THE EMAIL PUBLICATION OF THE WHEEL
ROTARY CLUB OF PORT ARTHUR
MEETING OF MARCH 4, 2010
DISTRICT NO. 5910 CHARTER NO. 147
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Life is a risk.
Diane Von Furstenberg
UP FRONT
President Roger Cowles presided over the March 4th meeting. The invocation and pledge to the flag was led by Past President Bill Coons. Pete Lyday gave the attendance report and Director Ramon Hill introduced our visiting Rotarian. Past President Bill Coons led the club in singing "The Eyes of Texas". Past President Clayton Salter told us that Past President Jeff Hayes celebrated his birthday at the meeting.
GUEST
Ursula Lefkowitz (North Port Arthur)
SILVER DOLLAR
Casie Harris had two gold dollars and gave them to Past Presidents Bill Coons and Ken Burke.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2010 Multi-District Conference this year will be in San Antonio on April 29th-May 2nd. There is a $50 break on registration through February 28th. You can go to the District 5910 website and check it out.
Vice President Craig Noble will head a committee to go through the names. We are behind on membership and losing members. We entered this year with a goal of increasing by at least one and we need to report March 31 to the District and to International and we need to increase by 10 in the next 2 months. This will take an effort by everyone in the club.
If we want to nominate someone for the Rotary Roll of Fame. The deadline for this is March 15th and if you have someone in mind, please turn in the name to the Board and they will discuss it at their next board meeting on Tuesday, March 2nd.
King Gumbo Perry Snell told us he has 16 booths for the Taste of Gumbo. Past President Jeff Hayes ask if anyone has door prizes to please bring them next week or the 11th. If you have something for the silent auction value at $25 or more, please give them to Brenda Broussard. Russel Buss has some access to some gifts for $10 if you would like to get with Russel on this. Past President J.T. Beckman told us that if you do not want to make a pie or cake to give $10 to him for 2 desserts.
The GSE Team will be here on April 19 at the Carl Parker Center @ Lamar State College Port Arthur. RSVP by March 31 to Secretary-Treasurer Mike Hebert.
Doris Hale has tickets to the Port Arthur Evening Sertoma Club’s Fish Fry for Friday, March 5th from 10:30-1 p.m. Tickets are $7 and the event will be at American Legion Hall Post #7.
Past President Bill Worsham told us the Seahawks basketball team has qualified for the conference. If they win their games Saturday and Sunday, they will play for the championship Monday. A Championship Bus will travel to Tyler at noon on Monday for Tyler. If there is a game for Monday, it will be broadcast by the media, and you can put your name on the list for the bus ride.
MAKE UP LOCATIONS
MONDAY
North Port Arthur at Southeast Texas Medical Center at noon.
TUESDAY
Beaumont-Spindletop at Elegante’ Hotel at noon. Port Neches and Groves have combined and they meet at the Pompano Club at noon, and Orange at Ramada Inn at noon.
WEDNESDAY
Beaumont-Downtown at the Elegante’ Hotel at noon.
THURSDAY
Bridge City at the Community Center at noon.
FRIDAY
Nederland at the Pompano Club at noon.
Remember you can make up on the Internet at www.rotaryeclubone.org. You can make up 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. Please visit our website at www.portarthurrotary.org in your
spare time.
COAST GUARD UPDATE
Vice President Craig Noble, Program Chairman for the month of March, introduced Lt. JG Ben Lee as our guest speaker. He is stationed with the Marine Safety Unit in Port Arthur and grew up in Boston. Lt. Lee went to the United States Coast Guard Academy and the first of his family to be in the military. The Coast Guard does search and rescue, marine safety prevention and they are all over the world. The Coast Guard is smaller than the New York police and fire departments. Lt. Lee said on the last patrol that he was on, they got 7 tons of cocaine that was stopped from getting into the country. He is a vessel inspector here in Port Arthur. Four hundred thousand barrels of crude oil comes through the port. We are extremely important to the nation and the crude oil is piped to 7 states. On an average day, they save 15 lives; conduct 90 search and rescue missions, seize 71 pounds of marijuana and 620 pounds of cocaine and that combined, is $21.1 million on the street. They also do vessel safety inspections, service navigations and other jobs. In 1977, Janna Lambine was the first female aviator. Lt. JG Lee also told us about the recent oil spill and showed us some slides from the spill and other slides from the duties of the Coast Guard.