As a club we can be proud of the Fourth Annual Charity Sporting Clay Shoot. It was the best fundraiser that we have had by any measure. The weather which contributed greatly to the success of the event was nearly perfect. That theme was carried through the Saturday evening meal and auction (both Calcutta and goodies) which set records. The shoot on Sunday was great. The winner, Les Huber, said it was organized as well as any of the shoots conducted by professionals and he participates in one nearly every weekend. Revenues from the shoot also set a new record, approximately $36,500. This is a 37 percent increase over last year and by holding our expenses to a 19 percent increase we cleared over $29,000.

We had 96 shooters registered this year and 90 of those turned in scorecards on Sunday. This is about 10 more shooters than we had in 2000. We used a lot more targets, however. The difference was that we had seven stations for Saturday practice and the shooters simply used more targets. The changes we put in place this year allowed us to handle the crowd quite easily. The main differences were requiring scheduled starting times, having the different classes shoot-off simultaneously at different stations, and using a computer for scoring and setting the classes. Carole Parks did a great job in the scoring department. It will be easier next year; right, Carole?

As usual we had a wrap-up meeting to discuss areas to improve for next year. Like any endeavor that you look back upon, we found things that we could do better in the future. Examples are having something to eat on Sunday, better auditing of the score cards, more help on Saturday, and greater effort among Club membership in approaching and developing donors. The money is in the donors. We hardly break even on unsponsored shooters.

The Fifth Annual Charity Sporting Clay Shoot is scheduled for the same weekend next year, April 27-28. Please, put that on your calendars and in your Palm Pilots.

Jack Whitmire suggested that we change the name of the event to the Charity 100 Invitational Sporting Clay Shoot, so that we will not have to change the name from year to year. This would reflect the intent to limit the event to 100 shooters, a comfortable amount for the Club to handle, and make it sound more exclusive. Do the rest of you have any thoughts on that?

The zealots at the wrap-up meeting wanted to set the revenue goal next year at $500 per member. We are talking almost $50,000 here. Is this reasonable? Probably a ten percent increase in revenues or about $40,000 would be more comfortable. After all, we do not want to take the fun out of the event. Those of us who participated can vouch for the fact that this is an enjoyable event. Please plan ahead and join the fun next year because there will be plenty to do in 2002.

Bobby comments on term        Bobby Leon

This, my last official duty as President of Victoria Rotary Club, brings me to focus on the symbolic Rotary wheel.

Its round design illustrates the fact that we have come full circle from this time last year when I said “Yes” to leading the club into a new year.

Its attached gears concentrically join into one defined area—much like the unselfish and endless deeds of many of you—when, in combined effort, succeeded in our club’s being recognized by District Governor Billy Settles as Most Outstanding in the large club category in District 5930.

… And finally, it symbolizes a wheel of fortune for me—the good fortune that I have had the privilege of serving each of you as your (M&M—Membership in the new Millennium!) President in this first year of the new millennium in the history of Rotary International, and the great fortune that I had in your care and support during the seven months of my father’s illness and final days during my term as President.

Together we have risen to the level of the 4-way test in everything we have done. Together we have said “Yes!” and succeeded beyond our goals. Together we have prepared for what lies ahead with new leadership and emphasis.

I thank you most sincerely for a year that I will always remember.

To insure quality programs each week, we will ask members to provide or coordinate one program a year. Therefore, we will ask about half of the members to find a topic of interest and coordinate its presentation. This has begun for July and August, so please assist the Club when called upon.

If you have a topic you would like please notify Terry Robinson at Terry.Robinson@SCCI-LTAC.com or 575-1445.

At the Rotary District 5930 Conference our club walked off with the gold. On the last night of the conference Governor Billy announced we not only earned a presidential citation, but also were named the District’s outstanding large club.

Earlier our web site won the best web site.

The Club named six Paul Harris Fellows for 2001. They were Debra Beck, Cally Fromme, Mary Hodgkinson, Terry Robinson, Bobby Schaar, and Jack Whitmire.

Billy Settles made a special presentation to Bobby Leon, a Paul Harris pin with five sapphires. An anonymous donor gave the Rotary Foundation $5,000 and named Bobby and Harold Leon as honorees.

Linda Hawes of the Victoria Sheriff's Department, Lt. Shannon Martin of the Victoria Fire Department and Sgt. Michael Ryan Hoover of the Victoria Police Department received the awards.

Ms. Hawes was selected for her unfailing commitment to victims of crime, her unselfish motivation to participate in many programs to promote the Sheriff's Department, interaction with the community and her outpouring of civic mindedness that supports the Department's mission.

Lieutenant Martin was recognized for doing an excellent job of assisting with combining the City’s Fire and EMS Departments. He has brought professional and positive attitude to a workplace that changes rapidly.

Sergeant Michael Hoover was recognized for being diligent in following through on assignments and in being organized and complete in approaching the many duties of the Department.

Exchange student news Elliott Perez

I went skiing with the Rotary club in the Pyrenees. They rented a hotel for members and some of their kids. We had a big dinner together in a lodge-type hall went skiing the following day where I only fell once (due to the melting ice in the spring season), but it was not painful.

I, also, went with the other Rotary exchange students to the District Conference in Albi, France. I got to see some of the students that I hadn’t seen in a while. Basically, we toured the city during the day, saw an organ concert in the city's famous cathedral, and had a very fancy, elegant dinner with all the other members. We got to know the other exchange students. It was definitely a night to remember. The following day we went to the conference, where we met the former President of France and we presented ourselves and our program.

I spent my last few days before my parents came with my exchange student friends from the US at my host family's summer home on the beach. Then I said bye to all my friends from my school and my host family. My parents came to Paris, where I met them. After touring Paris we flew to Madrid. It was my first time in Madrid and I absolutely loved it. I got to see Madrid win the soccer championship of Spain. That was a sight to see, literally hundreds of people outside twirling their Royal Madrid banners while the music played in the streets. From there we went to Barcelona and the Spanish Riviera before returning to Texas.

This experience was the best thing I could have ever done during my senior year. I am fluent in French and have even been asked if I was French! In my opinion this was the best time for me to have done an exchange, since I would have forgotten all of the French I learned in high school if I would have done it later. It also allowed me to grow up a little more before I went to university. I also have taken the French placement test and Texas A&M has awarded me 14 credit hours of French credit in college. This really reduces the credit hours needed for the Business School's International Certification. So, again I thank the best exchange program in the world, Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Victoria. I will definitely compete for the Rotary Club's college study abroad scholarship program in the future.

In an update from UH-V the unaudited market value of our investment had grown to $57,657 as of August 31, 2000.

We try to have four students receiving scholarships. These are commonly known as 2+2 scholarships. The name comes from two years at Victoria College plus two years at UH-Victoria. Because of dropouts and transfers we hardly ever have four students receiving benefits.

Two join Victoria Rotary Club in the spring quarter

 

Phyllis Hunt

Bob Zawadzki

Financial statements

Assets

Total Assets                                 28,856

Equity                                             28,856