Prayer.O God, we acknowledge that even as you inhabit the heavens with power and glory, you also abide with us in compassionate fellowship. We welcome your presence with us at these tables. Having gathered here as Rotarians, we are mindful of our commitment to the cause of serving others above ourselves.
Accept our gratitude as we partake of that which has been provided to sustain our bodies in order that our minds and wills may be dedicated to worthy and productive endeavors in our community and the world. Amen.
Club Announcements
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays
Patrick Smith Jan. 09
Bill McDonald Jan. 12
Anniversaries
Seymour & Maggie Pooley
Jan. 14
Membership Anniversaries
Tommy Dent 32 years, Jan. 12
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about PolioPlus.
In 1985, Rotarians made a promise to the children of the world to eradicate polio. Since PolioPlus began, the number of polio cases worldwide has declined by 99.9 percent from 350,000 cases annually to 20 worldwide cases in 2017, thanks largely to the efforts of Rotarians around the world.
Rotarians have committed nearly US$1.4 billion toward global polio eradication efforts. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated or committed another US$2 billion to the effort. Already, ten million children are walking who would have been paralyzed, and more than 3.0 million lives have been saved. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for Rotary’s and the Gates Foundation's leadership and vision.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving to the children of the world. Goodbye Polio! Thank you, Rotary and thank you Gates, Foundation!
Billy Brumfield House. The Rotary Club of North Jackson is serving supper once a month at The Billy Brumfield House, a Stewpot Community Services ministry. Our club serves on the 1st Tuesday of each month. Interested members need to meet @ Baker Donelson located at the corner of Eastover Drive and the I-55 North Frontage Road @ 5:15 PM and then travel together to Billy Brumfield. Also, if you are interested in sponsoring a month, the est. cost is $180 for the food. Mike Dawkins is project chair and can be reached @ 601-351-2428 or dawkins@bakerdonelson.com.
Between the Lions. Please remember to sign up for Between the Lions. During the school year, we read weekly to pre-Kindergarteners at William Walton Elementary School on Bailey Ave. It is a wonderful experience! The children are truly information sponges and very willing learners. Contact Jenny Price (662) 213-1294 for more information. We have resumed reading and are really enjoying it.
Member Care Committeereminder: for anyone who needs assistance getting to a meeting, please call Luther
Munford at (601) 985-4418.
Thinking of Proposing a New Member?
First, discuss with Classification Committee (Paul Miller or Julian Carroll). They will provide a member-
ship application, check classification availability and discuss occupational qualifications.
Rotary Membership Occupational Qualifications
Applicant should be one of the following:
A corporate officer
A Professional (Attorney, CPA, Physician. Engineer,
Architect, etc) A Proprietor
An Agent of a reputable company
A Manager or Supervisor of a department or section
of a business
Rotarians, don't forget to like the club's Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest happenings. Search us out at Rotary Club of North Jackson or click the link:
Anil and Tulsi Maharjan on a project site in Nepal.
By Tulsi R. Maharjan, a past district governor and member
of the Rotary Club of Branchburg, New Jersey, USA
For this father and son combination, Rotary is about much more than belonging to a humanitarian organization. It’s about
making a difference in the world.
When you’re a part of Rotary, you’re really making a difference, both locally and internationally. When you
think about all the wonderful things Rotary hasaccomp- lished, who wouldn’t want to be part of one of the most
successful humanitarian organizations in history.
I recently took the helm as president of the Branchburg
Rotary Club for the sixth time. I am a chartermember of the club, which started in 1988. This time around, I am honored to have my son serving in the same Rotary club.
Previously, Anil has been a member of an E-Club in our district, but this year he decided to join my club. He is a
CPA and graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, Massa- chusetts, and works for MarketSmith as Director of Innova- tion. He believes in Rotary’s service projects and all the im-
pact they are making around the world with various Rotary
Foundation grants.
Father and son working on the Asha Rays of Hope project.
It has been fun working on projects together. We have been
involved with the Asha Project in Nepal to provide scholarships,
microcredit and home building for the earthquake victims since
the major earthquake in 2015. We have already completed
three humanitarian missions to Nepal together and are planning
a fourth in early February.
Now, it’s additionally nice to bounce ideas off of one another as part of the same club. Branchburg Rotary has just received a
$95,000 grant to implement a microcredit project in Nepal and we are working on a second computer grant.
