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.
Rotarians are asked to please make a reservation for yourself and guests before 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 18 so we are able to make proper arrangements for the meeting. Please click here to do so.
MEETING PREVIEW
October 19, 2022
"Polio is Personal for Me"
Mitch Templeton
Judge
172nd Judicial District Court
Judge Templeton was raised in the heart of the East Texas Piney Woods (Jasper). After completing his business degree at The University of Texas, he married his high school sweetheart, Janelle Smith Templeton, and continued his education at The University of Houston Law Center. The Templetons have raised two sons in Beaumont public schools.
Judge Templeton practiced civil and criminal trial law for 28 years before running for his current office. He was an associate with the Strong Pipkin and Benckenstein & Oxford law firm before becoming a founding partner of Chambers, Templeton, Cashiola and Thomas.
Judge Templeton now serves as the Presiding Judge of the 172nd Judicial District Court in Jefferson County, Texas. He is the first Republican ever elected to a district bench in Jefferson County. Although a Beaumont resident for over 30 years, Judge Templeton and his wife spend a significant amount of their spare time at family homesteads in Jasper County. Judge Templeton also enjoys driving horse teams and riding dual-sport motorcycles.
* * * * * * *
Head Table on October 19
Invocation
Terri Potter
Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations
American Air Systems, Inc.
Pledges to USA & Texas Flags
Michael Perez
Business Development Manager
Gateway Mortgage Group
Introduction of Guests
Gordon Friesz
Partner
Wells Payton Partain Baldo & Lighty, LLP
Introduction of Guest Speaker
Joe Fisher
Principal
Argent Trust Co,. NA
Please volunteer for Head Table responsibilities through the
New Member Orientation; 10:30 a.m.; Rotary Office, MCM Eleganté Hotel
25
Board of Directors meeting
27
Rotary After Hours- Beaumont Community Players; 5:30 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
November
1
New Member Orientation; 4:30 p.m.; Rotary Office, MCM Eleganté Hotel
11
"Show Your Colors" Flag Project for Veterans Day
15
Board of Directors meeting
16
Vocational Excellence Awards: Giving Thanks for Excellence in the Workplace
* * * * * * *
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION TO BE PRESENTED
Since the earliest days of the Rotary Club of Beaumont, it has been a tradition to record the passing of a member into Club history with the writing of a Memorial Resolution to document his/her service and contributions. The reading of the Resolution is an opportunity to reflect on the good deeds and significant impact the Rotarian had on the Club and the community. The formally printed document is given to the family members, added to the Club's archives, and entered into the records of the Tyrrell Historical Library.
On October 19, the club will recognize the life of former Rotarian Lum Edwards, III, a member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont since 2003. The Resolution will be read by his long-time friend and fellow Rotarian, Lynn Castle
His Rotary Classification was "Insurance - Casualty" and Lum was the owner and Partner/Vice President of J. S. Edwards & Sherlock Insurance Agency. Lum Edwards, III, a Rotarian since 2003, passed away on January 15, 2021.
* * * * * * *
ROTARY AFTER HOURS
The next RAH is Thursday October 27th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. It will be in the foyer of the Beaumont Community Players Theatre. They will set up 2 tables for us to have appetizers and drinks on. BCP will give a tour of the theatre at 6:15. There will be a costume party, so come dressed in your best costume. The grand prize is a set of 2 tickets to a BCP performance.
* * * * * * *
VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
On Wednesday, November 16, the Rotary Club of Beaumont will recognize and honor individuals who exemplify a "service above self" attitude in their vocation and daily work. The annual meeting when Rotarians recognize Vocational Excellence Award recipients is a wonderful time to applaud the good work of others in their chosen profession and in our community.
These coveted awards are given annually to community members who demonstrate exceptional service, honesty, and friendliness in performing their jobs. Some past recipients describe receiving this honor as "a treasure," "very special," and "the only time I've received anything like this." If you are observant when patronizing some local businesses, you will see a Vocational Excellence certificate awarded to a recipient in a previous year still hanging proudly where all can see.
