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Club Achievements
by Julius Melton |
Suddenly, today, the introduction of new members (David Dunn and
David Barnhardt) was interrupted by a phone's ringing at President
Catherine's podium. Really! Up at the podium-a phone rang! It was a
call coming through at that moment from the president of the
Constantia, South Africa, Rotary Club! The subject of the call
underscored the fact that exciting, and unusual, things have been
accomplished in the two areas (called in Rotary "avenues") of
service reported on in today's program.
The South Africans were saying a hearty word of thanks for our
leading the way in buying the first laparoscopic surgical equipment
for the very needy "Victoria Hospital" in their region. Some three
years ago our District 7680 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Warren
Buford, wrote to our club about the sad state of hospital care for
poorer people in the part of South Africa where he was studying.
Some of our members checked further on the situation, and raised
this need as a cause our club ought to consider. Others in our club
joined in looking into the need and supporting the project in that
far-off place, that had become home for a year to one of our own
Ambassadorial Scholars. They discovered that matching funds were
available in our district and at R.I., if we could lead off with a
club gift. The project became a central one for our club, and a
total of $37,500 was ultimately made available to meet this dire
need for modern equipment. Not only that, but a follow-up project
came on line this year, with an additional $21,228 given and
leveraged, to provide 16 new adult hospital beds, and 2 pediatric
ones, for this hospital on which a population of 400,000 native
South Africans relies. Today's program was also concluded by hearing
from (and seeing a film of) the South African club, at a special
meeting where tribute was paid to our support, by Rotarians and the
hospital's CEO.
Some of the activities and successes of our club in these two
avenues were less surprising, showing, rather, how we can stick with
good works for which we have become known over the years. Our recent
experience of rounding up impressive loads of warm coats and clothes
for Crisis Assistance Ministries was repeated this year (17 cars
filled with them!). Faithful Charlotte Rotarians again stood in the
cold at the "Square" for Salvation Army kettle duty at Christmas-60
in all. And 65 came out to help build a Habitat house, backed by
$20,000 in our gifts. John Snyder, who gave the Community Service
report, couldn't hide his delight at getting "Interact"
re-established and active at Myers Park High. Also in the "youth"
area, we again welcomed a graduating leader from each of 25 high
schools in our county, honoring each with a $500 scholarship award.
Through our endowment at the Foundation for the Carolinas, we
awarded $15,000 as scholarships, divided among eight different
college students.
The list of accomplishments in "Community Service" came to more than
a dozen, including also our four $1,000 scholarships for children of
public safety professionals, in gratitude for sacrifices on 9-11-01.
The new golf benefit for this program was another success of the
year, raising over $35,000. We also gave help to the Foundation for
the Carolinas' new SEED Charlotte efforts at community improvement,
and sponsored the training of "Rotey," a guide dog. After several
years of hard work and skilled, artistic production, our documentary
TV filming of "How I Survived the War, and the Rest of My Life"
moved to a point where showings of parts of it were possible. We put
up $25,000 of the cost, with this support leveraging the huge
remainder of the total $442,000 that will go into this project,
which involved archival interviews with twenty-four of our own WWII
veteran members, among many others.
The International Service report was not confined to the South
African hospital project. "International" is, after all, half of
R.I.'s name! Peggy Wesp had more to talk about. Shock at the Tsunami
devastation, wrought as 2005 began, led our membership to send
$18,253 to help those hard-hit areas acquire over 21 shelter-box-
homes. We enjoyed a spirited talk by our club-sponsored
Ambassadorial Scholarship winner Sam Barger, on his return from a
year in New Zealand. We arranged, with a sister club in Arequippa,
Peru, an exchange of fire fighters between our two cities, to start
with their sending eight from their volunteer brigade next year, to
learn how our professionals handle their vital duties. In support of
the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, our members sent
$37,000 this year, as the roster of Paul Harris Fellows grew.
Our club gave support to District 7680's Group Study Exchange of
this year, as Spanish visitors came in this direction, and people
from our district's area spent time in Spain. On our own, we helped
support a Belgian high school student for his year in Charlotte, and
we laid plans for helping one coming from Colombia next fall. As the
Rotary year ends, we are involved in delivering $2,000 to assist
"Room to Read," to create alternative places to find books and
periodicals, in areas in Nepal where there are no libraries. It is a
country with only 20% literacy.
To thoroughly recap the successes of Charlotte Rotary, you must not
overlook the good work done by the Vocational Service Avenue. John
Johnson led a team of five or six Rotarians to Classroom Central on
a monthly basis to provide assistance to teachers shopping for free,
donated or recycled supplies. A donation of $3,000 ensured the
on-going efforts of Junior Achievement's Exchange City, a fantastic
program that provides business ethic case studies for students in
grades 4-12. Krista Tillman, President of NC Operations at
BellSouth, was awarded the 2004 Excellence in Management award,
which was established in 1988 as a joint effort of Charlotte Rotary,
the Business Journal, and Charlotte Chamber, to recognize the most
exemplary manager in the Region. And of course, the Four-Way Test,
which is the most widely printed and quoted statement of business
ethics in the world, was always in the forefront. "Of the things we
think, say or do: 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all
concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will
it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"
This catalogue of accomplishments is exhaustive, but it is by no
means a "laundry list," to yawn at. Real people are obviously
impacted for good in each project and effort sketched. Not only are
our committee personnel in these "avenues" to be commended, but also
the entire club, who have rallied around them-as well as the good
people of the broader community who have set in motion many of the
enterprises which Rotarians have been among the first to honor and
support! |
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