Meeting |
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Report |
Meeting |
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Report |
October 12, 1999 |
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President Worth Williamson called the meeting to order shortly after 12:30 PM. Bob
Knight introduced and welcomed to our club ten guests and five visiting Rotarians. Barry
Miller introduced special guest Ryan McCullough,
grandson of Al McCullough. Ryan, an honor graduate of East Mecklenburg
High School and NC State University, is the newest citizen of Charlotte - the USS
Charlotte, that is. President Worth gave special thanks and congratulations to Jim Woodward, chair of the Program Committee, and Ed Kiser, Chair of Programs for the first quarter of the year. He expressed appreciation for the quality of the programs we have enjoyed thus far and presented Rotary mugs to Jim, Ed and members of the first quarter Program Committee. President Worth announced that the Special Events Committee would meet with chairman Jim Adams after the meeting. Jay Myers gave our Health and Happiness Report and provided an alternative to lawyer jokes by offering a little humor (VERY little!) making fun of women. Jay announced that Powell Majors will be having rotator cuff surgery later this week. President Worth read a brief description of one of our members and club members recognized Jerry Orr as the member being lampooned. President Worth called Claire Erb forward to help him recognize approximately 25 club members who have reached new levels of perfect attendance. Worthy of special attention are Chuck Lineberry and Dwight Thomas, who have 25 years of perfect attendance, and those with over 40 years: Mac Jackson (46 years), Martin Waters (47 years), and Ralston Pound (49 years). Members interested in helping flood victims in Eastern N.C. are encouraged to make a donation by leaving a check with Claire today of being prepared to make a donation at next week's meeting, when we will have a "Good Fellows" type collection. The Dilworth Rotary club encourages us to take donations of furniture, linens, tools, construction materials, first aid and toiletry items, baby supplies, etc. to St. Luke's Lutheran Church before 5 PM on Thursday to be delivered by truck to Eastern N.C. on Friday. We will enjoy the annual Joint Rotary meeting in February at the Adams Mark Hotel, with Richard Holbrooke, newly appointed Ambassador to the United Nations, as guest speaker. Any club member wanting to work on the planning committee for this event is asked to contact President Worth or Past President Ronnie Pruett. Ronnie is current president of the Joint Rotary Council which includes the presidents and presidents-elect of the 12 Rotary Clubs in Mecklenburg County. After club members gave the Pledge of Allegiance, Bob Brietz offered an invocation. Chuck Lineberry led us in singing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" as a salute to our speaker and the "Cow College" which she heads. Members of the head table were introduced: E.K. Fretwell, Dean Colvard, Al Allison, Reagin Warren, Bob Brietz, and Jim Woodward. In his introduction of North Carolina State University Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Jim Woodward recognized her as a distinguished organic chemist and a superb academic administrator. He provided details of Dr. Fox's outstanding credentials as a teacher and scholar, including her membership in a number of national academic organizations. She is a graduate of Notre Dame College and received her doctorate from Dartmouth. She has written over 300 papers and authored five books on topics related to organic chemistry. She became Chancellor at NCSU in the fall of 1998 and Jim noted that the first public photo of her at Chancellor captured her sliding down a pole at a fire station. Jim welcomed Dr. Fox as a fellow Rotarian and acknowledged how fortunate he feels to have her as a colleague. After offering a quip about the mounting pressure of earning a rotary mug, Dr. Fox gave several humorous examples of what she had learned during her first year about what it takes to be a chancellor: eg. That SEC means not only "Securities and Exchange Commission" but also "Southeastern Conference" and that the daughters of professor and author Kaye Gibbons (on whom an honorary degree was conferred in May) were eager to meet the Chancellor at Commencement in hopes that she would know where the bathrooms were. After asking for a show of hands of those who were graduates of NCSU, UNC and UNCC, she told a tale about a UNC graduate visiting in Austin, Texas. He asked a store clerk for assistance in buying a Carolina blue shirt and pants and was surprised that the retailer knew he was from Chapel Hill. When asked how he knew, the clerk replied, "Because this is a hardware store." So much for university rivalry! Dr. Fox described the challenges and opportunities she and our state's university system face in setting a course for the future and anticipating where their institutions should be years from now. She described NCSU as an economic engine for the state and a valuable resource in undergirding the future for N.C. She is pleased with the university's focus on students and the quality of education they receive. Citing the technological advances and the strides in excellence achieved in NCSU's colleges of agriculture, forestry, textiles, and management, Dr. Fox described the development of business models that work efficiently to translate ideas and vision into marketable products. She articulated the multiple applications of advanced technology, using the example of the miniaturization in the computer industry and describing its potential to revolutionize other industries as well. She described some of the many partnerships developing between academic and business applications and between private and public entities. She is proud of the relationships between NCSU and businesses in the Research Triangle Park. She described the new Centennial Campus, a 1,000 acre tract of land located off Western