Christine and Gary Boswick enjoyed a meal at the Varsity, an Atlanta institution, while at the Rotary International Conference. There was also a showing of Gone with the Wind at the historic Fox Theater where the movie premiered in 1939.
The Program:
It might not have been one of the more exotic places to go to the Rotary International conference, but Atlanta, Georgia, did not disappoint. It was still an opportunity to listen to engaging speakers, learn more about Rotary, and to network.
Entering the convention center, Gary Boswick, our featured speaker and club president, noted a beautiful Rolls Royce parked in front. The Rolls boasted a sign “Goodbye Polio. Thank you Rotary.” Eradicating polio has been one of the goals of Rotary International since 1986 and we are very close to conquering this disease which was feared before the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s. Bill Gates, one of the plenary speakers who through his foundation has donated millions of dollars to the cause, announced a challenge grant of $300 million if Rotary can raise $150 million.
Three things are hindering the global effort: 1) war; 2) cultural issues particularly in the Middle East; and 3) mapping. Gary was amazed to learn that there are villages throughout the world which are not on a map. For the first five months of 2017, there have been only five reported cases of the wild polio virus. That is compared to 350,000 cases when the PolioPlus initiative was started.
Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta, told the group the tale of the Atlantic Olympics. Most Olympics are government funded and lose money. The Atlanta Olympics, however, was spearheaded by six local families and funded entirely by corporate money.
Another focus of Rotary International is on clean water. Jack Nicklaus, the golfing legend, is advocating smaller golf courses which will lessen the use of water. James Quincey, the CEO of Coca-Cola, told the audience that Coca-Cola intends to be water neutral by 2020. That means that every gallon of water used by Coca-Cola will be returned to the environment.
Three years ago, our club voted to be part of the Flexible and Innovative program which allowed clubs to deviate from the then Rotary International mandates. Under the leadership of Sally Hartman, the program was initiated locally and we began meeting only three weeks a month and then having tours and an increase in community service projects for the final meeting of the month. President Gary reported that the clubs our size (ranging from 90 to 150 members) which adopted the flexible and innovative program are experiencing an increase in membership while those clubs which have maintained the traditional format are continuing to experience a decline of membership in North America.
Two other trends noted at the Rotary International conference is that some clubs have corporate sponsors. Additionally, some clubs are running their EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) campaign for The Rotary Foundation on a calendar year rather than the Rotary year (July 1-June 30).
The Meeting:
Paul Harris Fellowship awards. President Gary announced and/or presented Paul Harris Fellowship awards to Gary Boswick (PHF + 1) and Harry McCoy (PHF +3) ).
Suds & Buds: It seems like it was just yesterday that we held our annual Suds & Buds fundraiser, but the committee is already at work planning for the 2018 event. Lorna Cochrane announced that applications for the third partner for the 2018 event will be coming out this week. The partner must be a non-profit and must have a Rotarian association (volunteer, staff member, or board member). There is a quick turn-around as the board hopes to make a decision on the third charity at the August board meeting.
Visitation: Bill Jonak hasn’t been at a club meeting in a while. He would welcome visitors or telephone calls.
Visitors: We had six visitors all with Rotary connections. Dave Moore of the Town Center Club in Virginia announced they were looking for help in forming an “Emotions Anonymous” group in Norfolk and are in need of a meeting place. Emotions Anonymous is a twelve step program for people suffering from depression, panic attacks, anger, and anxiety.
Buddy Early is a member of the Hampton Roads Club. Ben Mason introduced his son, Brother, and his sister, Lee Mason, who lives in Vietnam. Michael Desplaines’ mother, Lise, was visiting, as was Lorna Cochrane’s daughter, Susan Oliynyk, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Birthdays: We celebrated the birthdays of fellow Rotarians including Linwood Beckner, Bill Burnette, Michael Desplaines, Dalton Dunbar, Maureen Grover, Bill Jonak, Barry Kesser, Ben Mason, Harry McCoy, John Padgett, Dan Schaeffer, Dean Thomasson, Diane Wallach, and Jeff Wells.
Happy Bucks:
- Alan Nelson is celebrating 25 years of marriage.
- Dr. Bill Lehew’s son got married and he performed the ceremony.
- There was an announcement in the paper about Barbara Lipskis’ son’s wedding nuptials.
Raffle: Ted Baker won the weekly raffle but failed to pull the Queen of Spades so the big pot remains.