We will have Carlos Lopez, President & CEO of Mexican Institute of Greater Houston, joining to discuss the mission and services their organization provides, on Wednesday, September 2nd.
On Saturday (8/22) RCUAH (Cheryl Bressler & John Moore-Jones) participated in a service project at the Heights Interfaith Food Ministry. Learn more about the organization here https://himfoodpantry.org/
District News & Events
District 5890 Conference - “The Spice of the District” 2027
Social Media
FOLLOW our new Instagram page!
Username: rcuahtx
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
We will have Carlos Lopez, President & CEO of Mexican Institute of Greater Houston, joining to discuss the mission and services their organization provides, on Wednesday, September 2nd.
On Saturday (8/22) RCUAH (Cheryl Bressler & John Moore-Jones) participated in a service project at the Heights Interfaith Food Ministry. Learn more about the organization here https://himfoodpantry.org/
District News & Events
District 5890 Conference - “The Spice of the District” 2027
Social Media
FOLLOW our new Instagram page!
Username: rcuahtx
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
We will be stuffing backpacks to ship off to students for the start of the school year. Please make every effort to make it!
News & Events
Last Week's Speaker
SEDES - System for Education Empowerment and Success. Luis Garcia-Alvarez, founder of SEDES, presented the work that their organization to serve the community of Houston. Feel free to learn more at https://www.sedesus.org/en/conocenos
District News & Events
District 5890 Conference - “The Spice of the District” 2027
Social Media
FOLLOW our new Instagram page!
Username: rcuahtx
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
After this week's program, we will have our August board meeting. Members are welcomed to attend.
News & Events
Last Week's Speaker
Walter & Elsa Branson, presenting the accomplishments, and great service that the Guerrero Clinic is providing to the indigenous population in Mexico. They are seeking volunteers, for both medical professionals, and general volunteers to help administer the clinic. Learn more here https://www.guerreroclinic.org/
District News & Events
District 5890 Conference - “The Spice of the District” 2027
Social Media
FOLLOW our new Instagram page!
Username: rcuahtx
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one." - Mother Theresa
We are pleased to have Jeff Webb, President of Forever Parks Foundation of Pearland
Forever Parks Foundation of Pearland is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that partners with the City of Pearland to enhance parks, recreational facilities, and community programs.
News & Events
RCUAH July Board Meeting - 7.8.26
Board meeting to follow our regularly scheduled Wednesday meeting. Club members are welcome to attend the board meeting.
Flag Pickup- Friday July 10th & Saturday July 11th
We need all hands on deck for this week, due to being down a few trucks and usual members for pickup, so please make best effort to pickup flags with the crew on either Friday or Saturday; Or Both ;)
Friday: 9 am in the Memorial neighborhood (Call Richard Lazear or Dick Stabell for meeting location)
We are pleased to have Patrick Pressgrove, Team Catapult Executive Director
Team Catapult is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on “turning disabilities into capabilities” by helping physically challenged athletes participate in endurance sports through funding, training, guiding support, and advocacy. Their programs include weekly workouts with volunteer guides, athlete grants to reduce equipment/competition costs, a beginner “Welcome to Running” camp, and coordinated participation in Houston marathon weekend.
News & Events
Flag Placement - July 4th
Next up! Flag-Pickup scheduled for the weekend of July 10th & 11th
Social Media
FOLLOW our new Instagram page!
Username: rcuahtx
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France
No meeting this week. Next club meeting will be July 1st!
News & Events
Last Week's Program
We were pleased to have Suzi Howe, Rotary International Director and Aid, as a esteemed Rotary leader to induct our incoming club leadership.
Flag Program Placement Fundraiser - July 4th
Members will be putting out our Club's flags this weekend. If you are available, come to 11815 Durrette St. to pick up the flags in Memorial this Friday morning (6/26) from 9 am to about noon, or Saturday, meeting at the flag trailer at 9 am as well when we will be concentrating on the Rice University area.
Call Jim Moers, Richard Lazear, Ciro Jimenez or Dick Stabell if you have any questions or want to meet one of the trucks mid-morning.
Rotary International Conference
Our club's very own Mitchell Lou was present at Rotary International Conference in Taipei, Taiwan!
We are pleased to have Suzi Howe, Rotary International Director and Aid, as a esteemed Rotary leader to induct our incoming club leadership.
For this special meeting we will have special refreshments brought in to celebrate the occasion, and we ask that all members and guests dress either business casual or formal. Thank you!
News & Events
Last Week's Speaker
Terry Ziegler, joined our club last week to discuss PolioPlus
Rotary International Conference
Our club's very own Mitchell Lou is present at Rotary International Conference in Taipei, Taiwan!
Terry Ziegler, joining our club this week to discuss PolioPlus. See Terry's Bio below;
Terry Ziegler is a native Houstonian and a Texas Tech University graduate with an Honors Studies degree in microbiology.
Terry and his wife, Sarka, have two daughters and Terry is the owner of Big Z Lumber Company, a business operating in Houston since 1938.
A Rotarian since 1982, Terry served as president of the
West U (Houston) Rotary Club in 2004-05 and as the Astrodome Rotary Club’s president in 1988-89.The West U Club was awarded the “Best Large Club” in District 5890 during his year as president.Terry attended a baseball game for kids with special needs on the White House lawn with President George W. Bush in 2006 as a result of the West U Rotary Club’s Centennial Project.
Terry produces a Polio Eradication Update newsletter which is emailed weekly to Rotarians around the world.In 2010 he received the Rotary Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World and in 2022 Terry received The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.
Terry is serving as an End Polio Now Coordinator for Rotary Region 36 (central North America from Texas to Ontario) for the 2024-2027 Rotary Years.
Terry is also a Trustee of the Books for the World global literacy project.
Or the short version – Terry Ziegler was asked to join Rotary in 1982, fell in love with it, and has been having trouble saying no since then.
News & Events
Board meeting to follow immediately after tomorrow's weekly meeting. Members are welcomed to join and listen into the meeting.
Shearn Elementary Service Project - May 28th
Honor Flight Houston Homecoming - May 30th, 2026
Our very own Mitchell Lou attended the homecoming event. See below for pictures-
Jen Torres, Senior Executive Director of March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a national nonprofit that works to improve the health of moms and babies by focusing on preventing maternal health risks and death, reducing preterm birth and infant mortality, and advancing health equity. In the Houston area, March of Dimes engages local volunteers and partners through community initiatives and events, including efforts such as its Houston Collective Impact Initiative, which trains and mentors women of color to become community-based doulas to expand access to pregnancy support for families who might not otherwise receive it.
News & Events
Shearn Elementary Service Project - May 28th
Honor Flight Houston Homecoming - May 30th, 2026
Our very own Mitchell Lou attended the homecoming event. See below for pictures-
Jen Torres, Senior Executive Director of March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a national nonprofit that works to improve the health of moms and babies by focusing on preventing maternal health risks and death, reducing preterm birth and infant mortality, and advancing health equity. In the Houston area, March of Dimes engages local volunteers and partners through community initiatives and events, including efforts such as its Houston Collective Impact Initiative, which trains and mentors women of color to become community-based doulas to expand access to pregnancy support for families who might not otherwise receive it.
News & Events
Last Week's Program
Bob Gebhard, past Rotary District Governer of 5890, and member of Honor Flight Houston. Presented the incredible service Honor Flight Houston organization does for Houston veterans.
Event: The organization will be having a welcome home event at Hobby Airport, on May 30th at 6:45pm CST. See below link to learn more and attend!
Honor Flight Houston honors all veterans by flying WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War veterans to Washington, DC to visit their memorials. We actively promote educational aspects of this mission in our schools and our communities.
News & Events
Last Week's Program
President Elect Bob Schamus, presented the plan for this upcoming Rotary year, as well as the club's leadership and goals.
Bob Schaumus, Incoming 2026-27 University Area Rotary Club President. Presenting this year's Club Assembly.
News & Events
Board meeting (Wed, 5/13) following this week's meeting. All members are welcome to attend.
Last Week's Speaker
Coach and Owner Liz Mayerich, as well as Coach Dan, presented one of the most action packed presentations of the acient art of fencing, and its modern day olympic competition. Learn more at https://houstonswords.com/
University Area members in action! Wonderful turnout from our club at this year's 5890 District Conference. With many of our members running tables at the event. See below.
No meeting this week! Join us for Baileson's this Thursday.
Last Week's Speaker
John Stuart, Senior Grant Manager, and Linda Reyes from the Chinese Community Center. Discussed the amazing services the Chinese Community Center provides to the community. https://ccchouston.org/
John Stuart, Senior Grant Manager, and Linda Reyes from the Chinese Community Center. To discuss the impact that the Chinese Community Center has on the community it serves. Come to learn more!
The Chinese Community Center (CCC) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to bridge East and West by providing educational, cultural, and social service programs that strengthen families and communities. Established in 1979, CCC supports Houstonians through multilingual, community-centered services including adult education (ESL), financial and workforce support, and citizenship programming.
News & Events
Photos from Shearn Elementary Family Literacy night!
Fisher House Foundation provides “a home away from home” for military and veteran families by building and donating comfort homes located at major military and VA medical centers. These homes allow families to stay close—at no cost—while a loved one receives medical care. Since 1990, Fisher Houses have offered millions of days of free lodging, easing both emotional and financial burdens. The Foundation also operates programs like Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes, which use donated airline miles and hotel points to bring families to the bedside of injured service members, and it funds scholarships supporting military children and spouses.
News & Events
RCUAH board meeting will be tomorrow (4/8), following the conclusing of our regularly scheduled meeting. Members are welcome to attend.
Dr. Maggie Abbot, Director of Outreach, Houston Area Parkinsons Society
Bio: Dr. Maggie Abbott, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and serves on the staff of the local non-profit Houston Area Parkinson Society (HAPS) as Director of Outreach. She graduated with her bachelor's in science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and her doctorate in physical therapy from Texas Woman’s University in Dallas in 2010. Maggie has worked as a physical therapist in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and home health, with a focus on working with older adults. For the last 10 years, she has specialized in working with people with Parkinson’s in the Greater Houston Area. In her role at HAPS, she teaches exercise classes, conducts one-on-one consultations with people with Parkinson’s, collaborates with universities and health professionals, attends health fairs, and more! Maggie has spoken locally and nationally on Parkinson’s-related topics at events hosted by groups like the Parkinson Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the American Physical Therapy Association’s Geriatric and Neurologic Sections. Her most recent speaking engagement at a Rotary club was in Galveston earlier this year, which made the local paper! Maggie has lived in Galveston with her family for the last five years, and she has been taking up birding as a new hobby.
No meeting this week! Next meeting will be Wednesday, April 1st.
Next Week's Speaker
Dr. Maggie Abbot, Director of Outreach, Houston Area Parkinsons Society
Bio: Dr. Maggie Abbott, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and serves on the staff of the local non-profit Houston Area Parkinson Society (HAPS) as Director of Outreach. She graduated with her bachelor's in science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and her doctorate in physical therapy from Texas Woman’s University in Dallas in 2010. Maggie has worked as a physical therapist in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and home health, with a focus on working with older adults. For the last 10 years, she has specialized in working with people with Parkinson’s in the Greater Houston Area. In her role at HAPS, she teaches exercise classes, conducts one-on-one consultations with people with Parkinson’s, collaborates with universities and health professionals, attends health fairs, and more! Maggie has spoken locally and nationally on Parkinson’s-related topics at events hosted by groups like the Parkinson Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the American Physical Therapy Association’s Geriatric and Neurologic Sections. Her most recent speaking engagement at a Rotary club was in Galveston earlier this year, which made the local paper! Maggie has lived in Galveston with her family for the last five years, and she has been taking up birding as a new hobby.
Bill Tait, Chapter President, of Sleep in Heavenly Place
Mission: Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Houston chapters) builds, delivers, and assembles beds for children in the Houston area who do not have a bed of their own.
Their mission is simple and powerful: “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.”
News & Events
We had the privilege to be joined by esteemed Rotarian guests, Eric & Sandra Liu, to represent the Rotary Foundation. Honoring 6 new Paul Harris Fellows in our club, and the addition of a new Major Donor status for one of our members.
Catherine Dunaway and her team, from Fourth Wall Theatre Company, were gracious enough to share their time with us, as well as provide a special discount to University Area Rotary Club members.
Catherine Dunaway, Managing Director of the Fourth Wall Theatre Company.
Mission: Our mission is to produce extraordinary professional theatrical experiences and to set a high standard for excellence in acting, direction, and design.
They believe that by paying artists a fair wage, they can grow and sustain the community of professional theatrical artists in Houston. They believe in developing and promoting the highest aesthetic of acting that is truthful, by producing exciting, cutting-edge, live theatre.
News & Events
There will be a boardmeeting following our weekly meeting this week, on Wednesday, March 11th. All members are welcome to attend.
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“ To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world" - Dr. Seuss
GV & Cindy, will discuss progress made, updates, and recent success by the Texas Fire Fighter's Home.
Texas Fire Fighters Home provides free or low‑cost temporary housing for firefighters and first responders undergoing cancer treatment at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, helping reduce the financial burden of long medical stays.
Great turnout by club leadership and members at this year's All Club gala!
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“ You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending." - C.S. Lewis
No meeting this week! Next meeting will be on March 4th.
Next Week's Speaker
GV & Cindy, will discuss progress made, updates, and recent success by the Texas Fire Fighter's Home.
Texas Fire Fighters Home provides free or low‑cost temporary housing for firefighters and first responders undergoing cancer treatment at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, helping reduce the financial burden of long medical stays.
News & Events
Rotary's 121st Anniversary celebrated on Monday, February 23rd!
DISTRICT 5890 "ALL CLUB" GALA
Great turnout by club leadership and members at this year's All Club gala!
