ROTARY DISTRICT 6890 NEWS - April 9, 2024                     
Rotarians from throughout our four-county area will gather on Saturday, April 20 for the 2024 District Learning Assembly. The free event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lake Wales Family Recreation Center, 1001 Burns Ave., in Lake Wales. Check-in, coffee and networking starts at 9 a.m.

All District 6890 Rotarians are invited, and Clubs are encouraged to bring teams to work together on plans for the 2024-25 Rotary year. Rotarians and digital media specialists Brittany Rohr and Craig Wallace from Sarasota will make a special presentation to help clubs “Grow and Market Impact.” 
 Breakout sessions will be offered for club secretaries, treasurers and presidents-elect along with those leading club foundation, membership, public image and youth services initiatives.

After the event, attendees will be invited to help with a service project, planting a small Rotary garden with plants to attract yellow and blue butterflies at the rec center. Free passes will be distributed to visit Bok Tower Gardens, which is about two miles from the assembly site. (boktower.org)   

Space is limited so interested persons should register right away on DACdb. Registration closes on April 13 to allow for an accurate lunch count. For more information, email District Governor Elect Chevon Baccus at rotarychevon@aol.com or call 863-651-1065.
Have you checked out Rotary Direct yet? It really is easy to enroll! Go to: https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct There are lots of reasons to give to The Rotary Foundation. What motivates you? https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give

FishHawk-Riverview Rotary Club presents the 14th Annual Crawfish Festival - Saturday April 13, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Winthrop Commons, 11289 Winthrop Main St, Riverview, FL 33578
Sign up for our next Rotary Honduras Mission Trip at: https://www.hondurascompassion.org/teams/important-forms/apply/  A non-refundable $250 deposit is required. Dates are Saturday June 29th to Saturday July 6th. Rotarians and friends age 10 and up are invited to come to La Paz, Honduras and work on projects with Honduras Compassion Partners staff, volunteers, and local Rotarians to help the people of La Paz become self-sufficient. You will impact lives of the people there as well as your own. You will build relationships, change your perspective, and change your life!

Rotary District 6890 Annual Installation For 2024-2025 District Governor Chevon Baccus -  Wednesday, June 26th here in Lakeland at the Magnolia Room. Let's show up and support our incoming District Leadership team including members of TLRC - Marsha Leap, Karen Warren, Stacy Campbell-Dominick, Mark Scolnick, Irma Cole, and Carol Wallace.

District Conference is June 8th at Camp Florida in Brandon. This will be a one day family friendly event. sign up via Ignite App.

Contact irmacole26@gmail.com for more information about items mentioned in our Weekly News Updates.
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Larry Rankin then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Steph Colon introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Reba Coil.

Larry Becker introduced a fun rotary story activity “Rotary Rewinds”. Larry began by telling the story of when he was the emcee of a big rotary event at Joe Markin Stadium. They were collecting $100 raffle tickets & the winner won $10k in cash & the rest of it went to charity. He was emcee and let his son reach into the bin to pick out the winning name. He picked up his dad’s name and then he set it down & grabbed a different one. Thanks, Larry for kicking off this new segment.



President Julie thanked the club for providing extra gifts at the last minute for families that weren’t adopted. Thanks to those of you who went above & beyond to provide those gifts.

Rick Maxey introduced the program “Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing” - Kris Keprios, Senior Tourism Sales and Marketing Manager. Chris began his career in 2003 with this office. Their mission is to “put heads in beds, make cash registers ring and enhance the health of life for people in Polk county.” Their funding is 100% from tourist tax dollars (not Florida resident taxpayer dollars). Tourism is the #1 industry in the state of Florida and it employs 1.7m people in the state. In Polk, it’s a 2.5 billion industry & employs 37,700 people. Over $29 million in sales tax revenue is generated from tourism. Polk has 5.8m visitors annually and uses over 3.5 million room nights.



Overall, this has $4.1 billion of economic impact which saves Polk County households $849 in taxes per year. 67% of visitors to Polk County are from in state. Michigan is the largest out-of-state visitor to Polk County. Kris & his team have strategic sports sponsorships with the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), and Swansea City (UK), among others. Their team also attends roughly 25 travel shows per year around the world. They are actively trying to get more conferences & meetings to Lakeland & Central Florida.



They recently sponsored the Florida Gators basketball game at the RP Funding Center, and they plan to Celebrate the 50th Annual Sun N Fun event in April 2024. Additionally, they are working on a project to make Polk County a farm-to-table destination & a culinary destination. They are also going to brand Polk County as the BBQ Capital of Florida.

Thank you to Kris for speaking to our club and for all of your efforts to make Polk County a tourist destination.

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.”

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Fred Oeters then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Blair Allen introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Our guests were Carol Phillipson (Rick Maxey), Carole Philipson (Lyle Philipson), Sarah Clamis (Trey Harden), Scott Folsom (Amanda Walls), and Sam Carlton (John Fullerton). Our visiting Rotarians were Mark Parker & Bob Ettensohn.

Happy Dollars were collected by Ron Denney.

Announcements began with President Julie who presented an award to Cal Arter for perfect attendance for the last forty (40) years. Linda Roddenberry announced that VISTE boxes will be available on Tuesday 12/12 for delivery. We still have about 45 boxes left that need to be delivered. President Julie reminded the club to sign up for the Ignite App – the goal was 80 by the end of December and now the goal is 95 – we have 72 currently signed up.



Vince Jones announced that the 5K posters are in – please take some to pass around at your business. There is a signup sheet in the back for volunteers for the event which is on February 9, 2024. Reba Coil announced that we have three students left to be adopted at Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle. Please bring gifts on 12/12 wrapped. On Wednesday 12/13, we will be distributing the gifts at the schools.

Today’s presentation was from Rick Maxey and Ted Hogan on “Bike Buddies” – Kids & Cops, Caring & Repairing. Rick began by announcing that Bike Buddies is a program where LEOs work with at-risk kids to repair bikes, and kids take the bike home, that is just the hook. The goal is to have better relationships and communication between LEOs and kids. The program started after the killing of George Floyd. Rick believes that if you want to change the relationship between the community and any organization, you have to start young. This past October 21st was the pilot program at Douglas Cooke Park which was coordinated with the Police Athletic League which brought in 21 kids. Rick got connected to Ted Hogan, who runs “Pedal Power” at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland. The program is ready to roll, something will come out probably by February about this program. They are looking for assistance and support.



Ted Hogan then spoke about the Pedal Power Ministry at First Presbyterian which has been going on for the past 16 years serving children and adults who need bikes. For the people they serve, the bike is their sole means of transportation. The bike ministry went from a local ministry to a regional ministry, extending to central and western Florida. The ministry is completely donation-based and run by volunteers. They have partnerships with all the bike shops in town; buy bike parts wholesale out of Miami like other bike shops; with Mariott Corporation (who gives the old bikes from South Carolina to them); with SaddleCreek Logistics who picks up the bikes from South Carolina and delivers them here for free; with Florida Southern College cross-country team who do the heavy-lifting upstairs to the storage.



Thank you to Rick & Ted for presenting to our club.

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” – Albert Einstein.

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Ron Denney then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Marsha Leap introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Our guests were Carole Philipson (Lyle Philipson), CJ McKellen (Ryan McKellen), and Colin Parody (Stephanie Colon).

Happy Dollars were collected by Trey Harden. Mike Loudon led the club in singing “Home on the Range.”

Announcements began with Ron Denney who announced that it was Giving Tuesday and reminded club members to remember the Rotary Foundation today. President Julie reminded everyone to download the Ignite app. Download it with an Apple ID. Her goal is to get 80 members on the app by the end of the year. Also, keep track of your service hours on the app.

Reba Coil reminded the club about the HEARTH homeless program at Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle – there are 40 families who have Christmas lists that we will adopt. Sign-up sheets are on the back table. If you pick a sheet, sign the table. Gifts must be wrapped and labeled. Also buy gift cards for Publix, etc. Gifts are due by the 12^th and you can deliver your gifts to the families on December 13th at Southwest Elementary 3:30-4:15 PM, then at Southwest Middle 4:30-5:00 PM. Linda Roddenberry announced that VISTE boxes will be delivered to our Club’s Meeting at 11:30 AM this Tuesday (December 5^th). We have 80 boxes and pick up your boxes. Look for an email if you signed up.



Jim Russell announced that the Salvation Army bell ringing starts December 9^th. We have more than ½ of the slots covered (of the 65 slots that we have). If you are signing up on the website and you plan to have a family member or friend ring with you, make sure you put their name or your name twice so that the slots are filled. Do not sign up for slots while we are sitting here at lunchtime because we have table sign-ups here during the meeting that will have priority. If you want to ring before December 9th, then we can help the Sunrise Rotary Club to help fill the slots through this Friday; Jim has the list of times.

Today’s speaker was introduced by Dr. Karen Warren. The speaker was Rick Orzachowski, American Legion Commander Florida District 7.



The American Legion (AL) was founded in March 1919. The first American Legion post was in Paris, France. There are four key pillars: Veterans Affairs, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. There are over 3,000 service officers now who assist veterans in getting jobs, and benefits from the government. They do this free of charge. The American Legion helped create the Veterans Affairs Department and helped push through the GI Bill.



If you have a flag that needs retirement, take it to your local AL and they will retire it for you for free. They Sponsor ROTC and JROTC. They also Founded Boys State. This is all volunteer work – they don’t get paid. Now is a great time to join the American Legion – they need younger people to join as members to keep the programs going.

They are also passionate about their Wreaths Across America program. They purchase wreaths based on donations received. This year, they raised $15,000 and will buy wreaths for Bushnell Cemetery for the veterans there and distribute those on December 16^th.

There are two posts here, 1 in Lakeland and 1 in Winter Haven. In total, there are ten posts in Polk County. Each post has their own 501(c)(3). Please consider following their Facebook page: AmericanLegionDistrict7.



Next week’s program is:  Pedal Power – Cops and Kids

President Julie closed with her quote of the week: “There are only 2 kinds of speakers in the world:  nervous and liars.” – Mark Twain

This week's program was on the Rotary Foundation. Ron Denney, Bryce Philpot, and Irma Cole presented how the foundation works and how to contribute.  

Ron Denney, Foundation Committee Chair, indicated that of the $17,076 donated to the Annual Fund three years ago, 25% was available this year for a local project and 25% for a global project with the other 50% retained by the Rotary Foundation. Ron indicated that the local project was designated to support the 11-day Trades Academy camp for students grades 8-12, which is facilitated by the Lakeland Police Department.  The students learn carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, drywall/painting, architecture, and more developing skills to meet the labor gap.



Bryce Philpot discussed the 50% retained by the Rotary Foundation and indicated that 55% of the Rotary Foundation's available funds support polio eradication.  Most of the remaining available funds are dedicated to Global and District Grants with the Trade Academy being an example of a District Grant.  Bryce pointed out that we also understand Global Grants because we designate Global Grant funds every year.



Irma Cole took the podium to outline our Global Grants for the year.  Irma indicated we designated our $4,269 available to a $75,730 Global Grant to install 125 ceramic water filters, 100 latrines, and 100 water storage tanks in La Paz, Honduras.  She showed pictures of our members installing filters, latrines, and storage tanks on-site in Honduras, a new opportunity for our members to work in combination with our grant funding.



Irma also outlined an additional Global Grant that did not use our funds, but in which our club members served as the International Sponsor.  The Global Grant will provide equipment, medical supplies, and appliances to five health centers in Maharashtra, India.  Irma noted that it went over budget by $12.05 due to the exchange rate shifting...and that the Rotary oversight staff insisted that the main sponsor provide the additional funds.  Irma pointed out that if Rotary is tightly overseeing the final $12.05 in one of 1,199 Global Grants for the year, you can feel assured that your donations are being well kept.

Ron Denney returned to the podium to outline the Foundation Committee goals for the year which are:

• 75% of members attain EREY ($25 minimum donation) for the year
• Re-attain 100% Paul Harris Club (currently 137/172 members are PHF)
• Raise the number of Rotary Direct members (currently 46/172)

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Greg Robinson then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Meldoy Rider introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Our guests were Rebecca Knowles (Trey Harden), Joe Lesniewicz (James Ring), and Scott Folsom (Amanda Walls), Judy New (Marcia Leap) and Mark Miller introduced his parents. Our visiting Rotarians were Doug McCall and guests.

Happy Dollars were collected by Karen Warren. Dorsey Hightower led the club in singing “Happy Birthday” to Mark Scolnick and Bill Schichtel.



Announcements began with President Julie who announced that they unfortunately are having to cancel the Christmas Parade Party given the new route that the city announced. Linda Roddenberry announced the upcoming VISTE delivery volunteer opportunity. Please be on the lookout for additional info and think about how many VISTE boxes you would like to deliver. President Julie then showed the club the new online sign up link for volunteer activities on our website.

Today’s presentation was from Gary Clark and Don Selvage. Don began by discussing the history of Veterans Day and its evolution. There are currently 18 million veterans in our country. He mentioned that we typically think of veterans as older. However, a huge number of veterans are younger and have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our military is very diverse – ethnically and gender. They share a common bond and mission – no matter their background or where they are from. We have 25 veterans who are members of our Lakeland Rotary Club. Every conflict since Korea is represented as are all of the different military entities. Don then discussed how joining the military changes your plans – both for you and your family. It also has an impact on your career and what you do with your life. Every one of these individuals took an oath to place service above self.

Don then introduced Gary and discussed his strong commitment to veterans over the past number of decades. Gary was inducted into the Florida State Veterans Hall of Fame. In addition to his commitment to veterans, he is also very involved in the county’s ROTC & JROTC programs.



Gary began by discussing the ROTC & JROTC programs and their history and purpose. For over 20 years, our club has recognized the JROTC cadets at each LET level. Our club gives cadets a ribbon and certificate that has been recognized. We have 338 JROTC units in the state of Florida. There are 14 programs in Polk County. In Federalist 29, Alexander Hamilton wrote about the standing fear of a federal militia. The concern was how to do we provide for some level of defense but without the threat to the people. In 1891, Captain Alden Partridge began the concept of “citizen-soldiers.” A number of military institutions were created between 1819 and 1861. The Land Grant (Morrill) Act of 1862 was signed by Abraham Lincoln with the goal to fund educational institutions. From 1915 to 1930, there was a major expansion in transforming “farm boys into respectable men” and creating ROTC programs in secondary schools. Today, roughly 60-70% of all military officers come from the JROTC/ROTC programs. During Vietnam, many ROTC programs were shut down in response to war protests. In 1973 females became eligible for the ROTC program. Gary was at Kansas State University from 1963-1967 where there were 4,000+ cadets (all male). Only Texas A&M had a larger cadet base at the time. Gary had a decision to make – Army or Air Force.



