| Rotary International District 5930 Vol. 4 No. 3 Newsletter September 2007 Print |
|
September Visit Schedule 05 Raymondville |
  Governor
Tom writes . . . .New
Generations Month opportunities!!September is the first opportunity for your Rotary Club to start Rotary Student of the Month. Ask the senior counselor at your high school to select an outstanding boy and outstanding girl for your club to honor. Invite the two students and their parents (and the counselor) to your regular Rotary Club meeting. Ask the counselor to furnish you with a list of the achievements of the students for one of your Rotarians to read at the meeting, after you recognize the student and his parents (and the counselor). Ask the students to tell the club their college plans. Present the student with a certificate (sample is available on the district website). Rotary Student of the month delivers three big benefits: 1. It makes middle aged parents aware of Rotary and
your clubs projects. The students consider it a huge honor to speak to a group of distinguished adults like the Rotary Club. It will help the students, and it will help your Rotary Club. The only expenses are the meals for the parents, the student, and the counselor (and the certificate). There are nine months of school, so you will have 18 Rotary Students of the month at the end of the year. Some clubs use the Rotary Students of the Month as their scholarship applicants. The club has actually met the students and heard them speak. Their applications are not just names on a piece of paper. It is best to have only one Rotary Boy and one Rotary Girl present at
the same time. This gives the full glory of the event to the two
students. The amount of time required for this presentation is about
five minutes. You can also volunteer your Rotary Club members for Career Day at the high school. Most high schools have Career Day for their students to hear and ask questions of business professionals. Rotarians are excellent career examples. These activities bring awareness of Rotary into your community, and cost your Rotary Club so little. A student should never have to ask "What is Rotary?" When the students know you, they know Rotary. When an older person asks you what Rotary does, ask them if they remember Polio. Rotary is eradicating polio. Rotarians have donated $644 million dollars to do it, it is all right to mention it! Thank you, Gov. Tom Moore and Carol |
What is Family of Rotary?
by Joan Cocozza
Family of Rotary is not easy to define. Family is a word we all know, but do we equate it with Rotary? Not all clubs do---Some clubs try---Some clubs really accomplish the ultimate goal of making their club a cohesive family.
During the 2007-08 Rotary year, I am heading up the committee of Family of Rotary I would like any club in our district who exemplifies the The Family of Rotary, to write to me and tell me what you do. You will be featured in our District Newsletter.
This month, I'll discuss the Sunburst Rotary Club of Harlingen. This is a club of around 35 members and is about 10 years. It is a club whose membership is about 65% women. As a club, they do a number of things which binds them together as a family. I will enumerate.
1. At least once a month they meet at a coffee shop or a restaurant for
fellowship.
2. Some of the members who travel, go together as a group. They have
gone to Las Vegas and casinos in Louisiana.
3. All of the members have the phone numbers of each others children.
When they are out of town or in a time of need, this information has
proved invaluable.
4. They always have a Christmas party. When the club was smaller, it was
a progressive dinner. (What could be more fun?)
5. Their attendance stands at between 70 to 80% and this is at 7 a.m.
for breakfast.
6. This is a club in which all members take a part. Just coming for
breakfast is not an option.
I would love to hear about your club. Maybe it is just a one time project that your members undertook or maybe it is a continuing cohesive action. In either case, I would like to hear about it. We all need to toot our horns once in a while.
Joan Cocozza, at P.O. Box 530539, Harlingen TX 78553-0539,
Snowball Express to be bigger and better
Last
year, Snowball Express and Rotary clubs across the United
States helped more than 900 kids and surviving spouses of
our U.S. Armed Forces heroes who paid the ultimate price
while serving our country. We flew them to Southern
California from as far away as Australia, Japan and Puerto
Rico for a fun-filled three-day extravaganza which
culminated in a trip to Disneyland. This was our way of
replacing sad memories with ones of joy.
You can see how much it meant by visiting http://www.snowballexpress.org/2006_event/thankyous/thankyous.html.
