2-16-2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha

The Feb. 16, 2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha opened with a prayer, pledge and songs.

Guests included Catherine Shipman, Bob Chamberlain and Blake White. Nathan Donald was a visiting Rotarian.

President Michael Oberlender reminded Rotarians that there is no school on Friday, so volunteers are not needed for the Freshman Project at Chickasha High School. Contact Bill McVey if you would to help with project each week.

Dick McCalla announced that applications for the Dan Proctor Scholarship had gone out to high school counselors. He asked Rotarians who knew of high school seniors to encourage them to apply. Contact Dick or Leah Edwards for additional information.

Conrad Duprez was Rotarian of the Day. He took the opportunity to announce that he had tickets for the public school foundation annual Pancake Supper on March 6.

Our guest speaker was Rep. Phil Richardson of Minco, whose District 56 has a portion of Chickasha but will gain a bigger portion of the city in November because of redistricting last year.

Richardson was co-chairman of an interim study by the Water Resources Board to compile a 50-year water plan for Oklahoma.

He said will again but a big topic in the current legislative session. There are several water bills in both chambers, including one that will prevent severing water rights from land owners, such as mineral rights are conveyed currently.

Another bill will allow more utilization of recycled water, including "brackish water."

Richardson said their also legislation being considered that increase the amount of money the state can loan municipalities to help improve water infrastructure.

The meeting adjourned after recitation of the Rotary 4-Way test.