JROTC stands for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. Today we have some of the best instructors in all of the public school system. All of them are retired military.
Gary concluded by thanking our club for their support of the JROTC program and the important things that it teaches kids in our community.



President Julie closed with her quote of the week: “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I’ve come to realize it bears a close resemblance to the first.” – Ronald Reagan

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Bill Mutz then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Jason Wyatt introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Our guests were Carole Philipson (Lyle Philipson), Mike McGee (Kathy McGee), Judi New (Blair Allen), Gracie Wakefield (James Ring), and Colin Parody (Steph Colon).

Happy Dollars were collected by Mark Scolnick. Dorsey Hightower led the club in singing “Whole World in His Hands.”

Announcements began with Reba Coil who thanked the members who attended the Pints to End Polio event. She also is looking for members to speak at the Great American Teach-In on 11/15 and 11/16 at Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle School. There are also five more spots available for the Rotary Fishing Trip on December 3. Contact Reba for additional details.

Irma Cole then reminded members about the upcoming Rotary District Gala on 11/16. Also, in January there is an immunization trip to India that is planned. Contact Irma or Reba for additional details. Irma also thanked everyone for attending the Pints to End Polio Event. The event raised a total of $533.

Don Selvage reminded everyone about Veterans Week. The Club’s program on 11/7 is about Veterans along with Gary Clark.  Friday 11/10 is the Marine Corps birthday and also the annual Lakeland Rotary Clubs breakfast at Heritage Baptist Church from 7 AM to 9 AM. The cost is $10 if not a veteran and it’s free for veterans. Jennifer Canady is the speaker. 11/11 is the Veterans Program. Mike Denham will speak about the Korean War which will be followed by the parade to downtown.

Rick Maxey introduced the speaker for the program: Benjamin Ruch with “Students without Homes.” Benjamin Ruch – “Students without Homes.” “HEARTH” stands for “Homeless Education Advocates Restoring the Hope.” Ben is originally from upstate NY, and moved down here to attend college at Southeastern. They define homeless children as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The 1987 McKinney-Vento Act – helped ensure students’ housing needs were met. When people think of homelessness, it’s not just the person on the street corner -It’s kids. Last school year there were 4,800+ homeless students which equates to around one per classroom. That was the most # ever in our district. We are on pace to have over 5,000 homeless students. This is a need that’s growing.



The #1 priority is making sure our district is in compliance with the McKinney-Vento Act. There are two  big components under the law: 1) removing barriers to education (getting kids into school despite not having birth certificates, etc.) and 2) school stability (for most of these kids, the most stable part of their life is their school).

To support the program, citizens can: get with Ben and see what the needs are at that time for students, support the local schools, meet with the local administrators and find out what the needs are for low-income students, and make donations to the Polk Education Foundation.

If want more information, contact Ben Ruch – Homeless Liaison, PCPS, 863-457-4709



Spring Obsession will be raising funds to support students at Southwest Middle and Southwest Elementary

President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: what happened to the naughty witch at school? She was ex-spelled.”

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Fred Oeters then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Ron Denney introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Melody Rider.

Jason Wyatt began announcements by recapping the golf tournament. He thanked everyone who participated, all the volunteers and the golf committee. The winners of the silent auctions for the two guardian spots: Guy LaLonde and John Paul.

Reba Coil then announced the upcoming Rotary Social events: December 3rd is the fishing trip. There are about 5 slots left, the price is $115 per person, and payments are due November 3^rd. We are also starting to find partners for schools – there is a new program called Partners In Education AKA “PIE” – our club has jumped in big, supporting Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle.  We are committed to donating $10,000 per school for the next 3 years. As part of this, some upcoming events include: On November 15th and 16th is the Great American Teach-in:  Our 2 schools would love to have speakers, fill out the form for Reba if you would like to participate. On May 28th – the two principals will come back to our club and talk about how much our support has meant

Jessica Kirby announced that Spring Obsession is May 9, 2024. She is seeking a committee so contact her if you are interested. Proceeds will go toward the PIE program



President Julie reminded the club that if you already downloaded the Ignite app, you could log the hours that you volunteered at Friday’s Golf Tournament. Also, you can still sign up for the Rotary District Gala on November 16th on Ignite. The Veterans Breakfast is on November 10^th. Also, she announced that everyone’s dues have been paid and are up to date. She also announced that Mayor Bill Mutz read the City of Lakeland proclamation designating October 24th as World Polio Day in the City of Lakeland.



The speakers for the program were Mark Scolnick and Irma Cole on World Polio Day – October 24^th.

They began by asking why we care about polio. In 1955, the 1st polio vaccine became available. In 1979 was the last case of polio in Florida. In 2020 – Africa was deemed wild-polio-free. Today, there are two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan — that still have polio cases. A child who may not show symptoms could come here and spread the disease by infecting the water supply then would have polio back in Florida. Children especially under the age of 5 would be more at risk.

When polio began, over 350,000 children each year got polio and became crippled in 120+ countries. This year, only nine children are crippled and the virus is down to two countries.

Aziz Memon is the chair of the polio eradication committee in Pakistan. They were having success in Afghanistan/Pakistan until the Taliban took over. Aziz met with the Taliban and made his case to them. They agreed to do it to protect their children and grandchildren.

Over 3 billion children have received the polio vaccine since 1985. The Vaccines cost $3 each now and the average cost to treat each child is $36 per person.

There can be no relaxation from the threat of polio until there have been no new cases worldwide for 3 years. We are non-religious and non-political so we are listened to everywhere we go. We ask the clubs to give $1500 a year, which makes close to $50 million in funds available from Rotary to fight this disease.

Those who can contribute $100/year, will be a Polio Plus Society member – contact Irma if want to be a member. The Gates Foundation provides our foundation with $100 million to administer.

World Polio Day is October 24th every year because it is the birth of Jonas Salk who led the first team to develop a vaccine against polio. For more info, please visit endpolio.org.



President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: “When life shuts a door, open it again. It’s a door. That’s how they work.”

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Fred Oeters then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Melody Rider introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians: Sarah Clemis (Kim Brunson), Glenn Folsom (Lakeland), & Dennis & Dolores Digamon (Plant City). Happy Dollars were collected by Tammi Crotteau.

Reba Coil began announcements by discussing upcoming social events including Pints to End Polio at Swan Brewing on 10/24 at 5:30 PM and the Fishing Trip on 12/3 (12 spots left - $115/person). She is still looking for a venue to host our Christmas Parade gathering. Upcoming social events for 2024 include a Fresco’s Speakeasy cocktail class, an event at The Back Nine, and an event at the Joinery.

