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.
Sign into the meeting between 11:30 and Noon to enjoy social time with other members before the meeting begins at Noon.
MEETING PREVIEW
March 10, 2021
“Recognizing International Women's Day
&
Celebrating Women in Rotary”
Suzi Howe
Director 2020-2022
Rotary International
Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston)
Susan “Suzi” C. Howe dedicated her career to education after graduating from the University of Kansas. She owned and operated South Shore Montessori, a private school, until her retirement in 2019. It was during the construction of that school that she learned about Rotary through her broker, architect, and others involved, all of whom were Rotarians. She joined Rotary in 1992, and within six months was serving on her club’s board.
Passionate about sharing her skills in training and education, she has served Rotary as an RI training leader and as a member of the Leadership Development and Training Committee. She has also been a regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, host committee adviser for the 2022 Rotary International Convention, and vice chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee. In 2005, Howe received the Dome City Award on behalf of all Houston-area Rotarians after coordinating logistics for 650 Rotarian volunteers at the Houston Astrodome after Hurricane Katrina. The group helped hundreds of thousands of evacuees from New Orleans over three weeks.
A talented fundraiser, Howe has served on three Million Dollar Dinner committees and chaired a recent dinner event that raised $3.8 million for The Rotary Foundation. Howe has received the Service Above Self Award, The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, and The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award. She and her husband, Bill, are Arch Klumph Society and Bequest Society members.
Purple is the designate color of International Women's Day so you are asked to wear and fill our Zoom screen with purple!
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Virtual Head Table for March 10
Invocation:
Deborah Drago
Executive Director
Southeast Texas Nonprofit Development Center
Pledge to USA Flag:
Lois Ann Stanton
Past President
Introduction of Guest Speaker:
Becky Mason
District Governor
If you would like to serve on the head table at a date in the future, please sign up online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054ba5a62fa3f49-head or phone chair, Mandy Clayton at 409-718-7056 or email arclayton@lit.edu
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CALENDAR OF ROTARY EVENTS
(Club events & opportunities for meeting makeups)
For the health and safety of members, CLUB MEETINGS WILL CONTINUE WEEKLY USING ZOOM until further notice.
March
23
Board of Directors monthly meeting; 11:30 a.m.; as a hybrid meeting
25
Assembly of layette bags for Nicaragua, 5:30 p.m., Elegante Ballrooms
29
"Show Your Colors" flag project as makeup for February 15 delivery
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It is Time to Complete the Layette Project! SAVE THE DATE!
Come join us to work together on our annual Layette Project for the women and infants in Nicaragua! We will get together on Thursday evening, March 25th and assemble the bags. We need a small but strong team of volunteers who can lift very heavy bundles and move boxes to arrive early - from 4:00 until 4:30. Then we need about 10 people from 4:30-5:30 to prepare the items that will be put into each bag - like rolling baby shirts and towels, putting liquids in plastic, and more. At 5:30 p.m., all other interested Rotarians are invited to take part in the bag assembly. Social distancing will be practiced and we are asking volunteers to wear masks to add some protection for others. If you are comfortable with these arrangements, please join us!
The "Show Your Colors" flag project delivery scheduled for Monday, February 15 in recognition of Presidents Day was cancelled due to the blizzard-like temperatures and freezing rain received. The delivery has been rescheduled for Monday, March 29. Please volunteer if you are able by phoning or texting Pat Anderson at 409-782-4057.
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Calling all members! We would like to promote membership in the Rotary Club of Beaumont by highlighting our members on social media. Please complete this Google Form at your convenience so we can spotlight you as a member. Help us tell the world about our wonderful Rotary Club and it's members.
Lamar University is expanding its program to create innovative learning labs for Beaumont ISD. With a full sponsorship by the Rotary Club of Beaumont, a new Cardinal NEST (Navigating Excellence Success and Triumph) will be built at Martin Elementary.
The NEST is an innovative, high-tech space for students to engage and explore reading, STEM and promotes creative thinking. The first NEST opened in May 2019 at Pietzsch-MacArthur and served as the model space for more labs, including Blanchette and Charlton-Pollard.
The Rotary Club of Beaumont officially became a business partner with Martin in July of 2018. The relationship, however, started after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 when the club bought a new pair of shoes for each student in the entire school. They have also provided books for personal home libraries to increase summer reading.
“The NEST at Martin will give us more opportunities to be involved with the students,” said Rotary President Cindy Cherry. “We get to partner with the planning with the administrators and design team to decide what the physical NEST space will look like, and we hope to be able to do some of the painting and assembly work.”
