Jeff City Rotary teams to fight hunger
Posing for photographs with Coach Gary Pinkel are the four current Rotary Club presidents in All four Jefferson City Rotary clubs teamed up on Aug. 26 to fight hunger, but got in their competitiveness by competing for dollars in a fun take-off of the popular TV game renamed "Celebrity Tiger Jeopardy." Each Rotary club selected their "bell ringer" - in most cases sports trivia experts - to compete with one another as to who knew the most about Missouri Tiger football. More than 100 attended the luncheon to help raise dollars for the Missouri Food Bank, which has long sponsored such an event among Rotary clubs in Columbia. Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel was the headliner guest, and he mingled with Rotarians and Food Bank celebrities, got his photo taken of the four local Rotary club presidents, and finished the event by conducting his ever-popular talk show, "Tiger Talk," with KOMU-TV sports director Eric Blumberg.
Blumberg took the top prize, representing Breakfast Rotary, in a close know-your-Tiger-trivia contest with KRCG sportscaster Tony Mullen, who represented Jefferson City West Rotary. Other celebrity players included Tom Rackers, former Jeff City mayor, who represented the downtown Rotary Club of Jefferson City, and Ellie Bono, who represented Evening Rotary. Photo insert: Tony "The Tiger" Mullen, right, representing JC West Rotary. Ken Littlefield, who along with his wife, Ann, co-chaired the Food Bank's 2010 Donor Committee, announced that $82,000 was raised here in Jefferson City to support the Food Bank's Buddy Pack Program, which provides food for low-income children over the weekends when free school breakfasts and lunches are not available. The Buddy Pack Program is now in every elementary school in Jefferson City.
Exchange student from Switzerland stands tall
Inès Schumacher, Exchange Student from Switzerland, greets Rotarians. She stands six-foot, two. She has eyes of brown. And she's excited about being an exchange student in the States. So are the basketball and volleyball coaches at her new school, Jefferson City High School. As an exchange student from Switzerland, Inès Schumacher is not eligible to participate on the varsity basketball team, but she can join the varsity girls volleyball team, and she is excited about that. She is classified as a senior and is taking classes in Spanish, English, physics and cooking. For the next three months, she will be hosted by Wendy Gustofson, J.C. West Rotarian, and her family and has already taken a trip with them to Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks. She is being hosted by the Jefferson City (Downtown) Rotary Club while in Missouri. Inès is from Fribourg, Switzerland and will return home next June.
New Literacy Project: Southwest Early Childhood Center
After a careful study of various literacy projects associated with the Jefferson City Public Schools, Carla McDaniel and her literacy committee proposed joining up with the Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation to help provide tuition assistance to needy families who otherwise may not be able to afford sending their 3-to-5-year old children to the district's Southwest Early Childhood Center, now operating at the old Southwest Elementary School on St. Mary's Street. Her committee's proposal was approved by the Board on Aug. 27.
The committee is hoping that its new project could be included for additional funding from the club's annual Trivia Night fund-raising project, or from a special fund-raising event. Members of the Literacy Committee are Carla McDaniel, Peter Goldschmidt, Ed Hughes and Stephanie Johnson.
Update: Rotary School Boat project in India
Students who live on Irrakam Island in India pack a "Rotary School Boat" for school following a dedication ceremony to culminate nearly four years in the making. The project was initially undertaken by the Rotary Club of Sullerpet, India, which also was helped by funding from the Jefferson City West Rotary Club and three Rotary districts in Missouri, USA. The Jefferson City West Rotary Club adopted the "Rotary School Boat" as its literacy project in 2006-07, under the guidance of then President Carla McDaniel and International Committee chair Shawn Ordway.
Guest Rotarian from India
Subbarao Ravuri, right, secretary of the Rotary Club of Vijayawada Mid-Town in India (District 3020) receives a Jefferson City West Rotary Club flag from Club President Linda Nichols during his recent visit to the club. Subbarao is making up his missed meetings while on business in Jefferson City. He even attended the "Celebrity Tiger Jeopardy" fund-raiser for the Missouri Food Bank as a guest of the Jefferson City Evening Club.