Our speaker was Author Judy Silverstein Gray who wrote “Unwavering: The Wives Who Fought to Ensure No Man is Left Behind.”  The book is available on Amazon & at Simon & Schuster. It took her 8 years to research and write the book. It’s a story about the wives of Vietnam soldiers and how they made POWs and MIAs so valuable that the US had to bring them home. During the 1960’s, Lyndon B Johnson was President, $6,600 was the median income, and women were limited socially, professionally, and financially.



Despite this, men were being shipped off to Vietnam. While casualties were expected during the war, the idea that men were missing was unimaginable. Many spouses were expected to keep quiet and accept the party line (that prisoners were being treated fairly). The government didn’t share information with the women about other women whose husbands were missing. These women waited for years with no credit, no place to live, and mostly no word from the US Government. Many women were left wondering whether they were wives or widows.

In 1968, one woman decided to break the silence and gave an interview to the San Diego newspaper. Her story spread and others found the courage to come forward. This raised awareness and pressure on the government to negotiate the return of many POWs. In 1973, 591 men were released from captivity. However, there were still hundreds and hundreds unaccounted for.

Thank you Judy for speaking to our club!

President Julie closed with her quote of the week: Women who behave rarely make history.

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Larry Rankin & Irma Cole then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Blair Allen introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians (none were in attendance). Happy Dollars were collected by Scott LaRonde.

Reba Coil began announcements by discussing the upcoming Pints for Polio event at Swan Brewing on Tuesday, October 24. Additionally, the Lakeland Christmas Parade is looking for a venue to watch the parade and have fellowship. If anyone knows a place that would work, please let Reba know.

Irma Cole discussed the first in-person meetup Thursday night for the trip going to Honduras – it’s a Yard on Mass at 6 PM. Also, November 16^th is the annual Rotary Foundation Dinner at Saddlebrook Resort. The cost is $68 per person and Irma can help sign you up. Also, Irma reminded the club about the World Polio Day Proclamation at City Hall (see the image below).



Scott LaRonde announced that they are still looking for sponsors for the back of the Twilight 5K shirt, - The deadline is this week to get your name on the back of the shirt. Sponsorships start as low as $600 and they are also still looking for an overall sponsor.

Jason Wyatt reminded everyone about the Rotary Golf Tournament on October 20^th. They are still looking for donations for the Basket of Cheer including wine and spirits. They are also looking for additional volunteers to help with the tournament. Even if you are not coming to work the tournament, members should come to the dinner and silent auction; buy a ticket at: LakelandRotaryGolf.com. They are also still accepting donations for Silent Auction

President Julie then played an explanatory video for DACdb Ignite app. Download the app because there are a lot of helpful features.

Brenda Ramirez introduced the guest speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month: Dr. Patricia Trejo, President of the Florida Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Senior Director for ESOL (Patricia.trejo@polk-fl.net).



She was in education for 27 years before coming back to Polk County,

She likes to start speeches with this quote:  “Our job is to teach the students we have. Not the ones we would like to have. Not the ones we used to have. Those we have right now. All of them.” - Dr. Kevin Maxwell.

She was an ESOL student herself in Polk schools growing up before exiting from the ESOL program. She was the 1st Latina to be inducted into the Auburndale High School Alumni Hall of Fame.



ESOL currently consists of 115,516 students, 11,411 LY (cannot speak English), 3,006 LF (about to exit them from the program, making progress). The total ELLs is 14,417. There are 7 teacher leaders in the schools servicing 169 schools.

The majority are coming from Puerto Rico, followed by Venezuela, Haiti, Mexico, Cuba, etc.

Graduation rate gap is: Florida – 88.7% non-ELL versus 73% ELL, Polk – 80% non-ELL versus 61.5% ELL.



She mentioned we have to engage our families and our community and it takes every single one of us.

She organized family/parent academies to let parents know how to support their students. Parent and Community Engagement includes library support, Cultural and diversity events, Safety committee, Etc.

Together, we can elevate ELLs!

President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: We cannot change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Larry Rankin then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
 
Karen Albert Warren introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Ashley Troutman was a guest of Linda Wiggs. Braxton Wiggs was a guest of Howard Wiggs. Joe Tedder was a guest of Janice Jones. Jena Davis was a guest of Jessica Kirby.  Collin Parody was a guest of Stephanie Colon.  Bruce Abels was a guest of Kathy Abels. Scott Wilder was a visiting Rotarian from Lakeland South.
 
Happy Dollars were collected by Cory Neupauer. Mike Loudon then led the Club in singing.
 
Jason Wyatt reminded the club about the upcoming Rotary Golf Tournament in October. 70% of the golf tournament is filled up. Please visit LakelandRotaryGolf.com. Sponsorships are still available, including the pin flag sponsor.
 

 
Please consider bringing computer items to take to Honduras. We are collecting older laptops (which will be wiped clean) prior to the trip. Please contact Irma Cole for more information.
 
Ralph Allen brought in a newspaper clipping from 1918 about our Club’s beginning in the Lakeland newspaper.
 
Joe L Ruthven introduced our speaker, Dr. Susan MacManus who presented on “A Conversation in Politics.” Dr. MacManus is the USF Distinguished University Professor Emerita Department of Government and International Affairs, School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies.
 
She began by discussing the year ahead - 3 big elections: The presidential primary in March 2024, the primary election on August 20, and the general election on November 5. She mentioned it’s a loaded ballot for offices up for election in 2025 along with numerous amendments. Lots of key FL positions and items will be voted on. She discussed the changing partisan composition in Florida. Republicans outweigh Democrats in FL by registration. There is currently a 4% edge for Republicans over Democrats. Over one-third of registered voters are voters of color. Hispanics outnumber African Americans. Also, over 50% of registrants are younger people. - Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X. Florida isn’t as old as everyone thinks from a voting perspective. Women are the majority of Florida’s registered voters and makeup 52%.

She then discussed how voters distrust elite leaders in society. Not just politicians - it’s big media and big corporations too. They feel they are out of touch and not addressing issues that impact them. Some examples include Americans trusting small businesses but not big corporations. Americans blame the media for dividing the country and increasing political polarization. The percentage of people saying America is in danger of failing as a nation - 37% of all voters, 56% of Republicans, 20% of Democrats She mentioned that everyone is concerned about the age of the president. America is in a transitional period - our values are changing. The percentage of Americans that say these values are very important to them has declined steeply - patriotism, having children, religion, and community involvement. The only one that has increased is money.
 

 
Thank you to Dr. MacManus for speaking to our club!
 
President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: The only accurate statistic on Election Date: 100% of Americans think 50% of Americans have lost their dang minds.
Next week’s program will be Marty Helman, Rotary International Trustee.

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Don Selvage then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
 
Pam Craven introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Michelle Emerson-Lewis. Mike Loudon then led the Club in singing.
 
President Julie then installed the following new members: Mark Miller, sponsored by Michael Huff and Beth Ann Noles sponsored by Matt Brown.
 

 
Ed Lunz then introduced Adam Abitol with NOAA.
 
Adam began by providing his education accomplishments with a USNWC, MA, USNTPS Class 152 and his MS in Systems Engineering from John Hopkins. In aviation, he has over 4000 hours and has flown several different types of aircraft – helicopters, seaplanes, jets, and many more.
 
About NOAA, at the Department of Commerce, there are about 3000 employees, 321 NOAA corps uniform and service employees, 50 planes, and AOC - 9 aircraft. There are 4 types of aircraft that NOAA currently flies.
 
