PROGRAM:

DISTRICT GOV. TOM BRANUM, JR. expressed his pleasure at being back in West Lafayette (a Purdue grad) and with us especially. Tom Branum, Jr. He reminded us that the RI president’s theme for the year is “Light Up Rotary”. The title of his speech to all of the clubs in the district is “Dare to Fail”. Using quotes from many sources, he said we are uniquely positioned to do the astonishing, so dare to do the extraordinary. Ideas can become reality because there are 1.2 million members to help.

Polio eradication is a perfect example of a local project to immunize the children in a community in the Philippines in 1979 that spread because it was a good idea. We are better together. All of Rotary attacked polio and the world is nearly rid of that virus. Bold leadership has energy. Rotary acted on what the community needed; chose to lead; leveraged our strengths; and collaboration made them/us stronger.

The district has several examples of clubs boldly setting out to solve a problem and by working together became stronger clubs. Because food insecurity in the district is disturbing, TOM outlined 5 initiatives: join the fight against hunger; extend the project to the club level; re-imagine the District Conference (it will be held at the State Fairgrounds with the public invited); make a large investment in the next generation; and “so what” initiative (you had to be there to understand that statement). He wants us to attract, inspire, engage and lead. The conference will be May 1 and 2, 2015. TOM closed with a teaser video of the District Conference Preview.

THANKS TO THOSE WHO HELP WITH
MEETING FUNCTIONS:

Money Collectors:  LETA KELLEY and CAROLYN JONES;  Greeters: PRIS GERDE and NANCY BRANDT;  Invocation:  LARRY HUGGINS; Piano:  BOB GRIFFITHS;  Song Leader:  JOHN BARRETT.  Help with attendance and facilitating a smooth meeting:  TOM MORAN and JANE SMITH.  Webmaster:  LARRY HUGGINS.


JO’S WISDOM:
Trust Philosophy

JANE’S CORNER:
Here is the story of:
Patrick O. Ongom
Rotary Todd Global Grant Scholar  
Dept.  of Agronomy, Purdue University
146 Arnold Drive, West Lafayette, In 47906
Cell Phone: 765 337 5986; E-mail: oobia@purdue.edu

I was born in a family of eight, on a farm in a remote village 150 miles north of the country’s capital, Kampala, Uganda. Patrick Ongom My parents are uneducated but struggled to raise the family on small scale farming that never generated enough food to feed the family. The family lived barely on one meal a day, and frequently on empty stomachs. My education was only possible with support from generous individuals and scholarships. I later worked with farmers in Northern Uganda, educating them on better food production practices, an experience that provoked me to advance a career in Agriculture. Now am pursuing a Ph.D. at Purdue University with plans of returning to help communities come out of hunger and abject poverty. I am privileged to share how the food insecurity tragedy impacted my life and how I made it through.