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Jack Wallace to Chair 2010 District Conference by Anna Grassini
Our member and past President, Jack Wallace, is the Chair of the 2010 District 5890 Conference which will be held in Houston. Stay tuned for more planning meetings!
We are honored that Jack is the 2010 Chair and we ready to be recruited to help him.
Don't forget your Randalls good neighbor card! by Jane Mullholland
The next time you're at Randalls, pick up a Remarkable Card application at the courtesy booth or if you already have a card, link your card to Rotary Club of River Oaks Good Neighbor Account - 6642. Randalls will pay us 1% gross sales in our account each quarter.
Welcome by Paul Ralph, 2009 President by Anna Grassini
A brief interview reveals why Paul Ralph is dedicated to Rotary!
Paul Ralph joined our club back in 1982--at the request of his friend, Jim Hoggs. He liked the people and was attracted to Rotary because of its foundation and what it did around the world. As luck would have it, a story had just run on some network about Rotary and Paul was very impressed with the capacity of this organization to do really good things not just in the local community but also around the world.
In 2009, after holding about every office available in the club, Paul stepped onto the podium as our club president. When asked what he thinks are the strongest and distinctive features of this club, he points out to its size. "We are small enough that we can really get to know each other--yet we have the ability to do a lot of good in the community thanks to our River Oaks Rotary Foundation and the dedication of our members," he says.
Over the years, the River Oaks Rotary Foundation has made a lot of good things happen: ambulances donated to Mexico, supplies and books to faraway countries, and an impressive grove of trees at Herman Park are some of the most recent examples. Paul explains that each year the club adds to the corpus of the trust by giving a part of the members' dues to it.
Paul is excited about his opportunity to be president--but he is also hopeful that some new members will come along who will bring new passion and energy to the club and take on new challenges.
Let's give a cheer for our new President!
You can find more about Paul's business on his personal website at
www.ralphandralph.com
Al Marks makes history come alive by Grassini, Anna
On August 25, 2009, Al Marks spoke to the members of the Greenway River Oaks about his story of surviving the Nazi death camps. His story made history come alive and touched all the members. See why Rotary can enrich your life.
Al Marks tells a story of growing up poor in Hungary during the times before the second World War. His dad was a railroad employee--they lived in a modest apartment near the railway in Budapest. There was no indoor bath so at night in the winter they had to risk the elements to go outside. On June 4, 1944 the world as he knew changed. He was taken , along with his parents. The Germans forced over 100 other people on a cattle car that should have carried only 40. During the trip, at least 10 people died. Al remember that they were those with diabetes who could not survive under those conditions. Then they arrived to Auschwitz.
In the blink of an eye the infamous death doctor (Mengele) divided the crowd to the left and to the right--Al never saw his parents again and did not have time to kiss them goodbye. He went to the left. He was not yet 15. He remembers being taken in another cattle car to Malthausen, and then on from there to Melcher, another death camp. The prisoner lived miserably and worked to dig underground tunnels. His job was to keep the drill going by sharpening the drill bits. He saw all kinds of horrors.
Al looks serene when he tells his story of cruelty and suffering. But his eyes get teary eyed when he tells you about the day in May, 1945, when Bob Persinger drove the first tank of the US 3rd Cavalry across the doors of Ebense. On the eve of the final days of the Second World War, Ebense is the camp where Al and the other prisoners had been taken to be killed by the Germans. It turns out that the night before they were liberated, the camp elders had refused to go into the tunnels, as had been ordered by the Germans. They knew that the Germans would blow up the entry to the tunnel and kill them there. Instead, they decided to take a chance and refuse. The Germans would have to kill them with their guns...in a place of no hope, a small gesture of defiance that saved Al's life. Because Bob Persinger arrived the next day and liberated him. And this is when Al's eyes get teary.
In 1948, Al came to America as a war orphan. The kind lady who was processing his papers gave him a choice as to where he could come to live--and Houston was one of the places. He could not choose since he did not know--and so she chose for him. The rest, as they say, is history. Al has lived in Houston ever since. He married his Houston sweetheart and after over 50 years of marriage he still thinks she is the loveliest lady. Al made a living with a big band that celebrated many events in Houston, including the opening of the addition to the Cohen House at Rice.
And so we are grateful to Al for coming to share his story with the Greenway River Oaks Rotary of Houston. If you you are wondering why becoming a member of Rotary may make sense, think about the amazing history lesson you could have heard today. Personally, I found today's story so moving and human and hopeful that it would have been worth years of being in Rotary just by itself.
Come join us--you never know what will touch your heart next. Thanks Al for making this moment possible. We owe it to you to alwyas remember.
River Oaks Rotarians pack it all up by Grassini, Anna
On a Saturday morning, members of the Greenway River Oaks Rotary gathered for a service project spearheaded by member David Fox.
Do you know what happens to perfectly good medical supplies that get opened by mistake? What about those supplies that are in surplus or overstocked? These are some of the medical supplies that Project Cure packs up and ships where they are really needed--and where they make a difference.
There is a lot of work that gets done behind the scenes before these valuable and needed supplies can arrive at their final destination. Members of our Rotary Club occasionally participate in the task of sorting and packaging the goods so that they can be safely shipped to many places around the world. You can read more about Project Cure at their website
www.projectcure.org
The Greenway River Oaks Rotary is proud to share time and talent with project cure. Members enjoyed the work and then gathered for a fun lunch after they were done sorting.
Do you know who John Kenny is? by Jane Mulholland
John Kenny, RI President – 2009-2010
A Rotarian since 1970, John is a member of the Rotary Club of Grangemouth, Scotland. He has served Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) as committee member and chair, vice president, and president. He has served Rotary International as district governor, task force member, committee member, vice chair, RI Board Executive Committee chair, director, and Rotary Foundation trustee. He also has been a representative, member at large, and parliamentarian for the Council on Legislation on several occasions. John is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor and Bequest Society member. He is a recipient of the Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award.
He is past president of the Forth Valley Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Scottish Junior Chambers of Commerce and past general legal counsel of Jaycees International. In addition, Queen Elizabeth II appointed him the deputy lieutenant of his district. He is an elder of the Church of Scotland. Active in Boy Scouting, he received the organization's Medal of Merit for helping to form new Scout groups in Eastern Europe.
He is a graduate of Glasgow University and past dean of his local law faculty, a judge, and a notary. John and his wife, June, have been married since 1965.
2009-2010 Rotary Foundation Goals by Jane Mulholland
1) Keep the promise to eradicate polio; 2) Work through the Foundation to achieve
a better world, through the six areas of focus in the Future Vision Plan; 3) Implement the Future Vision Plan, which will help revitalize and strengthen the Foundation so it can adequately support another century of Rotary service; 4) Support Every Rotarian, Every Year and the Permanent Fund.
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