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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter

District Governor’s Newsletter, No. III Dr. David Sink, District Governor September 2008

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, Rotarians from across Western North Carolina will gather at the Park Inn Gateway Center in Hickory, North Carolina. In addition to great Rotary fellowship, we will be inspired, and entertained, while celebrating the accomplishments of The Rotary Foundation in District 7670. We will also witness the power of our great Foundation through the eyes and experiences of Foundation award recipients – Scholars and GSE Team Members – as well as honor those who have supported our Foundation so well in the past year. Guest Speaker will be John Germ, member of the Board of Trustees, The Rotary Foundation. Governor David Sink and the entire District Foundation leadership team look forward to welcoming you to Hickory on November 8th! More details will be sent later.

Governor David’s Corner Since early July, I have made the “official” district governor’s visit to 49 of our 53 Rotary Clubs. As I tramp to the four remaining clubs in October, I apologize for the wrinkled Rotary blazer and the disheveled worn saddlebag look which permeates my skin, hair (well sort of), and shoes. Although the travel has taken a little physical toll, every club visit and every board meeting I attend serve as a stimulating elixir to get me to all the club meetings and events I can schedule. I continue to be impressed by the quality imperative for each club’s work throughout our district. Special thanks to the club presidents for keeping us focused on our district’s three major targets of membership growth, PolioPlus challenge and Honor Air. During my September visits, I was amazed at how well organized President Ronnie

Thompson of the Valdese Club and President Stewart Macsherry of the Denver Lake Norman Club are in their membership growth efforts. Avery County Rotary Club President Richard Honeycutt brought a guest and potential new member who said she was still interested in the club even after hearing the DG give his remarks. I came away from my visit with President Chris Ackerman with five candy bars when he introduced me to the Granite Falls Rotary candy sale through a club member who is the chief of police. My trip to the Lake Hickory Rotary Club was memorable due to President Miles Powell’s leading the chorus in “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” in six different keys at once. At the Asheville South Club, President Brent Allison introduced a guest who moved me by sharing a story about how he came to know Rotary through his grandfather. I was moved again the next day when President Tommy Jones and the board of directors of the Haywood County Rotary Club allowed me the honor to induct a new member.

Special thanks to PDG Jim Efland and PDG Chuck Reiley who planned our very successful Membership and Leadership Workshop, held on September 13th, Blue Ridge Community College. More than 130 Rotarians attended the workshop.We collected $170 for the CART fund. The Rotary Club of Pisgah Forest had the largest percentage of club members present and will receive credit for the contribution. Also, a special thanks for DGN Ed Walcoff, who chaired the selection committee for our Group Study Exchange (GSE) to District 3060 in India. Assistant Governor Dr. Jim Volk of the Hendersonville-Four Seasons Club will be the team leader.

Please send your check and ticket stubs for the PolioPlus Car Raffle to Mary Scott Christfield of the Rotary Club of Pisgah Forest.

I look forward to my final four “official” visits and then to immediately starting a second tour of our clubs. Please remember my role as district governor is that of a resource to each of the 2700 Rotarians in our district. I encourage you to call me if you think I can help your club. My phone numbers are: Home: 828-696-8954; Cell: 828-674-8521

Yours in Rotary Service Above Self, DG David

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter

Dr. James Volk, member of the Rotary Club of Hendersonvillle Four Seasons, was selected to lead the Group Study Exchange Team to India with District 3060. Dr. Volk has been an active member of his community and has service his Rotary Club in numerous position. He had the distinction of serving as President of his club the same year his wife, Barbara, served as President of the Hendersonville Club. Together, they have also been the recipient of a Rotary grant that allowed them to take medical supplies to Krygyzstan. Chosen as team members are the following: Jessica Nixon- sponsored by Rotary Club Asheville Breakfast; Jessica is director of a summer camp for children. She has interests in the environment, parks, children’s activities, and other outdoor activities.

