March 11, 2008    view this week's photos    

Consul General Lutz Görgens
By Jim Kelley
 
Kurt Waldthausen introduced Lutz Görgens, Consul General for Germany. Dr. Görgens has had post assignments in Ankara, Boston, Washington, DC, Mexico City, Tunisia, Algiers and Berlin twice. He is currently posted in Atlanta. Dr. Görgens expressed his gratitude to our club for all we do to serve the Charlotte community and for all the good work Rotary does internationally.
Dr. Görgens' topic was "The State of the European Union". He noted that none of the three US presidential candidates are mentioning the European Union (EU) in their discussions and debates. He thought that was good because Europe provides no reason for concern to the US because it is secure and at peace and also because it is growing and is strong. It is bad because no one seems to know why the EU is doing so well.
 
Görgens presented three revolutionary changes since 2000: currency union, enlargement and institutional reform. 

  1. Currency Union - Among the 15 members of the EU in 1995, there were 15 different currencies. Today, there are four: the Euro, the British Pound, as well as the Swedish and Danish Crowns. To give up such an important icon of national identity is significant. It is like the US giving up the dollar in favor of a common currency with other counties.
  2. Enlargement - There were 12 EU member countries in early 1995. There are now 27 members. The 2004 enlargement meant the repetition of German unification on a European scale. In 2004, 75 million more people became EU citizens peacefully and without the predicted structural repercussions. It is not difficult to predict that after the acceptance of Rumania and Bulgaria in 2007 that the speed of enlargement will slow down. The negotiations with Turkey and Croatia, begun in 2005, will continue but take time.
  3. Institutional Reform - The Treaty of Lisbon is leading to revolutionary change. First, the EU Commission, the governing body of the EU, will be smaller. You can not have all 27 members on the commission at the same time. Second, the head of the EU is elected by the European Parliament. Third, there is now a European Foreign Service. Fourth, the EU President serves for two and a half years and is elected by the Council.
In closing, Dr. Görgens touched on three other topics; dispelling a significant myth about Europe, looking at the top foreign policy priority for the EU and addressing a few political issues.
  1. Myth - Every presentation on the State of Europe should contribute to dispelling the myth of an aging Europe that is weak in research and development. Like the US, Europe is a top science area. Of the 30 scientists who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics from 1997 to 2007, 17 were US citizens. Ten were from EU countries.
  2. Foreign Policy - The top foreign policy priority for the EU is transatlantic relations. Those relations have a significant history and emotion to them. Among the highlights of that relationship is the US liberating Germany from Nazi tyranny in 1945 and US steadfastness led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
    Now, the US and EU are mutually their most important trade and investment partners. Bilateral trade in 2006 was over $800 billion and the bilateral investment volume in 2006 was over $2 trillion.
  3. Political issues - It's a complicated world now with players pursuing their own interests. Sometimes it is difficult to categorize countries as friend or foe. The overriding principle of effective polices with the EU is to find partners and accept compromise. Some call this way of conducting EU foreign policy effective multilateralism. For example, effect cooperation within the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) is vital for the security of Europe and for solving international crises. The EU has also started a new strategy of dialogue with the Muslim world begun in 2002. The strategy aims at dismantling hostile stereotypes in Western and Islamic societies.
 
Head Table: Greg Etheridge, Bill Woolard, David Zimmerman, Kurt Waldthausen, Liz Irwin, Bill Griswold;
Invocation: John Nicolay;
Visitors & Guests: Harriman Jett; Health & Happiness: Phil Van Hoy; Song: Richard Early; Piano: Thomas Moore; Photos: Bert Voswinkel;
 

• Bill Allen presented 100 stuffed animals to the Levine Children's Hospital at CMC and said the kids just loved it; Drew and Sally Harriss (Herb Harriss) are offering to trade their condo at Chapelwatch for a house close to uptown - Myers Park/South Park area. See Herb for additional details or interest; Hunter Widener and the Stanford Group Company were profiled in greater charlotte biz magazine (John Galles); President David welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order with perfect German enunciation…impressive!
  