And you can see how many Rotary clubs participated at http://www.snowballexpress.org/partners/rotary/Rotary_Support/rotary_support.html.
This year, we're shooting even higher... 1,500! and we really need the help of Rotarians in District 5930!
There's a needs list at http://www.snowballexpress.org/how/how.html.
I realize you're probably swamped with Rotary tasks, so thanks in advance for helping make Snowball Express into a reality for these kids.. --submitted by Roy White, Chairman, Snowball Express, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
District Youth Exchange students chosen
These
two American students will leave this week for Switzerland and for France.
We have foreign students who are available for your Rotary community to
host. It cannot happen without your involvement.
Rotary Youth Exchange (Page 31 in your Rotary District Directory) is a
Rotary International youth program for high school-aged students between the
ages of 15 - 18 1/2. There are two principal types of exchanges: Long-term
student exchanges usually last for an academic year; travel and insurance
are paid by student. Typically three different families for three months
each and attend high school. The host club must have a minimum of three
committee members, provide three different homes for the student to be
housed and are trained by our District. Host club should budget
approximately $2,500 to sponsor a student long term; short-term student
exchanges vary from a few weeks to three months. The student does not attend
school on a short-term exchange and will, most likely, live with a Rotary
host family - this is a family to family exchange, with no expense to the
sponsoring club.
District 5930 Chair – Tamara Sanchez Edinburg, 1303 Royola St., Mission, 78572 (B ) 956-585-6968 (M) 956-207-9050, and
District 5930 Compliance Officer - Jim Deuser McAllen 717 Cardinal Ave., McAllen, 78504 (B) 956-682-2871 (M) 778-4679 (R) 631-4835 and and Beverly Land (Bruce) 3313 South Expwy 281, Edinburg, TX 78539 (c) 956-369-4345 (H) 687-2546 (B) 381-8040 (F) 381-0404 and . Submitted by Tom Moore.
Discover Rotary Africa Tour No. 5
September 29 through October 21, 2007
Featuring:
● Five Days in Capetown including wine farms, Robben island and Table
Mountain
(weather permitting)
● Three days on the Garden Route. Frequent stops at
points of interest. Staying
overnight with the Rotarians in Knysna.
● Three days in Port Elizabeth
● Four days in Johannesburg including a rest day and a work day at the
book center
● Four days, three nights in the Kruger National Park
● Three
days back in Johannesburg for shopping and sightseeing
Costs:
● Airfare Houston to Capetown and Johannesburg to Houston about $1500 -
$2000.
● Airfare Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg less than $200.
● Ground
travel including coach from Capetown to Port Elizabeth; Van around
Johannesburg and to, from, and during the Kruger; lodging and food in
the Kruger
National Park is $1500.
● Lodging is hosted by the South African Rotarians
except for the Kruger National Park.
Advantages:
● Getting to know South Africans on a personal level.
● Participating hands
on in humanitarian service projects.
● Having a personal guide to the
Kruger National Park.
● The joy of discovery and making new friends.
Contact:
| Barbara or Charlie Clemmons 4601 Hamblen Ct. Seabrook, Texas 77586 281.474.2260 – home 281.291.7373 – office accounts. 281.474.1492 – fax 713.452.1339 – cell Charlie 713.254.5484 – cell Barbara – – |
Please make your own airline reservations but notify the Clemmons of them. The ground costs must be paid in advance to the Clemmons who will prepay the South African accounts. |
Submitted by Marilyn Spencer.
Working with other organizations
Tip provided by Pauline Leung, assistant general coordinator, RI Public Image Resource Group
In a world of constantly changing environments, businesses are subject to scrutiny regarding their social responsibilities as corporate citizens. Corporate philanthropy has become increasingly important to gain public confidence. Companies are trying to contribute to more than just local community efforts, with many firms donating funds to further environmental protection, health care, education and other humanitarian causes.
