Next Weekly Program
Thursday Feb 2 - Noon
"USPS"
Speaker: Skip Weaver
Postmaster
JOIN US: The Rotary Club of Ashland meets every Thursday Noon at Wesley Hall, First United Methodist Church. Lunch cost $12. All Rotatians are welcome!
THIS WEEK – HOPE Equestrian Center is a non-profit organization providing therapeutic horseback riding to individuals who have special needs. The group has been in operation in the Rogue Valley since 1988. Horseback riding allows people with disabilities to accomplish things previously considered beyond their capabilities. Tim Womack and Megan Wingler join us this noon to tell us more. Brian Conrad will introduce.
NEXT WEEK -- The United States Postal Service has just increased the cost of a first class stamp by a penny. Postmaster Curtis D. Weaver will explain the reason.
PAY-AS-YOU-GO MEALS -- A pilot program aimed especially at attracting new club members has been instituted by the Board. Participants must pay regular club, district and international dues and fees, but the cost of meals, previously billed six months in advance, may now be reduced to monthly payments. The formula is so complicated only Treasurer Maura Van Heuit understands it, but it's worth your try.
MEMBERSHIP -- The Board of Directors has reluctantly accepted the resignations of Bill Cobb and Bob Powell. Secretary Lynn Thompson reports the current level of 127 members is the lowest since 2003.
SUPER BOWL -- Exactly one half of the Super Bowl raffle boxes have been sold. Red Badgers Mark Amrhein and Danette McCann are shilling the game this week. It's $20 per square. You can win big bucks per quarter, or free lunch for the year as the big winnerPROPOSAL -- The appropriate committees have given their approval and the candidate has agreed to announcement of his nomination:
Corey Falls, Ashland Police Department; classification, Police Management; proposed by Margueritte Hickman.Unless the Board receives written objection, Corey will be invited to join our membership.
MEXICO TRIP -- Officials in Guanajuato, Mexico, are moving forward to releasing money to fund the construction of 61 new houses, reports Sandy Friend. If money is left over, it will be used to purchase eco stoves for homeowners. Ashland representatives will visit Guanajuato May 18-25 to observe the new housing. If you are interested in making the trip, please see Sandy.
NEW $255 MILLION GRANT -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded an additional $255 million to Rotary International in the global effort to eradicate polio. Six months ahead of the first deadline, Rotarians raised $202.6 million to meet the first Gates Foundation challenge. The two Gates Foundation grants now total $355 million. The grant is one of the largest challenge grants ever given by the Gates Foundation and is the largest received by Rotary in its 104-year history. The new grant was announced by Bill Gates last Wednesday at the Interna-tional Assembly in San Diego. He met incoming District Governors from the four countries where the wild polio-virus is endemic: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
CLUB ASSEMBLY -- Several times a year when the club administration wants direct input from members, a Club Assembly is called. Such will be the case on March 15 when the membership will be asked how they prefer to fund club projects, if they have new projects they want to undertake, or if there are current projects which should be dropped.. The session is being planned by Brian Conrad, Juli Di Chiro, David Lively and Deedie Runkel.COW PIES -- Ann Marie Hutson, co-chair of the Rotary Garden with Kent Patton, with Kent Patton, announces February 4 will be the official date when garden workers process cow pies for this year's plantings.