Club Business
Past President Sang Ho Lee filled in for President Jim Cartner, who is on leave with a new job assignment. Phil Bowers, executive director of Sustainable Alamance, led the invocation and the pledge of allegiance to the US flag. Sang welcomed visiting Rotarian, Dick Fisher, from the Burlington Rotary Club. Ed Woodall introduced Pierre McComb with Drury Suites as his guest and potential new member. Pierre has previously been a Rotarian, and we are hoping he will re-up. Sang called out birthday blessings for Chuck Stedman and Jason Crutchfield, and wished Lloyd Carter a very happy anniversary. Using Jim’s notes, Sang shared some important historical trivia. Check below to see the other birthdays and anniversaries in February and upcoming program responsibilities. Next week Deva Reece do the honors.
Next Tuesday our club will have its second Membership Information Session an hour before our lunch meeting. Please invite some good prospects to this important meeting.
Also, Sang announced that Dick O’Donnell has agreed to be club president after Mary Thomas Gilbert’s term. Great news!
Click here to see all scheduled program dates and responsibilities.
February Birthdays and Anniversaries
2 | John Beshel | 12 | Jason and Shea Crutchfield |
14 | Pete Beck | 18 | Dick and Bebe O’Donnell |
15 | Maribeth Delfs | 24 | Lloyd and Ethel Ann Carter |
22 | Chuck Stedman | ||
24 | Jason Crutchfield |
Happy Dollar Announcements
- Deva filled us in on next week’s program, which will highlight Kevin Bradford. He plans to regale us with ACC basketball stories. Don’t miss it.
- David Moore’s second grandson was born last Wednesday. He was 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 20 inches long.
- Mary Thomas Gilbert said BCA welcomes home Charles Fitzpatrick who returned from a tour in Afghanistan. She also mentioned that BCA will do a joint fund raiser with Feed the Hunger.
- Carolyn Rhode reminded us that Girl Scout cookies are ready to be purchased and devoured.
- Sang Ho Lee was happy to announce that some 100 members of his family recently celebrated his mother’s 90th birthday at the Embassy Suites in Raleigh.
Member Providing Our Program: Sam Powell
Sam has been a member of our club since 1986 and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He is a lifetime resident of Alamance County and has been married to Karen Gregory for 43 years. They have two children, Susan and Christopher, four grandchildren, and one on the way. His current business is Powell Enterprises, a property management company, the operation of which Sam turned over to his son. Sam has a PhD in biochemistry from Loyola University, which he parlayed into a drug testing company called MedTox, which he sold to LabCorp in 2012. It is now the largest such company in the USA, doing $120 million worth of business per year. Sam serves on the board of Carolina Biological Supply, the Airport Authority, the Glencoe Mills Textile Heritage Museum, and is on the State Board of Community Colleges. He has long had a keen interest in education.
Program: Sustainable Alamance – Restoring Lives. Restoring Community
Sam Powell said his interest in education dovetails nicely into support of Sustainable Alamance, a ministry that focuses on helping ex-offenders find a meaningful and productive place in the workplace and society. Sam said that the community needs to provide opportunities to all who wish to participate in the economy and be restored to the community. Six years ago, Sam said he hired Anthony Long, a product of Sustainable Alamance’s program, who previously served 28 years in prison. He said Anthony has been a valuable employee and a credit to SA’s program. Sam believes SA provides a needed support group for men trying to rebuild their lives.
Sam met Phil Bowers, SA’s executive director, last year when Phil updated our club on SA’s progress. At that time Phil mentioned their old moving truck was broken down and beyond repair. Sam decided to get involved and helped the ministry purchase a nice used 17-foot moving van. Sam said SA has almost paid it off. Phil told us that the truck has been used to make two moves this week.
Phil remarked that since his last visit SA has put four more men into full-time employment. According to an Elon University study, some $5 million dollars has been added back to the local economy as a result of SA’s work, providing a return of twelve dollars for every dollar invested in the ministry. Phil said he greatly appreciates the help Sam gave SA in the purchase of the moving truck, which helps SA in the pursuit of its goal: Restoring Lives – Restoring Community.
Phil introduced the folks who came with him, all of whom play some important part in the ministry. Going around their table, he mentioned Shannon Faust, a client, Tara Rowe, a volunteer, Marlou Kirby, an encourager, David Trump, who works with the mayor’s bookstore, Persnickety Books, which is jointly supported by Benevolence Farms and SA, Donald Ragsdale, a client, and Robert Rossi, SA’s program manager, who donates his time to the program. Phil asked Donald and Shannon to each share for a few minutes.
Donald Ragsdale opened his remarks by saying that being in the Sustainable Alamance program has helped him to become a better father to nine boys and three girls. He told us that as a younger man he made some bad decisions that led to his incarceration, but that SA has been a “blessing from above.” He said that speaking at our meeting today provided him with a first – dressing up. SA taught him how to speak in public, but he never thought he would have the chance to speak to such a group as our club. Donald works at SA with processing biodiesel fuel and moving furniture. He said he has been introduced to several notable people in the community, including the sheriff, at which everyone, including Donald, laughed. SA has given Donald a chance to become a productive member of society again. He thanked our club for the help provided in purchasing the moving truck. He concluded by proudly announcing that his daughter has a very high grade point average.
Shannon Faust spoke next. He admitted that he was quite nervous, but he did a great job. He told us that he has been a part of Sustainable Alamance for eight years. Before coming to the program, he had no job, no home, no car, and terrible relationships with his family. Now all those negatives have been reversed. He thanked Phil and SA for all the love, support, and hope that produced the restoration he has experienced. God made a way where there had previously been none.
Shannon said that being a felon makes it hard for a person. He admitted that it was his own poor choices that led to his situation. When he was younger he said that he had no idea what the long-term consequences of his actions would be for him and his children. He told us that many employers refuse to take the risk of hiring a felon, but thankfully some will. He said that SA has brought hope to East Burlington and provided people like him with opportunities.
Shannon mentioned that SA not only opened the door to employment but also taught him how to keep and thrive at his job. Because felons are often closely monitored by their employers, he said SA taught him that he needs to be a cut above the average employee, to set the bar higher. At this point he became emotional as he considered all that has changed in his life for the better. Now he has two jobs, one of which is heading up SA’s moving business. His oldest son works alongside him at his other job, providing Shannon with the opportunity to mentor him. He is now supporting his children and said his mother would be very proud of him. He concluded by saying, “I came to Sustainable Alamance only wanting a job, but I got a new life!”
Sam Powell concluded the presentation by saying that we should not look down on felons or turn our backs on them. We are all capable of making bad choices in life. Sustainable Alamance helps ex-offenders take responsibility and rebuild their lives on a new foundation. We are all meaningful citizens.
Perhaps the highlight of the meeting was when Shannon mentioned that he never thought he would speak in front of such important people. Dick Fisher immediately remarked, “We are no more important than you.” The club gave both men a standing ovation, a rarity in our club, which bespoke of our admiration for SA and the efforts of these men to rebuild their lives.
Sang asked everyone to pose for a group photo.
Conclusion
Mikey Morrison became the latest casualty in the raffle, when he failed to draw the ever elusive Ace of Hearts. There are only 7 cards left now and we are pretty sure the Ace is in there still. We now have over $1200 in the pot. Somebody is going to win a bundle! Sang adjourned the meeting with the four-way test.