Newsletter - Archive  Jul 16, 2009

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Seven Honored as Paul Harris Fellows

Seven members of the Jefferson City West Rotary Club were honored as Paul Harris Fellows in July. For most it was their first Paul Harris award; for others, it was their second, third - and even fourth such award, given to Rotarians who have contributed $1,000 to the RI Foundation. The awardees pictured above are, left to right, Kent Trimble, Dr. Warren Solomon, Larry Neill, Ed Hughes, Linda Nichols, Mike Gray and Warren Prost. Dist. Gov. Steve Montgomery, far right, presented the awards.

Warren Prost, left, receives his coveted "past president" award from Steve Houser, new incoming president of the Jefferson City West Rotary Club, in ceremonies on July 10.

2008-09 a Busy Year for JC West Rotary

When Warren Prost said his farewell as outgoing president of the JC West Rotary Club, he began to count the ways the club made a difference in the world - locally as well as internationally. Even he was impressed with the numbers.

            For example:

            The club raised $4,000 for the Samaritan Center with its first-ever Trivia Night.

            It raised $2,000 to RI's Polio Plus campaign to eradicate polio in the last bastions of that crippling disease, as well as raised $4,000 to the RI Foundation for humanitarian projects and $1,000 for an international "peanut butter" project in Haiti.

            The club offered a total of $4,000 in high school scholarships, plus a big share of the $3,000 toward the Rotary Sensory Room (see story below) for Cole County Residential Services.

            There were many other achievements. Among them: reaching the $10,000 level for its Club Endowment Fund for the first time in its 35 year history.

Rotary Sensory Room Dedicated

State and county officials helped dedicate the Cole County Residential Services' new Respite Facility on June 18, including the unique Rotary Sensory Room which was made possible by contributions and "sweat equity" by local Rotary clubs including Jefferson City West.

            The Sensory Room includes an array of imagery - from revolving scenes of the universe to fiber optics and strobe-like flashing balls - used to help young people with autism to "calm down" from their often overly-hyper conditions.

            Jim Casey, executive director for Cole County Residential Services, and a member of the Jefferson City Breakfast Rotary Club, noted that the "busy lights and graphics might put you or I on the edge, but it really helps people with autism to calm down and refocus."

            Below, an over-sized replica check of $3,000 is presented to Casey by club presidents Warren Prost and Nancy Gratz. The Rotary donation helped purchase equipment for the Sensory Room. The monies were raised by the Breakfast and West Clubs as well as Rotaract, a Rotary club for young professionals, and matched by Rotary District 6080.

Esterly Named Rotary Governor-Nominee

Rita Esterly, a Jefferson City psychologist, has been named District Governor-Nominee for Rotary District 6080, serving Central and Southeast Missouri. District 6080 is made up of 47 Rotary clubs from Columbia to Springfield. Dr. Esterly will be the District Governor for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Dr. Esterly, a Rotarian since 2000, is a member of the Jefferson City West Rotary Club where she has served as a board member and president. She has been on the District Training Committee for five years.