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Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 01, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 08, 2020 12:00 PM
 
North Jackson Board Meeting
The Rickhouse (Zoom in 2020)
Sep 15, 2020
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 15, 2020 12:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of North Jackson
The Rickhouse
Sep 22, 2020 12:00 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
 
View entire list
Speakers
Sep 01, 2020
Cotie Bailey, The Nature Conservancy
Sep 08, 2020
Dist. Gov. Ed Thurmond
Dist. 6820
Sep 15, 2020
Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens
Stories of Practicing Law
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
 
At a special board meeting on July 2, the officers and directors of the Rotary Club of North Jackson reluctantly made the decision to suspend our plans to come back for in-person meetings. Based on the sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in our area, the Board felt it would be best to revisit our timeline in the coming weeks as things continue to develop. At the September 1 club meeting, we announced that the board of directors will be reevaluating our approach to getting back to in-person meetings
 
We know that many of our members are anxious to return to in-person meetings (as are we), but we want to do it in the safest way possible. In the meantime, we will continue our weekly meetings on Zoom and we have some outstanding programs/speakers lined up.
 
Thank you!
Lee Carney
President, Rotary Club of North Jackson
 
Rotary International and Toastmasters International have entered into a partnership. The objectives are still being finalized, however, the two similar organizations offer their respective members many opportunities via the partnership.  Rotary is a service organization and Toastmasters teaches members how to be better speakers and better leaders. Four North Jackson Rotarians are members of the High Noon Toastmasters in Jackson: Clinton Smith, Suman Das, Ed Sentell, and Bill Osborne. Suman & Clinton are past presidents of High Noon and Bill is the current president. High Noon meets via Zoom at noon on Mondays. Any of the 4 Rotarians can provide you with the link to the meeting. Prior to COVID-19, High Noon met at the Eudora Welty Library. The club anticipates returning to the library when normal times return. Please understand that every North Jackson Rotarian is invited to attend and participate in High Noon meetings.
 
Thank you.
Bill Osborne,
Editor the "Wheel", Rotary Club of North Jackson bulletin & President High Noon Toastmasters Club No. 2028
 
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 me at gregcampbell2@comcast.net.
 
We reserve the first 15 minutes for fellowship and give our speakers nearly 30 minutes for their presentations.

Here are links to recordings of the Zoom meetings

If you have difficulty getting the video to open. Just type the address into your browser's address bar and it should work. 
 
September 1, Cotie Bailey, The Nature Conservancy
 
 
August 25, Brian Gault & Desean Dyson, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and The Redeemer School
 
 
August 11, Scott Waller, President & CEO, Mississippi Economic Council
 
 
August 4, Steve Jent, Executive Director, Sanderson Farms Championship, PGA Tour event.
 
 
July 28, Dr. Nelson Atehortua, MD, Ph.D., MPH,  "COVID-19 Update."
 
 
July 21, Keith Elliott, Founder & Executive Director, Sow Reap, Feed
 
 
July 14, Scott Spivey, Executive Director, Mississippi Home Corporation.
 
 
July 7, Passing the Gavel, Installation of new Officers and Directors.
 
 
June 30, Mike Forster, Chair and CEO, Mississippi Coding Academies.
 
June 23, Jim Richmond, Vice President, Marketing, C Spire.
 
June 16, Dr. Alan Jones, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, Chair & Professor Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), "How UMMC Prepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic."
https://vimeo.com/430061611
 
June 9, Dr. Scott Crawford, Livable Cities and Disabilities Advocate.
 
June 2, Jane Clover Alexander, President & CEO, Community Fund for Mississippi.
 
May 26, Keith Carter, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, Univesity of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
May 19, John Gibson, Director of Television, Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
 
May 12. Lakeysha Greer Isaac, 2019-2020 President, Junior League of Jackson
 
May 5, Honoring North Jackson Star Students and Teachers:
 
April 28, Tavia Cavett, Director of MBHS's Employee Assistance Program:
 
April 21, David Mars, Pilot & Adventurer
 
April 14 - Haley Fisackerly, Pres. & CEO, Entergy MS
 
April 7: Bob Miller City of Jackson Public Works director
 
March 31: Nelson Atehortua, MD, PhD
 
Prayer. Loving God, we pray for those adversely affected by the Coronavirus and for those working to manage the disease it causes.

Eternal God, we acknowledge your gift of yet another day of life in which we can receive and implement your blessings. Having entered the month of September, with its Rotary designation as New Generations Month, we give thanks for the hundreds of teenagers and young adults involved in Interact and Rotaract throughout the world, and for all youngsters involved in children's programs of various kinds. We pray for their leaders and teachers who share their wisdom and experience.

 

Indwell our presence as we now share fellowship. Help us to always be mindful of the divine source of our blessings. Amen.

