Author: peggy

 

 

Minutes of January 6, 2022 meeting

By Monde Donaldson

Call to order: The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens.

Invocation, Song and Pledge: Richard Stimpson gave the invocation. He was followed by Tommy Blankenship who introduced guests.

RI History Moment:  Tom McGehee gave us our Rotary history lesson on hotels.

Student Guest: Julie Otts introduced LeFlore High School counselor Gabarel Lambert who presented their choice for Student of the Week Nyla Reiss.

New member: James Fowler introduced Stephen Worley.

Announcements: Elizabeth congratulated Meg Fowler and Kim Garrett for being named to Mobile Bay Monthly’s 2020 Class of 40 Under 40. Kudos were also given to Michael Chambers for being named Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s outstanding Entrepreneur for 2021.

Program: James Fowler introduced Brian Harold, managing director of APM Terminals. The company is part of the global corporation A.P. Moller Maersk Group. They own 76 container terminals. The Mobile facility was opened in 2008 and expanded in 2017 and 2020. The Port of Mobile is the fastest growing port in North America. He attributed some of the initial growth to attracting a Walmart Distribution Center. They get most of their products from Asia and they are the biggest importer in the United States. Walmart was the springboard, he said.

He said APM terminals has patterned its efforts after the Savannah Model. Good land availability, great work force development, more distribution centers and rail access fit the Savannah model which Mobile is following.

The biggest competitors for the Mobile market are Savannah, New Orleans, Charleston, Los Angeles/ Long Beach. Mobile has not had the problem with the supply chain crisis that many other ports have had with cargo ships sitting offshore during the pandemic filled with goods. Mobile has been able to meet expectations. There are more ships off the coast of California than we handle in a week, he said.

The future for Mobile terminal looks bright, he noted., with the 2025 deepening and widening of the Mobile Ship Channel to allow two ships to come and go at the same time and the efforts of Mobile and Baldwin County leaders. The biggest boost recently was Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement of $71.6 million to connect the Port of Mobile with the McCalla Intermodal Facility near Birmingham. This is actually part of a $231 million rail project program aimed at enhancing economic development infrastructure in central and south Alabama. He did say, however, a stumbling block that needs to be addressed and is now back on the table – a new Mobile Bay bridge. In his opinion, a new 1-10 connector is a must when it comes to recruiting new businesses to the area.

 

Closing remarks:  Elizabeth congratulated Nyla for being named Student of the Week and asked members to meet new member Stephen. The meeting was adjourned.

 

Minutes of the December 16, 2021 Meeting

The Rotary Club of Mobile

 

 

 

GREETING    The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens at 12:15 PM.

 

 

INVOCATION     Claire McCarron offered the invocation. Tommy Blankenship led the song, Pledge of Allegiance and introduced the meeting guests.

 

NEW MEMBERS:

 

1. Bestor Ward, IV introduced by Bestor Ward III
2. Margie Calhoun introduced by Elizabeth Stevens

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** Elizabeth thanked eight members of the club for gifts to the Scholarship Fund at our local Rotary                       Children’s Foundation

*** Member Bdays:  Dec 19 Tommy Blankenship, Angela Dunn, Aimee Risser, Dec. 20 Joey Betbeze and Dec. 21 Russ Ford

 

 

PROGRAM             David Rogers, Vice President of Economic Development Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Introduced by Michael Kintz

 

 

 

David serves at the Vice President of Economic Development at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. He joined the economic development department in January 2015. David’s department is the lead economic development agency for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Under his role, David oversees the day-to-day operations of the department that consist of industrial recruitment, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction, and existing industry relations. Prior to his role as Vice President, David served as the Senior Project Manager and Project Manager where he managed lead generation, project recruitment activity, and industrial site development for the Mobile area. Some of David’s recent projects to announce in Mobile include the Walmart Imported Distribution Center, the expansion of the Airbus and Bombardier Final Assembly Line expansion, and the reinvestment of AM/NS Calvert. David serves on the Board of Directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, USA Center for Real Estate and Economic Development, and the South Alabama Workforce Development Council, where he currently serves as Chairman. David was born and raised in Mobile and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He has completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute.

 

 

 

SPEAKER CERTIFICATE            President Stevens thanked Mr Rogers for his presentation and noted that, in his honor, a donation had been made by the club to the History Museum of Mobile that will provide transportation and admission to eight classes at Title I schools in the area.

 

Elizabeth Stevens shared some club membership statistics with the attendees. We have 76% male and 24% female, the largest age group is those aged 50-69 and 53% are over the age of 60. 24% of our members have been in the club for 26+ years and 45% have been members for 6-25 years. We have welcomed fourteen new members since July. Unfortunately, two members passed away during that time.

 

Elizabeth noted that the club is in good financial condition and that Kate Carver is available to answer specific questions.

 

Claire McCarron was called on the make the report of the nominating committee. The Club received no individual nominations and pursuant the the Bylaws of the Club, each of the nominees submitted by the nominating committee is therefore elected.

                    

NEXT WEEK             NO MEETING the next two weeks

 

The meeting adjourned at 12:59 PM.

 

 

Minutes of the December 9, 2021 Meeting

The Rotary Club of Mobile

 

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by President Elizabeth Stevens, at 12:15 PM.  Kellie Hope came forward to offer the invocation.  Larry Sindel led the group in song and the Pledge of Allegiance.  Danny Patterson welcomed a visiting Rotarian.

 

Student Guest:  Julie Otts introduced Baker High School Senior Andrew Kent who plans to study to be a pharmacist.  He spoke of the effect of his grandfather on him, who never slowed in service despite a fatal cancer diagnosis.

 

New Member: Bob Chappelle introduced our newest Rotarian.  Michael Galvin is a Senior Vice President at the Chamber where he is in charge of Member Engagement.

 

Announcements – Elizabeth announced:

• Club elections will take place next week.
• Our members celebrating birthdays.

 

 

Program:  Rendi Murphree, Ph.D., M.S.  – Disease Prevention

 

The subject of this week’s meeting was the Mobile County Health Department and its role in controlling infectious diseases.  Dr. Murphree said that there are three levels of the reporting of disease – those to be reported in either 4 hours (such as Anthrax, the Plague, a terrorist related outbreak), 24 hours (cholera, diphtheria, ecoli or measles) or 5 days (Malaria, mumps, venereal diseases, lime disease or West Nile.)  A questionnaire is then given to the patient who has been reported to them by their physician.  The team of investigators has jumped considerably from the original band of 6.

 

Dr. Murpree discussed Covid and said that the department is holding several off-site vaccination clinics to reach Mobile county residents.  A clinic is also operating at the former Festival Center on Montlimar Drive. She reported that 85% of Mobile’s most vulnerable have received the vaccination and a good percentage of adolescents have also gotten theirs.

 

When asked about the tremendous drop in the cases of regular flu last year she attributed it to the wearing of masks, social distancing and better hygiene during the Covid’s worst period.

 

Dr. Murphree said that venereal diseases were particularly dangerous to infants born of mothers infected with syphilis.  She said all pregnant women should be tested for VD even if they claim they have been monogamous.  Beyond that she declared the best defense was CONDOMS, CONDOMS, CONDOMS and asked our Student of the Week to spread the word among his schoolmates.

 

She also mentioned TB and said that although it is rare it does occur and that the best place to be treated is your local health department.  Dr. Murphree spoke from experience since that is exactly where she went after she caught it from an elephant.

After answering a number of questions. Elizabeth thanked Dr. Murphree and presented her with a certificate noting that in her honor a donation has been made to the History Museum of Mobile.  The meeting adjourned at 1:05 PM.

 

Tom McGehee

MINUTES OF THE ROTARY MEETING

December 2, 2021

By Dr. Leona Onderdonk Rowan

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by Garrett Williamson, President-Elect of Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:15 p.m.

Invocation:  Ken McElhaney offered the invocation.

Patriotic Song and Pledge:   Members sang “America the Beautiful” and recited the Pledge of Allegiance led by Larry Sindel.

Members’ Guests:  Bob Chappelle called upon members to introduce their guests.

Student Guest:  Julie Otts introduced the school counselor from Davidson High School.  She in turn introduced the student of the week, Jackson A. Faggard.  Following Jackson’s remarks, Garrett Williamson presented him a certificate.

Moment in History:  Tom McGehee presented a brief history of the beginning of Mobile Rotary in 1914 and explained that the organization’s initial meetings were held at the Battle House Hotel.

Program:  Member Michael Kintz introduced the guest speaker, David Morris.  He is the founder and CEO of QB (quarterback) Country.  Located in twelve cities from New Jersey to Dallas, QB Country is the nation’s leading quarterback training and development company.  David’s own experience with playing football began at McGill-Toolen High School and continued at Ole Miss as a walk on.  He became the first true freshman walk-on quarterback to start in the SEC.

David began his remarks by recalling that when he was a child he attended Mobile Rotary Club meetings with his father.  This experience helped form his understanding of and appreciation for service to others.  QB Country provides training and development to quarterbacks in the NFL, college, high school, and middle school.  David said he became obsessed with football at an early age and his love of the game remained over the years.  So, after working in real estate for a number of years, he decided to return to football and he established QB Country in 2010.  The company specializes in small group and one-on-one training which fosters strong, positive relationships with trainees.  It also emphasizes recruiting and advising.  As a result, many of the high school trainees have been recruited and offered scholarships, thereby opening the door to opportunities they may not have had otherwise.

After questions from the floor were answered, Garrett thanked David for speaking to our club and presented him a certificate noting that a donation has been made in his honor to the Mobile History Museum.

Announcements:  Garrett announced member birthdays.

Closing Remarks and Adjournment:  He announced that Dr. Rendi Murphree with the Mobile County Department of Health will be the guest speaker next week. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:00 p.m.

 

 

Minutes of Rotary Meeting

November 18, 2021

By Kathy Miller

 

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:00 p.m.

 

Invocation, Song and Pledge:  Graysi Gartman-Ethridge gave the invocation and Larry Sindel led the Club in singing “America” and saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Members’ guests and visiting Rotarians:  Danny Patterson introduced our members’ guests and visiting Rotarians.

 

Presentation on Rotary Foundation:  Robert Greer, Foundation Chair for District 6880, introduced Bob Callahan from the Fairhope Rotary Club, who spoke to the Club about the work of the Rotary International Foundation.   Bob described a vast array of projects made possible by donations of Club members including a number of local projects.  Bob also outlined the progress of the Polio Plus Campaign and noted that, for 12 years, the R.I. Foundation has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator.  He thanked members for their support of the Foundation.

 

Student Guest:  Julie Otts introduced Heather Byrd, counselor at Citronelle High School, who introduced the student of the week, Allison Paige Huckabee, a senior at Citronelle High School.  Ms. Huckabee holds the rank of Cadet Colonel in JROTC, which is the highest rank at the JROTC level.  After Ms. Huckabee spoke to the Club on Service Above Self, Elizabeth presented Ms. Huckabee with the Excellence in Scholarship Certificate.

 

Announcements:  Elizabeth announced that there is a Board meeting today in the Ashland Suite and there is no meeting next week on Thanksgiving Day.  She also announced member birthdays for the week.

 

Program:  Suntrease Williams-Maynard introduced Robert F. Barrow, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army Retired, who is presently the Director of Army Instruction for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Program for the Mobile County Public School System.  Lieutenant Colonel Barrow spoke to the Club about his work in the JROTC Program, the contributions of men and women who serve in the armed forces for our country and our freedom as a nation and democratic republic.  He explained the bond that exists among service members, which is unlike any in civilian life.  He noted that the 100^th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier recently was celebrated and outlined the particular challenges of Veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the War on Terror.  He noted that our country has approximately 2.5 million citizens on active duty out of a population of 350 million, i.e. less than 1% of our population serves in the military.  Lieutenant Colonel Barrow closed his presentation with his personal “Notes on Leadership:  Top 10 List”, which he tries to instill in his students:

 

1. Always demonstrate humility…arrogance can lead to you becoming a toxic leader!

 

2. Loyalty runs two ways…ultimately you must be loyal to the nation and its values!  It might mean risking your career to stand up for principle…but you must!

 

3. Be willing to take risks…do not fear making mistakes!  Set high standards…live by them…never take the easy way out…hard training pays off in combat!

 

4. Remember the ultimate purpose of our Armed Forces…no other job carries with it the necessity to be prepared to give your life in defense of freedom and the American way of life!

