President Mark Killingsworth presided over today’s meeting and provided the opening prayer. Gene Owens led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn North and on Zoom. Joe Bost thanked those who helped with today’s meeting. Mark then introduced today’s guest speaker, Bill MacLauchlan for a classification talk.
Bill grew up just outside of Baltimore. He says he was not a good student in school but did manage to pass. He discovered years later that he had trouble with studies because he was dyslexic. When he graduated from high school, he was not ready for college, so he volunteered for the Army. He was on the army Drill Team and was assigned to Arlington Cemetery. After he had served his two years in the Army, he got a job as a truck driver. He soon realized that truck driving wasn’t the job for him. He then began managing apartments in the Washington, D.C. area and was responsible for more than 2,000 apartments.
He then applied for a job with the State Department. He had the skills they were looking for, so he was hired. He was assigned to Saigon and was there for three years. He was then transferred to Pakistan and was stationed in Bangladesh. While there much of the country was devastated by a typhoon.
He was then assigned to Africa and spent the next 18 years of his career with the State Department in various African locations. He says his job was to create an American bubble around the State Department staff and employees that he was responsible for. Bill noted that he saw many counties get their independence, form a socialist government, and then fail.
In 1997 he retired, and he and his wife chose Hattiesburg as their retirement home. When asked why Hattiesburg, he said he and his wife had a list of things they were looking for and this area had more than 90% of the things on their list. He spent six years attending the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated with a college degree after his retirement.
Mark thanked Bill for his presentation. He also noted that the club has sold fewer than 40 DuBard tee-shirts. Our goal is 50. He encouraged all members to visit www.rotaryofhattiesburg.com, click on the DuBard link, and make their purchase soon.
He also announced that the Board has voted to make a $750 donation through the District in support of the Jackson water crisis. The clubs in three districts raised more than $25,000 for this cause.
He then announced that Erik Graham has earned a Paul Harris Fellowship pin.
There being no further business to come before the club, Mark then adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”