 

Club Announcements:

Recognition

The Rotary Club of North Jackson has been recognized for their 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

  • Uriel Pineda                         Sept. 9
  • Chris Brantley                      Sept. 13
  • Nick Miller                            Sept. 13
Wedding Anniversaries:
  • David & Annie Laurie Barrett  Sept. 13
Membership Anniversaries
  • John Sewell                 7 years, Sept. 10
Stories
Nature Conservancy Representative at Rotary Club of North Jackson

Nature Conservancy Representative Speaks to 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. 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.
 
 
 
 
Read more...
Redeemer Presbyterian Church Representatives Speak to Rotary Club of North Jackson
Brian Gault, Assistant Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and Desean Dyson, Head of School at The Redeemer School (TRS) spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's August 25, 2020, meeting. The subject of their presentation was racial equality. Gault came to Redeemer in 2018 from the Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) where he served for 23 years and received a Masters of Theology degree. His current responsibility is for Shepherding and Discipleship. Dyson came to TRS in 2014 from Hinds County Public Schools where he was an administrator. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Education degree at the University of Mississippi. He is also an adjunct instructor at Belhaven University.
 
Gault's thesis is that our country only can achieve racial reconciliation if we follow biblical principles. He quoted both Old and New Testament scripture saying that if we follow only the Darwinian principles we will pursue the exercise of power, whereas the biblical references refer to all people. He proposes a three-legged stool as the basis for reconciliation. The first leg is the image of God. God says that all persons are equal,  Our founding fathers said: "We hold the truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." The second leg is justice. He referenced the "Black Lives Matter" movement saying that black lives haven't mattered for most of the 400 years black people have been on the North American continent and that we all have an inherent sense of justice. We should not show partiality in our lives be that racial, class, or others. Justice means looking out for those who do not have power. The third leg of the stool is Love. In order to move to racial reconciliation, we must have love. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as your self." Move from defensiveness to confession. Avoid partiality and listen with care and concern. Deeply listen to someone different from yourself.
 
Dyson said to resist fatalism  He used the example of a birdcage, where one bar is insufficient to hold the bird, but twenty bars properly placed can do the job. He also used the example of British educator, Sir Ken Robinson, who argued that children do not grow into artistic creativity but are educated out of it by school systems that prioritize academic achievement and conformity instead of liberating imagination and initiative. We shouldn't put our children in educational bird cages. Dyson then gave the example based on a study that concluded young black males are over disciplined. He said the at TRS, they tell parents that a child may be expelled or suspended for disciplinary reasons, but that is the last straw. First, the school will confer with the parents and try to develop a plan for the child that they can all accept. He practices giving people the benefit of the doubt and has his teachers follow the same principle.
 
We thank Gault and Dyson for their presentation and for what they are doing for our youth. The link to the meeting and their presentation follows:
 
Read more...
MS Lt. Gov. Speaks to Rotary Club of North Jackson
 
The Honorable Delbert Hosemann, Lt. Governor of the State of Mississippi, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at its August 18, 2020 meeting. The primary subject of his talk was the just-ended sessions of the legislature. He featured the legislative decision to retire the Mississippi State Flag and the approval of a process to replace it. He acknowledged that the commission to select a new flag has narrowed the number of candidates to 5 and that it will shortly name the candidate to be voted on by the citizenry on November 3. He also mentioned that the legislature had restored teacher's pay by eliminating cuts previously made and committed the funds provided by the federal CARES act. 
 
The Lt. Governor also discussed his and his family's adventure with COVID-19 that he contracted in early July following the legislative session. He noted that he is finally able to make his daily 1.5-mile run and that he made his first one that morning. We thank him for his presentation to our club and for his service to the citizens of Mississippi. He is shown during his presentation in the following photo.

 
 
Read more...

President & CEO, MS Econ. Council Speaks to Rotary Club 
Posted by Bill Osborne
 

Scott Waller, President & CEO, Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the Club’s August 11, 2020, meeting. The title of his talk was “Securing Mississippi’s Future; Relief, Recovery, Reimagine. The MEC is Mississippi’s Chamber of Commerce.

More detailed information on the three points in Mr. Waller’s presentation is as follows:

  • “Relief – Continually assess and address immediate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on businesses’ operations and employees, advancing best practices
    to help stabilize operations in uncertain times, while seeking economic stability and continuity.

  • Recovery – The first phase of recovery focuses on restarting our economy. Restoring confidence in economic activity will be of utmost importance once health concerns are addressed. Recovery truly begins as we work to return economic activity to the pre-crisis levels.

  • Reimagine – Reshaping and transforming Mississippi’s economy requires putting Mississippi in a position to optimize opportunities in a post-pandemic economy. Rethinking our sector strategies will lead to steady, long-term growth.”

