CHRISTA KECK introduced PAST ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR TOM BRANUM, SR. and PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR JERRY ERSKINE, who began by presenting Paul Harris pins to: JIM KLUSMAN and CHIP RUTLEDGE (PHF + 1); CHUCK HORNER (PHF + 3); TIM LUZADER (PHF + 4); and JIM TURLEY (PHF + 5 & 6). 
The Tom and Jerry Show: The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International was the title of the program. Our District has pledged to send $400,000 to The Rotary Foundation this year. 
The Foundation was founded by Arch Klumpf in 1917 with the mission of helping people in need all around the world. A few of the major projects of the foundation are Polio eradication (a total of $972,612.61 from our District); Ambassadorial and Peace Scholars; Gift of Life (more than 100 children saved by Indiana medical teams because our own BILL HATFIELD thought it was a worthy project); and the Qudrat school in Pakistan which teaches girls as well as boys. Matching Grant projects have received over $2 million over the years for water projects in developing countries to local and disaster relief projects around our country. Our District has funded1,000 cataract surgeries a year for ten years in India.
Rotary asks each member to contribute $100 per year to continue the good works of the organization. Our club’s average is $42.52 per member with only 15% of the club contributing so far this Rotary year. We were encouraged to use Rotary Direct to contribute. An amount may be given electronically every month by credit card.
TOM and JERRY reiterated what our District Governor, TOM BRANUM, JR. tells everyone: “We are better together.” and “We are a group of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
