Memphis Central Rotarian

Vol. 32, No. 8          Meeting No. 1476        August 25, 2006        Editor: Jean Patterson
   

Today’s meeting
11:45 a.m.  - Chickasaw Country Club.   08/26/06:  Howard Cobbs, Keep Tennessee Beautiful, Gordon Wilson, coordinator

Howard will discuss the mission and goals of Keep Tennessee Beautiful and its relationship with the national organization, Keep America Beautiful. He will also talk about the status of littering in Tennessee and will share exciting information about the new state wide antilitter initiative “StopLitter ™” which is being developed at a grass roots level.
       
Future meetings
09/01/06:  NO MEETING.  LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
09/08/06:   TBA
09/15/06:  off-site meeting.  Chickasaw Country Club not available to us on this date.
09/22/06:   TBA
09/29/06: Scott Hartsell, U.S. Marine and director of field marketing at Smith & Nephew will present a program about what’s really going on in Iraq.

August birthdays
08/11:   Harvey Marcom (Reeves Sweeney Marcom, Inc.)
08/14:   Marty Petrusek (consultant)
08/21:   Fred Davis (University of Memphis Law School, retired)
08/23:   Rick James (Castle Retail Group)
08/25:   Jay Hudson (The Peabody Hotel)
08/26:   Ray Darby (Junior Achievement)


Last week’s meeting
        President Jim Crone welcomed us to the 1,475th meeting of the Rotary Club of Memphis Central.  Dick Wieland gave the invocation and led us in the pledge of allegiance.  John May introduced his guest, Karen Shea of Fisch Associates.   Karen is a former member of the Memphis East Club.  John introduced our other guests---Joanne Wieland, Dick’s wife; Mike Moffat, assistant district governor, and William Dulaney, member of the Tunica MS Rotary club and devoted husband of District Governor Betty Jo.

Bill Eddings announced that the weekly Floyd’s Fund----half of the money raised goes directly into our club’s Scholarship account----had collected $80.00.  That’s $40.00 for the Scholarship Fund and $40.00 for the lucky ticket holder.  Bill asked our guest, Karen Shea, to draw the ticket.  The lucky ticket holder was Laura House who immediately donated her win back to the club’s Scholarship Fund.  Thanks for your generosity, Laura!

Our “sarge” Tom Michael was missing in action but he sent one of his sidekicks, club member Randolph Reeves, to take care of the Sgt. at Arms’ duties for him.  And, I must say, that Randolph did his very best to fill Tom’s shoes.  Last week it was President Jim who shared a tale of woe to try to get off the Wheel.  This week it was immediate past-president John May who offered up a sad story (actually it was a good one with lots of redeeming value) to attempt to get off the Wheel.  Randolph was all for granting amnesty to John but President Jim declared that he liked John’s story so much that he (Jim) would pay John’s fine himself.  That’s great, Jim, but we’re not forgetting that you didn’t pay up your own fine on August 11.  Randolph spun the Wheel for a $4.00 fine (same amount as last week) for those who failed to make up a missed meeting or had other silent transgressions.  Rod Ashley, Pedro Fernandez, Rick James, Doyle Lemons, Bob Neal and Lee Whipple were on the list of “guilty” parties.  Hopefully each one made his way to the treasurer’s table to settle his fine.  

Betty Jo Dulaney, a charter member of the Robinsonville MS club since 1997, is the District 6800 Governor this Rotary year.   Betty Jo worked for the Tunica County school district for ten years in adult literacy education.  She was elected to the Tunica County School Board for the 1998-2000 term and is currently director of the Tunica County Literacy Council, Inc. and Tunica Child Development Center.

