The Scoop...December 19, 2011

     Fitting with the Christmas season, the Lima Rotary Club’s final meeting of 2011 showcased some of the charitable works of the club during the holidays. The meeting was called to order by President Jerry Courtney with approximately 85 club members present.

    Cheryl Deitering led the club in prayer and Robert Fett was in charge of fellowship. He entertained the club with a listing of Christmas traditions from a politically correct Santa.

     The busy agenda followed:

     Esther Baldridge reported the Rotary Club’s annual special needs children’s Christmas Party was again a huge success. More than 50 children attended and were accompanied by 28 Rotarians. Another 44 Rotarians helped in some way, she reported. The party was held Dec. 17 at Shawnee United Methodist Church.

     Tim Stanford, president of the Rotary Foundation committee, noted the Foundation purchased 166 bicycle helmets that will be donated to children who are receiving bicycles this Christmas from the Barbers Giving Bikes program. Stanford then introduced Art Brinkman of Silver Shears Barbers, who started the program five years ago. Brinkman said 62 of the bikes will be donated to The Lima News “Empty Stocking” campaign, 42 to law enforcement’s “Shop With a Hero” program and 62 to area church programs.  Brinkman noted that during the first year of the program it gave away just two bikes. By year three, after a story appeared in The Lima News, it received enough donations to give away more than 90 bikes. Last year the Kiwanis Club purchased helmets to go with the bikes, but was unable to this year. At the suggestion of Jon Rockhold, the Lima Rotary Foundation was approached. Brinkman graciously thanked the Rotary Club for its donation of more than $2,000.

     The Rotary Scholarship Committee presented 12 scholarships of  $750 each to students attending an Allen County school.  Eight students were on hand to pick up their scholarships. They were seeking degrees in business, criminal justice, nursing, and counseling from Rhodes State and OSU-Lima. Committee member John Gaeth reported that since 2001, the Rotary Club has presented 625 scholarships worth just under $413,000. The scholarships, which are awarded four times a year, are funded through member donations and the annual Rex Perry Memorial Golf Outing. The scholarships are paid directly to the school.

     The club gave Christmas gifts to the hostesses of the weekly luncheon: Helga, Michelle and June.

      The meeting concluded with a program by the Music Factory, a non-profit organization founded in 2002 to promote the long-term study of the musical arts in the surrounding Lima community. It currently has 115 members.

      The next meeting will be Jan. 9, 2012. Dan Kaseman, of ODOT, will be the speaker.