October 15 , 2007 MISSISSIPPI’S SCHOOL DROPOUT WOES The state continues to experience unacceptably high school dropout rates. Our guest today is Lewis Whitfield, senior vice president of the CREATE Foundation. He’ll tell us about the Foundation’s Dropout Program. A LOOK AT MSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Next week, Sharon Fanning, now in her 13 th year as Head Coach of Mississippi State Women’s Basketball will pay us her annual visit. Always an enthusiastic and entertaining speaker, Coach Sharon will give us a preview of her new and returning players and her expectations for the upcoming Lady Bulldog season. STEAK AND BINGO A BIG HIT If you missed last week’s Fall Social, you missed a great party. The steaks were described by one guest as “unbelievable and out of this world in taste.” The fellowship during the social hour and throughout the evening was unmatched. Folks had a good time playing bingo. The Board had pledged to match bingo proceeds up to $1,000. We topped that by raising $1,030, netting $2,030, which is earmarked to support the Club’s literacy projects. Thanks to Bobby Crosland and members of his Fellowship committee. Special thanks to the chefs who grilled the delicious ribeyes and chicken – Larry Mullins, Tommy Prentice, Jeff Read, Tony Vizzini, and Hardy Mitchell (Melanie’s husband). Winners at bingo were Guy Hargrove, Dinah Jordan, Allan Tucker, Nina Welch, and Joe Thompson (big winner at “blackout bingo”). Invocation and Pledge: W. C. Johnson. Attendance:.Only 69 of our 200 members came to last week’s steak and bingo party – 49 active and 20 exempt. That means that there were 84 active, 37 exempt, and all 10 honorary members who missed our Fall Social evening. View photos from the Fall Social (.PDF, 181 KB) Visitors and Guests: Thirty-nine Rotarians brought their spouses. Other guests included Jennie Tomlinson of Debbie Nettles; Verna Ramsey of Allan Tucker; and the following Club guests: Rotary Exchange Student Negrita Caicedo and her host parents Bill and Vicki Burnett; and RYE Student Maryna Melnik, her host mother Susan Tomlinson, and her host sister Elizabeth Tomlinson. Makeup: Gary Chism logged a makeup in West Point. DIRECTORY ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS Here are additions and corrections you can make in your 2007-2008 Starkville Rotary Club Directory. New Members Blackbourn, Joe M. [SM] (Sue Cleveland). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Eiland, Robert L. “Bobby” [SM] (Lynn) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Richardson, Lynn [SM] (Woody) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Corrections Hank Moseley, Address: 100 Williamsburg Drive Bill Parrish , E-mail: whsp@nctav.com Allan Tucker, Email : atucker@nctv.com Bob Whiteside, Email: bobnsallie@bellsouth.net |