Club Business
President Jim Cartner brought the meeting to order. Micah Fox led the prayer and pledge of allegiance to the US flag. Bonnie Whitaker introduced her new assistant manager, Eric Seaton. Next week Dale Greeson will be responsible for our program. Mark your calendars for the next Family of Rotary Packathon with Feed the Hunger on December 5. Carolyn Rhode took a few minutes to distribute copies of the revised by-laws and to comment on the proposed changes. We will make them available to members next week, too. A vote to approve will be forthcoming.
- Frank Longest just returned from a trip with his father-in-law to England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. His daughter Ashton recently adopted a daughter, too.
- Francois Masuka, back after an extended absence, was mistaken for a visitor by Micah Fox, which elicited all sorts of protests from Francois in their running good natured feud. He is planning some sort of payback. Francois said Elon University has 49 new international students this year, bringing the total enrollment to 157, thus insuring Francois’ job security. He was thankful that he survived orientation week and that his brother is doing well after a foot amputation.
Club Member Responsible for Our Program: Mary Thomas Gilbert
Mary Thomas works at Burlington Christian Academy in the Advancement end of things. BCA was founded forty years ago with three staff and 25 students. Today it has 100 employees who serve 670 students. She is married to Dr. Dick Gilbert at Burlington Family Practice. They have three biological sons, aged 25, 21, and 17. They are also claiming a Brazilian son, who is in his senior year at Mt. Olive University. She is the daughter of a Rotarian. Mary is our president-elect.
Charles Allen – The Rotary Foundation
Charles was born and grew up in Greensboro, NC. In 1960 he moved to Asheboro, NC when his father moved the family business “Allen Machine & Supply, Inc.” there. Charles is a graduate of Asheboro High School. He attended college at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.
Charles and his wife, Sandra met in high school and have been “Love at First Sight” sweethearts since. They were married in 1962 and have three married children, Lee, Todd and Amber, two wonderful daughters-in-law, Mary Burt and Debbie and a great son-in-law, David Bruner. They’re blessed to have seven awesome grandchildren, Joseph, Emily, Dexter, Meredith, Jacob, Sarah and Jackson ages 18 to 11.
Charles and Sandra are active members of Balfour Baptist Church in Asheboro, NC where Charles has taught an adult Sunday school class and been a choir member since 1987.
Charles has been involved in many civic organizations in Asheboro … The Asheboro/Randolph County Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Leadership Randolph Class of 1994, Randolph Community College Foundation Board, Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, Asheboro Planning & Zoning Board, Randleman Planning & Zoning Board, and Randleman Board of Adjustments.
Charles has been a member of the Rotary Club of Randolph (Asheboro) since 1993 and served as club President in 1999-2000. During his year as president he and Sandra traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica to participate in Randolph Rotary’s first Matching Grant Project: MG No.12479, “Literacy Library Center – San Jose, Costa Rica”. He served as International Service Chairman & International Projects Chairman from 1998 through 2006 and co-coordinated the club’s International Service participation in “Saving Little Hearts in Nicaragua Project” with nine other District 7690 Rotary Clubs from 2001 through 2006. He also co-coordinated club participation in a RI Matching Grants Project No. MG 60289 “Saheli Vocational Training and Family Welfare Centre for Women” with the Rotary Club of Nawada, India in 2005-2006 and RI Matching Grants Project No. MG 61926 “Saheli Vocational Training and Family Welfare Centre for Women” with the Rotary Club of Patna Ashok, India in 2006-2007. He served on the 2001 – 2002 District Conference Committee, was District Rotary Foundation Annual Giving Chair during 2002 – 2003 and Assistant Governor from 2003 through 2006.
Charles and Sandra are Multiple Paul Harris Fellows, Paul Harris Sustaining Members and Benefactors. Charles is also a member of the Paul Harris Society.
The Rotary Foundation
Rotary was founded in 1905 and is the very first service organization. Today there are 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide in 35,000 clubs in 534 districts in 200 countries. Our district 7690 has fifty clubs in fifteen counties.
The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International’s sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary “to do good in the world.” It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most prestigious international fellowship programs in the world.
The three main thrusts of the RF are Polio eradication, various club and district projects through the Annual Fund, and the Endowment Fund. Both the Polio project and the Endowment fund have no administrative overhead. 100% of our donations go to its intended purpose. The admin costs come out of the interest accrued through investments. The Annual Fund deducts a meager 9 percent to cover admin. Rotary has consistently been rated a 4 by Charity Navigator. The Share Fund brings back 50% of each club’s contributions to the Annual Fund for club projects after three years.
Conclusion
There was no drawing today. Jim presented Charles with a book in honor of our emphasis on literacy. Then we all stood to recite Rotary’s four way test before Jim adjourned the meeting.
Until next time…