Plaza Rotary at a Glance 05-04-2016

Posted 
on Apr 27, 2016
 
 
Reverse Raffle – Do you have the Lucky Ticket?
Plaza Rotary’s major fundraiser is fast approaching – May 21! The lucky ticket number will be the one drawn last for the $1,000 grand prize! So far, 61 people – 33 of whom are Plaza Rotarians – have a chance to be the lucky winner.
 
Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there are enough fabulous auction items that everyone attending the event will have a chance to win something! But, you cannot win unless you purchase a ticket. 
 
We would like to wrap up ticket sales soon, so if you are planning on coming to this fun event, we encourage you to bring your check to this Friday’s meeting. You just might be given the lucky ticket number!! Or, you might go home with one or more of the great gift baskets, a certificate for a weekend-night stay on the Plaza, a dinner at the Linden Lounge, a canoe trip, a gift certificate at one of Kansas City’s amazing restaurants, a brew tour for 10, Royals’ tickets, handyman services, a photo session complete with makeup and hair styling, a pie baking class, African art, or a wine tasting…just to name a few.
 
Please make your checks payable to the Plaza Rotary Foundation; $75 per person.
 
Event details: Sat., May 21, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the home of Will Hodgkinson, 8101 W. 66th Terrace, Mission, Kan., 66202. All proceeds benefit Urban Rangers, Hope House, and worldwide Polio Eradication.
 
Wrapping up: Shoes for Orphan Souls
With Big Muddy churning by just a couple of hundred feet away, cheering Rotarians chanting off the numbers by the thousands, and Shoes Cheerleader Larry Lunsford going all blubbery, the annual Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign wrapped up at last Saturday’s District Assembly in St. Joseph with another outstanding year – 16,777 pairs of new shoes, 2,103 pairs of socks, 158 pairs of shoelaces, and $10,717 in cash donations.
 
The show was stolen, though, by Maggie, the 7-year-old stepdaughter-to-be of St. Joseph East Rotarian Erik McGuire, who called for the microphone and donated $7 that she had saved to buy shoes.  Maggie was so inspired that she made a Shoes for Orphan Souls poster for show-and-tell at her school on Monday (pictured).
 
With more than a dozen clubs still to report, the total number of shoes donated likely will pass 17,000, bringing to more than 287,000 the number of pairs of shoes donated in the last 15 years, since Plazan Larry started the project as District Governor in 2001.  The Plaza Club donated 1,219 pairs of shoes.  The District Assembly was held at the Remington Nature Center in St. Joseph.
 
Here’s the tally:
  • North Kansas City (28 members) — 2,036 shoes
  • Higginsville (67) — 1,458 
  • Kansas City Plaza (62) — 1,219
  • St. Joseph South Side (34) — 711
  • Marceline (24) — 663 
  • Chillicothe (82) — 638
  • St. Joseph (62) — 637
  • Parkville (44) — 609
  • Richmond (60) — 602
  • Gladstone (44) — 555
  • Rock Port (25) — 517
Rotary International Dues Increase
At its recent meeting in Chicago, the Rotary International Council on Legislation approved an increase in members’ RI dues by $4 for each year in 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20.  This increase will bring our annual dues to RI to $67 a year in the 2019-20 Rotary year.
 
The $4 increase was needed, according to RI offices, to enable Rotary to maintain its existing services and provide a small surplus of revenues “to be invested in Rotary’s future.”  RI said in a statement that the additional funding would enable RI to complete several projects related to technology and to improve the functionality of the Rotary Website, among other things.
 
In addition, the annual special dues assessment to pay the expenses of the triennial Council on Legislation will increase to $1.50 on this July 1, up from $1 per year.  The Rotary International Board of Directors approved the increase from $1 to $1.50 in October 2014. The Council, which meets every three years, will meet 10-15 April in Chicago.
 
For more information on the dues increase, go to: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/7-things-know-about-your-membership-dues
 
No Spring Clean Up 
This year, the Parks Department decided to share the fun at Bloch Park on the Plaza. The Boy Scouts have been signed up to do the Spring planting instead of Plaza Rotary. Our clean up, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 14, is CANCELLED.
 
The fall clean-up date is Saturday, Sept. 17. Plan on joining this community service event where Plaza Rotarians contribute some sweat equity to spruce up the park in the spring and fall.
 
 
Mark Your Calendars:
May 6: Deadline to Submit Nominations for the Vocational Service Award
Scott Weaver, chair of the Vocational Service Committee, is seeking nominations for the club’s Vocational Service Award. Qualified candidates are non-Rotarians who exemplify outstanding professional achievement and high ethical standards; actively gives back to the community; and personifies Rotary’s Four-Way Test.  Please submit your nominations to Scott on or before May 6.
 
 
May 20: Arrowhead Stadium Tour – Vocational Service Event
On Friday, May 20 at 3 p.m., we will have our own private guided tour of the Arrowhead Stadium facility.  The tour will last 90 minutes and include seeing the press box, Scout Investments club level, locker room, field, and the Chiefs Hall of Honor.  Bring a prospective member or guests. Click here to add your name to the list: http://whoozin.com/MKF-VPG-R3DC.