February 15, 2016 Meeting Bulletin

 
February 15, 2016 Meeting Bulletin
 
Birmingham Rotary Club
Weekly Meeting: February 15, 2016

Welcome  (12:15 PM) 
Pledge of Allegiance
4 Way Test
Opening Song:  America the Beautiful led by Ken Gass
Invocation: Bill Washington
 
Introduction of Guests & Visiting Rotarians:
  • Dan Winans, long time husband of Chris.
Acknowledge Meeting Volunteers:
  • Invocation:  Bill Washington
  • Greeter: Vic Pooler
  • Luncheon Tickets/Attendance: Nave Grewal
  • Raffle Tickets: Marcia Wilkinson
  • Sheriff:  David Zimmer
  • Host to Guest Speaker:     Chris Winans    
  • Bulletin Editor: Charles Wickins
Announcement & Upcoming Events
  • Master Tournament Raffle Tickets – Reagan Gilshire. The drawing is 4 weeks away. Although only 142 tickets have been paid for the club only has 4 tickets left in inventory.  Please hand in your sold tickets ASAP or return any that you cannot sell.  This is important, Thank you.
  • Board meeting this Wednesday, Feb.17.
  • Third Thursday this week, Feb.18 at Flemings.  The last one was well attended, this one should be better.
  • One Rotary Summit, Saturday 8.30 at Walsh College.  Free to attend, please register and bring your best ideas.  http://rotary6380.org/event/cf282913-48f8-4a10-bfd2-2bd8db17fbf8/
  • Birthdays:  Dick Halstead 
 
Raffle:  Marcia Wilkinson.  $9 daily prize won by Alicia Green. Ace of Spades drawn by John Westerheide, $63 won 
Sheriff:  David Zimmer
 
Introduction Speaker:  Chris Winans
Introduced long time Rotarian and PDG, Janet McPeek.
“The people who wait will always remember.  Those that make promises sometimes forget”.   Haitian proverb.
So summed up her broad ranging talk covering a portion of the work and philosophy that is the Rotary International Foundation, which actually does half of its work overseas but does return the other 50% for domestic grants.
She opened her talk by explaining the roots of Rotary, and how it became a service rather than social organization, and explaining the purpose of the Summit being held on Saturday at Walsh College, which to help explain the more focused goals of Rotary and explore ideas that work.
She lauded the “Better you read, better your life” literacy program started and headed by Norma Jean Evans, and claims that it is used as a model by other clubs.
It appears that the new areas of focus are:
World Understand – Goodwill – Peace.
While still working on Peace and Conflict, Water & Sanitation, Maternal and Child health, Basic education and Literacy, Economic and Community development,
There is more emphasis on Peace and Conflict and Water and Sanitation.
Specifically mentioned was a situation in Australia where 22,000 Sudanese refugees were settled due to the yeomen work exhibited by Peace Scholars around the world and soccer leagues were successfully integrated into their daily lives to alleviate unrest being fermented due to lack of activities.
Of more importance to District 6380 was a water and sanitation project in Ghana taken on by New Jersey (district) between 2007 and 2011, which dramatically changed the quality of life to a large area.
Our District, 6380, have agreed to head up phase two of this project and we anticipate this being more ambitious than the already ambitious phase one.

I expect we shall be hearing a lot more about this in the upcoming month. 
Rotary again achieved a 4 Star rating from Charity Navigator and over 92% of all money raised reach their project.  We are very proud of this record.
 
Finally!!!  Our speaker next week, Renee Hintz from the Michigan Legacy Art Park, is coming a long way from Crystal Mountain.  Let’s try and have a strong attendance for her and please invite friends, she has a great talk and video presentation.
 
Smiles closed the meeting.