Minutes of the January 20, 2022 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
GREETING The meeting was called to order by Elizabeth Stevens at 12:15 PM.
Moment of Silence: Dr. Stephen Ford Dill who passed away January 14, 2022
INVOCATION Frank Harkins offered the invocation. Tommy Blankenship led the Pledge of Allegiance and introduced the meeting guests.
NEW MEMBERS:
John Driscoll, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alabama State Port Authority. Introduced by Elizabeth Stevens.
Presentation of Excellence in Scholarship Certificate
Milligan Grinstead, McGill Toolen High School
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** Next Rain Barrel Installation Event – Feb. 18th– 8AM-Noon
*** Member Bdays: Jan. 20 Gerry Robbins, Jan 21 Don Foose, Russell Steiner, Jan 24 Kate Carver and Jan 25 Hawk Sindel
***District Mid-Year Conference this weekend
*** Board meeting today in Leinkauf Suite
*** Rotary Club of Mobile named beneficiary in the will of the Samuel P. Marshall Family Trust
***Birthday contributions to Rotary Children’s Foundation or Scholarship Fund, Billy Cassady
PROGRAM Will Edmonds / Barton Academy and former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Introduced by Frank Harkins.
In 1995 Will Edmonds was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar out of our Mobile Rotary Club, which is how he was later able to study in Belgium. He graduated from the University of Mobile in 1997 with a double major in French and International business. While in college, he studied in FRANCE, at the Institut de Tourraine, and in BELGIUM, at the Universite Catholique Centre des Langues. In 2007, he completed a Master of Education with a concentration in French at the University of South Alabama. In 2009, he achieved National Board Certification in World Languages, and successfully renewed that certification in 2018. Will taught French 1, 2, 3, and IB 4 for 20 years at Davidson High School in Mobile. He is now teaching French at Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies.
Mr Edmonds started by noting that this was his fourth time as speaker at the Rotary Club of Mobile. He then began his remarks by recalling a letter of appreciation that he received from a student about how important “building communities matters” that Mr Edmonds teaches as part of his curriculum. He used that theme to link his ambassadorial scholarship with the importance of Rotary and how he tries to live his life and teach his students. He began his professional life overseas living with a host family and related some of the experiences thereof. He now teaches French at Barton Academy and has been a teacher for 24 years. He told about beginning and Interact Club at Barton. Will is the leader. He stated that beginning the club was actually suggested by Elizabeth Stevens with the motto of “Service Above Self”. He attempts to incorporate the Rotary ideals into his various programs on a regular basis. He noted that he teaches the French language to a conversational level in order for the students to be able to at least convey concepts in French. In fact, he takes his students on a foreign trip approximately every other year, covid aside.
SPEAKER CERTIFICATE President Stevens thanked Mr Edmonds 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.
NEXT WEEK Wiley Blankenship / Executive Director, Coastal 150 “Advancing Coastal Alabama’s Priorities in Montgomery”.
The meeting adjourned at 12:59 PM.