March 18, 2003
NEXT MEETING, MARCH
24… Rica
Payton, State Medicaid Director, will be our speaker.
LAST MEETING, MARCH 17… Governor Ronnie Musgrove gave us a report from the Governor’s office on how the state has been responding to the budget challenges of the past several years. He pointed out that Wall Street has posted a total loss of more than $5 trillion in the past three years, more than was lost during the dark days of the 1929 crash. Other states have taken dire steps, but thus far we’ve been able to weather the storm. The Governor pointed with pride to the historic teacher pay increase the Legislature passed recently, and noted that the state is number one in the nation on track to implement the “No Child Left Behind” program. Also, the state was the first in the nation to have an internet-accessible computer in every public school classroom, and we’re the only state thus far to fund our schools for the coming year. Thanks to Bob Berman for introducing this program.
YOUR BOARD OF
DIRECTORS… has
approved the following new member proposals. If no objections are received
within seven days, they will
be introduced to the club as new members:
Johnnie Esters, Financial Advisor, Legg Mason Wood Walker. Johnnie
was proposed by Robert Taylor.
Lee Bush, President/CEO, National Collection Systems LLC. Lee was proposed
by LeRoy Walker.
POLIOPLUS REPORT… District Chairman Lewis Lipscomb announced on March 17 that we have thus far raised $16,967 toward our club goal of $22,000. Counting new members (those who have come into the club since July 1, 2000), who are required to donate to the Rotary Foundation, we still have just a little more than half our members represented. If you haven’t responded yet, please do.
WHAT IS POLIOPLUS, ANYWAY? In 1985, the Rotary Foundation set out to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. Since then, more than $500 million raised by Rotarians has been used to give more than two billion children in 122 nations an oral vaccine. The current drive is to finish off polio in the ten countries that reported a case during the report period. And we’re on track to do just that.
PRESIDENT’S CORNER… This is the third week of our Polio
Eradication Month. There are two more Mondays in March before the campaign
is concluded. We appreciate all the contributions that have been made
thus far, but we are still short of reaching our goal of $22,000. With
352 members in our club, if 352 donated $100 each, we would end the drive
with $35,200. Please continue to support this special emphasis on the
eradication of polio. – Howard