Continue reading »]]> Keith Lakatosh, President, 248-854-8446

Earth Day weekend was an exciting weekend for the Rochester Area Jaycees.  Friday April 24^th marked, the 1^st annual Green Career Fair organized by the Rochester Area Jaycees in association with the Michigan Earth Day Festival.  Thanks to Julia Webber and her committee (Dan Moellering, Jason Matz, Andrea Langhoff and Lindsey Lee) for their efforts.  There were over a dozen exhibitors available to assist participants with critiquing their resumes for the jobs of the future.  They also offered presentations on how to increase your marketability in this changing economic climate.  Overall there were over 100 participants for this free career fair.  Congratulations on a job well done.

The rest of the weekend, the Rochester Area Jaycees had an opportunity to have a membership booth at the Michigan Earth Day Festival, the largest Earth Day festival in Michigan. It was a great chance for our chapter to survey members of the community and inform them of our mission and some of the events we organize throughout the year.

Thanks to Michigan Jaycee President Darlene Dresch for making the trip out to support our chapter over the weekend.  She was able to make many great contacts, not only for our chapter, but for the Michigan Jaycees as well. Connections were made this weekend that will help our chapter fulfill many of the goals we set out to do through our chapter planning.  Hopefully there will be opportunity to partner with other local community organizations throughout the remainder of the year.  Thank you to everyone else who took time over this weekend to promote the cause of the Rochester Area Jaycees and talk to members of the community about what we do.  I hope you found it as rewarding as I did.

The last thing I would like to talk about is the Earth Day Festival itself.  It was wonderful having the opportunity to talk to so many people committed to addressing some of the most critical problems we face as a country today. It was encouraging to see the focus on supporting local business, organic and natural foods, minimizing our waste and clean renewable energy.  I think the Rochester Jaycees’ mission to provide leadership development through local community activity was greatly received.

Continue reading »]]> Julia Webber, Community VP, 248-613-6875

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010 @ 7:00-9:00 AM

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY’S SHOTWELL-GUSTAFSON PAVILION

The Rochester Area Prayer Breakfast is an annual, non-denominational event held in recognition of the National Day of Prayer, instituted in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and then-President Harry S. Truman for the purpose of bringing together people of different backgrounds and affiliations for the betterment of the community, the state and the nation.

The 29th annual breakfast takes place Thursday, May 6, from 7 – 9 a.m. at Oakland University’s Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. This year’s keynote speaker is retired Lt. Col. Steve Russell who during Operation Iraqi Freedom commanded the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry “Regulars” and oversaw the capture of Saddam Hussein. Russell is the Chairman and Founder of Vets for Victory, an organization that works to better the lives of America’s military men and women.

Several chapter members will be attending the breakfast this year. If you are interested in attending, please contact me  for more information.

DIRECTIONS TO THE SHOTWELL-GUSTAFSON PAVILION

Continue reading »]]> Elspeth Coats, Associate Member, 248-853-5632

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 @ 7:00 PM

COATS’ HOME- 799 LOCKMOORE CT., ROCHESTER HILLS

The Rochester Area Jaycees have teamed up to help fight cancer.  We are walking in the Rochester Relay for Life on June 26 and are trying to raise money for the event.

Stephanie Jurva, a Tastefully Simple consultant, has graciously volunteered to help us out!  We are having a Tastefully Simple Party and Stephanie will donate 20% of all sales from the party to our Relay for Life team!

Tastefully Simple sells foods that are designed to help people spend less time in the kitchen.  Some are ready to eat, and others require 1 or 2 ingredients, and the food is YUMMY!  For more information about it go to www.tastefullysimple.com.

Come to the party at my house and sample many of the things Tastefully Simple has to offer including there yummy drink buckets.  If you can’t make it to the party, but want to order something, please let me know and we will get you a catalog and/or online order form.

DIRECTIONS TO THE COATS’

Continue reading »]]> Keith Lakatosh, President, 248-854-8446

Eric Rolfe from the Madison Heights Jaycees has offered a challenge to the Region F Jaycees. With the goal of raising funds for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, starting now and continuing until the August convention (August 13th) we will be at WAR… PENNY WAR!  Here is how it works:

1. Eric will be collecting change at our monthly General Membership Meetings.

2. We increase our score based on the number of pennies we collect.

3. For “silver” change, we DO NOT gain points, but we get to reduce the score of another chapter in the region, They are: Farmington, Madison Heights, Port Huron, Royal Oak, Shores area, Warren, and Waterford.

4. Paper bills will be accepted, but will not count towards total points.

5. The chapter that has the highest score (or least lowest) at the end wins the war.

So what do we win?  Aside from bragging rights, Eric has offered the winning chapter the opportunity to exploit his knowledge and time for up to two projects for the chapter.  As you know this can be very helpful for us, considering the amount of manpower required for events like Haunted House and Christmas Shopping Tour.  Also, for every $100 collected over the initial goal of $300, Eric will provide $50 towards a celebratory membership social to the winner.  So empty out your sock drawers, search under the couch cushions, and empty out your cup holders in your cars.  Let’s show the region how good we are at raising funds for a good cause!

