What do you mean a PDF... Is that some satanic cult?!

Immediate past president of the Florence Rotary Club, John Rusevlyan, was our speaker for this past forum. He also owns the local Weikert Realty firm. Mr. Rusevlyan is involved in various civic clubs such as Kiwanis, Civitan, Optimist, and Lions Club, in addition to his involvement with the Rotary Club. He also explained to us that the first Rotary Club was started in 1905 by Chicago attorney, Paul Harris. This was the world's first service club. The Rotary Club is invaluable because not only does it gather people of all types for service, but it gathers people for fellowship as well. The founder stated that he started the Rotary Club "[to create an] organization where men from different professions could gather for fellowship."
The club also has standards and responsibilities that it must live up to, and they are the following:

•  Sustaining or increasing membership (because if you're not growing or maintaining, then you're dying)
• Participating in service projects
• Supporting the Rotary Foundation financially
• Developing leaders

Individual club members have responsibilities as well: service, recruitment and retention, and attendance. Not only this, but the object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the following as well:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service
2. High ethical standards
3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life.
4. International understanding

(Side note: I paraphrased on a couple of items on this list.)
The Rotary Club lists financially supporting the Rotary Foundation as one its responsibilities, so here seems like a good place to describe the Rotary Foundation which is a large endowment fund created to improve health, support education, and alleviate poverty. For instance, the Rotary Foundation funded Polio Plus, a movement to eradicate Polio. $1.2 billion was raised, and that allowed 2 billion children under the age of 5 to be vaccinated, thereby, eradicating Polio. Locally, the Rotary Foundation supports Shoals Scholar Dollars, which is a program that pays two years of tuition. Currently this fund is in its infancy, but it supports two years of tuition at Northwest Shoals Community College, if the student graduates fro high school with a 2.5 GPA and with no behavior problems.
In the end, Mr. Rusevlyan left us with this: "The Four-Way Test" of the things we think say or do

1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
4. Is it Beneficial?

Beyond that, he also told us to get involved with things such as coaching, mentoring, church, civic groups, or business groups (like the Chamber of Commerce).
So, that's all folks! See ya on the flip side... ;) (Side note: This is for you Emily and our obsession with Bridesmaids)
<3 Lesley <3