The morning meeting also enjoyed a presentation by Bev VanKampen and Jan Hasselbrink from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

We welcomed Bev VanKampen and Jan Hasselbrink from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. 

 

By third grade, reading level of children is correlated with adult jail cells.  Reading and child literacy is an important tool to give to our community.

 

The Dolly Parton library loans children a book a month for the first five years of life and are picked out by literacy experts.  Many of the preschool students in our community are not read to or own books.  We need children to enjoy reading and be successful at an early age to then become successful later in life.

 

The imagination library was started in 1995 for the children in her hometown.  It became a national program in 2000.  The Dollywood Foundation partners with communities willing to bring this figt to the children of their area.  Children registered receive a book in the mail every month.  Community partners fund the cost of the books, postage and mailing as well as promote the program.

 

Reading books help essential brain development.  90% of eventual adult brain growth is achieved in the first 3 years of life.  Just as a child develops language skills long before being able to speak.  88% of children who have reading difficulty in 1st grade still have difficulty in 4th grade. 

 

The cost in the USA is $2.20/month.  The books address all aspects of a child's development.  When they are 5, they receive a special graduation book.  What the program has found is that families read more often to their children, reading scores have improved, children are coming to school excited and better prepared, increased interagency collaboration, and increased participation in community services such as library cards.

 

Rotary International and Dolly Parton has a formal partnership.  Locally, the board has on John Martin, Loutit District Library Director, Scott Ely, Director of Curriculum for SLPS, Mary A White Principal Valerie Livingston, and the READ Director. We have about 2900 preschoolers in are area and their goal is to get 200-300 kids enrolled.  They are going to publicly launch the program Dec 5th before the Jingle Bell parade.

 

 

Highway Clean Up - Thank you to the ten Rotarians who picked up this past Saturday.

 

Tempting Tables - Breast Cancer Fundraiser Oct 15- Oct 18.  Mary Ann Herbst is director of volunteers for this great event and not only does she want us to come to support the event, she's looking for volunteers to work the event.  Please see her!

 

Student of the Month - $120 per student. Jay Greer will be sending email seeking sponsors for this school year.

 

Prospective Rotarian Day - Jeckyl and Hyde is coming Nov 9 & 10 - bring a prospective member and enjoy the GHHS musical.

 

Past President's Meeting - DATE CHANGE - Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 AM at Consider it Done. Everyone is welcome to attend.

 

Water Bottle Fundraiser - see John Heritage $15 bucks each.  Designed by John and Meghan Heritage designed an attractive water bottle for our sales.  This gift to sports teams, family and friends has a reminder inscribed on the side of our club's leadership in international projects.

 

This year in place of salad dressing sales plus private gifts, HHOP matches and church mission gifts were evident on a recent trip to Honduras.  While in the village of Las Playitas a school bus dropped off ifive children going to the small homes where we had just finished installing and checking filters.  The kids were healthy and going to homes where there was clean water for cooking, sanitation and drinking.  That was a meaningful Rotary moment to experience the direct usage of club funds to water filters to healthy kids.

 

 

Let's have another successful year for clean water in Honduras and add to the four year total of 604 filters already purchased by our club's prgram.

 

Card Raffle - $358 for charity and $99 to the winner.  32 cards to draw.  Rolled over.

 

Live 2 Lead - Rich Lohman, a prospective member, shared information with us about his Live 2 Lead event on Oct 9, 2015.  This will be a world class event.  To find out more info contact Rich at 616-299-9165 or rich@woohooing.com