April 23, 2007 GSE TEAM FROM THE NETHERLANDS We’re pleased to welcome the Group Study Exchange Team from District 1600 in The Netherlands. The members have had a busy weekend – they attended the MSU-LSU baseball game Friday evening, spent Saturday morning at the Cotton District Festival, then were hosted by Columbus Rotarians before going to PDG John Fair’s hunting lodge near Louisville for a turkey hunt. They returned to Starkville Sunday and enjoyed an evening cookout hosted by Shelton and Ginger Jones. After Rotary, they’re going to Greenwood and the Delta and then to the District Conference this weekend in Jackson. VERY SPECIAL VISITORS FROM FRANCE Our other international visitors today are Exchange Student Marie’s family from France. They arrived last Monday evening and Marie has been getting them acquainted with Starkville and all her friends for the past week. Please welcome Denis and Prune Baran, Marie’s younger sister Claire, and her best friend Emma. We greatly appreciate their making it possible for Marie to spend this year with us. NEXT WEEK’S PROGRAM Our guest next Monday will be Reginald G. W. Nichols, President of Piney Woods School. He’ll describe the successful program of the widely recognized boarding school, which was established on a rural site south of Jackson in 1909. LAST WEEK AT ROTARY Invocation and Pledge: Jack Forbus. Attendance:. There were 124 members (86 active, 36 exempt, and 2 honorary) present and 72 members (49 active, 18 exempt, 5 honorary) missing. Five members are on leave. Guests: Kanti and Carolyn Bhansali of Kanti’s brother Krish; Jacque Deeds of Gary Jackson; Chris Latimer of George Sherman; Steve Turner of O.A. Cleveland; Vance Watson of P.C. McLaurin, and Will McCarty of Bricklee Miller. Club guests were Freddie Raspberry (Habitat for Humanity) and Exchange Students Marie Baran and Ruth Schorling. They were introduced by Past President Dave Boles. New Member: We welcomed Grant Arinder, senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, to his first meeting as a member of Starkville Rotary Club. He’s a former member of both Belzoni and Madison Ridgeland Rotary Clubs. Meeting Notes: President Larry Mullins extended the condolences of all Rotarians to Prentiss Gordon and his family at the death of Mary Lee Bain Gordon. Services were held Sunday, April 15. Larry announced that Boy Scout Troop 14 has been recognized for having 12 scouts achieve Eagle (nearly half of all those in the entire district to be awarded the rank this year). Starkville Kiwanis Club is launching a membership drive. Rotarians are asked to suggest names of workers in their business or others who would have an interest in becoming members of our sister service club. Please jot down their names on sheets provided on today’s luncheon tables. CLUB LEADERSHIP RETREAT A retreat for incoming board members and committee chairmen will be held Monday evening May 14 at the home of President Larry Mullins. Mark your calendars and plan to attend. More details will be forthcoming. AGRICULTURE’S ROLE IN OUR SECURITY In our current concern over homeland security, David Waide is more worried about protecting our food supply than he is about attacks on America with “dirty bombs” or bioterrorism. The recent incidents with e.coli contaminated spinach and bad wheat gluten imported from China used in pet food are examples of the vulnerability of our food supply, he said. “Agriculture is the most important entity in the United States,” Waide told Rotarians Monday. The West Point farmer has headed the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation since 1996. The 235,000 member families represent a huge bloc of voters, 60% of whom turned out to vote in the last general election. “Farm Bureau is known as the voice of agriculture.” Waide said that in 1948, the year he was born, half the people in this country were on farms. Today, only 3% of the population are farming, but they produce enough to feed Americans and 10% of the rest of the world. The 9/11 tragedy changed Americans’ attitudes about agriculture. It raised major concerns about food – the adequacy of our food supply and food safety. We take the safety of the foods we eat for granted. Waide said Americans look for the USDA Inspected stamp on food and assume it’s safe. But inspectors only random sample – less than 2% of our food is actually inspected. “We need to have greater awareness of what USDA Inspected really means.” In our increasing concern about homeland security, Waide is most worried that our food supply represents our greatest area of vulnerability. “Our sovereignty is at risk,” he warned, “especially with the increasing imports of foods from all parts of the world.” Waide said he considers Starkville the impetus that provides the basis for economic development in this state. “The research and development in agriculture at Mississippi State keeps us competitive. Twenty-five percent of all revenues come directly or indirectly from agriculture.” Waide worries about the decline in funding needed to continue the advancement in technology so agriculture can remain competitive. Our energy dependence is another major worry. “Energy must be solved,” he said, “and the agricultural sector can play a major role.” He believes that ultimately agriculture should be able to supply 50% of our energy needs and we could get the rest from friendly sources rather than depend on the oil-rich Middle East. There’s concern now about using so much of our corn for ethanol and its impact on the supply needed for feed and food. However, he believes new feedstocks (switchgrass for example) will eventually replace corn in ethanol production. “Our nation is built on the premise of peace and freedom,” he said pointing to the sacrifices of those who died in World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, and now Iraq to protect those freedoms. “I don’t know where it will end. But if we compromise we will lose our freedom and sovereignty. We will pay a price we do not want. It’s a struggle to determine whether we will continue to be independent in our food supply. Make it your effort to make sure our politicians know the importance of protecting our food supply,” he concluded. In response to a question about the closure of the Bryan Food plant in West Point, he said in his opinion it was the worst case of corporate greed he’d seen. “What I do know, however, is they are negotiating with one or two parties” (to sell the plant). On globalization, subsidies, and trade, Waide said “all I want is a level playing field. We won’t be able to do away totally with tariffs. They are needed to offset the increasing costs of EPA and FDA regulations versus cheap production” (in developing nations). Waide was introduced by Vance Watson, MSU Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine who lauded the Farm Bureau president’s passion for this country and the people of this state. “When he speaks, people listen.” Last May, Waide received the Pegasus Award, the highest award given by the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Division of Agriculture has established a fully endowed scholarship in Waide’s name. DISTRICT CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND The 2007 District 6820 Conference will convene at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Jackson Hilton on County Line Road. A number of members of our club will be participating. Marie will give her RYE presentation at 3:55. The conference adjourns before noon on Saturday. ITEMS NEEDED FOR E-BAY AUCTION John Simpson, Briar Jones, and the Community Service Committee are still seeking items for the fund-raising E-Bay Auction. If you have questions or something to donate call John at 324-2590 or email him at < simpson@southerncomputer.net. > |