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Last Week's Speaker
Tyler Strotham, from Veloci Shoes, see link attached for those interested in Veloci shoes as discussedhttps://velocirunning.com/
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“ As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for paying yourself, the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn
If you would like to go, please get in touch with Art Bautista or Cheryl Bressler for ticket information)
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Dr. Joe Flanagan, Senior Veterinarian at Houston Zoo, received his DVM from Iowa State University college of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. He began working at the Houston Zoo in December 1982 and currently serves as the senior veterinarian.
The Houston Zoo is committed to being a leader in the global effort to save animals in the wild. We are home to over 6,000 permanent residents (our animals) for whom we provide the highest standard in animal care. Every time you visit the Zoo, you're helping us save animals in the wild. We support 49 wildlife conservation projects in 27 countries around the world.
News & Events
DISTRICT 5890 "ALL CLUB" GALA
Our District's annual "All Club" Gala on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Let us Unite for Good to End Polio Now. Wear RED orPurple to show your support!
If you would like to go, please get in touch with Art Bautista or Cheryl Bressler for ticket information)
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Community Service Projects
President's Day Flags Service Project
Successful output of flags this past weekend! We had multiple guests, Jackson and Felicity, special shoutout to Felicity below-
Last Week's Speaker
Erinn Horton is the Director of Volunteer Engagement at Kids' Meals Inc., where she leads the strategic connection of corporations and volunteer groups with meaningful, hands -on opportunities that directly support Houston's pre-school-aged children.To learn more, visit https://kidsmealsinc.org/
Club Social
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." - Sir Edmund Hillary
Erinn Horton, Director of Volunteer Engagement at Kids' Meals Inc., she leads the strategic connection of corporations and volunteer groups with meaningful, hands -on opportunities that directly support Houston's pre-school-aged children. Erinn is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in Business Management.
Kids’ Meals is ending childhood hunger by delivering free, healthy meals to the doorsteps of Greater Houston’s hungriest preschool-aged children and, through collaboration, providing their families with resources to help end the cycle of poverty.
News & Events
Join us for the Texas Fire Fighters Home Open House celebrating the opening of TFFH 7th apartment for first responders in need.
📅 Friday, Feb 6, 2026
🕓 4:00–7:00 PM
📍 2222 Maroneal St, Houston
Program starts 4:15 PM • Ribbon cutting at 5:30 PM
If you would like to go, please get in touch with Art Bautista or Cheryl Bressler for ticket information)
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
Bill Palko, Past District Governor will be at our February 4 meeting to update our members on the District Conference this Spring.
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Community Service Projects
President's Day Flags Service Project
Friday, February 6th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Or, meet in the Memorial neighborhood on 11815 Durrette Dr. at 9:30 am
Saturday, February 7th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Volunteers needed — and everyone is welcome. Bring along family, friends, and coworkers to help with our main fundraiser that fuels our scholarships and community service.
Houston Food Bank Service Project
Hard working Rotarians this Saturday worked with the Houston Food Bank to package Senior Boxes with fellow volunteers. Results…
RCUAH Nurses Scholarship Recipients: Camille Mack and Mariah Brooks, with Nurses Scholarship Committee Chairs, Kathy Kennedy and Cindy Murphy, and President Cheryl Bressler
DISTRICT 5890 "ALL CLUB" GALA
Our District's annual "All Club" Gala on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Let us Unite for Good to End Polio Now. Wear RED orPurple to show your support!
If you would like to go, please get in touch with Art Bautista or Cheryl Bressler for ticket information)
DISTRICT 5890 Conference - April 30th-May 3rd, 2026
Bill Palko, Past District Governor will be at our February 4 meeting to update our members on the District Conference this Spring.
The District 5890 Conference will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center April 30 - May 3. It will feature a host of speakers, networking opportunities with fellow Rotarians, a fishing trip in Galveston Bay, and a variety of attractions to visit at Moody Gardens. Please see the District website for more details.
Community Service Projects
President's Day Flags Service Project
Friday, February 6th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Or, meet in the Memorial neighborhood on 11815 Durrette Dr. at 9:30 am
Saturday, February 7th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Volunteers needed — and everyone is welcome. Bring along family, friends, and coworkers to help with our main fundraiser that fuels our scholarships and community service.
RCUAH ended the holiday season this weekend with an outstanding turnout. Rotarians, friends of Rotary, and spouses, gathered for an evening filled with laughter, engaging conversations, and plenty of festive cheer. Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the night such a warm and memorable celebration.
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Club Member News
Our Club Members are Marathon Leaders!
Half Marathon Times:
Bob Schaumus - 2:07:34
Ciro Jimenez - 2:59:58
Quote of the Day
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein
Dick Stabell, Driver of the Year 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, presenting on behalf of Houston Ground Angels. Houston Ground Angels, description below:
Ground Angels is a Houston‑based nonprofit that provides free, volunteer‑driven ground transportation for patients traveling to and from critical medical treatments, especially at the Texas Medical Center. Volunteers pick up patients from local homes, hotels, or airports and drive them to appointments, with a focus on those receiving serious care such as cancer treatment.
News & Events
RCUAH Nurses Scholarship Recipients: Camille Mack and Mariah Brooks, with Nurses Scholarship Committee Chairs, Kathy Kennedy and Cindy Murphy, and President Cheryl Bressler
DISTRICT 5890 "ALL CLUB" GALA
Our District's annual "All Club" Gala on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Let us Unite for Good to End Polio Now. Wear RED orPurple to show your support!
If you would like to go, please get in touch with Art Bautista or Cheryl Bressler for ticket information)
Community Service Projects
President's Day Flags Service Project
Friday, February 6th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Or, meet in the Memorial neighborhood on 11815 Durrette Dr. at 9:30 am
Saturday, February 7th
Meet at 9:00 am at 2115 Lexington St. to load flags in vehicles
Volunteers needed — and everyone is welcome. Bring along family, friends, and coworkers to help with our main fundraiser that fuels our scholarships and community service.
RCUAH ended the holiday season this weekend with an outstanding turnout. Rotarians, friends of Rotary, and spouses, gathered for an evening filled with laughter, engaging conversations, and plenty of festive cheer. Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the night such a warm and memorable celebration.
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Club Member News
Our Club Members are Marathon Leaders!
Half Marathon Times:
Bob Schaumus - 2:07:34
Ciro Jimenez - 2:59:58
Quote of the Day
“No one has ever become poor from giving." - Anne Frank
No meeting until the new year! Next meeting will be Wednesday, January 7th
News & Update
News
Last Week's Speaker
Club Social
RCUAH Holiday Party - Save the Date! More information to come
Date: January 17th, 2026
Location: To Be Announced
Time: 6-9pm CST
White Elephant Gift Exchange - $25 Gift Cap
Cost: $25/person (Rotarians + Guests)
Weekly Social
We will be skipping this week's Thursday Baileson's in exchange for Christmas ;)
Quote of the Day
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!,’ ” - Dr. Seuss
SPECIAL MEETING this week. We will be having The George Bush High School Band come perform at this week's meeting. Highly recommend you make best effort to come, as well as invite friends and family to come listen!
Last Week's Speaker
Marsha Bernstein - Master Bridge Player
Club Social
RCUAH Holiday Party - Save the Date! More information to come
Date: January 17th, 2026
Location: To Be Announced
Time: 6-9pm CST
White Elephant Gift Exchange - $25 Gift Cap
Cost: $25/person (Rotarians + Guests)
Weekly Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Life is not about having everything. It's about finding meaning in everything." - Joel Randymar
This week, we will be serving at Operation Turkey, in place of our regularly scheduled meeting. Please join us as your schedule permits, as Larry Blair will be getting started at 6:30 a.m. and will be serving until 10 a.m.
Matamoras Service Project
More to be said next week about a successful and rewarding weekend in Matamoras at our next in-person meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd. Don't miss it!
Last Week's Speaker
GV Krishnan, “Footprints of Africa: A traveler's Journey Through Nature and Culture”. Below is the link GV would like to share of an album of photos from the trip. See below!
This Thanksgiving, the Rotary Club for Operation Turkey 2025, a heartfelt effort to prepare, cook, package, and deliver over 13,500 meals to individuals and families in need.
Location: St. Paul's Methodist Church
Date:
November 26th, 6:30 am to 3 pm
November 27th, 7:30 am to 12 pm
Club Social
Join us for your week's favorite beverage next week, Thursday December 4th.
Quote of the Day
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie
We are back at Hermann Park! Remind any of your meeting guests that we will be meeting this week at Hermann Park, and for the go forward.
Last Week's Speaker
Ed Cotham, “Rockets, Tanks, and Submarines - Texas During the Civil War”.
Service Projects & Volunteer Events
Flag Program
Flag pickup for Veterans Day has been completed! Thank you to everyone for their service! It was a very successful flag pickup.
Operation Turkey
This Thanksgiving, the Rotary Club for Operation Turkey 2025, a heartfelt effort to prepare, cook, package, and deliver over 13,500 meals to individuals and families in need.
Location: St. Paul's Methodist Church
Date:
November 26th, 6:30 am to 3 pm
November 27th, 7:30 am to 12 pm
International Service Project - Matamoras, Mexico
The time has come to deliver an ambulance to Matamoras. If you are interested in participating in the transportation. Contact Art Bautista at the information provided below. The trip will take place the weekend of November 22nd
Art Bautista
Cell: 832-654-7342
Email: abautista721@sbcglobal.net
Club Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia." - Charles M. Shulz
There will be a board meeting following our weekly meeting this week, on November 12th.
Last Week's Speaker
Jay Morris, with Faithful Paws Houston, an organization that provides animal-assisted therapy to individuals across Houston, primarily serving hospitals, schools, and senior care facilities.
Service Projects & Volunteer Events
Flag Program
Flag pickup for Veterans Day is here!
Invite your friends and family as a great way for them to get exposure to Rotary, have fun, and volunteer for the community. As our Flag Program is the driver of our ability to do great things locally and community abroad!
SCHEDULE FOR THIS FRIDAY
If you can make Friday, please contact Dr. Jim Moers (713-824-3824) or Richard Lazear (281-686-1122), to get grouped with a vehicle picking up flags.
Time: 2 pm for Memorial Area
Address: 11815 Durrette Dr, Houston, TX 77024
SCHEDULE FOR THIS SATURDAY
We will be meeting at Dr. Moers' office at 9 am to begin picking up flags. With a large team of Rotarians, we will get it done in no time, and enjoy pizza following!
Time: 9 am for the Rice University Area
Address: 2115 Lexington St.
Operation Turkey
This Thanksgiving, the Rotary Club for Operation Turkey 2025, a heartfelt effort to prepare, cook, package, and deliver over 13,500 meals to individuals and families in need.
Location: St. Paul's Methodist Church
Date:
November 26th, 6:30 am to 3 pm
November 27th, 7:30 am to 12 pm
International Service Project - Matamoras, Mexico
The time has come to deliver an ambulance to Matamoras. If you are interested in participating in the transportation. Contact Art Bautista at the information provided below. The trip will take place the weekend of November 22nd
Art Bautista
Cell: 832-654-7342
Email: abautista721@sbcglobal.net
Club Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“The future starts today, not tomorrow." - St. Pope John Paul II
This Thanksgiving, the Rotary Club for Operation Turkey 2025, a heartfelt effort to prepare, cook, package, and deliver over 13,500 meals to individuals and families in need.
Location: St. Paul's Methodist Church
Date:
November 26th, 6:30 am to 3 pm
November 27th, 7:30 am to 12 pm
Matamoros Service Project
The time has come to deliver an ambulance to Matamoras. If you are interested in participating in the transportation. Contact Art Bautista at the information provided below. The trip will take place the weekend of November 22nd
Art Bautista
Cell: 832-654-7342
Email: abautista721@sbcglobal.net
Club Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“There is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed" - Frank Bachman
No meeting this week! Our next meeting will be on November 5th.
RCUAH President, Cheryl Bressler, representing the club at the annual “Pumpkins for Polio” event to raise funds for the Rotary END POLIO NOW fundraiser.
Service Projects & Volunteer Events
Flag Program
As our club's primary fundraiser, placing flags is how we fund projects such as the firefighters' home, nurses' scholarships, and the projects done internationally. We need volunteers to help place flags! Two options below.
Date:
Friday, October 31st- Memorial Area (Afternoon). Please get in touch with Jim Moers or Richard Lazear if you plan to meet for the Friday flag placements.
Saturday, November 1st- Rice Village Area (Morning) Meet at 9am at Dr. Moers office, 2115 Lexington.
Operation Turkey
This Thanksgiving, the Rotary Club for Operation Turkey 2025, a heartfelt effort to prepare, cook, package, and deliver over 13,500 meals to individuals and families in need.
Location: St. Paul's Methodist Church
Date:
November 26th, 6:30 am to 3 pm
November 27th, 7:30 am to 12 pm
Matamoros Service Project
The time has come to deliver an ambulance to Matamoras. If you are interested in participating in the transportation. Contact Art Bautista at the information provided below.
Art Bautista
Cell: 832-654-7342
Email: abautista721@sbcglobal.net
Last Week's Speaker
Cody Kincaid, Game Warden for Harris County.
Club Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today" - H. Jackson Brown
REMINDER: This week's meeting will be held at St. Paul's Methodist Church. See above for address.
Last Week's Speaker
Joel Levine, HAYES Center, resources for children and adults. Hayes Center has a focus on serving children in the foster care system.
Club Social
This past weekend, our club was treated to a special club social, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of Dr. Jim and Lynn Moers, welcoming us to their home in Port Lavaca!
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein
REMINDER: We will be holding this week's meeting at St. Paul's Methodist Church. See above for address.
Following this week's meeting, a board meeting will be held.
Last Week's Speaker
Cindy Puryear, Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation
Club Social
MARK your calendars! October 11-12th. Dr. Jim Moers will be hosting the club for a weekend club social at the bay! More details to follow. Help on how to locate will be distributed at tomorrow's meeting.
Address: 290 Marshall Johnson Ave. South, Port Lavaca, 77979
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible.'" - Audrey Hepburn
Successful Saturday serving at Rise Against Hunger! Through a successful joint effort with the Rotary Club of Houston and West University Rotary Club, 16,000+ meals were packaged to be shipped to Kenya.
