Quarterly News

Although solicitations started later than in the past commitments from sponsors are slightly ahead of this time last year. Last year we had received $18,290 in donations by the end of March. This year we have received $18,625.

It is less than three weeks until the Ninth Annual Charity Sporting Clay Shoot, April 22-23, 2006. We have to make the final preparations then have another successful fundraiser. This is our big fundraiser. In each of the last few years we have raised about $35,000 through this venue. Our next milestone would be to clear $40,000—a do-able goal.

Your spring bill contains a documents explaining sponsorships and asks that members who have not already donated consider a sponsorship. Everything helps.

People are needed to prepare and serve the steak dinner, to register the sponsors and participants, to attend the grounds, to run the traps and games, to help with the auction, to operate the Saturday night bar, to put names with work tasks, to publicize the event, and to document the shoot with photographs and video. If you signed-up to help with one of these tasks, please, do so.

We plan to move the Shoot farther out Salem Road to another spot on John Beck’s ranch. It is a very scenic area along the creek and will allow all activities to be in one place. The downside is that there are no permanent shelters similar to the one that we use for the auction and steak dinner. We have borrowed a large tent from Parkway Church to replace it. We will need 15 volunteers Friday afternoon to erect it.

Our clay shoot is a two-day affair where shooters attempt to break clay targets at each of five stations. Each station has two traps, so two targets are launched on each “pull.” On Saturday the shooters register and practice. That night we serve a steak dinner and hold the auctions. There is a charity auction and a Calcutta. We only give trophies, but the shooters want a Calcutta for prize money. Sunday each shooter shoots 50 targets, ten at each station, to determine class. We normally have four classes. Finally, there is a shoot-off in each class to determine first and second place. Trophies and Calcutta purses are given for first and second place in each class.

2006 Clay Shoot sponsors

Target Underwriter: Sam’s Club

Food Underwriters: Homewood Residence and Performance Food Group

Corporate Sponsors: Hospice of South Texas, American Electric Power, First Victoria, Suwannee Supply, Crossroads Title, Texas Glass and Tinting, Speedy Stop Stores, Alexander & Marek, Chesnick Furniture, Brannan Paving, Hillcrest Animal Hospital, Pryor Sales and Service, Jack Whitmire, Ruth Constant, and Calvo’s CLEAN ALL

Station Sponsors: JHC Insurance, The Victoria Advocate, Dow Seadrift Operation, Suwannee Supply, HEB, Greg Haynes Allstate, Cintas, Brown & Associates, El Campo Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Truman Transfer and Storage, Peggy Cunningham, Barbara Briggs, Victoria OMS Associates, Dr. Bob Gilliam, Bruce Bauknight & David Drost, Jason Plaza, Magical Moments, and Friendly Oaks Bed & Breakfast

Youth Sponsors: Texas Health Center, Cole Cole & Easley, Janssen Lease Service, Outburst Advertising, BHP Engineering & Construction, Easley Roofing, Associated Engineers & Surveyors, Law Offices of O.F. Jones III and Derek Cox

Auction Sponsors: Cornerstone Properties, Fagan Answering Service, Expressions Floral & Gifts, HRH Insurance, Wells-Fargo, Carpet Masters, Casa Ole, Chick-fil-A, Mr & Mrs Bill Jones, Carole Parks, Linwood Place, Gerald Parker, Retama West of Victoria, Cap Auto Parts, and Interiors by Sherry ▲
 

Women Who Don’t Cook donate dinner

Eight Rotarian ladies are donating a dinner for eight to be auctioned at the Clay Shoot. It will be entitled Women Who Don’t Cook, so they hope to recruit a real chef to prepare the meal while they pamper the guests. Cally, Mary, Sally, Jennifer, Lorene, and Phyllis volunteered immediately and they are trying to recruit Pat and Ann to complete the crew. ▲

District calls for Ambassadorial Scholarship nominees

Rotary International has the world’s largest scholarship program for study abroad. Here in South Texas we traditionally award 2 of the $26,000 scholarships per year – for the junior or senior year, or for graduate study. We are currently seeking applications for the 2007-08 academic year.

Students who are interested need to be sponsored by a Rotary Club. That club needs to submit the student’s application to the district Scholarship Committee by June 12. It’s not too early to begin that process! ▲
 

Incoming District Governor plans to honor military service

Please help the district celebrate your service in uniform to our country, and/or celebrate family members who have served in uniform, during the district’s installation of officers: beginning at 6:30 p.m., Sat., June 24, aboard the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, in Corpus Christi. To do so, please email a copy of a photo, along with the name of the individual, to . (If appropriate, you may also wish to include dates of birth and death.) These photos will be placed on the tables for all attendees to see.▲

District web site has a new look

Jennifer and David Bailey from Port Aransas Rotary Club have taken over maintenance and design of the District web site and have made many improvements including a new look. Postings are more current than they have been in years. ▲

When was the last time you recruited a new member

The first object of Rotary is the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. Since it is first it must be the most important. Therefore, we need a variety of members with whom we can become acquainted.

We have a 20 percent net loss from our peak membership. How does that affect our service program? What projects might not get finished? Which ones might never have been started? Now consider what we could accomplish with 10 percent or five percent or even two percent more members.

Think about the professional expertise we could add by filling all open classifications. Think about the ideas and club service projects that could be initiated. Think about the additional people to take on leadership and committee roles. Every new Rotarian brings a range of personal and professional resources and knowledge that can greatly strengthen our club's ability to serve throughout the community and the world. ▲
 

Three join Victoria Rotary Club in the winter quarter

         
             Mike Brown                   Phyllis Hunt                  Richard Jones     

Our web site has information useful to all members

The training section of our web site has materials that all members should review from time to time. The club by-laws are there, attendance requirements are spelled out, duties of lane chairs are posted, club fees are detailed, and a comprehensive clay shoot tutorial is posted. Most are PowerPoint presentations. A link to the free PowerPoint viewer is posted, too. ▲