November 19, 2004

Posted November 23, 2004

 

IN GEAR—November 19—Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, “Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella”, “Good King Wenceslas”, and “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” were among the seasonal musical treats provided by Paul Harris Fellow Joy Menius.  When President Mary Joan Pugh rang the gong applause burst out for Joy.  After Rotarians greeted one another and after the Pledge of Allegiance, Jim Culberson, Chair of the Great Study Exchange Committee, gave the invocation.  Quoting from the hymn “O God Our Help In Ages Past Our Hope For Years To Come” Jim asked God to help us bring healing to the world as well as “peace and hope for all generations.” 

            Jaci Betts stood in as Sergeant At Arms.  She introduced Stacey Walker as her guest.  Stacey is our club’s GSE delegate to Germany in the spring.  From the Randolph Club we welcomed Tom Pugh and Michael Trogdon.  Candy Rudzinski introduced our student guests. Brooke Newton and Deric Briles are from Southwestern Randolph High School.  Sarah Buck and Josh Luria are from Asheboro High School.  Brooke, 17, is a cheerleader; she is in Beta Club, SGA and NTHS.  She plans to attend either Appalachian or UNC-Wilmington to major in radiology.  Deric is on the football team; he participates in Beta Club, FCA, and is a member of the Science Hill Friends Youth Group.  He plans to major in construction at either Appalachian or NC State.  We are grateful to Susan Yow for escorting the SWRHS students.

            Sarah, a senior, is in Part Street Players, Mock Trial, Scientific Society, and the woodwind quintet playing flute.  She is also in the swing dance club.  Sarah has been accepted at Campbell University and plans to major in psychology and go on to Law School there.  Josh, too, is in Park Street Players and Mock Trial.  He participates in triathlons and tutors peers in physics and chemistry.  He loves music.  Josh recently interviewed at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

            President Mary Joan welcomed Lonnie Keogh back.  She also brought to our attention that Tyler Lisk, community leader and friend, was a Paul Harris Fellow.  Mary Joan congratulated Linda Cranford on her becoming President of the North Carolina School Board Association.

            BELL RINGING TIME!  Our day is December 4; our location is Wal-Mart.  Sign up sheet at the rear.  If too few sign up, Mary Joan threatened to unleash John Revell to assign at will—better go peaceably.  One more chance to sign up!

            If you have perfect attendance for the last two years, please tell Maxton McDowell or Alice Dawson .  FOUR-WAY TEST! Next meeting (December 3—no meeting November 26), attendance awards will be given.

            Peggy Morrison reported that there are now five donations of vacation homes for our fundraising event, but ten are needed.  She too hinted at coercion if necessary.

            Lunch Buddies.  This program is now active.  Jerry Hill has details.  Having lunch (or some other activity) with a student, once a month is good for you and the child.  Talk to Jerry.

            Happy Birthday!   Neal Griffin, Brenda Holbrook, Robin Johnston, Talmadge Baker, Jim Culberson, and Tom Murphy.

            Green talk: Big Sweep—our Rotary Community project-set records with 109 participants and 4200 pounds of trash picked up.

            Rotary Fact: You may have noticed the absence of Ed Clayton, Prithvi Hanspal, Carole Gilliam, Kathy Homiller, and Rebecca Redding today.  They are at the Rotary Leadership Training Seminar.

            Annual Rotary Foundation Contributions are due now.  $100 per member per year, as well you know.  Pony up, ladies and gentlemen.  Checks should be made to Asheboro Rotary Foundation and handed to PDG Wilbert Hancock at the rear table.

            The program today was brought to us by the Group Study Exchange Committee, Jim Culberson, Chair.  Jamie Stitt introduced the speaker, his colleague and friend Dr. Rick Schneid.  Rick is a native of Brooklyn, New York, but he moved to Indiana and Jamie assured us that meant he knew about farms and agriculture.  With degrees from Sydney-Binghamton and Purdue, Dr. Schneid is a history professor at High Point University.  He is in charge of the honors program and responsible for most of the European history courses.  His area of concentration is the Napoleonic era.  His latest book is “Napoleon’s Conquest of Europe”.

            Rick’s purpose in speaking is to give us an idea of the “national mind” of the guests we will meet in spring ’05 when the GSE team from the Cologne area of Germany will visit our homes, our club and our area.

            Rick stressed regional pride.  Before Germany became a unified territory, it was made of perhaps a thousand states.  Founded by the Romans (and called Colonia or colony) in the first century AD, Cologne is one of Germany’s premier cities.  Early on it was an archbishopric that, with six other electorates, had the power to elect the Emperor of Germany.  It was a center of culture, art and literature.  And Cologne remains influential in modern times.  In the post-World War II era, Cologne provided leadership in the person of Mayor Konrad Adenauer that proved pivotal in the reunification of Germany.

            Germans struggle with their history, Rick said.  It has taken frank and open discussion about their historical role, their tragedies and successes to forge the modern German state.  A parliamentary form of government is in effect with two main parties the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the German Socialist Party (SPD).  History and politics are intertwined in the reunification of Germany at the end of the Cold War.

            Problems include an imbalance in the industrial preparedness of East Germany (late under Communist control) and the heavily industrialized West, social inequities created by the immigration of millions of workers from Turkey, North Africa, and other countries, and economic troubles wrought by the inability of the East to pay their share of reunification costs.  Plus, in contemporary Germany there is an enormous pacifist movement (composed mostly of SPD members) in reaction to horrors perpetrated and experienced during WWII.  Also there is an increase of fascist and neo-fascist activity (any activity in imitation of Nazism is illegal by constitutional law). 

            Dr. Schneid answered questions and President Mary Joan thanked him for a very informative program. She presented him with a pen made of recycled materials and, then, adjourned the meeting.

Written by Philip Shore

November 12, 2004

Posted November 16, 2004

 

IN GEAR—November 12—A Reminder.  The day before our meeting was Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day.  It signaled the end of World War I.  Truce was called in the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. In the year 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day, in order to include all of our war time veterans..   The date, 11/11, remains unchanged.

For the program today, our speaker, also our newest member, was Owen George.  If memory serves us correctly, he is a second generation Rotarian.  He had the thought that it is again time for us to select a  Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from here.. This thought was woven through his talk and came to light several times.   Owen probably knows more about this program than any of us because he is the only one of us who has been a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.  Perhaps we can take his advice.  Undoubtedly, his Rotary based studies and travels had much to do with making his thinking today global and his selection of residences very international.  Today, he is Director of Community Relations for Randolph Partnership for Children and he lives in Asheboro (which became rather international prior to Owen’s return).

Owen did his work at the University of the Andes in Bogata.  He won his scholarship in a competition and apparently had an edge due to his being multi-lingual.  Colombia is one of the most beautiful nations in South America, but it has a most unstable political situation.  Because of his interest in political science, he studied this country’s political makeup while he was there.  By his count there were four revolutionary groups who stood ready to take shots at anyone leaving the city by auto.  The citizens protected themselves by driving in heavily armed convoys if they left Bogata.

If we want to get another local Rotary Ambassador, the time to be thinking about it is now. If any of our members connected with the school system hear of good prospects for the scholarship, it is predictable that Jaci Betts would like to hear from you.

PDG Wilbert Hancock spoke about the Rotary Foundation’s goals for this year.  He requested $100 from each member and, with newer members becoming Paul Harris Fellows, our average of giving would be figured at about $200 per member.  Wilbert encouraged us to become sustaining members and Bequest Society members.

 

We had four student guests today.  Meredith Trudgeon and Ryan Vanhoy came from Asheboro High School.  Merideth has many outside activities in volunteering, and  at school she is in the National Honor  Society.  Ryan is a cross country runner and also runs Indoor and Outdoor Track. He is in the Latin Club, FCA, and the Marching Band.

From Southwestern Randolph, we had Brook Key and Robyn Thomas..   At school, Brooke is active in sports and is in the Beta Club.  She intends to become a teacher and coach.  Robyn  is in the Beta Club, HOSA Club and Spanish Club.  She has her sights set on being a Registered Nurse.  They were accompanied to the meeting by Southwestern teacher, Susan Yow.

Jeremy Garkalns and Tripp Thomas were guests of their Rotarian Fathers.  Bob Foley and Derrick Grantham were guests of the club.  Bob Foley has arranged to have the Harlem Legends come to town on December 9^th and 10^th in connection with the Boys and Girls Club clinic.  The Legends are the “old timers” who played with Meadowlark Lemon, et al. 

 

Lisa Crawford and Mike Berkowitz were guests of John O. Toledano.  They represented the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.

Member Don Durham is home after surgery.  You may want to send him a card.

Written by Kemp Foster

November 5, 2004

Posted November 9, 2004

 

IN GEAR—November 5— Rotarians and guests gathered at AVS on a crisp autumn day. While they enjoyed lunch, Joy Menius entertained us with a wide range of selections on the piano including Days of Wine and Roses and The Pink Panther theme, among others. President Mary Joan Pugh then called the meeting to order and asked us to stand and greet someone we had not spoke to. After the Pledge of Allegiance, Carol Matney gave the invocation.

President Mary Joan then called on Carole Gilliam to introduce our guests – Jamie Elliott, husband of one of our speakers for the day, Catherine Cranford Elliott, with Sam Cranford; visiting Rotarians Tom Pugh and Michael Trogdon from the Randolph Club.