Adam's job role is COO/Operational Flight for Hurricanes, GRAV-D, TOMS, OWN, King Air, 35 OER. He is also an instruction Pilot – Senior OP, and Test Pilot.
Adam explained that testing is a very important part of their work and testing can take 2 – 3 years prior to launch. The process is to alter and modify the aircraft, then analyze, simulate, compare, inspect, then test/demo, and finally flight test.
 
Adam explained that the Technical Reports that are written throughout the process are the most laborious part of the process. Which includes Test Plans, Report of Test Reports, Daily Flight Reports, Data Cards, and Deficiency Reports.
 
Adam went on and showed videos of Flight Chases where they have two airplanes flying side by side in ‘flying form’ and observing the NOAA aircraft during test fly. He supplied a video of the NOAA aircraft releasing a Hurricane Drone and the process of how the observation leads to improving the process prior to launch.
 
Adam took many questions from the audience before he had to depart to chase the many Hurricanes forming.
 

 
President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.
 
Next week’s program will be A Conversation in Politics with Dr. Susan McManus.

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. John Fullerton then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
 
Steph Colon introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Beth Ann Noles was a guest of Matt Brown. Lana Howe was a guest of Rich Howe. Mark Miller was a guest of Michael Huff. Craig Leckie was a guest of Amanda Walls. Rebecca Fortier was a guest of Scott LaRonde. Jeff Fee was our Visiting Rotarian.
 
Happy Dollars were collected by Tammi Crotteau. The club then did a brainstorming exercise at each table to list our current volunteer activities and also to submit ideas for future volunteer activities.
 
Reba Coil announced the first social of the year which was on Tuesday, August 22 at Springhill Suites. The event was part of our club’s school supplies drive. She thanked everyone for donations of supplies and cash for supplies. Please continue to donate if able.
 
Michael Huff made an announcement about the Flight to Honor. As part of our club sponsoring the flight, we get two seats on the plane. Rotary is going to auction off the seats to Rotarians. If you’d like to bid on these, there will be a sheet at the back table at rotary events. Please bid and support this wonderful program.
 
Another announcement was to please pay attention to Irma’s Rotary district announcements at each table.
 
Karen Warren then introduced the speaker, Danielle Drummond, CEO of Lakeland Regional Health.
 

 
She joined in 2013 and has served in numerous roles over the years including Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer, then assuming the position of Chief Executive Officer of the health system.
 
Her speech focused on providing an overall Health systems update, an update on the graduate medical education program, and expansion plans for the hospital.
Lakeland Regional has been around for over 100 years. 1916 was the first facility. Now they have over 7,000 employees, 290+ physicians, 1,160 medical staff team members, and 7,300 team members. They have an 892-bed hospital and roughly 90% of their patients come from Polk County. Lakeland Regional has the second busiest emergency room in the USA.
 

 
One of the goals for the hospital is to focus on growing the physician group throughout Polk County. These physicians & their locations are connected to Lakeland Regional. We are very short per capita between primary care physicians and the population compared to other areas in Florida. There are currently 18 different physical group locations across Polk County.
 
She mentioned the hospital's most recent project is the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness. It is a freestanding 96-bed center. Roughly 15k patients have been seen so far.
 
The Hospital is also expanding its graduate medical education program. They are officially a teaching hospital with a residency program. This will provide more care to current patients and will also create a physician pipeline for Polk County. By the end of year five, their goal is to have around 200 residents.
 
She also mentioned the Hospital’s expansion plans which include the new facility at I-4/Kathleen Road, a freestanding emergency department a the intersection of South Florida Ave & 540A, another 55,000 sf facility on South Florida Avenue, and a large development on Bartow Road/Hwy 98.
 

 
President Julie closed with her paraprosdokian of the week: Treat each day as your last; one day you will be right.
 
Next week’s program will be Cody Lowry, Schmoozing: The Art of Building Relations

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Irma Cole then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
 
Carol Hornsby introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Rebecca Fortier and Brenda Alvarez were guests of Marsha Leap,  Allison Burt was a guest of member Gina Tullio,  Joe Parker was a guest of James Ring, Melissa Kelly and Danielle were guests of Alice Hunt.  Our visiting Rotarians were Norm Rhora and David Bielby.
 
Happy Dollars were collected by Pam Craven. Mark Davies then led the Club in singing “If You’re Happy & You Know It.”
 

 
Jason Wyatt began announcements by mentioning that the proceeds from this year’s Golf Tournament will go to support the  Flight to Honor. We are looking for sponsorships and you do not have to be a golfer to participate or attend the dinner/auction! The goal for this year’s tournament is to raise $60,000.
 
Tom Conger presented this year's Paul Harris Fellow Awards. First Paul Harris Awards - Frances Hadley-Ervin and Dr. Shandale Terrell. Second Paul Harris Award - Carol Catanzarite, Brandon Clark, and Scott Reed. Third Paul Harris Award – Chuck McDanal. Fifth Paul Harris Award - Dorsey Hightower. Sixth Paul Harris Award– Deane Hart. Ninth Paul Harris Award – Jim Russell. Congrats to each of these recipients!
 

 
President Julie recognized Mark Scolnick with the Four Way Test Award trophy which was recently engraved.  
 
Rick Maxey introduced today’s speaker – Angie Pattison, Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters. The work of mentoring is extremely important in Polk County. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power & promise of youth. The vision is for all youth to achieve their full potential. They have been mentoring since 1904 and BBBS of Tampa Bay was founded in 1964. They are in all 50 states and 12 countries. Of those 2,400 littles that have been matched for at least one year, 99% were promoted to the next grade level, 98% had no involvement with the Juvenile Justice System, 97% maintained or improved their educational aspirations, 96% improved their social competence and social acceptance, and 94% maintained or improved their academic performance. Who are the littles that they serve? 59% female, 41% male. 76% youth of black, indigenous, and people of color, and 24% white. 63% are 13 or older and 37% are younger than 13 years old. 87% receive free or reduced lunch from school. 65% of littles live in single-parent households. 25% of littles have one or more family members in jail, prison, on parole, or on probation. What a big provides them is to be a reliable and supportive friend, a positive and authentic role model, and an adult ally.
 

 
They have both community-based programs and site-based programs. The community-based program is at 15-month minimum commitment and they must commit an average of 8 hours a month (prefer at least 2 outings – no more than 15 hours).
 
Rick Maxey spoke about his little and his experience as a big in this program. Rick has been in the program for about a year and a half. He said its extremely important that kids have adults in their lives that want to be there for them. It’s a very impactful role. Rick gave an overview of what he does with his little, and how they’ve set goals. Rick strongly encourages everyone to be a mentor.
 

 
They also have Site Based Programs that take place at seven different elementary schools. The big commits to spending one hour a week with them during the student’s lunch or after school time.
 
One other program they have is a School to Work mentoring program. High school students are mentored for two years in the workplace. They meet with students at the sites one day a month. They also have a Bigs in Blue/Bigs with Badges program which connects youth with police, first responders, and other members of the justice system in their community.
 
