Stories

September 14, 2019

6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Knights of Columbus Hall

110 N Line Street

Palestine, Texas

 

 

 

 

The Palestine Rotary Club gives a dictionary to every 3rd grader in Anderson County. 

Did you know you can watch meetings and makeup meetings via facebook?

 

To makeup:  Visit the facebook page and watch meeting video as your makeup.  Then email the Club Secretary that you watched the meeting so you receive credit. Voila, done!

 

As usual the club is up to some fun with temporary magnets sporting on members vehicles.  The magnets will rotate on member vehicles to bring some publicity to Rotary in our community.

We are so proud that our very own Rhonda Herrington has been sworn in as the District Governor! Congratulations Rhonda! We are so proud of you!

Teams from Anderson County High Schools competed for bragging rights at the 2017 Academic Olympics!

 

Congratulations to 1st Place Winner - Palestine High School!

Clara Moellers has been a joy to our club and we will miss her dearly! Have a safe trip home to Germany!

 

Great job everyone!

Congratulations to Santiago and Valerie for your hard work and great school attendance! They won these bikes for having great attendance at Northside Primary!  This is a new project started in 2016 and spearheaded by Jordan Byrd to raise school attendance rates. These kids were SO excited to get their bikes and cool helmets! Great job, kids!

Thank you to all the Rotarians that came out to lend a hand! See pics below:

 

 

We are giving a dictionary to every third grader in Elkhart and we need your help!

When: 10/12/16 @ 2:00pm
Where: Elkhart Elementary School

This is the first year of this project, which offers a prize of 2 bikes and a matching cool helmet (1 boy and 1 girl) for the 2 students with the best attendance at Northside Primary School in Palestine.

 

Rotarians Jordan Byrd and Lisa Priest pose for a picture after hanging the Rotary Banner.  Thanks to Jordan Byrd for creating this project!

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Susan for an Excellent Year! We enjoyed you as our President!

The new Board of Directors was sworn in for the 2016-17 year.

Alex Hardy and Angela Howell presented their classification talks to the club.  

Ron Strominger gave an interesting talk on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Ron actively participates in an educational group to bring the story to school children.

Rotarian Kurt Herrington rose to the challenge when a call for help came from Service Director Jordan Byrd.  Kurt rounded up friends from work and assisted with the disaster relief efforts on Timber Drive.  Thanks for living the Rotary Motto "Service Above Self".  Pictured l-r: Kurt Herrington, Larry Trahan, Hunter Warren and Jason Chaffins. 

 

Dr. Rodney H. Mabry, President of the University of Texas at Tyler was our guest speaker.  He is shown visiting with UT Tyler supporter David Barnard.

CPA Frank Campos told us about his life and career during his classification talk.  

The Reverend Lynn Willhite spoke to the club about "We Care - Palestine".  The group hopes to build relationships for the betterment of Palestine. 

Past District Governor Hugh Summers gave a fun and informative Classification Talk.  His talk revealed his journey through Rotary and his family life.  Hugh has been a vibrant and committed Rotarian since 1973.  Thank you Hugh for your service to Rotary!

Sharon Grizzles presents Jessica Jones with her New Member packet. Welcome Jessica!

Youth Exchange Student Pauline De Fonseca enjoyed a visit with her family and friends at Rotary.  Pauline has returned to France following several months as our Youth Exchange Student.

The Rev. Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr. has been senior minister at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, an iconic edifice located immediately south of downtown Tulsa, since August 1980. During his tenure, the church has added more than 8,000 new members. Its endowment has grown from $200,000 to $26 million, and his weekly Sunday television broadcast at 11 a.m. on Tulsa’s ABC-affiliate is the most watched program in its time slot.  This native Texan is a graduate of Centenary College of Louisiana and he holds a Master of Theology degree from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; a Doctor of Divinity from Texas Wesleyan University; and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Oklahoma City University.  Dr. Biggs spoke recently at Presidents Elect Training (PETS) in Dallas and DGN Rhonda Herrington was inspired by his speech and purchased a copy to share with the club. 

