OKC ROTARY NEWS

November 12, 2024 | Volume 113 | No. 19
In-Person and Livestreamed from Christian Life Center - St. Luke's Methodist Church | 11:55
Livestream Available 11:55am

Win Some, Lose Some:
My Experiences Playing a Great Game

A true “Okie from Muskogee”, Drew Edmondson has dedicated his life to the service of others. Edmondson graduated from Northeastern State University and The University of Tulsa College of Law before joining the United States Navy and serving a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Edmondson worked as a teacher before being elected to the Oklahoma Legislature and then Muskogee County District Attorney. In 1994 he was elected Oklahoma Attorney General, an office he held for 16 years. He used his time during this period to make a generational impact. READ MORE

The Club 29 Chorale will offer a choral tribute to Veterans

Chair of the Day: Emily Lang
Invocation/Pledge/ National Anthem: Joe Dorman
Introductions: Trent Riley
Scanner/Greeter: Jenn Krieger, David Merritt
Registration: Evan Walter, Dawn Byram
Microphone: Richard Smith, Bart Binning
Menu: House salad; Stir Fry Vegetables; Crunchy Asian Slaw; Rice; Spicy Honey Chicken; Short Ribs; Egg Roll

Club 29 Breakfast

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

November 14, 2024 - "Location Filming in Oklahoma from scouting to experiencing" Speakers: Ford Austin, Allison Naifeh, Peggy Kates

REFLECTIONS

Strong Public Education Is Essential to Our Future

by Phil Busey

The cornerstone of our democracy has always been an emphasis on public education. Every child in this nation deserves an equal educational opportunity regardless of background, race, location, income, or family circumstance. The Founders understood the immense value of an educated populist in developing good citizens, employees, professionals and self -government. They believed a primary goal of public education was developing a “more virtuous” and successful society. In the era of enlightenment when our democracy, as a unique experiment in government, was being formed most of European society was uneducated. This was an end to a means of government control and power. Change required an educated people.

Today, public education remains essential to the well-being, strength of society and economic growth of this nation.

We have 33,000 students in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. We have far too many living in the shadows of our downtown skyline. They deserve a chance. With our help they can achieve success. There are 700,000 students in Oklahoma’s Schools. So many of these students also need help in so many ways. A critical factor we cannot ignore is Oklahoma’s economy, as all economies are intertwined with education. An educated workforce is essential to our future. We are falling short. In Aerospace and Defense, we experience challenges daily with finding trained employees. Or recruiting out of state. We have a 15% shortfall in available workforce. This affects all industries. Our public schools rank 50th nationally. The state budget for public education is $3.76B. It is not enough. It must be a funding priority. 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.

READ MORE

Announcements

Review the 2025-2026 Officers and DIrectors Candidates

Review the candidates for Officers and Directors here
A link from Simply Voting will be sent to your email address on Nov. 19
Thanks to the Nominating Committee for their work in providing the slate. Members of the Nominating committee are:  Robert Clements, Chair; Ann Ackerman, Vice Chair;
Franci Hart, At-Large; Lesli Massad, Past President; Collins Peck, At-Large; Ross Plourde, President Elect; Miles Pringle, Treasurer Elect
Paper Ballot Request

The slate of the 2025-26 Rotary Officers and Directors will be online for the November 2024 election. If you would like a paper ballot, please request one here.

Phone calls requesting paper ballots will not be accepted. If no paper ballot is requested, a link will be sent to your email address for voting purposes.

Deadline for requesting a paper ballot: End of Day, Nov. 13, 2024
By requesting a paper ballot, you will be precluded from voting online in this election, and will not be given access to the online voting system.

AFTERHOURS RSVP

Pledge/Donate Here

12-6-24 Salvation Army Bell Ringing

=>Signup here

Schedule as of 11-7-2024
Salvation Army Bell Ringing day is Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
144 Rotarians are needed to fill the time slots.
9 locations, 2 Rotarians per time slot

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

November 12, 2024 - Rotary AfterHours "Restaurant 74"
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.