Program Highlights: Chamber Strategic Plans
Randy Allen speaks to JC West Rotarians on Aug. 20 Surprise! The state capitol is neither a plus nor a minus for Jefferson City! That's the word from a nationally-recognized strategic planner, Jon Roberts, of Houston, Tex., who is helping the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce planners think beyond the dome as they look to the future. So points out Randy Allen, president and CEO of the JCACC, who is looking for answers - not excuses - for Jefferson City's downward trend in keeping bright, young professionals from leaving the Capital City. Speaking to the Jefferson City West Rotary Club, Randy said the state still plays a big role in the city's economics, but no longer is it considered to be the answer to "what's wrong with our economic picture?" Concerning the state's recent downsizing during this current economic downturn, Randy said "We knew a long time ago we needed to diversify. We have no control if state employee levels go up or go down. Our expert in economic planning says we have to do our own thing if we are to turn the tables on our negative growth patterns." Randy gave Rotarians a big dose of numbers in describing the local population trends. "We're not doing any worse than Missouri as a whole, but we are well below the national averages when it comes to growth," Randy said. "Our young people, ages 25-34, have decreased since Year 2000 by 2.5 percent, while those aged 55-64 have increased 57.8 percent." The chamber is currently conducting focus group sessions, and will soon host "Opportunity Workshops" to get some "brain power of ideas" generated. He said the chamber's thrust is to "grow our own, create a place more attractive to young educated workers, and develop economic initiatives through collaboration of public-private partnerships."
Program Highlights: United Way
Ann Bax feels she is blessed. As the new executive director of United Way of Central Missouri, she is convinced that this mission is her calling, and that she and the upcoming United Way fund-raising campaign that begins Sept. 2 will be successful just because of people like Campaign Co-Chair Bernie Fechtel and his fellow Rotarians. "I am so blessed to be able to work with Bernie, and we are all blessed to have eager volunteers and giving givers like we always get from Rotarians like you," said Ann. The United Way campaign has set an ambitious goal of $1.62 million for this coming year. "We were able to raise $1.6 million last year, and while we are very sensitive about asking for more when times are tight, our needs have really increased because of the downturn in the economy." Last year, the United Way served 102,000 citizens seeking help from 25 non-profit organizations that are under the United Way umbrella. She showed a video that showcased two of those agencies, with some closing remarks by Co-Chair Bernie Fechtel. "We are all touched by a United Way agency in some way," Bernie noted, "whether it is receiving assistance or volunteering to help our community in so many different ways."
Board Meeting Highlights
Following are highlights of the club's Board of Directors meeting on Aug. 27: -- Reviewed 2009-10 year-end financials and July expenses. Total assets are over $38,000 including the Endowment Fund. -- Approved reimbursement of $172.43 to Secretary Ed Hughes for club supplies and postage costs. Ed said he has also ordered 25 new club flags, but would submit those expenses next month. -- Approved the Literacy Committee's proposal to earmark $1,000 to the Southwest Early Childhood Center's Tuition Assistance Program as the club's literacy project. A request was also made for a matching $1,000 grant to the District Simplified Grant Program. -- Approved participating with other Missouri Rotary clubs in helping fund a Reading Room at City Mission in New Orleans as a tribute to Ray Klinginsmith, when he completes his year as Rotary International President at the international convention in New Orleans in May, 2011. -- Approved "No Meeting Dates" of Nov. 26, Dec. 24, Dec. 31, Jan. 7, 2011 due to holidays and club closings.
Rotary's Unseen Guest Following is a portion of the invocation recently given by JC West Rotarian Kent Trimble. Kent is a former Methodist minister and co-owner of the Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home. "Almighty, Eternal and Everlasting God ... we invoke Your Holy presence as the unseen guest at our Rotary tables. With gratitude for food, with longing for peace ... With concern for youth and compassion for elders ... With victory against virus but failure against famine .. With global upsets we do not understand, amid winds of change we know are not good ... With resources we do not deserve, yet worries about how best to use them ... With hope in ourselves girded by confidence in Your steadfast love ... With faith that in the end all will be well and Your purposes served ... We dare not do other than indeed invoke Your presence as that unseen guest at all of our tables. This meal and every meal ... this meeting and every meeting ... Now and always. Amen."
Upcoming Programs Sept. 3 - Russ Duker, Foundation for the Higher Good, "Guatemala Milk Program" Sept. 10 - Dr. Jahnae Barnett, president, William Woods University Sept. 17 - Craig Lammers, YMCA, "Update: New West facility" Sept. 24 - New member bio's
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The Early Childhood program provides pre-school children the opportunity to have hands-on learning experiences to improve their social as well as learning skills in order to have a positive start to their educational careers. The Board approved the committee's request for $1,000 to go to the Center's tuition assistance program, established by the JCPS Foundation. In addition, the club recently submitted a request to District 6080 for a matching gift of $1,000 from its District Simplified Grant Program.