Hamilton Williams, Jr.- sponsored by Rotary Club Burke-Sunrise; Hamilton is a craftsman and potter who has interests in ceramics, the arts, and craftwork.

Frank Ruggiero-sponsored by Rotary Club of Boone; Frank is a new editor of a local newspaper who has interests in journalism and writing.

Jeffrey Vaughn-sponsored by Rotary Club of Murphy, is a social worker who has interests governmental work and assistance organizations for the poor.

GSE TEAM LEADER AND MEMBERS TO INDIA SELECTED

Jessica Nixon

Hamilton Williams, Jr.

Frank Ruggiero

Jeffrey Vaughn

The team will depart on November 22nd and return on December 21st.

AG Paul Kishan sponsored a family social evening at Bill Bauman’s home (District Youth Eexchange Committee) on Saturday, September 20th, with youth exchange students Dharmesh from India & Arm from Thailand. The young people were the weekend guests of Paul and his family. Families present were: Rotarian Isaac Owalabi, spouse Abigail and son Kalab. (Isaac is currently sponsoring Arm from Thailand); AG Prakash Kishan, spouse Manju and son Brijesh; Evening host Rotarian Bill Bauman and spouse Susan and Youth Exchange Students Arm from Thailand and Dharmesh from India. Each family prepared a pot luck dish from a different country to make this evening an international affair. The Kishan family plans to have

Dharmesh participate in all the Indian festival celebrations in our area.

Rotarians are invited to attend the Rock Out Auction, sponsored by the Rotay Club of Asheville, on October 25th at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville. The event helps to underwrite the club’s local and international activities. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. The theme celebrates the 50’s and 60’s. Call 828-254-3035 if you would like additional information.

CALL IS ISSUED FOR AMENDMENTS TO RI’S MANUAL OF PROCEURE The Constitutional documents of RI can only be amended by its Council on Legislation, which next meets in April 2010. Any Rotary club can, with the approval of its District, propose an amendment or a resolution. The deadline for proposals is 31 December 2008. It really should be December 1st, since time must be allowed for the District to vote on it before it can go to the Council. If any club would like assistance in drafting a proposal, please contact any of these past Governors: James Aydelotte, Chuck Troutman, Chuck Reiley, Harry Brogden, Bill Armfield, or Rick Howe

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter Honor Air Community Service Project Sparks Enthusiasm and Participation

On November 1, 2008, fourteen Rotary Clubs from District 7670 will sponsor WWII veterans and provide

guardians for the inaugural District 7670 Honor Air flight. One hundred veterans will be flown to Washington, D.C. aboard a chartered US Airways Boeing 737 to spend the day visiting their memorial - the World War II Memorial completed just over four years ago – as well as other important memorials. The itinerary includes:

7:30 AM Veterans arrive for check-in and security processing 8:30 AM Departure of HonorAir1 for flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 10:00 AM Arrival at gate, board three motor coaches for drive to mall and World War II Memorial 11:00 AM Escorted tour of World War II Memorial. Box lunch and beverage served during tour. 1:30 PM Depart World War II Memorial on coaches for tour of other sites, which may include:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Women’s Veterans Memorial

3:00 PM Arrive at Arlington National Cemetery, observe the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns

4:30 PM Depart Arlington National Cemetery and return to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

6:00 PM Departure of HonorAir1 flight to Asheville Airport 7:15 PM – Estimate time of arrival back at Asheville Airport

7:30 PM The following Rotary Clubs are participating in the November 1st flight: Burke-Sunrise, Hickory, Hickory Sunrise, Hickory for Viewmont Baptist Church, Lincolnton, Catawba

Valley, Morganton, Sylva, Waynesville, Tryon, Thermal Belt, Rutherford County, Madison County, Hendersonville and Marion. Tentative dates have been selected for one and possibly two flights in the spring. These dates are Saturday, April 18th and Saturday, May 16th. If your club is interested in participating by sponsoring WWII veterans for a spring flight, please contact either Bill Miles (hokiemiles@bellsouth.net) or Bob Haggard (rhaggard@vwlawfirm.com) and provide the number of veterans and guardians you would like to sponsor. For every three veterans, a club can also sponsor a guardian. This will be on a first come, first served basis so reserve your spaces early! The cost of sponsoring veterans will be reduced in the spring to approximately $400.00 per veteran and will remain at $200.00 per guardian. This is due to a major financial contribution by Borg Warner Turbo Division and its employees in its Buncombe County facility. Borg Warner is now our corporate sponsor and partner in the Honor Air project.

