Rotary Recap 4.16.2014

 
We had 55% attendance this week. Who knew that a Business Meeting could attract so much attention!
 
We were also lucky enough to have a surprise guest who turned out to be an excellent choice for a speaker and we will hear from him again. Rotarian Robert Thompson from the Gardner Club talked to us about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. He is currently looking for host families for the eight (yeah...8!) exchange students who will be in Kansas during the 2014-15 school year, starting in August. Some highlights from his brief overview of the program include:
 
  • Students get to pick which country they want to visit
  • They must be between 15 and a half and 18 and a half when they leave
  • High school juniors are the most common students who participate
  • Students can go during their "gap year" - the year between high school and college - as long as they are 18 and a half when they leave
  • The program aims for a 1-1 exchange - for every student who comes from Austria, one student from here should go to Austria
  • The cost of being a host is primarily the day-to-day living expenses for the student
  • District 5710 requires a flat fee of $5K for our students who want to participate
  • Individual clubs often subsidize some expenses for the students
  • Scholarships are available
  • The prep work and application process start the September prior to the traveling year (you go in August 2015, you get accepted and start the process in September 2014)
Business Meeting
  • Detroit Shelley will take photos of the different City signs and will look on-line so we can finalize the verbiage for the signs at the volleyball court and Ron Weers Park
  • TimberCreek's Scott would like us to put the Rotary sign on the building for better visibility
  • Our June 11 Rotary meeting will coincide with the Annual Chamber Luncheon. We will welcome Jim McGraw, the former COO of Marion Laboratories and long-time friend of Ewing Kauffman
  • Welcome Lenni Giacin, our newest Rotarian - she is the advertising rep for the Louisburg Herald 
  • The Rotary Golf Tournament - our only fundraiser and source of income - is scheduled for Monday, July 14. We need help calling and securing sponsors - contact Julie or Kiersten if you can help
  • Our Spring Social will be at ReMAX on Wednesday, April 30 - Gayle ordered the wine already
  • We have three Louisburg High School students who will attend RYLA the first week of June - Katie Reece, Brooklyn Southard & Hogan Welch
In Other News: 
  • Please keep Jack Kline in your thoughts and prayers as his son Conor is in an Omaha hospital with a severe respiratory infection
It was a Happy Do$$ar Day @ your Louisburg Rotary Club
  • George gave $2 in honor of his 50-year-old brother-in-law who's wife just had twins
  • Craig sold his house - and needs a place to stay, as the plans for the house he is building have not been finalized
  • Doc Hollywood was not that happy, but gave $1 anyway
  • Andy visited his parents for the first time in a year and a half
  • Janet gave four quarters in honor of April 16 - tax time is OVER
  • Sue is just glad she's not having twins
  • Anna found $1 and paid it forward
  • Sandy is excited that the First Christian Church renovation is progressing nicely. After Easter, walls will be coming down
  • Don is happy that his '65 convertible Mustang survived his grandson's senior prom
  • Dennis gave a happy dollar just to keep Craig from telling a story about him - hmmmmmmm - someone else should have paid $2 just so we could hear it!
  • Craig fined poor Kiersten for her father's flatulent ways - Tom stunk up the section at Opening Day and a random woman approached him to say, "There's seriously something wrong with you. Please go see a doctor"