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