You are in for a very special and fun program this week! Rotarian Paula Bothe, director of the upcoming BCP Production "Oliver! The Musical" is bringing some of the great songs and actors from this show to share the music with you and your guests.
President Vernon pronounced it "Bring a Date" week. Let's pack the house!
"Oliver! The Musical" is an iconic musical based on Charles Dickens' novel, "Oliver Twist". It includes such popular songs as "Food, Glorious Food," "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two," "As Long As He Needs Me," and the rousing tavern song "Oom Pah, Pah."
It will soon be that time - when you hear that ding-a-linging at the doorway of nearly every business in town. Every year, nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army in the form of meals, shelter, after-school programs, job referrals, youth shelter intervention programs, rehabilitation services, and more.
The gifts you help collect through the Red Kettle will enable these local Salvation Army programs and services to continue providing help and hope to those in need.
For a number of years, the Rotary Club of Beaumont has been one of the many organizations that tend a booth at Parkdale Mall and participate in the collection process. It is a demonstration of "Service Above Self." Shannon Williamson is our Chair and asks you to sign up in advance for the hour(s) you can help on Saturday, December 6.
Please go to the online sign-up or add your name to the paper list at an upcoming meeting. Thank you for helping.
President Vernon's goal is to increase attendance at meetings and thereby generate interest of potential new members. Come to Rotary and bring a friend.
Mark your weekly calendar with a standing appointment of "Rotary meeting" on Wednesday and come enjoy lunch, fellowship and hear a great program!
Ask any student who has lived in another country for an entire school year, or ask any family that has hosted an international student for a few months about their experience. Without exception, they will describe it as life-changing and thoroughly enjoyable.
Our club is hosting a young lady, Catharina, a 16-year-old from Brazil this year. She is currently residing with Rotarian Rene Greenwald and his wife, Liliana, and is a delightful young lady. She has settled in well and is learning the language and American culture well.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, she will soon be transitioning to the home of Robert Hickman and his wife. It is now time for us to focus on finding a 3rd host family who will host her from around March to the time she returns home in June.
Do you know anyone who would be willing to open up their home to our visiting student? Would you consider doing so yourself? Catharina is a delightful young lady and would be wonderful addition to a household. Please consider this wonderful opportunity for you and your family or suggest it to someone you know. The host families do not need to include a Rotarian to serve as a host.
Governor Rick Perry selected and appointed Rotarian Tolbert Chisum to a four-year term on the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs committee.
The new invoicing process by Rotary International guarantees we will be assessed dues for anyone on the membership roles on January 1, without exception or adjustment. Therefore, the Board of Directors voted to take a more stringent stance on the Club's collections.
Invoices for January - June 2015 dues will be sent right away, and are due by December 31.
The Rotary Club of Port Arthur is celebrating its Centennial with a special Ribbon-Cutting event to open the International Avenue of Flags on Thursday, November 20 at 11:00 a.m. The structure, a 160-feet long platform adjacent to the channel displaying the American flag and 26 flags from countries of the vessels that most frequently travel the Sabine Neches Waterway, will be located at the front of the city's Sea Wall across from the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive in Port Arthur.
If you can attend, please support the event and the Port Arthur Club which our Club founded in 1915.
The Rotary meeting this week began with a tribute to all our members who served in the Armed Forces. Any Rotarian who served our country stood as the song for their branch of service was played. It was a wonderful tribute to our veterans.
After the prayer and the pledge, Vernon made several announcements and, as best we could tell, only mispronounced one name (which is a personal best for Vernon so far this year). There were a couple of words and names that were in question, but after consultation with other members of our table, we decided that it was just his thick accent and not an actual mispronunciation.
This week’s speaker was Bob Phillips, who hosts and produces the television show “Texas Country Reporter” and has been doing so for the past 42 years. The whole premise of the “Texas Country Reporter” is to find, and report on, heartwarming stories about interesting people and events, all across Texas. His show has grown from several stations airing his segment on Sunday nights, to nationwide syndication. In fact, the “Texas Country Reporter” has more viewers outside the state of Texas than in Texas itself. Bob found that somewhat puzzling given that all the shows are about individuals that live and work in Texas.
When Bob began his show in the 1970’s, the Vietnam War was still going on and, by that time, was very unpopular across the country. Unfortunately, a lot of people blamed the soldiers for the war and as a result, they were not given the respect they deserved when they returned to our country. Bob interviewed many veterans through the years, but one of his most memorable interviews was when he was talking to a large, brawny man who told Bob that “even big guys need a hug” after going to war.
Bob then showed a three-part film that highlighted a military band from Fort Sam, an artist who is painting portraits of each fallen Texas soldier who was killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan and finally a piece on a 75-year-old veteran, Sherman Jones, who was asked to receive an honorary high school diploma and to participate in the high school graduation in honor of his service to our country. Sherman was one of only 200 soldiers (out of 700) that survived the Korean Death March. It was very moving.
Mr. Phillips was well received and Vernon (flawlessly) ended the meeting.
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