January 13, 2004

There will be NO MEETING next Monday, January 19, as we observe the holiday devoted to the memory of Dr. M. L King, Jr.

NEXT MEETING, JANUARY 26… Bobby Cleveland, Outdoor Editor for the Clarion-Ledger, will be our speaker.

LAST MEETING, JANUARY 12… Wolfgang Ischinger, Ambassador to the U.S. from the Federal Republic of Germany, told us that the upcoming Dresden Exhibit will really put the U.S. - and particularly the Southern U.S. - on the map with central Europeans, who tend to be somewhat snobbish about art and culture. He spoke at some length of relations between our two countries, and emphasized that Germans in and out of public office all remember how much they owe the U.S. for recovery after World War II. He spoke candidly about Germany’s participation in NATO (the second largest after us), their take on the situation in Iraq, and the excellent relationship Germany has with U.S. servicemen who are now and those who were formerly stationed there. The Ambassador also answered questions about the German economy, the value of the Euro, the possibility of reductions in the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, and the possibility of a German auto plant in central Mississippi. Returning to the Dresden Exhibit, he said it will “restore and reinvigorate friendship between our two countries.” Thanks to Jack Kyle for introducing the Ambassador, and to Larry Johnson for arranging the series of programs about the Exhibit.

MENTOR MOMENTS... Past Chairman Joe Young gave us some facts about our Mentor Scholarship program. We presently have 21 students at Mississippi colleges on a $12,000 Mentor Scholarship from our club. Since the program began in 1990, we have awarded 93 scholarships, and paid out $1,072,000 in scholarship funds. Last year, we had 55 qualified applicants for the four scholarships we were able to award. Hopefully, we’ll raise more money this year, and will be able to help more students. This is an outstanding program that changes lives forever. Editor’s Note: Buy your Raffle tickets NOW. They fund this!

THE ROTARY SPOTLIGHT… turned January 5 on Robby Toombs, with UAP Timberland, and January 12 on Duane O’Neill, with the Metro Chamber of Commerce. Both were treated royally by their presenters, and we learned a lot we didn’t know about them. Congrats, guys.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER… I hope the programs on the Dresden Exhibit and the German Ambassador have piqued your interest in attending our Sweetheart Banquet on March 23 at the Exhibit. The Mentor Scholarship prizes will be drawn that night as in the past. It will be a special night that will surely impress and please your sweetheart. Don’t miss it! – Haden