Calendar of Events

February 2, 2016

Lunch is served at Noon, Meeting begins at 12:30pm


 This week we will have the pleasure of the Semi-final Speech contest
We will be hosting a regional competition among students from several High Schools.  Each school will be bringing 8 guests including the student who will give the speech.  Please be sure to welcome them to our meeting so they feel comfortable.

Trivia Questions of the Week:
1.  Why is February 2 a day of celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? 
2.  If the eastern end of the earth is called the Orient, what is the western end called?
3.  In which sport do people compete for the America's Cup? 
 Answers at the bottom. 

Rotaract News!   
Rotaract meets at River City Brewing Company on the second and fourth Thursdays.

Satellite Club News!
Satellite meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month! 
  • The satellite speaker on Feb 8 will be Rotary 6970 DG Fel Lee 
For more information - Visit the new Facebook Site:

Rotary Satellite Club of South Jacksonville

Oratory Competition Finals - February 18th
The Regional Rotary Oratory Competitions will conclude on February 2nd.  The four Regional's have been great and the winners are listed below: 

Westside Regional - Stevin Smith – Paxon School for Advanced Studies (Duval) 
St. Augustine Regional - Nathan Veatch – St. Augustine High School (St. Johns) 
Orange Park Regional - Auriel Haack – St. Johns Country Day School (Clay) 
Fernandina Regional - Jalicia LewisStanton College Prep (Duval) 

This years' Rotary Oratory Competition included seniors from public and private high schools throughout the First Coast to participate in researching, writing and presenting a speech about Jacksonville’s greatest assets.  The final event is being held on February 18 at the Adam Herbert UNF Conference Center. 

Rotary Club Of South Jacksonville - Upcoming Events:
Social Opportunity...

South Jacksonville Rotary Club and Satellite Club Social
Irish Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch tasting  

WHEN: Thursday February 25th.
TIME: 5:30 arrivals, 6:15 start tasting
WHERE: The Blind Rabbit ---- 901 King St, Jacksonville, FL 32204


Irish Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch tasting.  Three of each types of the drinks mentioned will be displayed and talked about by the vendors. They will provide homemade chips for the group and we can add additional appetizers. 

The cost will range $25-$35 depending on the number of people.  We may opt for additional food.  The venue will hold 40 comfortably, and we can rearrange if need be. 

RSVP to Randy Gordon at rgordon4824@yahoo.com.


February Service Opportunity...


The Undie Campaign
Dignity U Wear provided brand new clothing to over 200,000 people in need last year. Underwear is the most requested item. To provide more people with basic human dignity and to meet the incredible need, Dignity created The Undie Campaign.

DONATION REQUEST: During the month of February 2016, please bring BRAND NEW socks and underwear to any meeting. We will collect and donate them to Dignity U Wear for those who need them most!

SERVICE EVENT: In addition, we have an opportunity for nine (9) club members to volunteer to sort clothing: Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 9am – 12pm.
Contact Robyn Watson if you are interested in volunteering!


Stay Tuned... more service events coming soon!



February 18, 2016 Final event for the Rotary Oratory Competition at UNF

March 5, 2016 from 9am - 12p Dignity U Wear Event

Our Club In Action:


Founders Day presentation by Joe Miller



Enjoying Lunch with visiting Rotarian Rashid Montshe






The Frank Sherman award presented to PP Ted Johnson.  The award was presented by long-time friend and PP Harvey Schlesinger.

Ted's wife and children attended the meeting to be a part of the presentation :-)


Week 30 Rotary Minute... Our District Governor's Message:  


Rotary clubs in the Eastern United States and across the Caribbean Basin are combining resources to promote Community Service Projects reflecting Rotary International’s Six Areas of Focus.  The project known as Rotary Has Heart is using Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2016, as a day to promote your club’s signature projects and publicize Rotary’s accomplishments. Go “Tell the Rotary Story.”

The 2016-17 Rotary theme is here!
President-elect John Germ announced during the 2016 Rotary International Assembly this past week Rotary’s 2016-2017 theme is “Rotary Serving Humanity.”
"Now is the time to capitalize on our success — as we complete the eradication of polio, and catapult Rotary forward to be an even greater force for good in the world,” said Germ.  In celebrating this year’s theme, we also pause to reflect on the progress Rotary made last year — when each Rotarian was encouraged to "Be A Gift to the World." Rotary clubs across the nation gave their time and talents to worthy causes — whether it was donating dictionaries to local schools, collecting resources for area food banks during the holidays, or raising money to support efforts to eradicate polio.

