In early 1985, Pinky Janek took me to a meeting of Business and Professional Toastmasters in San Antonio. There were about 35 people there and they enjoyed each other and a nice lunch at a restaurant in North Star Mall. On this day there was one speech from a very experienced Toastmaster and I was very impressed.
“Rotary is not just a club that you join, it is an invitation to endless opportunities. We believe that our acts of service, big and small, create opportunities for people who need our help. Everything we do opens another opportunity for someone, somewhere,” said President-Elect Holger Knaack.Therefore, the theme for year 2020-21 is -- Rotary Opens Opportunities.”
“Rotarians are people of action” exclaimed District Governor John Hutcherson to an attentive audience of major donors at what was billed as a Million Dollar Dinner on January 17th. Slightly shy of a million that night, six days later the total topped the goal.
The Rotary Club of Kerrville-Morning (Kerrville Morning Rotary) President, Jon Tilley, recently awarded a Paul Harris Fellow to Kerrville Morning Rotarian, Katya Sczepanik.
Canyon Lake Rotary Club is hosting it's 12th Annual Romantic Rendezvous at the Convention Center in New Braunfels on February 15th. Last year, 330 formally-dressed attendees netted the Club over $55,000 for their youth scholarships! There will be live and silent auctions with trips to South Africa, Park City, Utah, deer hunts, custom-made quilts, dinner and dancing to the music of Cactus Country, one of San Antonio’s favorite bands. This event has sold out five years in a row! Tickets are $75 per person. For reservations: 830-542-8270.
On January 22nd, the Eagle Pass Rotary Club had a "Sip n' Serve" evening meeting where they assembled toiletry bags and had a cocktail hour. The toiletry bags were assembled for the residents of Casa Bethesda, a home for adults with special needs in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
District Governor, John Hutcherson, had a great visit with the Eagle Pass Rotary Club earlier this month. He assisted with the induction of three new members and also received a check from the CC Winn Interact Club for their "Pennies for Polio" campaign in the fall.
Each year, the Downtown Rotary Club of New Braunfels conducts four separate fundraisers including our All In for the Hungry Poker Tournament. These events enable our club to distribute a combined $250,000 annually to deserving area non-profits and to Rotary International. We dedicate all funds from our Poker Tournament to food banks serving our community.
What is special about the poker event is the money raised when given to the food banks has a multiplier effect. According to the food banks, each dollar donated can be turned into $8 dollars’ worth of food given to those in need. Last year, we donated approximately $25,000. We need your participation to exceed that number this year!
Glynna Reser and members of the Ralph Fair, Jr. Family delivered an outstanding presentation regarding Casa del Aguila Orphanage & School to The Fair Oaks Ranch Club during its weekly luncheon on January 8th. Mr. Fair was instrumental in establishing Casa del Aguila in 1995 to serve the needs of abandoned and abused children of indigenous families living in a mountainous region in Peru.
Melinda Martinez, RN for the cardiac unit at VVRMC, noticed that Sandra Puente was in need of a replacement for her worn wheelchair. Since Ms. Puente did not qualify for any assistance, Ms. Martinez approached Rotarian Fred Bowers, Fred advised her to reach out to Rotary President, Angela Prather.
Misión de Candelilla, Rotary Club of Fredericksburg-Nimitz, Rotary Club of New Braunfels and Club Rotario Piedras Negras recently shared the miracle of Christmas in Mexico. At 5:20 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, in the parking lot of Bridge Church, Santa (Curtis Allerkamp) was there preparing to take a team of his elves to Mexico.
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary’s main objective is service—in the community, in the workplace and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who make up more than 35,000 clubs in 350 countries in the world share a dedication to the ideal of SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County is one of those 35,000 clubs. In the short time we have been in existence in Blanco County, our projects follow the guidelines of Rotary International to: