Jan 31 2007

Sonny White - Midlands Technical College

Last Meeting
January 31, 2007

Reporter- Scott Moseley

The meeting was called to order by Madame President Molly. Kevin Adams gave the invocation followed by the introduction of our guests by John Hanson. Special recognition was given to the many Interact students in attendance. Health & Happiness (joke telling time) was given by the illustrious Lyman Whitehead.

Past President Joel Collins recently spoke to the new Interact group at DJJ and he read a thank you note from that group he received this week. Chip Lyerly reminded us that our next meeting, February 7, is Shadow Day. The students and the Rotary members will meet for breakfast at 7:30 and return to the Cotton House at 12:30 for lunch. February 10th is Adopt-a-Highway. Blount Shepard will provide further details.

Past President Chris Joye introduced our speaker Sonny White, PHD. For the past 11 months Dr. White has served as President of Midlands Technical College. He grew up in York County and attended Clemson University. Dr. White informed the club of the growth that Midlands Tech is planning in the area. Ground has just broken on a new facility in Batesburg-Leesville and plans are being made to expand the Harbison Campus. Midlands Tech is well known for its Nursing program. Approximately 85% of the area nurses and technician-level health professionals prepare for their careers at MTC. The school is focused on helping different companies find capable employees through technical training. 90% of MTC graduates find employment after college in our three county area.

The meeting was adjourned following the donation of several celebratory Happy Dollars.











Kelly Payne and Dutch Fork Interact Club

January 24th 2007

Last Meeting
January 24, 2007

Reporter – Theresa Miley

The meeting was called to order by President Elect Beetle Bailey. The invocation was given by Blount Shepard. Interim Sergeant-at-Arms John Hanson introduced our visitors. Dr. Lynn Campbell tested our knowledge of The Rotarian. Lyman Whitehead provided our humor of the day using the comparison between a newborn baby and three elderly gentlemen!

Dr. Judy Johnson reminded the committee chairs of a brief art auction meeting after our meeting today. Bob Berry solicited ads (our business cards) at $25.00 for our art auction program. Great marketing strategy, especially since he would be waiting at the only exit door when you leave. Way to go Bob! John Adair is doing a full ad and auctioning a piano at a great bargain. Thanks John.

Kelly Payne updated our group on the status of Dutch Fork's desire to do the "Alive @ 25" program through the Interact Club. They are awaiting approval from the School Board.

Chip Lyerly updated us on Shadow Day, to be held February 7th. We still need
volunteers and he passed around a sign up sheet. This will begin with breakfast and end with a 12:30 luncheon.

John Wilkins introduced our guest speaker, Jose Monge. Mr. Monge is an attorney who specializes in immigration law. Mr. Monge shared his views and work efforts in regards to immigration. He feels immigration is an economic issue. He talked about the difference between migration and immigration. Migration is the moving from one place to another and immigration is the system to control migration. He reminded us that at one time there were no rules-if you wanted to move, you could move. Now, due to increase in population, there are rules to try to attempt to control peoples' movements.

Lately, he feels immigration has been politicized and is often linked to terrorism. These are two separate issues. He addressed two specific issues:

1. Undocumented Immigration: Due to supply/demand, there are 15 million estimated undocumented workers in U.S. In Mexico, workers do same type of work for $25/week and in U.S. they make $12.00/hour. Many Americans do not want to work for $12.00/hour, but immigrants desire to do work. There is a demand for labor and the supply of labor is the illegal immigrants.

2. The system for documenting people is broken. It is a patchwork system that is under funded and unrealistic. There is no streamline system for becoming a legal citizen and no easy answer to make find workable solution.

Mr. Monge ended by saying there is a human element to the problem, as well as
an economic element.

To conclude the meeting, Ginny Barr indicated we can continue to bring magazines for the DJJ interact Club next week. Chris Joye reminded us of our speaker for next week. John Adair informed us that our next District Governor will be Allan Walter from Pawley's Island.

TEST POST

TEST

Jan 17 2007

Michael Biediger, Administrator of Lexington Medical Center was the guest speaker at Wednesday's meeting. He was introduced by Lyman Whitehead who is a member of the hospital board. Accompanying Mr. Biediger was Barbara Willm who also is employed with the hospital. It was a most interesting and educational meeting at which no Rotarian left early or fell asleep.



Last Meeting
January 17, 2007

Reporter – Stan Bugner

The meeting was called to order by President Molly Cousins. Dr. Lynn Campbell gave the invocation. Interim Sergeant-at-Arms John Hanson introduced our visitors. Lyman Whitehead provided a little health and happiness with a religious comparison of ham and cheese. Dr. Judy Johnson talked about the Art Auction on February 15th at the River Center of Saluda Shoals Park. She reminded us to pick up our ten tickets to sell and solicited our help by introducing each committee chairperson and requesting that if we are not signed up to help, to see one of these chairpersons. Judy also announced that a meeting of the chairpersons will be held immediately after next weeks meeting. President Molly encouraged us to participate in Shadow Day on February 7th.

Ginny Barr introduced the attending members of the Interact Club at DJJ. She told us that this newly formed Club was presented their charter during the previous week by Joel Collins. Antonio, the Secretary of the club, told us that their first project was to seek the donation of magazines, so those at DJJ youth would have something entertaining to read. He also mentioned a couple of other projects: securing the donation of six new, different colored coolers, that can be assigned to each dorm by color, and securing more trash cans to reduce litter on campus. John Adair stepped-up and donated the first new cooler. Kelly Payne and a large contingency from the Dutch Fork Interact Club were also in attendance.

