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 COACH
BOBBY LUTZ
CHARLOTTE 49ers
By: Jeannie Falknor
“I stand before you as a person who is very blessed,” said Bobby Lutz, head
basketball coach of the UNC-Charlotte 49ers, as he shared his history as a
kid growing up in Denver, N.C., and his path through coaching to his current
job. “I did not play Division I basketball and made it to be a head coach of
a Division I basketball team. That’s very rare.”
And Lutz’s story has much about it that is rare.
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Lutz has four degrees.
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He tried to make Charlotte’s 1977 NCAA Final Four team as a walk-on. “It
was the first time in my life that I wanted something that I didn’t make.”
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He was a great student who applied for the Bonnie Cone
scholarship and after being invited to the Cone home, decided on going
to UNC Charlotte even
though he had several other scholarship options. “That personal touch made
me know I was coming to Charlotte.”
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He has been given the key to the city of Harrisburg,
where he lives with his family.
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He has been named Carolinas’ Father of the Year by the
National Father’s Day Council.
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Lutz’s family has been a major part of the Howard’s
Furniture slow-pitch softball dynasty. On the softball field, “I
learned a lot about life, about not being afraid to fail… In athletics
to be your best, you have to be not afraid to fail. The measure is how
you do when you are not doing so well. This past season was a test for
us,” he said referring to a challenging season. “We had a bad year
last year but this year is going to be better.”
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The best advice he’s gotten in his life was from his
grandfather: Be who you is, not what you ain’t. “I really believe this. I always try to remember
that.”
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After coaching in high school, Lutz made his way to Clemson University as an
assistant coach. “I learned a lot there,” he said. Then he moved on to
Pfeiffer University. When he got there, “the team was terrible,” he said.
“It was picked to be dead last. For two years we didn’t disappoint anyone.”
But he turned the record around and has been inducted into the Pfeiffer Hall
of Fame. After a brief stint at Gardner-Webb, he moved to the Charlotte
49ers as assistant coach in 1995 and then as head coach in 1998.
As head coach, he has led the team to two Conference USA championships and
four post-season tournament appearances. “The League is up in the air right
now. I hate to see what’s going to happen to it. Nobody knows for sure. I’m
confident Charlotte will be in a very good league. We are positioning
ourselves to be in a high-level league.” And his forecast for the upcoming
season: “We have a chance to be back in the Top 4 of Conference USA. If we
are in the top 4, we’ll be dancing in March.”
Also at the meeting, two new members were introduced: Hunter Widener and
Edwin Peacock III. Hunter is with Bank of America, private client group, and
Edwin works with his father in financial planning at Pomfret Financial Co.,
Inc.
Head Table:
Brink, Floyd Davis, Ed Kizer, Tom Robertson, Rich
Campbell, Bill Bradley; Invocation: Jack Smylie
Invocation:
Tom Burgess; Health & Happiness: Tony Marciano; Song:
Martin Godwin
PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT
NEW ADDRESS FOR THE ROTARY CLUB:
841 BAXTER STREET, SUITE 118, CHARLOTTE 28202
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The 4-Way Test
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Darrell Holland and
his committee will be asking members to recite the 4-Way Test, one of
the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the
world. It was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was
asked to take charge of the Chicago-based Club Aluminum Company, which
was facing bankruptcy.
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Is it the
TRUTH?
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Is it
FAIR to all concerned?
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Will it build GOODWILL and better Friendships?
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Will it
be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
You could be rewarded with a crisp $10 bill
or a bottle of wine from Don Haack’s vineyard if you’re able to recite
the above when asked at a meeting.
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2003-04 RI Theme |
9/11 Scholarship Golf Classic Update |
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Co-chair Jim Adams says things are moving fast with the 9/11
Scholarship Golf Classic that will be held September 16th
at Raintree Country Club. There is something available for every
member’s participation…player, volunteer, or donation of goods and
services. Confirmed sponsorships to date: Rotary Club of
Charlotte (Gold sponsor); Wachovia (Silver sponsor
{Rob
Wright
and
Mary
Mack}),
Whelchel Builders (Copper sponsor
{Jeff Searcy});
Tom Robertson (Tee sponsor); soft drinks provided by Pepsi Cola
Bottling Company (Darrell
Holland
and
Bob
Landers);
and printing by The Printing Office (Ed
Nowokunski). |
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z
Elsie Garner, President
and CEO of WTVI (Channel 42), has made some budget adjustments in
order to bring back “Final Edition,” the 25-year-old show that has
debated issues from the PTS scandal to the uptown arena.
z
In this week’s
Observer, Phil Van Hoy
says Washington won’t save American
jobs. “We’re killing off the manufacturing base of the greatest
economy the world has ever known,” said Van Hoy.z
At 96,
longtime Charlotte resident Powell
Majors is finally being recognized. On June 14, The
Observer ran a front page story about Majors’ 70th
wedding anniversary. Two weeks later, the Raleigh News & Observer
ran a front page about Majors’ June trip of a lifetime where he and
four generations of male family members traveled to Boston and
Baltimore on a Pullman railway car to see baseball games. “I’ve been
kidded enough,” he said. “They kid the socks off me.”
z
Jeff
Triplette
was the referee at
Monday night’s NFL Hall of Fame game.
z
Did you hear
the news…Lee Morris is a
grandfather! And let’s not forget the proud parents of this healthy
baby girl, Jody and Kirsten Morris.
Congratulations to all! |
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Attendance Record |
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8/05/03 |
8/06/02 |
| visitors & guests |
15 |
14 |
| club members |
186 |
158 |
| total attendance |
201 |
172 |
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Wedding Anniversaries |
12 Ellen & Richard Bailey
13 Mary & Jay Deyton
15 Ann & Ron Vinson
16 Frannie & Frank Martin
16 Joanne & Ed Ruff
17 Portia & Harry Weatherly |
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Birthdays |
16 Jim Kiser, Belmont, NC
17 Jon Benson, Dayton, OH
18 Dwight Thomas, Bethel, NC |
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New Members - July |
Hunter Widener
Edwin Peacock, III |
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Roaming Rotarians |
Charlene Kammerer, Waynesville, NC
Ed Wadsworth, Ely, MN |
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