Governor Troy's Blog - the journey continues

Governor Troy's Blog - the journey continues
 
 
And, the Journey Continues...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Day 115 – October 23 – Today was started with our own club but the afternoon was a little different.  We decided after all the work the employees at the Cypress Water Treatment Plant did to help our city survive the severe drought we’ve had the last few years, we could at least show them a little appreciation by treating them to our special cookout.
   This gave us a chance to let our newest member get her feet
                                                                                                       wet  in the cooking department when Tom's not available.
 
 
A big shout out to my daughter & son-in-law, this is their 11th wedding anniversary!  
 
Day 114 – October 22 – On to Stephenville today, home club of AG Burton Smith, I was glad to see him back up and around again.  He’s one person that can truthfully say he’s been snake bitten, he showed me a picture of what his hand looked like and it wasn’t a pretty site.
Where do I start when talking about this club? 
Youth – 5 Scholarships to local students, 2 Scholarships for study abroad, a “Rotary Leaders of Tomorrow” event (May 2, 2016).  They had a Children’s Halloween Bash where they gave out books with Rotary labels instead of candy.  They try to have 1 exchange student each year, 1 year an inbound student, the next year an outbound.  They have their Immediate Past President attend RYLA as a counselor.
International – They support members to go to Honduras for the Water Filters project with Scott Hendricks.  They’ve teamed up with the Cleburne Club for their Clef Palette project.
Community – Members participate in the Meals on Wheels program.  They deliver water for the local Fire Department and give Walmart cards to 40 of the Volunteer Fire Departments for when they see a need.
With all this, it’s no surprise that they have so many Veterans as members.
 
Alphabetical order:  Gene Atkinson, Jim Choate, Bob Collins, Dave Dickenson, Joe McFarland, Richard Petronis, Richard Sanders, Burton Smith, Vernon Sweeney.
 
Day 113 – October 21 – This was a normal day at the office except for this evening.  We attended an Appreciation Dinner for the Adopted Squadron program at Sheppard AFB.  The speaker was General Mark Welsh, the Air Force Chief of Staff
.
 
Day 112 – October 20 – First of all, a big shout out to PDG Sharron Miles.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Today we headed out to the Mansfield Club.  In the meeting with the Board, we found that their Assistant Governor, Richard Sherman, has helped them when they had to do some restructuring in their Treasurer’s area.  It’s great to have such a special group of Assistant Governor’s, when I can’t be at all places, all the time, I can’t tell you how nice it is to know I have the incredible and dependable help that I do.
This club, like with many others, are proving they can still be effective and vibrant in their communities.  They’ve had a fundraiser, Rifle Raffle, for the last 7 years that raise around $13K a year and for the first time, they’re having a Casino Night.  Not sure when it’s going to be but I hope they put it on the website for all of us to know.
They have a program called, “Adopt-A-Street” where they have crews clean the streets and have built a Food Garden.
They support the Youth Exchange & the RYLA programs.  They currently have a student from Taiwan and each of the members include him in different activities they do with their own families, even taking him grocery shopping.  I myself never thought of it when we had our exchange student but that can be a very informative venture for them.
Larry Ciarkowski was the Club’s Rotary Builder.
 
Day 110 – October 18 – Started out at IFL but had to head out at lunch for a business meeting in Texarkana, won’t get back home until Monday night.  Hopefully in time to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her, Jeani & my brother.
Jeani says that she had a great time with all the training, and with what I was able to observe, a huge “Thank You” goes out to Allen Barraclough, John Erickson and Jim Reed.  They did an incredible job!!  
Day 109 – October 17 – I was able to stay at the IFL until around 3 PM, then I headed back to Wichita Falls for the Downtown Club’s 100th anniversary.  Since Jeani is participating in the IFL this year, I was on my own.  It was a late night because then I went back to the Airlines Center.
 
   
 
Day 108 – October 16 – This is getting normal again, we’re now able to attend our own club meetings.  With all our travels, the office thought it was time for everyone to get the flu shots so we had someone come to the office to give everyone their shots.  I guess they think I’ll bring something into the office. 
After that, it was time to head out to the American Airlines Training Center for IFL.  Tonight is registration and reception with all the participants, a total of 25 this year.  
Day 107 – October 15 – I committed the ultimate sin this morning, due to traffic and coming from out of town, we were late to the meeting at the Mansfield Sunrise Club.  Talk about feeling terrible, but they didn’t hold it against me.  They even let me induct 2 new members.
 
This club truly shows how great projects can really catch on.  After talking with a teacher at one of their schools that works with Special Needs students, they found he was sponsoring a prom for these students but it was just a classroom event.  The club wanted to help and now it’s grown from a handful of students during class time to around 300 students and a true prom in the evening.  Many aspects of this are incredible but I can’t name them all.  What I took from this is how when Rotarians find a need, it is a truly tremendous outcome.
106 – October 14 – Again starting my road trip on the phone but this time it was Jeani.  The problem was, she was driving and I had to find everything for her this time.  The one thing about taking the back roads for my visits, is there’s no cell service.  It’s so spotty, it doesn’t make sense trying to conduct business.  I think I’ll drive home so she can deal with all that.
 
Once we got to the farthest west in the district, Hamlin, there were some truly great Rotarians.  This is the club of one of our past Assistant Governors, Isaac Castro.  I hope to see him at more of the events in the District, at least once his campaigning is done.  Good luck Isaac.
For a club of only 20 members, they too do so much it’s hard to mention them all but I’ll try.
 
Their best fundraiser is a Chicken Fried Steak dinner at the ballgame for scholarships.  They also have 1 or 2 garage sales a year.
They support the Polio Plus fund, Wheelchairs, RYLA, Eagle Scouts, school projects, and honor students.  They weatherize homes for the elderly and support the food bank. 
 
They have an adopted highway with sign for Rotary and they collect and donate textbooks. 
Day 105 – October 13 – Now on our way to the Colleyville club but still had a business phone conference on the way.  This has become a regular while I’ve been on the road, Jeani hates this because all she has to listen to is me talking.
Once I got there, I learned their fundraiser is “Dancing with the Stars” that raises a net of around $30K. WOW.
 
They do the flag program with the help of the Boy Scouts.  They’re also trying a new program called “STOP HUNGER NOW”.
They have trouble getting students for RYLA but they support it by sending funds for another club to send a student.
They’re interested in starting back with the Blood Drives, especially since they have the Carter Blood Center’s executive as a club member.
They are also on their way to becoming a 100% PHF club.
 
Day 104 – October 12 – After a relaxing weekend at home, I spent most of the day at the office, at least until around 4 PM.  Then it was on to Arlington for a meeting with the Conference committee.  What an incredible group of people.  I can’t tell you how nice it is to work with such great people
 
Day 100 – October 8 – Only fitting that on my 100th day, I participate in an event that’s new for our District.  Lewisville Morning had our first EarlyAct Installation, this is for Elementary age kids.  It was quite a treat to be invited to be involved with this.  They definitely keep you on your toes.
           
       
 
   
 
For more information about the event click here.
 
As you can see, it was a full room.  They even got “The Object of EarlyAct” certificates.
This is the first meeting that Jeani wasn’t able to attend, she’s the President of Women of Rotary here in Wichita Falls and there was a meeting that she needed to be at.  
Day 99 – October 7 – The day that all District Governors wait for, their visit to the Bowie Club.  Don’t get me wrong, all club visits are special but there’s a long standing tradition that the Bowie Club gives the Governor a plaque with a Bowie Knife.  They also had Chicken Fried Steak, I’ve been missing that.
 
But before I earned that, I got to induct a new member,
 
Present the Rotary Builder to Charles Owens,
 
And recognize 3 Vietnam Vets, Chuck Massey, Charles Owens & Gilbert Swift (great guys and great stories).  They have some interesting competition going on between the Air Force & Army.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This was a different meeting with the Board, the president got held up at her office so she wasn’t able to arrive until just before the regular meeting.  That’s OK, I had an enjoyable time talking and getting to know the others.  Even with the competitiveness, they are truly good friends.
 