Because Rotary clubs are already committed to these issues, they're advised to identify opportunities to raise awareness and work with companies in their communities that are willing to join hands with Rotary. These collaborations benefit both parties, who can share resources and maximize results.
Learn how Rotary works with other groups
Corpus Ronald McDonald Charities hosting Casa de Amor
Rotarian Wally Whitworth announces the upcoming Ronald McDonald House Charities of Corpus Christi:
5th Annual Casa de Amor
Wednesday,
September 12, 2007
7:00 PM
American Bank Center
Honoring
NASCAR Legend Terry Labonte
Guest speaker will be Bobby Knight, Texas Tech Basketball Coach, NCAA National Champion, motivator, and educator.
With your help the Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Corpus Christi can continue their mission of
providing comfort, safety and advocacy in a home-like environment for
families with critically ill or
injured children who must travel to fulfill their healthcare needs.
Sponsor levels are available between $1,000-$15,000. Individual tickets are
available at $125.
For additional information call Brandey Albrecht at 361-854-4073.
Hang on. The ride looks exciting. The horse is out of the stable!
Laredo's President Guero reserved time to express his
expectations – for himself and the club – in the coming year.
He plans to lead The Laredo Rotary Club to greater heights while exemplifying this year’s International theme, Rotary Shares. Using an old saying with his own twist, he asked for an internal sharing of knowledge and expertise from old to new: “Get the books out of the library before the library burns.” By that he inferred that we can do the greatest good by involving the greatest number of members.
Specifically, Guero will rely heavily on his finance
committee to innovate ways of getting more money to do more, for example, some major construction improvements for a Mexico orphanage and new advertising avenues to place
and keep the Rotary name before the people, especially among the school
children, which ultimately will better ensure a future crop of Rotarians.
Guero’s high expectations were prefaced with what he said was his reason for
being where he is today – found
a pivotal incident in his family’s lore which turned a moment of failure to success during the Depression. A rider on a horse came by and offered $50 to his
grandparents for something of value; that $50 turned the tide in the poorest of
economies from failure to success. Today, Guero said he wants to be – he
wants The Laredo Rotary Club to be - the rider with the $50. -
Submitted by
Chuck Owen
District 5930 Membership
Training Seminar
Saturday, September 22nd 9:30—11:30 am
Weslaco Business Visitor Center, 301 W. Railroad Street
Presentation by Andy Smallwood
(NW corner of Business 83 and Texas Blvd, downtown Weslaco)
YOU can make a difference!!!
The seminar will give you some important tools for Recruitment... Retention...and Founding New Clubs. This seminar is tailored for Club Presidents, Presidents Elect, Membership Chairs and Members, Club Directors and any interested Rotarian.
Hear, Learn About and Discuss .....
● The New Club Leadership Plan &
Membership's Place in it
● The new Club Meeting Plan for
Revitalizing Clubs
● Some Interesting Thoughts on Club Singing
● How to Attract Younger Members... What
New Members Want
● Why One Size Does Not Fit All
● Retention Ideas that Actually Work
● Recruitment...It's Easier Than You Think
● How to do an Easy Classification Survey
● How New Clubs are Started,..Why They Are
important
● Is Your Club a Candidate for a Different
Meeting Time?
● What A Hew Member Really Needs to be To
be Told or Needs to Know
| Andy Smallwood is a member of the Gulfway-Hobby Airport (Houston) Rotary Club. He is a Past District Governor of District 5890 serving in 1995-1996. He has been a Discussion Leader at the International Assembly (training DGEs) and Past Foundation Coordinator for Zone 26. He is currently a Zone 26 Coordinator for Membership. He currently serves his District as District Trainer. Andy is married to Anita. She has helped with spouses programs at PETS and at Zone Institute. Andy has been in our District on many occasions and has always made us smile and reflect on the work of Rotary. |
A handful of our clubs were especially successful in membership growth and retention last year - Brownsville Sunrise, Corpus Christi Sunrise, Edcouch-Elsa, Victoria, and West Hidalgo County. They will share success stories to let us know what they did that really worked.
