November 20, 2001

NEXT WEEK, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26... Dr. Rick Carlton, President of the Mississippi Diabetes Foundation, will talk to us about "The Burden of Diabetes In Mississippi."

LAST MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19... Our own Sister Dorothea gave us a memorable Thanksgiving message. Sister Dorothea traced the history of the holiday from its beginnings in 1621 in Plymouth colony as a harvest festival, through the first proclamation of a national day of thanks by President Abraham Lincoln, to the official declaration in 1941 of a national holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. Sister offered us additional things to be thankful for in the wake of the events of September 11, and concluded with a spirited singing of "God Bless America." Thanks to Sam Bruce for arranging and introducing this program.

A SAMPLE BALLOT... listing the names and photos of twelve candidates for the six spots on our Board of Directors was provided to members at the November 19 meeting. Those slots will be filled in our annual election in two weeks, on December 3. We will not elect an officer to the presidental rotation this year, since we recently changed our by-laws to have only one vice-president rather than two. The following candidates are nominated for the Board: Charlie Conerly, Barbara Dorr, Keith Ferguson, Jim Frier, Mickey McCardle, John McCullouch, Bill Moore, Heber Simmons III, Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, Buck Stevens, James Threadgill, and Billy Walker. Six of the twelve will be elected.

YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IN THE MAIL... a form for your contribution to the Jackson Rotary Club Charities. Your gift can be made now to take advantage of tax deductions in the current year, or you can wait until 2002. Either way, Rotary Mentor Scholars will benefit from your gift to the campaign that will conclude in February. If you need an additional form, contact the Rotary office at 352-8500, or call either Chairperson Jennifer Hall or Janet Scott of the Scholarship Ticket Sales Committee.

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES... here are our Monday programs for the remainder of the year: