Prayer: Dear God, in the chill of winter we gather to enjoy the warmth of our friendship in Rotary, and the spiritual warmth of your love and concern for us. We are awed by every evidence of your interest in us and your responses of help in our times of special need. As we embrace each other in fellowship, in our lighthearted moments and in serious involvements, we pray also for your enriching presence in all we do.
We offer thanks for food prepared for our use and for those who serve us. Let our table conversations be uplifting, and our concern for others genuine. Thank you for all favors received from your hand. Amen.
Club Announcements
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays
Claude Harbarger Dec. 08
Anniversaries
Matthew & Taylor Turnage Dec. 08
Stephen & Angel Stenmark Dec. 09
Membership Anniversaries
Eric Bragg 2 years, Dec. 08
Rotary Foundation Thought. This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is the December message from Rotary International's 2017-2018 President, Ian H. S. Risley.
Seventy-two years ago, the United Nations was founded “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war … [and] to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors.” Despite those worthy aspirations, and generations of investment in achieving them, the “scourge of war” is still with us: Last year, more than 102,000 people died in 49 armed conflicts around the world. Some of those conflicts were in their fifth decade or beyond. Terrorism, intolerance, and extremism; the refugee crisis; and environmental degradation are now global challenges. Collectively, we seem further than ever from achieving the goals that were set with such ambition and optimism in 1945. Yet hope endures, as long as there are people willing to work for a more peaceful future – not only through their governments but also beside them and beside each other. Today, Rotary is better placed than ever to have a real and lasting impact for peace: through our peace-focused programs, such as Rotary Peace Fellows, and through every area of our service. Water, sanitation, health, education, and economic development are all interrelated and part of the complex interactions that can lead to conflict – or avert it. To best leverage our service in all these areas, and to maximize their impact for peace, it is essential to understand these interactions and plan our service accordingly. For these reasons, we have scheduled a series of six presidential peacebuilding conferences between February and June in Canada, Lebanon, the UK, Australia, Italy, and the United States. These conferences will focus not on peace but on peacebuilding: We will share ways that we can work to build peace through the service of our Rotary clubs and districts. Five of the one-day conferences will illuminate the connections between peace and another area of focus. The first conference, in Vancouver, B.C., will explore the link between peace and another sphere of great concern to us in Rotary: environmental sustainability. You can view the full schedule and register at www.rotary.org/presidential-conferences. The goals are simple: to help Rotarians find new ways to advance peace through their service, to learn from experts, and to strengthen our abilities to build peace. It is my hope and belief that these conferences will help us move closer to a more peaceful world, through Rotary: Making a Difference.
Ring the Bell for Salvation Army.
It's time again to " Ring the Bell for the Salvation Army ". Location -McDade's Northside Drive.
Date - December 6th and 8th. Time - 10AM - 5 PM. Please call Rob Whitley at 601-362-8844 to participate and reserve your 1-hour tour of duty.
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.
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
5 reasons to support The Rotary Foundation on Giving Tuesday
By Rotary staff
When you make a donation to The Rotary Foundation, you are helping Rotary members make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world, by promoting peace, preventing disease, supporting education, bolstering economic development, and providing clean water and sanitation.
Here are just a few ways your generosity is changing lives.
Eradicating polio
Thanks to you, we are closer than ever to ending polio. We have reduced cases by 99.9 percent since 1988, and with our partners, have immunized more than 2.5 billion children worldwide. To end polio for good, we need to reach every last child in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria and protect the progress made in polio-free parts of the world. Eradicating polio is an achievable goal that will be known as one of the greatest achievements in history. And thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is matching every dollar two to one, your donation works even harder. Learn more about our work to end polio.
Promoting peace and conflict resolution
Rotary’s most significant effort to promote peace is the Rotary Peace Centers program, established in 2002. Each year, the program trains some of the world’s most dedicated and brightest professionals, preparing them to promote national and international cooperation and to resolve conflict. They include graduates of a two-year master’s degree program and a three-month professional certificate program at Rotary’s partner universities. Watch a video highlighting Rotary Peace Fellows at work.
Supporting education
Rotary projects like the Guatemala Literacy Project and Nepal Teacher Training Innovations in Nepal are leading the effort to advance childhood reading by empowering teachers to teach better. Read more about the projects, and browse other education projects on Rotary Showcase.
Preventing disease
Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. That’s why treating and preventing disease is so important to us. We lead efforts both large and small, setting up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. Read more about how we are preventing disease and browse health-related projects on Rotary Showcase.
Ending hunger
In Seattle, Rotary members are diverting millions of pounds of fruit and vegetable from food waste into the hands of those who need it through Rotary First Harvest, a program of Rotary District 5030 (Washington, USA). Watch a video about the program.
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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