Club Social
MARK your calendars! October 11-12th. Dr. Jim Moers will be hosting the club for a weekend club social at the bay! More details to follow. Help on how to locate will be distributed at tomorrow's meeting.
Address: 290 Marshall Johnson Ave. South, Port Lavaca, 77979
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Believe you can and you're halfway there" - Theodore Roosevelt
Successful Saturday serving at Rise Against Hunger! Through a successful joint effort with the Rotary Club of Houston and West University Rotary Club, 16,000+ meals were packaged to be shipped to Kenya.
Club Social
MARK your calendars! October 11-12th. Dr. Jim Moers will be hosting the club for a weekend club social at the bay! More details to follow. Help on how to locate will be distributed at tomorrow's meeting.
Address: 290 Marshall Johnson Ave. South, Port Lavaca, 77979
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“With the new day comes new strengths and new thoughts" - Eleanor Roosevelt
Board meeting set to follow our weekly meeting tomorrow
Last Week's Meeting
We had the pleasure of joining members from our neighbor clubs of Westchase and West University Area Rotary clubs. To welcome Dr. Tom Kelchner, our 112th District Governor.
Dr. Kelchner imparted this year's vision for the district to “Unite for Good”, by stepping up our engagement. Several members of his team joined us:
Melanie Dubendorff, who spoke about Operation Turkey (Our Very Own Larry Blair, leads the Houston Midtown Location Operation)
Rick Brady, sharing details on Membership Olympics. (Dr. Kelchner's Goal of “Net One” Membership Goal for Every Club)
Wayne Beaumier, who updated us on Hill Country Relief Efforts (Deployment of District & Club Raised Funds)
Our very own Cindy Murphy, Kathryn Kennedy, and Cheryl Bressler, presented this year's nursing scholarships.
Events
JOIN us for this week's upcoming service project. This Saturday we will be serving at Rise Against Hunger, partnering with the West University Area Rotary Club. Sign up link is below. 2/3 slots are still available for signup. See below.
MARK your calendars! October 11-12th. Dr. Jim Moers will be hosting the club for a weekend club social at the bay! More details to follow. Help on how to locate will be distributed at tomorrow's meeting.
Address: 290 Marshall Johnson Ave. South, Port Lavaca, 77979
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is youer than you!" - Dr. Seuss
Join us this Wednesday for a special meeting, our last meeting at the Hermann Park golf clubhouse. We will be thanking our clubhouse hosts for their service to our club and discussing where we will be relocating. Special meeting not to miss!
Kyle Zollinger's Induction Ceremony, with special guest Eric Liu, and President Cheryl Bressler
Last Week's Speaker
Hank Moore, a friend of the club, provided valuable insights and guidance on developing a mission statement for non-profit organizations, as well as on how non-profits can deliver a significant impact both locally and abroad.
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Below is a link to purchase seats.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
Join us this Wednesday for a special meeting to induct our newest member, Kyle Zollinger!
Last Week's Speaker
Mister McKinney, a renowned Houston Historian, provided historic education of Houston and its founding. You can learn more about his widely sought after Houston bus tours on his Instagram, Facebook, and third-party booking sites for scheduling a tour.
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Below is a link to purchase seats.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
No meeting this week! Join us for our weekly social at Baileson's this Thursday, and for our weekly meeting next Wednesday, August 6th.
News & Update
Last Week's Speaker
Courtney Selleres, Executive Director with Grace Place, presented about the work they do in the community to provide a welcoming and safe environment for youth experiencing homelesness. To learn how to support, visit https://www.montrosegraceplace.org/.
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Below is a link to purchase seats.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
NEW MEMBER ALERT: Make sure to attend this Wednesday's weekly meeting to give a warm welcome to the newest member of our club with a induction ceremony
Last Week's Speaker
Maya Farr Henderson, presented about her journey through the Appalachian trail. Learn more about the Appalachian Trail community, hike, and how to support here https://appalachiantrail.org/.
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Below is a link to purchase seats.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
Board meeting immediately following our weekly meeting this week. Please notify Cheryl Bressler if you have any questions
NEW MEMBER ALERT: Make sure to attend next Wednesday's weekly meeting (July 23rd) to give a warm welcome to the newest members of our club with a induction ceremony
Last Week's Speaker
Carrie Ermler, Houston Arts Alliance, presented about the non-profit work her organization conducts in Houston, and abroad. Learn more here https://houstonartsalliance.com/.
Flag Program
Another successful July 4th in the books!
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Below is a link to purchase seats.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
There will be no board meeting this week. We will have our monthly board meeting following next week's meeting.
Flag Program
Flag pickup for July 4th is here!
Invite your friends and family as a great way for them to get exposure to Rotary, have fun, and volunteer for the community. As our Flag Program is the driver of our ability to do great things for the local, and community abroad!
SCHEDULE FOR THIS FRIDAY
If you can make Friday please contact Jim (713-824-3824), Richard L.(281-686-1122), or D. Stabell (713-806-8211), to get grouped with a vehicle picking up flags.
Time: 2 pm for Memorial Area
Address: 11815 Durrette Dr, Houston, TX 77024
SCHEDULE FOR THIS SATURDAY
We will be meeting at Dr. Moers' office at 9 am to begin picking up flags. With a large team of Rotarians, we will get it done in no time, and enjoy pizza following!
Time: 9 am for the Rice University Area
Address: 2115 Lexington St.
Events
It is that time of year again! The one and only Firefighters' home gala. Contact Cindy Murphy, GV Krishnan, or Fred Cunningham about getting a seat or table at this year's gala.
Texas Fire Fighter's Home 7th Annual Gala
Location: 4225 Interwood N Pkwy, Houston, TX 77032
Date: September 13th, 2025 @6pm
To learn more: www.TexasFFH.org
Club Social
Please join your fellow Rotarians for our weekly Thursday social at Baileson's Brewery at 4:30 pm.
Feel free to invite friends and colleagues to the social, as a great way to learn more about our club and Rotary!
Baileson's Brewing Co.
2322 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
Quote of the Day
“In the end it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." - Max De Pree
Rotary clubs around the world operate on a one-year cycle, running from July 1 to June 30. Leadership roles, including that of club president, typically follow this annual rhythm.
Over the past year, our club has been ably led by Richard Lazear—a dedicated Rotarian with many talents. Among his contributions, Richard played a key role in organizing the placement of U.S. and Texas flags at homes throughout the Rice Village and Memorial neighborhoods.
On June 19, Richard passed the torch to our new president, Cheryl Bressler. Cheryl, a senior nurse at Houston Methodist in the Texas Medical Center, has long been a champion of our club’s nursing scholarship program. As she steps into this new leadership role, Cheryl will take a temporary pause from her scholarship work to guide our club for the year ahead.
With her passion for community service, we look forward to new initiatives and expanded opportunities to serve. Our club remains committed to participating in at least one community service project each month, and there's always meaningful work to do—together.
The photo captures Rotary District Governor Tom Kelchner officially swearing in Cheryl as our new president. Congratulations, Cheryl—and heartfelt thanks to Richard for a year of outstanding leadership.
Saturday, 4:00 a.m. – While most were still asleep, our dedicated DGN Tom Kelcher was already at the front door, ready to kick off our club’s latest service journey. Meanwhile, others were en route to Buc-ee’s in Wharton, our designated meeting point, before heading together to Matamoros, Mexico.
Leading the convoy, Rotarian Dick Stabell drove his new truck, towing our club trailer filled with school uniforms, chairs, computers, and essential equipment for the Red Cross. Riding shotgun was our newest member and navigator, Barbara Martinez.
Club President Jim Moers also took the wheel, his vehicle packed with fire hoses destined for the Matamoros Fire Department, along with Rotarians Ciro Jimenez, Larry Blair, and Mitchell Lou. Along the way, we picked up PDG Mindi Snyder in El Campo—and just like that, we were fully on the road!
Warm Welcomes and Community Impact
Upon arrival and check-in at the hotel, our group was quickly welcomed and organized into smaller teams for a cross-border lunch outing. We also celebrated DGN Tom Kelcher’s recent birthday with cake, a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and our beloved Rotary song—a touching moment that left Tom smiling and grateful.
One of our first service stops was Pan de Vida, a care home for the elderly. There, we delivered a power scooter valued at $5,000—generously donated by a fellow Rotarian from our district. The gratitude from the staff and residents was heartwarming.
A Call for Help at the Red Cross
Next, we visited the local Red Cross facility, which had been shut down during the pandemic and subsequently vandalized. Stripped wiring, a leaky roof, and severe damage throughout the building left a clear message: they need our help. Their hope is that with our support, the facility can once again serve the people of Matamoros.
Global Grants in Action
Our final stop was the dedication of two water projects made possible through Rotary global grants. A local resident shared how, before the project, his tap often ran completely dry. The grants funded the replacement of outdated metal pipes, many of which were leaking or clogged with dirt. We even brought back a section of one such pipe—completely filled with sediment and riddled with cracks—for a future “show and tell.”
Thank you to every Rotarian who participated, donated, or supported this journey. Your service is transforming lives—one mile, one smile, and one project at a time.
Our district conference was held this year in Fortworth, Texas, it was a great event an our very own Sonya heath was a co chair in charge of putting together a great event.
Our district governor Mindi Snyder recognized clubs and individuals during the awards ceremony and I was honored to be recognized as rotarian of the year. Our club president Mitchell Lou was awarded his major donor level 2 award during the major donors breakfast. Heather Rimato was presented as our district governor elect and NancyAnderson as our district governor nominee, Jim Moers was presented as our incoming president.
The University Area Rotary Club lead the preparation of Thanksgiving meals at Saint Paul's United Methodist Church in the museum district. We were joined by 100's of volunteers from the community. This year we prepared 2,700 meals and delivered them to folks in the Third and Fifth Wards and shut-ins who cannot afford the costs of Thanksgiving dinner.
Saturday was a great day to install flags for Memorial day! Thank you to all the teams that got it done. Some started on Friday and showed up again on Saturday. The flag program is our clubs main fundraiser and what makes it possible for our club to do all the projects that we do.
An interact club has been formed at the Young Women's College Preparatory Academy. This has been accomplished by the hard work of President Larry, other members of our Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of West U. This is one of the largest Interact clubs in the Houston area and we are very proud to help sponsor them. On Thursday April 28 the Interact Club was honored by the visit of Rotarian Sylvia Whitlock who was the first woman allowed in Rotary in the mid 80's. Her story was entertaining and insightful to the young ladies in the audience, District Governor Michelle Bohreer presented Sylvia with a token of appreciation. Pictures were taken with the ladies. It was a successful event.
Our Rotary Club along with a few of our nurses help sort cans at the massive Houston Food Bank (HFB). The HFB distributes food and other essentials to over 1.1 million people in 18 Texas counties with the help of 1,500 community partners. Everyone started the morning with a temperature check. After all the groups arrived there was an informative presentation about the HFB organization and instructions on how to proceed with the morning's activities. Hand washing is a must coming in and out. All cans had to be sorted and placed in the proper boxes. We assembled outgoing food boxes and flattened the empty supply boxes. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and the benefit to all concerned. The HFB is genuinely a fantastic organization and our Rotary Club was proud to help.
Saturday was Operation Turkey at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church at in the museum district. We worked in the Jones building and helped assemble 2,700 meals for our fellow Houstonians in need and distributed them on Thanksgiving morning. The Houston effort was led by the Greater Houston Rotary Club Veterans. We opened hundreds of large vegetable cans donated by GOYA and put the contents into individual containers. Great banter and fellowship was had by all. Our club President Larry Blair did a fine job of seeing the project to completion.
Once again our club partnered with the West U Rotary Club and other clubs in our district to help package food to be sent out to people in need. Our club donated $2,000.00 to help cover the cost of the food. Thank you to all the club members who participated in this project; President Larry Blair and his granddaughter, Bill Sharber, Dick Stabell, Gerry Rein, Sonya Heath, Cheryl Bressler, Richard Lazear and wife, my friend Jack Enright, my wife Olga and our two nephews Arnold and Jonathan . The total number of meals packed was 13,128. Thanks to all of club members who donate to our club and our foundation and contribute their time and sweat to our flag program thus making it possible for us to be able to do projects to help those in need.
If you want to see how the efforts between the Houston area Rotarians and the Matamoras area Rotarians are doing and how they benefit people please watch this video. CLICK HERE. You will feel pride being part of a organization that really cares!
The generous people at The Awty International School donated hundreds of desk and chairs for those children in Mexico who have none. It was up to Rotarian Art Bautista to assemble amigos from our club as well as some from other clubs to meet at Awty and load the donations into trucks and trailers, then on to Art's business to meet an eighteen wheeler donated by the world's only all women's Rotary Club-The Rotary Club of Matamoros. The work started at 8:00 and finished at 4:00. It was hard work and made for great fellowship. The day had many hick ups from the eighteen wheeler and Art's truck being stuck in mud to rain to cool everybody off, however in the end everything worked out and the big truck is on its way to deliver the donation.
Rotarians are People of Action. Art Bautista loves how rotary works! He received a call from his good friend Charlie Buscemi from the Kingwood Club who informed him that he was contacted by Laura Valladares from the St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Humble, that they had over 500 sets of school uniforms and he wanted to know if our club wanted them for the schools in Matamoros. There was a little condition and that was that the uniforms had to be picked up ASAP. Art made a few phone calls and Larry Blair and Gerry Rein stepped up to help load up. On Friday morning they met Charlie, his wife Tommie and Brad Jude at the school and they loaded up more like 1000 uniforms. Some of them were brand new; they still had the stickers on them. With the collaboration of 3 clubs in two different districts we will provide close to, if not more than 1000 children with school uniforms. Art was glad that he was contacted and that we were able to save all of these uniforms from ending up in the landfill. True Service Above Self!