We will have four Membership Assemblies
(Valley, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and Victoria).
Details for the first one are listed above.
Lauro Solis, Tony Rivera, Martha Noell, Bob White,
Lionel Betencourt, Terri McGraw, and Tom Moore
had a noon planning luncheon at Luby's in Weslaco,
Monday, August 27, 2007, to plan this Membership Assembly.
You are invited to participate in the luncheon and the Assembly.
The Valley Membership Assembly will provide the model
for the other three Rotary Membership Assemblies. -
Submitted by
Tom Moore
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Tom and Carol Plumb become Benefactors
Tom and Carol Plumb have promised to give Rotary $25,000 from their estates, which makes them a level two Benefactor of Rotary. The award was presented during the Port Isabel's regular meeting by District Governor Tom Moore and his wife Carol. - Submitted by Tom Moore
Clubs should use a New Member Checklist
When you induct a new member into your Rotary Club, it is important that you give them something to do to make them feel part of your Rotary club.
Many clubs give the new member a Checklist. This empowers them to do things in your Rotary club without being told.
A 'Fireside Chat' with the new member and their sponsor is an excellent follow-up. Sometimes the Fireside Chat happens after there is an accumulation of new members once a year (or two!).
The new member checklist is immediate and definite. This list was composed by a
board of directors.
Use this one or make your own. Do not put more than ten items on the list. Submitted by
Tom Moore.
Last Great Western Trail markers to be dedicated on Labor Day
Four
years ago the Vernon (Texas) Rotary Club took on a
major project to mark what was called the Great Western Trail, a path from
extreme South Texas to Doan’s Crossing at the Red River, along which cattle
were driven to market in the late 1800s. Rotarian Sylvia G. Mahoney of
Vernon came onboard as a co-leader of the pact.
This trail was the Texas track that carried cattle to the railhead to get them to the Northeast and other points. It is said that more than seven million cattle and horses crossed at Doan’s Crossing on the Red River between 1876 and 1893. Marking of the trail originated with two Altus, Oklahoma, men--Dennis Vernon and John Barton--both members of the Western Trail Historical Society in Altus. Sylvia met with these men and invited them to present to the Vernon Rotary Club. That was the start of something big, from the Rio Grande to the Red River, roughly a 620 mile span.
A Great Western Cattle Trail Resolution was presented on May 16, 2005, in the Texas Legislature by Representative Rick Hardcastle and Senator Frank Madla acknowledging its economic and historical importance.
Two years after the Vernon Rotary Club started the project, October 2005, the project was presented at the Rotary Zone 25 and 26 meeting, and District 5930 Governor Jorge Verduzco committed the District to the plan. In June 2006, as he completed his term, Governor Verduzco participated with Sylvia and the Rotary clubs and area officials in Edinburg, Matamoras, Alice, and Falfurrias in setting memorial marker posts.
According to plan, a marker will eventually be placed every 6 miles along the Trail in each of 20 Texas Counties. The 20-Texas-Counties goal will be completed this Labor Day (2007) in Boerne and San Antonio, with Rotary taking the lead!
Rotarian Sylvia Mahoney wrote in an email August 28, “You are invited to attend the Labor Day Weekend Texas final two dedication ceremonies of Western Trail markers in Texas. This completes the dedication ceremonies for all 20 counties in Texas that the Western Trail crossed—a true landmark occasion—a Texas Finale.”
If you happen to be in Boerne September 2 or San Antonio September 3, and are interested in attending here is the information you will need. On Sunday, September 2, the Boerne Sunrise Rotary will host at 1:00 PM at the Boerne Ag Museum. On Monday, September 3, the Alamo Heights Rotary Club will do the event at the Old Trail Drivers Museum, adjacent to the Witte Museum, at 10:00 AM. For more information, contact Sylvia Mahoney at 940-357-1269 or . Submitted by Chuck Owen.
