Prayer: Ever present, God, having drawn aside, once again, from the demands and opportunities inherent in our daily work, we acknowledge with gratitude the privilege which is ours to be Rotarians, following in the footsteps of stalwart service-mindedn persons who, for more than a hundred years, have been faithful to Paul Harris' dream. Help us to be true to our Rotarian heritage by re-committing ourselves and our resources to the causes to which previous generations have given themselves.
For gifts of food and fellowship, we offer thanks, but also for faith and hope. Grant us your consolation and peace. Amen.
Club Announcements
THERE WILL BE NO NOON MEETING ON DECEMBER 12 BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY PARTY THAT EVENING. The party will be at the River Hills Club, 3600 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson. The hours are 6:30 - 8:30. Cost is $40/person which will be included on your January club invoice.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays
Dennis Hardy Dec. 12
Erik Hearon Dec. 13
Luther Munford Dec. 14
Edley Jones Dec. 18
Anniversaries
Dennis & Debbie Hardy Dec. 14
Tom & Charlotte Turner Dec. 15
Tommy & Marsha James Dec. 16
Membership Anniversaries
None
Nominees for 2018-2019 officers and directors are as follow:
Incoming Treasurer: Uriel Pineda
Incoming Secretary: Lee Carney
Incoming President-Elect: Greg Campbell
Incoming President: Anna Powers
Incoming Past President: Witt Ruffin
Nominees for Board of Directors:
Jeff Adcock
Larry Anderson
Suman Das
Steele Dehmer
Lori Greer
Lee Jenkins
Matt Monsour
Luther Munford
Steven O'Neill
Andy White
We will elect 5 from this list of Director nominees.
Rotary Foundation Thought. This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about sponsoring Ambassadorial Scholars.
“I am confident that I am demonstrating a commitment to Rotary ideals-furthering peace and cultural tolerance- through the work that I produce.” Alissa Nicole Creamer
As a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar Alissa Nicole Creamer got a close- up look at how people recover from the ravages of war. While studying documentary filmmaking in Spain she participated in a project supported by 60 Spanish Rotary Clubs to fund rehabilitation of child victims of landmine explosions. Nearly every day for three months Creamer visited with two Angolan children at a local hospital. She got to know their life stories and now she is telling their story to the world through a documentary film she is directing.
By sponsoring and hosting Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotarians give the world hope for the future.
District 6820 Dream Car Raffle. District 6820 needs your help with the Dream Car Raffle (www.dreamcarraffle.org). The grand prize winner will choose between a 2018 Porsche Boxster, Macan S, or $40,000 cash. There will also be 10 additional $500 cash prizes! Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. Winners will be announced at the Rotary Foundation Gala on January 26th, 2018 at the Country Club of Jackson. Proceeds—less prizes and expenses—will go to The Rotary Foundation (50%), Polio Plus (25%), and the District 6820 Foundation (25%). Each member is encouraged to sell a minimum of 10 tickets. Please see Witt Ruffin to pick up your tickets. The deadline to return tickets and money is December 15.
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:
“Service above self; they profit most who serve best.”
P. O. Box 9528, Jackson, MS 39286-9528
www.northjacksonrotary.org
Posted on
How we started a new Rotaract club
Members of the Sewanee Rotaract Club visit Pelham Elementary School to serve as role models.
By Samuel R. Kern, Rotaract Club of Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
I was walking out of my accounting class this summer when I received a message from the dean of students asking if I would be willing to start a Rotaract club at the university for the fall semester. I knew nothing about Rotaract and very little about Rotary but Dean Gentry assured me he would be our club adviser and provide support, so I accepted. Sewanee does not have a plethora of clubs with the national or international recognition that Rotaract has, and I felt confident that students would be interested.
A week later, I met with Bill Davis, a local Rotarian who has orchestrated the effort to bring Rotaract to the university. Bill and I were determined to create a following for the club, so we spent countless time organizing, reviewing the Rotaract Handbook, and discussing how we were going to make it a successful club. I met with Katie Sneed, the president of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Rotaract Club, who graciously gave us advice. Her perspective and support have been crucial.
Initially, I advertised to students through the Activities Fair, to Greek Life organization, and any other student streams we could think of. I explained that Rotaract is an opportunity to create a network of connections and make a difference in the world. Pitching this in a positive light was critical because students will choose to invest their time where they receive the most value back. Therefore, I focused on the prominence and notoriety of Rotary and Rotaract, asking “Would you like to do good and make a difference within our community?” Students at Sewanee want to serve and help the community.
