March 25

By: Clark Kent
Special Reporter for the Daily Planet

Our guest speaker was Roi Canty from Ascension Hospice & The Lodge at Ascension. Ms Canty, the Hospital Liaison for Ascension, described this Irmo business as being only one of two in-patient Hospice facilities in the Columbia market and the types of care and service offered by her company. Ascension moved last year to their new facilities on Woodrow Street. Ms Canty explained the various levels of Senior care that her company provides from the entry levels of Assisted Living at their facility known as The Lodge at Ascension to end-of-life services in their adjoining 14 bed Hospice facility. In addition to the Irmo facilities, Ascension offers in-home Hospice care throughout parts of South Carolina with offices located in Florence and Rock Hill.

The Lodge at Ascension provides 24 hour skilled care as well as having a medical doctor on staff. She stated that a majority of their patients are “private pay” and the average cost runs about $2400 per month depending on the level of services provided to the individual. Ms Canty indicated that the demographics of the “typical” assisted living resident was an 80 year old widowed female who may end up being a resident for a number of years. However, this is much different with their Hospice in-patient care unit where the stay is much shorter…10 days to two weeks. Ms Canty invited individual Rotary members to visit the Ascension facility for a private tour.

In other matters to come before the Club, President Eddie gave an update on the District Conference that was held in Columbia last week. He described the various events held over the two day period and thanked the members who attended. The Lake Murray-Irmo Rotary Club was the recipient of three awards; The Governors Citation, the Presidents Citation, and the silver Literacy Award were proudly accepted by President Eddie. Our Club was also recognized for sponsoring two of the three current Ambassadorial Scholarship students studying abroad at this time. President-elect Ginny Barr discussed the picture display board that chronological the Club’s recent past events. She thanked Debra Bailey for her work in putting the display together which was one of the better displays that was exhibited. Next year’s district Conference will be held in Myrtle Beach.

We also had two “classification” presentations. Michael Cromer, one of our newest Club members is the Commercial Banking Manager at First Community Bank on Lake Murray Boulevard. Originally from Chapin, Michael holds a degree in Finance from Clemson University, is married with two children (ages six and nine). Rod Funderburk, a Charter Member of the Lake Murray Rotary Club in 1989 spoke about his long professional career at the former Allied Chemical plant on St. Andrews Road, which according to Rod, has undergone 19 different name changes over the years. Rod held numerous mulit-plant managerial positions with the company and its successors over the years before retiring. Rod is now an energy management consultant with Resource Supply Management Rod is a former President of the Lake Murray Rotary Club and has done about everything at the club and district level over the years. Needless to say that this column would be too long to even attempt to list the numerous contributions to Rotary that has been unselfishly been made by Rod as he has exemplified the true meaning of “Service above Self”.

March 11 2009

March 11, 2009
Reporter: Scott Moseley

Joel Price gave our invocation and John Hanson introduced our visitors. Douglas Brown is a student at USC and is interested in a Rotary scholarship. Spencer McClay is Mike’s younger son and a former Rotary exchange student to Finland.

Lynn Richards provided our Health and Happiness. Lyman’s wife JoAnne is in the hospital and we need to keep her in our prayers. We were given a health update on Bill Kopleman and asked to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

President Eddie reminded us to donate to the C.A.R.T. Fund. Lynn Campbell made President Eddie live up to a bet. Eddie wore a Wake Forest hat the entire meeting because Wake beat Clemson in basketball last week.





President-Elect Ginny Barr represented our club at the President Elect Training Seminar in Myrtle Beach this past weekend. She gave us some information on the upcoming Rotary year and the new slogan “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”.

President Eddie wanted to notify the club that there will be NO MEETING next week, Wednesday the 18th due to the district conference.

John Adair and Joel Price each entertained us with their classification talks-Pizza, Piano, Price and Post Office.

Past President Chris Joye introduced our speaker Jonathan Mauger of the Boy’s Farm in Newberry. Jonathan gave a great talk about the Boy’s Farm and its 50 year history of helping ‘Build Boy’s rather than Mend Men’. He thanked the club for the $400 donation made to the Boy’s Farm.

Rotary Bowling Tournament

Thanks to all of the Rotarians, their family members and friends who supported our Bowling Tournament this past Saturday. We had 22 lanes filled with lots of folks having a great time. It was so great to see folks, of all ages, having fun together and at the same time, donating to our Rotary Club. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, we netted a profit of $2200. Special thanks to Eddie Robinson, his wife Cynthia and Jeanette Coulter who helped a great deal Saturday with the tournament. I couldn't have done it without you!

Spirit Winners

Mar 4th 2009

Reporter: Lynn Campbell
3/4/09

The meeting was opened by President Eddie with the invocation given by Bob Berry. Guests were introduced and welcomed to Lake Murray-Irmo Rotary.

Lyman Whitehead's health and happiness caused our president some concern- a story about turpentine and a cat's rear end!! Enough said.

Judy Johnson reported the bowling fundraiser netted over $2200. Thanks Judy for a job well done. Chris Spearman was inducted as our newest member and welcomed by the club.

John Adair introduced those teachers being honored during Teacher
Recognition- they were:

Gordon Farley Dutch Fork Elementary School
Laura Adair Irmo Elementary School
Tracy Frick Harbison West Elementary
Erica Millwood Leaphart Elementary School
Sandy Rickenbaker Dutch Fork High School
Johnny Cooley Irmo Middle School
Hope Lights H.E. Corley Elementary School
Matt Gams Chapin Elementary School
Paulette Moses Ballentine Elementary




John then introduced our speaker Dr. Sandy Breazeale, LPC who told of her dad dropping out of high school and her mother being the first of her family to graduate.

She said expectations of her were the same until she encountered those teachers that changed her outlook on who she was and what she could accomplish in life.

During high school, she was selected to girls state and then to head girls nation. She stated that most of those selected were from the best families who valued education. Her teachers had turned her from the ordinary into the extraordinary.

The meeting ended with Happy dollars- the most unusual was Joel Collins reporting his son Drew was selected in a bachelor auction for $7,000 -That's better than the Dad!