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Upcoming Events
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 22, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Blood Drive
115 Tree St.
Sep 24, 2020 10:00 AM –
Sep 25, 2020 2:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 29, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Oct 06, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Oct 13, 2020 12:00 PM
 
North Jackson Board Meeting
The Rickhouse (Zoom in 2020)
Oct 20, 2020
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Oct 20, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Oct 27, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Nov 03, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Nov 10, 2020 12:00 PM
 
View entire list
Speakers
Sep 22, 2020
Ken Newburger, Medical Marijuana Campaign
Medical Marijuana Campaigh
Sep 29, 2020
Tamica Smith-Jeuitt Executive Director
American Red Cross of SW MS
Oct 20, 2020
World Polio Day Recognition
View entire list
Bulletin Editor
Bill Osborne
(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
Executives & Directors
President
Lee Carney
 
Vice President
Suman Das
 
Treasurer
Larry Anderson
 
Secretary
Uriel Pineda
 
Director - Foundation
Neelam Goel
 
Director - Membership
Matt Monsour
 
Immediate Past President
Greg Campbell
 
Director - Public Relations
Bill Osborne
 
Director - Club Administration
Jenny Price
 
Director - Club Service
Lori Greer
 
Executive Secretary
Don Roberts
 
Sergeant-at-Arms
Christopher Brantley
 
 
 

Club Announcements:

Zoom meeting invites with the link and password will be sent to all club members on Mondays. The Zoom meetings will continue to start at noon on Tuesdays with club member fellowship with the meeting starting at 12:15 p.m. If you have any issues connecting to the Zoom meeting or would like the link sent to you, please email Past President Greg Campbell at gregcampbell2@comcast.net.
 
We reserve the first 15 minutes for fellowship and give our speakers nearly 30 minutes for their presentations.
 
September 15 Board Meeting Results.
The Board approved a $500 donation to the District 6820 Disaster Relief Fund.
 
The officers and directors continue to look at the best approaches to returning to in-person meetings. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
 

Recognition.

The Rotary Club of North Jackson has been recognized for its support to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. Out of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, we were one of only 3,400 clubs worldwide and 4 in our district 4820 to attain status as an Every Rotarian, Every Year Club. This achievement is for clubs that achieve a minimum Annual Fund contribution of $100 per capita during the Rotary year, and every dues-paying member must personally contribute at least $25 to the Annual Fund during the year. The other clubs were the Flowood, Lexington, and Madison-Ridgeland. The club was also recognized as one of only 4,000 clubs worldwide and 3 in District 6820, to become a 100% Foundation Giving Club. This achievement is for clubs that achieve an average of $100 in per capita giving and 100 percent participation, with every dues-paying member contributing at least $25 to any or all of the following during the Rotary year: Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, approved global grants, or Endowment Fund. The other clubs were the Lexington and Madison-Ridgeland clubs. At the end of every Rotary year, contributions directed to the Annual Fund-SHARE from all Rotary clubs in the district are divided between the World Fund and the District Designated Fund, or DDF. DDF funds is where clubs get grant money for local and international projects. For the 2019-20 Rotary year, the Rotary Club of North Jackson received $8,099 in matching district grant money for 8 projects. The grants are a 50-50 match.

 

Birthdays

  • Tommy Dent                    Sept. 23
Wedding Anniversaries:
  • Stanley & Connie Simpson           Sept. 22
Membership Anniversaries
  • Matthew Turnage              4 years, Sept. 27
  • Jay Cooke                         10 years, Sept. 28
 
 
Prayer. Gracious God, by turning to you in prayer we are reminded that all we do in earthly life is overshadowed by a spiritual dimension of life. Help us not to be so occupied with the earthly, that we lose our sense of the eternal. 
 
Bless now our fellowship. We are grateful for this and all blessings received because of your grace and goodness. Amen.
 
Stories
Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice speaks to Rotary Club of North Jackson

Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice James W. “Jim” Kitchens spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s September 15, 2020 meeting. Justice Kitchens is a lifelong resident of Crystal Springs, Copiah County, Mississippi. He was born on April 29, 1943, he graduated from Crystal Springs High School in 1961, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1964 and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 1967. Justice Kitchens was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2008. He was reelected in 2016. His current term will expire in 2025.

The video link to the September 15 meeting is https://vimeo.com/458679771.

Justice Kitchens related several stories from his 53-year long career as a lawyer. One of the stories was of a feud between two men who shot each other with 22 caliber pistols. One of the men was killed and the second was injured. Kitchens defended the wounded man who was shot in the cheek. The man was acquitted of a murder charge on a self-defense argument.

 

We thank Kitchens for his presentation to our club and for his service to the citizens of Mississippi. He is shown below during his presentation to the club from the Carrol Gartin Justice Building in downtown Jackson.