We appreciate your nominations of deserving people who you have come in contact with through your business transactions. Now is the perfect way to say thank you to someone who demonstrated to you excellent service in the workplace. Please find a nomination form below; download it and return it to the Rotary office no later than Wednesday, November 2. The committee will review and make selection of those who will be honored and then will allow you the privilege of inviting them to attend the Rotary meeting on November 16 and introducing them to the members and guests.
The Rotary Club of Beaumont will be having a membership competition. The club members will be divided into teams with a team leader. With any competition, there will be a prize. Get ready to have some fun and recruit some new members to our club!
Would you like to be a team captain? Contact Ty Coudrain, Michael Perez or email admin@beaumontrotaryclub.org by Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
* * * * * * *
IF YOU WERE TO RE-IMAGINE ROTARY
Have YOU filled out this one question survey? We look forward to reading your answers to get a better understanding of how our members feel and think of the Rotary Club of Beaumont.
At our last meeting, Craig Escamilla (Strategic Planning Committee Chair), introduced a survey in which we would love to have each Rotarian give their opinion. Please take a minute to fill out this form so we can better understand our club and its' members.
Click HERE to access the survey. We appreciate your participation.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Earl Hines
October 18
Cheryl Bilyeu
October 21
* * * * * * *
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES
We celebrate your
membership in our Club!
Chelsea Tipton
October 19, 2011
11 years
Shelby Brannan
October 20, 2021
1 year
Mark Hall
October 20, 2015
7 years
Cheryl Williams
October 20, 1999
23 years
Margaret Towers
October 21, 1987
35 years
James Henges
October 22, 2014
8 years
Sylvester Hill
October 22, 2013
9 years
Glenn McWherter
October 22, 2013
9 years
Dana Timaeus
October 22, 2014
8 years
* * * * * * *
PROGRAM REVIEW
October 12, 2022
"Port of Beaumont"
Sade Chick
Director of Corporate Affairs
Port of Beaumont
by Chuck Heare
Our speaker last Wednesday was Sade Chick, Director of Corporate Affairs of the Port of Beaumont. She spoke in place of Chris Fisher, Port Director, who was ill. She began by addressing the two main goals of ports in Texas – job creation and economic development and growth. She said ports operate a lot like businesses because they want to be good stewards of public dollars.
Texas has nineteen maritime ports, each one having its own characteristics. The ports of Beaumont and Port Arthur are very similar in that they both handle things that don’t fit in containers. The Beaumont port is frequently in the top ten for shipping military equipment in the US. Texas ports contribute about $449 billion annually to the state GDP, or 25% of the states GDP. Texas ports support about 1.8 million jobs. Our port supports about 56,000 jobs in southeast Texas.
About 50% of the port in Beaumont is under construction right now, involving about $220 million in projects. These projects include an $72 million dock rebuilding project and a $9 million hard surfacing project for Lots 5 and 13 to make them more sustainable and resistant to weather events. The latter project is a pilot project using rectangular concrete blocks instead of asphalt, which will be quicker to install and cause less pollution. The port also has a $16 million rail interchange track being built to handle a 120-car unit train which will allow the train to come into the port and not block traffic outside of the port. Currently those trains cue in the area of Riverfront Park. The port also has a $25 million grain elevator rehabilitation project underway. Once this project is completed and the grain elevator is back in use next year, it will create about fifty new permanent jobs. To put that in perspective, there are many industrial projects costing $10 billion that create fifty permanent jobs.
The port also plans a Workforce Training Center, if they can get the funding where it would work in collaboration with LIT, Lamar-Orange, Lamar-Port Arthur, and SE Texas Workforce Solutions to train workers in the area, hold job fairs, help workers with resumes and many other possibilities yet to be developed.
Ms. Chick then listed the products handled by the port. They include crude and refinery products, aggregate, forest products, project cargo, military equipment and grain once the grain elevator work is completed. The economic impact of our port is $4.4 billion to the GDP of the state, 67,000+ jobs, $1.4 billion contributed to the Texas economy via re-spending and local consumption, and more than 125 companies do business with the port.
To view the video that Sade mentioned in her presentation, click HERE.
.png)
.png)
vocation and daily work. The annual meeting when Rotarians recognize Vocational Excellence Award recipients is a wonderful time to applaud the good work of others in their chosen profession and in our community.
