The Rotary Club of Beaumont, TX, is a large and diverse fellowship of inspired business, professional, and civic leaders with significant community connections that foster the ideals of Service Above Self and high ethical standards.
After years as a practicing attorney in estate planning and probate law, Lamar University wisely enticed Floyd McSpadden to join the administration as Director of Planned Giving for the institution. Under his leadership, the University has multiplied gifts and bequests to the investments multiple times over.
A former president of the Rotary Club of Beaumont, Floyd has stayed involved with the organization and continues to give wise counsel on many occasions. He was recipient of the T. Kelsey Lamb, Sr. Award for Business Ethics in both 2001 and 2002, a distinction which demonstrates the regard with which he is held by fellow Rotarians.
It is with pleasure that Rotarians learn of the benefits of having a carefully considered plan for giving from this well-respected expert in the field.
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Head Table for December 12
Invocation:
Carly Broussard
Director of Scholarships & Financial Aid
Lamar University
Pledges to USA & Texas Flags:
Steve Lucas
Executive Vice President
Post Oak Bank
Introduction of Guests:
Bill Allen
President & CEO
Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce
Would you like to take part in the weekly meetings in a more active role? Don't wait to be asked. Volunteer for one of the weekly assignments! Choose your role and a date that is convenient. Contact Lynn Hill at 409-781-3291 or lynnhillbd@gmail.com.
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CALENDAR OF ROTARY EVENTS
(Club events & opportunities for meeting makeups)
DECEMBER
12
Deadline to make a reservation for the Rotary Holiday Party; call the Rotary Office (842-1913)
13
RYLA Orientation for those attending Camp in January; 5:30 p.m.; Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School
18
Board of Directors meeting; 11:45 a.m.; Art Museum of Southeast Texas; all are welcome to attend; please make an advance reservation by calling 409-842-1913
18
Holiday Party (counts as the meeting for the week); reservations must be made by December 12; cost is $50 per person; spouses/guests invited.
19
No meeting at the Eleganté.
26
No meeting; happy holidays!
JANUARY
2
No meeting; Happy New Year!
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On Tuesday, December 18, Rotarians will gather together with spouses and friends for the special fun of the annual Holiday Party. The traditional event will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Lamar University Reception Center on the eighth floor of the Mary & John Gray Library. The food will be delicious and the fellowship and fun is guaranteed to be even better. The cost id $50 per person, with a cash bar available. Reservations are required by Wednesday, December 12. You may make a reservation at the weekly meeting or online BY LINKING TO THE EVENT PAGE HERE.
The Rotary Chorus, with professional accompaniment and direction, will perform some holiday selections for your enjoyment, and the traditional announcement of the Club's President Nominee will be made at this event. Plan to join your Rotary family for a wonderful holiday celebration!
Remember when the annual Holiday Party also included gift-giving for a local community need? This year is no exception to that tradition. We will be collecting items needed by the Beaumont Rainbow Room for children (infants to 12 year olds) who have been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect. The agency needs new items of clothing (matching top and bottoms, please), formula and baby food, small stuffed toys, children's books, blankets/quilts, Pak-n-Plays, car seats, toiletries, infant/toddler booster seats, cleaning supplies, and Walmart gift cards. Donations do not need to be gift-wrapped, and will be accepted at the Holiday Party, at the weekly Rotary meeting, or in the Rotary Office (Suite 213 in the Elegante Hotel.)
This Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 18 is replacing the Wednesday, December 19 meeting. Therefore, there will not be a meeting at the Eleganté on Wednesday, December 19.
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ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED
The election was certain to produce outstanding Rotarians to serve as Board members for 2019-22 because all candidates on the ballot were well-qualified and capable. Thank you to all for agreeing to serve if elected.
Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Pat Calhoun announced the results at the conclusion of the meeting on December 5.
ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
REBEKAH MAXWELL
A member since June 22, 2016
Coordinator, Reaud Honors College
Lamar University
SHEREE PIERCE
A member since July 25, 2014
Director of Neighborhood Ministries
Wesley United Methodist Church
MARY POOLE
A member since June 19. 2013
Marketing Director
Baptist Hospitals Southeast Texas
RANDY SHELTON
A member since October 25, 2006
Judge
279th District Court
ELECTED AS TRUSTEE OF THE BEAUMONT ROTARY FOUNDATION
HENRY VENTA
A member since October 9, 2002
Professor of Management, College of Business
Lamar University
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Hear that Ring-Ting-Tingling!
How is it possible to have this much fun and be doing service at the same time?!
Of course, it was an especially fun hour when Rob Glassey appeared dressed for the occasion!
Rotarians brought children, spouses, and friends to help ring the bells, dance, laugh, and enjoy the holiday spirit while raising funds for the Salvation Army on Saturday.