Lyman Whitehead introduced Barbara Willm and Stephen Wessinger, who were accompanying our speaker Michael Biediger, President and CEO of the Lexington Medical Center. Michael is a graduate of both Clemson and USC. He has extensive experience in medical administration and has received several awards. He came to Lexington from Florence, where he was the Vice President of the McLeod Regional Medical Center. Michael disclosed the mission and vision of the Medical Center and the strategic plan for success. The facility opened as a hospital in 1971. The Lexington Medical Center now has facilities throughout Lexington County, a conscious effort to locate services close to the community through the deployment of out-patient facilities. It employs over 4,400 individuals, with an operating budget of $400 million. The Medical Center has a much smaller shortage of registered nurses than the national average and it compares very favorably when benchmarked against a standard that includes 800 hospitals around the country. The Hospital operates the 3rd busiest Emergency Room in the State and the Medical Center includes the largest nursing home in the State. The recent construction at the Hospital was planned to accommodate projected growth over the next 15 years and cost $146 million. The Hospital now has 340 private rooms, which can expand to 470, and the 21 new operating rooms are state-of-the-art facilities. Over 600 physicians have access to the hospital and the medical center employs 122 physicians in 38 locations. Another hospital is not foreseen in the near term. There is enough room at the Hospital facility to allow constructing a couple of towers for future expansion.

Jan 10, 2007

Last Meeting
January 10, 2007

Reporter – Chip Lyerly

President Molly Cousins called the meeting to order. Ervin Ott provided the invocation and led our club in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lyman Whitehead read a humorous storey and said a few other funny things!

President Molly Cousins reminded members of the Board meeting on January 18th at Three Rivers Medical, 7:30 a.m.

Dr. Judy Johnson spoke briefly about the upcoming Art Auction which will be held at Saluda Shoals Park on Thursday, February 15th from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. The club is looking for personal/corporate sponsorships ($25) and members were informed that each of us will be given 10 tickets (you can have more) to sell for $10 each. You will keep the money, as you will be charged (sale them or not!) on your next Rotary bill. We hope to have a large turnout for the auction, as this is our main money raiser for the year. (Note to Bill Danielson: please make sure you are there!)

Our guest speaker, Peter McKee, was introduced by Dr. Judy Johnson. Mr. McKee is an electrical engineer whose career began with Intel Corporation when Intel was first getting started (he was the 8th employee). McKee’s career eventually led him to Europe where he and his family lived in a number of different countries. There, he made his permanent home in Brussels, Belgium. Now “retired” from the corporate world, McKee devotes most of his time to the development of “social work places” for handicapped individuals. He has been instrumental in the opening of 32 different factories all over the European continent that currently employee over 3,700 people. These factories take discarded computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices and “disassemble” various components which are then recycled and sold to manufactures that put them back into new electronic products. McKee explained that the components from which the parts are harvested do not cost anything, and as a result, there is 100% profit on all the parts sold. However, he indicated that the goal was not to make a large profit, but to provide meaningful employment to handicap employees. It really doesn’t matter how handicapped the person may be, only that they have “fire in their belly,” as someone with this determination can me taught how to dissemble.

In conjunction with Vocation Rehabilitation, McKee has established three facilities in Columbia. This is how he and Judy Johnson crossed paths, as a number of these employees are from the Babcock Center. In addition to South Carolina, McKee helped establish a large disassembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, adjacent to a regional rehabilitation hospital. This facility has won a national award from the US Department of Labor for its mission and productivity. McKee is currently working with a number of state governments throughout the country to implement similar factories in those states.

Jan 3 2007 Happy New Year

Last Meeting
January 3, 2007

Reporter – Rosalie Browning

The first meeting of 2007 for the Lake Murray‑Irmo Rotary Club was called to order by President Molly Cousins. Barry Johns led the invocation. Lyman Whitehead presented some items of Health and Happiness.

President Molly discussed the wonderful opportunities our club provided for service and for fellowship in December, 2006. A Christmas donation to Homeworks supplied heating units for needy families. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas party hosted by Joel and Rhonda Collins and coordinated by Patty Cavanaugh. Another treat was the delightful Christmas program coordinated by John Adair at the December 20th meeting.

The next few months will provide even more opportunities for service:
· The first Wednesday in February will be Shadow Day, with activities coordinated by Chip Lyerly.
· Judy Johnson is coordinating the Art Auction, which is now scheduled for February 15th.
· Scholarship applications are going out soon to Dutch Fork High School students.
· The District Conference will take place at Hilton Head from March 23‑25 and will be a joint conference with the District from the upstate.
· Ben Herritage is coordinating plans for our Golf Tournament.
· The Interact Club is planning to coordinate the Father's Day Fishing Tournament.

Beetle Bailey requested suggestions for speakers for future meetings.

Happy Dollar Time brought good news from several of our Rotarians.

The meeting was adjourned by President Molly.

Dec 20th 2006

Last Meeting
December 20, 2006

Reporter – Michael Seguin

President Molly called our special Christmas/Holiday meeting to order, and explained what we were in store for. She led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and then called upon Jim Gadsden who led us in a very special Advent prayer. Harvey Hoots introduced our many guests; beginning with my wonderful wife Christy Seguin, Nicole Price, daughter of Joel Price, Katie Cousins, daughter of Molly Cousins, Joanne Whitehead, wife of Lyman Whitehead, Jim Browning, husband to Ros Browning, Caroline Staples, granddaughter to George Staples, Ted King, husband to Kris King, and Alex Moseley, son of Scott Moseley. Visiting Rotarians were all from the Five Points Rotary; Fred and Marcie Medway, and Bentley Murrell. Thanks go out to all our guests and visitors.

As always, Lyman Whitehead provided us with a good laugh with some Health and Happiness.

A big round of thanks and applause went out to Joel and Rhonda Collins for opening up their doors to their beautiful house and hosting one of our best holiday parties to date.

President Molly introduced a small bit of Rotary business as she announced our upcoming slate of officers to lead us in 2007-2008; Beetle Bailey as President, Eddie Robinson as President Elect, Ginny Barr as Vice President, and Judy Johnson as Secretary. A motion was introduced and voted unanimously by our group, accepting the incoming slate of officers.

