Club Assembly, Member Q&A 

Fourth quarter invoices for club operations will go out mid-May.  Operations invoices will be smaller than in the past due to reduced Drake Center and meals due to Covid-19.  Wednesday noon members are encouraged to donate those savings to RCFC charities. 

 

Charity invoices will go out end of May or early June.  These donations are essential for funding the many projects and grants in which we participate.  Reminder: if you haven’t paid your 2019-2020 pledges yet, please do so. 

 

The Financial Commitment Forms (the “Ask Forms”) will be sent out shortly and should be returned by June 1 to allow planning for the coming fiscal year. 

 

Discussion of the Wednesday noon venue options.  Unfortunately, it will probably be a long time before we return to face-to-face meetings, probably no sooner than late Summer or early Fall (Rotary International has committed to doing remote meetings for the rest of 2020).  With some 76 responses, the on-line survey showed some 72% in favor of moving to 1st Presbyterian Church, 23% in favor of staying at Drake Center, and 4% with no opinion.  A strong majority indicated that they would continue to attend noon meetings no matter which of the venues is ultimately chosen.  Moving to the Marriott was also investigated but they discouraged our efforts and were way too expensive.  A move to 1st Presbyterian if done, will be done at the right time for us and them.  If we move to 1st Presbyterian, it is unlikely that our meeting would be bumped for a funeral or other church activity.  If we move, there is the question of whether to return the savings to member or contribute savings to RCFC charities.  

 

Improving amenities?  Using reusable plates rather than paper would reduce waste but would be more expensive and would require washing dishes each week. Marriott will apparently soon change to served plates rather than food lines to make food handling more sanitary.  Upgrading chairs is possible but will wait future discussions.  Upgrading projector and lens at 1st Presbyterian is also under discussion and will probably happen if we move the venue.  No matter the venue, there is the possibility of making ZOOM meetings possible for those who don’t wish to attend in person. 

 

President Rob led a discussion about the Covid-19 pandemic.  The coronavirus is primarily airborne with some 80% of patients contracting it from family or on public transportation.  Masks: N-95 is still the most effective mask, but any mask will reduce the possibility of you giving the virus to someone else, although of varying effectiveness in protecting you from someone else.  Adequate universal testing is dependent on improving both numbers and accuracy of testing.  Although Remdesivir apparently shows some improvement in recovery from the disease, there is still no effective therapy that is widely applicable or available.  It is still unclear if survivors have acquired immunity to the virus.  It is still unclear when an effective vaccine will be available, especially if there are mutant forms of the virus requiring a multivalent vaccine.

 

There are three phases for transitioning to more normal societal interactions.