Come join us to support our Hudson 4 Way Test Speech Contestants. Kudos to these Students for stepping up and challenging themselves!
We will award $400 for 1st Place / $300 for 2nd place / $200 for 3rd place / $100 for 4th place. Our local Winner will move on to compete at the District Competition on April 26, 2019 at Aurora High School.
Would you like to give a 4 Way Test Speech at an upcoming Rotary meeting? If we have enough interest, we will have a fun competition! It would be a great way to share something you are passionate about and a good opportunity to get to know each other better. The prizes won't be as nice as the Students receive, but we will have fun!
In 2015, the Rotary Club of Hudson established the Jimmy Sutphin Award to recognize a deserving Rotarian or Hudson Community leader who most closely reflects dedication to the “Service Above Self” Rotary standard.
The initial recipient was Jimmy “Inky” Sutphin, a friend and colleague of both the Rotary Club of Hudson and the Hudson Community. Jimmy was universally loved by local citizens who benefited by his communication skills and his empathy for all he encountered. The award has not been bestowed again since then.
The Sutphin Award once again recognizes a local leader who has made a difference in so many lives in our community.
The criteria for consideration of an individual for the award include:
Is actively involved in the Hudson community (not necessarily a resident)
Exhibits the general objectives of Rotary in his/her personal and business life
Exhibits the ideals of the 4-way test in his/her personal and business life
Demonstrates leadership qualities
Makes a significant impact on the overall community
Demonstrates creativity and initiative
Demonstrates responsibility and dependability
Doesn’t have to be well known, but could be an “unsung hero” doing good deeds throughout the community
The 2019 recipient of the Jimmy Sutphin award is Lani Banner, Coordinator of the Hudson High School Service Learning program that incorporates Social Studies and English with actual on-site community volunteering. The program has expanded from 25 students in its first year in 1998 to the current class size of 90 seniors.
The Rotary Club of Hudson has consistently provided financial support to Service Learning through its Foundation and has participated in volunteer community projects and classroom discussions with the students. Service Learning’s purpose is to:
Go beyond the Hudson “bubble”
Step outside the student’s comfort zone
Change preconceived notions of classmates, groups or ideas
Cultivate joy and gratitude
Encourage civic activism
Foster compassion and empathy
An example of the Service Learning activities led by Lani is the contemporary policy projects where students work in groups to problem solve pressing community issues through research, creative presentations in front of Rotarians and in classroom dialogue as expert witnesses. Another example is the Random Acts of Kindness research and presentations of findings and recommendations by student project teams.
Lani and the Service Learning staff of Jamie Kosmin, Marty Bach and Brittany Amiet teach with a notable love of and commitment to the development of understanding and compassion in their students with the hope that they will go forth and contribute to the betterment of society. Lani, as a leader and educator exemplifies the Jimmy Sutphin standard of making a difference in our community, both present and future.
Congratulations and thanks to Lani for a job well done!
Rotary members are People of Action applying leadership to solving social issues, tackling community challenges and finding lasting solutions to the world’s systemic problems.
The Rotary Club of Hudson has selected three primary beneficiaries for its 35th annual Gala to be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Twinsburg on May 17, 2019. The 2018 Gala raised more than $65,000 in gross revenues to allow major contributions to community services. Ron Strobl continues to chair the Gala effort with the help of co-chairs Kris Barker and Marilyn Orr.
The featured beneficiaries for 2019 are:
Hudson Community First’s “Uncharted Waters”: What Every Senior Needs to Know Before Going to College, a comprehensive one day workshop for all Hudson High School seniors to examine the challenges young people may face upon entering their college years. Topics include anxiety and depression, binge drinking, drugs, date rape, fire safety and overall wellness. Speakers include psychologists, lawyers, safety counselors, college administrators and college students. This will be the third year of Rotary sponsorship for the program.
The Gift of Life of Northeast Ohio, a program that the Rotary Club of Hudson has supported for many years. Funds raised from the annual Gala provide needed heart surgeries for medically struggling children in underdeveloped countries such as Haiti. Doctors from our area, some of whom live in Hudson, as well as local hospitals, donate their skills and services.
Boy Scout Troop 321’s request for funds to perform needed repairs to the historic Boy Scout Cabin located at Hudson’s Green on Main street downtown. The log cabin, used by the Scouts for meetings and for Hudson community activities, was originally built by the Hudson Rotary in 1931. Founded in 1918, Troop 321 meets weekly in the log cabin where thousands of scouts have developed leadership, personal and life skills. Over the years, 115 local members have achieved Eagle Scout, a rank attained by less than 2% of all Scouts nationally.
The Gala proceeds also support Hudson students through Scholarships, Service Learning Classes and International Exchange students. These programs afford students the opportunities to become involved with and represent the Hudson community as a whole.
Major sponsors for the 2019 Gala are currently being confirmed:
Kaulig Companies has committed to being a Platinum sponsor.
Akron Children’s Hospital, PEGS Foundation and the Tobin Family will be Silver sponsors.
For further information about providing auction gifts or becoming a sponsor please go to www.rotaryhudson.org or contact Ron Strobl at ronsuestrobl@gmail.com.