A Rotary Moment

For 08/18/2008

Kris Nordstrom McBride

There’s no doubt that one of the benefits of Rotary membership is the strong and lasting friendships that are made within our clubs. This web of friendship often extends to folks in other clubs and throughout the district as members meet at seminars and conferences on a regular basis. But Rotary casts a larger net internationally through Rotary Fellowship Groups.      Whatever your passion or hobby, somewhere in Rotary there are people who share your interests. There are Rotary Fellowship Groups for everything from bowling to RVers, from wine lovers to publishers. There’s even a Fellowship of CPAs! These Rotarians and their families occasionally get together and often set up regular email communiqués. Then a massive family reunion of sorts happens each year at the International Conference in The Hall of Friendship. Fellowships are not part of Rotary International per se, but RI must approve all groups in order to carry the Rotary marks. There’s much more information on Fellowship Groups on the RI website at www.rotary.org.      Assistant Governor Rose Austin and Rotarian Rick Cowan, Superintendent of New Caney ISD, have announced plans to start local chapters of two Rotary Fellowships – one for fishing, one for antiquing. Plans are to meet quarterly or semi-annually. Ideas for projects are being discussed. The fishing fellowship may sponsor a Rotary program on coastal conservation or sponsor a child in a fishing tournament.

            Past District Governor Dr Max Morley of the RC of Nacogdoches and the District’s Polio Chair presented an update to Rotary International’s Polio Eradication Program to the RC of The Woodlands on August 8^th. There are now less than 350 new polio cases each year, and those are contained in Nigeria, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. This has been accomplished through  Rotary’s partnership with The World Health Organization, The Gates Foundation and other groups around the globe.

             The RC of the Woodlands will host it’s quarterly Blood Drive on Thursday, August 28, in a donor coach in the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center parking lot. Please contact Blood Drive Chair Sharon Conway, (281) 681-2230, SConway@SConwayLaw.com,  to donate.

            Dr. Lynwood P. Randolph, retired NASA aerospace scientist and a member of The RC of The Woodlands, was recently selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Business School (HBS) Alumni Association. This International Board communicates to Harvard the “interests and concerns of HBS alumni worldwide, proposes actions to enhance the well-being of HBS alumni and encourages communication of the School's activities, priorities and educational resources to the alumni.” Our congrats to Lyn for this well deserved honor.

     Get well wishes to Rotarian Wayne Hickman, who has not only been under the weather the last few weeks, but is also having shoulder surgery this week. Ouch! Take care Wayne – we miss you!

       We extend our sympathies to a great friend of Rotary, Lion Kenny Speight, who recently lost his father Joe Walker Speight. He was an inspiration to Kenny and his family. Mr. Speight’s favorite quote was “Life is not measured by its duration, but rather by its donation. We are not measured by the distance we travel, but by the difference we make.” Kenny and wife Linda’s daughter Angela was a member of our district’s outgoing Group Study Exchange Team to France last year and that “can-do, enjoy life” spirit of Mr. Speight’s was evident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Speight family.

 

To learn more about Rotary, or to submit information for the column, contact Kris via email KRISRCLC@aol.com, Fax (936) 228-0613, Phone (936) 228-5111, VM #3. Also see the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org

 

 

A Rotary Moment

For 08/11/08

Kris Nordstrom McBride

 

 

     I’ve been spending a lot of time in Houston lately, staying with my girlfriend Linda a few days at a time to save the expense of driving back and forth so much. Two of my clients have opened new restaurants within a few weeks of each other and I’m dashing between the two locations getting all of the accounting systems set up and training the bookkeeping staff.

      I’m feeling a bit distanced from the world of Rotary in Montgomery County, with a schedule too tight to even do a make-up at a local club.  But as I look out the window this morning, coffee cup in hand, laptop at the ready, waiting to become inspired, I see my son’s best friend Ron, who lives near by, out for a walk with his wife and their two young children, Sophie and Nick.

     The last time I saw this family they were at Memory Park for the opening day festivities. They had stopped at one of the educational signs along the trail and Ingrid was reading to the kids; their eyes were wide as she read the story of Memory Pond that Peter Wakefield had written. Here’s ”It’s All In A Niche”:

     “When we look at a pond or lake, we see the surface of the water and the plants growing; occasionally we might be lucky enough to see a bird or animal visit for a drink; maybe a turtle will sun itself on a log or a snake will swim in the water.  We see all these things and think we have seen the pond.  In reality, this is only a tiny fraction of the pond, a two dimensional picture, with 99% of what is there hidden from view.  What we do not see is one of the most amazing and complex ecosystems in the world.  

