Joining President Cynthia Scalf for the visit of DG Jack McAllister to RC Carlisle was Assistant Governor Mike Babb.

DG Jack McAllister easily travelled to Carlisle in mid-October from Lexington to meet with President Cynthia Scalf and Rotarians of RC Carlisle, home club of PDGs Leon Riggs and Bill Crawford.  RC Carlisle serves its community in many ways with their Holiday Flag Project, a Children's Christmas Party, a Winter Coat Project, Scholarships and a Dictionary Project.  Funds are raised by providing food service at two festivals and hosting a "Turkey Bingo".  At weekly meetings, donations to the "Polio Jar" contribute to the clubs support of Rotary's End Polio Now polio eradication campaign.

DG Jack McAllister was pleased to be able to visit RC Lancaster as the first official club visit of the month of November.  Members warmly greeted DG Jack and Assistant Governor Lisa Mullins.  Membership was the primary topic of discussion for the meeting.  Current members expressed a desire to add additional members to the club.  Hopefully if a group of younger members could be brought in they could shoulder the mantel of participation in club projects and activities and club leadership. 

DG Jack McAllister was joined by Assistant Governor Lisa Mullins (far right) as they met with members and a guest at his visit to RC Lancaster.

DG Jack McAllister thanked President Michael Parker for the hospitality of RC Maysville after his visit to the club.

DG Jack McAllister drove into the parking lot beside the city park and Clubhouse of RC Maysville to be welcomed by a banner which read "WELCOME FROM MAYSVILLE ROTARY      DISTRICT GOVERNOR ---DISTRICT 6740".  A beautiful wooden sign for the Maysville Rotary Club with the Rotary logo noted the club was in District 6740, was chartered in 1923 and its meetings were Tuesday at 11:45 am.  Inside the clubhouse DG Jack was warmly welcomed by club president Michael Parker and Rotarians.  Here he learned of the many ways this club serves its community through, for example, support of Polly's Thanksgiving Dinner where 500-700 meals are served. Their fundraising projects include their Purses For A Purpose auction and the new Two Bridge Race which support a scholarship and provide financial support for several local  organizations.

President Elect Jesse Hodgson and Assistant Governor Becky Rue, a Past President of RC Mount Sterling, thanked DG Jack McAllister for his visit.

DG Jack McAllister headed east on I-64 from Lexington to visit nearby RC Mount Sterling.  Here he received a warm welcome from President Shannon Cook and club members.  2014 will mark the 80th anniversary of the club.  DG Jack learned of Rotary Radio Day which is the primary fundraiser of the club and received an invitation to join in the next broadcast.  This fundraising makes possible the club's Literacy Book Project, WOW Pal Project, provision of flu shots and camp scholarships.  With worthy goals for contributions to the Annual Fund and End Polio Now campaigns of the Rotary Foundation the club seeks to increase the number of Paul Harris Fellows in the club.  Rotarian Becky Cooley, of the club, was unable to attend the meeting as she was on a polio eradication exercise in Togo, West Africa where she was also participating in a work project and attending a West Africa Project Fair which is endorsed by RI's Reach Out To Africa (ROTA) Committee.

DG Jack McAllister was welcomed to RC Somerset by President Teresa Hail.

DG Jack McAllister travelled down US 27 in the last week of October to visit RC Somerset, one of six Rotary clubs in D6740 that are celebrating their 90th anniversaries in 2013.  Warmly welcomed by President Teresa Hail and club members, DG Jack soon learned of the Pancake Fry the club holds twice a year to raises funds for its community service projects and in support of polio eradication.  RC Somerset participates in the Wreaths Across America project each year and honors those who served and remembers the fallen by placing wreaths on graves at Mill Springs National Cemetery , provides three scholarships and participates in the Access to Careers Day at Somerset Community College.  Their membership, having already exceeded their membership goal for 2013-14, continues to seek new members.  In support of World Polio Day October 24 the club sponsored, along with RC Somerset-Pulaski, a 30 minute public service announcement and program on a local FM radio station.

