February 1, 2005

NEXT MEETING, FEBRARY 7… in honor of Rotary’s Centennial Year, our speaker will be Past President Jack Spradling.

LAST MEETING, JANUARY 31… Bob Garrity of the FBI reviewed for us the report of the 9/11 Commission and how his organization is reacting to it. The Commission’s report found four basic failures within the intelligence community – a failure of imagination (we simply couldn’t imagine what they finally did), a failure of policy, a failure of capabilities, and, finally, a failure of management. As a result, the FBI has reorganized, and its new chief mission is to prevent other terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Bob went into some detail about how the FBI’s goes about its task to collect, analyze, and disseminate intelligence, and how that mission affects all of us. Thanks to Vickie Greenlee for introducing this program.

SWEETHEART BANQUET… plans are finalized. First, you need to make sure you’ve told us you plan to attend (if not, see Danny’s column). Then make your plans to show up with your significant other at the Country Club of Jackson on Thursday evening, February 3, for an evening you’ll really enjoy. Festivities begin at six. There’ll be entertainment by the Brick Street Barbershop Quartet, scads of nifty door prizes, a fine dinner, and the drawing for our winners in the Mentor Scholarship raffle. Don’t miss it!

NEW ROSTER BOOKS… with photos, addresses, phone numbers and more, are – well – they aren’t ready yet. We have a committee working on the books this year, and they’ll be better than ever. Eventually. We’ll give everybody one more chance to make sure all their vital information is accurate. At next week’s meeting, we’ll have an info sheet that we urge you to update.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER… The process of raising money for our Mentor Scholarships each year is truly an inspiring experience. I look around and notice that this involves a lot of people! Each of you that contributes your hard earned dollars, Jennifer Hall and her Raffle Ticket Sales Committee, Ann Neal and her Sweetheart Banquet Committee, the many banquet sponsors, and Joe Young’s Mentor Scholarship Committee. This is truly a tremendous team effort. Your officers and directors appreciate your continued support of this program and say thanks for another great job. We look forward to an entertaining evening at our Sweetheart Banquet on Thursday night. If you have not made your reservations, please call Ann Neal or Bill Dawson. On another topic, next week’s program, presented by our own Jack Spradling, will be a program you don’t want to miss. It will help us Celebrate Rotary in our centennial year. Yours In Rotary, Danny