 

5. Respect must be earned…the relationship you develop with those you lead is key to your success!

 

6. Trust your subordinates…you and your Platoon Sergeant must be on the same page!

 

7. Maintain your physical fitness throughout your lives!

 

8. Keep a sense of humor…be approachable!

 

9. Seek the hard jobs!  No assignment is a bad one….do your best regardless of circumstances!

 

10. What you do while on duty…while off duty….while on social media…is always being watched…24/7…remember, character counts and once trust is lost, it is very difficult to get back!

 

At the conclusion of his remarks, Elizabeth presented Lieutenant Colonel Barrow with a certificate reflecting that a donation had been made to the Mobile Symphony to sponsor a gifted child for one year in the Chamber of Strings Program in appreciation for his speaking to the Club.

 

Elizabeth thanked Suntrease Williams-Maynard for bringing three guest speakers this month.

 

Closing Remarks and Adjournment:  Elizabeth adjourned the meeting at 1:00 p.m.

 

Kathy Miller

Contributing Editor

 

 

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Minutes of the November 11, 2021 Meeting

The Rotary Club of Mobile

 

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by President Elizabeth Stevens, at 12:15 PM.  Eddie Brister came forward to offer the invocation.  Larry Sindel led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and song accompanied by Bill Oppenheimer on the piano.  Danny Patterson then introduced guests of members and visiting Rotarians.

 

Announcements – Elizabeth announced:

• Please keep Tommy Blankenship in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers from his recent surgery. His recovery is going well we are told.
• There will be a board meeting following the regular meeting on November 18^th.

 

Veterans Day Recognition

 

In honor of Veterans Day the Moonlight Ballroom was lit in red, white and blue and Garrett Powe read the names of members who are veterans and their branch of service as Bill Oppenheimer played the official theme of each of those branches on the piano.

 

New Members

 

Frank Harkins introduced Mia Thomson who is an Inspection Services Rep for VSC Fire and Security.  Elizabeth Stevens then introduced Andrew Levert, a member of the Bender Real Estate Group.

 

Vote on Bylaw Change

 

Frank Harkins presented a proposed change in the club’s by-laws regarding finances which had been published in the last bulletin.  After confirming a quorum was in attendance in person and via proxy, it was moved and seconded to accept the new amendment.  The club voted unanimously for the change and the bylaws will be changed accordingly.

 

PROGRAM:  Veterans Day Message

 

Suntrease Williams-Maynard introduced Colonel Anthony Sampson of the United States Army Reserve whom she described as her personal mentor and “a man of impeccable character.”

 

Colonel Sampson reflected on his 30 years of service as his mandatory retirement approaches.  He said that Bob Callahan of the Fairhope Rotary Club has been his mentor and that he believes in the Rotary Three Way Test.

 

Although not in combat, his role in the Medical Support Unit was largely behind the scenes.  His unit’s goal was to make sure that soldiers who were in battle were “made whole upon release.”

 

After 30 years, Colonel Sampson said he had learned to “walk the line” and respect rules and standards as he followed legal, ethical, and moral orders.    He said that although an individual may not have served in the military they do have the opportunity to show support for veterans.

 

After responding to questions, Elizabeth Stevens thanked Colonel Sampson for speaking to the club and presented him with a certificate noting that in his honor a donation has been made to provide a scholarship for one year for a student to attend the Chamber Strings Program of the Mobile Symphony.

 

The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.

 

Tom McGehee

MINUTES OF THE ROTARY MEETING

November 4, 2021

By Dr. Leona Onderdonk Rowan

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:15 p.m.

Moment of Silence:  Elizabeth Stevens requested a moment of silence in honor of member Stillman DePauw Knight, Jr. who passed away last month.

Invocation:  Garrett Powe offered the invocation.

Pledge and Introductions:   Tommy Blankenship led the members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and Elizabeth introduced member guest, Todd Greer, VP of Academic Affairs at the University of Mobile.

Student Guest:  Kim Garrett, of Blount High School, introduced the school counselor.  She in turn introduced the student of the week, Antavia Harris.  Following Antavia’s remarks, Elizabeth Stevens presented her a certificate.

New Member:  Meg Fowler introduced new member Candace Cooksey, Director of Communications for the City of Mobile.

History Moment:  Tom McGehee presented a brief history of the Rotary clock which is located in downtown Mobile.

