OKC ROTARY NEWS

October 1, 2024 | Volume 113 | No. 13
In-Person and Livestreamed from Christian Life Center - St. Luke's Methodist Church | 11:55
Livestream Available 11:55am

Life-Giving Stories: How Stories Saved Me and Gave Me a Voice

Mariana Llanos is an award-winning writer, poet, artist, and translator. She’s a Pura Belpre Honor author, an award presented by the American Library Association “to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” She’s also a two-time Oklahoma Book Award winner (2024 and 2022), among other accolades. Born in Lima, Peru.... READ MORE

Chair of the Day: Xavier Neira
Invocation/Pledge/ National Anthem: Jerome Holmes
Introductions: Susan Adams
Scanner/Greeter: Shannon Cooper
Registration: Jeff Crain, Anne Holzberlein
Microphone: Bobby Mills
Menu: BBQ chopped salad; Cole slaw; Baked Beans; Potato Casserole; Roasted Chicken; BBQ pull pork with a brioche bun

Club 29 Breakfast

Quail Creek Country Club | 7:00am | Wingspan Room
2024-2025 Co-Chairs - Susan McVey and Bud Oehlert

October 3, 2024 - Tim Strange, “Selling the Sizzle: Downtown Commercial Real Estate."

REFLECTIONS

Historical Relationship between Western Democracies, Authoritarian Russia and Ukraine;
Or - Why we Should Support an Independent Ukraine

by
Bart Binning, Ed. D.

As a warning, this article is much too long, but for the topic I chose, I do not know what to cut out. This article is about a fundamental divergence of world views between Western Democracies and Russian/Slavic authoritarian cultures. It is my supposition that for there to be peace in this area of the world, there needs to be an understanding of these divergent world views.

To most Americans, both our cultural history, as well as our thought of the superiority of democratic philosophies, begins with Thomas Paine's bestselling pamphlet titled Common Sense. Paine’s book was written in 1776. Paine was born in Norfolk, England in 1737, and he immigrated to the Colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin. In 1776 Paine published his 47-page revolutionary pamphlet, selling an estimated 2 million copies in the 13 colonies in three months. In the pamphlet, Paine suggested that the source of governmental legitimacy was neither the “right of conquest” nor the “divine right of kings”, but instead the “people” – who have a natural right to govern themselves. Paine was calling for American independence from British rule, by arguing for self-determination, the illegitimacy of monarchial control, and the moral imperative to resist tyranny.

These same arguments of Payne can be seen as philosophically relevant to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially in Ukraine's fight for sovereignty and national identity. READ MORE

World Community Service Reports

Rotary Club 29 in the Fight Against Malaria

by Mary Jane Calvey

Over Labor Day, Rotarians Clayton Taylor and Mary Jane Calvey joined Malaria Partners International(MPI) and members of several Washington State Rotary Clubs in Zimbabwe and Zambia in the global effort to eliminate Malaria. This ongoing effort helps by educating and empowering Community Health workers. Providing training, supplies, and sometimes bicycles to reach remote villages with messages of prevention, treatment, and cure malaria, MPI and Rotary hope to break the cycle of malaria illness and death.

Malaria is cause by the bite of the drosophila melanogaster mosquito which carries the malaria parasite. Young children as especially susceptible to serious illness from infections caused by bites from this pest. Prevention includes eliminating breeding habitat such as standing water, sleeping under treated bed nets to prevent bites from the night-flying mosquito, and wearing protective clothing. Many people are unaware of early symptoms and delay treatment until severe illness sets in.

Visitors to Africa and other places with endemic malaria are advised to take preventive medications and sleep under bed nets. Clayton Taylor served as president of Malaria Partners International, and Steven Shepelwich will assume that role next year. Many Rotary Clubs have joined together to support this fight against this preventable disease. Pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines for malaria but none are completely vetted yet. Given how long distribution of the polio vaccine has taken and how several cases of polio are diagnosed in war-torn countries when vaccinations are interrupted, the fight against malaria will require mobilization of multiple efforts to wipe out this debilitating disease.
READ MORE

Announcements

AFTERHOURS RSVP

In the News

If you have good news - honors, awards, new achievements - to share with the club, please let us know!

2024-2025 Rotary International Theme

Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick announced that the 2024-25 presidential theme is "The Magic of Rotary" and called on members to recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives . "We are not going to end polio or bring peace to the world by waving a wand. It's up to you. You create the magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member."

Memorials

The Rotary Club 29 Foundation accepts gifts honoring loved ones.
Contribute here.

Auto-Pay offered for Rotary Club Invoices

If you would like to have a credit card on file to charge your Rotary CLUB invoices, please contact the rotary office.

Annual Dues Payment Offered

If you would like to switch from quarterly to annual billing for Rotary CLUB invoices, please contact the rotary office.

Upcoming Events

October 1, 2024 - Rotary AfterHours - RSVP
December 6, 2024 - Salvation Army Bell Ringing
January 7, 2025 - Winter Party
January 25, 2025 - Pickleball Tournament - Chicken 'n Pickle 10-1
April 23, 2025 - Rotary Club of Okla. City visits Rotary Club of Tulsa

Address Changes

Please report any changes in business or home here.

Rotary Club 29 Online Directory - APP available in the App/Play Store

Rotary Club 29 has an online membership directory which contains current content information for all club members. The link to access the Club 29 directory can be found at the top of the home page of okcrotary.com or by clicking here.

OKC Rotary has provided this tool as a convenience to help members stay in touch with one another. The online directory, just like the printed roster, should only be used for Rotary purposes. If you need help in accessing the directory, please email the office.

FUTURE PROGRAMS

2024-2025 Program Schedule

October 8, 2024 - Cheri Weaver, Executive Director – Wings Special Needs Community
October 15, 2024 -
“The Current Landscape of College Athletics and NIL” – Toby Baldwin, Executive Associate AD, University of Oklahoma