March 5, 2002
NEXT MEETING, MARCH 11… Our speaker will be Cecil Brown, with the Mississippi Legislature.
LAST MEETING, MARCH 4… Dr. Jerome Goddard, Medical Entomologist with the Mississippi Department of Health, gave us a whimsical but factual look at the problem of mosquitoes in Mississippi. Those little pests are a major problem, since they are the number one spreader of disease -- diseases such as Malaria, which isn't widespread here, but whose 500 million cases worldwide result in 2-4 million deaths each year; Dengue Fever, with 100 million cases a year, a number of which are in Texas and in Central America; and the various kinds of Encephalitis, which we do indeed have here in our state. Dr. Goddard told us about the different species of mosquito (there are 52 species in Mississippi), their breeding places, and what we can do about them other than swatting furiously. The most effective way to control mosquitoes, he said, is to do away with their breeding places, by getting rid of those temporary or permanent pools of water where they grow by the millions. Thanks to Barbara Dorr for arranging and introducing this program.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT LAST WEEK… Our Rotary District Conference will be held on the weekend of April 25-27 in Natchez. If you are interesting in attending and representing our club, please contact the Rotary Office, at 352-8500.
COMING UP… To
help you plan your trips out of town (you wouldn't want to miss the very
best Rotary programs, now, would you?), here is a list of upcoming speakers:
DID YOU KNOW THAT… The Rotary Foundation adopted a goal in 1985 to eradicate Polio worldwide by the time of the Rotary Centennial in 2002. To date, more than $400 million has been contributed by Rotarians for the protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries. By 2005, Rotary's commitment will reach a half-billion dollars. Not only money has been contributed - Rotary volunteers assist in vaccine delivery, social mobilization, and logistical help, in cooperation with the national health ministries, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PolioPlus is one of the most ambitious humanitarian undertakings ever made by a private entity.