Rotarian and author Jack Selden discussed the history of the Parker family.  Jack was recently honored at the Texas Collection which is housed at Baylor Campus.  He spent over 40 years documenting and collecting material on the history of Elder John Parker.  Jack donated thousands of documents and records on the Parker family some dating back to the 1700s.

Young minds are the future and we were so proud of the students who demonstrated their clever robotic designs at our weekly meeting.  The students will compete with their robot devices for national honors soon.  This year's theme is a basketball challenge.  Good luck Palestine ISD!

Rotarians #1 goal is eliminating Polio and the Palestine Club is doing it's part.  President Susan Harris accepted a recognition award from District Foundation Chairman Roger McCabe for the 2014-2015 Rotary year under the leadership of Mark Davis.  Also shown (L-R) are Governor Doris Locke and Immediate Past District Governor Don Taylor. 

Rotarians braved the cold Saturday morning to give a facelift to the Washington Elementary playground equipment.  Thanks to all our Rotarians who exhibited the Service Above Self spirit!

The Rotary Club of Palestine proudly accepted the Rotary District 5910 3rd Place Honor for Foundation Fundraising in the 2014-2015 under the leadership of President Mark Davis.  Representing our club at the Mid-Year meeting were: (l-r) Greg Laudadio, Carol Herrington, Kristin Steely, President Susan Harris, Past District Governor Hugh Summers.  Not pictured: Lee Ann Martine and Governor Nominee Rhonda Herrington. 

Following a heartfelt introduction by Jack Selden, Rotarian Mike Davis shared his classification talk.  Mike is an attorney and has served our country in the U.S. Air Force.  He and wife Sandy are actively involved in the community and have three children. 

Our club enjoyed an opportunity to hear about one of our newest members Kristin Steely. She has a desire to help others and is a former 911 dispatcher.  She teaches life skills at Elkhart High School and is also the Rotary Interact sponsor.  Her husband Chad is an EMS Medic and the couple have two sons Camden and Ashton.

Student guests for November were l-r: Oakwood, Malane Dorn (PHS), Jamie Dugger (Westwood), Madison Dunn (Oakwood), Maggie Williams (Elkhart), paige Huff (Elkhart), Abigail Balogun (Westwood) and Callum Parkes (Palestine).

Our club was proud to honor local Veteran guests and club member veterans for the Veteran's Day Program.  We heard briefly from three area Veterans and then President Susan asked each veteran to stand and share how many years he/she served and in what branch of the military.  Great program and we are so grateful for the sacrifices of the honorable men and women!

Rotarian Carol Herrington honored her husband and Veteran Albert with a Paul Harris Fellow.  Albert has contributed many hours in support of our club and the honor is well deserved.

 

 

 

President Susan Harris and Sponsor Jordan Byrd welcome Matthew Bentley to Rotary.  Matthew is the District Director for State Representative Byron Cook.

Heather Calhoun is one of our newest members and presented an interesting classification talk.  Heather is a hometown girl and a young entrepreneur.  She owns O Sweet Pea, a children's clothing store.  Heather has led several civic organizations and is married to Cameron Calhoun.  The couple have three children.  

Greg Lindsay accepts his Paul Harris Fellow certificate from President Susan.  Greg has been an enthusiastic participant in club activities and a welcome addition to our club.

 Chef Christian Mallioux presented an interesting classification talk to the club.  Christian has created his culinary delights for several high profile establishments and for famous personalities.  He and his wife Dawn own and operate Red Fire Grille located in The Redlands building.  

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Rotarians tested their painting skills to spruce up a couple of rooms at the Palestine YMCA.  Thanks to our Rotarians engaged in Service Above Self!

Rotarian and Palestine ISD Superintendent Jason Marshall provided club members with an overview of the Palestine ISD.  Shown with Jason is Honorary Rotarian Rosemary Miller.

