Check out this week's Time Magazine or click this link

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1960259,00.html for the online version. There's a great story about Tom Henderson, the British Rotarian who founded Shelter Box. Be sure to go to the end of the online story and click on the link to a great video showing Shelter Box volunteers delivering and setting up some of the first tents in Haiti.

Dr. Eileen M. Toloza FACEP, the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville, was the speaker for the January 27 Rotary meeting. She presented a program titled "A Day in the Life of the ER."

Todd Parton became the city manager on April 15th.  He came to us from Cibolo, Texas.

The club board has voted to donate $5,000 to ShelterBox USA, which is providing Shelter Boxes to Haiti following last week's earthquake. Each shelter box is a rugged plastic container that holds a 10-person tent and a range of other equipment, such as thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, a multi-fuel stove, cooking and eating utensils, collapsible water containers and purification tablets, and basic tools such as a shovel, hammer, saw and rope.

A Liberian family displaced by war living in a Shelter Box tent near Monrovia, Liberia. (Photos courtesy of Shelter Box USA)

The main speaker at the Rotary Club meeting on January 13 was Dan Stultz, M.D., President and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association, who spoke on the topic of "More About Healthcare Reform."  Dr. Stultz started his talk by observing that there are many problems with the current healthcare system of this country and there are many valid reasons to try to fix that system.  He acknowledged, however, that such efforts have been tried in the past and all have failed.  He outlined the current legislative situation in the Congress, where attempts are being made to meld two different bills together so that something can be passed in the near future.  Dr. Stultz observed that if those efforts are successful, this legislation would change how medicine is practiced in this country.

Club officers took the opportunity at last week's meeting to present the Rotary teddy bears to Peterson Regional Medical Center CEO Pat Murray and Interim Chief Nursing Officer Kaeli Dressler who attended our meeting. There are Rotary boy bears, wearing a stylish blue beanie, and Rotary girl bears, with a shiny blue and gold ribbon around their necks. Both have "ear tags" with the Rotary logo and a note that they are a gift from our club. The bears will be given to pediatric patients, both inpatients and those having day surgery. Pat Murray and Kaeli Dressler accepted the bears from President Brian, PDG Doug Whinnery and Vice President Sue Whinnery. Doug and Sue discovered the bears at last summer's Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, England.

Kerrville Main Street representatives made a surprise appearance at the Rotary Club lunch on January 13 to announce that Pat Murray, a member of the Kerrville Rotary Morning Club and  CEO of Peterson Regional Medical Center, had been selected as a candidate for the King of the Royal Court for this year's Mardi Gras on Main.  Shown here is Jeff Talarico (on the left) congratulating Pat on his selection.  Mardi Gras on Main will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Inn of the Hills from 6 - 9 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, February 16, 2010. 

Kerrville Rotary Club Officers for 2010-2011 posed for this picture after the meeting on January 6, 2010.  Standing (left to right) are Board Members Jeff Wendling, Michael Huff, Kim Clarkson, Liz Murray and Kyle Bond.  Seated (l-r) are Brian Bondy (Past President), George Eychner (Vice President), Sue Whinnery (President) and Kenneth Early (Secretary- Treasurer).  Not shown is Board Member Rob Henneke.

Check out Rotary Basics, a new online introduction to Rotary International. This is NOT just for new members--everyone can learn something new about the scope of our organization. There are videos, slideshows, and other information on this page. Click the link and become a master of Rotary information:

http://www.rotary.org/en/members/newmembers/rotarybasics/Pages/ridefault.aspx

This link is also on the Home Page under Club Links in the left-hand column. Just above it is a link to the printed version of Rotary Basics.