Volunteers: if you took photos, please send them to: admin@beaumontrotaryclub.org and we will continue to expand the album of photos.
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DUES INVOICING AND THE BILLING CYCLE
Rotary operates financially at the club, district, and international levels. Dues, along with contributions to the Beaumont Rotary Foundation, support the work done at each level. Dues are billed to the individual at the club level, andthe club pays District and International dues on behalf of every member who is on the membership roster on January 1 and July 1.
In order for the club to pay dues to Rotary International on January 1, each member must be up to date on his/her dues to the Club no later than December 31, in advance of the January 1 assessment by Rotary International.
If your July 1 dues are still unpaid at the time the Board of Directors meets on Tuesday, December 18, you will be terminated in bad-standing, meaning you are ineligible for membership in this or any other Rotary Club until your past due amount has been paid.
In order to make it as convenient as possible for you to submit a timely payment, the Board of Directors has requested that the invoices be sent to members 30-45 days in advance so that each member has adequate time to budget for the expense, process payment, and assure that the invoice is paid by December 31, 2018.
Electronic invoices were sent last week. If you requested to have a printed invoice mailed to you, it should be received within the week. Please phone the office or email admin@beaumontrotaryclub.org to request a different method of billing or payment. Members with a credit card on file will receive a receipt by email when your card has been charged, or you will be contacted if your credit card information needs to be updated.
If you wish, you can submit your credit card information to be kept on file so that payments are processed for you in advance of the deadline each time.
If you wish, you can make arrangements with the Executive Director to have your charge card processed for your dues in installments until the account is paid in full.
If you do not receive your invoice, have questions or need to change your membership status, call 409-842-1913. Thank you.
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Marcia Crone
December 12
Derrick Barber
December 16
Joyce Hafford
December 16
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We send wishes for a quick recovery to our friends and fellow Rotarians who are ill, are anticipating or recovering from surgery, or just in need of encouragement, support and good wishes.
Jay Johnson
Alicia McKibbin
John Neely
If you know of others who should be added to this list, please advise the office staff at 409-842-1913.
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Would you like to serve some delicious wine at a holiday party? Need a hostess gift? Or a gift for a neighbor or friend?
We have a few bottles of both red and white wine left from Wine Down With Rotary and we are making them available for a minimum donation of $20. Please call the Rotary office at 409-842-1913 if you are interested in purchasing one or more.
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PROGRAM REVIEW
December 5, 2018
"The Sabine Pilots Association: Working the River"
Charles LaHaye
Captain
by Bobbie Applegate
Captain LaHaye is the Presiding Officer of the Sabine Neches Pilots Association. The Association is made up of harbor pilots in the Sabine Neches Waterway. Their mission is to protect the waterways and the people of Texas.
The Association is commissioned by the Governor of Texas. The harbor pilots are considered independent contractors by their commission. There are 28 branch pilots working the Sabine Neches Waterway every day and night. Their job is to know everything about the depth, current, and other issues that will be needed to navigate to the ports of Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange. No ship is able to move up or down the waterway without being piloted by a member of the harbor pilots. Ships are held in a placement area until a pilot is able to board the ship and take controls through the waterway. The pilots presently board the ship by rope ladder. This is a very dangerous part of their job and pilots have died during boarding. Navigating in fog and rough seas come next in the danger category.
Besides the job of navigating ships in the waterway, the harbor pilots are the first line of defense on the waterways against terrorism. Ships cannot enter or depart the waterway without a harbor pilot who has been scheduled to navigate the boat. In the widest part of the waterway, ships can go two ways but from Port Arthur to Beaumont ships are only piloted one way at a time. The ship owners pay the fee of the harbor pilot and this is true around the world. Harbor pilots are trained and commissioned in marine navigation educations. There is a growing need in this career that will increase with the expansion of the waterway here.
The waterway first requested funds to expand in the 1980s but were turned down. In 1998 a second proposal was submitted for funding and the first part of the funding will be here in 2019: Eighteen million dollars. The channel will be widened to 500 feet up to Port Arthur and then 400 feet into Beaumont. The channel will be deepened as well to allow the larger ships into the channel. Ship size has increased dramatically since the first request for funding. Total cost is estimated to be $800 million by the navigation district and one billion by the Army Corps of Engineers. As the Beaumont area is a net exporter it is extremely important that these changes be made as soon as possible.
The Waterway is the 3rd largest port for tonnage, the first port for bulk liquid and the largest for LNG export and the first port in military transport. The refineries here ship over 90% of jet fuel in the States. Clearly the Sabine Pilots Association is an important entity to the area and our economy.
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Would you like to serve some delicious wine at a holiday party? Need a hostess gift? Or a gift for a neighbor or friend?