Wendy Grantz discussed health services available in our area for those struggling with behavioral issues.  

Palestine High School Boys Athletic Director Robby Clark discussed the upcoming gridiron season as well as other sports events.  Joining him to represent PHS were members of the PHS band, Cheerleaders and various sports.  Assistant Superintendent Suzie Eiben introduced Robby.

Christi Watkins presented a program on genetic genealogy.  President Susan presents her with a book to sign for our literacy project.

President Susan presents Greg Laudadio with his Paul Harris Fellow pin and certificate.  Congratulations Greg and thank you for your service to The Rotary Club of Palestine and our community.

Jean Mollard gave an interesting account of the the historical Redlands building purchased in 1976 by Jean and her late husband Norman.  The structure (built in 1914) was once the premier hotel in Palestine.  It was occupied by the railroad for offices and has been utilized for other purposes throughout the years. Currently it serves Palestine with corporate and extended stay apartments.  Visit the website for more information http://www.redlandshistoricinn.com/

Mike Thomason accepts his 20 year perfect attendance certificate from Past President Mark Davis.  Mike is a Past President of our club.  Congratulations Mike!

Governor Doris Lockey made her first official visit to our club and relayed our RI President's message "Be a Gift to the World".  Doris stated we each have gifts and abilities to help improve the quality of life for people around the world.  She also encouraged all Rotarians to review the latest discounts available to Rotarians at www.rotary.org through a new offering called Rotary Global Rewards.  Doris and her husband Wallace reside in Lake Conroe.  

New Rotarian and Camp Bette Perot Director Cindy Piersol presented our weekly program.  Camp Bette Perot is located 100 miles southeast of the Dallas area in beautiful East Texas between Palestine and Athens. Girls stay in cabin units of up to 32 girls, platform tents of up to 24 girls or in a lodge of up to 20 girls. Camp Bette Perot is home to our award-winning Equestrian Program with a large riding arena and diverse riding trails. Camp program facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, extensive nature study sites, a sports/ game field, archery range, ropes course and climbing wall.Camp facilities include the uniquely-designed Treehouse unit, three units made up of five cabins each and a platform tent unit located near the ropes course. Laird West Lodge is designed as an all-inclusive unit with bathroom facilities and program room inside. There are also two beautiful log cabins used for administration, programming and activities. The Hilltop Dining Lodge is a high-capacity dining area used for all campers and staff which includes a large indoor fireplace and glass windows for a spectacular view of the property. The Health Lodge is equipped with an emergency treatment room, three individual rooms and a ward.

Real men do wear heels or so it seems.  Rotarian Greg Taylor (aka Anderson County Sheriff Taylor) donned pink high heels to support a fundraiser for the Crisis Center of Anderson and Cherokee county.  Pictured with Gregg is Crisis Center Executive Director Don Hammock.  Don discussed services provided by the Crisis Center such as forensic interviews, counseling, victim advocacy, housing at safe house locations, community education and training and case management.   He stated, "47% of the Anderson/Cherokee county population is impacted by domestic violence".  For more information on the Crisis Center go to www.mycrisiscenter.com.  

Jake Mienk, Publisher of The Palestine Herald Press presented historical information about the Herald Press.  He also discussed changes in the way news items are covered.  He stated "More people are reading the paper than ever before".  President Mark Davis presents Jake with a book for him to sign on behalf of our Literacy program.

Michael Gorby accepts a Sponsorship pin from President Mark Davis for bringing in new member Tara Younk.  

Ron and Lisa Safford recently returned from Verona, Italy where the couple have restored a rental apartment.  Ron is shown presenting a banner from the local Rotary club in Verona which is Lisa's childhood home. Definitely La Dolce Vita "the good life".   

L-R: Rotarian Brenda Beazley presents her Mother Patsy Bush with a Paul Harris Fellow.  Like her daughter, Patsy has been actively involved in community organizations for many years.  Congratulations Patsy!

