PITTSFIELD ROTARY CLUB    7-23-08

Visitor:  Robert Mehl DO, with Mel Martin….

Dr. Mehl has  been recommended to the board as a prospective Rotarian.

Chris Little announced the Barry Fire Department Chicken Fry to raise money for a new building.  If you didn’t make it, could we suggest a donation???

A very nice ceremony for Hamer and Ginny Tate was held at the Crossroads last Sunday.

Congratulations on 25 years of marriage Kids…..

Chuck served as song leader.  A good time was had singing with the ‘Golden Throat’……

Program:  Jan Bleich, Program Leader for the day, introduced Michelle Westmass, Coordinator of the Pike County Health Partnership.

Michelle indicated that this organization was formed to improve health and wellness in Pike County.

Pike County IS deficient in health opportunities.

Priorities are:

1.      Increase availability of health programs and services.

2.      Improve awareness and understanding of health resources in the county.

3.      Improve focus on prevention and wellness versus treatment.

4.      Monitor health needs, priorities and disparities within the county.

5.      Expand ability to successfully compete for grant funding.

6.      Combine resources to address scarcities and eliminate duplication of efforts.

Steering committee members are:  Mental Health Centers of Western Illinois; Illini Community Hospital; University of Illinois Extension; Pike County Health Department; and Illini Community Health Care Foundation.

A ‘Needs Assessment’ will be done and work will begin on the top three needs identified.  Basic needs must be met before more work can be done on other needs.

Note:  Rotary is a changing organization,  I found a 1983 members list  while cleaning our messy basement. We had 59 members, 11 have left this world to a better place; 36 no longer belong to our club, although 8 still live in the area.  15 still belong.  E#njoy rotary as long as you can…It’s worthwhile!!!!