We are honored to have State Representative John Smithee, Chairman of the House Committee on Insurance, as our November 20 speaker.
Chairman Smithee represents the 86th District comprised of Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Oldham, Parmer and Randall Counties. Elected as a Republican in November 1984, he has served as Chairman of Insurance since 1993. In addition to the Insurance Committee, Representative Smithee serves on the State Affairs Committee. He was Co-Chair of the Joint Interim Committee on Seacoast Territory Insurance for the 83rd Legislature and is a member of the Windstorm Insurance Legislative Oversight Board.
Chairman Smithee will be introduced by Rotarian Jim Rich.
Ever wish YOU had the opportunity to ring the opening bell at the meeting?
For a donation of $25 to the Beaumont Rotary Foundation, you will be allowed to do just that. You will be called up to ring the bell to start the meeting.
When he rings the bell to conclude the meeting, President Chad Blanchard will match your donation with another $25 donation to the Beaumont Rotary Foundation!
The Board of Directors voted electronically on a new member proposal and approved. Secretary Sharon McCabe made the announcement at the meeting on November 13.
Scott Renick, Attorney, Renick Law Firm, PLLC
Proposed by Lee Freeland with classification: "Law-General Practice"
In accordance with our bylaws (Article 13, Section 8), please submit written objections related to the aforementioned proposals within 10 days (of November 13) to the board of directors, stating the reason for your objection.
Ring! Ding! Can you hear that ol' familiar sound? Yes, it is time to get in the holiday mood as we begin plans to help with the Salvation Army Kettle drive. Past President David Locke, Chairman, asks that you consider giving one hour of your time on Saturday, December 14 to this effort.
TEE SHIRTS FOR NICARAGUA A group of Angelina College Rotaractors visited Nicaragua this summer and came back with a simple yet profound idea to help Nicaraguan mothers and the children of the dump. A tee shirt can be cut front and back, hemmed and turned into a diaper.
Nicaraguan youths are trained to operate foot pedal powered
sewing machines so the cutting and hemming are taken care of
locally. This becomes a win-win situation for them, the children earn income and Nicaraguan mothers have access to inexpensive diapers.
Where does the supply of tee shirts come from? From you and me! We all have tee shirts past their prime that end up as a dust cloth
and we all have participated in functions at which a tee shirt was
passed out. Most of us have drawers that are bursting at the joints because of an abundance of shirts!
The shirt can be colored, have a design on it or be plain white. So clean out your closet and bring a bag or stack of shirts to any Rotary meeting or to the Rotary Office. We will store them and bring all collected to the central collection at District Conference in April. Thanks go to Mr. Frank Huezo of Greenworld Imports who has agreed to ship the donations to Nicaragua.
Let your children and grandchildren know about this effort. Schools and church organizations alike have gotten excited about the opportunity to help. The response has been exciting, and now it's your turn to get busy and spread the word while you gather your own contribution!
In the second half of the Rotary year, between January and June, we will be hosting students and their parents on multiple occasions for special meetings. We will have the RYLA students join us for a meeting, followed by Youth Service Above Self Award recipients, scholarship recipients, Interact club students and more. Your help to cover the cost of the meal tickets would be greatly appreciated. Please consider donating a meal ticket or two from the next book you purchase. If you are able, please pay it forward for the next generation of Rotarians to enjoy lunch with us. There is a place to drop an extra ticket at the start of the buffet line each week.
Volunteers "Showed Their Colors" on Veterans' Day!
There were a few names left off the initial list of flag volunteers published last week. Everyone is equally appreciated!
Thank you to Chairman Pat Anderson and the volunteers: Daniel Jeans, George Crawford, Tim Sudela, Mike King, Charles Shelton, Florian Estrada, George Pate, Leonard Juncker, Sharen Kirksey, John Neely, Larry Beaulieu, Chad Blanchard, Slate Babineaux, Keith Giblin, Phil Dunlap, Rob Glassey, Gene Arnold, Craig Lively, Cindy Cherry, Butch Cherry, Scott Hatcher, Brandon Fisher, Travis Brewer, David Locke, David Heinz, and Michael Perez.
We are not talking about a monetary contribution but rather a gift of your time and talents. In addition to the head table assignments, we need Rotarians to help each week as greeters, badge scanner, photographer, attendance checker. Please volunteer in advance so we know to count on you, or say "yes" when asked. You can complete a quick response form by linking here.
Did you know, the city of Beaumont has a new website and there is a great article and page with pictures about the opening of the Beaumont Rotary Centennial Playground?
Read it here: http://beaumonttexas.gov/barrier-free-playground-opens-possibilities-play-beaumont/
Those attending the meeting on November 13 had a real treat. Tommy Hebert had adorned the room with fresh cut hybrid roses from his rose garden, and they were beautiful indeed! What a special gift.
Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness and Grants
Lamar Institute of Technology
by Rotarian Bobbie Applegate
Paul Szuch, President of Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT), arrived in 2006 and many good changes have taken place since that time. LIT is a two-year institution under the Texas State University System and has been separate from Lamar for 20 years. Associate Degrees and programs are under 5 broad areas: Allied Health & Sciences, Business Technology, Public Safety & Service, Technology and General Education & Developmental Studies.
Dr. Szuch assures us that even though these degrees are in many areas other than traditional four-year institutions students who attend LIT also need the skill set of reading and writing. LIT has the oldest police academy in the state and has a 100% pass rate. This fall 3,183 students are on campus and of those students, 52% are part-time. Forty-one per cent are in the 18-21 age-group. After 35, there are relatively no students. They award 500 certificates each year and their job placement rate is 88.5%.
LIT is presently in a 3 Year planning phase to adjust their campus and buildings to the new needs that are being addressed by new warehouses for training and building more 2 story buildings with classrooms and offices on both floors. They are hoping for new bonds to be released by the state to complete the present vision presented for the campus. The total needed for the 3 stage planning is $50 million (about the same as the new football stadium on Interstate 10).
Dr. Szuch presented his picture of LIT with energy and wit that kept Rotarians interested and informed. It is obvious that LIT is a valuable member of our community that continually assesses the job market and the degrees it offers.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
A group of Angelina College Rotaractors visited Nicaragua this summer and came back with a simple yet profound idea to help Nicaraguan mothers and the children of the dump. A tee shirt can be cut front and back, hemmed and turned into a diaper.
