithful Leadership and developed CFL Consulting, Hope Entrepreneurship Initiative, and the Leadership Minor; he also advised the Baker Scholars.
