Many of you were able to join us at the Service Above Self Luncheon before the Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you to those who volunteered to help with set up and break down, and to serve as greeters at the door.
This was our most successful event to date as far as attendance and sponsorships go. It is an event that really puts us on the map, both in the local business community and in Rotary circles. It also is one of our major fundraisers.
A big thank you to the committee, who made the event possible and to our partner, the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Our other big fundraiser will be getting underway soon. Please start thinking about procuring prizes for our March calendar raffle. We need 31 prizes to make it a go. Prizes might include, gift certificates from local businesses and restaurants, gift baskets, or other items of value. Think about prizes that would have a wide appeal. Last year we made almost $6000 on the raffle. Let’s see if we can surpass that total this year. Remember, proceeds from the raffle go to our Service Fund and eventually to the local grants we award at the Paul Harris Dinner this spring.
Our Holiday Party will be on Friday December 13th. Please join us for good fun and fellowship with some special surprises.
JOIN US FRIDAY 12/13 FOR A SPECIAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION!
We will have a Special Guest this Friday (shhhh...its SANTA!). If you have young ones, contact John Perez (john.perez@consiliumopis.com) about having a gift ready for Santa to give to the kids.
I arrived in the village of Phum Thom on Tuesday, October 22nd spending time with the Girl Guides, 130 of them and with the parents of the 20 University girls in Phnom Penh from the village etc. The Guest House has electricity through a generous solar panel on the roof. There are lights at night but dim. There is an amazing bed that is as hard as a board and am sure that is what is under the sheet & bedding. But, it is off the floor. The room has loving guests – a frog on the floor and geckos on the walls that chirp at night – totally harmless. Bedtime is 7:00 p.m. – at dark. The roosters begin to crow at the first hint of dawn and I am definitely up at that time to plug in my little pot for coffee to drink with my peanut butter sandwich and apple purchased in Phnom Penh, the capital city 45 miles away.
Thursday morning, the families, 280 of them, began to gather at 6:00 a.m. behind the guest house for the 7:00 a.m. water filter distribution. They gathered quietly sitting on the ground just waiting for their names to be called to receive the wonderful gift of the water filters and the bags of soap, toothbrushes, and paste from our Springfield Rotary Club. As the distribution is for more than one small village, the village directors were also present.
The filters were delivered on Wednesday, the day before. Girl Guides helped to put together the bags of soap etc. that are given with the filters. The people were so grateful for the gifts. Each recipient bowed and gave thanks, Cambodian style as they received their gifts. The filters were carefully tied onto their motos or placed in a wagon to pull to their homes. By 9:30 a.m. the sun was already high and extremely warm and the water filters were gone to be used to give the families clean water.
From all of them to you, I bring their sincere thanks for the generous gifts of life – clean water to drink and the soap etc. helping to keep their bodies clean.
There are many details not given but… for another time.
Do you have some news or information that might be of interest to fellow Rotarians?*
If so, please email Samalid Hogan at smhogan413@gmail.com by Monday of each week for inclusion in Friday's bulletin.
Our weekly Bulletin goes out to more than 70 local leaders every week and is a wonderful way to spread your message. *All submissions are subject to approval.