• Sympathy is extended to Roberta Smith and family upon the loss of Roberta's Mom, Jean Palumbo.
  
• The second annual ArtsFest at CPCC kicks off March 25-29. The week-long celebration recognizes creative arts including literature, film, music and history; Host Dinner guests needed: David Zimmerman, 4/26; John and Lee Tabor (lake), 5/3; and Ken Poe, 5/17.
   
• CLASSROOM CENTRAL - John Johnson presented a brief history of the club's association with Classroom Central and stressed the need for volunteers. 6 to 8 volunteers are needed the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:30 to 5:30, to help teachers shop for free school supplies. Additional information: Lynn Johnson (704-377-9000) or Karen Calder (704-377-1740).
 
• Rotary District 7680 Annual Conference: Rotarians and family members are invited to the Annual Conference held at the Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, oceanfront Myrtle Beach. April 4-6. Registration forms available at the Rotary office or on the District's website: www.rotarydistrict7680.org.
  
• Habitat for Humanity:  Kicks off this Thursday and volunteers are still needed. There is an immediate need for someone to provide food for the workers this Friday. Contact Chris Kemper, 704-943-2113, if you can help with this. Chris also recognized Ken Samuelson for his past leadership of this committee; Katie Tyler for in-kind donations and assistance, and Todd Stevens, W. B. Moore Company, for donating the entire electrical work for the project.  Registration for this year's Habitat project is available here.
 

Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, contact the Rotary office by 3/17/2008.
Collin Brown
 Horack Talley (Law, Real Estate)
Sponsor: Mac McCarley
Endorsed: Ron Kimble, Luther Moore
 
Pat Gray
 Prevoyance Group (Consultant, IT Services) Sponsor: Tom Bartholomy
Endorsed: Tony Zeiss, Trent Merchant
    		Jessica Dupree
Dupree Media, Inc. (Consultant, Media Planning)
Sponsor: Jill Santuccio
Endorsed: Gregg Walker, Cecily Durrett
 
WILLIAM L. WOOLARD, JR. (BILL)
Woolard Financial Advisors, Inc.
Classification: Financial Advisor, Investment Manager
bill@woolardfinancialadvisors.com  704-335-1800
  
Bill Woolard, CFP, is President and owner of Woolard Financial Advisors, Inc., an Employee Benefits and Wealth Management firm. With over 17 years of experience in the financial services field, Bill recently authored a presentation titled: "Removing the Veil - What Your Financial Advisor Isn't Telling You." It provides an insider's perspective of the Wealth Management industry and explains why his firm has chosen a model that encourages client conversations that focus almost exclusively on portfolio performance. Bill is a native of Charlotte and graduate of UNC-CH. During his college years he was very active as a volunteer EMT-Paramedic and volunteer sworn officer with the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Charlotte Police Department. He is a black belt in karate and enjoys playing the bagpipes and golf - although he admits he is not very good at the bagpipes or golf! Bill is married to Peggy and they have two boys: Nathan (9) and Daniel (8). They are very active in their church, World Worship Center.
 
   
Attendance Record Wedding Anniversaries Birthdays & Birthplaces
  3/11/08 3/13/07
visitors & guests 10 20
club members 178 190
total attendance 188 210
  24 Amy and Mark Norman   19 Gibb Heilman, Charlotte, NC
23 David Barnhardt, Charlotte, NC
23 Jon Hannan, Lancaster, PA
24 Jerry Blanchard, Monroe, NC
24 Matt Joyner, Gastonia, NC
Visitors on 3/11/08:  Burgl Pruett, Jason Kovacs, Robert Klein, Ned Zorigian, Jonathan Hogg, Harriet Barnhardt, Joe Gleason, Dave Cathcart, Pat Gray, Kent Phillips
- - - -
New Members:  Terri DeBoo
Resignations:  Skip Berry, Michelle Fish
Roaming Rotarians:   -
  
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Rotary Club of Charlotte -- 841 Baxter Street -- Suite 118 -- Charlotte 28202