Please consider getting involved to be a mentor. Additionally, you can purchase a BBBS license plate. Also, consider volunteering or seeing if your company matches donations. One more way to get involved is to refer a little if you know someone who would be a good fit for one of the programs. On August 29^th, 2023, consider attending the Summer BBBS Breakfast honoring Senator Colleen Burton at the Advent Health Fieldhouse in Winter Haven.
 
Email Angie at AngieP@bbbstampabay.org for more details!
 

 
Thank you Angie for speaking to our club and for the impact you are making with kids in our community!
 
President Julie made some quick announcements bout the Fellowship Social & School Supply Drive on 8/22, The Twilight 5k at Common Ground Park, and the Annual Rotary Golf Tournament. Please consider attending and donating your time, energy, or school supplies (for the Fellowship Social event).
 
Next week’s club is Danielle Drummond with Lakeland Regional Health.
 
President Julie concluded the program with paraprosdokian – “Knowledge is knowing, tomato is a fruit, and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Bill Mutz then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
 

 
Billy Strickland introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Rebecca Fortier was a guest of Scott LaRonde,  Ella Walls was a guest of member Amanda Walls, Brenda Alvarez was a guest of Marsha Leap,  Emma Mutz was a guest of Bill Mutz, and Idalice Stokes was a guest of Gina Tullio.  Our visiting Rotarians were Glenn Folsom, Lee Earls, Kaytlyn Mason, Paul Hatfield, Judy Hatfield, and Jim Steinbauer.
 
Happy Dollars were collected by Carol Hornsby. Dorsey Hightower then led the Club in singing.
 
President Julie announced that Mike Stasiak retired as our chef. Bill, Tom, and James will now be taking care of us for lunch. Bill has asked us to complete a survey so that he knows our club’s favorite and least favorite meal options.
 
Vince Jones introduced today’s program which is on Rotary’s Impact through the Twilight 5K. Vince introduced our two speakers, John Scott from Lakeland South Rotary, and Pam Page, director of the Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department. Vince presented John with an award for his dedication to the Twilight 5K over the years.
 

 
John told the story of how Common Ground Park came to be. He said that several years ago parents of special needs children visited an inclusive park in Brandon and decided that we needed one here in Lakeland. Four Lakeland Rotary clubs worked together and raised over $300,000. Each year, Rotary hosts the annual run in February to further fund the park. There are monthly meetings for members of the committee, who are from all four clubs. Thank you to John for your service to our community and leadership for the 5K.
 
Our second speaker was Pam Page. Pam brought Bob Donahay with her who is also from the Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department. The park opened in 2009. But the 1st meeting to develop the park was in March 2004 so this is the 20th anniversary of planning for the park. The goal was for inclusive play, to be able to play side by side, eliminating physical and social barriers to encourage play together. The park was designed to celebrate the diversity of each child, who are each different just like a butterfly – no 2 are just alike. The City was supportive and budgeted $600,000 toward inclusive play. Construction was to cost $1.9 million so the community stepped up. Rotary was the first group to come forward to pledge funds to build the park. The city selected a site in central Lakeland to build the park – it is over an acre of land with a natural grade change. The operating and maintenance cost is $259,647 annually. Play equipment repairs and replacement cost is $40,331 annually. Since 2009, the funds from the run have been donated to the fund for Common Ground, held at GiveWell. To date, Rotary has donated $167,785 from the Twilight Run to that fund. Future needs of the park include replacing artificial grass playground surfacing (estimated in 2025) and the space net play feature replacement.
 
Our third speaker was Vince Jones who discussed the Twilight 5k committee and goals for 2024. The date of the 2024 race is February 9, 2024 beginning at 7:00 p.m. for the 20th Annual Twilight 5K, at Lake Hollingsworth. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to donate to the playground. There are four Rotary Clubs that are involved: our club, Lakeland South, Sunrise, and TigerTown. Vince recognized past and current members of the Twilight 5K Committee. Our club’s current committee members are: Vince, Greg Shell, and Scott LaRonde. If you are interested in sponsoring, reach out to Scott LaRonde. The sponsorship levels are Presenting sponsorship level for $5,000+, Monarch sponsorship level for $1,000, Butterfly sponsorship level for $600, and Play-Scape sponsorship level for $200.
 
The fourth speaker was Lee Earls of Lakeland South who presented on volunteer opportunities. Lee asked for you to consider being a part of the committee. They meet on the first Friday of each month from 7-8 a.m. at Kelly Rec. Or maybe you could consider being the lead on some of the tasks that need to be completed for the race. They also need a lot of volunteers for race day such as: set up at the park (luminaries, registration on-site, packet pickup, parking, food & beverages, kids’ run, kids’ bounce house, course monitors and timers, passing out medals at the finish line, breakdown, etc. Contact a committee member or your Club leadership to find out how to get involved.
 

 
Next week’s club is Angie Pattison with the Big Brothers Big Sisters.
 
President Julie concluded the program with paraprosdokian – “We never really grow up. We only learn how to act in public.

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Greg Robinson then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Melody Rider introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Larry Becker.

Vince Jones announced we raised $20,000 from the Rotary Twilight 5k for the City of Lakeland Common Ground Park. Reba Coil announced an upcoming Bingo Night April 23 at The Back Nine and PCPS commitment day.





Rick Maxey introduced our speaker for the day, Carmen Walker with Heartland for Children. She personally has been fostering for seven years and cared for over 20 kids. Heartland serves kids and families in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties. Reunification is their first goal (reunifying kids with parents, grandparents, or guardian) but if that is not an option then adoption is the next goal. They have been working with K-12 and college schools to address student's holistic needs, with everything from counseling to after school activities. Thank you Carmen for sharing with our club, and for the work you are doing to help kids in need.





President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “there are three kinds of people in the world – those who can count, and those who can’t.”
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Kristen Hathcock then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Carol Catanzarite introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Melody Rider.

Marsha Leap mentioned the Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leader’s program this summer at FSC. We need to send two rising seniors to this program. Please let Marsha know if you have any potential candidates. Reba Coil mentioned the upcoming Bingo Night on April 23 at The Back Nine. Additionally, coming up soon is commitment day for Polk county seniors - if you’re interested in supporting any of the seniors, please contact Reba. They need supplies.



Karen Warren introduced speaker for today – Kevin Cook  who is the Director of Communication for the City of Lakeland. He’s been here for over 30 years and oversees PR, marketing, internal communication & external communication.



Kevin’s presentation focused on the Lakeland swans. By 1926, Lakeland had a swan population of 20 and Lakeland had a swan department. In the 1929’s Lakeland had swans in almost every lake. However, they were the target of prays & by 1954, the last swan passed away and the city was swan-less.

A Lakeland resident living in Europe as a result of the war, sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II. She responded to the request by donating a pair of swans to the city. Lakeland received two swans of the royal flock for a total of $300 which included permits, transportation, etc.



The city struggled to raise the funds and an anonymous donor donated the $300. There was an Oil spill which impacted the swans and it took five months to restore them to good health.

The Lakeland ledger followed this story. They hosted a “name the swan” contest and held a big welcoming event for the swans.
The next day, only the female swan could be found. The search began for the male swan who was found a few days later. Something happened to the male bird and was fatally injured. The city then had to search for a mate for the female. She selected a “commoner” as her mate (not a royal swan).