Continue reading »]]> Andrea Langhoff, General Member and co-chair, 302-753-0136

SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2010 @ 7:00 PM

MI PUEBLO RESTAURANT, 7278 DIX RD, DETROIT

Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence day?  Do you know why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated?  Are you busy on May 5 and/or have an early morning the next day?  Do you enjoy tasty dinner spent in the company of friends?

WE HAVE THE PERFECT EVENT FOR YOU!

Join us in a sequential celebration of Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 8.  We will be having dinner at 7:00pm at Mi Pueblo in Detroit.  The Mi Pueblo restaurant is a colorful setting of archways, terra-cota walls and murals of Mexican scenes.  Come and enjoy a savory dinner, a message about Cinco de Mayo and a fiesta with your closest amigos.

We will be meeting at 5:45pm at Meijer on Rochester Road for anyone interested in carpooling. If you have any questions or concerns please feel to contact Andrea Langhoff at 302.753.0136 or langhoffar@gmail.com

Mi Pueblo Website

DIRECTIONS TO MI PUEBLO RESTAURANT

DIRECTIONS TO MEIJER (CARPOOL)

Continue reading »]]> MONDAY, MAY 10 , 2010 @ 7:00 PM – MOELLERINGS’ HOUSE

The Monday before the second Thursday of the month (the GMM), the board meets to go over the business of running the chapter and projects. This meeting will be held at Dan & Jocelyn Moellering’s home at 788 Francis St. in Rochester Hills at 7:00 pm. All members are welcome to attend to discuss any project that is planned or that they would like to have added to our existing programs!

DIRECTIONS TO THE MOELLERINGS’

Continue reading »]]> Jocelyn Moellering, Individual Development VP, 231-383-5623

We have officially fulfilled one of our goals in our chapter plan to “donate one member to the Peace Corps.” On April 26, RAJC Community Director Kaitlin Schaefer flew off to the nation of Georgia to participate in a 27-month program with the Peace Corps. One of her many activities will be teaching English to the native Georgians, who speak their own language with an entirely different alphabet. She plans to keep us up to date on her many adventures there and you can read about them on her blog at kjschaefer.wordpress.com.

Kaitlin was a vital board member who always gave her time, effort, and great attitude to many projects since joining our chapter last May. She worked with Community VP Julia Webber on a variety of projects and headed up the monthly community donations at GMMs. She inspired her fellow chapter members with her positive attitude, sense of humor, and desire to help her community. On a more personal note, she was a wonderful babysitter to our son, Owen and it will be difficult both for us and for Owen to replace her. While Kaitlin will be missed, we know that she will be engaging in activities that will forever change her life and will even change our world.

Continue reading »]]> THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010 @ 7:30 PM

The second Thursday of every month, we have a GMM to go over upcoming projects. This month, our monthly community donation will be to Desert Angel, a charity that sends care packages to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (see list of desired items below). Our meetings are held at the Rochester Community House which is located at 816 Ludlow in downtown Rochester. Ludlow runs north off University Drive (Walton Blvd), approximately one half mile east of Livernois (or one half mile west of Main Street/Rochester Rd). We encourage you to come early and mingle before the meeting.

DIRECTIONS TO COMMUNITY HOUSE

Donation Wish List for Desert Angel

Breakfast bars, Granola bars, Cereal, Oatmeal, Pop Tarts, Instant Breakfast, Tang, Coffee, Flavored Dry Creamer, Tea, Dry Gator Aid, Nuts, Dried Fruit, Beef Jerky, Candy, Life Savers Hard Candy, Rice Krispy Treats, Gum, Instant Foods, New socks, Cards, Letters of Encouragement, Blank cards – they can send to their loved ones.  The care packages are sent to chaplains who also interact with local families and children so toys and school supples are also good items to include.

Continue reading »]]> New Member Orientation

Paul Jackson, Management Director, 586-850-7595

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 @ 7:00 PM – BUFFALO WILD WINGS, ROCHESTER HILLS

Do you have the feeling that the people in the organization you have joined are speaking in a foreign language talking about CPGs, Springboards, Books, etc? If you have questions about the Jaycees, this is a good place to get them answered. Join Paul Jackson as he go through the Jaycees lingo and the inner workings of the Jaycees. We will be meeting on Sunday, May 16 at 7:00 PM at Buffalo Wild Wings.

DIRECTIONS TO BUFFALO WILD WINGS

Continue reading »]]> Keith Lakatosh, President, 248-854-8446

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010 – STONEY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL

A few years back the Rochester Jaycees reinstated a scholarship Award in association with the Rochester Community Foundation. The award is presented to a recent high school graduate who exemplifies the characteristics of a “future leader.” I am pleased to inform and invite you to the 2010 Rochester Community Foundation Scholarship Awards Presentation at Stoney Creek High School on Tuesday May 18th.  Three years ago when we reinstated the program, the chapter sponsored a $500 scholarship; this year we have doubled our contributions to $1,000. We are pleased to be able to assist  to the deserving recipient of this scholarship.

DIRECTIONS TO STONEY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL