sPittsfield Rotary Club      District 6460      11-29-06

Secretary, C.A. Barber III is still laid up with his bad back….(With 4 Chiropractors in our club, you’d think he would be cured by now…)

Linda and Connie had us ‘singing in the rain’…..probably because so many got wet coming in….

Phil Bradshaw reported that Bob Thompson, former Ass’t. Secretary of Agriculture, and Executive Officer, for the Farm Bill Task Force, who currently teaches at the University of Illinois, College of ACES, will be our speaker for Rotary Farmers Day, February 27, 2007.. Start planning now.  More information later….

President Ann Revis has called a Rotary Board meeting for December 7, 2006 at noon at the Farmer’s State Bank…(Bring your lunch).

Program:  Program Chairman Walter Lamb noted that only 28 Rotarians out of 50 were in attendance today. (The other22 knew that Walter was having the program, so they were smart enough to not show up…..) However, he gave a reprieve on those not wearing Rotary pins…today…no fines…but he did note he would fine, without ny purpose in the future…(Ah, Walter….) at least the fines go to Rotary Foundation…..

Walter introduced PDG Eric Dolbeare, since November is Rotary Foundation month, and Eric has had personal experience in obtaining funding for a project through the Rotary Foundation.

(Eric put on his coat to talk to us… saying: ‘so I can be just a notch above the audience’…..He also noted as he struggled to put the equipment together, that a good Rotary Foundation Chairman would have had all the equipment put together for the speaker…. (listening, Walter?????)

Eric told of how he learned of an orphanage in Orrenauga, Mexico…spelling error is editor’s) and later took a group from Pike County down to assist in making it more liveable for the children.  Shirley Johnston PDG also went along, as dis Roberta, and his children.

The orphanage is located in the building formerly used as a lumber yard.  The lst trip there, they built bunk beds for the kids to sleep on. .. (And Eric received the title: ‘The General’, because of all the orders he gave….).

The opportunities provided by the orphanage for the orphans that finally had the opportunity to get ‘off the street’….has really made a difference in their lives.  Some have moved on to higher education opportunities as a result.

Pittsfield Rotary Club provided some funding to help build a shade shelter in the orphanage plaza.  But, more work was needed.

Eric found Rotary Club in Chihuahua, Mexico that was willing to help, went to them and got them interested in sponsoring a Rotary Foundation Grant., as well as acting as ‘on-site’ overseers of the project…(plus making a contribution toward the project)….The club in Mexico has done a fine job of keeping the project going.

Eric is currently working on a Matching Grant to assist the orphanage in obtaining a decent water supply and computers to help the children’s learning process.  Estimated cost is about $25,000.00.  He is planning on going back to the orphanage in June 2007….

Excellent description of what a small amount of input, plus matching grants can do, Eric….Hope you can have more successes…..