Waller further elaborated on these three phases of securing Mississippi’s Future:

  • Areas to explore during the Relief phase include:

    • Economic Continuity

    • Business Liquidity

    • Regulatory Relief

    • Business Liability Protection

    • Transportation and Logistics

    • Technology Infrastructure

  • Areas to explore during the Recovery phase include:

    • Creating Economic Stability

    • Workforce Availability

    • Educational Assessments

    • Tourism & Retail

    • Infrastructure’s Importance

    • Technology Advancement

    • Supply Chain Continuity

  • Areas to explore during the Reimagine phase include:

    • Talent Retention and Attraction

    • Workforce & Educational Attainment

    • Educational Innovation

    • Economic Development Realignment

Waller reported the results of a Covid-19 Business Survey Conducted by MEC, Mississippi Economic Development Council, and Mississippi Manufacturers Association. The results were as follow:

  • Essential vs Non-Essential

    • 58% reported that their business was designated essential

    • 26% reported that their business was designated non-essential

    • 12 % reported that some parts of their business was designated essential and some parts were designated non-essential.

    • 4% reported that they were unsure or did not know.

  • COVID-19 impact on their business

    • 7 % reported no impact.

    • 88% reported a negative impact.

    • 6% reported a positive impact.

  • Reducing Staff or hours

    • 7% reported having reduced or planning to reduce staff

    • 17% reported that the hours worked were reduced or they were planning to reduce the no. of hours worked

    • 34% reported that they had reduced or were planning to reduce the number of staff or the hours staff worked

    • 42% had no plans for any reductions.

  • Impact on Revenues

    • 12 % reported no impact of CUVID-19 on revenues.

    • 31% reported a 20 - 40% reduction in revenues.

    • 37% reported a 60-80% reduction in revenues.

    • 21% reported a 100% reduction in revenues.

  • Top Concerns going forward

    • 45% Business  Financial, Market Concerns

    • 22% COVID-19 concerns

    • 14% Workforce concerns

    • 12% Consumer related concerns

    • 6% Global business concerns

We thank Waller for his presentation and for his work on behalf of Mississippians and Mississippi businesses. He is shown in the following photo during his presentation.

 
Read more...

This Week's Rotary Thought is the September President's Message by Rotary International President Holger Knaack

ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE — one of the many programs for youths and young adults that we celebrate this month — was my path into true engagement in Rotary. My wife, Susanne, and I began hosting exchange students soon after I joined, and the experience helped me go from simply being a member of my Rotary club to being a true Rotarian. Now Rotary Youth Exchange is a family tradition, and a strong one: Over the past 24 years, we have hosted 43 students!

From the start, we loved it so much that, in addition to hosting students in our home, we became involved with the program by helping to organize student summer camps. During one such camp, I met Christine Lichtin, who was a German high school student at the time and whose father is a past president of my Rotary club. To try something new during this year of embracing change, I am turning this space, normally reserved for the president of Rotary, over to Christine so she can share her story.

"My first contact with Rotaract was about 13 years ago when I was with Susanne and Holger at a barbecue for the summer youth camp. Holger turned to me and said: "Why don’t you visit a Rotaract club? You’ll meet a lot of great young people who come together to have fun and to make a difference."

A few years later, when I was at Trier University, his words came back to me and I decided to give it a try. That was more than eight years ago, and I’m still at it. Once you are in Rotaract, you just don’t want to get out. Rotaract has accompanied me everywhere, starting with the Trier club and then on to a club in Bologna, Italy, during the year I studied there. When I was in Kiel for my master’s degree, I got involved with Rotaract there before landing at the Rotaract Club of Hamburg-Alstertal as I began my career. Each of those clubs has its own identity and focus, but all have the same intrinsic motivation.

I am now taking on a senior advisory role in my Rotaract club, which I really enjoy. I carry Rotaract in my heart, and it shapes my values, even as my interests evolve. One day, as if she had sensed this evolution, Susanne knocked on my door, wanting to introduce me to a young, modern Rotary club located between Hamburg and Mölln, my hometown. The E-Club of Hamburg-Connect, which Susanne helped charter, holds e-meetings, all of them very relaxed and personal. With members of different ages, everything just seemed to fit, so I thought, why not try it out? After all, time is precious and should be filled with fun whenever possible; the rest happens by itself.

Now I am in both worlds — a proud member of Rotaract and a Rotarian. And my small personal goal is to build a bridge between these two parallel worlds. All of us have very similar reasons for being part of the Rotary family."

It took some persistence to persuade Christine to become a member of Rotary, but it was well worth the effort. It is our duty to put in this kind of effort with youth program participants and Rotaractors so we can keep them in the family of Rotary. I hope you were inspired by her story. It’s up to each of us to ensure that more young people like Christine can experience the many ways Rotary Opens Opportunities for us and for the people we serve.

HOLGER KNAACK

Rotary International 2020-2021 President