Prayer. O God of ages past and of every present moment, as rich and varied as our language is, it fails to adequately express our gratitude for the richness of life which we are privileged to experience. As we offer our deeply-felt "thank you," we also pray for help in substantiating what we say by the quality of life we live. Let our gratitude be clearly seen in the pursuit of our vocations, in the integrity of our actions, in our devotion to truth and fairness in our dealings with others, and in our loyal stewardship of the resources you have entrusted to us.
Thank you, God, for the nourishing food and nurturing fellowship which we enjoy from week to week. We offer our prayer with humility and praise. Amen
Club Announcements:
Upcoming Events:
1. Saturday, February 8, 9 am - 12 noon, Mississipi Food Network, 440 W. Beaty St., Jackson. Sign up at the following link https://www.msfoodnetvolunteers.org/need/Lori Greer is the organizer.
2. Rise Against Hunger food packing at Madison United Methodist Church - February 27, 2020, 9 am - 12 noon.
3. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Twin Lakes Camp, Feb 27- 29. For children and grandchildren of Rotarians. A limited number of scholarships are available.
54 President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) March 5-7, Natchez, MS
5. Women in Rotary Luncheon, Country Club of Jackson, March 17
6. Multi-District Conference, New Orleans, April 17-19.
Proposed New Member Announcement. Gabriel Joseph “Gabe” Grothe has been proposed for membership in the Rotary Club of North Jackson by Eric Sokolsky and is sponsored by Past President Don Roberts. Gabe is a Landscape Designer with Martinson’s Garden Works in Ridgeland. He will be loaned the classification, Landscape Design after his membership is approved by the Board.
He has lived in the metro area for 28 years. He graduated from Madison Central High School in 2009. In 2014, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Contracting and Management from Mississippi State University. Gabe is married. He, his wife, Claire, and his daughter, Olive Jeanette, live in Madison. This is the 2nd publication of this proposed new member announcement.
Rotary International - Toastmasters International Collaboration.
At the January 14, 2020 meeting of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, Rotarian and Club Secretary, Suman Das, discussed the collaboration between RI and TMI. The two organizations have similar histories and similar organizational structures. Please see the article at the end of this newsletter for more information on the value of Toastmasters to Rotarians.
Enrique Garcia spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson during its January 21, 2020 meeting. Garcia, from Guadalajara, Mexico, is the coordinator and host for the 2019 and 2020 District 6820 service trips to Guadalajara, Mexico. Garcia is past president of the Rotary Club of Tlaquepaque Industrial and Rotary District 4140 Coordinator for the 100th anniversary of Rotary in Mexico. Garcia informed club members and guests about the service work members of our Rotary District 6820 and Rotarians from other districts are doing in the Guadalajara area. Garcia and his wife Merylu are multiple Paul Harris Fellows and both members of the Paul Harris Society. Shown from left Club President Greg Campbell, Merylu and Enrique.
The Rotary Club of North Jackson welcomed David Barrett as a new member during its January 21, 2020 meeting. Barrett is employed by EffecTV, a Comcast company. He is married to Annie Laurie Barrett. They have two children and live in Northeast Jackson. Shown from left, Don Roberts, Barrett’s sponsor, and club executive secretary-treasurer; Barrett and Barrett’s proposer club member Dr. Tommy James.
Steve Jent, Executive Director of the Sanderson Farms Championship, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s January 14, 2020, meeting. He gave a history of the tournament which began in 1968 in Hattiesburg and has undergone several name changes. It is the only “big league” event held in Mississippi. Some 156 professional golfers participate annually in the event which adds an estimated $30 million to the Jackson Metro Area economy each year. The event also contributes over $1 million annually to the Mississippi Children’s Hospital which is better known as the Batson Children’s Hospital. The 2019 tournament contributed a record $1.3 million to the Friends of Batson Children’s Hospital via its affiliate Century Club Charities. A total of over $16 million has been raised for the Children’s Hospital and other charities by the tournament.
Mr. Jent encouraged Rotarians to volunteer to help with the tournament. Over 1000 volunteers are used each year and more could be used. For the past two years, the Sanderson Farms Championship has been recognized by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) as the tournament with the best integration with its charity. The 2020 tournament will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4, again at the Country Club of Jackson. This year, it will be a “stand-alone” event which means that there are no other PGA events at the same time as the Sanderson Farms Championship. This means that the tournament should be able to attract a larger number of “big-name” golfers.
We thank Mr. Jent for speaking to our club about this prestigious event, its impact on Mississippi, and for donations to caring for the children of Mississippi. We also thank Sanderson Farms for being the name sponsor for the event. He (center) is shown below with Rotarians Matt Monsour and Rob Whitley following his talk.
