The Rote – September 1, 2022
Miami Yacht Club and on Zoom
Scribe: Marcia Brod

President Brian Tschirhart welcomed everyone to today’s meeting. Marcia Brod gave an invocation and Dave Skinner led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Visitors and Guests were introduced by Diane Landsberg

Claudia Marroquin, a prospective member, is a realtor and an interior designer for commercial and residential real estate. She has also partnered every so often with our own Norby Rudel in a duet or two.

Emily Montes is a Development Associate with Moving Health and is also a prospective member.

John Fulton and Kristin Stafford are visiting Rotarians from the Brickell Club.

 

New Member Induction

Norby Rudel, a past president of the Club, had the distinct honor to induct our new member, Elena Hines, today. Welcome to the Rotary family, Elena!!!

Here’s Best wishes to our September celebrants (there are a lot of them!):

Patrick Alu-Otokiti – 9/1
Norm Kassoff – 9/4
Frank Voytek – 9/5
Jimmy Smiley – 9/15
Angela Deggs – 9/18
Robert Bull – 9/22
Marcos Menendez – 9/22
Miryam Cortina – 9/23
Arlene Terrinoni – 9/24
Phil Seipp – 9/26

 

Thursday, September 8: Zoom only luncheon meeting. Our speaker will be Chief Marcos De La Rosa of the Coral Gables Fire Department

Thursday, September 15: In-person luncheon meeting at the Miami Yacht Club. Our speaker will be Dr. Aviel Lemus, Founder and Lead Physician of Daycare Doctors. Plan to attend this interesting meeting.

Saturday, September 17:

International Beach Cleanup Day – pick your location and help our environment.

Also – Rotary Leadership Institute at Keiser University from 8:30-4:30. If you haven’t already, take advantage of this wonderful Rotary learning experience. The Club will reimburse those attending for 50% of the $100 registration fee.

Sunday, October 9: Celebrate the soon-to-be addition to Amelia Bonilla’s family. We will have a baby shower (everyone is invited) at 2pm at the home of Diane Landsberg – details to follow.

Saturday, October 15: The District Interact Conference will be held at Miami Dade College downtown. Volunteers are needed to help with registration.

Thanks to Dave Skinner and Norby and Maria Rudel another Little Library has been placed in our community.

Treasurer Phil Seipp requests that if you plan to replenish your Club account via Zelle, please make the transfers in $50 increments to minimize the administrative work.

The Little Haiti Girls Soccer Club will be a focus of a future fundraising effort. Be on the lookout for an email with the Story and the why and how we are supporting the team.

Today’s Speaker was introduced by Steve Dutton

The Honorable Steven "Steve" Leifman is an associate administrative judge for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He has served as Special Advisor on Criminal Justice and Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida since 2007. He is known for his efforts to keep mentally ill individuals out of prisons and jails.

Through the advent of the Miami-Dade Criminal Mental Health Project in 2000, Judge Leifman has specifically worked to reform the way people with mental health disorders are treated inside the criminal justice system.

He is just one of the driving forces behind a first-in-the-nation facility being built in Allapattah and specializing in the treatment of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues. Once it's done, the facility will include 208 beds with the opportunity to voluntarily stay for up to a year. It will include a culinary jobs training program; full primary healthcare and dental care; psychiatric services; a full indoor basketball gym, and a library.

“The idea is if we make it really nice, maybe they'll want to stay,” Leifman said.

The intention is to help get treatment to what he calls “high utilizers” — the people who are repeatedly arrested for minor offenses, then released, then rearrested. Often, these same individuals have untreated mental health conditions and are experiencing homelessness.

The building will also include a mini-courtroom where any ongoing cases can be heard, as well as offices for prosecutors and defense attorneys.

We all look forward to a tour of this facility in the beginning of 2023.

Special Presentation

 

President Brian presented an honorary gavel to Past President Noreen Timoney. This was a small token of thanks on behalf of the entire club for her leadership and guidance during her term as president in 2021-22.

 

Steve Dutton was the lucky ticket holder in today’s 50/50 Raffle drawing. His luck ran out when he did not pick the correct card from the deck for the financial win. Not to be too disappointed, he did receive the consolation prize of a bottle of wine! Cheers!

Four Way Test

Immediate Past President Noreen Timoney led the Club in the 4 Way Test of the Things We Think, Say or Do.