Newsletter - Archive  Apr 19, 2010

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Incoming RI Prez speaks to his fellow Missourians

RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith of Kirksville, Mo., speaks to Rotarians in Springfield.

Ray Klinginsmith is proud to be the first Missourian to become the world-wide president of Rotary International in 75 years. "It took me 50 years as a Rotarian to make it," he told 500 fellow Missouri Rotarians in that typically low-key Middle America dry wit. The Kirksville Rotarian will take his high office on July 1.

    Speaking to the state-wide Show Me Rotary Conference in Springfield on April 15, Klinginsmith noted that he began his Rotary journey after being awarded a Rotary Ambassador Scholarship and attending the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1961. He was the first person from Unionville, Mo., to study abroad, he noted.

    "I was so impressed with the ideals of Rotary that I joined my local club two weeks after returning from South Africa," he said. It didn't hurt that his father was a Rotarian, joining when Ray was a spry 10-year-old, and it didn't hurt that he was asked to join Rotary by his dentist while he was in the dentist chair.

    Next to the podium was a flag that carried the logo of the coming year's theme, picked by Ray himself, "Building Communities, Bridging Continents."

    "I analyzed many previous Rotary themes and noticed that most speak only to Rotarians," said Ray. "I decided to try to develop a theme that would tell non-Rotarians something about what Rotary does and, at the same time, to validate for Rotarians the importance of what we do." As a Missourian, it fits the state's "Show-Me" motto as well.

Rotary Trivia Night is Ready for Your Answers

Trivia Committee members, from left: Warren Prost, Ashley Pederson, Tim Haas (chairman), Rob Murphy, Mark Naeger, and Bernie Fechtel. (Not pictured: Ed Hughes, taking the photo.)

    Rotary Trivia Night is set for Friday, April 23, and planners have high hopes that it will beat the initial Trivia night of a year ago. Already, 18 teams have registered and Tim Haas, chair of the Trivia Committee for the hosting Jefferson City West Rotary Club, is planning for a total of 25 teams. Last year, 20 teams competed. Rob Murphy has already worked up questions involving a dozen or so categories, and only he and Tim know what they are.

    Rotarians are encouraged to form a team within their club, or company, or church - or just buy a single ticket or tickets for their family to enjoy one of the big social events of the year. Cost is $30 per person and includes a buffet dinner (lasagna or chicken cordon bleu with all the trimmings) along with tea, soda drinks and beer (courtesy of Bernie Fechtel. Teams can register for $225 (eight members). Raffle tickets will also be available for $5 each. Winner will take half of the cash pot.

    Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. at the Ritz Plaza, 2716 Plaza Drive, with dinner at 6 p.m., and the Trivia Game will begin at 7 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Samaritan Center of Jefferson City.

    Corporate sponsors so far include ARSI, Hawthorn Bank, Jefferson Bank, Fechtel Beverage, and American Family Insurance. Teams also included those from the Jefferson City Downtown Rotary club and the Breakfast Rotary club.

Students of the Month for April

    Justin Balk, left, a senior at Helias High School, and Hilary Lyn Weaver, right, senior at Jefferson City High School, are our Students of the Month for April. And what a heritage they will leave when they graduate!

    Justin is really into music. He is a member of the Helias concert and concert choir, the Crusaders marching band where he also serves as the drum major, and the Jazz Ensemble. His honors include winning the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, and making All-District Band and District Choir. He also loves to compose music and sing. He plans to attend the University of Missouri at Kansas City's Conservatory of Music. He is the son of Andrew and Buffye Balk of Jefferson City.

    Hilary has lettered all four years in varsity track and field, and two years as a member of the JCHS cross country team. She was named to the All-State track and field team this year. She is also managing editor of the Red and Black student newspaper, a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of the Ambassador Club. She plans to attend Seattle Pacific University. She is the daughter of Greg and Lynda Weaver of Jefferson City.

Program Highlights: Boy Scouts, 100 Years Old

Great Rivers District Scout Executive Jon Wilson speaks to the JC West Rotary club.

After 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has at least one on-going image: that of helping an elderly woman cross a street. Whether it was a Norman Rockwell art piece or simply the good that the Scouts do daily, that was precisely what happened when Scouting began in the United States. It started when Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce went over to Great Britain to see his friend, Baden Powell (founder of the Scouting program in England), got lost in in London in the fog, and was helped by a young British Scout who refused to take a tip for his good deed.

   After 100 years, the Scouting movement has helped 110 million kids - boys and girls alike - to do their best, to help other people, and to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. Jon Wilson, Rotarian and District Scout Executive with the Great Rivers Council of Missouri, along with John Fabsits, also a District Scout Executive, gave Rotarians an overview on April 16 of how far Scouting has come since 1910. "It began as a movement to emphasize leadership, responsibility and teamwork - and that is still its strength today," said Jon. He noted that 75 percent of Scouting is being outdoors - from camping, hiking, earning merit badges, to rising to become Eagle Scouts. Locally, Scouts help collect canned goods for food drives to help the Samaritan Center as well as local food pantries. An art drawing of Scouts, from Cubs to Explorers, is featured on the cover of the Great Rivers Council centennial promotion piece.

    Fabsits said more than 130 Scouts in the Great Rivers District earned their Eagle rank last year. Generally, less than one percent of Scouts are able to reach Eagle. Among those who earned Eagles and are now designated as Distinguished Eagle Scouts are Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and Lt. Gov. Pete Kinder. Fabsits said Missouri is the only state in the U.S. in which its two top state leaders are former Eagle Scouts.

Program Highlights: American Red Cross

Mike Odneal, Red Cross executive director, speaks to Rotarians.

Everyone knows what the Red Cross does, right? They teach first aid courses. They hold blood drives. They help in time of disasters. Yep, and a lot more, too. One of the Red Cross' oldest programs actually goes back to when it was first organized - helping families of the Armed Forces when they have an emergency need.

    Mike Odneal, executive director of the Mid-Missouri Chapter, American Red Cross, gave Rotarians a brief look at the many aspects of his organization's involvement with military families - especially those back home. They help get messages from home to the front lines where their loved one is serving, and then provides financial help for emergency travel or food and shelter. They also work with veterans and their families when they seek compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

    "No one ever said that being in the military was going to be easy for a military family, but our organization of volunteers always stand ready to provide special services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," said Odneal, in his talk to JC West Rotarians on April 9. He encouraged Rotarians to get involved with the Red Cross, either as a volunteer, serving on a chapter board, serving as health and safety instructors, or getting involved in its Service to Armed Forces (SAF) Program.

Elizabeth Albert Selected for RYLA

Elizabeth Albert, daughter of Rotarian Steve and Susan Albert, has been chosen to attend the Missouri Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Academy, and will be sponsored by the Jefferson City West Rotary Club. RYLA is an international program of more than 40 years, giving outstanding high school sophomore students a chance to learn and show their leadership skills. The Missouri RYLA Academy will be held June 27-30 on the campus of William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.

Upcoming Programs

April 23 - Danene Beedle, Missouri Wines Association.

April 30 - Work Day, Rotary Centennial Park Service Project (no meeting at JCCC).

May 7 - Rick Huffsteder, Central Missouri Food Bank

May 14 - Chris Neff, The Return of the Yo-Yo.