Rotary News

Kalamazoo Rotary News, Meeting of September 17, 2007

Karl Sandelin, Writer

President Judy presided, asking Doug Vernon to lead us in prayer:

Good and Gracious God, we bow before you in awe and thanksgiving for the beauty of these last days of summer. We rejoice in all your blessings of this Harvest season of fruitfulness and abundance.

Where and when others are excluded from all the benefits of your goodness, O God, we offer ourselves in service. As Rotarians who seek to build goodwill, we offer ourselves in service to our neighbor in need.

We give thanks for one another, for the friendships we share, and the common calling of a better community that is ours.

Bless, we pray, our gathering this day,, that all of it might be fair and true and to your glory. Amen!

News of the day met with applause: O.J. Simpson in Las Vegas jail!

Visiting Rotarians from the following clubs were introduced by table hosts Greg Taylor, Tom Little, Sean McCann, Jim Escamilla and Rob Peterson: Climax, Portage (2), Gull Lake, Parchment and Rochester, Minnesota. Table hosts now accompany the visitors to underscore that we appreciate the visit - a new practice - given propel recognition by the club!

Guests were introduced by Bob Brown (wife Lena Khorsheva-Brown), Thell Woods ( two guests: Jeff Perry and Larry Nichols), Ric Brown (Phil Torrence), Charlie Robertson (Bryan Burkey), Jerry Lord (Todd Brown), Ed Sackley (Diana Beregwin) and Adam Wade (John Schreuder).

No fines - but tokens of gladness were given by several Rotarians (listing not complete - poor note taking skills by writer):

Mathew Bates - New Girl Scout Building Complete, corner of W. Maple Street and Crosstown Parkway, 27,000 sq. feet - welcome!;

PP Joe Gagie - new grandson, 14^th (of all grandchildren)!

Program, Introduced by Mary Jo Asmus:

"Leading the Region's Future"

Presentation by Ron Kitchens, CEO, Southwest Michigan First

Ron Kitchens prefaced his remarks by reiterating observations he hears from others about his job, wondering about the difficulties working on economic development in times like these - not made easier when the state legislature adds to uncertainties by not being able to agree on a budget. The reporter's summary of the talk follows:

Michigan may be likened to a sailing ship. No wind in the sails - being becalmed is worse than a headwind - there is no movement, what can be done? In desperation, in days of old, when this did happen to a sailing ship, something was done. The captain would have a light anchor (a kedge) loaded into a row boat and rowed as far away as the line would allow, the anchor would be set, and then all on board the ship would pull the line as if their lives depended on it, moving the ship the distance to the anchor. The process would then be repeated again and again until the ship go to where it needed to be - a lot of work, but a way of overcoming the tide that would otherwise have pulled the ship into the rocks.

We have a choice - we can either do the hard work, or hit the rocks, knowing that there will be casualties, but that some of us will survive. "I believe it is un-American and a sin in God's eyes to do nothing and let the ship hit the rocks. We have all been given talents, skills and assets that we can leverage...but we must come together to achieve this success."

Mr. Kitchens observed that this may seem an odd way to begin a speech about the economic future of the region, but we live in a time of psychological recession...talk about the bleakness of the future...who is to blame ... very little about a future path to relevance. The future of this region will not be written by those who have buried Michigan but by those who grab the rope and pull the ship to prosperity.

To Mr. Kitchens, the words of Ewing Kauffman describe prosperity, "The best social program in the world is a well paying job with health care benefits and a retirement program." Further, he believes that the best map to achieve the future we require (is) in a model called Community Capitalism which focuses on five key areas:

1. Community - Community Centers that Thrive (local stories: Radisson, Union Bistro and partnership with Western Michigan Music.

2. Talent - Building on strength (local stories: talent and purpose driven community - Greenleaf, Stryker, Ziegler's, KVCC, CSM, Bronson Hospital's Commitment to Talent: among Best Places to Work and Baldrige Award).

3. Education - Great minds do great things - Hewlett Packard (local stories: Kalamazoo Promise, Monroe Brown internship).

4. Capital - It is about money (local stories: Venture Fund, First Angels, Kalamazoo Community Foundation).

5. Infrastructure - Sense of place (Innovation Center, Business Park / Partnership - Engineering School, Mid Link).

A stimulating presentation (necessarily compressed), imbued with optimism, and a call for all to join in pulling the ship ahead