President Katie Dukeshire opened the meeting. David Moore gave the invocation and led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Carolyn Rhode served as secretary.
Guests and Visitors
- Jim Gurley – Graham Rotary Club
General Announcements
- Richard White asked all members to respond to the survey that the Membership Committee developed. He will share the results at the meeting on September 1st. The survey link was distributed by email last week.
- Katie announced Mac and Stephanie Williams anniversary coming up on the 29th. Congrats!
- Katie informed us that Dr. Sam Powell was named to the State Board of Community Colleges by the Governor for a six-year term. Sam mentioned that he taught chemistry at ACC for six years and served on the local board previously. He lauded our community college system saying it is well run. It consists of 58 different institutions serving 850,000 students.
- Peter Barcus let us know that each member of the club will have $1.85 donated in his or her name to the Rotary Foundation. This was an equitable distribution of the club’s portion of the pot won last week by Mark Laferriere and his table buddies. (Mark probably went on a vacation with his portion.) This donation satisfies the EREY requirement for our club. To be a sustaining member, we each now owe a mere $98.15. Thanks, Carolyn Rhode, for handing this for us.
Upcoming Programs
- September 1 – Richard White and Debbie Porch: Membership Committee Report and Plans
- September 8 – Mac Williams
- September 15 – District Governor Larry Lassiter’s Visit
Happy Clams
- Dick O’Donnell announced that Brad Sugars, a multi-billionaire, will be speaking at the Airport Marriott in Greensboro today from 5 until 8:30 at no charge. Dick also learned this week that he has a new grandchild on the way. Congrats! Lastly, he mentioned that he won a golf bag at the Wyndham Tournament.
Joseph Williams: Husband, Father, CEO of Feed the Hunger, & Rotarian
Joseph has been a member of our club since September, 2010. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and last year was selected to receive our club’s Outstanding Service Award. He served on the Projects Committee for several years. He is married to Susannah, with whom he has two children. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Feed the Hunger, a ministry that provides food and spiritual nurture to impoverished people throughout the world. Joseph was absent today in order to be with his wife, who is recovering from surgery. Jim Gurley, the ministry’s Director of Development, took his place and did a great job. Jim is also a Rotarian, a member of the Graham Club.
Program: Jim Gurley – Feed the Hunger Report
What is today Feed the Hunger began in 1968 as a racial reconciliation singing ministry led by Dr. J.L. Williams. Over the years, under J.L., it transitioned to an international support ministry that focused on equipping and undergirding indigenous pastors and church leaders in key nations around the world. Five years ago, under Joseph’s leadership, it transitioned again to its present format and name, Feed the Hunger, which provides food and spiritual nurture in several nations, including the US. So far over ten million meals have been packed, distributed, and served. The projections for 2015 are 60 Packathons in fifteen states providing 2.7 million meals. Jim stated that, even though it is a Christian ministry, packers and recipients are not required to be followers of Christ. Below are the nations where Feed the Hunger Operates.
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Bangladesh is a nation that is 90% Muslim. FTH provides 16 feeding and literacy programs there. 1538 children received daily meals.
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Sri Lanka is 70% Buddhist. FTH runs 10 preschool and feeding programs for 500 children.
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Haiti is 55% Catholic / Voodoo. FTH operates 16 schools and children’s homes which minister to and feed 3247 children, many of whom are orphans. The food and education programs primarily go to preschool aged children in the hope of giving them a good foundation.
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Jamaica is 65% Protestant and has the highest concentration of churches in the world. Nevertheless, 85% of the children live in fatherless homes. FTH runs 9 preschools and schools serving and feeding 853 children.
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Kenya is 83% Christian. FTH operates 6 schools and feeding programs for 1202 children, some among the northern tribal people.
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USA is 51% Protestant and a wealthy nation; yet, there are pockets of terrible poverty. FTH works in Lynch, KY where there is 50% unemployment and on the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation, where there is 80% unemployment and a stark sense of hopelessness. It is the poorest county in America. FTH also works locally in Alamance County.
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Iraq is 99% Muslim. Our club helped pack food that was shipped to Northern Iraq to the Kurdish controlled region where multitudes of refugees have fled from ISIS. That nation is unable to supply food and a proper infrastructure for the flood of people, many of whom have been forced to form camps just south of the border where living conditions are horrible. Jim said the container they shipped in June is now half gone, and more food has been requested. FTH is planning another Packathon in September or October to supply the need.
Jim concluded his remarks by requesting support and participation from members of our club. Travel opportunities are available, financial support is needed, and help packing food.
Card Drawing
Sam Holt represented the front table in the nearly impossible quest to pull the 9 of Spades from a full deck. Not surprisingly he failed, drawing the 8 of Clubs. Only 51 cards remain. Hope springs eternal!
Closing
President Katie Dukeshire thanked Chief Cliff Parker for going to the ACC Rotaract Recruitment event last week. As is our custom, we all stood to recite the Rotary Four Way Test, which was led by President Dukeshire, who afterward adjourned the meeting. Until next week…
Club Related Dates
District and Club Business
2nd Tuesday of Each Month: Board Meeting for officers and committee chairs, 11 am until Noon.
September 15, 2015: District Governor’s Visit
September 29, 2015: Club Assembly
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Sep | Birthdays | Sep | Wedding Anniversaries |
8 | Francois Masuka | 2 | Lane and Charles Jones |
21 | Sang Ho Lee | 5 | Deva and Nancy Reece |
21 | Brad Moser | ||
29 | Penn Corbett |