WG Gardner was the original swan vet who began caring them in the 1950’s. The swan round up began in 1980 so the birds can be looked into, cared for, and tracked. It’s a two day event and takes place in October. During the last swan round up, Lakeland had 50 swans (27 mute, 17 Australian black swan, 5 Merle, and 1 black neck swan).

Thank you Kevin, for speaking to our club!




 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Scott LaRonde then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Meggie Hoeft introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Melody Rider.

Don Selvage began announcements by mentioning that March 29^th is Vietnam War Veterans Day and on Saturday, March 30^th, the city of Lakeland hosted a ceremony at Veterans Park.  Bobby Yates, the longtime CEO of Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine and a Vietnam War Veteran was the speaker.

Rick Maxey introduced our speakers for the day, Andrew Jenkins & Jeff Grillin. Two other panelists, Regina James & Vicky Whitehurst-Walker, were unable to attend due to sickness. Rick went to school at Ocoee High School with all four of the presenters. They were one of the first classes to be integrated at Ocoee High School where they graduated in 1974. The topic for the program was “Integration of Public Schools in Florida in the late 1960’s.” Andrew and Rick met in the 4^th grade and they both also attended Troy University together. Rick and Jeff Grillin have known each other since the 8^th grade.



While Vicky was unable to attend, she sent in some of her thoughts to be read to our club.  Her comments focused on the first day of 8th grade where she realized there were lots of new students who looked different than her. She quickly befriended some of her new friends and she loved their “cool” style. She told the story of her lifelong friend “Leo.” Many of the upperclassmen at her school didn’t appreciate integration. She didn’t see much hate or issues in the 8th grade, although it was much more prevalent in the high school. She said they were “the class that changed the past” at Ocoee High School. She was raised differently than a lot of kids and for that she’s grateful. Her parents didn’t see color, and she took that to heart.



Jeff echoed a lot of what Vicky said. His father was born on a farm and his mother was of Cuban descent via Miami. He was exposed to prejudice in school - he was shy in school and was more of a follower. The environment of living in a white neighborhood & going to a white school made integration uncomfortable. There was fear that existed at that time. There were some fights that happened those first few years. He said what became clear after going to school together was that the only difference was their skin- they shared more things in common than differences. He told a story of having his first black teacher who taught geography & bonding over a shared love of food.

Andrew Jenkins provided some background on his childhood education & how excited they were to go to Drew High School. They were sad to learn they would have to go to a different school. The black community was split into two different high schools. So much of your integration experience related to your family background & how you were raised. He often experienced people watching him in stores thinking he was going to steal stuff. He mentioned integration happened quickly - what he learned was that these guys were okay & they built intimate relationships with his teammates through sports.



Rick concluded by telling a story about a white girl he went to school with. He walked her home one day to make sure she was okay after a bad day at school - when he got home, her mom was livid and scared for Rick’s safety. His Mom had already received word. Rick never saw the girl again. Her dad was the local pastor and was forced out of town because of that. The girl reached out to Rick about 10 years ago and reconnected and shared what happened.

Thank you Rick, Andrew, Jeff, Vicky and Regina for sharing your powerful stories with our club.

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week, “courage is what it takes to stand up & speak. It’s also what it takes to sit down & listen.”


 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Dan Hill then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.

Steph Colon introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Richard Widick.

President Julie reminded the club to go sign up for volunteer roles for upcoming Rotary Programs. We need additional volunteers to help each week! Sign up on our website.

Irma Cole introduced the program “Transforming La Paz” and introduced of Rotarians who went on the trip to Honduras in February. Irma also introduced Jonathan Zelaya who is the President of “Honduras Compassion Partners” which is Rotary’s partner in Honduras. Jonathan founded the Rotary Club in Honduras as well. Jonathan gave us a powerful presentation and video on his team, their mission, and impact. A few highlights include:

• 14.8% of the people in Honduras live for less than $1.90/day. 60% of people have no access to clean water or sanitation.
• Their mission is to transform the city of La Paz
• They try to buy as many materials & supplies from La Paz/Honduras so that they can further stimulate the economy.
• They provide water filters, pilas, latrines, wooden houses.
• They also provide an adult high school education program. They are looking for sponsors for the program.

Our Club’s Honduras trip participants & Irma then shared stories & feedback on the trip. Deborah Williams shared from her experience and encouraged  others to consider going on future trips to La Paz! The next trip will be from June 29 through July 6, 2024.






 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Greg Robinson then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
Steph Colon introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Scott LaRonde. Mike Loudon led us in singing,

Matt Schichtel announced the fantasy football winners for the past year (Josie Hill & Xuchitl Coso)- congrats to everyone on a great season! Jessica Kirby reminded everyone to bring bubbles (Champagne/Prosecco) for Spring Obsession on March 9th. Another announcement was about a Trivia Night coming up on March 21^st at the Back Nine!



The program for the day was a Rotary Town Hall.  This included an update/training on the Ignite App, games such as "Get to Know a Rotarian," and the completion of a Rotary Self Assessment.




President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life."
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Scott LaRonde then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.
Tammi Crotteau introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Dawn Lyons. Mike Loudon led us in singing “You Are My Sunshine.”

Reba Coil began announcements by mentioning that we are participating in the Southwest Middle School ribbon cutting event on March 4^th. Additionally, we watched a Spring Obsession preview video made by students at Southwest Elementary School. They will be participating in Spring Obsession. We also have a Trivia Night coming up on March 21^st at the Back Nine!



Jessica Kirby reminded everyone about Spring Obsession coming up on March 9^th – we need “bubbles” donations for mimosas. Please consider donating. President Julie reminded everyone to keep Scott Folsom in your thoughts and prayers – he has leukemia. Please consider donating funds to assist his family in traveling in to see him.

Melody Rider introduced our speaker for the day, Fred Heid. Fred is the Polk County School District Superintendent.



Fred began by mentioning that Florida has a new assessment program - they test kids 3x/yr. There are students who are behind, but are “closing the gap”. Fred mentioned that they have tripled the number of A graded schools and doubled the number of B schools. Polk County had 45 level D schools when he began and now have 9 level D schools. Fred reiterated that we are moving in the right direction as a county. In 2020-2021, we had 9 F rated schools and we now have 0. We are a C rated school district and are only 3% away from being a B rated school system.



Fred mentioned that leadership matters and Fred really cares about having the right people in the right roles. He also discussed the growth in the district - 7,200 increase in students from last year which is roughly 4 high school campuses. They are projected to have 127,500 students next year in the school system.



Thank you, Fred, for your work to improve education in Polk County and for speaking to our club.

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “the only thing that interferes with my learning is my education” -Einstein.
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Irma Cole then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test. She also introduced the group going on the Honduras trip.

Xuchitl Coso introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Scott Katz. Mike Loudon led us in singing “Let me Call you Sweetheart.”

Announcements began with mentioning that Scott Fulson is in the hospital – we are sending him our best wishes. Vince Jones said that we had over 280 runners at the Rotary Twilight 5K and also had wonderful support for the run. Reba Coil mentioned that in March there will be a Rotary Trivia Night social event. Jessica Kirby reminded the club about the upcoming Spring Obsession Event. Mark Scolnick was recently recognized by Rotary for his service towards ending Polio and Polio Plus. Thank you Mark for your efforts!



