Fellow Club Members:

The Rotary year is well underway and August was busy.

First, a big thank you to the clubs that submitted proposals for District Grants.  The Grants Committee met on August 22 to approve the grants.  All grants were awarded funding, however, due to the limitation of funding available most of the grants did not receive the full amount requested.  This year we had approximately $49,000 to award.  Due to an increase in donations to the Foundation's Annual Share fund, the amount to be awarded next year will be approximately $57,000 and the following year will be approximately $62,000.  This is the reason that we ask for donations to the Foundation's Annual Share fund because money is returned to the District to finance the District Grants.  The balance of donated funds are used by RI for Global Grants and International Projects.

I began my Club visits in August and am having a great time talking with the Rotarians throughout the District about the progress of their clubs and hearing about the "Gifts" to their communities.  It's humbling to hear what great service these Rotarians are providing to the less fortunate;  school textbooks and teacher supplies to the schools in Nuevo Laredo, school supplies to our students in our District, scholarships to high school students, Christmas parties for special needs children, bikes for kids in foster care, food baskets at the holidays, personal powered transports.  This is in addition to all the support for RYLA, Rotaract, Interact and Early Act programs in the schools.  I've seen concern for a fellow Rotarian who is serious ill with no health insurance when the club helps with financial assistance to pay medical bills.  I am so proud to be able to represent these caring and compassionate Rotarians with this District.  I have been documenting my visits and sharing these on my Facebook page.  DGE Debbie High has been gracious enough to help those of us who are technologically challenged but reposting these to the District Facebook page.

We have a couple of big events coming up in the near future.  First is the Zone Institute in San Antonio September 14-20.  If you have the opportunity, please join us and see Rotary in Action.  There will be some outstanding speakers and great networking opportunities to meet with Rotarians from other districts throughout the central United States.  Check the District Website for further information.  Several of our District Rotarians have been hard at work to make this a successful Zone meeting so please come and see what all their hard work has been for.

The other event coming up will be in October.  DGN and Foundation Chair Betty Lara and Lt. Governor for Membership Luis Cavazos will be presenting Foundation and Membership training seminars.  The first will be on Saturday, October 17 at Kingsville.  The speaker for this session will be David Norris.  The seating for this session is limited to 70 so get your reservations in early.  The second seminar will be held in McAllen on the following Saturday, October 24.  If possible, please attend this seminar.  The speaker for this event will be the Vice President and Director of Rotary International, Greg Podd.  A dinner in his honor will be held on Friday night before the seminar.  We are inviting the District Management team, PDG and current club presidents and president's elect with spouses to attend this dinner for an opportunity to hear this great speaker.  Let's give VP Podd a great South Texas welcome.  Check the District website for information and registration.

The Rotary Club of Southside Corpus Christi’s “RAMP Champs” built a special wheelchair ramp on July 25th at a home on Palm Drive in Corpus Christi as part of their ongoing community service Wheelchair Ramp Project.  Rotarians believe in “Service Above Self," and it was Southside Rotarian Gerene Beckley’s wish for “Service” instead of a service after she passed away early July.  Donations for this wheelchair ramp were received from Rotarian Beckley’s friends and family to assist Ms Thelma Jefferson who was homebound due to being confined to a wheelchair.  Three generations of Rotarian Beckley’s family, along with Southside "RAMP Champs" joined in fellowship and service to fulfill Gerene’s “Service” wish.  Rotarian Beckley’s daughter is Southside Rotarian and D5930 District Governor Elect Debbie High.  Her youngest grandson, Brian High is also a member Southside Rotary.  Ms Jefferson thanked the Southside "RAMP Champs” and told Rotarian Beckley’s daughter, “I can’t believe total strangers would do something  so kind for me.”  Ms Jefferson was touched by Rotarian Beckley’s “Service” wish.  Ms Jefferson and Rotarian Beckley’s “Service” wish reminds us all there are many individuals in need of wheelchair ramps  to maintain or regain some level of independence.  The club builds eight ramps a year for those in need.  To learn more about Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Southside Corpus Christi please go to our website at http://southsideccrotary.org  or find us on Facebook!  

Photo Credit:  Alan Guggenheim 

Pictured front (left to right) Erasmo Nava, Debra Jefferson, Suzanne Guggenheim, Joe High, Kyle Fuehrer

Pictured middle (left to right)  Iden Leyton-High, Thelma Jefferson, Brian High, Elain Barnes, Nancy Ross, Michelle Maresh-Fuehrer, Nancy Foster

Pictured back (left to right) Madeleine, Leyton-High, Michael High, Debbie High, Don Ratcliff, Rod Vaughn and Scott Sutherland. 

