2008-09 Rotary International theme: Make Dreams Real

We are Rotary club #3931.
Visit our web site: www.memphiscentralrotaryclub.org

Today’s meeting
02/06 – 11:45 a.m. – Chickasaw Country Club Program: June West, executive director, the Memphis Heritage Foundation – Memphis Past and Present Program coordinator: Jerry Daws

Memphis Heritage, Inc. (MHI) was founded in 1975 as a non-profit educational and charitable organization. Since 1975 MHI has been the voice for the preservation of the Memphis area's architectural heritage. From MHI’s efforts to save the Napoleon Hill mansion on Union Avenue to its efforts today encompassing all of Shelby County, Memphis Heritage keeps working to preserve our area's rich history.

MHI’s mission is: To educate and coordinate individuals and groups to save, improve, reuse, and maintain architecturally and historically significant buildings, open spaces, streets, neighborhoods, parks, and cultural artifacts of Shelby County, Tennessee.

Future meetings
02/13/09 – 11:45 a.m. – Chickasaw Country Club Program: Tim Bolding, executive director, United Housing
Program coordinator: Ray Darby
02/20/09 – 11:45 a.m. – Chickasaw Country Club Program: Tonya Crider Program coordinator: Karen Shea
02/27/09 – 11:45 a.m. – Chickasaw Country Club Program: Janice Johnson Traywick – The Rotary Foundation’s EndPolioNow campaign Program coordinator: Dick Wieland
03/06/09 - 11:45 a.m. – Chickasaw Country Club Program: Joe Birch, news personality, WMC-TV 5 – “Taking Back Our Neighborhoods” Program coordinator: Laura House

Note: All meeting information is provided to the newsletter editor by the Program Committee. We believe our meetings listings are current and as accurate as we have been made aware. Please contact Jean Patterson, newsletter editor, if you have update/corrections for the future meetings section.

Club members celebrating February birthdays
02/20: Doyle Lemons (on leave of absence)
02/20: Mike Robbins (on leave of absence)
02/24: Henry Francis (retired – honorary member)

New Rotaract Club at Rhodes College established at Charter Night ceremonies
The Charter meeting to officially launch the Rotaract Club at Rhodes College was held Thursday evening,
February 5^thin the Briggs Student Center Rhea Room. Several of our club members including Jim Crone and Jack Robinson attended this historic occasion. Our Rotary club played an integral part in the formation of the Rhodes Rotaract Club. We stand ready to assist this group as they continue in the Rotary tradition and spirit.

Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are either community or university-based and they’re sponsored by a local Rotary club. This makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary.

As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-growing service programs, with more than 7,000 clubs in about 163 countries and geographical areas, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Last week’s meeting
Items for discussion at the January 30^th Fireside Chat included conducting an in-depth look at three options for our club:

(1) do nothing different – continue on the status quo path

(2) address important issues confronting our club, analyze what we face, perhaps change our expectations for what we can accomplish as a group of 31 active members now compared to 60 active members 15-20 years ago

(3) a possible merger with another club. In the opinion of the majority of members who attended the Fireside chat meetings, this appears to be a last-ditch option that should not be taken at this time.

The twenty-five active members present took a vote to determine which option of the three on the list we wish to take. Option #2 was selected as the best way to go at this time. The board will appoint a panel to investigate the various avenues in Option #2 that are open to the club. The committee’s recommendations will be presented to the membership for a vote later in this Rotary year.

We also reviewed cost comparisons/projections in addition to a map that pin-pointed the distance our members have to travel to attend meetings at Chickasaw Country Club.

Rick James suggested that the club consider designating one meeting each month to discuss the club’s status and projects. This would basically be a “fireside chat”. The idea was overwhelmingly accepted with the result that the program committee chair has added the meetings to our schedule for the next five or six months.

Club meetings in the surrounding area
For the convenience of our members we’ve provided a list of nearby club meeting sites where we can make up our misses. Please save this list for future reference.
MONDAY
No meetings close to the Memphis area.
TUESDAY
Collierville – Noon, Ridgeway Country Club
Memphis– Noon, University Club
Olive Branch – Noon, Olive Branch Country Club, Germantown Road
Oxford– Noon, Oxford University Club, 300 North Lamar
WEDNESDAY
Germantown-- Noon, Germantown Country Club, 1780 Kimbrough
Hernando – Noon, Windy City Grille (NW side of Square)
Holly Springs – Noon, Annie’s Restaurant, 198 N. Memphis Street. Phone 662-658-2825.
Memphis East – Noon, Racquet Club, 5111 Sanderlin Dr.
Robinsonville -- 8 am, Tunica National Golf & Tennis facility, Highway 61 & Casino Strip Blvd.
THURSDAY
Bartlett/Cordova – Noon, Colonial Country Club, 2736 Countrywood Pky, Cordova
Southaven – Noon, Boiling Point Restaurant, 55 Church Rd. (near Civic Center)
Tunica – Noon, Women's Club Building, corner of River and School Streets
FRIDAY
Senatobia – 12:15 p.m., Northwest Junior College campus, Haraway Center

Are you unable to make up in person at a nearby Rotary club location? Then you may wish to consider going on-line to make up your missed meeting(s) at Rotary’s e-club one. It’s very easy to do and the variety of program topics allows you to learn a lot about other Rotary club projects worldwide in addition to business subjects and critical needs.
Make-up meetings at your convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spending 30 minutes on the website constitutes an on-line Rotary meeting. It is mandatory that your visit MUST be 30 minutes or more. Visit www.rotaryeclubone.org today!

Our mailing address

Memphis Central Rotary Club
P.O. Box 772296
Memphis TN 38177

Your individual Rotary membership number is printed on your copy of the Rotarian magazine.
Or contact our club secretary to find out your number before corresponding with Rotary International.

Honorary members of the club*
John Bennett 853-3460 *
Henry Francis 754-3405 *
Floyd McDaniel 327-2013 *
Chester Perry 685-0972*
Tidwell Semmes 767-5752 *
Henry Springer 757-9005*
Jim Vandenburg 735-7003 *