Blvd just south of the traditional campus. It is designed to lease space to 50 companies dedicated to collaborative research and making an academic commitment to the university. They create interaction between academics and business by providing fellowship, scholarship, and co-operative learning and working opportunities for students. Venture capital funds of approximately $10 million have been leveraged to provide start-up funding for new businesses, which in turn provide an undergirding for education. Dr. Fox made a serious and impassioned case for the capital and financial needs of the university. NCSU is seeking $449,428,777 from the NC Legislature for a five-year capital plan. During the last legislative session the House and Senate could not reach agreement on the bond funding and the issue is expected to be addressed during the next session. Statistics indicate that the college population in NC will increase by 25% in the next ten years and there are indications that NCSU will face additional enrollment increases because of expectations that more students will choose technical over liberal arts institutions and that a higher percentage of high school graduates will enroll in college in the next ten years. NCSU facilities, many of which are over 25 years old, are designed to accommodate 24,000 students and current enrollment is over 28,000. NCSU is seeking $150 million to build additional facilities and $150 for renovations of existing buildings. There is a need for public advocacy for the state's investment in higher education and Dr. Fox asked for the support of club members. The highest needs are for capital funds, but there is also great need for financial support to attract and retain the best faculty and students. Faculty salaries at NCSU are 20% below those at peer institutions (30% lower than Duke). Increased scholarship support for students is vital. Exit interviews with students dropping out of school indicate that lack of financial resources is the principal reason students do not remain in school. Dr. Fox responded to a few questions at the conclusion of her presentation. She was presented a Rotary mug by Worth Williamson, who thanked her for her presence. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM. * * * |
A Buried Treasure in a Thrift Shop Marilynn Bowler Adventure in Service is an old book I found when rummaging through a shelf of battered books in a thrift shop in Calabash, N.C., two weeks ago. I can't even imagine why I plucked it out of yellowed and worn books on a bottom shelf. And yet, there it was in my hands ... a book published by Rotary International in 1949. Inside, there is a color photo of Paul P. Harris, Rotary founder — itself an intriguing treasure to find. Some hours later, I had read the book. Certain sentences stood out and commanded my attention. I'm sharing them with you today as a preface to introducing our new membership campaign. "When I was being officially welcomed into my Rotary Club," said one Rotarian, "the president made two points which have stayed with me: first, that my fellow Rotarians had chosen me — not in the sense of exclusiveness, but because they believed that I was the person to represent my business in Rotary; and, second, that I was beginning a new adventure in service — an adventure in the strict definition of the word: 'a bold undertaking in which certain hazards and unforeseen developments' were to be met . . . ." Is Rotary an adventure? Yes, if this club is alive to its obligations and opportunities. New members breathe life into Rotary and we "old" members sustain that life. One cannot exist without the other. To that end, let's all commit to bringing into Charlotte Rotary one new member between now and December 30th. Let's refer to this membership recruitment period as our "Holiday Membership Program." The rules are simple: each one of us is asked to think of one worthy person possessing the qualities of a true Rotarian, then propose that candidate for consideration as a member. Perhaps you'd like to bring your candidate to one of our meetings to introduce her or him to our format and the type of organization we are. Before submitting someone for consideration, sit down and talk with your candidate briefly and determine his or her interest level. Membership proposal forms are available either by calling Claire Erb at the Rotary office (375-6816) or picking up a form at the weekly meeting at Sheraton Four Points. Submit the completed form to Claire who will, in turn, provide it to Sadler Barnhardt for the Classification Committee's review. After it passes Classification review, the proposal will then pass along to the Membership Chair for further approval before being sent on to our Board of Directors. What an excellent holiday gift Charlotte Rotary can make to this community if each of us submits one worthy member proposal, thereby doubling the man hours and commitment level of "Service Above Self" on behalf of Charlotte Rotary. And what holiday would be complete without each who proposes a member being shown appreciation by a token of thanks. In this case, two tickets to a Charlotte Hornets home game, a Hornets sweatshirt, a Hornets autographed ball and other gifts in kind will be placed in a holiday stocking from which members who proposed new members may draw. Happy Holidays — early — and let's dig in and get busy. Charlotte Rotary needs recruits who are interested in a new and exciting "Adventure in Service." * * * DILWORTH ROTARY CLUBThe Dilworth Rotary Club, in cooperation with PAYCHEX Racing, is collecting relief supplies to be transported to Greenville, N.C. for distribution by the Greenville Noon Rotary Club to Hurricane Floyd victims. Items needed include: • Furniture • Baby items • Bed linens • Bath linens and paper products • Kitchen items • Clean-up supplies and tools • Construction items • First Aid items If you are able to help, please call Dilworth Rotarian Jorie Manino at 525-1222 or Dilworth President Jim Scott at 535-0392. * * * |
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