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Message from the President
Dear Fayette
Rotary Club Members:
Happy New
Year! Can you believe that it is already 2012?
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of
beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways,
endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the
future and the past. The concept of January is based on aspects of
Janus.
Since it is now January as I write this, it seems appropriate to
think of Janus and to look back at the past six months of my presidency
in Rotary and see what has been accomplished as well as look ahead to
what still needs to be done during the next six months in order to
accomplish our club goals.
Here’s what we have accomplished in the last six months:
1. We have 9 Paul Harris Fellows, 3 new PHFs and 6 second-time PHFs,
who were recognized by Rita Esterly, our Rotary District 6080 District
Governor, when she visited our club on September 7, 2011. I wish that
every member of our club would become a Paul Harris Fellow!
2. We have started a new VISIONING and STRATEGIC PLANNING process
with our kick-off event on September 13, 2011. We will soon report the
priorities and goals that you have set and begin to plan for our future
together!
3. We have “the best hour of the week” lunch meetings with wonderful
programs provided by our monthly program chairs. I enjoy our weekly
meetings and look forward to the interesting and informative programs
and to seeing you and our guests!
4. We annually budget over $5,000 for local charitable
contributions, including: Third Grade Dictionaries, Fayette Music
Boosters, RYLA, Fayette Ministerial Alliance, P.A.W.S., Boys and Girls
State, Fayette Festival of The Arts, City of Fayette Fourth of July
Fireworks, and our CMU Rotary Scholarship, to name several. Our giving
and our service make a difference for all of these groups and more!
5. We have contributed over $500 for local service projects and
charitable giving from our Fair Trade Certified™ and organic Green
Mountain Coffee sales. $3 from every $10 bag of coffee goes to local
service projects and to support our charitable giving and $1 per bag
goes to an approved Rotary Donor Advised Fund for clean water projects
in 7 countries worldwide. So far, we have sent approximately $100 to
this fund through our coffee sales and helped provide clean water for
over 50,000 people in the world!
6. Our Happy Can Dollars, which will exceed $1,000 this year, have
helped to fund such worthy projects as: Maternal Childcare Kits and
Clean Water Project for Panama, Sponsoring 4 local FFA members to attend
their National FFA Convention, Fayette Ministerial Alliance Benevolence
Fund, Fayette Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry, Christmas Holiday House,
PET, and P.A.W.S. In February, our Happy Can Dollars will help provide
medical expense support for Dale and Kim Wayland. Thanks for giving
generously to fund these projects and more!
7. We received a $1,000 matching District Simplified Grant for our
club to sponsor Fayette City Pool passes for families in Fayette and
HOCO for this coming summer of 2012. What a difference this will make
for many deserving families and for supporting our local city pool!
8. Our club was recognized as a STAR Club for membership growth and
retention and for our giving to The Rotary Foundation by Raymond Plue,
Past District Governor at our Rotary District 6080 Reunion in Jefferson
City, MO on Friday, October 21, 2011.
9. Nina Furstenau who is a member of our club and has served as
vice-president and president of our local organization was recently
chosen to lead the Rotary District 6080 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team
to Italy in 2012. This is an exceptional honor for Nina and for our
club. Congratulations Nina!
Here’s what we still need to accomplish in the next six months to
achieve our goals:
1. Presidential Citation 2011-2012 (more details to follow soon with
Deadline: March 31, 2012)
2. Add 6 new members to our club membership (one per month with
Deadline: June 30, 2012)
3. Raise $5,000 as our goal for RI’s Annual Programs Fund Goal
(Deadline: March 31, 2012)
4. Raise $2,000 as our goal for Polio Eradication to meet the
Challenge grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations. (Deadline: June
30, 2012)
5. Have at least one $10,000 new Major Gift to the Permanent Fund in
a member’s estate plan. (Total = $10,000) (Deadline: June 30, 2012)
6. Have at least 3 new Benefactors commit (Minimum of $1,000 each in
their estate plan. (Total = $3,000) (Deadline: June 30, 2012)
7. Have at least 2 new Bequest Society Members (Minimum US $10,000
commitment in estate plan. (Total = $20,000) (Deadline: June 30, 2012)
8. Sponsor a new Interact Club at FHS (in progress) Goal: January,
2012.
9. Have a successful Fayette Rotary Club 75th Birthday
Gala Celebration (Fayette Rotary Club was founded on February 18,
1937). Our celebration will take place on Saturday, April 14, 2012
beginning at 6:15 p.m. at CMU in the Student and Community Center (in
progress) Goal: April, 2012.
We have much to do in order to reach these goals!
However, I believe, as our district governor’s January inspirational
message points out, if each one of us will commit to being a “Daily
Rotarian” and doing acts of kindness that we are thinking about each
day, then we will “Be the Light” that our dark world so desperately
needs and we will also accomplish our goals! I define greatness as the
ability to serve many. Together let us continue to work to accomplish
great things for others!
Join me by supporting your Rotary club in the
following ways:
1) Attend each meeting you can and
bring a guest.
2) Invite others to join Rotary.
3) Keep your monthly dues current.
4) Give all you can to Rotary
International.
5) Become a Paul Harris Fellow ($600
min. with $200 club and $200 district match)
6) Actively participate in your club’s
75th Anniversary celebration and service projects.
7) Live the 4-Way Test every day.
The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say, or
do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER
FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all
concerned?
Yours in Service above Self,
Michael Pope, president
Fayette Rotary Club |
