JASPER ROTARY CLUB
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2003


LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Fellow Rotarians:

The Holiday Season has arrived and we have begun the traditional preparations. During this holiday season, please remember those who are less fortunate - there are so many among us who need support financially and emotionally.

The board approved our mission for giving this Rotary year to be donations in support of programs that meet the Rotary International goals which are: poverty alleviation, literacy/education and health concerns. Rotary International also stresses the importance of family and urges clubs to support the Family of Rotary by implementing a support group of Rotarian spouses and family members that can assist with Rotary activities.

Many opportunities to help our neighbors are coming up: the PolioPlus campaign kicks off in early January as we work to raise our pledge for the year of $3,500. Rotarians will be asked to donate $35 each in support of this very important project. The board approved a fundraising event in early Spring to benefit the programs of the Family Area Service Center - Cliff Rhodes has happily agreed to prepare his famous Bbq Chicken and all proceeds of the dinner will go to the Center. Our grant request for funds to assist with our Centennial Project has been submitted and we look forward to good news by the end of the year. This project will be an excellent opportunity for Rotarians to work together and show the community what we are about.

Many have been absent from meetings recently and I hope to see each of you regularly during this wonderful season of celebration. Seek the Peace of the Season and Lend a Hand.

Yours in Service
Pam Fikes




SPEAKERS IN DECEMBER


December 2     Dan Spaulding, Curator of the Anniston Museum of Natural History will share a presentation on endangered species of Alabama and the World. Introduced by Tim McKellar.

December 9     To be announced

December 16   A presentation by the Second Opportunity System, introduced by Betsy Lavanna.

December 23 & 30 No meeting



Birthdays                      Anniversaries
Zac Lollar 1st                  Torrie and Kerry Grelle 4th
Doyce Briscoe 11th        Chad and Deidre Hood 9th
Linda Lewis 15th            Greg and Rachel Williams 16th
George Mitnick 17th       Richard and Dee Dee Fikes 20th
Greg O’Rear 17th          Jerry and Betty Lovett 27th
Don and Janis Kilgore 30th

ANNOUNCEMENTS

December is PolioPlus Month.

The Monthly Board Meeting will be Monday, December 8th at noon.

The Club will not meet on Tuesday, December 23 or Tuesday, December 30.

Rotarians responsible for speakers in January: Keith Lewis - 6th; Jerald Sherer - 13th; David Patton - 20th; Torrie Grelle - 27th.

International Service Projects -
An opportunity is available for our club to sponsor an International Project in Ecuador. The local Rotary Club in Quito Ecuador is sponsoring a project fair in February so that Rotarians can see first hand the needs, meet with local Rotarians, and formally set up an International Project during the event. An Individual Grant can be obtained from RI to fund the visit for a group of 5. If you would like to take part in the planning of an international project, or if you are interested in possibly being a member of the group of inquiry, let Pam Fikes know. The dates are February 27 - March 6, 2004. The visit also includes a 3 day excursion to the Galapagos Islands.

Donations scheduled for December - $500 to Crescent Junior Study Club Christmas for Foster Children Project and $500 to the Daily Mountain Eagle Shoe Fund.

Rotary in the Nation’s Capital -
The charter of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill was established during a ceremony at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on November 19, bringing Rotary's presence in the U.S. capital literally within walking distance for lawmakers, staff, and the thousands of residents and visitors who come to the city on business and tours each day. Senator Richard G. Lugar, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a 46-year member of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis, Indiana, was keynote speaker at the ceremony. Lugar is emblematic of the role the Capitol Hill club will serve as host for the many members of Congress and their staff members who are Rotarians, as well as visiting Rotarians looking for fellowship and makeup opportunities.

ROTARY SPOTLIGHT
Family of Rotary rallies to the aid of California fire victims
When nature and courageous firefighters halted the spread of the most destructive fires in the history of California, USA, 22 people were dead and more than 3,500 homes and businesses were reduced to ashes. Inflicting a loss estimated at more than US$1 billion, the inferno that raged uncontrollably from 25 October through 4 November also affected at least seven Rotary families whose homes were damaged.
Governor Mike Stelman of District 5340, which includes the areas devastated by the wildfires, asked Rotarians to offer whatever assistance they could to those families and others affected.
"We'd had fires in the area before, but it wasn't anything we had to evacuate for," says David Froman, an attorney and member of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle. He and wife, Elizabeth, made it to safety on the morning of 26 October, but theirs was among the more than 40 houses consumed by the fires in a single neighborhood. Quite appropriately, the club's Family of Rotary Committee led an effort to assist the Fromans and other victims of the fire. "He's a quiet guy," says Linda Stouffer, chair of the committee. "He gave a very emotional statement. It touched us."
Similar stories of Rotarian compassion characterized the response of clubs in California to the disaster with even Rotarians who were directly affected offering to help. The Rotary Club of Poway established the Poway Fire Relief Fund to provide immediate relief for local wildfire victims. On 19 November, the club presented a $10,000 check to the relief fund, bringing total donations to about $80,000.
"More than 50 of our local families have lost everything in this devastating fire," says Poway Mayor Mickey Cafagna. "The City of Poway wanted to help start a victims' relief fund, and the Rotary Club of Poway offered to manage and administer it. In so many ways, our community of businesses, citizens, and service organizations have answered the call to help those in need, and we are sincerely thankful." Clubs that are helping to raise funds and in-kind relief items for disaster victims also include the Rotary clubs of Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise, Redlands, San Diego, and Temecula. The Rotary News Basket November 2003