The Scoop...August 5, 2013

The Invocation was given by Cheryl Lawson, with Dave Lewellen leading the 4 way test. Dave is looking for committee members to lead the test and singing - please email him for more information.

Jay Wenger gave the Sgt.-at-Arms report, who mentioned several guests present for the Rotary Foundation Awards and the Civil War presentation. Don Wittyer brought Jerry Churchill, Jerry Johnson, and Bob Shenk. Chudy Leidy brought Minor and Meg Dickerson and Tom Bowman, our 1996 club president. (Tom is the founder of the Civil War Club that helped us with today's speaker.) Sam Bassitt brought Chuck Wolfe - and Jeff Sprague came as guest of the club.

Our president, Mike Schoenhofer, mentioned several upcoming events of note: September 9th - Tim Ryan - Polio Plus Update, and September 23rd - Our District Governor. Please mark your calendars for these events.

Michael Frueh has agreed to be our spoke coordinator, and needs 7 more club members to help out. Please call Michael @ 419-222-9741 or email him to get involved. (print@longmeier.com)

Dick Shroeder spoke about the Rotary International Foundation Annual Fund - and the projects it funds worldwide. We need to support our local foundation, and the international - so that people are helped in the Lima area and around the world. We are currently close to 75% participation - a notable increase from last year.

Cindy Wood spoke on the Arts Advocacy Luncheon, to be held Monday, October 21st. This event heralds the arts in our community, and the many facets of people needed to bring art to life. We need nominations for Advocate, Philanthropist, and Artist/Creator. For nomination forms, please contact Cindy and she can email one to you - they are due by September 9th.

Anne Decker - the Lima Foundation Chair, presented $7,838. in checks to 8 different organizations, from the Lima Symphony Orchestra to the Equestrian Therapy Program. Rotary has been fundamental in many local programs - and your donations go a long way to helping people in your own backyard.

Tom Cornell introduced our speaker - Jim Bowsher. Jim is a historian and archeologist from the Wapakoneta area, but speaks on the Civil War and other topics across the country. Since Jim was a child, he has been collecting Civil War stories and relics - and teaching kids with an obvious passion. He has inspired historians from the prison system, inner city kids from Los Angeles, and fellow historians. He shook the hands of a Gettysburg drummer, showed us the only surviving relic of Booths death place, and reinforced the Rotary belief that helping others is far more valuable than helping yourself. In all my years of Rotary, I can not remember a better program.

Carl Feltz won the Rottery - meeting adjourned...