June 29, 2004

We will not meet next week on July 5.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day weekend.

NEXT MEETING, JULY 12… our speaker will be Dale Persons with Viking Range.

LAST MEETING, JUNE 28… was our annual Changing of the Guard. And quite a day it was, too. It began with the recognition of both President-Elect Danny Williams and his wife Jackie as Paul Harris Fellows. Then President Haden had an opportunity to thank everybody for the job they did during the past year. Some highlights: 6 new Mentor Scholars, a total of 348 members as of today, a Presidential Citation for our club, 6 new Paul Harris Fellows and 33 new Sustaining members, a new club banner, great functions: Sweetheart Banquet, Children’s Christmas Party and Rotarfests, and attendance at meetings up 15%. He recognized outgoing Directors, Committee Chairs, and committee members. President-Elect Danny followed up by recognizing the new Directors, and then enumerated some goals he has set for the coming year: 7 new Paul Harris Fellows and 10% more Sustaining members, 100% participation in the Mentor Scholarship Raffle, and establishing a Centennial Project based on cooperation with the Barksdale Reading Institute. The club gave a standing ovation to outgoing President Haden, and accepted President-Elect Danny’s enthusiastic plans and goals. It WAS a great year, folks. And the next one will be even better!

DUES, DUES, DUES… are, well, DUE. July 1 is the date that your July-December dues should be in. We, of course, are much more lenient than, say, your local loan shark. So we give you a whole extra MONTH to pony up. But if they’re not paid by August 10, we turn them over to Bubba.

MY, HOW TIME DOES FLY… it was just over a year ago, on July 21, that we had our very first meeting at the Ag Museum.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER…As I say thank you for a great year as your club president, I can also say that incoming President Danny Williams will do a great job for us. As we Methodists say, let's support him with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July. – Haden