Thank you to all those who came out to help load and unload the chairs. Especially to Dick Stabell for going to pick up and drop off the extra trailer that we borrowed from the Houston Tool Bank; thanks to Erika! There are probably over 500 chairs; some look brand new and we were told that the school paid $198.00 each. We are very grateful to Awty Academy for all of their donations.
What a wonderful day for our bike ride, the sky was clear there was a constant breeze, perfect temperature,. We were greeted by our host & ride guide Clark and his wife, who had coffee & donuts ready for all we had a great turnout 42 people attended, most of us did the 12 mile bike ride and some did the short bike ride.
ROTARIANS PRESENT NURSES SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS EVEN DURING COVID-19
Rotarians Cheryl Bressler and Larry Blair present nurse scholarship awards to 4 outstanding nursing students. Nurses are in high demand and our Rotary Club is proud to be of assistance to these fine young women. We wish them the best on their future careers.
Our Rotary Club along with family & friends sorted food (cans & dry goods) at the massive Houston Food Bank (HFB) The HFB distributes food and other essentials to over 1.1 million people in 18 Texas counties with the help of 1,500 community partners. Everyone started the morning with a temperature check. After all the groups arrived there was an informative presentation about the HFB organization and instructions on how to proceed with the morning's activities. Hand washing and rubber gloves are a must coming in
You did it! Because of your help with packaging 16,632 Rise Against Hunger meals, due to the wonderful leadership of Rotarian Sonya Heath, we are able to provide nourishment for children and families around the world, and we are incredibly grateful. Thank you for volunteering your valuable time with us.
Our journey started Saturday morning at 5am, Jim Moers driving the 26 foot Penske truck, Dick Stabell & Sonya Heath in Dick's truck with a pallet of books, Art and Olga in their truck towing the big University Area Rotary Club trailer with a pallet and 1/2 of books and other items, Eric & Sandra Liu joined us for the trip, this is their 3rd trip to Matamoros with us and we enjoy their company, they have personally contributed money to our global grants in Matamoros. We arrived at the customs warehouse around 12:15 and after unloading we had a quick lunch then headed to the hotel to check in and then we were picked up by the local Rotarians' and taken across the border to the dedication ceremony of our new water project that was due to start on Monday then we went to the second site for the celebration of the finished project from 3 years ago so essentially this year we will be completing 2 major water projects, at the finish project they informed me that they had to shut off the water to the whole city for one whole day because our project had to hook up to the main city line. Here is a list of some of the items that we donated; about 200 oxygen tank sets for the firefighters, pants, jackets, boots, 2 1/2 pallets of books, hundreds of school uniforms, school supplies, some computers, office copier machine, walkers, and handicap potties, a semi new power scooter, about 100 blood pressure testers. Our sister club members sent a big heartfelt thank you!
ROTARY IN THE HOUSTON AREA DISTRICT HAS TEAMED UP WITH DISASTER AID USA-COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM. We have secured a number of volunteers to help pick-up and deliver groceries and medications to high-risk persons in the district. If you are interested in helping please click on https://youtu.be/KMrNu1VYXOo for information on how to sign up. This is "SERVICE ABOVE SELF".
The Rotary Fire Fighters Home (RFFH) needs your help. RFFH had scheduled the 4th annual Gala for September which due to Covid19 will be impossible to hold and has been canceled. Cancerdoes not wait for anything so the 4 apartments RFFH have provided the selfless fire fighters and first responders coming to The Texas Medical Center from all over the country are full and have a waiting list. RFFH definitely needs your help to continue this great Rotary project. Rent and utilities have to be paid. A Virtual 5K Run is a fun way to help. You can participate by logging into the RFFH website at https://rotaryfirefightershome.org and clicking on the link near the top right side of the page or just click here>> "Click Here for Foot RespondersVirtual 5K Run". A single entry is $25.00 but hopefully, you will see your way to donate more. Note 2 Gala tickets would have been $300.00. The flyer for this event is attached Click READ MORE to view. Please copy and email any part of this story to all your contacts with the flyer in READ MORE. Together with you, your friends, and acquaintances the RFFH can continue and expand this wonderful and humanitarian project into the future.
WE ARE MEETING IN PERSON (VACCINATED ROTARIANS & GUESTS ONLY) AT 7:00 AM AT THE HERMANN PARK CLUB HOUSE FOR BREAKFAST. MEETING STARTS AT 7:30. WE WILL ALSO ZOOM THE MEETING SO THOSE INTOWN BUT CAN NOT MAKE IT OR ARE OUT OF TOWN ROTARIANS AND GUESTS CAN ATTEND ON LINE. GUESTS, IF YOU WISH TO VISIT ON LINE CLICK ON CONTACT US ABOVE AND A ZOOM LINK WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU.
We had a large turn out the morning of February 8, 2020, at Loaves & Fishes where we served breakfast to 295 homeless people. We had good club participation as well as some of our nurse scholarship recipients. The kitchen crew did an outstanding job cooking the meals while the rest of the volunteers hosted and served the homeless. It was BENEFICIAL to all concerned.
Our third annual Gala was held Saturday 09-07-2019 at the Omni Hotel with over 350 attendees. It was a wonderful, fun filled and successful evening. Our Club's signature project is the Fire Fighters Home which provides temporary housing to the selfless first responders coming to The Texas Medical Center to fight cancer-their #1 killer. Please click here for full additional information about this worthy project.
Ground braking for our Rotary global grant in the amount of $70,000.00 dollars for another water project in Matamoros, Mexico to provide clean drinking water to residents of La Colonia Las Aves. This grant also provided hooking up 147 homes to the main lines.
My deepest gratitude to all those involved in making this possible; My club, The University Area Rotary Club, Rotary District 5890, our international host & sister club, Club Matamoros Profesional, Rotary District 4130 and Rotary District 5930
The Rotary Club of University Area is proud to be people of action. By standing by Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self" we are people of action, helping others. Watch the video and see how you can enjoy being involved.
Our sister club, Club Matamoros Prefesional reached out to us for help in providing student desks for a school in Matamoros that did not have any for their students, For $300.00 dollars gas money our club provided desks for the students. Olga Bautista & a coworker of hers donated all the school supply kits. The Bautista grandkids Phillip, Art and Sophia did a great job cleaning all the desks.Thanks to the compadres Art Bautista, Dick Stabell and Jim Moers for making the trip and delivering a 3 door refrigerator, 22 air pack kits for the firefighters and assorted firefighter gear such as boots, pants, jackets, helmets. and to Roy Kimmel from the Alvin Rotary Club for his donation of the firefighters equipment!. All this was delivered some months ago but it takes time to get it across the border. This chico feliz loves his desk!
Saturday morning at 5 AM Dick Stabell & his friend John D set out with a truck & trailer full of desks, chairs and scrubs and at the same time Olga and I started our drive with another truck & trailer load, we arrived in Brownsville around 11: 30 am downloaded had lunch and started back to Houston, everything went well and thanks to this club project 4 more classrooms will have desks and chairs total desks delivered 108 and 300 chairs, the desks are perfect for primary school because they have adjustable legs so that height can be adjusted to accomodate students. We also delivered over 2,000 dry scrubs which will be donated to an old peoples home and local hospitals. I specially want to thank my compadre Dick Stabell for always helping me pick up donated stuff all around and for making the 16 hour trips to the border to help deliver them. A big thank you to all the volunteers that helped us load the desks and chairs, Dick Stabell, Jerry Harris, Bob Schamus, Bill Sharber, Larry Blair, Larry Riklin, Richard Lazear, Joe Ridley
The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 7, 2018, marking significant progress by the fire service, lobbyists and lawmakers to recognize the impact of occupational cancer in the fire service. This law will require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry collecting data on the incidence of certain cancers in firefighters.
We had a record turn out Saturday morning at Loaves & Fishes we served breakfast to 333 homeless people, we had good club participation and help from Olga's Rotary Community Corp club as well as our nurse scholarship recipients. The kitchen crew did an outstanding job cooking and serving the meals while the rest of the volunteers hosted and served the homeless, we also distributed hundreds of pairs of socks that I received as donations.
California District 5240 Governor, Sandi Schwartz, visited Houston and presented plaques to the recipients, Alicia Gonzalez and Jamesha Kelly, of the $20,000.00 each in Hurricane Harvey relief. Avenue CDC, a Houston non-profit is handling the repairs on the homes of these two people.
The Rotary Club of University Area participates in this great program. Our club sponsors numerous children who receive these books and the number of children has increased each year. Houston TV Channel ABC 13 interviewed our two members who lead the program for our Rotary Club. Please CLICK HERE to see the interview.
Join the Rotary Club of University Area Houston’s Holiday Flag Program!
Since its launch in Spring 2007, our Holiday Flag Program has been warmly received by the community—and it continues to grow each year!
As part of the program, the Rotary Club of University Area Houston proudly places American and Texas flags in the front yards of subscribers on four major patriotic holidays. It’s a beautiful way to show your patriotic spirit—and even more meaningful knowing that your participation supports a greater cause.
Support Local Service While Showing Your Patriotism
While you enjoy a stunning display of flags during each holiday, your subscription directly helps us raise funds for our charitable initiatives—from local community support to global humanitarian efforts.
Easy Online Sign-Up
To learn more or to sign up with your credit card, please visit our dedicated Holiday Flag Program website. You’ll also find information about the impactful programs your support helps fund.
Note: All proceeds benefit The University Area Rotary Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Ready to make a difference and brighten your yard?
THE ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME GALA WAS MARCH 24, 2018, AT THE JW MARRIOT HOTEL ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GALLERIA. OUR COMMUNITY OWES HFD AND THE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS MORE THAN WE CAN EVER SHOW. THEY RESCUED UNTOLD NUMBERS OF CITIZENS AND SAVED THE LIVES OF MANY DURING THE HURRICANE. THIS ANNUAL FIREFIGHTERS' HOME GALA WAS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE FIREFIGHTERS OUR THANKS AND SUPPORT BY HELPING TO PROVIDE FREE HOUSING FOR THOSE MEN AND WOMEN, WHILE BEING TREATED AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, WHO ACQUIRE CANCER BY THEIR EXPOSURE TO CARCINOGENS IN THEIR WORK.
Our Rotary Club thanks, everyone who contributed auction items and those who attended to make this year's St Arnold's Sunday Brew & BBQ fundraiser a success.
The Rotary Club of University Area Houston set up a special fund through our non-profit foundation to receive relief funds from Rotary Clubs across the US to aid the victims of flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Our purpose was to help the victims rebuild their lives. We chose to donate to other non-profits which were set to vet request according to IRS guidelines.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED in TREES FOR WILLOW WATERHOLE which was a project of several Rotary Clubs in the area to plant trees in THE WILLOW WATERHOLE behind Westbury High School. This helps flood CONTROL and adds shade to a great park area, CLICK on EVENTS on the right side of this page and you can make comments about your experience in helping with this project. CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOPOF THE STORY AND A COMMENT SECTION WILL OPEN. Only those who helped can post comments. Tell about Rotary Fellowship, funny happenings during the event or whatever makes you happy.
The International Water Project between our Rotary Club and Matamoros Mexico Rotary Club helps to provide clean water to the outlying areas of Matamoros.
ROTARY CLUBS FROM DISTRICT 5890 QUICKLY CAME FORWARD TO HELP MUCK OUT HOMES OF HURRICANE HARVEY'S VICTIMS. THE WORK WAS HARD AND DIRTY, BUT THE SPIRIT OF ROTARY "SERVICE ABOVE SELF" WAS DEMONSTRATED ALL OVER HOUSTON AND BEYOND. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND ARE ALWAYS THERE TO AID PEOPLE IN NEED. THE ABUNDANT HARVEST FOOD TRUCK SERVED FREE LUNCH ALL AFTERNOON. A SELFLESS COMPANY!
THE ROTARY CLUB OF UNIVERSITY AREA BELIEVES IN "SERVICE ABOVE SELF" AND THAT "ROTARY WORKS". HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF OUR MEMBERS HELPING WITH HURRICANE HARVEY FOOD BANK RELIEF EFFORT.
ON A VERY WARM SATURDAY AFTERNOON OUR ROTARY CLUB, INTERACTORS AND THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION 23 WITH HFD CHIEF PENA PROVIDED SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR CHILDREN IN THE LAWNDALE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HOUSTON. IT WAS AN GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ROTARY "SERVICE ABOVE SELF". THE KIDS AND NEIGHBORS APPRECIATED IT AND PREPARED LUNCH FOR ALL PRESENT. MADAME PRESIDENT CINDY DID A GOOD JOB OF LEADING OUR CLUB IN ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
OUR ROTARY CLUB WISHES TO THANK EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE WESTWOOD CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT. IT BENEFITED OUR #1 PROJECT-THE ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME
The mission of the Rotary Fire Fighters Home (RFFH) is to build a 40-unit apartment complex, which will serve as temporary housing for firefighters and first responders while they are undergoing treatment for their work-related illnesses, primarily cancer. The goal is to mitigate a large portion of their financial burden associated with short-term housing.
THE MEMBERS OF OUR CLUB ATTENDING THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE HAD A GREAT TIME AND ENJOYED ROTARY FELLOWSHIP. ART BAUTISTA WON THE ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD AND MADAME PRESIDENT SONYA HEATH WON MEDIUM CLUB PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD. OLGA BAUTISTA AND DGE CARMEN CUNEO EVEN HAD TIME TO DONATE BLOOD. PRESIDENT-ELECT CUNDY WAS INTRODUCED TO THE DISTRICT.
Thank you to all who came to help, thanks to you we were all to accomplish quite a bit, removed all of the bad wood siding on the office building, replace the bad wood treated everything against termites and installed new plywood, tar paper and Hardie Plank, in the medical horse stall we removed some 6x6 support beans to make room for the 2 roll up doors and installed 2 6x6x9 beams and leveled and compacted the ground and installed close to 300 12x12 concrete pavers,
Richard J Ferley, passed away March 1, 2017 at age 89. He was born in Lansing, Michigan July 17, 1927. Richard is survived by his wife of 64 years Dorothy, daughter Karen, son’s Craig and his wife Maria, David and his wife Monica, Scott and his wife Sandi, grandchildren Clark and his wife Tricia, Meredith, Eric, Justin and his wife Katie, Michelle, and great grandchildren Everett and Bowie.