            All organisms, from simple bacteria to humans, live in a Niche.  A Niche is an area or environment in which the organism has evolved in or adapted to. A Niche can be as large as an entire ocean or as small as a millimeter or two of mud at the bottom of a pond.  In every square inch of Memory Pond, an organism has evolved to fill that space and live out its life there.  A Bass may roam all over, moving from the deepest part to the shallows.  A crawfish may live its entire life in an area on the bottom of the pond no bigger then 10’ by 10’.  Worms, living deep in the mud at the bottom may never move more the 1’ from the point where they hatched.  

            From the deepest layer of mud to the plants that line the banks, some type of organism calls that area home.  A cattail plant, living in a few inches of water along the bank, may support a wide variety of animals.  Worms, nematodes, insect larva and countless bacteria can live in and among the roots and underwater stems.  Other insects will live on the leaves above the water, while others live on the flowers and seedpods.  One plant, which has found its own niche around the edge of the pond, in turn, provides niches for hundreds of other organisms. 

            Sit a spell. Take it all in. Hear the sounds of nature. Watch carefully enough, and you just may get to see some of the plants and animals that call Memory Pond home. You will be amazed! Then, when you turn to leave and return home to your Niche, remember, no matter how many of the pond’s residents you were lucky enough to meet, you only saw a fraction of all those who live here. It’s a Beautiful Thing! Come Back Soon!”     

      Hope you’ll take the opportunity soon to do just that…one or two more weeks, and I’ll be there too!  

   

To learn more about Rotary, or to submit information for the column, contact Kris via email KRISRCLC@aol.com, Fax (936) 228-0613, Phone (936) 228-5111, VM #3. Also see the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org

A Rotary Moment

For 08/04/2008

Kris Nordstrom McBride

     The dog days of summer have not kept Rotary Assistant Governor Rose Austin inside – she’s been burning a lot of rubber these days. AG Rose – a member of the RC of East Montgomery County, who is also the District Governor Nominee for 2010/2011 – has all of the clubs in Montgomery County in her Cluster Group. In addition to attending many of the installations in June, she has scheduled speaking engagements at each of the clubs too.

     AG Rose was also in attendance at the South Central Rotary Youth Exchange (SCRYE) meeting on Saturday, July 18 at South Shore Harbor Resort in League City. This is the first time our District has ever hosted the SCRYE Conference, and South Shore did a great job.

     SCRYE is an organization of 40 Rotary districts whose purpose is to assist member districts with organizing and promoting their programs and with training their Rotary volunteers who work in Rotary Youth Exchange. The conferences provide information and assistance to all who are interested in the program, whether a beginner or a seasoned worker.

     Eleven Rotarians from our District attended and shared ideas about both the long and short-term student exchanges, and discussed local club compliance, working with host families, and building relations with the students.

     All clubs in our District are encouraged to host an Exchange Student each year and I believe that four of our MC Clubs will do just that for the 2008/2009 school term – the Woodlands, Conroe, Lake Conroe will each host long term exchange students, and East Montgomery County will both host and send a student for the short term summer exchange.  

     The East Montgomery County Improvement District will hold its annual Back to School Bash on Thursday, September 4, where they will distribute 500 backpacks to needy students. The RC of East Montgomery County will be participating by bringing items for those backpacks. 

     Sadly, we have condolences to send to several Rotarians this week --- Aurea Castro, mother of Lake Conroe Rotarian Mike Castro passed away July26th; Karen Collins, daughter of The Conroe Club’s long time Executive Secretary Sue Collins, died in a tragic accident on July 20^th.

We send our thoughts and prayers to both families.

     Judy McGuire, wife of Lake Conroe Rotarian Jerry McGuire, has begun rehab after a very frightening and sudden illness nine weeks ago. Jerry tells us that Judy now has a second floor room with a huge window overlooking the beautiful trees in Shenandoah, an environment much better suited for replenishing the spirit than a hospital room. Judy is an awesome lady. We miss her presence at our gatherings and can’t wait to have her back with us. We are sending all our positive energy your way Judy!

     Kassi Cranfill, daughter of Lake Conroe Rotarian Barbara Adamick, continues to make steady progress in her rehab, recovering from a devastating accident last January. Kassi is at home now, working everyday to get a bit stronger. She attended the June 28^th wedding of Kathy Kushner and Jeff Wheat, where her bright eyes and beautiful smile lit up the room. Kassi, Barbara – we keep you in our prayers!

To learn more about Rotary, or to submit information for the column, contact Kris via email KRISRCLC@aol.com, Fax (936) 228-0613, Phone (936) 228-5111, VM #3. Also see the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org

A Rotary Moment

For 7/28/08

Kris Nordstrom McBride

     “Make Dreams Real” is the Rotary International theme for 2008/2009. What a wonderful quest this should be for Rotarians around the world – to work within our local communities and within the global community to help people realize their dreams. New RI President B.K. Lee has asked us to place particular emphasis on the children of the world this year. This is an excerpt from his July address to Rotarians:

     “The beginning of the Rotary year is always an exciting time…a new theme to work with, and a renewed sense of purpose for our service projects…I ask you to consider the millions of children who never even have the chance to dream. Every day, more than 26,000 children under the age of five die from preventable causes. As appalling as that number is, it is a decrease from the figure of 30,000 that first caught my attention and spurred me to bring this matter of grave concern to Rotarians.

     UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2008 report states that ‘by 2006, the most recent year for which firm estimates are available, the annual number of child deaths globally fell below 10 million, to 9.7 million, for the first time since records began.’ I would guess that some of the improvement in child survival rates can be directly attributed to Rotary projects that have been successfully addressing problems related to health, hunger, water, and literacy for a number of years now. So I asked myself: ‘what would happen if 1.2 million Rotarians focused their service efforts on keeping even more children alive?’

     I think we already know some of the answers. If Rotarians provide insecticide-treated bed nets, fewer children will succumb to malaria. If we dig wells and address sanitation problems, more children will have clean water to drink and more hygienic surroundings. And if Rotary clubs carry out effective nutrition projects, we can save some of the almost five million children who die each year from undernourishment.

     UNICEF estimates that fully two-thirds of the 9.7 million deaths in 2006 were preventable. With Rotarians working to provide vaccines, oral rehydration therapies, accessible health care for mothers and newborns, and other relatively simple interventions, I’m confident that many more babies will not only survive but go on to live healthy, productive lives.

     Let’s “Make Dreams Real” by giving these children the chance to grow up and have dreams of their own.”

     On a local level, you will see the Montgomery County Clubs strengthening their programs for children in need, such as the RC of Conroe’s Dental Program. We’ll be adding projects to enrich the lives of local children, such as the Children’s Wall in Memory Park that the RC of Lake Conroe will begin later this year, to celebrate the joys of childhood. The RC of The Woodlands will continue its work in the parks in South County, where children come each day to play.

     “Make Dreams Real” – sounds like a Beautiful Thing to me!

To learn more about Rotary, or to submit information for the column, contact Kris via email KRISRCLC@aol.com, Fax (936) 228-0613, Phone (936) 228-5111, VM #3. Also see the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org

A Rotary Moment

For 07/07/08

Kris Nordstrom McBride

  “Built it and they will come” it is said, and such was certainly the case on Saturday, June 28^th, when the long awaited opening of Memory Park became a reality.

   More than 500 people walked the pathways of the new park, adjacent to the Chares B Stewart Library in Montgomery. During the day, while Mike McDougal cooked hot dogs served up by a host of Rotarians and other volunteers, children scurried about, exploring every inch of the park. From the face painting – courtesy of the National Charity League in Montgomery – to the balloon animals to the moonwalks, to feeding the fish in the pond, the children had much to keep them busy.

     Under a too small tent Diane Whiteley, Lorrie Parker and Cheyenne, Pat Davis and other volunteers from the Conroe Art League had a steady stream of children lined up to dip their hands in colorful paints to create unique tiles which will form the panels of the Children’s Wall to be built in Phase Two of the park. Daltile donated not only the 200 tiles for opening day, but promised hundreds more to continue the project over the course of the next year. (Please contact me if your school or group would like to be involved). Diane’s friend Melanie Small definitely deserves a medal for her beautiful photographs of all 196 of the kiddos with their tiles. What a feat! (Special note to young Julia Fitzcharles, 6 years old – your picture for the paper is not available yet, but I did not forget you).

     After 5 p.m. the tables were draped with champagne colored linens and local chefs took center stage as another 250 invited guests came to christen the park. This group included donors, dignitaries and supporters, all entertained by The Dry Creek Band as they munched on delicious appetizers from Walden Yacht Club, Bentwater Country Club, Debby’s Prime Steaks and Piano Bar, Kirby’s, Taverna, The Italian Grille, Quiznos of Conroe and Majkszars Meat Market. Gary Parker surprised us with a clip of the documentary that he is preparing on the park, which brought many of us to tears.

     The thank yous could – and will – go on for months. The day was a success beyond our wildest dreams. Nurseryman Jason Blackwell, who has worked along side Peter and Chris Wakefield since the groundbreaking in March of 2007, summed up the day so well – “We’ve spent months looking out over this park, seeing our crews and volunteers working to build it, but today, seeing the park filled with families, this puts it all in perspective, this makes it real.” We couldn’t agree more Jason!

     As you read this column, Michael and I are in Grand Cayman Island with Doris and Wally Lockey, for a much needed vacation, courtesy of our outgoing District Governor Chuck Mason and wife Becky – we are lucky folks, indeed. Later in the week we’ll be visiting with former Walden head honcho and Rotarian Ron Husley, who resides on the island with his lovely wife Barbara. When we return , we’ll catch up on all the other Rotary news of the last few weeks. 

To learn more about Rotary, or to submit information for the column, contact Kris via email KRISRCLC@aol.com, Fax (936) 228-0613, Phone (936) 228-5111, VM #3. Also see the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org