 UPCOMING EVENTS:
February 14, 2016: Rotary Has Heart – publicize Rotary
February 20, 2016: Rotary Leadership Institute – St. Johns River College - Orange Park
May 13-14, 2016: District Conference and District Assembly in St. Augustine

Yours in service to Rotary,
Fel
Fred“Fel” Lee
District Governor 2015-2016

Trivia Questions Answers:
1.  Groundhogs Day   2.  Occident    3.  Yacht Racing






January 26, 2016

Lunch is served at Noon, Meeting begins at 12:30pm



Rotary Club of South Jacksonville's FOUNDER'S DAY CELEBRATION
It was September 13, 1954 that the matter of a second Rotary Club in Jacksonville came up in discussion. There was not universal agreement on the matter but there was universal agreement that any action should be deferred for at least another month. Four weeks later the Rotary Club of Jacksonville went behind closed doors to debate the need for a second Rotary club in the city. The debate was said to be spirited.

A proposal was on the table to "cede that portion of the city and tributary territory lying south of the St. Johns River to a Rotary Club of South Jacksonville. However, the club reserved the right to admit members from that territory whose business, executive duties or professional activities are wide in scope, and without affecting the status of any present member of the club."


Thus the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville was formed on a vote of 126 to 62 which reached the requisite two-thirds vote needed to change the club charter.  


Our meeting on Tuesday, January 26th, is the club's annual meeting to celebrate the founding of our South Jacksonville Rotary Club, its members, and the announcement of the honoree of the special Frank Sherman Award - named after South Jacksonville's charter President.

Frank was well known in Jacksonville as the founder of banking on the south side of the St. John's River.  People considered it "Frank's Folly", opening a business in the sparingly developed Southbank.  At the time he opened his business off King Street, it was still necessary to use the ferry to cross the St. Johns River. 


Frank was a true self-made man who started as a doorman at the St. James Hotel (previously located on the site of the current City Hall) and was one of the first Red Cross Lifeguards at Jacksonville Beach.  His photograph and name are still visible in the makeshift museum inside the Red Cross Lifeguard building at Jacksonville Beach.  A deeply religious man, Frank helped to establish San Marco's first Methodist Church and paid for its large pipe organ which his wife, Helen (an accomplished pianist and organist), played every Sunday well into her late 80's.  


Frank and Helen Sherman left $16 million to Emory University's Candler School of Theology to provide full scholarships for students working towards a  Master's Degree in Theology for many years to come.  In 1997, there had been 540 Sherman Scholar graduates.  Bishop Hunt stated at his funeral, "Frank is in heaven, and now heaven is a busier place."


Don't miss this fun and lively Founder's Day.  And, as always, consider bringing a guest.  Let them hear what the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville is all about.


Joe Miller will offer a lively and informative program about the history or Rotary and our club.


Rotaract News-Change of Meeting Location
Rotaract meets at River City Brewing Company on the second and fourth Thursdays.
Satellite Club News!

Satellite meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month! 
  • The satellite speaker on Feb 8 will be Rotary 6970 DG Fel Lee 
For more information - Visit the new Facebook Site:

Rotary Satellite Club of South Jacksonville

Regional Oratory Competition's are under way...
The Rotary Oratory Competition got off to a great start at the Westside Rotary Club with Stevin Smith from Paxon School For Advanced Studies winning the first Regional.

As a note, Dwight James, from Douglas Anderson, who was one of the Westside regional contestants who did not win, sent Les Loggins the following email:
"Thank you Mr. Loggins Sir. It was a pleasure and honor to present in front of great Rotarians today. Seeing all of your faces motivates me to keep going no matter what! I wish you and Rotary all the more continued success!"

Warm regards,
Dwight James III
Writer and Orator
Pres Bob Hyde with Stevin Smith - Winner of West Jacksonville's Regional Competition
 
All the Speakers did an excellent job!

The remaining Regional Finals are as follows:
Monday – Jan. 25 – St. Augustine

Tuesday – Jan. 26 – Orange Park

Wednesday – Jan 27 – Fernandina

Tuesday - Feb 2 - Southside
 
The Rotary Oratory Competition has just invited seniors from 45 public and private high schools throughout the First Coast to participate in researching, writing and presenting a speech about Jacksonville’s greatest assets.

