Scribe’s Report 2/27/2020                                                                   

At 12:00 noon President Bob sounded the bell. All stood for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by recitation of Rotary’s Four Way Test. Then, heads bowed, we listened to the invocation by Terry Werner. Bill Piper led us in “God Bless America.” It was a day to smile … we knew the words and the singing went well!

President Bob wasted no time in noting the upcoming programs: March 5, Ranken Technical College; March 12, Engineers’ Day; and, March 19, XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks. Community Service Co-Chair, Bob Zangas, reminded us that March 12 is the deadline for Grant Applications to be received by their Rotary sponsors. Terry Werner reminded us that Trivia Night is Saturday, February 29! President Bob noted that RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) Scholarship applications are due March 31. Upcoming events are: March 17, volunteer to help at Lift For Life Gym; March 18, New Members’ Breakfast; and, March 25, Happy Hour at Seamus McDaniel’s in Dogtown. President Bob concluded the announcements with the preliminary results of the Breakfast Meeting Question emailed to the members. Of those responding, more were in favor than opposed, but no decision has been made by the Board.

Sargeant-At-Arms Dan Conway followed beginning with a story of his elementary school basketball career – a short-lived career to which many in the room could relate! Dan introduced a guest and our visiting CA Rotarian.

Dale Ruthsatz introduced our speaker, Kitty Ratcliffe, President, Explore St. Louis.

Explore St. Louis markets St. Louis for visitors. It drives economic development for the City as we compete with seventeen +/- other cities for the same visitors. We need to expand and update to be successful. To meet this challenge, Explore St. Louis has developed AC Next Gen – a $175 million expansion and facelift for the America’s Center Convention Complex. Exhibition space, ballroom, outdoor pavilion, and loading docks are the focus. Kitty stressed the importance of this project. America’s Center is the front door to St. Louis for many who are visiting. Out-of-town people are new money for the City and the region. Conventions drive development. The people bring a vibrancy. The competitive landscape is tough. We have lost convention business due to facility size. AC Next Gen is a plan to change that. The expansion will be financed by St. Louis City and St. Louis County. That financing is expected to be in place April 2020. The Dome, Kitty explained, is somewhat of a separate entity in that it has a different owner, but it is also managed by Explore St. Louis.

Questions followed. Kitty responded that while adding the pavilion will make us equal to our competition, the ballroom square footage will put us well ahead. The Dome will be looked at after this project. President Bob thanked Kitty for bringing us up to date and sharing her enthusiasm for St. Louis with us. We will donate a book for a St. Louis Public School to Kids Smart in her name.

The 50/50 drawing closed our meeting. With a prize of $1,664 waiting, Terry Werner drew the seven of diamonds … not the ace of clubs. Next time …

It was 1:06 pm. President Bob sounded the bell!

Helen DiFate