He graduated from high school in 1945 then served two years in the army, mostly in Germany, graduated from Michigan State University in 1950 with a degree in Business Administration, then moved to Houston in 1951 to join the recently opened Foley’s store as assistant buyer in the drapery department.
In 1957 he founded D&D Drapery Company, which is still a family business today owned by sons David and Scott. He was a fifty-five year member and past president of the University Rotary Club, an umpire nine years with Meyerland Little League baseball, and player in the Harris County Senior Softball League. After retirement, Richard was a ten year volunteer at SCORE, consulting young people starting a new business.
He was a member of the Beacon Bible Study class at Second Baptist Church, active in sports, and a member at Sweetwater Country Club and Piney Point Racquet Club. The biggest loves of his life was his wife Dorothy, who he met in college, and their family.
A memorial service will be conducted at 12:30 pm on Saturday March 4th at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Second Baptist Church or charity of your choice.
VALENTINE'S WEEK AND DAY WAS A GREAT TIME IN DISTRICT 5890. THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT DID OUR DISTRICT THE HONOR OF SPENDING 5 DAYS WITH US. THERE WERE SPECIAL RECEPTIONS, THE ALL CLUB MEETING VALENTINE'S NIGHT AND FOR OUR CLUB, FEEDING THE HUNGRY (OVER 175) WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT AT LOAVES & FISHES FOOD KITCHEN IN THE MORNING OF THE 14TH WITH TROPICAL RAIN COMING DOWN WAS AN HONOR AND AN EVENT FOR US TO REMEMBER.
What a great evening as we enjoyed a wonderful movie night sponsored by the Rotary e-Club of Houston, Rotary Club of Houston NW Sunset, and the Rotary Club of the University Area honoring Women in Rotary! The evenings' honorees were Dr. Isis Mejias,a Rotary Ambassador for District 5890, Rose Austin Past District 5910 Governor 2010-2011 who is the first and only Afro-American woman to serve as a District Governor in the State of Texas, our Past District Governor, D'Lisa Simmons, Rotary's first female District Governor during Rotary's Centennial 2004-2005 and a former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and our Past District Governor 2014-2015 Lisa Faith Massey who had the highest net membership growth in Zone 21b as well as raising the most money for the Rotary International Foundation. They are some of the great women we have the honor of their being members of our Rotary area.
About Blossoms in the Dust
As we celebrate 30 years of Women in Rotary we spotlight the life of one Texas woman who defied the odds to create a better life for women and their children. We saw a delightful, Academy Award winning movie, based on the true story of Edna Gladney, a pioneer who was an early campaigner for children's rights and better-living conditions for disadvantaged children in Texas.
“Layettes of Love”
We learned about our Rotary project “Layettes of Love”. In Nicaragua, expectant mothers have to walk miles to deliver their babies in the small local hospital only to find their temporary home would be a park bench. They found the hospital would not accept the women until they were ready to deliver. The women slept in a nearby park until it was time to deliver their babies.
In 2003 several Rotarians established a women’s shelter “Refugio Belen” (Bethlehem Refuge) near the hospital. The shelter provides women with a safe place to stay before and after their babies are born. The mothers are taught about hygiene and infant care. When the women are ready to return home, they receive a gift of a layette containing nursery supplies that will provide the mother with a head start as she makes the journey home to nurture and raise her baby.
Donations at this event helped fund “Layettes of Love”. As we approach the holiday season, we ask that you and your family consider a gift of a Layette, a gift that will perhaps save, and certainly improve the quality of life for a mother and her child.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF UNIVERSITY AREA HAD OUR ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2016 AT THE LONGWOOD GOLF COURSE IN CYPRESS, TX. THIS EVENT WAS OPEN TO BOTH ROTARY AND NON-ROTARY GOLFERS. WE HAD OVER 80 GOLFERS ATTEND THE EVENT. IT WAS A PREFECT DAY FOR GOLF. MANY THANKS GOES OUT TO OUR SPONSORS- #1 WAS DATA FOUNDRY OF AUSTIN WHO SPONSORED THE EVENT, THE MANY HOLE SPONSORS AND DONORS OF REALLY COOL STUFF (A SHOUT OUT TO BLINDS.COM) FOR THE GOLFER'S GOODIE BAGS, THE DONORS OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND ELOY SANEZ, WHO WAS OUR DIRECTOR AND PLANNER. WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB HE DID ALONG WITH MADAME PRESIDENT SONYA AND HARD WORKING VOLUNTEERS. WITH THAT TEAM YOU CAN'T LOOSE. MANY OF OUR MEMBERS AND WELL AS DISTRICT 5890 GOVERNOR ERIC AND HIS LOVELY WIFE ATTENDED AND A LOT PLAYED. OF COURSE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS WAS THE FOUR COMPADRES MADE OF OF ART BAUTISTA, DICK STABELL, MITCHELL LOU AND JERRY HARRIS (HIS FIRST GOLF TOURNAMENT-THANK GOODNESS FOR THE BEST SHOT RULE). THERE WAS GREAT ROTARY FELLOWSHIP AND EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL DAY.
OUR ROTARY CLUB IS TRYING SOMETHING NEW. WE WILL BE PRODUCING VIDEOS OF OUR MEMBERS AND OTHER INTERESTING MESSAGES AND WILL PRESENT THEM WITH LINKS ON THE PAGE. CLICK ON THE LINKS TO SEE THE VIDEOS AS THEY ARE ADDED. JUST CLICK ON THE NAME. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED CLICK OFF THE PAGE THAT OPENS-UTUBE WILL AUTOMATICALLY LOAD OTHER CONTENT!
WOW-WHAT AN EVENING. THE ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS HOME'S FIRST ANNUAL GALA WAS HELD FRIDAY EVENING AT THE ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL. UPON DRIVING UP TO THE HOTEL THERE WERE TWO LARGE HFD LADDER TRUCKS WITH LADDERS EXTENDED 30 FEET FORMING A V WITH THE US FLAG HANDING FROM THE TOP. UPON ENTERING THE BALLROOM AREA THE HOME'S LOGO WAS PROJECTED ON A HIGH WALL AND EVERYONE GOT THEIR PICTURE TAKEN IN FRONT OF A LARGE PANEL WITH THE SPONSORS LOGOS ON IT. GUEST WERE ESCORTED TO THEIR TABLES BY THE NEW FIRE CADET CLASS. THE PROGRAM WAS GREAT WITH ERNIE MANOUSE FROM PUBLIC BROADCASTING AS OUR EMCEE. THERE WERE PROCLAMATIONS PRESENTED FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE US CONGRESS. OUR DISTRICT GOVERNOR DR. NICK GIANNONE WELCOMED THE GROUP. OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS HELEN REISLER WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEW YORK AT 911. SHE TOLD HOW HER CLUB RESPONDED TO THE LARGE NEED AT THAT TIME. RETIRED FIRE CAPTAIN, JOE TORRILLO, OF FDNY WHO WAS BURIED TWICE WHEN THE TOWERS FELL AND WAS RESCUED TWICE TOLD HIS STORY. THE HOUSTON FIRE FIGHTER HERO OF THE YEAR AWARD WAS PRESENTED. OUR MEMBER HOMERO PONCE LOPEZ TOLD THE STORY OF HOW THIS WORTHY PROJECT CAME INTO BEING. THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT AND EVERYONE ENJOYED THE GALA. THERE WAS DANCING AFTER THE PROGRAM CLOSE. OUR CLUB OWS A SPECIAL THANKS TO SONYA HEATH, THE GALA CHAIR AND ALL OF HER TIRELESS GALA COMMITTEE WITH A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO IRENE HICKEY WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT FOR MOST OF THE PRINTED MATERIAL AND TO GV KRISHNAN FOR GETTING EVERYTHING PRINTED. DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, PHIL CEZEAUX, JIM CRAIG, HANK EMERY, JERRY HARRIS, ALICE HASTINGS-JAMES, KATHY KENNEDY, JULIA MALDONADO,CINDY MURPHY, JOE RIDLEY, LINDSEY KROLL, VANESSA GRIFFIN, DAVID ELLIOT-HFD, AND TOM MUNOZ-HFD HAD JOBS ASSIGNED TO THEM AND THEY ALL CAME THROUGH. ( IF i LEFT SOMEONE OUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW ) THIS EVENT WAS TRULY AN EXAMPLE OF "SERVICE ABOVE SELF".
We partnered with the Rotary Community Corp to cook lunch for the volunteers at Special Cheers, this facility has a great program that uses animals as part of their therapy program for kids with special special needs. It was a wonderful for a BBQ lunch, we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, and the RFFH BBQ pit came through with flying colors and it displayed some new signs procured by Jerry Harris.
ROTARIANS WHO CAME TO HELP SUPPORT OUR CLUB'S ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME AT THIS GREAT SPANISH CONCERT WERE TREATED TO MORE THAN 3 HOURS OF FINE SPANISH MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT. OUR FELLOW ROTARIAN, RET. FIRE CAPTAIN HOMERO PONCE LOPEZ, GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION IN BOTH SPANISH & ENGLISH. THE AUDITORIUM WAS PACKED. THOSE OF YOU THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT MISSED A WONDERFUL TIME!,
The Rotary Club of University Area Houston celebrated Rotary Days at the Better Block Houston Community event on Sunday, October 19, 2014. District 5890's Governor Lisa Faith Massey made an appearance during the event along with the Rotary Nigerian Friendship Exchange guests coming to checkout the University Area Club's great barbecue.
President elect Irene Hickey delivered 7 BIG bags of toys Wednesday 12-18-2013 to Houston Fire Station 25 (Scott St.), as part of the HFD annual toy drive. The two firemen to whom the toys were delivered were very excited about our donation. Apparently we were the first folks to deliver toys to this particular fire station. They were like little kids in their excitement. One of them said, "Wow! We've had this Christmas Tree and now, finally, we have presents to put under it!" Great job Irene. You showed that our Rotary Club has the Holiday spirit!
OUR CLUB HELD OUR ANNUAL TAILGATE PARTY AT RICE STADIUM BENEFITING THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF HOUSTON, SEVERAL YMCA CHAPTERS AND THE CHINQUAPIN SCHOOL. THERE WERE OVER 250 ATTENDEES ON THIS BEAUTIFUL WEATHER PERFECT SATURDAY MORNING. OUR CLUB WOULD LIKE TO THANK HEB FOOD STORES FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION AND SERVICE CORPORATION FOR THE USE OF THEIR TENT. DICK STABELL AND SUSAN EPPS DID MOST OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS YEARS EVENT AND OUR CLUB THANKS THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK. THE YOUTH FROM THE VARIOUS ATTENDING ORGANIZATIONS HAD FACE PAINTING, GOOD FOOD AND AN ENJOYABLE FOOTBALL GAME. OF COURSE THE ROTARY FELLOWSHIP WAS ONE OF THE BEST PARTS. CLICK TAILGATE PARTY 2013 TO SEE THIS YEARS PICTURES.
OUR ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS HOME (RFFH) KICK OFF CELEBRATION FRIDAY EVENING WAS A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. IN ATTENDANCE WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ROTARY CLUBS OF KINGWOOD, GALLERIA AREA, HARRISBURG, HOUSTON & UNIVERSITY AREA CLUB & FOUNDATION, THE RFFH BOARD & COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND PAST DISTRICT GOVERNORS SUSIE HOWE, CHRIS SCHNEIDER. ALSO THERE WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HFD COMMAND STAFF, HFD BURNED CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION-TRENT VANN, BELLAIRE FIRE CHIEF-DARRYL ANDERSON AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PRESENTATION OF FLAGS BY THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT (HFD) HONOR GUARD, INVOCATION BY HFD CHAPLIN GARRY BLACKMON AND THE HFD PIPES & DRUMS. OUR EVENING MC WAS PBS AWARD WINNING ERNIE MANOUSE (A HONORARY ROTARIAN). THE PROGRAM INCLUDED REMARKS FROM RFFH PROJECT COORDINATOR IRENE HICKEY, A VERY SPECIAL CANCER FIGHT SURVIVER HFD CAPTAIN BONNIE RICHTER, ASST.FIRE CHIEF THOMAS MUNOZ, ROTARY PAST GOVERNOR CHRIS SCHNEIDER, ROTARIAN RFFH CHAIRMAN PHIL CEZEAUX AND EVENT CHAIR SONYA HEATH. A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO THE LOCAL AMERICAN RED CROSS, XEROX CORP, CLAMPITT PAPER, GURROLA REPROGRAPHICS, TWIN PEAKS, BEAVER'S ICE HOUSE AND SAM'S CLUB FOR PROVING LOCATION, PROGRAMS, PAPER, BEVERAGES AND FOOD. BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM CONVERSATION AND FELLOWSHIP WAS HAD BY ALL. THE LADIES PARTICULARLY LIKED THE PERSONALLY SIGNED FIRE FIGHTER'S CALENDERS.
SUNDAY EVENING AT ART & OLGA BAUTISTA'S CASA OUR CLUB HAD A ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS HOME PIT TEST. THE PIT & THE COOKS CAME TROUGH WITH FLYING AND TASTY ACCOLADES. THE FOOD AND ROTARY FELLOWSHIP WERE GREAT. SOME ROTARIANS WHO HAVE BEEN MIA WERE THERE AS WELL AS CURRENT & PAST DISTRICT OFFICERS. CINDY WITH HELP FROM SONYA & IRENE LEAD US TO ANOTHER GREAT CLUB OUTING. TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS CLICK ROTARY FFH BAR-B-QUE PIT TEST
Nursing Scholarship Awards were presented to 3 applicants at Wednesday's club meeting. In the photo from the left are Cindy Murphy Chair of the Scholarship Committee and this year's three recipients. All recipients will participate the rest of the year in club activities and give us a progress report at the end of their school year. They also promised warm bed pans for Rotarians in the hospital if the need arises.
