Memphis (Tennessee) Central Rotary Club
meets Friday 11:45 at Chickasaw Country Club
main dinning room, Galloway Ave
between Holmes and Highland Streets
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Memphis Central Rotarian
Vol. 30, No. 12 Sept. 24, 2004 Meeting 1394 Editor: Henry Francis
Access our club web page "
www.memphiscentralrotaryclub.orgfor up-to-date news and all sorts of
background information about our club,
our District and Rotary International.
Today’s program
Bill Hildebrandt, CEO of the Memphis Chapter of the American Red Cross. Bill told us about 9/11 and the Red Cross reaction to the disaster when he spoke to us two years ago.
Going for a 105-mile walk
Two years ago a man walked 100 miles in the 24 hours of the Haiti Tour d’Esprit. Last year a woman, name not known, set out to beat that record, and she did – 105 miles. Both efforts required walking, or jogging, at a pace of more than four miles per hour for 24 consecutive hours.That’s the kind of effort made by hundreds of people to keep the Medical Mission hospital in Haiti going. The hospital is our major international project.
The Tour d’Esprit Walk will take place next weekend – the event starts at 3 p.m. on Friday, October 1, and goes for 24 hours till 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 2. All Rotarians are urged to participate.
Marty Petrusek isn’t going to try to break the mileage record, but he’s going to walk 25 miles – a distance that is daunting enough for most. Why? Because he wants every fellow Rotarian to back him up with $25 donations to the hospital he helped design.
More than 650 persons are expected to take part in the seventh annual Walk. Marty hopes that 650 number includes lots of his fellow Rotarians. For the third straight year, a good-sized number of students and teachers from Sheffield High, our adopted school, will participate.
Marty reports that so far the hospital has not suffered serious hurricane damage.
The hospital has an annual budget of $25,000, but volunteers do much of the work. The hospital has one physician and two nurses who see 60 to 70 patients a day. The volunteers include Greater Memphis doctors, dentists and nurses. Two groups totaling 15 professionals will leave to work in Haiti during October.
Helping this hospital through the Tour d’Esprit is an activity that will make you feel good. Sign up some of your friends to back you, then go for a Walk.
Special notices
Our annual Christmas Party and silent auction will take place on December 4 at the 19th Century Club.
President Dave Luiken wants us to donate checks, dollars and quarters to the Rotary International Foundation. The club goal for the year is $4300, which works out to $100 per member.
It won’t be long before Heather Wilson, daughter of Gordon Wilson, will begin her career as a veterinarian oncologist. She’s doing her residency in Madison WI.
At our last meeting
Alan Parker
of Memphis Sand and Gravel gave an interesting overview of the geology of this area. He pointed out that we have enough gravel here to take care of all our needs. Many years ago the Mississippi and Ohio did not meet and formed separate channels, both of which produced gravel. "We may be sitting over the original channel of the Mississippi right here," he told us. He also explained what his company does with gravelJohn Shepherd was assigned to introduce our visitors, but he turned the job over to Lee Whipple, who had two guests. The first was Laura House of the
Chickasaw Country Club, her third visit with us. The other was Rusty Prudhon, owner and manager of Napa Café. How about following Lee’s lead by inviting some possible members to a few of our meetings?Attendance was very low – only 25 including guests and the speaker – so only $50 was collected for the weekly drawing. Rod Ashley won the $25 prize and immediately donated it to our Foundation.
Carlton Smith, our sergeant-at-arms, didn’t have to spin The Wheel – none of those present had a miss.
Wesley Tomlinson offered the prayer and led the Pledge. Dave Luiken, who presided, also introduced our speaker.
Upcoming programs
Oct. 1 -- Alan Babain - AARP Driver Ed 101
Oct. 8 -- Fireside Chats
Oct. 15 -- Elain Harvey, founder of the House of Mews
Oct. 22 -- Gay Johnson, Memphis Literacy Council
Oct. 29 -- Bill Luchesi and Jerry Harvey of Delta
Wholesale Wines and Spirits and Gallo Wine Distributor -- Wine Tasting and the Wine Industry Update
Fireside Chats on October 8
Have you signed up for our annual Fireside Chats that will take place at noontime on October 8? Rick James, Andy Peters, Pedro Fernandez and Jim Crone already have volunteered to be hosts. They are located in diverse locations, which will make it easier for all of us to get to the meetings.
Fireside Chats always are interesting and fun. Since only seven or eight are present, each member gets the chance to get to know some of his fellow members better. There’ll be plenty of time for chitchat while you’re munching away on your lunch – and lunch will be provided by the host.
These chats have spawned lots of great ideas on how to improve our club, how to increase our charitable activities, and how to bring in some good new members.
2. What kind of programs would you would like to see implemented?
3. What new ways can we raise funds for our projects? How can we improve existing fund-raising efforts?
Centennial Convention
Rotary’s Centennial will be celebrated next year from June 18-22 in Chicago, where Rotary got its start. This is an excellent opportunity for our members to get involved on the international level. Contact Jean Patterson for additional information.
Nearby club meetings
No meetings close to Memphis.
TUESDAY
Collierville – Noon, Baptist Memorial Hospital, 1500 West Poplar
Memphis – Noon, Cook Convention Center
Memphis East – Noon, Racquet Club, 5111 Sanderlin Dr.
Germantown -- Noon, Germantown Country Club, 1780 Kimbrough
Bartlett/Cordova – Noon, Colonial Country Club
No meetings close to Memphis