February 25, 2003

NEXT MEETING, MARCH 10… we’re set to hear from Congressman Bennie Thompson.

LAST MEETING, MARCH 3... Phil Bryant, our State Auditor, shared information about the State Auditor’s office. During his tenure, nearly $5 million has been recovered from funds that were misused by officials, and 100 public officials have been indicted. Mississippi now has a law for mandatory imprisonment of officials embezzling $10,000 or more, with a minimum of a year's imprisonment required to be actually served. The Auditor’s office also recognizes public officials for good and cooperative service by presenting an annual Auditor’s Award. Another service to the public is the ability to register for state fishing and hunting licenses over the Internet. Thanks to Danny Williams for arranging and introducing our speaker.

NEW MEMBERS… you might have noticed last week that the Board proposed seven new members, all outstanding persons in their respective fields. Howard has been encouraging us to bring in new members. We aren’t out for sheer numbers, but every year we have to replace about 30 members who leave the club for one reason or another – mostly moving out of town. And we do want to grow a bit during the year. So keep an eye out for someone who would benefit from being a Rotarian and who would be an asset to our club.

DUES, DUES, DUES… are, in a word, overdue. Most have paid them, but not all. So it’s time to announce our penalty period. Dues that are not paid by April 1 (that’s three months after the due date of January 1…what nice guys we are!) will incur a $10 penalty. Posting this penalty messes up our bookkeeping system something awful, so don’t make us do it. Mail us a check, or send us the info for your credit card. Fax is 352-8586; voice mail is 352-8500.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER… March is Polio Eradication Month, and Lewis Lipscomb is our Chairman. As stated in the letter you received, each Rotary member is asked to donate at least $67.50 (preferably $100) per person to this PolioPlus Campaign. As of today (Monday), donations of $100 each have been received from Larry Johnson, Sue Cherney, Chris Cherney, Ray Lenow, Howard Catchings, Deirdre McGowan, John Laws, and Jack Laws. We’ve also received $100 from a proposed member, Dr. Royce Boyer, and another $100 from Monday’s speaker, State Auditor Phil Bryant. This means that we have $1,000 toward our goal of $22,000. Your help is needed in this significant effort to eradicate polio by Rotary’s Centennial Year of 2005. Also, remember that for those who haven’t yet paid their dues, NOW IS THE TIME! – Howard