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Minutes of the December 8, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Les Greet at 12:15 PM. Wade Faulkner offered the invocation and Tom Martenstein welcomed members’ guests and visiting Rotarians. Larry Sindel led the club in song and the Pledge.
Student Guest: Jaeylyn Fails, a senior at Faith Academy, was given the Youth Merit Award. Ms. Fails plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi and major in speech pathology.
New Members:
• Bob Chappelle introduced Andrew Farley, President and CEO of Mobile Paint Manufacturing Company, as a new member.
• John Moses then introduced Jan McKay, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Exploreum as the club’s newest member.
Announcements:
• Tom McGehee reminded the club that there will be no luncheon meeting on December 15. Instead a cocktail event will take place on Wednesday evening, December 14 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM on the mezzanine of the Battle House. Members are encouraged to bring prospective members and enjoy the fellowship.
• Suntrease Maynard Williams asked club members to collect new and slightly worn books for the Free Little Library Project which the club sponsors. She said she had recently hosted an event where attendees were asked to bring books and had a very good response.
Rotary Children’s Foundation Distribution:
Bo Mattei presented three checks as follows:
• $3,000 to representatives from Camp Rap-A-Hope to provide the cost for children suffering with cancer to attend camp next summer.
• $2,000 to the Epilepsy Foundation allowing children with disabilities to enjoy a camp experience.
• $1,900 to Troop 18 of the Boy Scouts at Augusta Evans School. Henry Calloway explained that this pays the national dues of a number of his scouts who could not otherwise afford it as well as covering the cost for the troop’s sleep over at the Gulf Coast Exploreum
Program: Robert Ligthfoot, M.D.: Victory Health Partners
Bob Chappelle introduced Dr. Lightfoot who then presented a brief power point program. In the presentation a local patient had become debilitated from a rare skin condition. Dr. Lightfoot was able to arrange her diagnosis from a specialist as well as the medication she needed but could not otherwise have afforded.
Dr. Lightfoot explained that Victory Health Partners seeks to assist the working poor with both medical and dental assistance. He said these are the construction workers, the hairdressers and everyday people who cannot afford insurance much less the very high cost of medicines when they become ill. All pay on a sliding scale depending on their situation.
The Mobile Infirmary leases a building to the organization at the rate of $1 per year. However, he said with 75-85 new patients added each month the facility is being rapidly out-grown. Dr. Lightfoot termed his organization’s mission as one to provide both God’s love and quality healthcare to those who cannot afford it otherwise.
For more information please see victoryhealth.org
Les Greer thanked Dr. Lightfoot for speaking to the club and presented him with a certificate noting that a donation to the Rotary International Foundation has been made in his honor.
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Tom McGehee

June 30, 2016 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Les Greer. Norman Nicholson gave the invocation, followed by Larry Sindel, who led us in song and the Pledge. Tom Martenstein introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Saty Putcha introduced Sarah Jane Bruton from Davidson High School as our Student of the Week.
New Member: John Dukes introduced Bill Kleinschrodt as a new member.
Announcements: The Rotary Children’s Foundation distributed grants to MARC-$8,500.00, UCP-$7,500.00 and Mobile Infirmary’s Center for Women & Children-$8,000.00.
Sally Roberts and Tom Harris were honored as Paul Harris Fellow recipients.
Program: Win Hallett introduced our speaker, David Bagwell, who spoke regarding Louis LeClerc Milfort.
Mr. Bagwell established his credentials by stating that he would be from his own authority, “Bagwell’s B.S. of Mobile History!”
Milfort served in the French army from 1764-1774, before emigrating to Boston. Apparently, this was was a decision made after he had killed a servant of the king’s household in a duel. He then moved to Indian territory in what was to become Alabama.
During the Revolutionary war, Colonel Alexander McGillvray, chief of the Creek Indians relied on Milfort as his War Chief, or “Tustunneggee”, which meant “Top Warrior.” After the war, this area was mostly occupied by the Spanish, French and British, but was ruled by the Spaniards. However, the Creek Indians moved in and took over the area. They were son-named because of their daily habit of bathing in the creeks.