Not pictured:  Alan Guggenheim 

Date: August 19, 2015
Contact: Dr. Lari Young 361.825.2374

Southside Rotary and Boy Scout Troop 232 Awarded IFSR Youth Service Award based on Caller-Times Article

The Rotary Club of Southside Corpus Christi (“Southside Rotary”) has been granted the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians (IFSR) Youth Service Award as a result of an article published in the June 6, 2015 Corpus Christi Caller-Times addressing Southside Rotary’s partnership with Boy Scout Troop 232 and their community Flag Project. On May 23, 2015 members of Boy Scout Troop 232 and Southside Rotary members honored fallen servicemen and women by placing flags around the Country Club Townhomes area of Corpus Christi in observance of Memorial Day weekend. Hundreds of flags are put up around Corpus Christi on national holidays through this project. Flag Project sponsors help fund camp scholarships and troop projects for the scout members.

The IFSR is a Rotary Fellowship composed of over a thousand Rotarians in 45 countries that work to promote community service to youth through Scouting and Guiding through their membership in Rotary. IFSR webmaster, Stephen Henning, searches the internet for news reports of Rotary-Scout interaction and sends an email of commendation to the Rotary Club involved. The Caller-Times publicizing our club’s relationship with Scouting has served as an example for other Rotary clubs looking for ways to promote the Scouting movement.

To learn more about the IFSR Youth Service Award go to:http://scouters.us/ifsr/pages/awards.html#anchorYOUTHSERVICE

If you would like more information on the Rotary Club of Southside Corpus Christi please see our webpage at http://southsideccrotary.org/ or find us on Facebook!

Since 1980, The Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee has entered a float in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Rose Parade promoting Rotary International. The parade is seen by a world-wide television audience of over 75,000,000 and has a live audience of 700,000 who will see the float along the parade route.  This is one of the best promotional opportunities for Rotary.  

The theme varies each year but polio eradication has been prominent in 2 of the last 5 years.  Other themes have included Women in Rotary- 25th Anniversary; Literacy; YSE/GSE/Ambassadorial Scholarship Programs; Service Above Self; and, the International Membership.  This year’s Float theme is "Working Together For Peace" which will tell the world about Rotary's commitment for Peace throughout the world.  

The Float shows a world of peace and everyone getting along.  This is just one of many ways that we reflect President  Ravi’s theme of “Be A Gift To The World.”   The Committees’ media efforts will be on promoting the many ways that Rotarians have provided water to needy populations.  Every project will inspire other Rotarians to do something to bring peace to our world.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Rotary International President will be riding the float.  RI President Ravi Ravindran and his wife,Vanathy  are looking forward to this wonderful public relations event!

If you would like to support this unique and valuable international public relations project for Rotary International, look for the Committee's marketing and solicitation materials that will be soon mailed to your club. This is not a project of Rotary International so they need your help to continue this effort.  Please visitwww.RotaryFloat.org to learn more and to make a contribution.     

Find a gift in your club funds or pass the hat at your club and help promote Rotary International.  No gift is too small but we prefer you think big.  

Update:

The Edna Rotary Club presents its annual Casino Party and Raffle, which will be held on Saturday, September 19th from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. at the Edna Country Club.  Prizes include a Louisiana Casino Package and more.  Tickets are $25 per person and funds raised will support the club's operational budget for the year.  Viva Las Vegas!

Hi everyone,

The workers constructing the new water system for Colonia Eduardo Castillo in Trujillo Honduras, are very near completion of every aspect except the chlorination system and the distribution line. The dam and sediment filter are complete and now the 3 kilometers of pipeline have reached the tank. The roof of the 54000 gallon tank is now being worked on and then the interior will be waterproofed. After that the chlorinator control room and guard house will be built.

This project is funded by the community and the Rotary Foundation thanks to funding from over 35 Rotary Clubs, Districts and individuals. It is sponsored by the Port Isabel, Texas and Trujillo Rotary Clubs.

Thank you all for supporting this project!!!

Additionally: The first Rotary volunteer work crew for next year has been scheduled for February 17 to February 25. We will be building (based on donations) a kindergarten and two classrooms in the village of Guadalupe Carney in Trujillo, Honduras. If you want to volunteer, you can contact me at this email address. For more details about the trip logistics, you can also go to our website...www.handstohonduras.com....and check out the logistics page. We also have a Facebook page....go to my FB page...Tom Plumb...and click on Hands to Honduras on the upper right side of my home page. Then click Like and you will receive the updates. You do not need to friend me.

Of course, we need donations to build the classrooms...material lists and cost estimates are being prepared now by the community. You can send tax deductible donations to: Hands to Honduras, PO Box 1733, Port Isabel, Texas 78578

Thanks Again!!!!
Tom Plumb, Hands to Honduras, Inc.
Port Isabel, Texas Rotary Club