President Molly then turned the meeting over to John Adair who introduced all who were to perform the special Christmas program that he and his wife Ellen assembled for our holiday meeting enjoyment. John introduced Director Windy Wimmer and her student performers from Ridgeview High School. Windy explained that The Polar Express, the production which we were about to see, was being used as a Holiday out-reach program to promote the true meaning of Christmas. The student actors and singers, as well as a trumpet trio were definitely enjoyed by all. Laura Adair then sang a tremendous solo. Also enjoyed by the group was a sing along of several wonderful Christmas carols.

President Molly and our group then stood and gave thanks to all of the performers for a wonderful show and to John and Ellen Adair for their hard work in arranging this special holiday production for us. In closing, Molly quickly reminded us that we would not be meeting again until January 3, 2007 and wished us all a very Merry Christmas and safe holiday season.

December 6 2006

Last Meeting
December 6, 2006

Reporter – Si Amick

President Molly called the meeting to order. Scott Moseley provided the invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lyman Whitehead provided the Health and Happiness which always helps us start our day with a smile. Kelly Pain was in attendance with several Interact students. Thank you, Kelly for your efforts in getting the students here each Wednesday morning. Great to have them!

Chip Huggins is scheduled for surgery at Providence Hospital on Friday, December 8th. Our prayers are with Chip and his family for his speedy recovery.

Parking at the Cotton House has been a problem, but remember we can park next door and enter through a back door. This should help tremendously.

Molly noted that our community project for December is to provide heaters to Hank Chardos of Homeworks to be distributed to people in need. On December 7th, The Board approved the purchase of 4 heaters.

On December 20th John Adair will be providing a Christmas Cantata for our listening pleasure at our weekly meeting. Our Christmas Social will be held on December 13th at the home of Joel Collins.

Harry Hafer was introduced as a new member of our club by Harold Crawford. Harry is Past President of the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club in North Carolina.

Judy Johnson had asked Molly to leave this meeting open for her to present on “Service Above Self” and Judy did a wonderful job. She shared with us her life as a child which captivated all present. Her point was that if not for the special people in her community, willing to give their time to make a difference, things may have been very difficult for her.

Once Judy had our attention we were putty in her hands …before we knew it, we were all signed up to work the upcoming Art Auction. This is a difficult project to organize and pull off and I know Judy appreciates everyone that came to her aid. If you have not signed up for a committee please do so!!!!

And don’t forget her 80-20 presentation. How many times did you stand?????

Great job Judy!

November 29th

Danny Morales and Olivia Alger

Last Meeting
November 29, 2006

Reporter – Skey Caskey

President Molly called the meeting to order. Barry Johns provided our invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Harvey Hoots recognized our visitors and guests. Lyman Whitehead gave us a dose of Health & Happiness.

Thursday, December 7th, there will be a Board Meeting at Three Rivers Medical @ 7:30am. Our annual Christmas party will be December 13th from 7pm until 4am at the home of Joel Collins. (Just kidding Joel, 7pm – 10pm.)

Scott Moseley introduced our guest speaker, Russ Meyne, a Pilot who survived Pearl Harbor and 35 other missions in his B-17 aircraft. Russ was drafted June 10, 1941. He purchased a 1940 Ford for $850.00 and headed to California for basic training. He was compensated $12.40 for his first three months of service. Soon after basic training, Russ was shipped to Hawaii to train on “jet” aircraft, which raised his pay to $30.00 a quarter.

Two weeks prior to the bombing at Pearl Harbor the troops were put on alert. They were sent out to build bomb shelters above ground because of the water level being only a few inches below the surface. What was feared most was sabotage. Two weeks after the attack, Russ told about all the cows and hogs that caught “Hell” because of the noises they made. The Americans were in shock and shot at anything that sounded Japanese.

Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, Russ started pilot training in PT-19’s and 20’s, and after a mere 8 hours of training he soloed. Then off to Texas to train on PT-13’s with enclosed cockpits, radios and night flying equipment. Shortly after, Russ was in his Flying Fortress (B-17) with a speed of 120mph. This machine with IFR capability had the world by the yoke (airplane talk for steering wheel).

On January 7, 1944, with a full crew and only 3 months of training, Russ received his wings and was off to greet the world by way of South Dakota. After a trip across the North Atlantic, a 13½ hour journey with only 12 hours of fuel, Russ and his crew stopped by England for more training. The British would not fly in formation and flew only at night. With 88mm guns as the primary weapon, their cargo consisted of plenty of heavy metal (bombs). Flying at a height of 25,000 feet can get real cold and they had to wear heated suits to keep from freezing.

We were honored to have a real hero in our midst, Russ Meyne. The meeting was adjourned with a standing ovation.













Scott Moseley, Russ Meyne, and Nathan Ballentine

November 15

Pamela Davenport, Director, Talking Book Services







Last Meeting
November 15, 2006
Reporter – Ginny Barr

President Molly called the meeting to order. Joel Collins provided the invocation. Sergeant-at-Arms, Harvey Hoots introduced our guests. We also had numerous visitors from the Dutch Fork Interact Club with Ms. Kelly Payne. Lyman Whitehead provided us with a double dose of Health and Happiness.

A special Paul Harris Fellow presentation was made by Jim Jeffers and Ray Hunt. Stacey Atkinson, Director of the Community Behind the Fence at DJJ, was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for her passion and dedication to the youth “behind the fence” at DJJ. Welcome to our Rotary family Stacey!