Announcements:

• Appreciation was expressed to Garrett Williamson for organizing the Rotary Annual Gala at the USS Alabama Battleship Park.
• Elizabeth thanked Leona Rowan for serving as contributing editor.
• Members Justine and Ryan Bixler welcomed their first baby on October 29^th.
• The nominating committee is considering two new board members. Anyone who is interested in serving is asked to contact a member of the nominating committee.  Committee members are Claire McCarron, Chairperson, Bob Chappelle, Kesshia Davis, Tyrone Fenderson, Garrett Williamson, Meg Fowler, and Elizabeth Stevens.
• There will be a vote next week on an amendment to the bylaws. Any member who is unable to attend is encouraged to send in a proxy so that we have a quorum.
• Next week’s meeting is a Veterans’ Day program. Any member who served in the military should contact Peggy Buggs so that they may be recognized for their service.
• Member birthdays were announced.
• Edward Ladd was recognized and thanked for his gift to the Excellence in Scholarship fund at our Rotary Children’s Foundation.
• The Foley Rotary Oyster Run will be held on Saturday, November 13^th. Those interested in participating may register at Runsignup.com.
• Member Chris Gibson is organizing The Unity Project event on Saturday, November 6^th from 9:00 to 3:00 in Isom Clemons Park at 401 MLK Avenue.
• Members Michael Chambers and Wiley Blankenship are organizing Coastal Conversations. It will be held next Tuesday at the Mobile History Museum at 5:30 pm.  The featured speaker is Thomas J. Murphy. Jr., former mayor of Pittsburg, PA, who will deliver a presentation entitled “How Cities Grow and Prosper”.

 

Program:  Meg Fowler introduced retired US Navy Captain Tom Daniel.  Captain Daniel served in the US Navy for 31 years of active duty as a surface warfare officer. He served as commanding officer of the USS Samuel Eliot Morison, Florida A&M and Florida State NROTC, as well as special assistant to the 26^th and 27^th Chiefs of Naval Operations.  He currently serves as the senior naval science instructor at WP Davidson High School in Mobile.

Captain Daniel began his remarks by explaining he that is the son of one of America’s “Greatest Generation” who served in the US Navy during WW II.  Then he called for a moment of silence in honor of Gen. Colin Powell who recently passed away.  Gen. Powell’s funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington DC on Friday afternoon.

Captain Daniel continued by characterizing his remarks as similar to Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story”.  He explained that in 1992 Junior ROTC was expanded at Davidson High School to include eighth graders from Denton Middle School.  JROTC is an elective course offered in twelve high schools in the Mobile County Public School System.  It provides cadets discipline and an opportunity to excel.  Captain Daniel showed a video on the JROTC program.  Produced by Alabama Public Television, the video presents the positive impact JROTC has on young people.  He concluded his presentation by referring members to an article he wrote entitled “JROTC Is an Investment in the Future”.  Copies of his article were on each table.

After questions from the floor were answered, Elizabeth thanked Captain Daniel for speaking to our club and presented him a certificate noting that a donation has been made in his honor to the Mobile Symphony to sponsor a gifted young child for one year with the Chamber Strings program.

Closing Remarks and Adjournment:  Elizabeth announced that Colonel Anthony Sampson, United States Army Reserve, will be the guest speaker next week in the Moonlight Ballroom.  During the program, we will honor our Veterans.   Once again, she reminded members to send in their proxy form if they will not attend next week.  She thanked special guests, student-of –the-week Antavia Harris and Speaker, Captain Daniel, Also, she welcomed new club member, Candace Cooksey, and guest Todd Greer.  The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:00 p.m.

 

 

Minutes of the October 21, 2021 Meeting

The Rotary Club of Mobile

 

 

 

GREETING    The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens at 12:15 PM.

 

 

INVOCATION     Meg Fowler offered the invocation. Tommy Blankenship led the Pledge of Allegiance and introduced the meeting guests.

