PRESIDENT JAN asked us to keep the following in our thoughts and prayers: BOB BROCK; the CHISCONS, whose daughter will have a second abdominal surgery.

PROGRAM:

Our Annual Meeting was created by BOB VERPLANK (the very detailed schedule showed a change every 2 to 3 minutes), with music by BOB GRIFFITHS and the music committee. The BOBS had way too much fun creating one of the best programs I have seen in years. VICE PRESIDENT ROB GALBRAITH served as Master of Ceremonies, doing an admirable job of keeping the three rings of the circus moving.

DAVE LUHMAN led members in a round of RO RO ROTARY before JACK KELLEY provided two minutes of explanation of our water well project in Pignon, Haiti where 4 wells are being drilled near schools. The project will be completed this summer.

The next song, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing prompted JIM KLUSMAN to say He'd Like to Build a House. JIM is chair of the Gus Macker Three on There Basketball Tournament in September in partnership with the student chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Money raised will build a Habitat House and fund other projects.

ARVID OLSON led members in singing In The Good Ol' Summertime while DAVE LUHMAN stepped to the microphone to tell us about the Lafayette Rotary Foundation. He reported on Bylaws changes and grants awarded this year. Three quarters of a million Dollars have been given in grants in the Foundation's 34-year history.

After singing Is It the Truth, TOM MORAN, standing in for CARL REW, reviewed Lafayette Rotary Club's longest running project, Ringing the Bell for Salvation Army. Last Christmas the kettle amount was $6,128.10; members contributed another $7,765.00 for a total of $13,893.10 to go to the most efficient charity organization in the United States.

STAN MITHOEFER, chair of Chicken Sales, thanked volunteers for helping to meet some of the objectives. Since net sales were low, we failed to meet the net income goal, but several other good things came from the experience. We sang Home On the Range to honor where the chickens came from...

Every year we honor deceased Rotarians by inviting their widows to join the fun at the annual meeting. ROB GALBRAITH introduced Mrs. Robert Fields, who was presented with a red rose and serenaded with a round of Let Me Call You Sweetheart.

FRITZ COHEN has been coordinating the Rotary Volunteers for Shots Not Spots for several years. This program, sponsored by the County Health Department to immunize children at no expense to parents, has been held twice a year since 1994. FRITZ read a letter from Donella Carter thanking us for our help. We sang It's a Small World, led by CORKY MITCHELL.

BETTY SUDDARTH reminded us that our club sponsors the local Rotaract Club at Purdue. It was the first in our District, which now boasts four Rotaract Clubs! The small club manages to help with our projects as well as successfully working on their own.

On The Banks of the Wabash created the transition time for ROB to introduce DALE MCHENRY who very eloquently bestowed our ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR award on DAVE LANDGREBE.

The quiet efficiency of this member since December 8, 1970, has pushed our club into the 21st century with good humor. He is always willing to serve. His graceful and grateful acceptance comments underscored the fact that he enjoyed the work.

Ambassadorial Scholarship chair, TERRY WEST, reminded us that our club values scholarship. We enthusiastically host inbound Ambassadorial Scholars, award at least nine scholarships a year, and often produced the winning nomination for the outbound Ambassadorial Scholar from our District. The contributions we make to both of our Foundations made all of this possible.

JIM TURLEY reported on The Rotary Foundation and the good work done all over the world with help from pictures on the screen. Our funds help people we will never meet, but who will never forget us.

ROB honored all of the living Past Presidents by saying their names and asking them to stand if they were present. It is an impressive list!

Back Home Again In Indiana, led by CORKY MITCHELL, brought JAN GRIFFIN KOEHLER to the microphone. JAN introduced HARLEY FREY who is celebrating 50 years of service to ROTARY. He will receive a certificate and a contribution will be made in his name to the playground project for infant to 3 year olds.

JAN then thanked the Board of Directors, the retiring senior Directors (COPPOC , KELLEY, MITHOEFER and TYNER), and committee chairs. After all of the presentations today, it is easy to see that our club makes a difference.

She had her final Thought for the Week:
Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people.

--Og Mandino

We sang Auld Lang Syne as JAN handed the gavel to our new president JOHN SANDERSON. JOHN presented JAN with her new diamond studded past Presidents pin, the gavel plaque, Ripples for her year, a red rose and a Rotary Mug with the 4 Way Test. He thanked The Bobs who put together our program today. His goals include a Youth Service Project, an International Project, the Gus Macker fund raiser and immunizing at least 265 children against polio.



John's fellow officers will be:

ROB GALBRAITH, President Elect
CHRISTA KECK, Vice President
JAN GRIFFIN KOEHLER, Past President
JANE TURNER, Secretary
ELSA JANLE, Treasurer
RALPH GANN, Assistant Treasurer
JANE SMITH, Foundation Treasurer

Board members are:

International: TOM FREY, TBA, BARB REIF
Club: JOE BOORMAN, JEANNE NORBERG, ROB NOLL
Community: ARVID OLSON, FRED ANDERSON, TIM LUZADER
Vocational: GREG REGER, BETTY DOVERSBERGER, JOHN MEYERS

The meeting ended with members singing This Is My Country. VISITING ROTARIANS:

SUZANN SHACKLETON, Attica/Williamsport; WARREN STEVENSON, Punta Gorda, FL; MAUREEN GRABOWSKI, Ft. Myers South, FL GUESTS:

Betty Sanderson, wife of JOHN SANDERSON; Bob Koehler, husband of JAN GRIFFIN KOEHLER; Ginger Smith, guest of SUZANN SHACKLETON and sister of JOHN SANDERSON; Emilio Cordova, guest of JAYNE FEATHERS; Janet Broyles, guest of DAN HEMAN; Jenna Roe, guest of PAT COREY and daughter of MIKE ROE; Nate Barrett, guest of JERRY COLE

THANKS TO THOSE WHO HELP WITH
MEETING FUNCTIONS:

Money Collectors: JOHN TROTT and CECIL BLIGNAUT; Greeter: DON "GUS" GUSTAFSON; Invocation: DON FRANKLIN; Dinner Music: REX KEPLER Singing Accompaniment; BOB GRIFFITH; Song Leaders: DAVE LUHMAN, ARVID OLSON, CORKY MITCHELL and BOB VERPLANK; Moderator: CECIL BLIGNAUT; Photographer: BRYAN METZGER; Help with attendance and facilitating a smooth meeting: JO WADE; Help with Ripples: BILL FULLER. PRESIDENT JAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

ENTER JAN'S THOUGHT


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