How I Got Where I’m At

    Larry Sagehorn introduced our five entertaining and informative member speakers – Warren Kean, Martin Godwin, Susan Patterson, Rick Campbell, and Henry Lafferty.

   Warren, a partner with Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, described growing up in Baton Rouge.   He lives at Lake Norman and commutes to Charlotte where he was warned to beware of the “blue-haired” women drivers who give the Hawaiian good luck signs.  You had to hear the joke.  Warren concluded by thanking his sponsor, Mike Hawley, and expresses appreciation for being part of Charlotte Rotary.

   Next, Martin Godwin delivered his speech with guitar and a very clever song.  Martin was born in Boston, one of four children, the son of an oncologist and a Latin School admissions officer.  In his youth, Martin had two passions-baseball and music.  In Chapel Hill, he met wife Amy and proposed in the bleachers at Fenway Park.  Music is still important and he continues to perform.  Today, the most important things to him, as the lyrics went, are his wife, his dog, and his daughter Haley-and “the little surprise” waiting to “materialize” in October.

   Martin has lived in Charlotte for the past 25 years.  He has a steady job-unlike his music performances-“in the headhunting business.”   Martin concluded with the line “Shame my whole life story’s only three minutes long”.

   Susan Patterson last spoke to Rotary almost 37 years ago.  She was just back from a cross-country trip to Girl Scout Roundup in Idaho and her dad, she was sure, was desperate for a program for his Rotary Club of Shelbyville, Tennessee.  Yes, Susan grew up near the home of Jack Daniels and described herself as an official Tennessee Squire.

   Susan went to UT-“my blood runs Big Orange”-where she majored in journalism and worked on the college paper.  Two weeks after graduating, she joined The Charlotte News.  After it closed in 1985, she became an editor at The Observer, and then in 1994, became publisher of the daily in Milledgeville, Georgia.  Today she is a program officer with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, serving Charlotte and three communities in Georgia.

   Next up, Rich Campbell explained the irony of “how I got where I’m at”, as his job as a partner with Sockwell & Associates, an executive recruiting firm, involves asking that question.  More interesting, was “where he could be besides here.”  He could have been an entrepreneur, a musician, or a baseball player.  Rich was born and raised in Greensboro, where his father kept him out of trouble by keeping him busy with no down time.  His love of baseball started at birth when his father’s best friend put a baseball in his crib and reported that Rich grabbed it!  He played the game through high school and had offers from several colleges.  His dad also introduced him to music by taking him to Green’s Supper Club to hear the Big Bands play.   He even got to play with the Glenn Miller orchestra.  Deciding against careers in music and baseball (a scout for the Red Sox told him he’d never make it in the pros with an 82 mph fast ball) in favor of “capitalism”, Rich got into the business school at UNC.  Following graduation, he spent ten years in sales and sales management before joining Sockwell.  He is married to a “great wife”, Tracey, and they have two boys.

   Henry Lafferty, thankful that he didn’t have to sing today, explained that he got to where he’s at “By getting out of bed every day and doing what I am supposed to do that day!”

   Henry is husband to Debbie, father of two children, Sarah and Ellen, son to Peggy Austin, and a citizen.  He is a Christian, active in his church, Covenant Presbyterian, and an architect, owner of a small firm established in 1997.  Born in Charlotte in 1953, Henry attended public and private schools.

After graduating from Myers Park, he enrolled in UNC-Asheville, then transferred and graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies.  After flirting with becoming a lawyer, he decided to become an architect and eventually earned a Master of Architecture degree from The University of Texas.  Today, Henry says he is “…still growing and evolving – looking for ways to serve God, my community, and others less fortunate.”

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POWELL'S
OBSERVATIONS

     Ric Cannada, who headed the local campus of the Reformed Theological Seminary, has been elected by the Trustees to be its third President.

     Theresa Evans has joined Prudential Carolina Real Estate in Charleston, SC.

     Luther Fincher is pictured on the front of “Charlotte” Magazine with Mitch, the cat that adopted him.

     Mike Crum is working to fill the void left by the Hornets at the Coliseum.  The arena football league and religious gatherings are high on his list of potential tenants.

     Harry Weatherly pointed out that local governments are saddled with a very antiquated revenue structure, in response to a question raised by Observer reporter Jack Betts.

     At a City Council meeting, John Tabor suggested that one way to save water was a shower with his wife. No response was forthcoming from Lee – John’s wife.

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Rotary Highlights

¨ Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship is the largest private international scholarship in the world.

¨ Rotary is the world’s oldest service organization.

¨ Less than 1/3 Rotarians are Americans.

¨The first Rotary Club chartered in a non-English speaking country was in Cuba.

¨ Rotary International dispersed $75M last year.

¨ Rotary International Foundation ranks 120^th in size in the world, but ranks 1^st in efficiency. Every dollar in = every dollar gifted.

¨ There are 16 Donor Grants available through Rotary International. The dollars come from:

® Sustaining Member Pledges

® Paul Harris Fellowships

® Benefactor (major donor over $10,000)

® Bequest Society ($10,000 and up)

® Wills, Living Trusts, Designated Retirement

® Life Insurance Beneficiary

     Sustaining Member Pledges and Paul Harris Fellowship funds are used for current disbursements.  Benefactor and Bequest Society go into a trust principle that is never touched.  Only interest and investment profits are used to sustain gift programs.  This fund, with Rotary’s name, goes on in perpetuity.

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New Member Ballot

     The Classification and Membership Committee recommend and the Directors approve for consideration of all members, the following NEW MEMBERS.   Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, please call the Rotary Office within 10 days from the date of this publication.   You will be contacted by a member of the Board.  Otherwise, no reply is necessary and election will proceed according to our by-laws.                    

                               Mary-Stuart Brooks, Secretary

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