Blount Shepard reminded members that Adopt A Highway will take place Saturday morning, 11/18/06. The morning will begin with at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast to include stew, grits, donuts, coffee…the works! Lyman Whitehead announced that the St. Andrews Rotary Club will begin meeting at the Westminster Presbyterian Church effective 11/28/06. Meeting time is 1:00 p.m. Patty Cavanaugh announced that our Christmas Social will be held at the home of Joel Collins on December 13th from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. A sign-up sheet was sent around. Jim Jeffers administered the 4-Way Test to Lyn Richard. Lynn passed with flying colors, winning a lei fresh from Hawaii along with maps for her next trip to the Islands. President Molly reminded members that there will be no regular meeting next week because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. The next Board Meeting will be held on the 1st Thursday in December, 12/7/06, combining the November and December Board Meetings into one.

Beetle Bailey introduced our guest speaker, Ms. Pamela Davenport. Ms. Davenport is the Director of the Talking Book Services program. The Talking Book Services program, administered by the SC State Library, provides free recorded, Braille, large print and other library material and resources to eligible South Carolinians of all ages. The program is primarily funded by the federal government and also accepts donations. Program materials are delivered free to readers through the Postal Service. The program’s services are available to all SC residents with qualifying disabilities. Applicants simply need to submit an application signed by a professional such as a medical doctor, licensed social worker, rehabilitation instructor, and the like. Applications are available at the SC State Library, local libraries, and at the web site www.statelibrary.sc.gov.

Ms. Davenport concluded her presentation by telling of the oldest patron of South Carolina’s Talking Book Services program, Ms. Louise Johnson. Ms. Johnson is 105 years of age and is a member of the 10 Square Club for program patrons across the country who are 100 year of age and older. South Carolina has 7 club members!

The meeting ended with a flurry of Happy Dollars and was then adjourned by President Molly.

November 8th

Last meeting
November 8, 2006

Reporter – Jeff Baldwin

President Molly opened the meeting. Barry Johns provided the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance; the latter made all the more relevant as some members licked their wounds from the previous day’s elections.

Guests, visitors, and Interact Club members were introduced and recognized by
Harvey Hoots, our Sgt-at-Arms. Lyman Whitehead provided our Health and
Happiness with a punch line that took some a few seconds to grasp.

President Molly recognized the excellent work of Herb Harrison in coordinating
our Fall Oyster Roast. The Chamber of Commerce meeting and auction were
announced by Jeanette Coulter. Terry Klosterman presented information on
the Spring Valley Rotary Club’s annual nut sale and fund raiser. Our Christmas
party will be on December 13th at the home of Joel Collins. Adopt a Highway
is this Saturday beginning at 8:00 a.m. with Blount Shepard presiding. Ginny Barr announced the formation of an Interact Club at DJJ with more details to follow.

Stan Bugner introduced our guest speaker, Pastor George Head of Westminster Presbyterian Church. George is a Nike kind of guy – “just do it” and he did, riding from Seattle to Washington DC on a bike with 39 other riders. For George, the trip was a celebration of life, having lived with diabetes for 30 years. The bike ride was organized by Adventure Cycling. The trip took 48 days, covering 3,517 miles. George’s companions ranged in age from 18 to 73 years of age. The cyclers climbed mountains, crossed prairies and the Badlands, visited Mount Rushmore and all the states and sights in between. George showed a video that chronicled the bike adventure. Everyone looked in great shape and spirits as the video caught them arriving on the Mall in DC. George pointed out that cycling in SC is very safe - time and places to ride are easy to find and groups welcome newcomers - probably a lot safer than gassing up at a gas station that sells fireworks with a “Bubba” smoking as he fills up his tank.


photo of Patty Cavanaugh with our speaker Rev. George Head of Westminster Presbyterian Church and past president of the St. Andrews Rotary club. (photo by John Adair)

Fall Social

Oysters, libations, chicken bog, fellowship - and a good time was had by all.





Pictures by John Adair

October 25th Parkridge Hospital

Lynn Campbell



Marty Bridges from Palmetto Baptist Hospital

Danny Morales and Larry Stohs


The Cotton House

Last Meeting
October 25, 2006

Reporter – Barry Johns

President Molly Cousins called our meeting to order, the invocation was given by Dr. Carey Hite. John Hanson introduced our guests. Lyman Whitehead gave us words of wisdom with his Health and Happiness presentation.

Dr. Lynn Campbell quizzed us with information about Rotary and its history. Herb Harrison reminded us about the Fall Social that will be held at Inglewood Manor on November 1st at 6:00 pm. Directions are on the BLOG. There will be no Wednesday morning meeting on November 1st.

President Molly announced that the Interact Club was delivering dictionaries today for the Dictionary Project. She also reported a decision made by the Board last week concerning the funds reimbursed by D’s for the two weeks of breakfast meals that we did not receive. The funds will be used to provide scholarships to Lexington 5 District Honors Choir.

Blount Shepard announced that we will have another trash pick up on November 11th. Lyman Whitehead reminded everyone to vote on November 7 and to use absentee ballots if necessary.

Dr. Carey Hite introduced our speaker, Julian Gibbons, Director of Pubic Relations for Palmetto Health and another special guest, Marty Bridges, C.O.O. for Palmetto Health. Mr. Gibbons informed us that Palmetto Health, which is a 501C Non-Profit, had filed a new application with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for a Certificate of Need (CON) to build a full service hospital on current Palmetto Health property at the intersection of I-26 and SC Highway 60/Lake Murray Boulevard.

Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge plans to include:

76 licensed acute care beds.
A four story state of the art facility built on a 68 acre site.
Services for residents in and around Irmo, Dutch Fork, Harbison and portions of Lexington and Little Mountain.
Medical staff of physicians who can serve a broad range of patient needs.
Proposed services include: Emergency Department; Orthopedics; Ophthalmology; Endocrinology; Pulmonary Medicine; Ear, Nose & Throat; ICU; Gastroenterology; Cardiology; General Medicine; Obstetrics/Gynecology; Nursery; Plastic Surgery; Rehab.; Urology; and Helipad.

If approved, the hospital facility will be completed sometime in 2010. Mr. Gibbons closed by asking the community for the three types of support: 1) to write letters to DHEC, 2) to educate and encourage neighbors, and 3) to fill out the “I’m for Parkridge” forms.