 

Elkhart ISD Interact Club members are giving back to the community by collecting food for those in need.  We are proud to call them Junior Rotarians!

Palestine Police Interim Chief Mike Alexander shared his vision and challenges for keeping Palestine streets safe.  President Mark is pictured with Mike and the book which will be donated to the Palestine Public Library.

Approximately 125 Westwood 2nd graders enjoyed a field trip to The Rotary Club of Palestine's Safety Town.  Areas of safety education included seatbelt, bike and traffic, electrical, railroad, fire and stranger danger.  The kids had a great time and a big shout out to all of our safety educators and Rotarian assistants for making this event special for our kids. 

Mike Berger shared the importance of eradicating Polio in the last endemic countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.  Cases are up from last year as Rotarians continue to administer Polio drops in war torn areas.  Mike traveled to India on a National Immunization Day where he witnessed the poverty and unsanitary conditions faced each day by millions of children.  Mike is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Lake Conroe and also serves as District 5910 Polio Plus Chairman.  

Service Director Jordan Byrd and Fellow Rotarians delivered dictionaries to Frankston 3rd graders who responded with cheers and appreciation.  The dictionary project has been highly successful for our club and has touched thousands of children since the project was implemented.  Thanks to Jordan and those who volunteered their time to assist.

 

Fabulous Fund-Raiser - and so e-a-s-y!

Everyone loves goodies so why not give the gift of of a delicious Eilenberger's cake to friends and family and help our Rotary club.  Your order (see order form on the front page under "Downloads" and please make checks out to "Rotary Club of Palestine" and give check to Brenda Beazley.

 

Cakes will be delivered to Rotary on Dec. 10th for you to pick up and deliver to those who ordered from you.  Shipment if needed can still be handled at that time. Shipment is $10.99 to any address in the world. (For Texas addresses you can probably mail yourself at a lower cost).  Contact Sharon Grizzle if you need cakes prior to Dec. 10th. Any "early delivery" must go through Sharon.  903-731-3788.

 

Let's support the club by purchasing these yummy cakes.  It's a WIN WIN!

Rotarian Carol Herrington presented an overview of the Palestine Rotary club website and how to navigate the system.  Carol currently serves as  Club Secretary and Assistant Governor for Rotary District 5910.  She is highly knowledgeable about many areas of Rotary and kindly shares her expertise to help others.  President Mark Davis presents a speaker book to be donated to the Palestine Public Library on behalf of our Literacy program.  

We are pleased to add Bill Kapela to our Rotary family.  Bill's classification is Medical, Physician's Assistant and is employed at Magnolia Healthcare.  Pictured l-r: Bill Kapela and Greg Laudadio.

President Mark Davis welcomes our speaker Susan Stutts.  

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We are proud to announce Rotarians Jason Marshall and Rhonda Herrington took home top honors at the Palestine Chamber of Commerce Banquet.  Rhonda was named Volunteer of the Year for her many accomplishments and Jason was named Citizen of the Year.  Both have shown outstanding commitment to educational and community activities.

Library Director Theresa Holden accepts a book from President Mark.  Our weekly speaker signs a book which is donated to the Palestine Public Library in honor of our Literacy program.

President Mark Davis congratulates our newest Rotarian Alexandria "Alex" Hardy.  Alex is the Office Manager at KYYK Radio.   Alex was sponsored by Angela Drew shown pinning her with the emblem pin of Rotary International. 

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Lucy (Sharon Grizzle) and Ethel (Carol Herrington) put some pizazz into announcing our Rotary Club Fundraiser at the Membership/Foundation meeting on Sept. 20th. Orders will be taken for three varieties of World Famous Eilenberger Bakery cakes.  Eilenberger Bakery has been in Palestine Texas for 116 years.  Delicious Australian Apricot, Texas Pecan and Fruit Cake are available for purchase and 25% of the sale will be donated to the club!  What a great way to say Happy Holidays to your customers and friends.  For questions or order forms contact Sharon Grizzle at 903-731-3788.