OKC Rotary News

May 28, 2024| Volume 112 | No. 45
In-Person and Livestreamed from Christian Life Center - St. Luke's Methodist Church | 11:55
Link to the Livestream 11:55am

Greenwood Rising

Philip Keith Armstrong is a native of Ohio and has been in Tulsa for 25 years. He holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communications from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Akron. Phil has a varied background working both in the corporate and non-profit sectors, as well as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry. In 2019 he was hired by the Tulsa Community Foundation as Project Director for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission to lead all coordination ... READ MORE

Chair of the Day: Seth Paxton
Attendance Scanner/Greeters: Joy Hammons, Freda Deskin
Registration: Dawn Byram, Evan Walter
Introduction of Guests: Ann Ackerman
Invocation/Pledge Leader: Paul Moore
Microphone: Bobby Mills
Menu: Romaine salad; Asian Cabbage Slaw; Roasted Vegetables; Teriyaki Beef; Sweet and Sour Chicken; Rice; Egg Rolls

club 29 breakfast

May 30, 2024 | 7:00am
Quail Creek Country Club | Wingspan Room
Chairs: Susan McVey, Bud Oehlert

Speaker: Jonathan Veal - "RestoreOKC Followup"

reflections

Finding My Father's Legacy

by Lauren Branch

Memorial Day is a time for reflection and gratitude, a day to honor the brave souls who sacrificed their lives for our nation’s freedom. For many, it's a day of remembrance and national pride, but for me, it’s also profoundly personal. Fifty five years ago this year, when I was just five, my father’s plane was shot down in Vietnam. He and several crew members were never found. Though we were informed about where his plane went down and that he was gone, formal closure never came.

Growing up, our family’s life was a blend of joy and an unspoken void. My mother embodied resilience and strength, raising us alone with unwavering dedication. She never dated or remarried, channeling her energy into giving us a happy home despite the shadow of our father's absence. Yet, her silence about him meant my brothers and I grew up not fully understanding who we were or the man who was our father.

This began to change about thirteen years ago when I accidentally connected with two veterans who had served with my dad. One was his bunkmate, the last person to see him before he went missing, and the other was his in-country flight check-out officer. Meeting them in Washington, D.C. was a transformative experience. Bob, my dad’s bunkmate, brought a scrapbook filled with pictures and stories from their time in Vietnam. For the first time, I learned something about who my father truly was: a funny, kind man who sang in the Air Force chorale. READ MORE

Announcements

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Rotary International Convention - May 25 - 29 - Singapore

President-Elect Suzanne Mitchell, Sam Fulkerson, Susan Adams, and Executive Director Megan Law are attending the Rotary International Convention in Singapore this week.

Memorials

The Rotary Club 29 Foundation accepts gifts honoring loved ones.
A contribution can be made here

Rotary Magazine - May 2024

Beyond the fires and floods, the heat and failed crops, climate change exacts another, less visible toll — on our mental health. From the trauma of experiencing a catastrophic storm to anxiety over an uncertain future, the psychological impact is measurable. The good news is that taking collective action can ease eco-anxiety. In this issue of Rotary magazine, we examine the ways Rotary members and others are doing just that.

Click here to read your digital copy of the May 2024 issue.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., and we are devoting much of this issue to the topic. Read about Rotary clubs in Colorado that stepped up when a hospital system declared an emergency on youth mental health. Learn how young people, on social media and on campus, are offering one another peer-to-peer support. And join us as we try forest bathing to see for ourselves how the practice taps into the therapeutic power of nature.

It's also Rotary Youth Service Month, and in our "Where are they now?" column, we introduce you to an immigration lawyer who says it was a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp that shaped her social conscience.

Prefer to listen? Check out the podcast for audio versions of the magazine's best storytelling, along with full episodes featuring exclusive bonus interviews

In the News

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

Upcoming Events

June 25, 2024 - Inaugural of the 24-25 Officers and Directors, Suzanne Mitchell President
July 30, 2024 - Vocational Tour Day

Rotary Club 29 Online Directory
DacDb has a new App 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.club 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.