 

STUDENT GUEST           Jailyn Swink/Bryant High School

Introduction by:  Frank Harkins

 

NEW MEMBER                N/A

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** Board Meeting Today—Ashland Suite

*** Rotary General Fund Grant Application / On website / Deadline Oct. 30th

*** RYLA—Mar. 4^th-7^th @ Camp ASCCA

*** Save the Date—Rotary Annual Gala, Thurs. Oct. 28^th on USS Alabama Battleship

*** Member Bdays: Oct. 21:  Rob Hackbarth; Oct. 22:  Edward Ladd; Oct. 23:  Mike Loncono, Lee      Phillips, Deborah Velders; Oct. 27:  Jeb Shell

 

 

PROGRAM            Daryl Taylor / Vice President & General Manager, FAL-USA Airbus

“Airbus:  Celebrating 6 Years f Manufacturing in Mobile”

Intro by:  George Talbot

 

 

Daryl Taylor is the Vice President and General Manager for Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing in Mobile, Alabama. Daryl transitioned into this position in November 2018 with Airbus’ addition of the A220 Final Assembly in Mobile. In this role, Daryl is now responsible for the U.S. manufacturing operations for the A320 and A220 families of aircraft.

Daryl joined Airbus in 2015 to lead the ramp-up of the new A320 U.S. manufacturing operations and site management, responsible for ensuring the assembly and delivery of on-time, on-quality and on-cost aircraft to the North American market. Daryl has led the team in Mobile to a successful delivery of 100+ aircraft in its first three years of operation.

Previously, Daryl was Vice President and General Manager at GKN Aerospace, from 2013 to 2015. At GKN, he was responsible for two machining and subassembly facilities: Precision Machining, Inc. in Wellington, Kansas and Bandy Aerospace, Inc. in Burbank, California.

From 2010 to 2013, Daryl was General Manager of the Q400 Program at Bombardier Aerospace in Toronto, Canada; and from 1997 to 2009 he held various roles at Hawker Beechcraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, including Director of Operations H4000, Director of Assembly Operations Hawker 900 & 750, and Director of Six Sigma & Performance Excellence.

He was a Certified Engineering Apprentice at Airbus in the UK from 1989 until 1994. He graduated from North East Wales Institute with a Higher National Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering, Southwestern College in with a B.S. in Manufacturing Technology.

Daryl lives in Fairhope, AL with his wife and three children.

 

 

 

SPEAKER CERTIFICATE            President Stevens thanked Mr Taylor for his presentation and noted that, in his honor, a donation had been made by the club to the Mobile Symphony for a child to attend “Chamber Strings”.

 

The meeting adjourned at 12:59 PM.

 

                                            

                    

NEXT WEEK             NO MEETING / Rotary Gala on Battleship

 

 

 

Minutes of the October 14, 2021 Meeting

The Rotary Club of Mobile

 

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by President Elizabeth Stevens, at 12:15 PM.  After observing a moment of silence recognizing the recent death of member Paul Sousa, Chris Gibson came forward to offer the invocation.  Tommy Blankenship led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Announcements – Elizabeth announced:

• The board will meet next week following the luncheon meeting.
• The Rotary General Fund Grant Application may be found on our website. The deadline is October 30, 2021.
• Please RSVP for the Annual Gala on October 28 at the Battleship. There will not be a luncheon meeting that day.
• Aimee Risser was invited forward to discuss RYLA teaching leadership to sophomore and junior high school students taking place at Camp ASCCA on March 4-7, 2022. She said that applications need to be submitted in January.

 

Program:  Andrew Elliot: The winding Road to Peace and Prosperity

 

James Fowler introduced Andrew Elliot, director-Counsellor of the Northern Ireland Bureau located in Washington, D.C.  James said that he and the speaker had discussed the similarities between Belfast and Mobile, noting that Mobile will soon join Belfast in successfully operating their international airport beside their port facilities.

 

Mr. Elliott discussed the rocky history of a divided Ireland and the violence and deaths of some 3700 people during the conflict which lasted from 1969 until 1999 when a joint effort of British, Irish and Americans worked to successfully end the conflict.  Today, he said, there is an entire generation unaware that a problem or even a border between parts of Ireland ever existed.

 

Ireland today, he said, is better known for tourism and creativity in the areas of arts and culture which he said are all booming.  He added that the country learned the madness of division and that the nation has been strengthened as a whole as a result.

 

Mr. Elliot said that Ireland has a unique place after Brexit in their trade exports, putting the nation at a unique advantage.  The nation has not been adversely effected by Brexit, unlike Great Britain. After answering a number of questions, Elizabeth presented him with a certificate noting that a donation in his honor has been made to the Mobile Symphony’s Chamber Strings Program.

 

The meeting adjourned at 12:55PM.