President Christie Adams (right)and Assistant Governor Lisa Mullins (center), also a member of RC Somerset-Pulaski County, welcomed DG Jack McAllister for his visit.

 DG Jack McAllister travelled to Somerset the evening before his visit to RC Somerset-Pulaski County to meet with their Board of Directors.  The evening was hosted by President Christie Adams and husband PDG John Adams in their home and DG Jack was their overnight houseguest.  DG Jack learned of numerous community service projects of the club including their ramp building project, the Imagination Library project, support of God's Food Pantry and participation in the Access to Careers Day.  RC Somerset-Pulaski County's highly successful International Dinner is the major fundraiser of the club.  In addition to partnering with RC Somerset in the World Polio Day radio program, RC Somerset-Pulaski County also had a digital billboard and several electronic signs in the community displaying "END POLIO NOW".  DG Jack was pleased to present to the club banners from The Rotary Foundation which recognized the club for the 2012-13 Rotary year for 1) being the club in D6740 with the third largest per capita annual giving to the Annual Fund, 2) being a club where 100% of active members gave some amount to the Annual Fund and achieving a minimum of$100 per capita and 3) being a club where every active member contributed $100 or more to the Annual Fund.

President Bill Stafford hosted DG Jack McAllister for his visit to RC Stanford.

It was a lovely fall day for the drive down US 27 from Lexington for DG Jack McAllister to Stanford to visit RC Stanford.  Here DG Jack met with club president Bill Stafford and Rotarians dedicated to following their clubs strategic plan and meeting their 2013-14 annual goals in all aspects of Rotary.  Their community service projects place particular emphasis on "helping children, needy families and the elderly" and include scholarships, a Dictionary Project for 3rd graders, park benches and refurbished signs at the Veterans Park, programs at the senior citizens center and support of Cub and Boy Scouts. Their Annual Pancake breakfast in late October is their major fundraising project.  The club is committed to continuing strong support for the Annual Fund and Polio Eradication of the Rotary Foundation and received a banner recognizing it as the club  with the 2nd highest per capita giving to the Annual Fund in District 6740 in 2012-13.

DG Jack McAllister , accompanied by his wife Kay, as he has been on all but three of his official club visits thus far, travelled to West Liberty for his visit with the Rotary Club there.  On their arrival, they were struck by the number of new buildings completed or under construction in and around the town.  While some of the destruction of the tornado of the spring of 2012 was still apparent, it was hoped that the rebuilding seen by them also symbolized for the rebuilding of community as well.  The energy of RC West Liberty was apparent in their growing club membership and their sponsorship of an 81 member Interact Club at the local high school.  It was also reflected in the activities and in the projects of the club such as involvement in Family and Friends Night at a local nursing home with a meal and gifts for residents, a Christmas Bazaar as well as their partnership with the Kiwanis Club in a Habitat for Humanity Build.  The scholarships they award each year are made possible by the funds they raise primarily from their food booth at the Sorghum Festival.  After the meeting DG Jack and Kay visited the city park where new playground equipment was provided from the funds the club received from the Kentucky Tornado Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund of D6740.

After the meeting with RC West Liberty, DG Jack McAllister was joined by President Tony Smith (far left) and members Georganna Hill, Melissa Madden and Carter Bolin.

There was an article in the local paper a couple of years ago about the owner of Dry Cleaning Plus cleaning coats for free so that Glen Marlowe at Hilltop Ministries could give them to families who needed them.  We felt that our Rotary Club could greatly increase the number of coats with our help and organization.  We contacted all the banks in Harlan County and all agreed to be collections points.  Mike Forester loaned clothes racks to put in the bank lobbies so citizens could drop the coats off.  We contacted our friends, families and business partners via email, facebook and word of mouth about the project.  Joel Eldridge, our Club chairman collected the coats each Tuesday morning and delivered them to the Dry Cleaning Plus store.  We contacted the FRYSC houses of both high schools in our county and asked if they needed coats.  Both expressed a desire to have them.  