John Toledano introduced student guests from AHS. Austin Spencer is the son of Rick and Clarissa Spencer and has lived in Asheboro all his life. He has a sister, Erica. Austin’s activities include golf, Honor Society, Spanish Club, NC Teenage Republicans Club, Key Club, FCA and SAVE Club. He is also an Eagle Scout. He plans to attend college after graduating, most likely at UNC-Chapel Hill. Rodney Scearce is the son of Lauren Purkerson and Steve Scearce. He has lived in Asheboro all his life. He has a sister, Marlee Purkerson. His activities include varsity soccer, cross-country, SAVE Club, Spanish Club and FLA. He plans to attend either Wake Forest of UNC-Chapel Hill, major in biology and go to medical school.

President Mary Joan had the following announcements: 1) John Revell’s Community Involvement Committee informs us that our bell ringing day for The Salvation Army is December 4 from 9:00 a.m. ‘til 9:00 p.m. at Wal-Mart. 2) Go directly to NCZoo.org and vote for our NC Zoo to be America’s Favorite Zoo. 3) Philip Shore wants the club to be aware of the stage play Nunsense, which will be featured at the Sunset Theater Friday night, Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m., next Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. 4) There will be no meeting on November 26, the Friday after Thanksgiving. 5) Program next week – The Rotary Foundation Committee will present an Ambassadorial Scholar. 6) Program November 19 – GSE will present an expert on Germany, so we can get ready for a visit from team members from Germany. 7) The Foundation Banquet will be held on November 11. The Rotary Leadership Seminar will be held on November 19.

President Mary Joan’s green thought for the day involves food. Bring you lunch in a re-usable container, rather than paper or plastic. She wished Bob Morrison a Happy Birthday. (One of Peggy’s birthdays will be next week – and the next.)

President Mary Joan called on Mike Freeland to give the report of the club nominating committee. He announced the following slate of officers for 2005-2006: President – Ed Clayton; Vice President – Mary Joan Pugh; Secretary – Prithvi Hanspal; Treasurer – Carole Gilliam; Exec. Secretary – Alice Dawson; Asst. Treasurer – Talmadge Baker; Sergeant-at-Arms – Kathy Homiller and Directors Elizabeth Cox, Rodney Mason, Rebecca Redding and Cooper Thornton. Election of officers will be held the first meeting in December.

         President Mary Joan announced that today’s club meeting is a Club Assembly and that committee members had been assigned to specific tables so that committee business might be transacted. She introduced Tim Womick, who is with Trees Asheboro. Our club recently voted to give $2,000.00 to Asheboro Trees for a project of landscaping at the intersection of Dixie Drive and Zoo Parkway. Tim explained that project as well as some others that his organization is involved in. He told us of plans for the Mayor’s grove at the North Asheboro Park. This project will honor mayors of Asheboro by naming trees after them. The result will be an arboretum that will give citizens an opportunity to see many different species of trees in one location. At the conclusion of Tim’s presentation, President Mary Joan presented him with a check for $2,000.00 for the Zoo Parkway Project.

District Conference Chair Carol Matney announced that the 2005 District Conference will be held April 28-May 1 in Charleston, SC. She presented a special guest, Catherine Cranford Elliott. Catherine is the daughter of Rotarians Sam and Linda and niece of Rotarian Vee Knott. After receiving a degree from Converse, she is working on a Master’s degree in Fine Arts with concentration in Interior design. Catherine and her husband, Jamie, live in Charleston.

Catherine acknowledged her computer operator, Sam. She says that we are coming to Charleston at the perfect time of year. She outlined the historic sites, the many churches, the oldest college – The College of Charleston and The Citadel – oldest military college. She mentioned the waterfront park, the High Battery, the Old Slave Market and St. Philip’s and St. Michael’s churches with their historic cemeteries. She told us of places to eat and drink, house tours, carriage tours and art galleries. Her presentation certainly caused all our Rotarians to want attend the conference. Catherine should work for the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. As a matter of fact, she could be the Chamber of Commerce. Philip Shore, who has planning responsibility for the conference announce that there would be adequate time for Rotarians and spouses to experience the places that Catherine mentioned. He said all meetings would be over by noon.

President Mary Joan presented pens made from recycled wood to our two speakers of the day and adjourned the meeting.

Written by Allen Holt

October 29, 2004

Posted November 2, 2004

 

IN GEAR—October 29—The last meeting before Election Day began with an AVS meal that featured meat loaf and chicken with green beans, fried zucchini, pinto beans, salad and spice cake.  Conversation at this reporter’s table centered on the advantages of Dell Computer locating a manufacturing plant in the Triad.  Elizabeth Cox was back with the fellowship!  Joy Menius played entertaining tunes including “The Man I Love”.

            Greetings were exchanged by Rotarians after President Mary Joan Pugh gonged the bell.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and David Roudabush raised an invocation thanking God for His patience and love for us.

