Newsletter

April 2004

Letter from the President:

Fellow Rotarians:

The year is winding down and we have accomplished a great deal. We should all be very satisfied with our efforts this year. We now only have to get behind the Annual Egg Hunt on April 10th and make it as successful as our other fund-raisers have been. This is our largest fund-raiser and the income from it is essential. Please get your ticket money in by April 6th and sign up to help the day of the egg hunt - we need about 50 people to make this work!
The annual District Conference is coming up April 23 - 25 and I have applied for several District Awards for our club. We have applications in for The Presidential Citation, Club of Distinction, the Lend a Hand Award, Avenues of Service Awards for each of the 4 Areas of Service, Club Bulletin Award and the Foundation Giving Award. I think we have an outstanding program and hope that we measure up to the other clubs in our District.
We are on track for our Centennial Project and Celebration, having received a $4,000 grant from the District. This will cover almost half of the $8,300 total cost for the playground equipment and the rest of the funding needed is already set aside. We’ll begin the playground later this year, with dedication prior to the 100th Anniversary of Rotary on February 23, 2005.

And speaking of Centennial Celebrations, RI President Elect Glenn Estess has chosen the Theme for the 2004-2005 Rotary year - “Celebrate Rotary”.

Yours in Service,
Pam Fikes



Birthdays                         Anniversaries

Stephen Brown 1st            Joe and Bonnie Brown 4th
Jerry Lovett 4th                 Lou and Sheila Vick 5th
Chad Hood 4th                 Doug and Pam Pearson 9th
Pam Fikes 20th                Stephen and Joette Brown 12th
Pat Nelson 21st               Cheryl and Rick Allison 16th
Allen Thomas 22nd          Frank and Barbara Cobb 23rd
Terry Smiley 25th            George and Willine Mitnick 30th
                                       Greg and Mitsy Reed 30th

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Monthly Board Meeting will be Monday, April 12th at noon.

Rotarians responsible for speakers in May: May 4 and 11 - open, Linda Burns - May 18, Bill Wells - May 25.

Annual Rotary Club/Pinnacle Bank Egg Hunt - April 10th from 10:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. at the Old Airport. Please plan to participate on the 10th - and bring your family. We need lots of help! Flyers are available for posting in churches and businesses so area children know about the Egg Hunt - and admission is free. Raffle money and stubs must be turned in by April 6th.

GSE Team visit - May 8th. We will entertain the team from 10:00 a.m. until around 9:00 p.m. After picking the team up in Birmingham, we will enjoy this year’s First Annual Downtown Music Festival, followed by our annual gathering - the “Lend a Hand” Celebration and Reception at the Natatorium, returning the group to Birmingham in the evening.

Directory updates can be picked up during our regular meetings. They include new member pictures, personal/business information changes, and a new group picture.

The First Annual BBQ Fund-raiser on March 6th was a great success and a lot of fun! We had lots of help, good support from area businesses and were able to raise $2,500 for the Jasper Area Family Service Center. Thanks to everyone who sold tickets and helped us on the 6th.

International Project - Honduras. On March 16th, the Jasper Rotary Club was able to present the funds necessary to build a dormitory in Plan de Flores, Honduras to house local youth while they attend woodworking school. For a mere $3,000, a 24' X 40' building will be erected in the village and will house 20 students. This donation will also pay for the necessary sewage facilities and heating. These young men come from the mountain region and would otherwise be unable to attend the school. Dr. Tom Camp presented information on the 16th about the woodworking school - founded by a mission group made up of local businessmen and others throughout the U.S. - and the proposed dormitory. The dormitory should be finished by summer’s end and at that time, Dr. Camp will visit our club again with a report.

Centennial Project - Community Playground. In late 2003, we applied for a District Simplified Grant to help fund our proposed Centennial Project. We were informed last month that we would be receiving $4,000 from the District to help with our project. We will be purchasing playground equipment, a picnic table, benches and a bike rack. We expect to begin this project in late summer or early fall with dedication in early 2005. The playground will be a part of the City of Jasper’s Downtown Revitalization Project and will be placed alongside Town Creek, across from Maddox Middle School.

Recent resignations: Alan Berry, Jay Betts. Pending relocation - Evan Dillard, Terry Smiley.

ROTARY SPOTLIGHT

Rotary at Work - Children At Risk: According to United Nations agencies, an astounding number of children worldwide are living under extremely difficult conditions:

▬ Some 40 million children ages 14 and younger suffer abuse and neglect.
▬ An estimated 250 million children ages 5-14 are working.
▬ More than 100 million children live on the streets, vulnerable to exploitation, drugs,
and crime.
▬ Nearly 12 million children under age five die every year from preventable
childhood diseases and malnutrition.
▬ Some 130 million children of primary school age, mostly girls, do not attend school, contributing to shorter life spans and greater susceptibility to poverty and illness.

For decades, and especially in recent years, Rotarians have been focusing their attention and resources on vulnerable and troubled children. From "adopting" homeless children to serving meals to schoolchildren from low-income families, Rotary clubs worldwide are working to provide education, housing, and a safe, secure environment for needy children. The plight of children at risk merits every effort. Other humanitarian issues addressed by Rotary International include: assistance for disabled persons, improving health care, International understanding, literacy, population issues, poverty and hunger, preserving Planet Earth and urban concerns.


SPEAKERS


April 6      Acting Attorney General Richard F. Allen will tell about “the taming of the wickedest city in America” - 50 years ago. Introduced by Pam Fikes.

April 13    Russell Jackson, CEO of Kid OneTransport, introduced by Pat Maddox.

April 20    Speaker introduced by Linley Yerby.

April 27   Speaker introduced by Libba Elliott.