Rotarians will engage in both the ROAR and SOAR programs, as well as mentoring. They will also have the opportunity to participate with the students and families through the many programs and activities arranged by Lamar University.
“Our Club is excited to be a part of such an innovative program bringing this unique learning space at Martin from concept to fruition,” said Cherry. “When fellow Rotarian Dr. Teresa Simpson (Lamar University Executive Director of Community Relations) shared her vision for a safe, comfortable, fun place for students and teachers to grow their knowledge in the STEAM curriculum, we knew we wanted to bring this opportunity to our Martin family.”
“While the Rotary Club of Beaumont does many service projects in our community, we are excited to be a part of the NEST project because we see that it will be transformational,” said Cherry. “That is to say, the NEST at Martin will have long-term impactful change for the students and the educators – present and future.”
Martin’s NEST will be built this summer, along with a NEST at Amelia. Both campuses will have separate ribbon cuttings in the early fall.
-article in the BISD Weekly Wrap Up on March 5, 2021
A real spotlight was on Rotarian Kathryn Fuller last Friday when she and partner Mark Petkovsek won the grand prize at the Junior League of Beaumont's Dancing with the Stars! Way to go, Kathryn!
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Rosie DeLano
March 8
Nancy Chapman
March 10
Michael Depew
March 10
Leonard Juncker
March 10
Randy Shelton
March 10
Lynn Castle
March 11
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ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES!
We celebrate your
membership in our Club!
Chuck Mason
March 10, 1982
39 years
Allan Higgins
March 11, 2015
6 years
Shannon Allen
March 13, 2019
2 years
Cheryl Bilyeu
March 13, 2019
2 years
Tish Cornell
March 13, 2019
2 years
Elaine Shellenberger
March 13, 2002
19 years
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Rotarians, we really need you to become a part of the weekly meeting! We need volunteers for leading the invocation and the pledges. Please consider volunteering! Look at your calendar and select a date that is convenient for your schedule. Red Badges are strongly encouraged to volunteer for this opportunity so you can move closer to your blue badge and members can get to know you better too.
Rebekah Maxwell opened the presentation stating that the Lamar Rotaract organization is a very dynamic unit of Lamar students. Many in the group are Reaud scholars and after college several have gone on as Rotary International scholars. They have reached out to Interact members locally in order to encourage their continuation in Rotary as they enter college.
President David Yeakey is also the Rotaract Chair for District 5910. Members in Rotaract must be 18 and up and the old limitation that they must leave by 30 has been dropped by Rotary in an effort to continue these young professionals’ memberships and interest in Rotary. For eight consecutive years the Lamar group has won the Annual Leadership Award and are looking forward to adding the ninth. They have been involved in many projects. International projects include Belize school project, Nicaragua water well project, and end Polio Now. In our area they have worked on Hurricane Laura relief projects, Big Green Book Drive in Vidor, Valentines Day cards for Girls and Boys Haven and Lumberton High School Valentine’s Day Dance which was the first in person event held since the pandemic. RYLA has been an important project for the group from the beginning as they have assisted the District with this project. David views this great environment as a very special event which assists high school students in their leadership roles. He is hopeful that they will be able to have the event in May.
In the future, Rotaract hopes to hold in person meetings, continue to influence younger students, partner with other clubs in 5910, and continue to work closely with the Beaumont Club on projects.
He is thankful to the Beaumont Rotary Club for keeping Rotaract funded and going. David thanked Rebekah for her continued support, leadership and enthusiasm for Rotaract.
Other officers of the club include:
Casey Smith, Past President
Andrew Zinck, Vice President
Stefany Rico, Secretary
Jeremy Broussard, Treasurer
Sindi Castillo, SGA Representative
Two new committees have been added for the current year: Recruitment (Madison Taylor) and Professional Development (Darya Romashets). Other committee chairs are Kelvin Egar (SOAR), Raylee Goodspeed (Community Service) and Sinji Sharma (International Service).
David hopes that Rotary keeps in contact with Rotaract members who have graduated from college. Input from members would be helpful as these graduates move into their professional world. Rotarians are welcome to attend Rotaract meetings.
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Link to the Zoom page which includes this and all the recorded meetings for January- March 2021.
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Come join us to work together on our annual Layette Project for the women and infants in Nicaragua! We will get together on 
A real spotlight was on Rotarian Kathryn Fuller last Friday when she and partner Mark Petkovsek won the grand prize at the Junior League of Beaumont's Dancing with the Stars! Way to go, Kathryn!
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