My son’s interest in Rotary was sparked by listening to me talking
about various local and international projects during the past 29
years. “We’re pretty good at raising money and giving money
away to different organizations,” he says. “But I really like the
hands-on service projects, where you can see you’re making a
difference.”
I would say one of the best things I ever did in my life was join
the Rotary Club of Branchburg, because our members are just
the most generous members I’ve ever known.
Motivational speaker, Lemzel Johnson, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's January 2, 2018, meeting. The purpose of his talk was to discuss what he calls "Strategies for Becoming Effective." The vehicle of this effectiveness he mentioned is an organization named LiveVersation. The following is from the LiferVersation website (Lifeversation.com): "Lemzel Johnson almost died in 2008 with an undiagnosed brain tumor that was over 2 inches in size. Being that the tumor was inoperable Lemzel kept himself motivated with inspirational speakers and motivational books. Being encouraged to have a better future than his current position, he worked to live out what he believed. As he did this, he recognized that many were being inspired to have hope for their future too. Today, Lemzel continues to inspire and motivate hundreds each year to find their identity and purpose in the midst of their difficulty. His mission is to help individuals and business find harmony through the application of life principles." The website further states "If you clarify your motive, then becoming and staying motivated will follow close behind."
To quote from the material that Mr. Johnson distributed, " Over the last several years LifeVersation has studied some of the rising problems in business today. It has found that the lack of well-developed 'Soft Skills' is the number one destroyer of productivity and effectiveness in businesses and teams. 'Soft Skills" are defined as character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people."
"LifeVersations has created "Strategies for becoming effective" as an interactive training to boost the 'Soft Skills' of organizations, teams, and individuals. This training curriculum is designed to enhance the much-needed cohesiveness from within each individual or team member to build harmony toward success. We thank Mr. Johnson for his presentation to our club and for his commitment to improving productivity and effectiveness. He is shown during his presentation in the accompanying photo.
The Rotary Club of North Jackson recognized Officers Aldritch Harvey and Patrick Williams as JPD Precinct 4's officers of the second and third quarters of 2017 at its December 19, 2017, meeting for outstanding work on behalf of the citizens of Jackson. Officers Harvey (second from left) and Williams ( second from right) are shown in the accompanying photo with Precinct 4 Commandeer Keith Freeman (left) and Deputy Chief James McGowan (right). Thanks and congratulations to both officers.
Ben Moncrief, a 1998-1999 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Scotland, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the Club's December 19, 2017, meeting. Mr. Moncrief is currently working in the Strategic & Governmental Relations Department of C Spire. In 1998-1999, he attended St. Andrew's University in St. Andrew's, Scotland. The Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars program was started in 1947.
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program was to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. The program sponsored several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars served as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and gave presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars shared with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.[2]
There were approximately 38,000 Ambassadorial scholars in the program which lasted until 2013. In announcing the discontinuation of the Ambassadorial Scholars program, Rotary International said.
"Beginning in 2013-14, The Foundation will offer scholarship opportunities through district and global grants. This new grant structure gives Rotarians greater flexibility in sponsoring the next generation of leaders."
One other key point Mr. Moncrief made is the need for more STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math graduates in Mississippi. Adding to this is the need to retain these graduates in the state. Now, nearly all of them emigrate to other states. His employer, C Spire, has an ongoing need for people with these qualifications.
Our club thanks Mr. Moncrief for his presentation and we congratulate him on his recognition as an Ambassadorial Scholar. He is shown during his presentation in the accompanying photo.
Suman K. Das, M. D., a member of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, spoke to the club at its December 5, 2017, meeting. The subject of his talk was "The Chemicals of Emotion." He distributed cards with the chemicals used by our bodies to express emotions. In his talk, he gave examples of his own emotions during his life from riding an overcrowded tram in his native India to a dinner with his widowed mother, and a near-death experience of his own from drowning. It is interesting to consider the chemicals released into his brain at those times. Dr. Das (Center) is shown followings his talk in the accompanying photo with Club President Witt Ruffin (left) and Club Member Bill Osborne (right).
Dr. Das' handouts on the chemicals released by the brain in various emotional circumstances are shown below:
We thank Dr. Das for his interesting and informative talk and for his membership in our club.