Speakers have now been provided to eight clubs in the District to tell the Honor Air story and several more programs are scheduled. If your club would like to have a program presented at one of your meetings on the Honor Air project, please contact either Bill Miles or Bob Haggard at the email addresses above.

Congratulations on a great response to Honor Air thus far!

The Rotary Club of Rutherford County Raises Funds for "Rotary First Grade Read Around The County."

Saturday, August 16th, the "Cool Rides, Hot Nights" car show was held in Forest City, NC. This event, sponsored by the Forest City Merchants Association, has become larger and larger each year and the club participates by selling refreshments and having other activities. This has become one of the main fund raisers for the Rotary Club of Rutherford County. As a member of the Forest City Merchants Association stated "We ran out of town before we ran out of cars." The club had a "Ford vs Chevy Car Bash for Literacy" for the first time this year. For $1 an individual would get three bashes on the vehicles provided for them. The club was able to raise over $350 to help purchase books for our "Rotary First Grade

Read Around the County" in which a book is presented to every first grade student in Rutherford County. Members of the club deliver the books to each school and read from it to the students. Jamie Fender, a local businessman of "Junk Cars Wanted" provided the two vehicles. He had removed the glass as the cars were destined for the crusher. Before they were crushed, he delivered them to our site for the bashing and picked them up afterwards to deliver them to the crusher. Every member of the club participated in the banner painting and the car show. 

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter 2008 BIKE

RIDE HOSTED BY THE

ROTARY CLUB OF MADISON

COUNTY RAISES $17,000!

The Rotary Club of Madison County held its third annual Hot Doggett100 Bike Ride on Saturday, July 12—a beautiful day to ride through the hills of Madison County. Two hundered eighty riders participated, some from as far away as Maryland and others as close as Burnsville and Asheville choosing either the 100 mile, the 100 kilometer (64 miles) or the 25 mile routes. All rides began and ended on the Mars Hill college campus and took riders on lightly travelled roads through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Southeast. Over 40 groups and individuals helped sponsor the event. Over 80 volunteers from Rotary, the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Ham Radio Operators of Madison County and other residents of the County (including church and school groups) contributed their time to make this event a success. Rotarians were busy for months beforehand, but the final week involved painting signs along the route, shopping for the food for both the Rest Stops and the After Ride Meal, and coordinating all of the registration. Volunteers stepped up to the challenge for those last 24 hours and everything fell into place for a day that brought compliments galore from the riders. This is Madison County’s biggest fund raiser—over $17,000 this year—for the money that the Club distributes back to the Madison County community over the year in the form of grants, scholarships or financial help.

LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER? Shirley Browning, District Chair for Ambassadorial Scholarships makes a suggestion: Greetings from Bolivia! My name is John Toner and I am currently living and studying in La Paz, Bolivia on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship representing Reynolda Rotary Club in Winston-Salem. My role here is dual in that I act as an ambassador of goodwill for Rotary clubs in the triad area and the U.S. by giving presentations about international understanding and world peace. I also participate in Bolivian Rotary activities. I am studying social development in a postgraduate program at the Center for Development Sciences at the La Universidad Mayor de San Andres. My scholarship period is for one academic year, which, in my case, will end in October. As part of my scholarship I have the pleasure of giving presentations to Rotary Clubs upon my return about my experiences. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, I have a number of projects I have worked on through Rotary to provide much needed development assistance on a number of issues. Therefore, I would love to also share those experiences/opportunities with your international service committee and/or the club as a whole. I've prepared photos, project profiles, and a slideshow presentation. I am organizing a speaking tour before my presentation to Reynolda Rotary the 14th of November; essentially I want to make an extended trip from Kentucky (where I'm orginigally from). I'll be flying into) North Carolina, visiting Rotary clubs along the way. If you have any openings for guests towards the beginning of November, I would be happy to make a formal presentation or perhaps arrange something informal, such as a dinner or lunch with Rotarians. My activities here have given me a fantastic perspective on many aspects of Bolivian life, culture, and politics. From analyzing the Bolivian political crisis (which has come to extremely tense moments) to the role of micro finance, to internal and external migratory issues, to economic tensions, to food sustainability, to international relations with the U.S.; I've experienced it all. I'd be happy to format my presentation/visit according to the interests of your members as well. I graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in History and worked a year in the admissions office there before coming to Bolivia. Through work and through weekend mountain excursions, I had plenty of opportunities to visit Western North Carolina. I can't wait to come back, especially during the fall! Hope to hear from you soon - y un fuerte abrazo.

John Toner

Rotary Club of Fletcher. Excitement abounds!! We are doing our first international project. Our very own Bernard Coleman is heading off to Nairobi, Kenya on

an educational, medical, dental mission to help the children of that region. We have been trying our best to weigh him down with donations of everything from pencils to toothbrushes. He has more than he can carry so a big box will be shipped ahead to be there when he arrives. We are also doing our first membership drive, joining forces with the Fletcher Area Business Association. The club particpated in the Business Expo September 18th and gave away two raffle tickets for the PolioPlus corvette and a one year membership to the health club at the Lelia Patterson Center to entice new members. Big thanks go to Stephanie Lee for chairing the commitee for this project!!

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter DISTRICT 7670 WELCOMES YOUTH EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Laurianne Saison (France) hosted by Asheville

Bastian "Basti" Havers (Germany) hosted by Lake Hickory Dharmesh Madnani (India) hosted by Thermal Belt

Pattanachod "Arm" Angwarawong (Thailand) hosted by Black Mountain Theodore Schoenke (France) hosted by Morganton

At left is a group shot of all the students from 7670 and 7680. During the weekend of August 23 – 24, District 7670 hosted an Orientation Camp for inbound youth exchange students in our

district as well as District 7680 to the east. A total of 14 students from France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Thailand and the United States plus

13 members of the two district YE committees attended the event at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain. During the day and a half session, students participated in a variety of training and recreational activities designed to prepare them for the coming year in a new country and a new culture, to promote team building among the group, and to provide an opportunity for joint fellowship. A highlight for the group was the Odyssey High Rope Course, requiring teamwork and cooperation among participants. Despite some hesitant starts, every one of the students completed the course with flying colors. This was followed on Saturday evening with a campfire on the shore of Laurel Lake, where the group learned the fine art of cooking s’mores. It was a fun and productive weekend, enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

Our District is extremely fortunate to have a facility of the quality of Blue Ridge Assembly, and we owe a vote of thanks to Roger Hibbard, Executive Director and member of the Rotary Club of Black Mountain, and his entire staff for their efforts in hosting this event. The students were outspoken in their praise of the event – the facilities, staff, food quality, recreational activities and training program. We look forward to returning to Blue Ridge Assembly next year, and hopefully with a larger group. Recognition should also be given to District Youth Exchange Chairs Bill Biggers (7670) and Sandy Brenneman (7680) for their contributions to the weekend and to the youth exchange program throughout the year.

Four of the students on the Odyssey High Rope Course, a team building activity they all

completed.

Another team building game during one of the training sessions under the supervision of Inbound Chairs Don Fuller (7670) and Karen Steffens (7680).

