JASPER ROTARY CLUB MONTHLY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2004 SPEAKERS FOR JANUARY January 6th Speaker introduced by Keith Lewis

JASPER ROTARY CLUB
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2004

SPEAKERS FOR JANUARY

January 6th     Speaker introduced by Keith Lewis.

January 13th   Don Welch will speak on the history of Jasper Water Works with implications of present day technology and safeguards against terrorism. Introduced by Jerald Sherer.

January 20th    David Wade with Regional Paramedical will speak to us on EMS Service in Walker County. Introduced by David Patton.

January 27th    Steve Burbank, Director of Marketing for Charter Media. Introduced by Torrie Grelle.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:

Fellow Rotarians:

Hope everyone had a safe and fulfilling holiday season!

We are half-way through this Rotary year and I wanted to give you a “state of the club” update. The goals I set for myself and for the club were to: (1) implement a Rotary Auxiliary Association made up of spouses and family members, (2) breath new life into the Interact Club and get them involved in the community and see their club grow, (3) update our member classification information and recruit in the areas that we are deficient, (4) educate new members with a more in-depth orientation process and educate all members weekly so that everyone is aware of the importance of Rotary, (5) develop a Centennial Project and provide funding, (6) be more involved and visible in the community, (7) implement an International Service project, (8) meet our PolioPlus pledge for the year, (9) organize at least 3 significant and successful fund raisers, and (10) expose members to Rotary training, conferences and meetings.
We have accomplished quite a bit this first six months, including: working closely with and increasing activity in our affiliate Interact Club, planning our Centennial Park Project and applying for a District Grant to fund a portion of the project, researching International Project possibilities, completing our annual Golf Tournament project, assisting the Salvation Army with their fundraising, streamlining and updating our accounting process and completing an audit of our books, adding Rotary Information to our weekly meetings, and completing the initial preparations for our Auxiliary Association.
What’s left? Hosting this year’s GSE team from Taiwan, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, a Bbq fundraiser to benefit the Family Area Service Center, PolioPlus campaign, the annual member banquet/reception and finishing up projects that are currently in progress. Members will also be attending District Assembly, PETS and the International Convention. I would also like to see our membership grow during the next 3 months - we started the year with 89 members and we presently have 88. Rotary International likes to see a 3% net increase yearly, so let’s try to bring in 5 new members (no, not each) by the end of March. Attendance is averaging around 45%, and our club goal is 60%, so we are also falling a little short in that area. Remember our motto - “Service Above Self”.

Yours in Service
Pam Fikes

Birthdays                          Anniversaries
Cheryl Allison 16th            Gerson and Judy May 3rd
Philip Westbrook 18th      Tony and Audrey Graham 5th
Gary Cowen 23rd            Karen and Don Bevill 8th
Karen Bevill 24th             Allen and Lynn Thomas 28th
Cliff Rhodes 27th             Tommy and Carla Simmons 31st
Tom Ward 29th
Alan Berry 31st               New Members
Keith Lewis 31st             Terry Redmill

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

January is Rotary Awareness Month.

The monthly board meeting will be Monday, January 12th.

Rotarians responsible for speakers in February: Gwaltney McCollum - 3rd; Fred May - 10th; Haig Wright - 17th; the 24th is currently open.

PolioPlus Campaign - Last year, our club pledged $10,000 to the International Polio Eradication Campaign cumulative over three years. In this, the 2nd year, all Rotarians are asked to donate $35 per member by the end of March so that we can meet our obligation for this year. Make checks payable to Jasper Rotary Club as the funds will be held in our account until the end of the campaign and then forwarded to International. This is a tax deductible donation. As you know, it is through the efforts of Rotary International that the number of incidents of polio has decreased by 99% since 1985, when Rotary began their program of eradication. Read more about the Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign in Rotary Spotlight.

Officer Elections - This year’s nominating committee worked diligently to provide a slate of nominees for the officer positions of President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer to take office on July 1, 2004. The nominees were: Richard Fikes, President Elect; Richard Fikes, Secretary; Jim Pritchett, Treasurer. After counting the votes submitted on or prior to the deadline of December 26, 2003, it has been determined by the election committee that all nominees have been approved by the voting membership and will take office on July 1, 2004. If you wonder how Richard Fikes can hold two offices - the main function of President Elect is to prepare for the Presidency and learn all about Rotary and assist the President. Serving as Secretary is great training for an incoming President and recommended by Rotary International.

Thanks to all for ringing the bell for the Salvation Army December 10, 11 and 12th. We helped them raise $1,133.31.

Have you ever been asked “What does Rotary do?” Rotary projects address critical issues in communities around the world. Here are some of Rotary's focus areas: Polio Eradication, International Education, Peace Initiatives, Literacy. Rotary clubs exist to improve communities locally and around the world. Rotary also encourages high ethical standards in business and professions. Rotary clubs work to advance international understanding by partnering with clubs in other countries.

ROTARY SPOTLIGHT

History of PolioPlus

Rotary's involvement in polio eradication began in 1979 with a five-year commitment to provide and help deliver polio vaccine to six million children of the Philippines. In the early 1980s, Rotary began planning for the most ambitious program in its history - to immunize all of world's children against polio. Rotary established its PolioPlus program in 1985. Rotary's pledge of US$120 million to fund its PolioPlus program was announced in October 1985 at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations. Within three years, Rotarians had more than doubled their fundraising goal, donating US$247 million. By 2005, Rotary's financial commitment will exceed half a billion dollars.
A Rotary Foundation grant funded a core group of polio experts at the World Health Organization (WHO), who have guided the global program. In more recent years, PolioPlus funds have funded transportation and other operational costs associated with vaccine delivery, surveillance efforts (including laboratory needs) to identify areas where the virus circulates, and training for healthcare workers and volunteers involved in the immunization process. Rotarians have delivered vaccine by camels and helicopters, trucks and motorbikes, staffed immunization posts, raised community awareness of the value of immunization, and, in the process, helped to mobilize 10 million volunteers.
In 1995, Rotary launched a task force to advocate polio eradication to donor governments, resulting in more than $1.5 billion in polio-specific grants from public sector advocacy . In 2000, Rotary teamed up with the United Nations Foundation to carry a financial appeal to the private sector - foundations, corporations, and wealthy individuals. The private sector has contributed more than $100 million to eradication efforts.
As the war on polio enters its final phases, adequate funding is the No. 1 obstacle to achieving a polio-free world by the year 2005, Rotary's centennial. In February 2002, Rotary rose to the challenge once again, announcing a Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign to raise US$80 million to contribute to the funding gap, estimated at US$275 million as of April 2002 by the World Health Organization.