The meeting was concluded with Happy Dollars and adjournment by President Molly Cousins.

October 18th

Last Meeting
October 18, 2006
Reporter – Herb Harrison

President Molly called our meeting to order, the invocation was given by Barry Johns. Sergeant-at-arms, Harvey Hoots introduced our guests to include Congressman Joe Wilson along with his assistant, Micah Edmond. Lyman Whitehead provided a little Health and Happiness splattered with a little wisdom.

President Molly announced the Interact Club will be heading up The Dictionary Project next Wednesday. Any members wishing to assist are welcome. Also, the Board will be meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 19th. Molly also stated that we will continue to meet at The Cotton House through the end of the year.

Herb Harrison announced the Fall Social will be held at Inglewood Manor November 1st at 6:00 p.m. Oysters, chicken bogg, libations and fellowship will be served. Although Herb did not seem to know how to get there, a map will be provided on the website.

Judy Johnson introduced our speaker, Craig Stoxen from SC Autism Society. Craig provided many enlightening facts about autism, its effects and prevalence in society. Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears in the first three years of life affecting 1 in 166 Americans, with 6,000 in South Carolina. This number is consistent with the other states. There is no known cause or cure. This disability interferes with the development of the brain in reasoning, social interaction and communication skills. Autism is considered a spectrum disorder meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Those affected by autism can be very "rule" oriented, stopping in the middle of the street when a walk sign turns to don't walk. Time perception is also a common trait; individuals may speak of something that happened years ago as if it happened yesterday. Some individuals do not speak, or speech is usually impaired.

Autism is treatable through behavior management. This type of treatment is provided one-on-one with therapists and is very expensive. Autism is increasing in society. Parents are also affected; upon diagnosis parents will usually go through a mourning process. The SC Autism Society offers assistance in finding treatment and support. Education is a huge issue; with phone calls to the society from parents averaging an hour. The Society helps by providing parent mentors. A fee based Service Coordination Program provides help applying for services and coordinating care. The cornerstone of the Society is to provide advocacy.

The SC Autism Society is an independent non-profit organization. The annual budget ten years ago was $60,000, it is has grown to $1,000,000. Funds are generated with contracts from the Department of Education, donations, fund raisers and fee for service programs.

The meeting was concluded with Happy Dollars and adjournment by President Molly.

October 11th - Dr. Scott AndersEn

October 11, 2006

Reporter – John Wilkins

President Molly called the meeting to order and Ginny Barr provided the invocation. Sergeant-at-arms, Harvey Hoots introduced our guests. We had numerous guests from the Dutch Fork Interact Club with Ms. Kelly Payne. Beetle Bailey brought his better half, Debra, to the meeting this week. Also in attendance was Calvin Elam, President for the Board of Trustees Palmetto Alliance. Lyman Whitehead provided us with some Health and Happiness.

President Molly announced that there would be a Board Meeting afterward the meeting today to discuss our future meeting location with D’s Wings management. Herb Harrison announced the Fall Social is planned for November 1st at Englewood Manor at 6:00 p.m. and stated that more information would be posted on the website. It was also announced that the annual Christmas Social is planned for December 13th at Ascott.

Dr. Carey Hite introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Scott AndersEn, District 5 Superintendent of Schools. Dr. AndersEn has recently taken over the position as Superintendent of Schools for District 5.

Dr. AndersEn addressed some of the research and trends in schools in the United States. One of the most interesting points he raised was that the major difference in test scores was teacher qualifications and training, which makes up 49% of the difference. He also stated that race, poverty and ethnicity make up 24% of the difference in test scores. Dr. AndersEn also focused on building trust between the administration and the School Board, as well as between the teachers and the administration. Dr. AndersEn ended his presentation by taking questions from the members.

The meeting ended with a flurry of Happy Dollars and was then adjourned by President Molly.










Seen here - Dr. AndersEn with Dutch Fork Interact club and Kelley Payne.

October 4th Sherrif Meetze speaks to our club

Last Meeting
October 4, 2006
Reporter – Ervin Ott
President Molly called the meeting to order and Jim Jeffers provided the invocation. Sgt.-at-Arms, Harvey Hoots introduced our guests. We had a good turn out from the Interact Club. Lyman Whitehead provided us with some Health and Happiness.
President Molly announced that the Dictionary Project will take place next Wednesday, October 11th. The interact Club with be very active in the Dictionary Project this year and will receive some training by Rotary Club members in advance of the distribution.
Lyman Whitehead introduced our guest speaker, Sheriff James R. Metts. Sheriff Metts has the second longest tenure for a sheriff currently serving citizens in South Carolina. Just some of the honors he has received include The Order of the Silver Crescent, The Order of the Palmetto, Sheriff of the Year, and Practitioner of the Year. Sheriff Metts also led the effort to create Lexington County’s Criminal Domestic Violence Court.
The Sheriff primarily addressed issues related to school safety and gangs.
He expressed great concern for safety in our schools and suggested that the core of the problem relates back to the home. He predicted that school violence will escalate and that additional security measures will be needed in our schools.
HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR KID TODAY? Sheriff Metts believes that the # 1 thing parents can do to prevent gang involvement is show love for their children. He said that parents of children today can make the difference as to whether their children become involved in gangs, because children will get love and affection either at home or from some gang. The Sheriff has started a GANG UNIT. He provided some informational hand outs explaining gangs that can also be accessed on line at www.lex-co.com/sheriff. Sheriff Metts concluded his presentation by answering questions from club members.
The meeting was adjourned by President Molly.

Okra Strutt 2006

Thanks to our Rotarians for volunteering at this year's Okra Strutt.