Sergeant-at-Arms Carole Gilliam welcomed guests.  Josh Schwartz was the guest of Jamie Stitt.  Joe Snell came with Ed Clayton.  Rose Patterson attended with Hassell.  And Tom Pugh represented Randolph Rotary Club.  Stacey Walker was introduced as a member of the GSE team that will visit Germany next spring.

President Mary Joan expressed the regrets of Rotarians for the death of Jim Allen, a Paul Harris Fellow who was a longtime member of Asheboro Kiwanis Club.  Jim Culberson was congratulated for his recent election to the North Carolina Bankers Hall of Fame.  Robin Johnston reminded members of the celebration on October 30 of the 25^th Anniversary of RCC Foundation.  Talmadge Baker, chairman of the Asheboro Chapter of SCORE, invited Rotarians to attend the Business and Economic Forecast on November 16 at AVS.  Featured speakers will be Dr. Andrew Brod of Bryan School of Business and Bonnie Renfro, President of Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.  $25 covers the seminar and lunch.

            Student guests from Southwestern Randolph High School were introduced by John Toledano, Jr.  Alesia Goodman is a member of the Beta Club and FCA.  She plays with the marching band and the concert band and holds the Gold Award of Girl Scouts of America.  Alesia plans to attend Greensboro College to major in exercise and sports science.  Jameson Stout is a member of the Beta Club, Chess Club, and Science Investigation Club.  He performs with the marching band and competes with the Quiz Bowl Team.  Jameson plans to enroll at Elon University to study music education.

Kathy Homiller introduced student guests from Asheboro High School.  Alison Cox is a member of FCA, Key Club, and Teenage Republicans.  She plays tennis and the piano.  Alison’s aim is to attend Wake Forest University and major in psychology.  Phillip Mead is a member of the National Honor Society and was a junior marshal.  He plays soccer and enjoys all sports and the outdoors.  Phillip plans to attend NC State University and study engineering or forestry.

Happy Birthday wishes were expressed for John Revell and Gene Johnson. Rotary fact: our request for a grant from Rotary Foundation to help pay for a science lab in Uganda has been approved.  Don’t forget: Club Assembly is November 5, Foundation Banquet is November 11 and Leadership Seminar is November 19.  At Asheboro City Council Meeting of November 4, our club will present a check to help pay for the stage roof at Bicentennial Park.

For the Four Way Test Committee, Jamie Stitt introduced the program.  David Roudabush is committee Chair and members in addition to Jamie are Rodney Mason and Bill Neely.  Bart Lundy is Head Basketball Coach at High Point University.  Mr. Lundy graduated from Hickory High School and Winthrop University.  He is married and has two sons.  In his last coaching job at Winthrop, 90% of the basketball players graduated.  Now in his second year at HPU, Bart was named National Rookie Coach of the Year for the turnaround he crafted last year.

Coach Lundy began by saying he had learned that Asheboro was chartered by the NC Legislature on Christmas Day, 1796.  He opined that the people of Asheboro must have been very important or very influential to get legislators out to work on Christmas!  Bart expressed pleasure with the good results (19 wins) of his first year at HPU.  The team got to the conference championship where they played with confidence but lost to Liberty University on national TV.  And the worst thing about losing on TV is that next year’s recruits are watching!  The core group of last year’s team is back for this year and will be fun to watch in the HPU gym.

Turning to the subject of ethics, Mr. Bundy said there is a Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame for coaches and for bankers.  In both professions there are many who exemplify the best in skills and morals; and there are some who bring shame to the group.  For basketball coaches and players, there is a thick manual of rules that must be followed.  Really difficult choices occur when: 1. A winter storm blows in and a player from the Caribbean has no money to buy a warm coat; 2. A player asks to use the gym laundry for his street clothes because he can’t afford the public laundry; or 3. A player asks for help when he can’t afford a ticket home for the holidays.  The coach must learn to say “no” to those situations not allowed by the rules.  But following the rules id difficult: Roy Williams had 49 secondary violations in 15 years at Kansas.

            In answer to questions Mr. Lundy offered the following. 1. The rules are specific about drugs and the list of forbidden drugs is long.  Team trainers educate players in the rules about drug use.  2.  HPU is a member of Big South Conference. 3. Recruitment of players becomes earlier—Wake Forest recruits high school sophomores and HPU recruits juniors.  4.  Lundy favors using a fifth-year scholarship to encourage players to graduate.  5.  HPU has no players from Randolph County and only three from North Carolina.  HPU recruits nationally and internationally.  6.  The player’s scholarship pays for room, board, tuition and books.  7.  A player from Winston-Salem was named NCAA Sportsman of the Year.

Our President thanked Bart Lundy and Jamie Stitts for an interesting and informative program.  She led the membership in reciting the Four-Way Test; but it didn’t go well; so she promised we’d have to practice!

Written by Bob Walker