Dr. James L. Warnock, a Cardiologist at Mississippi Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s January 7, 2020, meeting. Dr. Warnock received his undergraduate education at Mississippi State University, his medical degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), completed his internship at the Naval Medical Center/Bethesda, Bethesda, MD, and his residency and fellowship at UMMC. In his talk, Dr. Warnock discussed the causes and prevention of heart disease. He cited 7 steps to prevent heart disease; namely,
Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly - at least once a year for most adults, and more often if you have high blood pressure. Take steps, including lifestyle changes, to prevent or control high blood pressure.
Keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. High levels of cholesterol can clog your arteries and raise your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. Lifestyle changes and medicines (if needed) can lower your cholesterol. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. High levels of triglycerides may also raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women.
Stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity can increase your risk of heart disease. This is mostly because they are linked to other heart disease risk factors, including high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Controlling your weight can lower these risks.
Eat a healthy diet. Try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The DASH diet (dietary approach to stop hypertension) an example of an eating plan that can help you to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, two things that can lower your risk of heart disease. He also cited the Mediterranean diet which has similar properties as the DASH diet.
Get regular exercise. Exercise has many benefits, including strengthening your heart and improving your circulation. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. All of these can lower your risk of heart disease.
Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. It also adds extra calories, which may cause weight gain. Both of those raise your risk of heart disease. Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should not have more than one.
Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk of heart disease. You can talk with your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
We thank Dr. Warnock for his presentation and his work helping Mississippians maintain their health. He (center) is shown in the following photo with club Vice President Lee Carney and Club member Larry Anderson (right) who introduced him.
Four members of the Rotary Club of North Jackson served dinner at the Gateway Rescue Mission in Jackson on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2019. They served about 50 people a dinner of chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, clementines, bread, and cupcakes. Shown in the following photo are (from the left) Neelam Goel, Bill Osborne, Club President Greg Campbell, and Club Treasurer Uriel Pineda. We thank them for putting service above self into action. Happy New Year to all!
By Amrit Pal Singh, immediate past president, Rotary Club Chandigarh, India
For a Rotary club to be effective, it must be active in all avenues of service. It must also create a positive public image and be a catalyst for promoting peace and understanding globally. The key to achieving this lies in the members. Without members, there is no club, and without effective members, clubs cannot be effective.
Many leaders talk about membership development and retention in their strategy sessions. Some complain about disinterested members, while their members talk about feeling disconnected to the club or even to Rotary in general.
As president of my club last year, I had the opportunity to look at membership closely. I feel the burden lies on both sides. To have an effective club, members and leaders must work together to build community and trust. In particular, leaders should:
Get members involved: Members need to be active in projects and programs of the club. Give them specific tasks according to their expertise and time. This could be as small as delivering announcements at a meeting or as big as running a project or fundraiser. When members are involved, they feel more connected. And an active Rotarian is a committed Rotarian.
Give members responsibility: Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks, and give members independence and ownership. Encourage members to make a project their own, be it a small one like beautifying a community park or a big effort like a global grant application for water and sanitation systems in Africa. Encourage them along the way.
Create a sense of belonging: The club and its members should be like one extended family. Welcome members at meetings and take time to learn what is going on in their lives outside the club. Come up with activities that allow established members to get to know newer ones. Let members know the club stands behind them and is there to support them if they need anything.
Build trust: Conduct yourself in a manner that earns your members’ trust. The Four-Way Test is a reminder that if you follow basic ethics in your daily life you will earn trust. Members will give you their best when they trust you.
Acknowledge success and effort: Take time at a club meeting to acknowledge successful efforts. Consider writing something up in the club’s newsletter or on your website. Extending compliments builds a member’s sense of worth and satisfaction in the club.
Communicate well and regularly: Provide your members with information on everything happening in the club. Share the decisions of your board both during meetings and in club publications. Seek your members input on key decisions.
Members also have a responsibility to see that a club succeeds. This includes:
A sense of commitment: Members should show they are committed to the cause and purpose of the club and Rotary in general by being available to perform tasks, contribute to events and projects, and do more than show up for a meal.
A sense of ownership: Members should take on activities or projects and make them their own. Give your club the same attention you would your profession or personal efforts. Give it your time and attention.
A sense of sharing: Share your insight and expertise with others, whether professional or personal.
A sense of giving: Be ready to give of your time, effort, or money, to the extent you are able. When everyone in a club is generous with their time, money and talents, a club thrives.
A sense of accountability: Be accountable to the club and to each other. If you are given a task, do it with the same diligence you would your job or a personal pursuit. Don’t renege or go back on a commitment to another member of the club without discussion. A club’s performance reflects on its members. If a club is struggling, it’s probably because some or all of its members aren’t fully committed.
I strongly feel both the club leadership and its members are responsible for creating a bond of love and affection, an atmosphere of togetherness, and all-around camaraderie. Everyone has to make an effort in order to create an effective Rotary club.
