Plaza Rotary at a Glance 6/13/2014
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This Friday's Program: Paul Dorrell, "Living the Artist's Life"
Paul Dorrell is a Kansas City art consultant and owner of Leopold Gallery. He'll talk on "Living the Artist's Life," based on his guidebook of the same name. As an art consultant, Dorrell's clients include Warner Brothers, H&R Block, the Royals, the Mayo Clinic, Saint Luke's Hospital, and many private, civic and corporate art collectors. He consulted on a monument of Dwight D. Eisenhower for the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and for the National D-Day Memorial in Virginia. In his spare time, Dorrell structures mentoring programs that provide opportunities for inner-city teenage artists.Reared in Kansas City, Dorrell has spent years roaming America by motorcycle, riding through every contiguous state. He has lived in Alaska, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Italy, England -- and Prairie Village.
Saturday: Last Day to Register for Changing of the Guard!
This Saturday, June 14, is the last day to register for the 2014 Changing of the Guard. This year, we celebrate the installation of Bob Merrigan as Club President and Cassy Venters (pictured) as District Governor. Unlike past District Governor installations, this event is a service project for Harvesters, held at the Harvesters facility at 3801 Topping Ave. in Kansas City. Rotarians from around District 6040 will attempt to pack 5,300 lunches for school children. The $33 registration fee includes lunch and a $20 tax-deductible donation to Harvesters to purchase the food being packed. This will be a great family event, so register and bring the kids, too! Go to the District website, www.rotary6040.org, to register online; click on the link "Governor 2014/15 Induction & Service Project" in the right-hand panel. We hope to see you there!
Federal Courthouse Tour on Tuesday, June 17
Vocational Service Chair Mike Theobald has arranged a vocational visit to the United States Courthouse at 9th and Oak Streets in Kansas City next Tuesday, and it is open to all Plazans and family members, even if they don't aspire to a vocation as a federal prosecutor or a federal judge!! The tour will be led by retired bankruptcy judge and Plaza Rotarian Jerry Venters, who has promised a couple of "behind the scenes" peeks at what goes on at the Courthouse. Since our last tour there several years ago, the District Court has completed an interesting historical exhibit surveying the history of the U.S. Courts in the Western District, and that will be the last stop of the day before we adjourn to a nearby watering hole for refreshments. The tour will start at 4:00 p.m., but participants should arrive about 15 minutes early to pass through security. It's best to leave your cell phone in your car.
"End Polio Now" Campaign Receives Boosts at Rotary's 105th Convention
Rotary's "End Polio Now" campaign was very much in focus and received several monetary boosts at the 105th annual Rotary International Convention in Sydney, NSW, Australia last week. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott addressed the nearly 18,000 Rotarians and others in attendance at the opening plenary session on June 1 and announced that the Australian government would contribute another $100 million (AUD) (equivalent to about $93 million USD) to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative's drive to complete the eradication of polio worldwide. Later, a Nigerian businessman, Sir Emeka Offor, announced that he would contribute another $1 million to the campaign. And on Friday, before the Convention began, 340 Rotarians and friends climbed the Harbour Bridge (photo), setting a new record for the most people to climb on the bridge at one time and raising $40,000 for the campaign. Dr. Bruce Aylward, a director of the World Health Organization, a leader in the eradication drive, updated the attendees on the status of the campaign and described what is being done to stop further polio outbreaks via transmission from the remaining three polio-endemic countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. The goal still remains to certify the world as polio-free by 2018.
Several District 6040 Rotarians and their spouses were in Sydney for the convention, including Plaza Rotarians Larry Lunsford (a member of the RI Board of Directors), Jerry and Cassy Venters, and Bob Merrigan.
Where's Larry? If you've read this far, you know Plazan Larry Lunsford, who is nearing the end of his first year on the Rotary International Board of Directors, has been in Australia attending the RI Convention. He also attended a Board of Directors meeting while there. But where else has he been since he spoke to the club earlier this year? And what major issues have come before the Board? Come to the meeting next week and find out, as Larry brings us another of his quarterly updates!