A 2007-2008 grant for $11,825 from The Rotary Club of Tryon, District 7670, and Rotary International is helping support the Casa Hogar Santa Julia Don Bosco home for girls in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The money has made possible complete uniforms, registration fees, school supplies, ceiling fans and heaters, new water-saving shower heads, insulation for hot water heaters and pipes, refurbishing of three homework rooms, 13 new fire extinguishers, and a fully stocked medical supply cabinet for the school of 26 girls. Jerry Atkins wrote the grant proposal and the San Miguel Midday Rotary Club is the project partner. The Rotary Club of Tryon hopes to start a water project with the help of the San Miguel Club for the poverty-stricken areas surrounding San Miguel de Allende, one of Mexico’s major tourist destinations.

The Rotary Club of Tryon is not just a Club of "old men and their fathers"! As illustrated in the picture of the induction of the newest member, the Club is the one with some diversity. Pictured are (from left to right) President Beth Child, new member Kelly Covil Collins and Rotarian sponsor Melissa LeRoy.

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter CHILE GSE EXHANGE LEADER & MEMBER NOMINATION DEADLINES EXTENDED

District 7670 will send a GSE Exchange team to District 4340 from April 14 to May 15, 2009. Nominations and applications for team leader and team members have been extended to Monday, October 27, 2008. Eligible team leader applicants are current Rotarians within District 7670. Eligible team members are professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 and reside or work within District 7670. Team leader

applications can be downloaded from the RI website at: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/260en.pdf. Team member applications can be downloaded at RI website at: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/161en.pdf . District 4340 has requested that the team leader and all team members be conversant in Spanish. If there are stellar candidates who are willing to engage in a Spanish language immersion course prior to leaving for the Exchange in April, they should be encouraged to apply. Team leader and team member interviews will be held in early November and successful applicants will be notified immediately. For further information contact:

Brad Shaffer

GSE Chair District 7670 – Chile 828.654.9790

brads@parallaxventures.net NEWS FROM THE ROTARY CLUB of CATAWBA VALLEY... Focus on Retention. Membership Chair Joyce Spencer arranged a wonderful program headlined by: Carl Cline RC of Hickory, Ted Carothers, RC of Valdese, and Assistant Governor Bruce Bingham RC of Valdese. Carl related how he became re-energized in Rotary by a Club President with a vision and a passion for Rotary and History. Carl said the key to his re-involvement was that he was asked to assist in several critical areas by a Club President that had captured his attention through the RC’s history. Ted related a story about a fellow Rotarian who came to him with his plan to resign from Rotary. Ted asked him one simple question……”What is your passion”……….. once described, Ted laid out a path to allow this disenchanted Rotarian to become involved in a project that fit his passion. This Rotarian is now a

leader in the Club. The Rotary Club of Catawba Valley inducted two new members recently and kicked off our Year-Long Membership Campaign. New Members Judith Ray & Debbie Haynes (center) were installed by IPDG Bill Shillito

A big Thank you and Birthday Card to Todd Anderson Rotary Club of Catawba Valley. Todd has always sent a Birthday card to any member of our Club that has a birthday.

Daniel J. Ostergaard, Director of Western Carolina University's Institute for the Economy and the Future, spoke to the Rotary Club of Sylva recently about the development of a new web site by the Institute called WNC Pulse (www.wncpulse.org). One item available for download at the web site is a new Institute publication entitled "Western North Carolina Regional Outlook Report 2008," which the site describes as "a comprehensive overview of western North Carolina's major economic, social and political issues and trends." In addition to his duties with the Institute, Ostergaard is an Associate Professor of Management and International Business at the university.

Daniel Ostergaard with club president Scott Baker.

Sunny Side Up! The Rotary Club of Hickory Sunrise Club introduces a fresh, hip e-newsletter to keep members informed and up-to-date on projects, events and happenings! Scheduled to be released each month via email, we are excited to launch this new initiative, strengthen our branding and enhance continued efforts to effectively communicate with members and the community.

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter

DISTRICT CALENDAR

• October 9th-Deadline for District Governor Nominations for 2011-12 Rotary year.