Day 98 – October 6 – On to Hurst, Euless, Bedford Club but on the way there, of course I had work to get done so while Jeani drove, I was on a conference call.  Thank goodness for technology.  Sometimes.
This is the home club of PDG Paul Lucas, and a very vibrant club.  We met with the Board first, but their secretary Becky Eden’s computer had crashed so she wasn’t able to print out the minutes.  For someone so organized and on the ball, she was very embarrassed.  Don’t worry Becky, I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me.  All went well just the same.
This club also does many great things in their community and with the Youth.  With the donation from the Ft. Worth Community Credit Union, they give out around 2000 dictionaries, a joint venture with the Mid Cities Pacesetters. 
They give 4 Scholarships to seniors from Trinity & Bell schools, if they attend Texas schools.  Tarrant County Foundation will match $1000 for Women’s programs.
They participate in the 4-Way test, and have a Top Ten Seniors Banquet with the parents, partnered with the Grapevine Club.  The Seniors Banquet has even come full circle, Paul will be proposing a new member that had been a previous recipient at one of their banquets.
They have “Rotary Readers”, a program where they read books to 1st & 2nd graders and on June 23, 2015, they had a Special Olympics Luncheon at the Brookside Community Center.  This is where they recognized the Special Olympians for their efforts in the events.
They have a member that’s very knowledgeable about the Social Media and he’s changing them from Facebook Page to Facebook Groups.  Members can send invites to meetings or activities with this type of social media.
Paul gave a challenge to the club and they now have 5 tables at the Foundation Gala and their members will be serving as Sgt. at Arms for the Gala.
 
Day 97 – October 5 – Full day at the office, they kind of remember Jeani & I, our faces seem familiar.  There are no more Monday club visits, what am I going to do with myself?
 
Day 96 – October 4 – Family Day
 
Day 95 – October 3 – We spent the first part of the day getting to spend time with our granddaughter, Peyton.  Quite the handful but aren’t most 2 year olds.  Luckily Dude is really fond of her so we have help with the entertainment area.  He’s also very protective of her, both are exhausted this time.
 
                         
Then it was a trip down to Graham for their Wild Game Dinner.  What a great event!  I highly recommend this to everyone next year.  There were several items I wanted during the live auction but I only got one.  It went to my business partner for his patience and understanding during my absence.  Besides, he’s the hunter, not me.  If I’m out there, it’s not the animals in danger.
   
 
Day 94 – October 2 – Today started out with a meeting at my own club but then headed out to Graham.  They are a large club that does so much, I can’t name everything.  I can say they too are active with the Youth, just a few things to mention are the Back Pack Buddies, 4-Way Test, RYLA and an Interact Club.  They give $3500 to Habitat for Humanity and stock the local pond. 
Their big fundraiser is the Wild Bird Dinner, which just happens to be tomorrow evening to which Jeani and I will be attending.
I really enjoyed seeing Peggy Sonnenberg, she was one of our traveling buddies to Nicaragua.  Remember Peggy, what happens in Nicaragua, stays in Nicaragua.
Another inspiration is their president Garrett, he has brought in 6 new members this year himself.
 
Day 93 – October 1 – Azle is very focused on their own community but they’re also interested in the International flare of Rotary.  They’re very interested in the Wheelchair Distributions in Costa Rica but they’re Interact Club is also interested.  That would be an interesting trip.
I thought they had a unique idea for a fundraiser, a Teacher’s spelling bee where the Interact Club would test the teachers.  I’d like to attend that one.
 
 
It’s always a treat to meet such humble and service oriented people as the Veterans in this club.  Vietnam Vet – Jack Stevens and Korean Vets – Bobby Boyd & Ken Haas, Dean Peyton is also a Vet but he wasn’t in attendance.
Day 92 – September 30 – Today we headed off to the Ft. Worth Stockyards.  This club is the best kept secret in Rotary.  They’re a small club but with all the things they do, even I would have thought they were a large club.
This is another club that’s very active with the Youth.  They participate in the 4-Way test, deliver dictionaries, donate $25K to Catholics in Action’s Youth Building and they’ve come up with a way to get the young kids at the schools knowledgeable about Rotary.  They challenge them to come up with an elevator speech, supported by Home Depot.
They have matching grants with Tarrant County Foundation that partner with local businesses.  This is an untapped resource.
 
Day 91 – September 29 – Got to visit the Keller Club today, they too meet in a place with a great view.
 