Samuel Kern, left, receives the club’s charter from District Governor Deborah Alexander-Davis, middle.
After creating a viable student interest for the club, we held an information meeting and followed the Rotaract Handbook. Twenty-seven students attended our first meeting, and we felt there was enough support to move forward.
At an organization meeting I explained the structure of the club and asked for those interested in leading. Assembling the right leadership team was critical. I created nine positions adding on a Social Media Committee Chair and the Finance Committee Chair. These officers have been instrumental to our club’s success. Their efforts have allowed us to grow quickly and mobilize.
Perhaps the most important ingredient has been the support of Rotarians. Bill Davis, John Hill (President of the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club), and Woody Deutsch have given their constant support, organizing the charter ceremony, and attending our meetings. Bill has supported me and been a great mentor throughout this semester. I have learned a lot about leadership, service, and life. He and the other Rotarians have been a great influence upon our Sewanee Rotaract Club.
We have held our charter ceremony, participated in service projects, received guest speakers, and are making an impact upon our community. Ultimately, the Sewanee Rotaract Club is here because of the students who make up the club. They are passionate about “making a difference,” and this mission and core value is what unites our club and allows it to succeed.
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.
John Noblin, Director, MS Blues Marathon spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's November 28, 2017, meeting. He discussed the fact that this will be the 11th annual event in Jackson and he discussed the history of the event. The event will be held January 27, 2018, and will include full, half, and quarter marathons plus a 5K and a relay marathon. The first MS Blues Marathon was run in 2008. This year's Title Sponsor is Continental Tire which is building a plant in Clinton, MS. The first Blues Marathon was run in January 2008. Normal participation is about 4,000 runners, representing all 50 US states and 30 or more countries in addition to the US. The race begins and finishes in downtown Jackson with the course going to West and Northeast Jackson. Expert marathoners complete the 26-mile course in 2 1/2 hours, but the course will be open for about 7 hours. The experts average about 5.8 minutes per mile.
Mr. Noblin (center ) is shown in the accompanying photo with Club Past President Sean Culhane (left) and 2017-2018 President Wittt Ruffin (right). We thank him for his presentation to our club and for his efforts on behalf of the Blues Marathon and our city.
December promises to be a busy month for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), as the state agency prepares for the opening of two new major museums along with the celebration of the state's bicentennial.
Chris Goodwin, director of public information at MDAH, provided an overview of the agency's mission and its role in the development and support of the new Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
"The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is a comprehensive historical agency, started in 1902," Goodwin said. "The agency holds the greatest collection of Mississippi artifacts." In addition to its work in collection and preservation, the agency oversees several museums around the state, works with local agencies and municipalities on historic preservation, and assists state, county, and local agencies with the management of their records.
In his remarks to the Rotary Club, Goodwin also provided a brief history of the founding of Mississippi. A group of elected delegates met at historic Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi in 1817 to develop the state's founding constitution and submit it to Congress as part of their application for statehood. Mississippi officially became a state on December 10, 1817.
Goodwin also offered a sneak peek into the two new museums scheduled for their grand opening on Saturday, December 9. The Museum of Mississippi History will give visitors a chance to experience a broad spectrum of history from 13,000 B.C. to the present day. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will focus on the state's often difficult history, from the period of 1945 to 1976.
Once the museums are permanently opened, operating hours will be 9:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. The museums will be closed on Mondays.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Greg Raimondo , Chief, Public Affairs Office for the Vicksburg district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discussed the role and mission of the District with the members of the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's Nov. 14, 2017, meeting. Col. Raimondo retired from the U.S. Army after 26 years of worldwide service. He described the service area of the District which is part of the Mississippi Valley Division and includes;
the Mississippi River from below Memphis to just below Natchez at the point where the Red River joins the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya River exits the Mississippi.
The Red River to approximately Texarkana,
The Ouachita/Black River to its headwaters in the Ouachita Mountains, and
The Pearl River.
The District also includes several lakes in Mississippi, which were built for flood control purposes and for which the Corps is responsible for maintaining their ability to control floods.
The district is also charged with implementing the requirements of the Clean Water Act, including the prevention of pollution or "navigable" waters as well as managing the water flow levels in the rivers in the district.
Col. Raimondo (Center) is shown in the accompanying photo following his talk with club president Witt Ruffin (left), and Matthew Monsour (right) who introduced him. We thank him for his interesting and informative presentation to our club and for his continuing service to our country.
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