We contacted Hilltop Ministries and asked if they wanted us to help them collect coats?  Their answer was a hardy Yes.  Then the director of Pathfinders for Independent Living is in our Club, and Sandra Goodwyn was very much interested in being a part of the project.  We started as soon as we were through with the Shoes for Orphan Souls project and collected coats through the end of October.  As you can see from the pictures, it was a very successful project.  We collected over 240 very nice coats that will be distributed to needy families in Harlan County this winter.

The Rotary Club of Kenton County along with our Interact Clubs just finished the Shoes for orphan souls project with an average of for each Rotary member. Also November 16, we served food to over 80 people at the Mary Rose Mission with help from our Erlanger-Elsmere Interact Club. We also will be handing out dictionaries to the third graders at four schools on November 26 , attached is photos of the Erlanger-Elsmere Interact Club putting Rotary name decals in all the dictionaries and the group that helped out with the meal service. Our NDA Interact Club also raised funds to help with our Nepal water project. 

Arlington Elementary Goes Fishing with the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club

By Donna Slone, Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club President

Nearly 80 students from Arlington Elementary School enjoyed a day of fishing with the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club on Saturday, Oct. 5.  The event marked the sixteenth year the club has taken children fishing at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Game Farm in Frankfort.

After a brief lesson in handling the rods and reels provided by the Salato Wildlife Education Center, students and their chaperones enjoyed a day of fishing, a hike around the wildlife trail, a performance by Cambo the Clown and a cookout lunch prepared by Rotarians. At the end of the day, each student received a t-shirt to commemorate their adventures.

District Governor and avid fisherman Jack McAllister joined the Sunrise Rotarians for the day. 

 

Skyler Elam, second-grader, learned the first lesson in fishing - patience

 

Oscar Mondono, second-grader, proudly displays his big catch

 

Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club Promotes Literacy through Bicycles at Arlington Elementary School in Lexington

By Donna Slone, Lexington Sunrise Rotary President

The Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club supports literacy through its Bicycles for Reading Project at Arlington Elementary School in Lexington, Ky.  Each nine weeks, the club presents bicycles, helmets and locks to two students who have reached their assigned goal in the school's Advanced Reading Program.

The names of all students who reach their goal are entered into a drawing for a chance to win a bicycle from the Sunrise Rotary Club. Thirteen students reached and/or exceeded their goals the first nine weeks of the 2013-2014 academic year.

The reading program is only one way the school promotes academic excellence. On October 31, 2013, when the club presented bicycles, the school held a celebration also recognizing students who had achieved proficient or distinguished status on statewide exams.

Lexington Sunrise Rotary Past President Dave Hellmich and Sunrise President Donna Slone with Arlington Elementary bicycle winners Olivia Barhorst and Esperanza Gomez.  Olivia Barhorst, a 4th-grade student, is involved in orchestra and honors chorus, on the honor roll, and was recognized for scoring proficient or distinguished on the state test.  Esperanza  Gomez, a 5th-grade student, is on the Battle of  the Book team, on the honor roll, and was recognized for scoring proficient or distinguished on the state test.

Midway College Internship and Check Presentation 

Seth Lawless, chair of the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation, presented a check on Nov. 19, 2013, for $2,000 to Scott Fitzpatrick, vice president for development at Midway College. The Sunrise Club and the Kathleen Riley Torok Foundation, led by Sunrise Rotarian Dale Torok, each contribute $1,000 annually to sponsor an Equestrian Studies Internship for a student at Midway College to get hands-on experience at the Keeneland Racetrack Association in Lexington, Ky. The student intern in 2012 went on to work in the Queen of England's stables.