12/13/2011

NO NOON MEETING

Christmas Party @ KC Hall @ 630!

Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will and peace in the world.

"Doing good in the World is more than a motto.  It is our goal, our mission, and our reminder.  It expresses in the clearest terms why we have a Foundation, and it challenges us to reach as far as we can to do the most good possible with everything we have.  Our Foundation exisits to support the good that we can do through Rotary.  It expands our reach, increases our strength, and makes our service more powerful and more effective.  Because of our Foundation we can, very simple, do more of our Rotary work."

2004-2005

President Glenn Estess Sr. 

President, Maura Donnelly, opened the meeting leading the Pledge of Allegiance and followed in prayer by Dave Peters.

 ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Next week, ther is no meeting at noon since we will have the Christmas Part at the KC Hall that evening!
• Angie said THANK YOU to everyone that came out and helped to bag, deliver, and sell over the weekend!  Currently we have sold about $1200 of citrus.  There are still bags and cases left at Oberbecks if you were unable to get yours over the weekend.  We have a long way to go to get rid of all the fruit, please push it in your circles!
• Jennifer is leading up a committee, for anyone who would like to help, for the HACSM adopt-a-family.  Every year Rotary takes two larger families and blesses them with Christmas gifts.  She needs people who are willing to shop and help wrap.  Gifts are due back by the 16th.
• Holli has fantastic Rotary shirts and jackets available for sale to help promote Rotary to the community.  See her for details.

1. There is still time to RSVP to attend the annual Christmas Party on December 13th, Tuesday night at the KC Hall with cocktails starting at 6:30.  It will be a JOLLY GOOD TIME, you don't want to miss.  Mark you calendars and come out and enjoy some Popeye's!  Contact Holli, if you have not RSVPd.
2. Rotary Club of Highland is hosting the Chamber Business After Hours on January 19th from 5-7pm at the Highland Country Club.  This will be a membership drive for Rotary as well as an educational way to celebrate Rotary Month.  Mark your calendars and bring a guest!

Guests: none

Birthdays: Holli Martin on the 12th

Anniversaries: none 

Make-ups: Skip Butler in Indiana

Please let these people know that they were missed: Dave Diaber, Len Diaber, Dan Fieker, Mike Gould, Bret Gruender, Roland Harris, Tom Hill, Lisa Huncshe, George Jones, Rich Knebel, Terry Leitschuh, Glen Meffert, Bob Nagel, James Rankin, Mark Reaka, Brad Rench, Eunice Rogier, Floyd Rogier, Eric Schmidt, Ron Schneider, Art Schutez, Peggy Sebastian, and Gordon Smith.

Reminder that 2011-2012 we will be tracking service hours again to see Rotarian's collective IMPACT.  This year's goal is 7500 hours, to date there are 1100 hours recorded. 

Opportunities to Serve:

1. Blood Drive @ National Bank at Highland Wednesday Dec 7th from 10 - 1:30.  To schedule an appointment call 618-659-0542 or log on to www.bloodcenterimpact.org and sponsorcode is 10131. (Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center) 

Members can go to the website and log your hours or email them to him directly: swconstruct@agtelco.com

There was $970 in the 50/50 with 25 cards left in the deck and the 3 of clubs was picked.

Phil fined Terry Bell for being the owner of the dog that attacked him over the weekend, any board member who missed last weeks meeting, if you missed your shift for selling oranges, and/or if you did not help with bagging oranges last week.

Happy Bucks

• Angela Kim said THANK YOU to everyone who came out and attend the Library Holiday Dinner on Sunday.  It was a good turnout and they are thankful for the community support. 
• James is happy to report that they are expecting their third child.
• Henry is happy to be at Rotary today to see everyone's sour, no smiling faces, as the get uglier every week.  He was in good spirit :)
• Carrie had two happy bucks; 1) her son will turn 2 this week and 2) She has placed her resignation at the Center to go and be a stay-at-home mom and wanted to say Thank You to everyone who has supported her and the Center and to let them know the position will start to be advertised this week for applicants. 

PROGRAM: Bill Sullivan, Youth Exchange Officer

Rotary International has a Youth Exchange Program that allows Rotary clubs to send and host students from all over the world.  Our club has chosed to participate in this program for many years.  The Rotary YEP is a cut above the rest in how it is organized.  Currently the Highland School District only excepts Rotary students that are 17 and older.  Our club has also made the decision in the last few years to ask for girls.

Annually, our board/club evaluates participation in the program and decides whether or not to apply to host a student for the following year.  Over the last couple of years, participation in this program has beend decreasing and it has increasingly hard to find host families, drivers, and people to help make the experience full and fulfililng for the student. 

With new membership, the board thought that it was important to once again educate the club on the program and the current need before making any decisions.

For every club that participates there is a Youth Exchange Officer who secures host families, does home visits, paperwork, and checks-in with the student.  The YEO enforces the rules and guidelines.  There is also a YE Counselor who buddies up with the student to make sure things are going ok on their end and that they are having a well rounded experience.

YEO looks for 2-3 host families per year to "adopt" the student.  Typically, we have 2 host families, one per semester.  The student becomes apart of your family and partakes in all activities.  The club supplies the student with a monthly allowance, pays for school lunches, and cell phone.  The rest of the financial responsibility lies with the host family.  Other requirements or preferences for a host family are:

• Lives in the Highland School District
• Has students, peferably high school age
• Able to pay for expenses
• Displays willingness to take on another child and include them in all family and town activities
• Complete application & background check
• Student needs their own bedroom or can share a bedroom with a person of the same sex

The responsibility for the student does not fall solely on the host families as our club along with the Rotary District helps to introduce the student to America through trips and experiences.  The district host fun weekends about once a month for all the students in the area, allowing the student to also experience and get to know other cultures from around the world.  Our club is encouraged to take the student out and along with you as you travel.

There is an urgent immediate need that we need help to care for!

• We do not have a host family for our current student starting January 1st.  She is currently being housed by Rob & Susan Bowman until the end of this semester.  Please consider stepping up and serving as a host.  The host also DOES NOT have to be a Rotarian so if you a family that you think would open their home, pass the information along!

The board has also decided that if we do not have host interest for next year by the end of year, we will pull our application to host a student for 2012-2013. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS -  Jennifer Whitten