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.
(Please note there is not a meeting on Wednesday, December 19.)
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 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.
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 or in the Rotary Office (Suite 213 in the Elegante Hotel) until 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
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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CALENDAR OF ROTARY EVENTS
(Club events & opportunities for meeting makeups)
DECEMBER
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; 6:00 p.m.; Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University
19
No meeting at the Eleganté.
26
No meeting; happy holidays!
JANUARY
2
No meeting; Happy New Year!
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BOARD ACTION
At the December 12 meeting, the membership changes listed below were announced:
Three new membership proposals were approved:
Amber Clark, Program Director, Girls Haven, Inc.
Classification: “Associations - Girls Haven"
Proposed by Brenda Gray
Robert Laughlin, IT Consultant, National Networks
Classification: “Business Services – Information Technology”
Proposed by Gigi Mazzola
Stephanie Roberts, Community Outreach Coordinator, Claybar Funeral Homes
Classification: "Funeral Home - Community Relations"
Proposed by Michael Perez
If you object to these proposals, please submit your reason to the board in writing within 10 days of November 28.
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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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Meet the Newest Rotarian in our Club!
Rotarian leaders were proud to welcome and introduce the club's newest member, Kevin King. Kevin recently joined the Boy Scouts of America Three Rivers Council as District Executive. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Kevin is a former journalist, most recently as the Editor of the Beaumont Business Journal at the Examiner where he was recognized and received many awards for his skills and talents. He still enjoys photography as a hobby and enjoy being outdoors, hiking, crabbing and fishing.
Pictured (l to r): President Elect Joe Domino, President Lynn Castle, new member Kevin King, and immedicate Past President Tim Sudela.
Welcome to our newest Rotarian, Kevin!
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Congratulations to Rotary University Graduates!
It was an exciting graduation day at Rotary! Two Rotarians were acknowledged for their contributions and accomplishments by Rotary University Dean, Joanne Brown.
Receiving her Bachelor of Rotary Science degree and Blue Badge was Rhonda Marks. Rhonda, pictured on the left, is Development Director at Boys' Haven of America, Inc.
Wade Floyd, on the right, also received a Bachelor of Rotary Science degree and Blue Badge. Wade is Associate Pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church.
Both were proposed for membership and mentored to completion of the coveted Blue Badge by Sheree Pierce, pictured between the two in the photo. Dean Joanne Brown congratulated Sheree, too, for encouraging and helping these members "graduate!"
If you are not aware, you should know even long-time Rotarians can earn advanced degrees. Who is the next Master or Ph.D. degree candidate? Talk with Rotary University Dean, Joanne Brown, about the next step in your Rotary education.
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John Quigley
December 18
Matt McCallon
December 21
Kristie Young
December 22
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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.
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 12, 2018
"The Benefits of Planned Giving"
Floyd McSpadden
Director of Planned Giving
by Diane Bass
Floyd McSpadden is a former President of the Rotary Club of Beaumont, a recipient of the T. Kelsey Lamb, Sr. Award for business Ethics in both 2001 and 2002 and is currently the Director of Planned Giving for Lamar University. His many years practicing as an attorney in the field of estate planning and probate law makes him uniquely qualified for this position.
He admitted to being a little nervous speaking to his Rotary Club members and was extremely grateful that so many attended to hear an attorney on the last meeting of the year. He was a little apprehensive since he saw a dozen vultures circling over Cardinal Drive as he drove from Lamar to the Elegante’.
Floyd reminded all of us of the good work and generosity of the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation has given so much to our community as evidenced by the completion of the Accessible Playground in downtown Beaumont, the installation of a fence around the Nutrition Center, the support of Ryla and the many scholarships given to local students just to name a few of the many contributions to our community.
Planned giving includes the following:
Cash Donations
Gifts of Appreciated Stock
IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts
Donor Advised Funds
Some of the benefits of Gifts of Appreciated Stock include that the giver pays no capital gains tax and the charitable deduction is determined by the fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift. The IRA Charitable Rollover is another way to tap into the over four trillion dollars of IRA funds that are sitting out there and available for gifting. The limit is $100,000 annually as a non-taxable transfer but must be made directly to the charity.
Another way to give is the Testamentary Gift. This includes:
Bequests and Will of Trusts
IRA – Beneficiary Designation
Payable on Death Accounts
Life Insurance
The IRA option allows for the charity to receive 100% of the amount distributed. The Bequeath/Will of Trust can be a set amount or a percentage of the estate. This can be changed at any time that the donor is of sound mind. Any of the options should be discussed with family as well as seeking consult from professionals in the field of estate planning.
To Recap – Planned Giving can make a significant impact on individuals, charities and the community. They should all be done with counsel from professionals and disclosure to family. This is important so that there are no surprises at a time of stress and grief.
All plans should be reviewed periodically and amended as circumstances dictate.
Floyd ended with the story of Elizabeth. She was in a family of 5 children. Her father died when she was twelve and her mom was a teacher. She liked to say she had a perfect B average, and also knew that she was not particularly athletic. Her chances of getting a scholarship were limited but she knew that her mom could not afford to pay for the college expenses of 5 children. So through the assistance of her guidance counselor at school she discovered that she qualified for the Jerry Rudd Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was established through a bequest from Jerry Rudd who believed that his success was due to his education. Elizabeth graduated from Lamar University last May with no student loan debt. This is a direct result of an individual designing a Planned Giving Strategy so students like Elizabeth could achieve her dreams and not do it at the expense of her family.
Floyd believes in the quote by Albert Pike: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Wise words to live by.
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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?