        Betty Jo shared with us the ways in which we as Rotarians can Lead the Way (the R.I. theme for 2006-07).  She said that Rotary membership can be both a destination and a crossroads for fellowship and friendship.  She noted that our club is very involved as a Rotary unit in community, national and world projects.  But we can do more.  She encouraged us to take part in a water project, either locally or internationally.  According to an article that was passed among us during the meeting, 95% of the world’s water is undrinkable.  Of the 5% that is available for consumption, only 2% is pure and uncontaminated.  When you consider these numbers it is readily apparent that those of us who are blessed with pure drinking water must help those who live in countries with substandard water or even slim to non-existent water sources in drought-ravaged parts of the world.  To learn more, visit the Rotary International website at www.rotary.org

        While at the Rotary convention in Copenhagen, Denmark earlier this year, Betty Jo said she was exceptionally impressed with several speakers on the agenda there.  One program focused on the importance of taking concrete actions and making personal sacrifices in order to achieve successes in our Rotary endeavors.

        Another speaker directed his comments on the status of  the massive Rotary project aimed at eradicating polio from the face of the earth.  We’re almost but not quite there.  Two countries have recently experienced “wild outbreaks” of polio.  Both Yeman and Somalia have allowed Rotarians into their countries to distribute the life-saving polio vaccine.  Once polio is wiped out in those countries---unless another wild outbreak occurs---the world will be polio free!  

        In her closing remarks Betty Jo said that each of us should ask ourselves, “Why am I a Rotarian?”  If you are sincere and honest with yourself, your answers may surprise you!  Before she relinquished the podium, Betty Jo was pleased to present Dick Wieland with a special Paul Harris Fellow Rotary pin with two rubies in its center.  These are a symbol of the pin-owner’s moving to Level 2 on the contribution ladder to the Rotary Foundation.  Congratulations, Dick!  

        President Jim thanked Governor Betty Jo for visiting our club and presented her with a beautiful set of pottery in a wicker basket.  The Autumn Leaves-design pottery included a large pitcher, four over-size mugs and an oval platter.  We hope that Governor Betty Jo and her husband, William, will enjoy our gift and think of us every time the pottery is used.

        Club meetings in the surrounding area    
For the convenience of our members we’re providing an updated list of nearby club meetings 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, Cook Convention Center  
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, the Magnolia Restaurant, 131 Commerce  
Holly Springs – Noon, Christopher’s Personal Care Home, 885 Highway 178E    
Memphis East – Noon, Racquet Club,  5111 Sanderlin Dr.  
Robinsonville -- 8 am, Hollywood Diner, Old Highway 61      
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      

 

Club roster    
Rod Ashley 363-6000                                Jack Robinson  213-3993                                  
L.D. Beard  369-9642                                        Gary Rutherford  753-7957                    
John Bennett 853-3460 *                                           Mabel Rutherford  755-3815    
Yves Calvert 767-8776                                      Tidwell Semmes  767-5752 *    
Bert Canfield 634-2730                                          John Shepherd  850-1061  
Jim Crone  570-0125 (cell #)                        Carlton Smith  690-1203    
Leroy Dahler 362-9700                                                Henry Springer  757-9005*
Ray Darby  366-7800                                 Jack Springer  681-0025        
Fred Davis  761-9486                                              Jim Vandenburg  735-7003 *        
Jerry Daws 757-8578                                                 Lee Whipple  755-8350  
Bill Eddings 386-3182                                             Dick Wieland  322-8630
Pedro Fernandez  568-1575                                Gordon Wilson  678-4101  
DeeDee Fowler  485-1678
Henry Francis 754-3405 *                                                      
Doc Harris 662-429-4551**                          
Al Hollingsworth 767-3600          
Laura House 323-6216            
Jay Hudson  529-3632                                                                                        
Rick James  362-3492 X27            
Jeff Jones  853-8109                                                                                                    
Doyle Lemons 756-6536                            
R.E. Linkous 754-0700
David Luiken  382-3823
Harvey Marcom 761-2016
Bill Matthews  345-5650
John May 259-3631
Floyd McDaniel  327-2013  
Tom Michael  759-2143                        
Bob Neal  685-7772
Don Palmer 662-429-1542**
Jean  Patterson 332-5586, Ext. 1295      
Chester Perry 685-0972*  
Marty Petrusek 755-5945
Andy Peters 821-4145  
Mike Robbins  363-5880
Randolph Reeves  681-0507  


* Honorary member        ** On leave of absence