Prayer.O God, whose creative power is evident all around us in these early summer days, we are grateful for the resources available to us for enriched living and productive working. As stewards of the things that bring joy and meaning to life help us to use them for the good of others and for your glory.
Bless now our gathering in this place, that our influence for good will be felt in this small corner of the world. To that end we offer gratitude for sustaining food, enriching fellowship,, and invigorating involvement in worthwhile endeavors. Amen.
Club Announcements
Please keep Tom and Norma Bowen in your thoughts and prayers. Norma is ill and Tom is her principal care-giver.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays
Jay Cooke June 30
Wedding Anniversaries
Don & Jackie Roberts June 18
Mike & Kathryn DawkinsJune 18
Josh & Erin Walker June 20
John & Ann Gourlay June 21
Erik Hearon & Marla Harbor June 22
Hugh & Jennifer Johnson June 23
Pat & Suzanne Vivier June 24
Nick & Lauren Miller June 25
Membership Anniversaries Clinton Smith 6 years, June 19
Social Media.Want to keep up with the service activities and members of the Rotary Club of North Jackson? Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@RotaryNorth) and Instagram (rotarynorthjackson)
Rotary Membership Drive. Please see the following from Membership Director Lee Jenkins.
" Still in progress…2018 RCNJ Membership Drive!
Many thanks to Lori, Erin, and Suman for bringing guests to the Club Assembly! The food was delicious, as usual, thanks to The Holy Smokers, and the fellowship was excellent. I think our guests enjoyed it too!
Great news! Our Membership Drive has been extended toJune 30, 2018!
For those of you who have brought guests and have interested prospects, let me know when they need an application. The Rotary Club of North Jackson has always been a great club with the best members, and we want to make it even better! If you haven't brought a prospective member yet, think of who you know that would be an asset to our Club and invite them to a meeting. Their lunch is on us!
Don't forget the incentives available for bringing in new members right now through the end of June:
1) 500 Paul Harris points for each new member
2) $200 gift certificate to The Manship for whoever recruits the most NJRC members
Also, the Rotarian who brings in the most new members in the District by May 31stwill receive $500 cash!
Think about who you can introduce to Rotary. We want to meet them!"
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about micro credit.
In Cuzco, Peru Rotarians contributed $10,000 to a partnering association, Asociacion MIDE, which provided small loans to 288 low-income women. In six months these
women improved their businesses and living standards, lifting them out of extreme poverty. While local Rotarians had the opportunity to work together to develop the
project and approve the system of loans, the participants learned to use, administer and benefit from financial credit. In the process, the women improved their self-esteem as
they acquired entirely new roles of financial responsibility for their families. How do I focus my giving? Every Rotarian, Every Year – Giving is hope in action.
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 mdawkins@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. Our reading for the 2017-2018 school year is complete, but please sign up for 2018-2019.
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) He will provide a membership 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:
High school students work on posting flags for the event.
By Cheryl M. Scott, a member of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club, California, USA
Imagine a sparkling lake, surrounded by rolling hills dotted with red, white, and blue flags flapping in the gentle breeze. Picture a three-year-old boy with a miniature flag, running beside the patriotic spectacle…or a high school senior in cap and gown, smiling proudly for her picture-taking mom in front of the colorful backdrop. Now, imagine an Army veteran, dressed in a beret and fatigues, leaning on his cane for support in his slow, deliberate walk among the sea of American flags.
These and other heartwarming sights are the reason my anticipation builds each year as Memorial Day approaches. As a 25-year member of Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club, this event – Thousand Flags – is my immediate answer when I’m asked, “What’s your favorite club event?” In fact, this is the event that took my Rotary commitment to a whole new level.
As Rotary clubs in the United States consider how to connect people across the generations in order to serve, impact, and improve our communities and our world, Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club hit the jackpot in 2014 when we introduced Thousand Flags. The three-day event honors military heroes who have fallen in the line of service (consistent with Memorial Day’s traditional purpose), and also salutes all current and past members of the military, and local first-responders as well.
When Rotarian Becky Brooks approached Breakfast Rotary about the possibility of creating the project, club members were intrigued. But they knew an undertaking of this magnitude would require a lot of planning and many volunteers. Brooks knew it was possible, especially considering our community’s commitment to honoring those who serve. She was right.