Joe Galbraith needs our prayers
Our dear friend and 82 year veteran Scouter, Joe Galbraith is in need of our
prayers. We are sorry to report that Joe’s health, at 94 years of age, is
rapidly failing and care givers and hospice workers feel that he is nearing
the end of his most remarkable life.
The best way to communicate with Joe at this point is to send a card or an e-mail to his caregiver, Reyna Navarrete. She will read it to him.
Reyna Navarrete
3224 Crestwater Dr
Corpus Christi, TX, 78415-3836
You may not know that Joe began his service as a Professional Scouter in 1935 and retired 42 years later in 1978. The next day he was hired as a consultant and he continued in that role until 2002. He has worked for the BSA under every Chief Scout Executive from James E. West to Roy L. Williams. His 45th National Training School was visited by Baden Powell during a visit to the USA. He is an Eagle Scout joining Scouting at 12 years of age in 1925. He a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and he is an Antelope in Wood Badge. He is the official song leader in his Corpus Christi West Rotary Club and Rotary District 5930 functions. He is also well known for his song leading in the old South Central Region and the enthusiasm he brings to every gathering.
God Bless America… and God Bless Joe Galbraith! We are all richer having known this good man! -Submitted by John Thurston, Council President & CEO
Victoria Rotary Clubs host successful back-to-school shots event
The
three Victoria Rotary clubs hosted their 14th annual Kids Fest on August 11.
This was started as part of the Rotary Shots Across Texas. This year the event
took place at three sites--Texas Zoo, DeTar Women and Children's Hospital, and
the Citizens Medical center.
The Zoo was single site used for years, but last year the event was expanded to include the DeTar site. This year Citizens Medical Center wanted to participate and this turned out to be the most popular site because they offered diabetes screening.
Rotarian Terry Robinson and his daughter (left) help medical personnel give shots at the Texas Zoo where 16 families got immunizations for 30 children.
At the DeTar site 12 families brought 21 children who were immunized. Seventy-three families received shots for 55 children at Citizens Medical Center.
In summary, 101 families with 106 children received 238 immunizations.
Market Group Study Exchange to teachers
Our Rotary GSE tour to Germany (June 5 to August 5, 2008) is perfect for your school teaching staff. They must be employed; between the ages of 25 to 40 years old; American citizen; be friendly and outgoing. This tour is perfect for teachers.
Rotary pays all the expenses except passport and health insurance. Rotary even buys them a blazer, shirts, ties, and scarves.
We also have a GSE tour to Barcelona, Spain (May, 2008) with the added requirement of conversational Spanish.
How do we reach your teachers?
● GSE tours are for 30 days.
● Half their time is spent in vocational visits.
Teachers visiting teachers, etc.
● The other half of the time is tourist stuff.
● They will speak to Rotary Clubs three times weekly about America.
● They are individually hosted in the homes of
Rotarians for two to three days per family.
Click this link the GSE Team Member application: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/161en.pdf
On page three is the TEAM MEMBER’S ESSAY OF INTENT. The screening committee is looking for people who want to travel and met people. They are not looking for candidates who want to search for old Nazis or think Germany is known only for brewing great beer.
On page four, there is a place for a Rotary Club to endorse the candidate's application. This does not cost the Rotary Club any money. The Club is vouching for the candidate, that the candidate is as stated and a worthy applicant.
Screening of candidates will be in November in Kingsville.
The application goes to:
Terri Whitman Rockport Rotary Club
P. O. Box 2142,
Rockport, TX 78381
(B) 361-727-2311 (F) 790-8625 (R) 361-205-7122 . Submitted by
Tom Moore.
Double your money with aid to Peru
Please send your donation for the aid to Peru.
Rotary Clubs have sent $500, which our Rotary District will match. The earthquake in Peru killed about 500 people.
Our help will really help.
The news people seem to have forgotten them. Submitted by
Tom Moore.
| The South Texas District 5930 Newsletter is published the first day of each month. , Victoria Rotary Club, edits and distributes it. by the 24th of the month prior to publication. Jack is, also, our webmaster. |
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