  
 
I was honored to recognize their Rotary Builder – Travis Inge and Vietnam Vets – Jack Reiser & Buddy Roberts.   Great people!
I was surprised to find that this club is well informed, when the overall average is 2% of worldwide Rotarians that have a “My Rotary” account on www.rotary.org, most of this club has and visits it regularly. 
They are truly involved with the Youth in their community from participating in the 4-Way Test, RYLA, having in-bound and out-bound exchange students to 3 Interact Clubs.  They had just had an Interact picnic this last weekend.
They have 2 fundraisers, they display around 900 flags and they’re even going to have a golf tournament this coming May.  I’d like to participate in that one.
 
Day 90 – September 28 – Back on the road again, this time to one of our new clubs, Aledo. 
The first thing we found was this display of flags lining our path around the center, being so amazed, we passed the location of where we were going.  At the end of the path was this sign, man do I feel special.  A Big Shout out to Lisa Flowers (pictured below), club president and Issy Powell, she made the sign. 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We got the chance to meet with the board before the regular meeting.  This went well, but as normal, they are having the same issues as other small clubs, except being a new club, it takes on a whole different  aspect.  After meeting with this Board, I have all the confidence in the world that they will meet this challenge head on, especially with Lisa at the gavel.  What a great group of people, very positive attitudes.
Day 87 – September 25 – We got to attend our own club’s meeting this morning and then headed off to Southlake, home club of PDG Jim Giffin.  They meet at the Timarron Country Club in Southlake and I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was more interested in looking out at the scenery than listening to me.
We had a great meeting with their board first, this is a club that’s really trying to re-energize their membership.  They have some great ideas for socials and I hope they invite me when they start setting dates.  I even had the privilege of inducting their newest member, Sue Brown. 
                                                                                                Welcome to Rotary!!
 
Since our son’s birthday is on Tuesday, our daughter-in-law is
surprising him with a weekend getaway so we are blessed to
have our granddaughter for the weekend.                              
 
 
Day 86 – September 24 – No Rotary travel, I was actually in my office ALL day.  I did have another Go-To-Meeting for the Gala.  Paul is really ramping up on the planning for this event.
 
Day 85 – September 23 – Got to visit Gainesville today,
voted the “Most Patriotic Small Community in the U.S.”. 
They have a Medal of Honor park and the city has a
“Medal of Honor” parade every April, with all the
events, the celebrations last 4 days.  The next one is April 6-9, 2016. 
 
Day 84 – September 22 – No Rotary travel but still had to for business.  Another trip to Ft. Hood, as you can tell, we have several projects there. 
Got home just in time to attend a Go-To-Meeting for the upcoming Foundation Gala.  PDG Paul Lucas is working hard on getting details narrowed down.  He has a great group working with him, I wish I could name them all but too many to mention.  You know who you are and my Thanks and appreciation goes out to you.
On a sad note, I found out that our DGE Mary Ann McDuff’s father passed away last Thursday while she was at the Zone Institute in San Antonio.  Having been through that with Jeani a few months ago, my heart goes out to her, it’s a tough thing to deal with.  Our prayers are with you Mary Ann.
 
Day 83 – September 21 - Back on the road to Burleson Area Mid-Day club.  They are in a joint venture with the Burleson Morning club in having the Golf Tournament for introducing Rotary to potential members.
They are really into helping and working with the kids in their area by participating in the 4-way test, as a matter of fact, they had the winner last year. 
They also send 15 students to RYLA and are working to re-start the Interact Club at both the Burleson & Centennial High Schools.
 
They’re currently waiting on new grant for Para-Natal equipment in the Ukraine. 
                                                                                                                                   
                                                           Troy was honored to present new member pins To:  Shawn Rush, Jared Treesh and Marc Marchand
                                                                  All 3 have taken on a board position, Marc is even the President Elect, what a way to get them engaged.
 
Day 81 – September 19 – Another day of sessions but it was topped off with the official reception for presentation of all the Governor Elects.  Last year was my turn, this year was DGE Mary Ann McDuff’s turn.  The ever so gracious PRID Don Mebus was her escort, unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of him walking her in.  Take it from me, they did our District proud! 
 
  
    Mary Ann with RIPE John Germ                                  Beautiful people in District 5790