Flying the flag
Rotarians, high school clubs, cub scout troops, football teams, and even an occasional passerby will spend the first morning of their three-day weekend posting flags in spots carefully selected and marked by a crew of professional surveyors that volunteer for the event.
I especially enjoy the early part of that first day, where small teams – people of all ages and backgrounds – move quickly to complete the project in time for an 11:30 a.m. opening. The conversations are unpredictable! I’ve overheard talk about the weather, the last day of school, college plans.One time I heard a Coast Guard veteran ask a Marine vet “how many people are in a Marine platoon, anyway?” People are brought together at Thousand Flags. They are brought together by Rotary!
When the large center flag is lowered at dusk each evening, a quiet crowd gathers to hear the playing of taps and to watch the high school color guard fold the flag and present it to our club president.
At the end of Monday’s ceremonies, which feature patriotic music and local speakers, many attendees walk away with a folded flag that they have sponsored in honor of someone they love.
This Memorial Day, Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club celebrated the 5th Annual presentation of Thousand Flags. I can’t wait to see what kinds of connections are made this year!
Which project or Rotary experience took your commitment to a new level?
BankPlus Security Representatives Speak to Rotary Club of North Jackson
Amy Rhodus and David Kelly, both Security Officers with BankPlus, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the Club's June 12, 2018, meeting. The subject of their presentation was their experience with scams and frauds being perpetrated on people today. Their discussion covered simple items such as skimmers on gasoline pumps and restaurant servers selling credit card information on cards presented to them for payment to more exotic scams such as romances in far-away locations or fake calls from governmental agencies all of which are designed to illicitly capture your funds. Their bottom line was to remain vigilant and to vet any purchases, particularly online ones.
Ms. Rhodus and Mr. Kelly are shown in the accompanying photos during their presentation and following it with Club Programs Director Matt Monsour (left) and Club President Witt Ruffin (right). We thank them for their presentation and their efforts to prevent fraud.
Ms. Veronica Herrin, Volunteer Coordinator and a Caseworker with the Good Samaritan Center in Jackson, MS, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s June 5, 2018, meeting. The purpose of her talk was to describe the role and purpose of the centers and to discuss some upcoming events Good Sam is conducting, including the events associated with the balloon fest June 28-July 1, 2018.
She described Good Sam’s role assisting people with temporary emergencies, providing assistance applying for benefits, providing food and clothing particularly in their Mid-Town community, and recycling items via their Nuts store, where Nuts stands for “neat Used Things.”
We thank Ms. Herrin for her presentation and for her service to the citizens of Jackson. She (center) is shown during her presentation and following it with club president Witt Ruffin (right) and Club Program Director Matt Monsour (left).
Aldina Welker, Longest Day Coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's May 29, 2018 meeting. The primary subject of Ms. Welker's presentation was the Longest Day fundraiser which is held annually on the Summer Solstice, normally June 21. She also discussed the impact and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and the mission and vision of the Association. The vision is "A world without Alzheimer's disease." She quoted figures of an estimated 47 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer's and an estimated 5 million in the USA/.
Ms. Welker encouraged Rotarians to participate in the Longest Day and distributed handouts describing how to participate, In 2017, Mississippians contributed over $76,000 on the Longest Day. We thank Ms. Welker for her presentation and for her work on behalf of Alzheimer's patients. She (center) is shown during her presentation and following it with Matt Monsour (club Program Director) ((left) and Club President Witt Ruffin (right) in the accompanying photos.
Southern District Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the Club’s May 22, 2018, meeting. Mr. Britton spoke primarily about the role of the Public Service Commission regulating utilities. He briefly spoke of the failed Kemper County power plant that cost its owner, the Southern Companies, $6.4 billion. In response to a question, Mr. Britton said that what the owner does with the abandoned plant is its business. Since it has invested such a large fortune in it. He also spoke to the No Call telephone lists and the reasons for its need. He said that he expects technology to be developed in the next few years to control this problem, but that the reason the calls exist is that they make money for the perpetrators.
We thank Mr. Britton for his presentation to the club and for his service to the citizens of Mississippi. He is shown during his talk in the following photo:
He is also shown with Program Director Matt Monsour (Left) who introduced him and Club president-elect Anna Powers (right) following his talk in the photo that follows.
