President Nick rang the bell for the last time on Friday, July 10. He handed over the gavel to our new President, Domonique Clemons. The 2026-27 club officers were also sworn in.
Above: President Domonique rings the bell for the first time as Past-President Nick looks on.
Left: Board members Domonique Clemons, Dawn Hibbard, Ashley Prew, Dave Perry, Ellen Echols, Michael Thorp, Ashly Haldy, and Casey Lester are sworn in.
The First Guest Speaker of the Rotary Year
by Dawn Hibbard
Ashley Prew, Dr. Jennifer DeAnna, and President Domonique
Last Friday, President Dom introduced the idea of sharing our "Rotary Moments" throughout the year-- a few moments where a featured Rotarian shares what Rotary means to them. Our first moment featured Ashley Prew, who shared that
she joined the Howell Rotary club while still in law school. She originally joined for the community service aspect and said she stays in Rotary for the relationships.
Our speaker was Dr. Jennifer DeAnna, of Mott Children’s Health Center. What’s new at the Center are some new and some expanded services in medical, behavioral health, specialty services, rehabilitation, dental and support services.
The expansion of services has facilitated a huge increase in the number of children served in rehabilitation services alone – from 297 in 202 to 10,700 in 2026. Specialty care additions include otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), cardiology, and optometry.
Integrated and support service changes have helped the center provide sensory adapted dental care, health education, nutrition services , behavioral health and care coordination.
Access innovations include transportation support, dental outreach, an on-site food pantry and school-based clinics, which take the services out into the community for greater access. The impact on children’s health across all programs is seen in the numbers, going from 31,000 children served in 2019 to 50,000 children served in 2026.
Earthquake Relief for Venezuela
by Elizabeth Jordan
Venezuela experienced back-to-back devastating earthquakes on June 24. Our Rotary friends in District 6330's London Rotaract have connections with the affected region and have set up a way for Rotarians to donate to earthquake relief through its partnership with Shelterbox. You can make a contribution here.
The United States and Venezuela have had a fraught political relationship in recent years, culminating with a brief military intervention in January that led to then-President Nicolas Maduro and his wife being captured and taken to the United States where they may face trial.
Long before the earthquake or the incursion, I had the chance to visit Caracas, Venezuela in the early 2000s. At that point, Hugo Chavez was the President of Venezuela, and his focus was on using the revenue of the oil industry to pay for things people needed. While not everyone there was a "Chavista" (a person who supported his administration), there was a strong affinity from many people for what they called the "Bolivarian Revolution."
Simon Bolivar was Venezuelan-born military officer known as the "Liberator" because he freed Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador from Spanish colonization. He called for the abolition of slavery and worked to set up a new Republic that included rights for people of all races. Understanding more about this history can be helpful in understanding current political dynamics in Venezuela.
Health and Welfare
Sadly, longtime Rotarian Howard Downing passed on July 1. His funeral was on July 11 and his obituary is available here. He was a devoted member of this Club and a steadfast supporter of the Flint Children's Museum.
Libby Maynard and Helen Philpott are both doing well but are not able to get out and about anymore. Both Libby and Helen have been made Honorary Rotary members due to their long tenure with the club.
New Member Second Reading
Name Classification Proposed By
Adam Reigle Real Estate- Investing David Smith
Members wishing to comment on proposed members must do so in writing to Club Secretary Ellen Echols no more than two weeks following the second reading.
Next Up: July 24- Regular Meeting at the Food Bank at Noon Featuring Flint Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones
Its's Time to Renew your Rotary Membership
Last month, Club Bookkeeper Amy van der Putte emailed a copy of the 2026-27 Rotary Membership Renewal form. Please fill it out and return it to her as soon as you are able-- you can either fill it out on the computer and email it to her, or complete a hard copy. If you need help, please contact Amy.
The membership form is also available to download from our Club website here:
District 7 clubs will once again be staffing the water station and intersections along our section of the Crim Festival of Races on Saturday, August 22. We are getting an early start on recruitment-- please sign up to volunteer! It starts with a fabulous breakfast at Mike Chaffee's at 6 am and you will be done before noon. It's a great way to be part of one of Flint's premiere events as you enjoy some Rotarian fellowship.
There is another volunteer opportunity the same weekend- with the Ally
Photo booth at a previous Crim race
Challenge. Volunteer slots are available throughout the week of August 24-30- you can sign up here.