 
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2020-2021District 6820 Governor Speaks to Rotary Club of North Jackson
Posted by Bill Osborne
2020-2021 District 6820 Governor Ed Thurmond spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's September 8 meeting. He recognized the club's achievements in the 2019-2020 Rotary Year, identified service opportunities, and in particular recognized Charles and Ellen Johnson as Major Gift Donor 2 contributors to the Rotary Foundation. The recording of the meeting, including his presentation can be found at the following link https://vimeo.com/456261960.
 
We thank Gov. Ed for attending our meeting and for his presentation to the Johnsons. He is shown in the following photo during his presentation to the club.
Gov. Ed was accompanied by Celeste Herbert, Regional Major Gifts Officer for the Rotary Foundation. Ms. Herbert is shown in the following photo.
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Charlie and Ellen Johnson Recognized as Major Gift 2 donors to  Rotary Foundation
Posted by Bill Osborne
The Rotary Club of North Jackson along with Ed Thurmond, Rotary District 6820 Governor and Celeste Herbert, Regional Major Gifts Officer for The Rotary Foundation, honored Charles "Charlie" and Ellen Johnson during it's September 8, 2020 Zoom meeting for their contribution to the Rotary Foundation as a Major Donor 2 level donor. The Johnsons join club member and Past President, Jim Stanley as having reached this significant level of giving in our club's 50 year history. Shown are Charlie and Ellen and the crystal recognition gift given to them along with Governor Ed and Herbert.
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Nature Conservancy - Rotary Club of North Jackson
 
Posted by Bill Osborne
Cotie Bailey, Donor Relations Manager for The Nature Conservancy of Mississippi spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at its September 1, 2020, meeting. The subject of Bailey’s presentation was the activities of The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi. Examples she highlighted were Loch Leven, Coffee Point, the Pascagoula River, and restoring the longleaf pine plantations. The link to the meeting including her presentation is https://vimeo.com/454062695. Since 1965, The Nature Conservancy has been working to conserve lands and waters in Mississippi that have provided a sense of place and connection to our natural heritage for many generations. TNC has played a key role in protecting and restoring some of our most iconic landscapes, totaling over 139,000 acres across the state. Together, we are making a measurable, lasting difference in Mississippi.
Longleaf Pine forests a Southern Treasure.
As fire rushes through the grasses of a longleaf pine forest, shrubs ignite in quick, hot bursts and the bark of the pine trees blackens. Younger longleafs, still in their grass stage, shield their precious buds from the heat with their long, tightly packed needles. Gopher tortoises are safe in their burrows. Insects take flight. The fire moves quickly through the grasses, and the trees are all the better for it.
 
A controlled burn at the Talisheek Preserve in Southeast Louisiana was set with drip torches by The Nature Conservancy’s Louisiana burn crew. Throughout the southeastern United States, TNC’s longleaf pine management relies on controlled burns to replace the natural fires that longleaf pine communities rely on. This crew burns up to 10,000 acres in Louisiana and Mississippi each year. Nearby neighborhoods have been notified to expect smoke—like many tracts of longleaf pine in the southeast, Talisheek is in the middle of a quickly developing region.
A DIVERSE LANDSCAPE SHAPED BY FIRE
Longleaf pine was once the dominant plant community of the south, covering 90 million acres from Virginia to east Texas, through all of the states in TNC’s Southern U.S. Division. Rather than thick woods, healthy longleaf pine forests are more like savannas, characterized by diverse open grasslands. A great diversity of plant and animal species made up these longleaf pine forests across its historic range, but two features were ubiquitous—the presence of longleaf pine itself and the regular occurrence of low-intensity fire.
 
Mississippi.
The Nature Conservancy’s Mississippi state program, for example, is on the cusp of a significant floodplain restoration project protecting nearly 6,000 acres through agricultural wetland easements at Loch Leven in Wilkinson County. An existing ring levee will be enhanced to reconnect the Mississippi River with its historic floodplain, benefiting critical wetland habitat and surrounding communities.
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) in the Farm Bill includes two vital components: Agricultural Land Easements and Wetlands Reserve Easements. Agricultural Land Easements protect the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses, while Wetlands Reserve Easements improve water quality and supply, provide habitat for fish and wildlife and support outdoor recreation. 
In the 2018 Farm Bill, TNC successfully fought to restore funding for ACEP up to $450 million each year, better enhancing our ability to conserve land, water and the quality of life for millions of Americans.
 
The Pascagoula River.

The Pascagoula River is the largest undammed river in the contiguous 48 states.

