April 18, 2024
Rotary 13 members and invited guests gathered in The Kill Devil Club at 14th and Main with select individuals participating remotely via Zoom and Facebook Live. President-Elect Tim Tholen brought the assembly to order at 12:13pm with a ding of the bell. The group stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, and Fred Drummond spoke about our debt to others in our lives, about Goethe, and gave thanks for them and for food.
Mandy Sheldon introduced one guest: Eddie Crane, who attended at the invitation of Scott Holsman. There were no member anniversaries to announce this week, and thankfully, no members were reported in Sick Bay.
President-Elect Tim noted that the door greeters today were the Club 13 ecology committee and expressed his gratitude to them. He went on to share the bowling news. The club team went to Columbia, MO to face their St. Louis counterparts and were soundly defeated. Marc McCarty was victorious in the local league championship.
Volunteers are still needed to support Greater Kansas City Day (GKC Day) activities. The May 15th Pep Rally at the Negro Leagues Museum need 2 persons between 4:30pm and 7:30pm. The Monarchs Game on May 16th needs 7 persons starting at 5:45pm. Please see Mandy to sign up. Of course, everyone should attend the game even if they can’t volunteer!
P-E Tim added his gratitude to the Rotarians and friends who helped assemble 30 beds in 3 hours at Sleep in Heavenly Peace last weekend.
Upcoming Club 13 activities include:
- 19-20 April, Rotary District FUNvention at Margaritaville
- 10 May, Native Plant Sale at Rotary Youth Camp
- 11 May, Work Day at Rotary Youth Camp
- 15 May, Pep Rally for GKC Day at Negro Leagues Museum
- 16 May, Monarchs Opening Day/GKC Day
- 18 May, Rotary Youth Camp Centennial Open House
At 12:19 pm, Past District Governor and Club 13 President Marc Horner stepped to the lectern to speak on Newborn Support Zambia. A collaboration between Project C.U.R.E and two Rotary districts, the goal is to provide medical supplies and equipment in support of neonatal, pediatric, and maternal care to hospitals in Zambian cities. Project C.U.R.E arranges for the equipment donation, and the Rotary clubs arrange for shipping it between the United States and southern Africa. To date, transit funding sits at approximately $72K of the $110K required.
Formerly known as Northern Rhodesia, Namibia emerged in the post-colonial 1960s as an independent nation. PDG Horner noted that its current population of 20 million consists of some 73 distinct ethnic groups or tribes living in a land area slightly larger than the State of Texas. English is Namibia’s official language, but many tongues are spoken there. At present, its neonatal mortality rate hovers between 24 and 27 per thousand births. Newborn Support Zambia aims to reduce that mortality to 12 per thousand, through matching equipment and training to established medical centers. Four hospitals will participate: two in Lusaka, the capital city, and one each in Kasama and Ndola.
PDG Horner explained that Rotary District 9210 spans southeast Africa and includes Zambia. Through previous work projects, our own District 6040 has a well-established relationship with District 9210 and a number of its constituent clubs. Funding for Newborn Support Zambia transit principally comes through the Rotary International Foundation, via the mechanism of the host clubs in Zambia applying for grant funding.
Questions for Mr. Horner included clarification on the role of Club 13 members (we can earmark gifts to the Rotary International Foundation for this project), the staffing and infrastructure requirements of the participating hospitals (there inspections and thresholds to meet), the role of endemic diseases like cholera and smallpox in the mortality rate (those ailments are a factor), and number of shipping containers involved (4 containers total, each 40 feet long). The targeted shipping date is in July of 2025.
P-E Tim thanked Mr. Horner for his continued service and his interest in the work of Zambian Rotary Clubs. Ending announcements recapped upcoming Club 13 lunch meetings and special events. He then shared the following with the group:
“Rotary International’s masterpiece is The Rotary Foundation. It transforms our dreams into splendid realities... it is the most generous expression of Rotarian generosity—a generosity that not only brings benefits but also brings help and cooperation to solve the problems that affect mankind.” –Paulo Costa, RI President, 1990-91
At 12:57, the 4-Way Test closed the session, followed by the bell.