Governor Sanford visit Sep 20

Governor Mark Sanford shared some wisdom about our State Government with us. Introduced by Stan Bugner. Pictured above with the Governor are President Molly Cousins, Dutch Fork Interact Club with Kelly Payne, Joel Collins, Suzie Hamm, Patty Cavanaugh. Full meeting report to follow. (photos by John Adair)


Last Week
September 20, 2006
Reporters: Blount Shepard & Ginny Barr
HONORING THE OCCASION: Following the invocation by Harold Crawford, the Birchwood High School JROTC Honor Guard from DJJ Posted the Colors. Seated at the head table where Governor Sanford, President Molly, and Stan Bugner. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Ms. Laura Adair (daughter-in-law of John Adair) sang the National Anthem accompanied by Matthew Jones on the snare drum. Needless to say the meeting was off to a rousing start!
INTRODUCTIONS: Sgt. at Arms, Harvey Hoots had multiple visiting Rotarians and guests to introduce. The Interact Club members joining Kelly Payne for breakfast this morning were too numerous to count.
IN OTHER ACTION: Ginny Barr announced that the Club had awarded our first DJJ Scholarship. She read the application letter from the scholarship’s first recipient, Tyrone. Tyrone will be attending Denmark Technical College where he plans to study to become a barber. The scholarship monies will be used to purchase the barbering tools he will need. Tyrone is a former JROTC Cadet from Birchwood High School at DJJ.
Michael Seguin made an appeal for Okra Strut volunteers to assist the late shift for ticket sales and Okra Man. The late shift work ends at 10:30 pm. Please sign up! Michael has planned a coordinating meeting for next Monday, 6:30 p.m., at Carolina Wings.
GUEST SPEAKER: The Honorable Mark C. Sanford, Jr., Governor, South Carolina
Stan Bugner introduced Governor Mark Sanford, saying that has a record of reducing government growth. The Governor quickly stepped up deliver an overview of his administration’s approach regarding the interests of our State.
The Governor discussed several issues to include the state’s economy and spending, school choice, government structure, and giving citizens a voice. Regarding the economy, he said that he agrees with Thomas Friedman’s book "The World Is Flat." Technology has forever linked the world in such a way that we, South Carolinians, are in constant global competition. He said that whenever possible his administration is trying to create a "soil" rich for the sustained growth of industry. He remarked that by changing certain business conditions affecting the movie industry, the state is now seeing a return of that industry throughout the state. Regarding our government structure, Governor Sanford stated that the executive branch of state government controls 16% of the state agencies. He believes this is an area in which the structure of state government should be changed. He sited the changes that have taken place at the DMV as example.
Governor Sanford opened the floor to questions. One question was asked regarding the impact of early childhood education and the importance of this component to the educational process. Governor Sanford assured the group of his administration’s commitment to the First Steps Program begun by the previous administration.
Another question was asked regarding how, without disrespect our culture, we can change to be more visioning toward the future, rather than only relishing how things were in the past. The Governor said that our heritage and much of where we came from is what folks like about our state and gives us a unique identity. However, he said that his administration is nudging the culture in our state government to try to create brighter prospects of the future.

September 13th

Our speaker, Dr. Keith Benson, from Riverbanks Zoo talked to us about the Flamingo project at the Zoo. Here he demonstrates his "air guitar"

Interact Club Members join us for breakfast.

Patty Cavanaugh presents our speaker with our unique Rotary Pin

Two Lynns enjoy a joke at breakfast


Last Week
September 13, 2006
Reporter – Blount Shepard
INTRODUCTIONS: Sgt. at Arms, Harvey Hoots had multiple visiting Rotarians and guests to introduce, and started the CART Fund Coins for Alzheimer’s Research. President Molly said that Harry Hafer is a Rotarian relocating to Columbia and has expressed an interest in joining our club. Please seek him out in the following weeks and make him feel at home (i.e. sign him up to help with the OKRA STRUT!). Ten Interact members joined Kelly Payne for breakfast.
IN OTHER ACTION: Lyman Whitehead shared some good humor during Health and Happiness. Ervin Ott is celebrating becoming 6’-4" on Friday, September 15th. Skee’s son is on his way home from Iraq!
Jim Jeffers held the Four Way Test which Bill Danielson passed with flying colors. I wonder if Jim knows that the Four Way Test was introduced to Rotary through industry when the President of Club Aluminum in Chicago brought it to RI from his company when he served as RI President.
Chuck Larson’s speaker for the Irmo Chamber lunch today is Sonny White, Midlands Tech President. Also, the Miss Greater Irmo pageant is this weekend at the Irmo Elementary auditorium.
President Molly gave last call to sign up for the Rotary Foundation luncheon with RI President, Bill Boyd, at the Radisson Columbiana (Bush River Road & I-20) on 9/22. Attendees should be there by 11:30 a.m. Lunch starts at 12:00 p.m. sharp. The next Club Board meeting is at Three Rivers Medical on Thursday, 9/21.
GUEST SPEAKER: Eddie Robinson introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Keith Benson from Riverbanks Zoo. Dr. Benson livened up breakfast with a power point presentation on the Flamingo Colony at Riverbanks.
Flamingos are an interesting bird with a name derived from "flame" to match their salmon pink coloration. With a history dating back 60 million years these creatures are survivors, but six known species are nonetheless extinct. There color is from eating caratenoid pigments that naturally come from shrimp and algae. They range from the Caribbean to Chile, SA. They are just like South Carolina tourists; they love to be in a crowd near shallow estuaries. Similarly, this setting seems to enhance the potential for breeding.
Riverbanks received 20 eggs this year from a flamingo colony in Hialeah, Fla. of which 13 have survived to adolescence. The highly informative and entertaining presentation ended when Chris Joye asked Dr. Benson if the flamingos would turn blue if they were fed blueberries. Dr. Benson was sorry to disappoint Chris saying that they would not, but he wished they could so they would be able to distinguish the boys from the girls!

