Rotary Club goes Zoom

  • Rotary Club of Lake City Treasurer Mike Tatem stacks boxed-lunch meals at noon Thursday inside the welcome center at Parkview Baptist Church. Rotarians drove through the covered drop-off area of the church, picked up a lunch, then returned home or to their offices before tuning in to the club’s first-ever virtual meeting via the on-line platform Zoom. The club normally meets at noon on Thursdays. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)
    Rotary Club of Lake City Treasurer Mike Tatem stacks boxed-lunch meals at noon Thursday inside the welcome center at Parkview Baptist Church. Rotarians drove through the covered drop-off area of the church, picked up a lunch, then returned home or to their offices before tuning in to the club’s first-ever virtual meeting via the on-line platform Zoom. The club normally meets at noon on Thursdays. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Rotary Club members experienced their first combination drive-through dining and virtual meeting experience Thursday after picking up lunch in a motorcade line, then retiring to their homes or offices to experience an on-line meeting for the first time in the club’s 98-year history.

Rotarians slowly motored through the drop-off lane at Parkview Baptist Church where they were handed a chicken-wrap and potato salad boxed lunch prepared by regular Rotary caterer Relish of Live Oak.

They were greeted by volunteers including current Rotary Club President Robin Green, president-elect Lee Pinchouck and treasurer Mike Tatem, who also serves as senior pastor at Parkview Baptist and hosted the event because the location provided a nice location for the drive-through to maintain safety and proper social distancing.

“It was a great first event,” Tatem said. “We have a total of 56 Rotarians come through and pick up lunch and visit for a second as they drove through and it went really well. We’ll do it again next week.”

Rotarians were given enough time to return home or to work before the meeting began so they could log onto Zoom. About 20 Rotarians participated in the interactive video conferencing meeting, which on Thursday featured County Attorney Joel Foreman discussing an overview of the Columbia County Charter Review process. Foreman also is a member of the Lake City Rotary Club.

“Great turnout for lunch today and 20 members on Zoom to hear Joel Foreman,” Green said in a text message directed to the club after the event. “Hope to see even more of you next week. Stay safe!”

Green indicated the Rotary Club will continue to host virtual meetings each Thursday, its regular meeting day, until Florida’s “safer at home” social distance mandate is lifted and the club can meeting in person.