Club Business
Ed (Woody) Woodall, a recent past president, filled in for current president, Jim Cartner, who is supposedly returning to take up the gavel again soon! Jason Crutchfield led the prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the US flag. A moment of silence was observed in honor of Dr. Lane Anderson, who died unexpectedly this week. Woody shared some interesting historical trivia for this date. In 1900 the USPS sold its first book of stamps. It cost two cents. In 1929, the NY Yankees started using numbers on their uniforms, and in 1962 Walter Cronkite began hosting the CBS evening news. We had no visiting Rotarians or special guests this week, except for our most distinguished club member, the honorable Randy Perkins. Trip Durham’s birthday is the 17th, and our next Club Assembly in on April 30th. Next week Pete Beck has the program. His guest will be Sam Powell, who will share on the history connected with the Battle of Alamance. Should be interesting.
Click here to see all scheduled program dates and responsibilities.
April Birthdays and Anniversaries
5 | Cathryn Hartwell | 7 | James and Bonnie Honeycutt |
14 | Deva Reece | 28 | Cliff and Karon Parker |
17 | Trip Durham | 30 | Thomas and Lea Phelps |
Club Announcements
- Please support Rotary Reads this month. We are in the middle of a big push to raise funds for our joint Rotary Reads project. The four local clubs are selling $100 chances for a dream vacation for two. As of the Tuesday meeting time, 26 tickets had been sold of the 100 we set as our cut off point. We need to get this done by April 18th. Here is your link for more information and to purchase your ticket – http://www.grahamrotaryclub.org/2019-fundraiser.html.
- We need more people to sign up as volunteers to read to kids as part of our Rotary Reads initiative. So far 11 members of our club have done so. Don’t miss this great opportunity to serve. Here is your link to contact Tracy Taylor @… Rotary Club of Alamance Rotary Reads Signup
- At District Conference we will collectively support the Generations Group Home for Abused Boys in the Greenville area.
http://generationsgroup.com/- Needed supplies include Basketball Shorts (Any mens’ sizes, S, M, L, XL),
- Graphic Tees, Boxers, Briefs, Mens’ Socks, Towels and Washcloths.
- Please bring these items to the April 16th or 23rd meetings.
Happy Dollar Announcements
- Mary Thomas Gilbert shared that there was no permanent damage from exploding peaches. You had to be there to understand this…
- Dick O’Donnell acknowledged Tiger Woods amazing victory at The Masters on Sunday.
- Sam Powell celebrated his new granddaughter, Ellie Claire. Congrats!
Club Member Providing Today’s Program: Susan Watson
Susan became executive director of the Women’s Resource Center on January 1, 2014. Her passion is coaching women to see their own potential and finding the tools they need to achieve it. She is a graduate of the Leadership Institute of Impact Alamance and Leadership Alamance. She serves on the board of the Rotary Club of Alamance and is an active member of the Women’s Professional Forum in Greensboro. Susan has served on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Resource Center in Greensboro. She has served on the executive committee of United Way of Alamance County Community Council as well as the planning committee for the annual Women’s Symposium through the Alamance Chamber. Her volunteer work with United Way of Greater Greensboro focused on community engagement through service on the Women’s Leadership Planning Committee. Susan holds a B.S. in Women’s Gender Studies from UNC-G. She has 13 years experience as a licensed insurance professional with Northwestern Mutual, skilled in operations management and coaching of new financial representatives.
She is the proud mom of one daughter, two sons and three grandchildren. Her spare time is filled as a beachcomber, reader, labyrinth walker and enjoying off the beaten path traveling.
Susan has been a member of our club since 2015. She is our Membership Chair and a Paul Harris Fellow.
She reminded every one that the Herb Festival is the last weekend of April and invited everyone to come out and buy some plants to support the Women’s Resource Center.
As a segue to her program, Susan shared how the Resource Center partners with Benevolence Farms, before introducing our speaker, LaShauna Austria, the Benevolence Farms Executive Director.
Program: LaShauna Austria Executive Director of Benevolence Farms
LaShauna grew up in Alamance County. She went to Alexander Wilson, then Southern Middle, then Southern High School. She joined the Army for a short while and then came back to Alamance County. She is married with four children. She is also a pastor for the United Church of Christ in Asheboro and she recently bought land in the southern part of the county to fulfill her dream of becoming a farmer. LaShauna became involved with Benevolence Farm four years ago. She was initially on the board; but was asked to become director when the previous director stepped down.
Benevolence Farm is a re-entry program for women leaving the NC prison system. It is only for women who have been incarcerated in the North Carolina prison system. It is located on Highway 87 in Southern Alamance on 13 acres.
They offer housing and employment for women who do not have these opportunities because of their incarceration record. They pay a living wage, $10 an hour. Many of these women have a history of substance abuse and/or mental illness. Around 90% suffer from mental illness.
LaShauna said as a community we need to do a better job of wrapping our arms around these women and providing them with the services they need. The farm provides things like emotional/psychological counseling, lessons in financial budgeting, writing a resume, and connecting them with outside resources such as Wheels for Hope, Mental Health, Second Chance landlords, and Second Chance employers.
The Farm can house and employ up to 6 women. The women are allowed to stay for up to 2 years. The Farm grows and sells their produce and makes products from the herbs and plants they grow. They make fabulous soaps, lotions, and rubs.
To learn more go to www.benevolencefarm.org.