Mr. Bagwell described the two Creek factions, the Upper Creeks and the Lower Creeks as similar to the Tea Party and the Country-Club Republicans, respectively. The economy of the Creek Indians was mainly trade with Britain in deerskins, such as, buckskin pants, gloves and bookbindings.
When Milfort first came to America, he almost starved to death until being rescued by Alexander McGillivray of the Creek Indian nation. Milfort took Alexander’s sister as his wife. Bagwell then described Mobil in 1781, as a little Garden of Eden, where hunting and fishing were excellent, and everyone had loaded guns behind their front doors, “not unlike today.”
One peculiarity described by Mr. Bagwell dealt with the relationships between men and women. He said, “The sky was the limit with women, for men during harvest time. All other times, the women were known to be very chaste and loyal.”
Les Greer then thanked Mr. Bagwell for his presentation and presented a certificate to him, noting that a donation in his honor had been made to the Rotary International Foundation.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Greeting: John T. Dukes instead of Les.
Song, Music, & Pledge: Tommy Blankenship and America the Beautiful.
Announcements: Bo Mattei spoke on the Rotary Fund and the Rotary Education Fund. Mr. Mattei highlighted and introduced representatives of the Goodwill Easter Seals and Camp ASCCA. Both of the aforementioned charitable organizations were recipients of Rotary Education Fund Grants. He directed members to envelops and enclosures provided by Mike Payne at Greer’s. He encouraged the membership to contribute to the Rotary Education Fund by way of the materials kindly provided.
John Peebles thanked Ms. Stevens for her introduction. He opened his presentation by saying that all assembled know Barton Academy for reason of the remarkable buildings prominent location, notable architecture, and pervasiveness in our shared culture. Mr. Peebles went on to tell the story Barton Academy, the people who created, and Barton Foundation which will help to preserve it. Providing context for Barton Academy’s founding, Mr. Peebles spoke on epoch which the school was founded. He noted how progressive Mobile was within the nation, region, and state its founding of the first institution of government funded education in the state of Alabama. He highlighted the actions and achievements of Willoughby Barton (creator of what became the Mobile County School Commission), Henry Hitchcock (politician, judge, financier, and civic booster who lead the campaign for realizing the creation of the school and building housing it), Gallier & Dakin (architects of the building), and others who created a landmark of educational and architectural excellence for our City. Mr. Peebles told those assembled that building cost an excess of $50,000 to construct. He asked the audience to contemplate what that same sum would be in today’s dollars, as well as the imitative set in its day, the achievement it represented, and how Mobilians of today should learn from the past. Mr. Peebles then turned attentions to Barton Academy Center for World Studies. He explained that 6-12 grade program will offer instruction to four hundred students baed on equitable access. The focus w ill be on critical thinking and languages. Mr. Peebles spoke of what a valuable tool the program will be for Mobile’ educational and recruitment toolkit. After speaking of the figures required to realize the school, he informed those assembled of considerable sums already received. Mr. Peebles gave four reasons why the school should be supported: 1.) architectural significance of the campus; 2.) prominent location of the campus; 3.) importance of eduction; and 4.) recognition of our pasts. He closed his presentation by saying that members of Rotary should expect a communication regarding their commitment to this important initiative. Mr. Peebles stated that he was happy to answer questions. Several questions ensued.

Minutes of the November 10, 2016 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Les Greet at 12:15 PM. Chip Hale offered the invocation and Tom Martenstein welcomed members’ guests and visiting Rotarians. Larry Sindel led the club in song and the Pledge.
Student Guest: Jordan Blackmon, a senior at Alma Bryant High School, was given the Youth Merit Award.
New Member:
• Bob Chappelle introduced Cathy Pope, President and CEO of Feeding the Gulf Coast.
Announcements: Les Greer made the following announcements:
• The board will meet today following the regular lunch meeting.
• Please remember to donate to the Rotary Foundation.
Program: Christ Barraza: Mobile United
Katherine Pitman, Executive Director of Mobile United, introduced her organization’s Director of Programs: Chris Barraza. who serves as Director of Programs.
