Engage. Innovate. Perform.

Transcription

1 January 14, 2013 Engage. Innovate. Perform. At the Fort Wayne Rotary Club s first meeting of 2013 Mayor Tom Henry delivered his first speech of 2013, stating The best way to predict the future is to look at what you ve accomplished in the past. For much of its past, Fort Wayne was a one-horse town, relying on manufacturing to drive the community s economic engine. In the economic downturn of the 1980s, the community underwent a dramatic paradigm shift, learning the hard lesson that diversification is the key to economic health. It was a lesson well-learned and, today, Fort Wayne s economic base rests on seven key industries: manufacturing, insurance, health care, hospitality, education, defense, and sports. This diversity has stood Fort Wayne in good stead during the current economic downturn. Not only does Fort Wayne have the lowest unemployment rate in the state of Indiana, the community also retained 2,700 jobs and added 1,500 new jobs. (Continued on page 3)

2 THE DOWNTOWN ROTARY CLUB Next Meeting: January 14, 2013 OPENING DOORS THROUGH SERVICE Greeters Cashier Invocation House Song Leader Sergeant Spin Editor Program Lunch Menu Dan Carr & Phyllis Hermann Doris Fogel Hope Sheehan John Hoffman Louise Jackson Chris Cage Candace Schuler John Dortch & Cozi Baker The New Fort Wayne Black Chamber of Commerce Salad Bar with Pizza & Apple Crisp Upcoming Programs January 21 January 28 February 4 February 11 February 18 February 25 Denice Beights & Jonathan Busarow The Fort Wayne Children s Choir: 40 Years of Singing Our Story Steve Hoffman Community Action of Northeast Indiana (CANI) Erica Schweyer & Jordan McArdle Millennials Making It Happen in NE Indiana Justin Clupper and Justin Shurley Young Leaders of NE Indiana (YLNI) Judge Roger Cosbey President, Friends of the Lincoln Collection The Lincoln Collection of Indiana Chancellor Vicky L. Carwein IPFW Dues are Past Due! If you have not already paid your dues, please do so. You can now pay at the meeting with your credit card. Jeanine Herold Sponsors New Member Proposed Please call President Dave with any comments Phillips Financial Group Lona Antil, Jane Wilks, Barb Wachtman

3 Club Announcements RAH! RAH! DUES CUP FOR A CAUSE Rotary After Hours will be held January 23 at JK O Donnell s at 5:30 Dues for first half of 2013 were due December 31. You can now pay with a credit card at the meeting. See Carole Fuller and Linda Skaggs to order Green Mountain $10 per bag. The club gets $3 and $1 goes to safe water projects around the world. Club Committee Calendar January 14 Centennial Committee 1:15 January 22 Board Meeting, 7:30 AM January 23 RAH! RAH! 5:30 at JK O Donnell s Local Anthony Wayne Club Anthony Wayne is hosting a fellowship event on Saturday, February 9 at Indiana Tech's Andorfer Commons. It begins at 6PM and includes food, bowling, and more. It is a family-friendly event and the cost is $10. RSVP to Amber Ricker: amber.recker@gmail.com District and International February February 26 March March April June Rotary Leadership Institute Plymouth IN (Swan Lake Resort) Registration available at Pre-PETS at FW IN Wesleyan World Affairs Conference Manchester College Great Lakes President Elect Training Kalamazoo MI District 6540 Annual Conference Radisson Star Plaza, Merrillville Rotary International Convention Lisbon, Portugal

4 Mayor Henry (Continued from page 1) Fort Wayne isn t a one horse town anymore, said Mayor Henry. I am very proud of everything our community has accomplished. A partial list of those accomplishments include the construction of the new Martin Luther King Jr. bridge, the completion of the Maplecrest extension, the sewer overflow project, and the Harrison Square project in downtown. Mayor Henry also singled out the Fort Wayne fire and police department for their exemplary response in dealing with the damage in the aftermath of the violent windstorms in June The city has also received several national awards in the past year, including: being named one of the Top 100 Small Call Centers in the United States and Canada for our 311 call system; the Growth Award from the National Arbor Foundation for our tree canopy stewardship and a continued commitment to a green city; a Bronze Award from the League of American Bicyclists for the city s 70- mile trail system; and recognition from Government Fleet magazine as the No. 12 Government Green Fleet in North America. Mayor Henry warned, however, that Fort Wayne cannot afford to rest on its laurels. We must continue to invest in programs that stand the test of time and ensure continued economic development and the continuation of our enviable quality of life. We owe it to our children and grandchildren.

5 New Member Introduction Brian Marr New member Brian Marr was introduced by his uncle, Rich Shambaugh. Brian graduated from Churubusco High School and continued his education at Purdue and Louisville Dental School. He is a third generation Rotarian. Welcome, Brian! President Dave reminded us we can still order coffee through the Cup for a Cause fundraising campaign. A one pound bag of premium ground coffee is just $7.00 per bag. Our Club gets to keep $3.00 of that and another dollar goes Rotary s Clean Water Program. See Carole Fuller or Linda Skaggs to purchase your coffee. Cup for a Cause

6 The Perfect Gift Makes a Perfect Service Project Jeremy Redding displays the children s book A Perfect Gift which teaches children about the importance of giving blood. The book will be donated to Washington Elementary School Held on January 4 th, The Perfect Gift blood drive exceeded all expectations. With a goal of 25 participants, 46 Rotarians showed up, ready to roll up their sleeves and donate The Perfect Gift; 36 Rotarians were eligible to donate. President Dave presented the Opening Doors through Service award to the committee members worked tirelessly to make sure the blood drive was a success. Model Citizen After presenting a program on why most New Year s resolutions fail, Sargent Jim Shields invited everyone to

7 congratulate Rotarian Irene Walters on being chosen as The Journal Gazette s 2012 Citizen of the Year. Just a Bit More Christmas Cheer

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