June 17, 2003

NEXT MEETING, JUNE 23… Barbara Travis, Mississippi World Trade Center, will be our speaker.

LAST MEETING, JUNE 16…the four winners of the 2003-2007 Rotary Mentor Scholarships were presented to the club. There were 55 applications for the $12,000 scholarships, and cutting the list down to the final four winners was a most difficult job. Chairman Joe Young reminded us that, since 1990, our club has awarded scholarships to 93 outstanding young students, at a total investment of $1,072,000. The four winners this year: Heidi Hughes, whose mentor will be Nancy King, is headed for Hinds Community College. Leigh Holland Trotti, mentored by Jerry Vaughn, is bound for Southern Miss. Allison Noble, whose mentor will be Geoff Mitchell, is headed for Ole Miss. And Adam Wells, mentored by Al Sage, will also attend Southern Miss. Three former winners – Bryan Clark, Kim Parker, and Carter Payne, gave us a heartfelt and often moving description of just what these scholarships mean to them and to their future in our state. Nancy King, who’s been involved with this program from the very beginning, followed up by reading excerpts from several applications that DIDN’T make the cut, and challenged the club to continue this good work and hopefully expand it in the future. This is always an outstanding program, and this year’s was no exception. Congratulations to the four outstanding young people who are bound for college in the fall, and thanks to all of YOU who make the program work.

IN THIS ENVELOPE… along with your Rotagram, are two other important items.
• First, your dues statement. Dues are due on July 1, and we’ll impose a ten-dollar late fee after August 12. So, please pay now – either by check or by credit card.
• Second, there’s a sheet for updating the information we have about you in the Rotary Yearbook, which will go to print soon. Please let us know of any information you want changed; otherwise we’ll keep what’s in there now. (And also please answer that question about possibly receiving your Rotagram by e-mail!)

PRESIDENT’S CORNER… At the meeting of the Joint Boards last week, the decision was made to move the location of our meetings to the Agriculture Museum property on Lakeland Drive. No date has been set as yet, since we have until September to do so. Also, there are some details to be worked out with River Hills and the Ag Museum first. Out of 350 members who were polled, 288 voted to move, 21 voted against, leaving 41 who did not reply. We are most appreciative of your response and support. Please keep in mind that we still need more members in our club. If you know of someone who is interested, please invite him/her to join. – Howard