• CLUB OUT HUNGER
  Once again local civic clubs have been invited to participate in the annual "Club out Hunger" fund-raising event for the Central Missouri Food Bank, which will be held this year on Tuesday, August 23, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hearnes Fieldhouse. Attendance at the event on behalf of our club will constitute a makeup, but we will also have a regular club meeting on Thursday, August 25.
  
  To fully participate in the Club out Hunger event, our club needs a man and a woman volunteer to represent us. The woman will compete on August 11th in a punt, pass and kick competition. The man will compete on the day of the luncheon in a "Truman the Tiger Wannabe" contest, donning the Truman costume and performing incognito for the audience to the MU fight song; the Truman Wannabe receiving the biggest applause will win. Volunteers should see Darcy after the meeting today.

• This was Rotary Week at Camp Wonderland—a residential summer camp on the Lake of the Ozarks for physically and mentally challenged children. Rim Massey took a group down on Tuesday to deliver your generous gifts of cash and supplies.  R.D. Ross & Dee Corn from our Club made the trip with Rim.  They were also joined by two Rotarians from other Columbia Clubs—Raymond Plue and Ted Craig.  Our Club member Rex Neil donated a large amount of supplies from Westlakes, and many others sent cash contributions.  Thanks to everyone for lending a hand!

• A list of our Committees for the year has now been posted to the website (see link on the Home Page).  Take a minute to check it out.

• President Darcy Wells states: "Our exchange student from France, Florie Mouton, emailed me this week and I want to share one brief paragraph with you:  I really had a great stay in Columbia and I'm also proud for what I have done. I don't mean that I was amazing, but I've lived a year away from my family and I've been able to communicate in English with people. Being bilingual was my dream since I was 10. And now, even if I'll never speak like a native American, I feel more confident talking in English and it's a great pleasure. Thank you Rotary!".

• Mark your calendar for our next club social, which will be held on Thursday, September 29, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the University Club. Thanks to Paula Tiernan and Bob Buckley for coordinating this!

• Good luck & safe travels to Judy Elliott who will be traveling to Cuernavaca, Mexico on Monday to represent our Club for the presentation of medical equipment that they were able to purchase because of our fundraising efforts and the support of the Rotary Foundation. 

• MEMBERSHIP!  Paige Scott will be attending a District Membership Seminar on August 13th.  Jolene Shulz is chairing our membership committee, and increasing our membership by a net gain of one is our goal for the year ahead.  

• President Darcy Wells reminded everyone that  that our club will be hosting an exchange student who will be arriving next week.  Darcy, Glen Heggie and Al Tacker will be welcoming her on Monday next.   Her name is Vero and is from Mexico. We are still looking for a host family for the middle of the year (End Nov. to spring break).  She is an outstanding young woman and should be a lot of fun.  We are sharing the responsibility with Metro Rotary and Northwest.
  
  If you are interested, or know of someone who would be, please contact either Glen Heggie, Paige Scott or Al Tacker.

• Chief Bill Markgraf reminded everyone to check out the last summer performance of the Columbia Community Band this Sunday at Shelter Gardens. The fun begins at 7:00 p.m.

• Heather Dimmitt was introduced as a new member by Jolene Schultz. Watch for a member profile on Heather in an upcoming newsletter.
  

• FUND RAISER:  The club is now actively selling sterling silver bracelets with a pawprint charm as a fundraiser. 20% of the profits go to the local community and 80% to projects in Mexico.  Check out the flyer for additional details, or see Janice, Darlene or Phil.

HISTORYMOMENT

The Rotary International float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade is undoubtedly the largest public relations project of the Rotary clubs of the United States and Canada. Since 1924 a Rotary float has been entered 18 times including every year since 1981. The famous Pasadena, California, parade is seen by an estimated 125 million people via worldwide television.

Funds for the construction of the Rotary parade entry are voluntarily given by Rotarians and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. The cost of designing, constructing and flower covering a Rose Parade float begins at about $120,000.

A multi-district Rotary committee in Southern California coordinates planning of the Rotary float and provides hundreds of volunteer hours of service. The Rotary float must portray the annual parade theme, usually depicting one of the worldwide service programs of Rotary International.

Each New Year's Day, Rotarians take pride in seeing their attractive float and realize they have shared in its construction by contributing a dollar or two to this beautiful public relations project.

ABCs of Rotary" by Cliff Dotchterman - reprinted with permission).
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Cindy Sheltmire introduced Phil Lapkin, a freelance cameraman who has worked on Oprah, America's Most Wanted, ESPN, the Today Show and more.

Phil was born in St Louis and now resides in Columbia.  His formative years were spent in Israel where he met a Bureau Chief for a news network in Tel Aviv. who got him interested in the business.

He speaks Hebrew fluently, and is credentialed by NBC news and the Israeli government.  He has also undergone Hostile Environment Training, a week long course where they are taught situational awareness, first aid, and are given flack jackets, helmets, etc. As a result, he has spent a great deal of time covering bomb attacks and other hostile acts against Israel by Palestinian suicide bombers and others. Phil showed us a couple of news stories that he covered in Jerusalem that brought home the personal tragedies that people in this region undergo on a routine basis.

During the 2003 Iraqi Freedom campaign, he was assigned to Israel, as it was feared that Iraq might attack Israel with missiles as they had done in the past conflict.

His current assignment is the Florida Space Shuttle, and he is anxiously awaiting a call that will put him back on the road again.
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If interested, please e-mail Tony St Romaine, or see Kristen Smarr, Jane Phillips or Paige Scott for additional details.
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 Web Editor:  Tony St Romaine

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