Winners from each of the Rotary club competitions will move on to the final event being held on February 18 at the Adam Herbert UNF Conference Center with a chance to win the Grand prize. 

On Tuesday, February 2, we will be hosting a regional competition among students from several High Schools.  Each school will be bringing 8 guests including the student who will give the speech.  Please be sure to welcome them to our meeting so they feel comfortable.

As you know our club has raised the funds to support this project through generous contributions from our sponsors.  All Rotarians and their guests in attendance are judges and will use a scoring rubric to vote for their favorite speech.  The winner will be announced before the end of the meeting. 


Rotary Club Of South Jacksonville - Upcoming Events:
Social Opportunity...

South Jacksonville Rotary Club and Satellite Club Social
Irish Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch tasting  


WHEN: Thursday February 25th.
TIME: 5:30 arrivals, 6:15 start tasting
WHERE: The Blind Rabbit ---- 901 King St, Jacksonville, FL 32204



Irish Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch tasting.  Three of each types of the drinks mentioned will be displayed and talked about by the vendors. They will provide homemade chips for the group and we can add additional appetizers.
The cost will range $25-$35 depending on the number of people.  We may opt for additional food.  The venue will hold 40 comfortably, and we can rearrange if need be. 

RSVP to Randy Gordon at rgordon4824@yahoo.com.


Service Opportunity of February...


The Undie Campaign
Dignity U Wear provided brand new clothing to over 200,000 people in need last year. Underwear is the most requested item. To provide more people with basic human dignity and to meet the incredible need, Dignity created The Undie Campaign.

DONATION REQUEST: During the month of February 2016, please bring BRAND NEW socks and underwear to any meeting. We will collect and donate them to Dignity U Wear for those who need them most!


SERVICE EVENT: In addition, we have an opportunity for nine (9) club members to volunteer to sort clothing: Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 9am – 12pm.

Contact Robyn Watson if you are interested in volunteering!


Stay Tuned... more service events coming soon!

February 18, 2016 Final event for the Rotary Oratory Competition
March 5, 2016 from 9am - 12p Dignity U Wear Event

Our Club In Action at Last week's meeting....


 January 18th Speaker - Julie Shafer, Baptist Healthy Living Centers




Leslie Redd's Craft Talk



Enjoying Craft Talk and Lunch


Meeting Facilitator - PE Jason Burnett

Les Loggins discusses the Oratory Speech Contest Activities










                     
Week 29 Rotary Minute... Our District Governor's Message:  



 Registration is now open to all Rotarians for Parts 1, 2, 3 and a Graduate Class (GC) for the next District 6970 Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) that will be held Saturday, February 20, at the Orange Park Campus of St. Johns River State College.  Some of the interesting topics that will be discussed during class sessions include: Membership Engagement, Analyzing Your Rotary Club, Strategic Planning, Service Projects, Effective Leadership Strategies and the History of Rotary. The Graduate Class topic this semester will be on The Rotary Foundation. See our district website for the link to register for a class. Registration deadline is February 9th. 


Drum roll please, we did it!  The clubs in Rotary District 6970 raised over $90,000 for PolioPlus through our partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars won the Rotary Game Day against Indianapolis (probably helped by all the positive Rotary energy in the crowd), Clubs in Rotary District 6970 won by raising just over $90,000 for PolioPlus, local children, families, and military won as beneficiaries of over 350 donated tickets to the games this year, and most importantly...... with the Bill & Melinda Gates match, $270,000 will go towards the fight to END POLIO!  This is the most ever raised in any of our Club/District fundraising activities for PolioPlus. A special thanks to Brad Fain our Jaguars Liaison, Theresa Smith our Ticket Coordinator & Jaguars partnership coordinator, Patti Chapman for all her backroom work and keeping our numbers straight and PDG Cynde Covington for her overall coordination of the program.


 UPCOMING EVENTS:


January 30, 2016: RYLA Pledge Commitments Due From Clubs
 February 20, 2016: Rotary Leadership Institute – St. Johns River College - Orange Park
May 13-15, 2016: District Conference and District Assembly in St. Augustine
Yours in service to Rotary,

Fel

Fred“Fel” Lee