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.
If you are attending in person, we ask that you use this linkto make a reservation by Monday, March 24, 2025.
We are excited to have our annual T. Kelsey Lamb Awards this Wednesday, March 26, 2025. This year, we are honored to have Lynn Willhite joining us to speak.
Lynn was born and reared in Palestine, Texas. She attended Palestine schools, graduating as a valedictorian of her high school class. Lynn is married to her high school sweetheart Leon, who also was born and reared in Palestine. They have two grown children and are the proud grandparents of six grandchildren.
Lynn earned degrees in mathematics from Texas Christian University and Texas A&M. She taught in the mathematics department at Texas A&M for three years, two as a graduate assistant and one as an instructor. Following a call to ministry some years later, Lynn earned a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and became an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church. She served twenty-seven years as a pastor in United Methodist churches until her retirement in 2011.
Throughout her ministry, one of Lynn’s passions has been reaching outside the church with the love of Christ to help those in need both in the community and beyond. As pastor, she led youth mission teams to work on home repair in Mississippi, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. She led adult mission teams to work on hurricane repair in Florida, Beaumont and Galveston.
Following her retirement, Lynn felt called in a new direction. In 2016, she founded WE CARE Palestine, a non-profit organization based on the Christian commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The mission of WE CARE Palestine is to help neighbors restore their community through intentional relationships. Lynn continues as CEO of the organization that has grown to include over 450 individuals who have committed to doing caring acts in the community and 20 Block Leaders who commit to knowing their neighbors, being a good neighbor and helping their neighbors know one another. Soon the organization plans to build and staff a Friendship House in an underserved area of Palestine. The Friendship House will serve a center of connection and support for the benefit of the children and families of that community.
_____________________________
March 26, 2025
Invocation
Bruce Walker
Big Thicket Association, President
Big Thicket Association
Pledges to USA & Texas Flags
Dean Conwell
Retired
Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau
Introduction of Guests
Mellie Bevilacqua
Executive Director
Foundation for Southeast Texas
Introduction of Speaker
Becky Mason
Retired
Please volunteer for Head Table responsibilities through the
Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 AM- Edison Plaza Board Room
26
T. Kelsey Lamb Awards
27
Rotary After Hours- The Grill at Calder, 5:30 PM
April
2
Paul Trevino-CEO, Christus
4-6
District 5910 Conference
7
Satellite Meeting, 5:30-6:30 PM- 5 Under Golf Center
16
Jeff Branick, Jefferson County Judge
22
Board of Directors Meeting, 11:30 AM
23
Kenneth Williams, Beaumont City Manager
30
Rotary Goes to Work
___________________________________________
ROTARY AFTER HOURS
We would love for you to join us at Rotary After Hours on March 27 at 5:30 PM at the Grill on Calder. It’s a great opportunity to network, catch up with fellow members, and enjoy a relaxed evening of conversation and camaraderie.
We look forward to seeing you there!
___________________________
POLLINATOR GARDEN SIGN SPONSOR
If you would like to sponsor a Pollinator Garden Sign, please click here.
The Rotary Club of Beaumont, in partnership with the Spindletop Rotary Club, the City of Beaumont, and the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, is building a pollinator garden at the Nature Center in Tyrrell Park.
____________________________
DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2025
Get ready for our Annual District 5910 Conference!
Click this link to register and for more information!
__________________________________
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR BANQUET
To purchase tickets or secure a table sponsorship, please click this link.
_______________________
John Rollins
March 24
Tessa Myers
March 29
Juan Zabala
March 30
__________________________________________
Frank Maida
March 25, 1987
38 years
Cindy Jeanis
March 27, 2013
12 years
Chichi Ude
March 27, 2024
1 year
____________________________________________
PROGRAM REVIEW
March 19, 2025
Rotaract
Elle Wallace, President
By Tim Sudela and Joanne Brown
The March 19 meeting of the Rotary Club of Beaumont was opened by President Michael Perez. Diane Thompson presented the invocation, John Beaver led pledges to USA and Texas flags, and Sheree Pierce introduced meeting guests. President Perez introduced our club's newest member, Leyla Barchett, Property Manager, Fountain Woods Apartments. Cheryl Bilyeu shared information about the May 14th Police Recognition meeting naming two ride along participants, Kim Johns and Jacques Gagne, and reminded willing members to donate lunch tickets for police family members to attend.
Rebekah Maxwell, 2023-2024 President, introduced the meeting speaker, Lamar University Senior Marketing Major, Elle Wallace. Ms. Wallace, a Lumberton native, is the President of the LU Rotaract Club. Rotaract is a service organization for young professionals and students, typically between the ages 18-30, who are passionate about community service, leadership, and professional development. Rotaract clubs are affiliated with Rotary International, and the Lamar club is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Beaumont.
Ms. Wallace shared that the Lamar Rotaract club, which has approximately 50 members, has been recognized for 8 consecutive years at the Annual Leadership Awards. By their count, they have accumulated over 1,250 service hours during the current school year. Elle shared some of the projects they have been involved with in our community including ’Sleep in Heavenly Peace’, Dogtoberfest, Hope Women’s Resource Clinic, and the SETX Humane Society, just to name a few. They also play a prominent role with the Rotary 5910 RYLA program.
Survey forms were provided on all lunch tables to give Rotary members an opportunity to provide input for future planning. Craig Escamilla, Treasurer, collected the forms. President Perez closed the meeting with three reminders, to visit the newly planted Rotary Pollinator Garden at Tyrrell Park, to attend next week’s T. Kelsey Lamb Award meeting March 26th, and to attend Rotary After Hours March 27th at The Grill. Photos taken were courtesy of Jennifer Deaton Gregory.
.png)