Rick Maxey introduced our speaker, Lakeland Commissioner Stephanie Madden. Stephanie discussed the Florida Poly Innovation District and her efforts to get this project off the ground. The land for the project was former phosphate mined land and is privately owned. The idea for the Innovation District is to have a live, work, and play area that attracts businesses and residents. Lakeland is committed to improving this corridor and providing infrastructure/networks to ensure its success. Thank you, Stephanie, for your contributions to our city and for speaking to our club.





President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “A woman is like a teabag, you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Larry Rankin then led the invocation, pledge, and  Four-Way Test.
Ron Denney introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Meggie Hoeft. Mike Loudon led us in singing “Smile and the World Smiles Back at You.”

Jessica Kirby reminded the club about Spring Obsession on March 9^th – we are still accepting sponsors and are looking for volunteers. Bryce Philpot talked about the Rotary Foundation as well as the Global Giving Grant – please sign up to donate to the foundation if you haven’t already. Another announcement was that Larry Becker is the President Elect Elect – congrats Larry!

Karen Warren introduced our speaker Kent McAllister who presented “Portraits in Black.” Kent is a local painter and teacher. He played sports growing up and began drawing in Kindergarten. He attended Alabama State University and teaches art at Boone Middle School. His paintings are powerful and reflect things that he cares deeply about. Kent’s work is often displayed in the community and some of his paintings (as well as his students) are being shown until February 23^rd at the Lake Eva Gallery as part of the gallery’s Black History Month theme. Thank you to Kent for presenting to our club and for teaching and inspiring students in our community.

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the  which was a quote from Aristotle: “the aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Don Selvage then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Scott LaRonde introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Beth Ann Noles.

Reba Coil began announcements by mentioning that we are having a Cocktails & Conversation event on Tuesday, Feb 13^th at the downstairs Speakeasy at Fresco’s. We will be learning to make cocktails and tapas. $60 per person - bring your spouse! Irma Cole announced that Cathy McGee is going on the National Immunization Day trip to India. She leaves on the 29th. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Additionally, a group of 14 people are going to Honduras. They leave on Feb 17th. Additionally, our club needs to raise $1,000 for Honduras Compassion Partners prior to the trip – contact Irma if you would like to donate.

Mark Scolnick recognized the work of Amanda Walls, Ron Denney, and Bryce Philpot with our club’s donations to the Rotary Foundation. Bryce Philpot mentioned that our club’s total giving to the Rotary Foundation is over $81,000. 35% of the club has donated and 65% have not. Our goal is 100% participation. Contact Bryce for more information on how to give.



Richard Widick mentioned that the Spring Obsession Committee is looking for more volunteers. Contact Richard if you would like to get involved.

President Julie then led the club in completing our Rotary Board Ballots.

Josie Hill introduced our speaker for the day, her husband Dan Hill.



Dan spoke on the topic “Now that we are home” business opportunities for post-retirement special operations forces offices.

Dan began by focusing on why he feels passionately about this topic. He retired in 2021 from MacDill Air Force base. He took seven months off to decide what to do after retirement. He then submitted around fifty resumes and got one interview. That role wound up never opening up. That process opened his eyes to this issue. His goal today is to open doors for others, so they don’t have to go through the same situation that he went through upon retirement.

He then gave an overview of Army Special Forces versus Special Operations Forces. Army Special Forces are the Green Berets. That’s just the Army. The Special Operations Forces (SOFs) includes special operations from all the other branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc.).

For background, most of the SOFs retiring from MacDill are in their 40-50s after starting in their early 20’s. $172k/yr is the typical salary that they are making when retiring. Please consider hiring SOFs - they are exceptional leaders, high achievers, and accountable. The term “HOW” stands for hire our warriors.

His pitch and passion is to establish the Special Operations Transition Coalition - Lakeland (SOTC-L). Contact him for more information.  Thank you to Dan for speaking to our club and for all of your efforts!



President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “two wrongs don’t make a right, three lefts do.”
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Linda Jezard then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Linda Wiggs introduced the guests and Visiting Rotarians. Happy Dollars were collected by Frances Hadley Ervin.

President Julie reminded everyone of the items needed for the Honduras trip – please check your tables. She also asked that if anyone is interested in being on the Rotary Board of Directors for Marsha Leap’s term, please submit your name to Beth Hesseltine. Jessica Kirby reminded the club about Spring Obsession on March 9^th – they are still looking for sponsors and volunteers for the event.

Vince Jones reminded everyone about the upcoming Rotary 5K – they have enough sponsors but are still seeking volunteers. There is a sign up sheet in the back.



President Julie introduced Stephen Willis with Teen Court. He is excited that he has been elected as State President this year to oversee all Teen Court. Teen Court is a juvenile diversion program set up by court administration, which allows teenagers to resolve juvenile court cases outside the court system. Youthful offenders are less likely to re-offend when punishment is decided by a jury of their peers. Many of the misdemeanor or minor felony cases are sent directly to teen court by law enforcement. This allows young people to bypass the traditional juvenile court process, thereby eliminating or minimizing a damaging criminal record.

If a case goes through the regular court process, there is a minimum court cost of $250, for teen court it's $75. In 2023, Teen Court had 1,179 cases referred from the juvenile court in Polk County (over 80 felony related cases). Polk County is the largest teen court in the state, because we get referrals from other counties. The true definition of juvenile is 17 years old and under.

Stephen’s recidivism success rate (clients not re-offending within a two-year period) is 99.15%. He attributes this to the parents of Polk County.  Stephen noted a few success stories of children going through teen court and are now very successful in their careers and lives since they don’t have a record through the court system.



Thank you, Stephen, for presenting to our Club!

President Julie concluded the meeting with her “paraprosdokian” of the week “common sense is like deodorant – people who need it most never use it.”
 

President Julie Townsend called the meeting to order. Irma Cole then led the invocation, pledge, and Four-Way Test.



Steph Colon introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians and collected Happy Dollars.

President Julie then welcomed new members to our club and presented their Blue Badges to make them official. Congrats to all and welcome to the club.



Chuck Barmby, City Transportation Planner for the City of Lakeland presented “Getting Around Lakeland.” Key Issues that are being addressed include Vision Zero Safety Goal, Rapid Growth, Transportation Options & Connectivity, Comprehensive Plan LOS Standards, Funding Constraints Vs Competing Demands, Legacy Priority Projects, and Freight & Goods Movement.

The growth areas being evaluated and studied are Southwest Lakeland (homes and central park), Northwest Lakeland (Gibson Trails, LG Village, Lakeland Square Mall, and Lakeland Regional Health NW Campus), Southeast Medical HUB (VA Clinic, Orlando Health, Forest Fraser Trail, and new transit service), and Downtown (new apartment complexes).

Chuck discussed the current and future roadway capacity due to all the growth and all the transportation projects to manage population growth. They are working through the following transportation projects: Drane Field/Waring, Additional Roundabouts, Edgewood expansion, Bonnet Springs, Lake Hunter Trails. Fort Frasier Trail, Brightline/Sunrail, Tenoroc Trail, State Road 33, South Florida Ave, Providence Road, US-92, and Downtown West.

The City has $300-400m of projects spanning from now until 2045. Thank you Chuck for speaking to our club and for the work you do to make our city better!



President Julie concluded the meeting.