After what anyone would consider to be a most disastrous year for Southeast Texas, we welcome Chris Hebert as our speaker this week to share insight and important information about the weather forecast and the looming 2018 hurricane season for the Gulf Coast area.
Chris will escort Rotarians on a journey to take a look back at what factors caused the terrible event known as "Harvey." He will then tell us what can be expected as the forecast for the 2018 hurricane season. Be among the first to know in Beaumont! Be at Rotary on Wednesday!
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Head Table for May 2
Invocation:
Tony Clark
Rector
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Pledges to USA & Texas Flags:
Bailey Wingate
Attorney
Wingate Law, PLLC
Introduction of Guests:
Cindy Jeanis
Special Projects Coordinator
Beaumont Police Department
Rotarian of the Day:
Dan Jeans
Executive Director
The H.O.W. Center
Introduction of Guest Speaker:
Vernon Pierce
Retired
Would you like to take part in the weekly meetings in a more active role? Don't wait to be asked. Volunteer for one of the weekly assignments! Choose your role and a date that is convenient. Contact Barry Bryant at 409-656-4108 or bbryant@billclarkbugsperts.com.
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CALENDAR OF ROTARY EVENTS
(Club events & opportunities for meeting makeups)
MAY
5-6
Spindletop Soap Box Derby Pit Crew preparing and serving breakfast and lunch for Derby workers 7:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
5
Quarterly Service Project; 8:00 a.m. at the South Park Community Garden located at the corner of Jimmy Simmons Boulevard and Vermont Street
22
Board of Directors meeting, 11:45 a.m., Art Museum of Southeast Texas
28
Flag Distribution for Memorial Day; 5:00 a.m., Dishman Scout Office on Cardinal Drive at Fannett Road
31
Rotary After Hours, 5:30-7:00 p.m.; Beaumont Childrens Museum
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BOARD ACTION
In recent action, the Board accepted a resignation, with regret, from Alice Teeler who is now working in Orange.
The new member proposals listed below have received Board approval and were announced to the membership:
John Bullard, Attorney/Partner, Orgain Bell and Tucker
Classification: "Law - Civil Law"
Proposed by Chad Mason
David E. James, Partner, Clark Hill Strasburger
Classification: "Law - Admiralty and Energy"
Proposed by Marianne Laine
The Board also welcomes back a returning member:
Lloyd Arnold, Jr., Business Development, Armour General Contractors
Classification: "Construction Industry - Business Development"
Proposed by Gene Arnold
If you have an objection to these proposals, please provide the board with the reason for your objection in writing. Thank you.
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WE DID IT! WE REACHED AND EXCEEDED 40%!
All members who submitted a survey response and added his/her name to the reply are entered in the drawing for an awesome prize of a $100 gift certificate to Debb's Liquor. Huge thanks to Craig Escamilla for underwriting the cost of this enticement which certainly worked to get people to respond.
We will, however, not reject your answers to the questionnaire if they arrive after April 30. We still would like to hear from every member about why you became a Rotarian and about why you choose to stay in the club.
Is it the many opportunities for service?
Is it the interesting speakers?
Is it the opportunity to network with other community leaders?
Is it because of the many friendships?
Is it for some other reason?
If you didn't complete a survey yet, please complete the online version which you will find accessible through this LINK.
Questions? Call the office at 409-842-1913.
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The South Park Community Garden is an initiative by Lamar University and the Greater South Park Neighborhoods Partnership to provide access to gardening space, training and nutritious food for local residents and students. The garden has been steadily growing - literally - and is now in need of fruit trees.
For our Quarterly Service project, Rotarians will plant satsuma, peach, blackberry, blueberry, fig, loquat, and grapefruit trees in the garden on Saturday morning. Chair Mahdi Safa invites you to come help and make a great addition to the garden to help the community.
Bring shovels, gloves, and sunscreen; wear a hat and shirt to protect yourself from harmful rays.
Date: 05/05/2018 (Sat.)
Time: 8:00am - 12:00pm
Location: At the corner of Jimmy Simmons Boulevard and Vermont Street
Want to enjoy a great morning enjoying the beautiful weather? We've got the perfect opportunity for you to do that while you provide a great service! The Rotary Club of Beaumont has traditionally helped the Spindletop Rotary Club by providing food and beverages to the members of their club as they hold the annual Soap Box Derby.
Allan Higgins, Chair of this year's Pit Crew, is asking you to come out and enjoy providing a real service to fellow Rotarians in the Spindletop Club on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6. There are enough people ready to work in the early morning hours to serve breakfast, but we still need a few more volunteers for the lunch shifts.
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 and support.
Rob Glassey
Jay Johnson
Roger McCabe
Michael Wolf
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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PROGRAM REVIEW
April 25, 2018
"Prisoner Reentry: Reducing Recidivism in Southeast Texas"
John B. Ross
Assistant United States Attorney
Eastern District of Texas
by Chuck Heare
John Ross, Assistant US Attorney of the Eastern District of Texas, currently serves as the Prevention and Reentry Coordinator for the district. He has been a prosecutor in this area for 23 years. He indicated that we are tough on crime in this area, that we have a "lock 'em up and throw away the key mentality." The truth is that 97% of prisoners will be released at some point, and one half to two thirds of offenders reenter the system within three years of their release at an annual cost to the taxpayer of approximately $20,000 per offender.
In 1980, there were roughly 319,000 prisoners in the US Corrections System. By 2015, that number had grown to just over 1.5 million. One of the contributing factors to the growth in the US prison system is that so many of the offenders have such a hard time staying out of the prison system. With a conviction on their record, they often face extreme difficulty finding a job to support themselves when they get out. Most employers are understandably hesitant to hire someone with a record, and a felony conviction prevents them from obtaining just about any kind of professional license. Most of them end up committing another criminal act purely out of desperation.
Mr. Ross then showed a short film clip featuring Texas Coffee Company and McLeod Machine Works, two local businesses that have successfully hired people from the prison system. These companies have hired a number of ex-offenders to fill simple, low- responsibility jobs while they earn the trust of their employers. When promoted to positions of greater responsibility, these men and women have proved to be hard working employees, and they have shown both gratitude and loyalty to the companies that gave them a chance to start over.
Mr. Ross encouraged those of us who own businesses to at least consider following the lead of these two companies and give these people a second chance.
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