Ms. Barazza presented a power point program reviewing the work of Mobile United and discussed its latest program: Connect Mobile. Connect Mobile is designed to cultivate young leaders in the 21-35 age group much as Leadership Mobile has done for older local professionals.
A wide array of programs created by this group has included an infant clothing drive for the Ronald McDonald House, establishing a library for inmates in Mobile Metro Jail and most recently the Paint the Town Blue Family Fun Day which seeks to increase the early detection of autism among minorities.
Les thanked Ms. Barraza for speaking to the club and presented her with a certificate noting that in her honor a donation has been made to the Rotary International Foundation.
The meeting adjourned at 12:55 PM.
Tom McGehee

Nov. 3, 2016 Minutes
Submitted by Tommy Fulton, Contributing Editor
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Les Greer. Tommy Fulton gave the invocation, followed by Tommy Blandenship, who led us in song and the Pledge. Tom Martenstein introduced our guests along with visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Saty Putcha introduced Brian Wilson from Mattie T. Blount High School.
Announcements: There is a board meeting next week, November 10th. Past Presidents Advisory Council meeting is Tuesday, November 15th
Program: Peggy Buggs introduced our speaker, John Kilpatrick, Founder of Veteran’s Recovery Resources.
After seeing first-hand, the unmet need for help for our deployed veterans, Mr. Kilpatrick began searching for better solutions. The help was especially needed for those who had served in multiple deployments.
He stated that there were more than 22 million veterans in the United States. 1 in 4 of them have serious addiction and mental health issues. Also, our veterans are more than 3 times as likely to commit suicide as the general population. The Gulf Coast Region consists of more than 5 million veterans, which is the 2nd highest in the U. S.
The waiting period for veterans who need help is 5-6 months after they begin to seek help. This is the toughest time for them. Because of this, the Choice Act of 2014 was designed to allow veterans to get help outside of the VA. The new VA Hospital in Mobile won’t have in-patient service.
Mr. Kilpatrick mentioned that his group can be self-sufficient if they can collect at least 40% of the fees which will be due under existing laws.
He described his personal experiences with addiction and how much of a stigma it was to even admit that you had a problem. It was extremely difficult for him to find a group of peers, which is why he started a group at the Pentagon. There was a test program that helped self-reporters avoid the stigma which was so prevalent in the past.
His group, the Veteran’s Recovery Resources, will soon have its funding in place. Having been a Medical Surgical Officer for 18 years, Mr. Kilpatrick will use his years of connections to reach out to his constituents. Their services will also extend to the families of the veterans.
He wrapped up by answering questions from the audience.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.

Rotary Club of Mobile
Invocation: Tommy Blankenship led the song and pledge with Bill Openheimer accompanying at the piano.
Announcements: Sam Adams of the Rotary Club of Montgomery spoke on the behalf of the District Governor. Mr. Adams thanked the membership of the Rotary Club of Mobile for all their hard work, especially efforts and contributions toward the annual fund. Before leaving the podium, he gave jokes for the amusement of those assembled.
Program: Mr. Hoffman spoke on the subject of inspiration. He opened by allowing that he would be channeling the broad topic into the revitalizing landscape of downtown Mobile. Mr. Hoffman thanked all assembled for their diverse efforts toward fueling the downtown renaissance. He proceeded to a reference to and a quote by musician and Nobel Prize winner Bob Dillon as vehicle showing that inspiration comes from many places and takes many forms. Mr. Hoffman stated that his family and the Mobile region have served him as a source for inspiration. Recalling a visit earlier in life with writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, he recalled asking Mr. Weisel how he could write if he had not suffered to the extent of other great writers such as Weisel himself. Mr. Hoffman recounted that Mr. Weisel that being grateful for what you is inspiration. The speaker proceeded to read provide the background behind some his published works. Several selections were read, notably from Come Landfall, Chicken Counting Corn, and Almost Family. Mr. Hoffman recited and paraphrased on inspiration from such noted literary figures as Maya Angelou and Truman Capote. He concluded his talk by way of an amusing account of his meeting with author Harper Lee.