Past District Governor Ed honored our Rotary Club by being the installing officer transferring our club's presidency from Susan Saeger to Jay Taylor. Junior Past President Susan passed the long time president's pin to President Jay and he presented her a Past President's pin along with a plaque honoring her year of service. Congratulations to both and thanks to the PDG Ed for his help in making this a smooth transition.
Christian Pelz, was our Rotary Youth Exchange student 2003/04. Christian, now age 25, is now the principal Cellist with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. Christian credits his year here at High School for Visual and Performing Arts to his decision to become what he clearly has become.
To see him playing his music CLICK HERE.
Event chair, Alice Hasting-James led our group of Rotarians including our club President Susan to work the phone bank at the Channel 8 Telethon. We were there for 4 hours and took more pledges than Channel 8 had originally anticipated. It was a worthy service project and a great time was had by all.
Our club meet out west of Tomball to help paint a home at the Boy's & Girl's Country College Campus. It was a bright cool morning and we were given grey paint for the home. It looked great until we were told the the grey was for the trim and the white was for the trim. It really looked better the way it was done. The ladies form Duchesne Academy and our Lamar Interact Club were present along with some other volunteers. As usual, Susan Epps, provided great food for all. This was another meaningful service project. To see photos of this event click B & G Country Paint Day
I attended RYLA 2013 as a representative of the Lamar High School Interact Club. It was an eye-opening experience. The Rotaract members who ran the camp were phenomenal. I can't express how impressed I am by their attitudes and organization. They truly made RYLA an enjoyable experience rather than just a camp.
I also really enjoyed the speakers' presentations. It was inspiring to experience Dr. Rich’s revolutionary approach to motivation (through the Zumba exercises). She struck me as a very independent, responsible woman - someone I would like to be in the future. Fred Newhouse also inspired me, not only because he is an Olympian (very impressive for us to be able to meet him), but because he was humble and told us to strive to be "the best we can be," rather than just a trite "work hard and you'll achieve all your dreams." I also really liked his motto "You must run this race alone" because it made me realize that I ultimately am responsible for my successes and failures - even if other obstacles impede progress, I am still accountable for my outcomes. He was probably my favorite presenter. What I liked most about the presentation on Cowboy Ethics was the collages each student made - these collages appealed to me because I am a very visually-minded person and like to have tangible goals and evidence.
I liked that we students were divided into small group teams; not only did this push me to interact with others, I also got to make connections with other Interactors that I will be able to work with in the future (on combined projects, etc.). I really liked that everyone at RYLA wanted to be there and that everyone had a positive, involved attitude. The activities we did would have been less enjoyable had there been disinterested students who complained. I definitely enjoyed the ROPES courses we did on the Carolina Creek Facility. It was refreshing to be outside and working through physical obstacles as we made connections to situations involving more metaphorical obstacles. My counselors, Christian and Denise, were awesome coaches. They were very open, easy-going, and passionate; they are the reason that my group got along so well.
Another thing that really made RYLA fun was the setting. The Caroline Creek Christian Camp facilities were well-kept, clean, and functional. The cabins were much nicer than I had anticipated; as you can imagine, having clean, spacious cabins made a huge difference in the campers’ overall experiences! The cafeteria and food were nice additions as well. The Carolina Creek Christian Camp staff worked with students like me in playing games and navigating the ropes courses. I had a very good impression of them and am glad that Rotary chose to host the camp at their facility.
One of my favorite things about RYLA was the social, “free time” in the schedule. These breaks were probably the most influential times I had at RYLA – during breaks, I was able to bond and build relationships with the other campers by playing volleyball, chatting, and relaxing together. I feel like these times were perhaps more critical to our interpersonal relationships than some of the team building skills we played. Houston is such a big metropolis; it was interesting to meet people from areas that I had never heard or been to!
I also really liked the involvement of the Rotary-sponsored foreign exchange students. I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many kids in the program at RYLA. International awareness and creating global connections is something that I am very interested in. As an Asian American myself, I feel that it is important that people of all nations have the opportunity to experience other cultures and make connections with others. I would like to be a foreign exchange student in the future. RYLA also illuminated to me the possibility of doing an exchange program through Rotary, a concept I had been unaware of!
All in all, I am absolutely grateful for having the chance to go to RYLA 2013. I have been to several leadership trainings/camps in the past; however, what I really enjoyed about RYLA was the network of other Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors. No other camp could give me the opportunity to make connections with other like-minded members the way RYLA has. I am very excited about utilizing these network connections to collaborate on projects in the future. RYLA was a great experience and I would highly recommend this camp to anyone.
OUR ROTARY CLUB FOR YEARS HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL ROTARY INTERNATIONAL RECOGNIZED CLUB. WITH THE HELP OF THEIR SPONSOR, MRS. DAWN FOY, THEIR PRESIDENT AUSTIN RUIZ AND THEIR ENTHUSIASTIC MEMBERS IT HAS FINALLY BECOME A REALITY. ROTARY DISTRICT 5890 GOVERNOR CHRIS SCHNEIDER PRESENTED THEIR CURRENT PRESIDENT AUSTIN RUIZ THEIR CHARTER. INTERACT DISTRICT 5890 GOVERNOR GARRETT KNEESE SPOKE TO THE GROUP ABOUT THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THEY WILL HAVE IN INTERACT AND AT INTERACT FUNCTIONS. WE PRESENTED THEM THEIR CLUB BANNER, A 4-WAY TEST BANNER, BELL, PINS AND MEMBERSHIP CARDS. PRESENT FROM OUR CLUB WERE JERRY HARRIS, CINDY MURPHY (INTERACT CO-CHAIRS), PHIL CEZEAUX, JAY TAYLOR & JIM CRAIG. ALSO DISTRICT 5890 YOUTH CHAIRS TOMMIE & CHARLIE BUSCEMI SPOKE TO THE INTERACTORS. EVERYONE ENJOYED THE AFTERNOON. LAMAR WILL BE A VERY ACTIVE CLUB.
SATURDAY EVENING OUR CLUB HAD A GREAT 2013 KICKOFF PARTY AT LUCY'S CLUBHOUSE. IT WAS A FUN EVENING AND HOMERO'S FIREHOUSE TACO TRUCK PROVIDED SOME DELICIOUS MEXICAN FOOD. TO SEE PHOTOS CLICK HERE 2013 KICKOFF PARTY
Members of our Rotary Club met Saturday morning to build 4 garden plots,at the Santa Maria Hostel which is dedicated the helping women with abuse and drug problems. The weather was perfect short sleeve temperatures and the work was completed by 11:00 AM. Dr. Manu Sharma ( our Wednesday speaker), two of our nurse scholarship recipients and fellow Rotarians moved and placed cinder blocks and lots of dirt. As usual, snacks were provided by Susan Epps. We are getting good at the building of these type of above ground gardens thanks to the leadership of Wayne Shull. As a note to him, he should always pick out days with such great weather. Click on the Santa Maria album on the tight side of the page to view the pictures or just click GARDEN PICTURES
SATURDAY WAS A GREAT FOOTBALL DAY. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT! THE KIDS FROM THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, THE YMCA AND THE CHINQUAPIN SCHOOL REALLY ENJOYED THE FACE PAINTING, THE TATTOS, THE HOT DOGS WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS AND A GREAT FOOTBALL GAME WHERE RICE SOUNDLY DEFEATED THE SMU MUSTANGS 36 TO 14. WHAT A WELL BEHAVED BUNCH OF KIDS. OUR CLUB WISHES TO THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN: H.E.B FOOD STORES FOR THE FOOD (EXCEPT THE GREAT DESERTS MADE BY SUSAN EPPS), GEO H LEWIS FUNERAL DIRECTORS FOR THE TENT, THE RICE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FOR THE TICKETS AND OUR MANY HELPERS FROM DUCHESNE ACADEMY, ST. THOMAS AND LAMAR HIGH SCHOOLS AND OUR FELLOW ROTARIANS WHO CAME OUT TO HELP SERVE AND MAKE THIS EVENT COME OFF SMOOTHLY. OUR CHIEF COOK, JIM MORES, AND HIS LAST BATCH CAJUN DOGS WERE LARAPIN. I PERSONALLY WISH TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO DID THE HEAVY LIFTING AND FETCHING WHILE I AM RECOVERING FROM KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ALL OF THE HELPERS AND WE ALL ENJOYED THE ROTARY FELLOWSHIP. TO VIEW PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT CLICK ON THE ALBUM TAILGATE 11-17-2012 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE OR JUST CLICK TAILGATE PARTY PHOTOS
After a great All Club meting our club was host Friday morning to RI President Tanaka at the Houston Fire Department. President Tanaka was very interested in the international work our club and particularly Past President Art Bautista have accomplished in arranging the donation and transfer of fire fighting equipment and firetrucks to Tampico, Mexico. Houston Fire Chief Garrison, who went to Japan on a Rotary exchange program, was also there to welcome him and to show him around the facility. President Tanaka was the District Governor when Chief Garrison was in Japan. It was a wonderful event and all present enjoyed the Rotary fellowship and the unique opportunity to speak directly with the Rotary International President. Thank you for your time Mr. President.
OUR CLUB HOST RI PRESIDENT TANAKA AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Mark Your Calendars!!! District 5890
is hosting its All Club Meeting
September 27th with Rotary
International President Sakuji Tanaka
as our feature speaker! Seating is
limited so register early!
Individual tickets are $58.90 each
with sponsorship tables of 10
available $750-1,500 Click on Sponsorship Opportunities and
find your level of support. The All
Club Meeting will be held at the
Bayou City Event Center at 9401
Knight St (south of I-610, across
from Reliant Stadium) with VIP Recet
Nursing Scholarship Awards were presented to 3 applicants at Wednesday's club meting. In the photo from the left are President Susan, recipients Rochelle Smith, Keidra Hyatt, Cindy Murphy Co-Chair of the Scholarship Committee, and recipient Blanca Darrington . All recipients which attend Prairie View University Nursing School will participate the rest of the year in club activities and give us a progress report at the end of their school year. They also promised warm bed pans for Rotarians in the hospital if the need arises.
SEVERAL ROTARIANS AND TWO HOST FAMILIES WELCOMED HELENA TO HOUSTON AT TERMINAL E. SHE IS A DELIGHTFUL YOUNG LADY WITH A GREAT SMILE. SHE LIKES TO PLAY VOLLEY BALL AND WILL TRY OUT FOR THE BELLAIRE TEAM.
A GROUP OF FELLOW RCUAH ROTARIANS SPENT SATURDAY MORNING BUILDING GARDEN PLOTS OUT OF CINDER BLOCKS AND FILLING THEM WITH DIRT AND MULCH. IT WAS SLIGHTLY WARM BUT WITH LOTS OF DRINKS AND FOOD ARRANGED BY SUSAN EPPS WE MADE IT THROUGH THE MORNING. THE VEGETABLES THAT ARE GROWING THERE NOW ARE GETTING LARGE, THERE WAS SOME BEANS THAT WERE NEARLY 18" LONG. MITCHELL LOU LED THE DISCUSSION ON HOW TO PREPARE SUCH A VEGETABLE. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.
Past District Governor Suzi Howe was the installing officer at Wednesday morning's Club Installation of Officers for the 2012-2013 Rotary year. Past President Lucy presented her officers and directors with certificates of appreciation for their help during the 2011-2012 Rotary year as well as presenting members Wayne Schull and Jay Taylor with Paul Harris Fellowship awards for their outstanding club service. Pictured below are PDG Suzi, President Susan and Junior Past President Lucy. Also shown are JPP Lucy and our past Assistant Governor Ronny.
Saturday morning a few brave Rotarians representing our club met at 7:00 AM at the HFD warehouse on Dart Street and received an 18 wheeler's load of out of service but still in working condition firefighting equipment. This will be sent via our sister club in Tampico, Mexico to be presented to the Tampico firefighters. The City of Tampico is a Sister City with Houston. Afterwards, our group met at the Avenue Grill for a great breakfast. Rotary Service Above Self and fellowship was enjoyed by all.
SATURDAY WAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEATHER AND A WONDERFUL EVENING FOR HAVING THE UNIVERSITY AREA'S NEW YEAR'S KICKOFF PARTY. WHEN IT WAS PLANNED NO ONE COULD HAVE GUESSED WHAT A GREAT NAME FOR AN EVENT CONSIDERING THE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS. CINDY AND LAURA DID A REMARKABLE JOB OF PLANNING AND ARRANGING OUR MEXICAN THEME PARTY. THE HOME MADE SANGERIA AND THE GREAT FOOD PROVIDED BY AG RONNY'S LOS TIOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER. THE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS SUSAN EPPS SENT WERE BEAUTIFUL. AS USUAL PHIL WITH THE HELP OF GERRY WERE GREAT BARTENDERS. WE WATCHED THE TEXANS KICK BUTT. NO ONE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER TIME. IT WAS A GREAT EVENING FOR ROTARY FELLOWSHIP! TO VIEW PHOTOS CLICK HERE.
Saturday was another successful Tailgate Party. This year our club invited the YMCA along with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston and the Chinquapin School. The sunshine promised by the weatherman did not show up so next year we should invite the weatherman to insure sunshine. Susan Epps brought some students from Duchasne Academy and St. Thomas along with some of their mothers. They entertained the attendees with face painting, Rice tattoos, bean bag toss games and air jumping as well as helping in the serving line where we served between 250 to 300 hot dogs,chili, chips, twinkies and drinks. Many of our club members were on hand led by Madam President Lucy. A big Rotary thank you goes out to HEB, our major food sponsor and Geo. H Lewis Company for furnishing the tent. Dr. Jim brought his propane boiling unit and cooked the dogs. The last batch has become a custom to be very spicy. Rotarians enjoyed those tasty dogs. After the meal our guest attended the Rice football game. To view some of the pictures of the event please chick HERE.