 

 

 

Sumpter McGowin introduced Scott Bannon who serves as the Director of the state’s Marine Resources Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources who explained that his role concerns the salt waters south of I-10.  His office is the only state office outside of Montgomery with his being located on Dauphin Island.

 

His department strives to create better parks throughout the state and the crown jewel is now at Gulf Shores.  Another goal he said, is to improve commercial and recreational fishing off shore and conduct genetic studies of fish.  There is an important economic factor in both types of fishing and he noted that during red snapper season the impact is estimated to be $1 million per day.

 

The waters off of Alabama, he said, contain more than 12,000 artificial reefs which encourage an enormous variety of sea life.  Col Banner termed this “the world’s premier artificial reef program since the 1950’s,” and a way to invest in the future.

 

A “Gulf-wide” effort has increased the quota for red snapper.  The quota is in pounds caught and if bad weather (as has occurred recently) keeps the weight of fish caught down, the season will be extended.  He estimated that this year it will be pushed well into December.  Col Banner stressed that this makes it unnecessary to go out in bad weather just because the season is open.

 

He also mentioned the local farming of oysters which has drawn wide interest and noted that Bayou La Batre as a seafood processing center includes the novelty of shucking oysters by air pressure which greatly speeds up the process and reduces health risks.  He also stressed the importance of oysters as a filter providing good quality water.

 

After answering a number of questions, Garrett thanked Col. Bannon for speaking to us and gave him a certificate noting that a donation in his honor has been made to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

 

Garrett adjourned the meeting at 1:00 P.M.

 

Tom McGehee

MINUTES OF THE ROTARY MEETING

October 7, 2021

By Dr. Leona Onderdonk Rowan

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:15 p.m.

Moment of Silence:  Elizabeth Stevens asked for a moment of silence for Fr. Gregory F. Lucey, long time President of Spring Hill College, who passed away on September 30^th.  He was a former member of downtown Rotary Club of Mobile.

Invocation:  Justine Bixler offered the invocation.

Pledge and Welcome:   Tommy Blankenship led the members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Members’ Guests:  Elizabeth Stevens called upon members to introduce their guests.

Student Guest:  John Hoyle, President of the Alabama School of Math and Science, introduced his school counselor, Ashley Dunklin.  She in turn introduced the student of the week, Olivia McAleer.

Announcements:

• Save the Date: Rotary Annual Gala will be held the evening of Thursday, October 28^th on the USS Alabama.  There will be no regular meeting that day.
• A flyer was on each table for members to sign up for the Purple Pinkie Donut Project.
• History Moment: Tom McGehee presented a brief history of the Rotary Club.
• Barton Academy homecoming (spirit) week is October 4-8. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held October 7^th at 4:00 followed by an Open House from 4:30 to 6:30.
• Member birthdays were announced.
• RYLA will be held March 4-7 at Camp ASCCA.
• Members were reminded that the Rotary General Fund Grant applications are being accepted and the form can be found on the website.

Program:  James Fowler introduced Ricardo Woods, City Attorney for Mobile and partner with Burr and Forman, LLP.  Mr. Woods is a trial lawyer with first-chair trial experience, as well as extensive pre-trial litigation experience.  He currently serves as the Chair of DRI’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

The title of Mr. Woods’ presentation was “Growth and Expansion of Mobile”.  He explained that ambition is a key component of planning city growth and expansion.  To begin the process, the location of all blighted areas in Mobile were identified, street by street.  Then, considering the negative economic impact of urban blight, they explored ways to create affordable housing.

One strategy was to examine methods other cities are using successfully in this regard.  Then they identified funding sources such as Community Block Grants and the American Recovery Act. Applications for funds to improve blighted neighborhoods were submitted and funding was obtained.  For additional funding sources, they partnered with private developers who have helped pay for many of the improvements made in recent years.

In closing, Ricardo explained that annexation will be vital to ongoing growth and expansion in Mobile and that the relocation of Mobile’s airport to Brookley Field will help grow the downtown area.

After questions from the floor were answered, Elizabeth thanked Ricardo for speaking to our club and presented him a certificate noting that a donation has been made in his honor.

Closing Remarks and Adjournment:  Elizabeth announced that Andrew Elliott, Director of the British Embassy’s Northern Ireland Bureau, will be guest speaker next week in the Crystal Ballroom.  She adjourned the meeting at approximately 12:50 p.m.