District Governor Visits Our Club

Pictured here - President Molly with one leg up, District Gov. Bernie Riedel, Kelly Payne and part of her Dutch Fork Rotary Interact club

District Gov. Bernie (glasses) presents this year's district flag to President Molly while John Adair looks on.




Our two newest Paul Harris Fellows Bob and Vicki Berry received thier awards from our District Governor, Bernie Riedel
Harold Crawford, District Governor Bernie Riedel, Novieta Roe.


Last Meeting
August 30, 2006

Reporter – Chris King

President Molly Cousins called the meeting to order. Skey Caskey delivered the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. President Molly welcomed the Interact Club members attending our meeting. Lyman Whitehead provided the membership with Health and Happiness.

The Board met last week and is exploring participating in Rotary’s “Adopt a Club” project being implemented in Mississippi and Louisiana. Judy Johnson is fact finding. One club contacted in that area is requesting financial contributions.

Patty Cavanaugh reported that the Youth Committee will be meeting on Friday, September 1, 2006, at 7:30 a.m. at Lizards Thicket. The Dictionary Project will be finalized and other projects discussed.

Molly reported that the Dutch Fork Interact Club has 30-40 students signed up for membership. Our Board approved a $200 investment for start-up, as well t-shirts for the members. The Interact Club will meet every other Thursday at the school.

Michael Seguin reminded members about the Okra Strut on September 29th & 30th and sent around a sign-up sheet for volunteers. Molly reminded members that the Rotary Foundation Seminar will be held on September 22nd at the Radisson in Columbia. RI President Bill Boyd will be the speaker.

Gary Williams introduced Rotarian Bob Berry and his wife Vicky. Bernie Riedel then presented them the Paul Harris Fellows Award and thanked them for their donations and commitment to Rotary.

President Molly introduced our speaker, District 7770 Governor Bernie Riedel. Mr. Riedel invited the membership to the Foundation Seminar. Rotary’s theme this year is “Lead the Way.” One of Riedel’s goals this year is to establish a strategic plan for the District. He encouraged us to get back to the fundamentals of Rotary: service, fellowship, networking, and support of the Rotary Foundation.

Governor Riedel encouraged members to attend the District Conference to be held in Hilton Head on 03/23-24 of 2007. This will be a joint conference with the upstate (District 7750). He also reminded the group of the good work the Foundation does and asked that members consider contributions.

Governor Riedel presented a new district banner to President Molly.

President Molly thanked Mr. Riedel for coming and adjourned the meeting.

Wednesday August 23rd

Kelly Payne and Deana Engelkens from our Interact club with Harold Crawford. Why is this man smiling?



Rod Funderburk introduces our speaker


Andrew Schwark, our Ambassadorial Scholar

President Molly called the meeting to order. Lyman Whitehead delivered our invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Lyman also provided us his usual health and happiness humor.

Michael Seguin reminded members about the upcoming Okra Strut to be held September 29th and 30th. He will be providing sign up sheets for volunteers at next week’s meeting. President Molly reminded members about the joint Rotary Foundation Meeting scheduled for September 22, 2006, at the Radisson in Columbia and encouraged members to attend. Molly also reminded us that our guest speaker next week will be 7770 District Governor, Bernie Riedel.

Rod Funderburk introduced our guest speaker, Andrew Schwark. Andrew is a 2005 Rotary Ambassadorial Year-Long Scholar, sponsored by District 7770 and Lake Murray-Irmo Club. He will be hosted by District 9100 and the Saint-Louis, Senegal Rotary Clubs. Andrew will be leaving for the nation of Senegal on September 25th and returning in June, 2007. He will be studying at the University of Gaston Berger in Saint Louis, as well as taking language classes at the ACI-Baobab Center in Dakar.

Senegal is a small nation in western Africa that is primarily a Muslim country and where the official languages are French, Wolof, and Pulaar. It is a stable democracy and its primary industries are tourism and agricultural (especially peanuts). The climate there varies from tropical to desert and the major cities include Dakar, the capital, and Saint Lousi, the former French colonial capital. Andrew chose Senegal because he has been utterly fascinated by Africa since high school and he has a passion for the French (Senegal is a part of the
francophone or French speaking world).

Andrew described the long and involved Rotary Scholarship Application process, but expressed that it was a very worthwhile effort. He thanked all involved in shepherding him through the process, particularly Rod Funderburk and George Staples. We all wish Andrew a safe and memorable trip and look forward to his report when he returns.

The meeting concluded with a rousing Happy Dollar session. Molly then thanked Andrew for his presentation and wished him well on his upcoming journey. The meeting was adjourned.

August 16th 2006

Tim Kreuger accepts check from Beetle Bailey for South Carolina Junior Golf Association. Full report to follow.


Last Meeting
August 16, 2006
Reporter – Susie Hamm

In the absence of President Molly Cousins, President Elect Beetle Bailey called the meeting to order. John Adair delivered the invocation. Lyn Campbell provided the club with a few great tips regarding investments in real estate and advice on keeping personal securities safe. Harvey Hoots introduced guests and, along with John Adair, reminded us about the upcoming joint Rotary Foundation Seminar with Districts 7770 and 7750 (the upstate) to be held on September 22nd at the Radisson in Columbia. Blount Shepard reminded everyone about the "Adopt the Highway" work day coming up this Saturday, August 19th.
Ginny Barr introduced our guest speaker, Tim Kreger, Director of Development for the Junior Golf Foundation. As described by Mr. Kreger, the mission of the Junior Golf Foundation is to create the opportunity for youth to learn the game of golf, to provide character education, and to support the Junior Golf projects and activities. Some of the projects being supported include Junior Golf Land facilities, Little Legends Golf, Junior Golf Scholarships, Fairway Outreach, and Golf Week. Through large contributions from Hootie & The Blowfish, the future of Junior Golf in South Carolina has grown tremendously. Little Legends Golf alone has reached10 cities in South Carolina, hosting over 500 participants. These programs create a fun team environment and help children build skills and dreams.
The Lake Murray-Irmo Rotary Club proudly presented Mr. Kreger with a check for $1,500 as a contribution to the Junior Golf Foundation. This donation was made possible by funds raised by our club at the 2006 Charity Golf Classic in July.
Beetle Bailey thanked Tim Kreger for his presentation and adjourned the meeting.