FELLOW UNIVERSITY AREA ROTARIANS HAD A FUN EVENING AT THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER IN HERMAN PARK. WE ATTENDED THE PLAY-DRIVING MISS DAISY. MOST SAT ON THE HILL WITH LAWN CHAIRS AND BLANKETS AND OTHERS IN THE SEATS. THOSE OF US WHO WERE AROUND DURING THE TIME PERIOD COVERED IN THE PLAY HAD MEMORIES OF EVENTS PORTRAYED. SOME WHO HAD RELATIVES OF MISS DAISY'S AGE TRULY UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING EXPRESSED IN THE PLAY.
After a dinner reception at Bill Baker's home Friday evening attended by Past District Governor Suzi Howe and our AG Ronny, on Saturday morning our Rotary Club arranged for the transfer of fire fighting equipment from the Houston Fire Department (HFD) to Tampico, Matamoros & other small Mexican cities via the Club Rotario Matamoros Professional, a Rotary Club of all female professionals. Their Presidenta 2011-2012 Lillian Martinez Garza and 4 other members flew in for the transfer. After the equipment was loaded in the 18 wheeler at the HFD's center on Dart Street, the Rotarians & members of the fire department enjoyed breakfast together and then proceeded to Art Bautista's shop where donated computer equipment was added to the shipment. We also included 100 medical ambu bags that were donated by Dr. Cabrera of the Hermann Park Rotary club to Angie Jimenez from the Houston club and Angie donated them to Art, This was another example that "ROTARY WORKS." Our club also wants to recognize the efforts of our members--Rotarians Homero Ponce-Lopez, for his continuing help in our relationship with the HFD, Bill Baker for helping Art pick up computers and monitors in various locations and for hosting the event at his home and Art Bautista for his tireless efforts in making sure all these activities came to fruition. This International Rotary fellowship was enjoyed by all.
Nursing Scholarship Awards were presented to 3 applicants at Wednesday's club meting. In the photo from the left are Dick Ferley-Chair of the Scholarship Committee, Cindy Murphy Co-Chair, recipients Natalie Lewis, Bianca Darrington, Sheila Esparza and Madame President Lucy Tausend. All recipients which attend Prairie View University Nursing School will participate the rest of the year in club activities and give us a progress report at the end of their school year.
Saturday was a beautiful day with tropical breezes and no rain. Peter graciously allowed Bill, AJ , Jerry with help from Phil to set up in front of his El Mason Cuban Restaurant. Most of the folks visiting Rice Village Saturday were from outside of the area. We did learn about a great tropical Cuban drink made with the Memae fruit. It's non alcoholic and great tasting. Try it the next time you visit El Mason.
A CLUB SOCIAL HOUR WAS HELD AT THE CHELSEA GRILL LOCATED IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT ON THE CORNER OF CHELSEA STREET AND MONTROSE BLVD. THE GATHERING WAS FUN AND INFORMATIVE SINCE WE HAD A LONGER TIME TO SWAP STORIES AND DISCUSS THE EVENTS OF THE DAY. CINDY MURPHY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PLANNING THIS SOCIAL.
Our Rotary Club had another successful help day at Medical Bridges. The effort was lead by President Lucy & Tom. Helpers included Dr Joe, Doris, Jr Past President Bob, President Elect Susan, Vice President Fred, Past Presidents Bill P & Jerry H, Treasurer Phil & Ute, Wayne Shull, Cindy Murphy and Bill S & small sidekick. It is amazing how many small medical items there are to sort & count. It is always a learning experience. Lucy even explained what some of the instruments were used for. Not only was this event another example of "Service Above Self", it offered Great Fellowship for all. For a slide show of the event, please click on the MEDICAL BRIDGES PHOTO ALBUM on the right side of this page
Matching Grant for uninterrupted power supply for Piyali School
Piyali Learning Centre presently caters to nearly 200 girl students, who are provided with education, clothes, toiletries, healthcare and two nutritious meals a day free of cost. Their mothers and other womenfolk of the village benefit from the adult literacy, vocational training and self-employment through micro-credit programmes run by the Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan.
The school is presently functioning from rented facilities with limitation of expansion. Therefore, an ambitious task of constructing a new school building and canteen is already being implemented. The construction of the first phase is likely to be complete by June, 2011 and will cater to 250 girls. The facilities would be gradually expanded to cater to 600 girls and free boarding facilities to girls from class five upwards by the end of 2012.
The power situation in Piyali is very erratic and alarming, due to which the village of Piyali and surrounding areas go without electricity at times for over 10 hours a day. To meet the urgent need to provide a diesel generator in the new premises for uninterrupted education of children, our club has entered into a strategic partnership with Rotary Club of Belur to take up a Matching Grant project of $ 14,559 jointly with Kensington/ Berlin Rotary club and R I Dist 7890 as international sponsors.
Rotarian Art Bautista of University Area Rotary Club, Dist 5890 played an important role in designing the project. He offered a significant amount of club contribution + DDF for this project, but his club is from a Pilot district and TRF policy restricts the use of DDF only from pilot district by way of gift. As such, his district 5890 has made an outright gift of $ 3,000 to be used for this project through D 7890. Matching this gift, D 7890 are putting up an aggregate DDF of $ 5850 (inclusive of gifted DDF).
The application was submitted on 30th March 2011, one day before the closing of deadline for current Rotary year’s Matching Grant cycle, and was acknowledged by TRF with a MG # 75134.
Project partner DG Prasad Menon of D 7890 of USA stated that “This was quite an accomplishment; I haven't seen a MG project put together between 3 Districts and 4 Rotary Clubs in such a short time. Kudos to you for spearheading.”
Primary Host Project Contact is none other than ARRFC PDG Ravi Sehgal, who remarked “Thanks Vishnuji, Its all your effort that we could see the project planning & preparation being completed in record time !!!”
Rotary is very close to eradication polio from the earth - really! With the help of fellow Rotarians and worldwide caring, it will be done. If you wish to help, please contribute your tax-deductible donation by clicking DONATE.
After more than 25 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are now "This Close" to eradicating polio, and a wide array of public figures and celebrities have signed on to help Rotary spread the word. Headlined by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, this diverse lineup of influential leaders and personalities includes Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, action movie star Jackie Chan, conservationist Jane Goodall, premier violinist Itzhak Perlman, Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angelique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley, golfing great Jack Nicklaus, and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. In a series of print, broadcast and outdoor public service advertisements each uses a simple hand gesture to show Rotary is "This Close" to wiping out polio worldwide. Nicklaus, Perlman and Tutu are themselves survivors of this crippling disease. Broadcast television commercials feature a mix of celebrities and non-celebrities around the world saying, "We are this close to making history. We are this close to changing the world. We are this close to ending polio—all we need is you." To view or download the materials in high quality, please click on the related media below.
Saturday morning our club along with the girls form Duchesne Academy and a few boys from St Thomas High School performed a painting project at the Boys & Girls Country campus in Hockley, TX. Our Rotary club was represented by Project Leader Wayne Schull, President Bob Schamus , food & labor coordinator Susan Epps (her wonderful coffee cake was gone fast), Alice Hastings-James, Mitchell Lou and nephew Joseph Lau, Phil & Ute Cezeaux, our new member Cindy Murphy, Fred Meyer, Art & Olga Bautista with granddaughter, Bill & Kate Baker, Jerry Harris, Gerry Rein, Bill Sharber, Jim Moers & Dick Stabell. (If I left anyone our or put someone in, my appologies.) It was a beautiful spring morning and the project was completed by noon. It was a wonderful opportunity for Rotary fellowship and Service Above Self to the community.
Remember, we have a site devoted to sole purpose of our Rotary flag program. If you need to order a flag in time for the next installation day, please go to: www.rotaryflags.org
to obtain complete information on our major fund-raising project. Rotarians and visitors are welcome and no password is needed. Note - we do take credit cards and checks through the secure PayPal site or checks by snail mail. You can still download and use the PDF form shown on this site's page to your right under DOWNLOADS>>.
Saturday morning our club toured the Houston ship channel abord the S/V Sam Houston. The weather was cool to start but the Rotary fellowship was warm. It was impressive to see the industry that has facilities along the channel but looking at the brown water was a little sad. Folks need to stop throwing stuff into the streams and bayous that feed the channel. After the tour we met at Brady's Landing Restaurant and consumed a great buffet. The club get together was enjoyed by all. Thank you Susan Seager for planning the event and ordering such a beautiful sunny day.
Our club had a great Holiday Party at Rafael Manrique de Lara's home. It was a festive event with lots of good food and fellowship. All present enjoyed the evening. Click here HOLIDAY PARTY PICTURES . Muchas Gracias to Rafael for hosting the event and the meal.
What a great day Saturday November 20, 2010 was for a Tailgate Party. The weather was perfect. Rotarians picked up the food donated by our major sponsor, HEB. By 10:00 the young ladies from Duchesne and the young men from St Thomas. our Fellow Rotarians, regular and new volunteers arrived and the event was set up. Around 11:00 our guest from the Boys & Girls Clubs and Chinquapin School started arriving. Face painting, Rice tattoos and good food were enjoyed by all. After the meal the Boys & Girls Clubs presented our club with Thank You banners then it was off to the Rice football game. This was another successful Rotary Club of University Area Houston Tailgate Party. Rotarians enjoyed the fellowship and seeing some of our missing members. Our club appreciates and thanks all those who took part in the event which is a 25 Year plus tradition. Susan Epps arranged for the food & provided her wonderful deserts, Dick Stabell got the tickets & tables, Jim Moers was chief cook. (Made great spicy dogs for the older crowd.) A special thank you to Geo. H Lewis & Sons for the use of the tent and putting it in the right place. Under Journals on the right side of this page click on TAILGATE 2010 to see some of the pictures of the event. or just click HERE
Saturday morning our club along with the girls form Duchesne Academy and the boys from St Thomas High School performed a painting project at the Boys & Girls Country campus in Hockley, TX. Our Rotary club was represented by Project Leader Wayne Schull, President Bob Schamus, PE Lucy Tausend, VP Susan Seager, food & labor coordinator Susan Epps, new Rotarians Jay Taylor, his wife & son and Alice Hastings-James, Mitchell Lou, Shubra Gosh, Jean-Francois Meyrat, Fred Meyer, Fred de Oliveria, Bill Baker, Ron Donelson, Jerry Harris, Dick Ferley, Nelson Starbranch, Gerry Rein, Dick Stabell and his friend Mike. (If I left anyone our or put someone in, my appologies.) It was a beautiful fall morning and the project was completed by noon. It was a wonderful opportunity for Rotary fellowship and Service Above Self to the community.
Fellow Rotarian Jerry Davis received his Rotary International Foundation Paul Harris THREE Ruby pin at today's meeting. This honor is awarded to few Rotarians due to the amount of donations needed to qualify. He shares Rotary's vision of a better world and certantly expresses his commitment to the work of ROTARY through his generosity. Our Rotary Club is proud to count Jerry as a true member who practices the ideals of the 4 WAT TEST. He is a wonderful example a Rotarian who shares his good fortune with others in need through his generous donations to the Rotary International Foundation.
Fellow Rotarian Walt Saunders passed around today a story form the April 1924 Rotarian Magazine about a clock made for his father Rotarian Walter A. Saunders, then president of the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, Texas. His employees, knowing how much he loved Rotary built and presented him this clock due to his belief in a closer union of employer and employee. To see the full story and a picture of the clock CLICK HERE. After bringing up The Rotarian magazine go to the bottom section of page 32.
The 2010 nursing scholarships were awarded by President Bob Schamus, Past President & Scholarship Chairman Dick Ferley and committee member Ron Donelson at the September 01 and September 08 meetings. The September 01 recipients were Jennie Barrera and Martha Adu. The September 08 recipients were Chimtua Chukwuemeka-Ogbah, Shauntel Scott and Khadine Haye. All are from the school of nursing at Prairie View A & M. Each gave a short thank you speech and told the club of their future plans. Our Rotary club is proud to be able to support the medical community by providing assistance to these worthy future nurses. Since the inception of our clubs' Nurses ScholarshipProgram, we have awarded approximately $200,000.00.
Our new exchange student, Jonas Rudel arrived today (August 6th) and was welcomed by club members and outgoing exchange student Joseph Preshava (who will be staying at Jonas' home in Germany). When Jonas left home the temperature was 77* (22*C) and was welcomed to Houston's 100*+(38*C) weather. Joseph and Jonas rode together to learn more about each others' country and home town.
Saturday morning our club helped sort medical supplies at Medical Bridges to be shipped to clinics and hospitals in South America. We did LOTS of counting and as usual there were some items that defied our knowledge. Thank goodness there was an RN who worked there who knew what everything was. Jack counted in Chinese while Doris counted in banking language. Good fellowship was had by all. Those wanting more info can click on Medical Bridges . Take a look at Rotary - in action!
Thanks to all of the club members who helped with loading, delivering and unloading in Brownsville. We delivered approximately 300 desks, chairs, Spanish books. hundreds of school uniforms and firefighters equipment, such as jackets, pants, boots and oxygen tank sets..
The Rotary Club of University Area has undertaken the great service project of assisting firefighters and first responders and their immediate families or caregivers by providing low cost, fully furnished housing (40 unit apartment complex) that is secure and accessible to The Texas Medical Center (TMC) while they are undergoing active treatment at TMC for any medical condition, particularly cancer, that is the result of an on the job injury or resulting medical condition. The housing will be open to firefighters and first responders throughout the United States and to foreign firefighters on a "space available" basis. Firefighters are held in high regard worldwide for the selfless service they perform on a daily basis and deserve the support of all. The ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME IS A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization approved by the IRS. Donations are tax deductible to the extent of the IRS code. The City of Houston, the Houston Fire Department, the Bellaire Fire Department, the Local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters , The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), The Rotary Club of New York and fellow Rotarians are going to be participants in seeing the project come to completion. To see some of the ways you or any Rotary Club or organization can help, please see the initial write up by clickingROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME . You are welcome to print out this informational PDF and give it out to your friends and associated to help our club spread the word about this great project. Please watch our YouTube video by CLICKING HERE . To see more about the home and how you can help click at the top on the ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME logo and just chick HERE Thank you for your interest and help.
ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME--"You Were There For Us; We Are Here For You"
Our Rotary Club was well represented at our district all club meeting, in attendance present and accounted for were; Our club President Irene Hickey, Vice President Sonya Heath, Jerry Harris, Mitchell Lou, Kathy Kennedy, G.V. Krishnan, Homero Ponce, Jim Craig and Art Bautista. Our new Paul Harris Society members; Mitchell Lou, G. V. Krishnan, Sonya Heath and Jerry Harris were invited to the VIP room to meet our Rotary International President.
Homero Ponce and Jim Craig did a great job at our expo table promoting the FIRE FIGHTERS HOME project.
This was by far the liveliest and more fun all club meeting that I have attended, RI president Gary Huang is a great speaker and he was teaching us all Chinese.
One of our fire trucks being put to the test in a huge oil refinery blaze, this happened in Altamira Mira alta, Tampico, Mexico. We should all feel proud of the work that we have accomplished in helping the fighter fighters in Tampico with much needed gear and since 2009 3 containers of fire fighting equipment, 7 fire trucks and 1 ambulance, a big thank you to all our club members who have helped with this worthy cause and a huge THANK YOU to all the drivers who made the nearly 17 hour drive trip on more than one occasion to deliver the fire trucks to Pharr, Texas.
The 2014 Annual Nursing Awards were presented to Evellin Umanzor & Ingy Yamilet Umanzor both from UST school of nursing and our first pair of sisters and Nicole Pepito from PVAM school of nursing. Shown with the recipients are ours clubs nursing chair Rotarian Cindy Murphy and Rotarian Ron Donelson.
THE GREAT NEWS WAS THAT XEROX GRANTED IRENE HICKEY A 6 MONTH LEAVE WITH FULL BENEFITS (LIKE PAY) TO WORK FULL TIME ON OUR ROTARY FIRE FIGHTER'S HOME PROJECT TO PROVIDE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME TO FIREFIGHTERS COMING TO MD ANDERSON CANCER HOSPITAL. SHE IS ONE OF FIVE EMPLOYEES NATIONALLY AND THE ONLY WOMEN THAT XEROX GRANTED THIS WONDERFUL BENEFIT. SHE WAS PROVIDED A PR TEAM COURTESY OF XEROX TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT. THE FIRE FIGHTER'S HOME WILL PROVIDE THE FIRE FIGHTERS WITH A QUALITY PLACE TO STAY AT A VERY LOW COST WHILE RECEIVING CANCER TREATMENT. HOUSING NEAR THE MEDICAL CENTER IS USUALLY EXPENSIVE AND MOST TREATMENTS TAKE WEEKS IF NOT LONGER. MD ANDERSON CANCER HOSPITAL, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, ARE ALL WORKING ON PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROJECT WHICH HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THEM AT SEVERAL MEETINGS. IRENE WORKED WITH ALL STARTING IN APRIL 2013 TO BRING THIS GREAT PROJECT FRUITION. OUR CLUB OWES HER AND XEROX OUR GRATITUDE FOR GETTING THIS FULLY INVOLVED.
Our club's after work social was a big success. Who knew that you could turn water to wine (sounds biblical)? Our fellow Rotarians had a great time, told some interesting stories and enjoyed the new wine room, Those of you who do not have a written excuse for your absence get to buy a round at the next gathering!
Our club is honored as Volunteer Group of the Year by Casa de Esperanza. See DOWNLOADS on the right side of this page and click on RCUAH Volunteer Group of Year 2010 >>>
The club has wrapped-up its support for the 2009-10 Tampico Campestre Rotary's Tampico Fire Department Project with the delivery of the second fire truck to the Customs Broker facility in Pharr, TX on Saturday..
At the Pharr warehouse undergoing documentation preparation for approval to enter into Mexico are:
1) a ladder/firetruck acquired by RCUA from Wharton fire department
2) three truckloads of surplus Houston Fire Department equipment donated by the City of Houston
3) a firetruck paid for by the Tampico Rotary and acquired from the Burton Voluntary Fire Department
A delegation from the Tampico Campestre Rotary visited Houston in November 2009 and described their club's project to update the City of Tampico's Fire Department to both the RCUA and to the Houston Fire Department. Thanks to the support from Capt Homero Ponce-Lopez, the Houston Fire Department, the Houston City Council and this club, much of the delegation's requests were fulfilled.
On May 28, 2010 there will be a ceremony in Tampico transferring this equipment to the City of Tampico. Everyone in this club is invited, encouraged and welcome to attend this celebration. Let President Art know your intentions ahead of time so he can have arrangements made for your visit.
Kudos is due to President Art for his effective and inspirational leadership with this successful International Tampico project.
Thanks to Bill Baker for driving and photographing.
Saturday morning our club helped sort medical supplies at Medical Bridges to be shipped to clinics and hospitals in South America. We did LOTS of counting and as usual there were some items that defied our knowledge. Thank goodness there was an RN who worked there (shown in the middle of the picurer) who knew what everything was. Jack counted in Chinese while Doris counted in banking language. Good fellowship was had by all. Those wanting more info click on Medical Bridges
Our club delivered a second fire truck to the border Saturday 05-01-2010. The honorary firemen are Past President Jim. President Art and Gerry. They had fun and our Sister Club in Tampico Mexico can help fight big fires with the 2 firetrucks and 3 18 wheelers of equipment our club has sent them.
Our new member Austin Davis made his solo kayak journey of the lower Texas Coastline March 27th to raise funds in support of the Wounded Warrior Backpack Program. For information about this worthy project click here>> X
On Saturday March 06 the boys from St Thomas High School joined with our club in helping paint the homes at Boys and Girls Country. Thank you to Wayne Shull for organizing another workday with fantastic weather.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF UNIVERSITY AREA WORKS Saturday morning at 7:00 Captain Homero and the Houston Fire Department donated 3 18 wheelers full of fire fighting equipment to be sent to the Tampico Fire department. This effort was arranged by two of our members-President Art and new member Homero. Our club thanks them both as well as the HFD.
The club, with the help of new member Captain Homero Ponce, purchased a firetruck and we are paying for the parts to fix an ambulance. President Art Bautista donated his mechanic skills to replace the engine of the ambulance and to get it in good working condition. The firetruck will soon be driven to its new home at the Tampico (Mexico) Fire Department, while the ambulance will be sent to aid in relief work in Haiti.
Please help me congratulate our new graduates of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute Susan Saeger and Irene Hickey;they both spent the weekend learning about rotary and how to be great leaders, after attending grueling courses on Ethics,Characteristics of leaders,Management,Personal Accountability,Listening,Generational differences and many other subjects. Then they had to cross a trecherous river by building a bridge using only the materials that they could find.
RCUAH joined the Rotary Club of Hermann Park to have a joint meeting and successful blood drive. Dick Stabell and Carmen Cuneo of the respective clubs chaired the event. St. Luke's Hospital friendly & courteous staff collected a total of 24 pints of blood from Rotartians and friends. The fellowship was enjoyed by all and many people will be helped by this generosity.
Homero Ponce-Lopez has completed his Membership Proposal form. He is being sponsored by Art Bautista, his classification is "Fireman"; he is a Captain in the HFD in charge of Public Relations with office at 500 Jefferson 16th floor. He is married to Belediana; has two children. He attended the University of Houston.
 The weather was perfect on November 7 as Rotarians teamed with students from St Thomas High School and Duchesne Academy to paint the houses of Boys and Girls Country. The cameraderie was wonderful, and many thanks to Wayne Shull for coordinating our efforts.
(Top Row: Brandon Johnson, Bola Jaiyedla, Dick Ferley, President Art Bautista, Ron Donelson. Front Row: Elexis Mitchell, Elaine Nadal, Jeanan Alameddine, Erina Imasogie)
Scholarship Chairman Dick, Committee Member Ron and President Art presented Nurses Scholarships to six deserving students with two more to come in the next few weeks. This year's applicants were hard to choose due to the many worthy request. They promised warm bed pans for all Rotarians they may help in the future. Our club thanks the Rotarians who served on the committee and The University Area Rotary Foundation for the funding. This is a wonderful example of the money from the Flag Program (See Flag Program above) put to it's intended use. Many thanks to our flag subscription participants.
Bob completed his ninth MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin last weekend while riding for Team El Meson. Although the headwinds were strong, Bob found respite in El Meson's delicious foods and wines. He is pictured on the right with team sponsor Peter Garcia. Left-click on the photo for more clarity.
Rotarians from District 5890 and members of the Houston/Leipzig Sister City Association have funded the design and installation of a new modern design Peace Window in the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Dedication was October 9-11, 2009. Johann Sebastian Bach is buried in the Church Nave. The Church is a world Monument Fund site and a major tourist attraction. The window is located directly above the choir loft where Bach worked for the last 27 years of his life. SEE DOWNLOADS ON RIGHT>>
Our own Howard Gano is running as the Republican candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, District 148. To learn more about Howard and his candidacy, click here.  I read through it all and learned quite a bit about our fellow Rotarian.
Rotary International announced a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on 26 November that will inject a much needed US$200 million into the global effort to eradicate polio.
Exchange student Marc Demmel is shown cheering after the Dynamo's fourth goal of the evening at last week's Western Conference semi-final playoff game against FC Dallas. Marc sat with Rotarian Bob Schamus, Bob's friends, and 30,000 other attendees and watched the Dynamo advance after winning, 4-1.
Kathy Haueisen recently had a book proposal accepted. She is working on a book for The Alban Institute-- an organization that focuses on continuing educational resources and events for congregational leadership. The book is based on "Things Congregations Need to Know Before, During, and After a Disaster." She will be interviewing as many people as she can find to interview on this topic, which includes information on the most appropriate role of a local faith community when a disaster strikes. If any of our fellow Rotarians have opinions about this she would love to hear from them. (kathyhaueisen@sbcglobal.net), as she has a year to complete the project.
Recipients of $2000 nursing scholarships for the year 2007-2008 are flanked by Dr. Joe Colquhoun and Dr Jim Moers. From left to right: Debora Champagne, Agnes Wiafe-Ababio, Xue Ling-Cordero, Brooke Butler, Aimee Pinales, and Angela Mejia. Click on photo to enlarge.
Our sister club of Tampico Campestre has extended an invitation to all our club members to join them in the presentation of the clinic on June the 22nd. For more information contact Art Bautista
Sponsor Jerry Harris welcomes our new member, Shannon Foye, to the Rotary Club. Shannon's classification is Business Law and he offices in the nearby Rice Village area.
Our Holiday Flag Program is progressing very well. Last Saturday, Bob Schamus, Bill Baker, and Carmen Cueno of the Astrodome Rotary Club. The three walked door-to-door in Southgate and gained eight subscriptions, bringing the total to more than 80. The
next Flag Holiday is MEMORIAL DAY which will be observed next Monday, May
28, 2007. As always, click on the photo to see an enlarged image.
Over the past year, our club has been ably led by Richard Lazear—a dedicated Rotarian with many talents. Among his contributions, Richard played a key role in organizing the placement of U.S. and Texas flags at homes throughout the Rice Village and Memorial neighborhoods.
School Uniforms
get it across the border. This chico feliz loves his desk!
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The International Water Project between our Rotary Club and Matamoros Mexico Rotary Club helps to provide clean water to the outlying areas of Matamoros. 
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LINDSEY & IRENE WITH IRENE'S AWARD
ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS HOME BOOTH
We partnered with the Rotary Community Corp to cook lunch for the volunteers at Special Cheers, this facility has a great program that uses animals as part of their therapy program for kids with special special needs. It was a wonderful for a BBQ lunch, we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, and the RFFH BBQ pit came through with flying colors and it displayed some new signs procured by Jerry Harris.
A GROUP OF FELLOW RCUAH ROTARIANS SPENT SATURDAY MORNING BUILDING GARDEN PLOTS OUT OF CINDER BLOCKS AND FILLING THEM WITH DIRT AND MULCH. IT WAS SLIGHTLY WARM BUT WITH LOTS OF DRINKS AND FOOD ARRANGED BY SUSAN EPPS WE MADE IT THROUGH THE MORNING. THE VEGETABLES THAT ARE GROWING THERE NOW ARE GETTING LARGE, THERE WAS SOME BEANS THAT WERE NEARLY 18" LONG. MITCHELL LOU LED THE DISCUSSION ON HOW TO PREPARE SUCH A VEGETABLE. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.
The Rotary Club of University Area has undertaken the great service project of assisting firefighters and first responders and their immediate families or caregivers by providing low cost, fully furnished housing (40 unit apartment complex) that is secure and accessible to The Texas Medical Center (TMC) while they are undergoing active treatment at TMC for any medical condition, particularly cancer, that is the result of an on the job injury or resulting medical condition. The housing will be open to firefighters and first responders throughout the United States and to foreign firefighters on a "space available" basis. Firefighters are held in high regard worldwide for the selfless service they perform on a daily basis and deserve the support of all. The ROTARY FIREFIGHTERS HOME IS A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization approved by the IRS. Donations are tax deductible to the extent of the IRS code. The City of Houston, the Houston Fire Department, the Bellaire Fire Department, the Local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters , The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), The Rotary Club of New York and fellow Rotarians are going to be participants in seeing the project come to completion. To see some of the ways you or any Rotary Club or organization can help, please see the initial write up by clicking
Our Rotary Club was well represented at our district all club meeting, in attendance present and accounted for were; Our club President Irene Hickey, Vice President Sonya Heath, Jerry Harris, Mitchell Lou, Kathy Kennedy, G.V. Krishnan, Homero Ponce, Jim Craig and Art Bautista. Our new Paul Harris Society members; Mitchell Lou, G. V. Krishnan, Sonya Heath and Jerry Harris were invited to the VIP room to meet our Rotary International President.
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