THE SINGING RIVER
The Pascagoula is often called the "Singing River." According to legend, the peace-loving Pascagoula Indian tribe sang as they walked hand-in-hand into the river to avoid fighting with the invading Biloxi tribe. It is said that on quiet nights you can still hear them singing their death chant.
The Pascagoula Watershed also rings with the calls of 327 species of birds that breed among the sprawling cypress-tupelo swamps, oxbow lakes and pine ridges. Wading birds croon as they forage throughout the bayous, and graceful swallow-tailed kites hunt for prey in the extensive bottomland forest. Even the distinctive clattering bugle of the rare Mississippi sandhill crane can be heard within the pine savanna.
In 1974, The Nature Conservancy and other dedicated conservationists rallied to bring 35,000 acres of the watershed under public protection. This "grassroots epic," as E.O. Wilson called it, led to a river corridor presently buffered by almost 70,000 acres of public and private conservation lands.
 
TNC has remained committed to this river treasure, helping establish the Pascagoula River Basin Alliance in 2001. In recent years, with the help of partners, TNC acquired 2,100 acres along the Leaf and Pascagoula Rivers in the George and Greene County region of the Pascagoula River Basin—the chapter’s first land acquisition in more than 10 years.
In addition to making a conservation impact across the state, the purchase connected more than 450,000 contiguous acres between the De Soto National Forest and the Pascagoula Wildlife Management Area, now the largest tract of contiguous conserved lands in Mississippi. 
 
In October 2016, this land was transferred to the Mississippi Forestry Commission for future management and protection. The transfer happened approximately 40 years to the month after the Conservancy signed 32,000 acres of pristine bottomland over to the State of Mississippi to establish the Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). These two achievements bookend 40 years of conservation milestones in Mississippi and signal a bright future for conservation efforts. The Pascagoula Watershed remains a priority for The Nature Conservancy, from the forests to the coastal estuaries, and the Singing River itself.
 
We thank Ms. Bailey for her presentation and for her work preserving Mississippi’s natural treasures. She is shown below during her presentation. The background is a swamp in the Mississippi Delta.
 
 
 
 
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This Week's Rotary Thought is about Increas-ing Rotary’s diversity in Louisiana

Sunrise After Dark members

New members of the Sunrise after Dark satellite club during an induction ceremony earlier this year.

By Tracey Antee, past president of the Rotary Club of Opelousas Sunrise, Louisiana, USA

During my tenure as club president in 2019-20, I made a goal of starting a satellite club that would meet after regular business hours, hence the name Sunrise after Dark. A young professional group in the community just ended, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to reach out to these individuals and invite them to join Rotary, within the ease provided by the satellite format.

Satellite clubs require fewer initial members to charter and remain connected to their sponsoring clubs while they remain in this transitional phase toward becoming their own regular club. We were also excited to add their diversity to our membership. Sunrise after Dark ranges in age from 23 to 55 years old. Their inclusion made our collective membership more even in just about every demographic.

Our first satellite club informational meeting had almost 30 participants and we were quickly able to sign up 21 members to receive a charter in November. Establishing the satellite club was a simple process, and we received a lot of support from our District 6200 leaders.

We were able to recruit easily by initially identifying a few people in the community that had a large network and asking them to invite people to the informational meeting. People are more likely to say yes to someone they know and engage with than a stranger. This method of recruiting new members has been very successful.

The satellite club meets twice-monthly, once for a general meeting to listen to a speaker and a second time at a local bar or restaurant for networking. Prior to COVID-19, these networking meetings were well attended and created the opportunity to introduce the club to potential new members. Sunrise after Dark has continued to meet virtually twice a month.

The members of Sunrise after Dark were surprised when we shared our club’s work over the decades. This helped motivate them to join in serving our community in a meaningful way. Using the People of Action materials available through the Brand Center, we showed prospective members how they could take action by joining the club, which made the difference for many of them. We recognized that people were looking for ways to volunteer and be People of Action in their community but didn’t know-how. Sunrise After Dark gave them that opportunity.

Within the first three months, this group quickly stepped up and started their own service projects, partnering with nonprofits in the community to support diaper drives that created a new diaper bank for children in foster care. They also launched anti-bullying campaigns.

At the beginning of COVID-19, we basically had to push the pause button like many other Rotary clubs. The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and what would happen next left us in limbo. But after about four weeks we started meeting again via Zoom.

This was a game-changer! We were able to engage with members that were struggling to make the 7 a.m. meetings and we had great participation because we missed seeing each other. It was much easier to send a friend or colleague the Zoom link and ask them to join us while they enjoyed their morning coffee. We ended up recruiting five new members and inducting them in July.

We continue to grow by reaching out to professionals in the community that normally couldn’t make a physical meeting and giving them multiple times to meet, either at 7 a.m. with the Sunrise club or 6 p.m. with the After Dark club. We are adding another five new members in September.

We found the flexibility of both the satellite club format and virtual meetings a great way to increase the diversity of Rotary in our community and add new members. Learn more about flexible club formats.