August 9th, 2006

Last Meeting
August 9, 2006
Reporter – Mickey Epting
President Molly Cousins call the meeting to order. Jim Gadsden delivered the invocation. Lyman Whitehead provided us with some Health and Happiness. President Cousins reminded us that the "Adopt a Highway" work day is next week, August 19th. Carey Hite gave a brief announcement about the new hospital planned at the Irmo exit.
Patty Cavanaugh introduced the guest speaker, John Lumpkin, with the Water Front Steering Committee Development in the Vista area. John gave a talk about the exciting plans for the Vista area and especially the water front. The new plans would include a world class water front park in the area between Gervais Street and Blossom Street and beyond to include the area around the new USC baseball park. These plans have been made possible in large part because of a gift of land along the river by the Guinyard family.
The cost of the improvements for the public elements is estimated to be around $109 million. The plans have involved a mutual initiative by local government, the University of South Carolina and The Guinyard family. Much of the planning has been done by Sasaki, the planner for both USC and the Guinyards. Some of the features will include extending Green Street to the park, as well as the extension of Williams Street from Blossom to Gervais Street and the burying of the current high power transmission lines along the river in the new roadway. These are exciting plans for the future of our community.
President Cousins thanked John for his presentation and adjourned the meeting.

Wednesday Aug 2nd 2006

Joel Collins inducts our newest Rotarian, John Wilkins

New member, John Wilkins, with sponsor, Molly Cousins



Youth Exchange student, Beth Oliver, with mom, leaving for Finland this Saturday






August 2, 2006
Reporter-- Jim Wellman

President Molly Cousins called the meeting to order. Following that Chuck Larsen opened our meeting with prayer, after which the Club recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Harvey Hoots introduced our visiting Rotarians, whom hailed from various Rotary Clubs across the midlands. He also introduced our other guest, Mike McClay’s wife who was attending with him this morning.
Joel Collins, standing in for Lyman Whitehead, entertained us with several references to his "family".
Larry Stohs passed around several copies of our Club directory asking each member to check the accuracy of the information it contained. He indicated we should have the directory in the next several weeks.
Jim Jeffers gave a brief presentation on the 4 Way Test. He indicated that at President Molly’s request that will be increased emphasis on the Test this coming year.
Mike McClay introduced our exchange student, Beth Oliver. Beth is on her way to Finland.
Blount Shepard announced that the next adopt-a-highway Saturday would be August 19th. He promised a special breakfast to all of those who participate.
President Molly assisted by Joel Collins inducted our newest member to our Club, John Wilkins.
Ben Heritage reported that the golf tournament raised over $7,000. He thanked everyone for their assistance and participation.
John Adair, prior to introducing our speaker shared a humorous story with us. This prompted many in the Club to wish for a speedy return of Lyman Whitehead. After the groans died down he introduced Dr. Paul Wieber as our speaker. Dr. Wieber is a retired energy expert having worked for several organizations and the Federal Government in his career. He is a fellow Rotarian and lives in Chapin. Dr. Wieber shared with us the following points:
In the United States 80 % of our energy usage is in the form of fossil fuels,
with nuclear, solar, wind, and geo-thermal sources accounting for the majority of the remainder.
He indicated that there is estimated to be a 1000 year supply of coal, while natural gas supplies are only expected to last 20-30 years.
70% of the world oil supplies are believed to be in the Middle East.
He passed around a chart showing that world wide oil production is only expected to rise until 2010. After which he expects a decline in production.
His recommendation is that we as a nation take the following steps. Conservation, smaller cars and increased reliance on renewable energy sources such as nuclear, solar and wind.
The meeting was then adjourned by President Molly.

or
version #2 (different reporter)

Last Meeting
August 2, 2006
Reporter – Judy Johnson
President Molly Cousins called the meeting to order. Chuck Larsen delivered the invocation and Joel Collins provided the group with Health and Happiness. Harvey Hoots introduced three guests and Larry Stohls gave a report on the Rotary yearbook. Members were asked to review lists that were circulating and to note approval of their information or edit changes that were necessary.
Jim Jeffers gave a brief presentation on the 4-Way test and challenged all Rotarians to learn the 4-Way test which included: Is it FAIR, is it the TRUTH, will it afford GOODWILL and is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Jim plans on challenging Rotarians on a monthly basis to recite the 4-Way test and he will bring prizes.
President Cousins announced there would not be a Board meeting tomorrow. Blount Shepard reminded the group that the next "Adopt a Highway" clean up was scheduled for Saturday, August 19 and those participating will be fed a wonderful breakfast of Shrimp and grits. Michael McClay introduced Beth Oliver and her mother Susan. Our club is sponsoring Beth on a trip to Finland. Ben Herritage gave a report on the golf tournament which resulted in over $7,000 profit to use for our Rotary projects. Way to go Ben!!! President Cousins asked Joel Collins to assist in welcoming new member John Wilkins, an attorney, into our Rotary Club.
John Adair introduced our speaker, Dr. Paul Wieber, from the Chapin Rotary Club. Dr Wieber is a chemical engineer and has devoted over 40 years to the energy industry. He cautioned the group that our natural gas supply is depleting rapidly and we need to do our part in conserving this form of energy. Over 70% of the oil used today comes from the Middle East. Given the current crises in the Middle East, there is a concern about future availability of oil. He suggested the following steps for us to take: conservation is the easiest, purchase lighter automobiles that use diesel fuel, reduce speed limits and consider purchasing hybrid vehicles. Molly Cousins thanked Dr. Wieber for his presentation and the meeting was adjourned.