• October 23rd-District Governor Interviews • October 27th-Deadline for submitting nominations for

GSE Team Leader and Team Members to Chile • November 8th-Foundation Dinner in Hickory

Don’t’ forget to remit your C.A.R.T. Funds to PDG Chuck Troutman.

Club attendance reports are due on the District’s data base by the 15th of the month for the previous month.

Members of the first Rotary Club in the island nation of Kiribati (formerly Christmas Island) spent a week in August celebrating its charter. On 11 August, RI General Secretary Ed Futa, on behalf of the RI Board, approved a charter for the Rotary Club of Kiritimati, Line Islands, Republic of Kiribati, adding another nation to the more than 200 countries and geographical areas on the Rotary map. The 35-member club, along with guest Rotarians from District 9920 and the United States, held its first official club meeting on 23

August, the kickoff to the weeklong festivities. As part of the week's programming, Kiritimati club members visited schools and hospitals to assess potential projects. Island nation Kiribati (pronounced KEER-ah-bhass) consists of 33 islands scattered across 2,400 miles of the Pacific Ocean, with a population of more than 105,000. The three main groupings are the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, and Line Islands. In 1995, Kiribati drew international attention when it petitioned to change the International Date Line, which divided the nation into two time zones. The entire nation now lies west of the date line, which zigzags around the easternmost islands. Kiribati gets a large portion of its income from overseas, including fishing licenses, development assistance, and tourism. "Our people are used to being on the receiving end of help," says Uatioa. "With the first Rotary club here, our members can now be on the giving end." Projects in the works for the Kiritimati club include completion of upgrades to the Banana Village Medical Clinic; construction of working toilets for all six schools on the island; distribution of dictionaries provided by the Rotary Club of Brighton Early, Colorado; and distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste. "The future is bright; Rotary can surely look forward to a glowing success with the Kiritimati club, as well as an additional club in Kiribati," says Maybee. "I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Kiribati flag at the RI Convention in Birmingham."

Governor Jack Davies of District 9220 presents the Rotary Club of Kiritimati charter certificate to club president Ruta Uatioa. Photo by Sharon Maybee

Membership & Attendance for July 2008

Club Members 6/30/08

Members Current

Average Attend%

Arden 22 22 72.73 Asheville 177 179 60.38 Asheville Breakfast 47 47 83.3 Asheville-Biltmore 22 23 56 Asheville-West 25 25 86.45 Avery County 20 16 62.5 Black Mountain 71 71 74.64 Blowing Rock 77 81 79.4 Boone 39 39 73.97 Boone Sunrise 27 28 57.85 Brevard 50 52 83.25 Bryson City 35 30 85 Burke-Sunrise 31 31 77.14 Burnsville 11 11 72.73 Caldwell County 20 20 90 Cashiers Valley 67 67 86.94 Catawba Valley (Conover) 44 44 91.5 Cherokee 16 14 61.54 Cullowhee-Daybreak 26 25 57.94 Denver/Lake Norman 52 52 70.73 Fletcher 19 19 70.5 Franklin 63 66 83 Franklin Daybreak 45 46 91.49 Granite Falls 21 18 86 Haywood County (Canton) 42 43 79.07 Hendersonville 184 188 69.7 Hendersonville-Four Seasons 26 25 88.2 Hickory 171 172 72.25 Hickory Sunrise 34 34 76.47 Highlands 92 93 98.51 Highlands-Mountaintop 27 27 90 Lake Hickory (Hickory) 117 0 Lenoir 72 72 85.15 Lincolnton 89 91 80.63 Lincolnton - Sunrise 24 25 78 Madison County 46 46 71.3 Marion 66 66 78 McDowell County 21 0 Morganton 74 74 63.79 Murphy 41 39 67.9 Newton-Conover 78 77 67.05 Pisgah Forest 41 41 81.95 Rutherford County 13 12 100 Sherrills Ford-Terrell 17 17 83 Spruce Pine 29 29 75 Sylva 59 59 79.66 Tryon 88 88 71.47 Tryon-Thermal Belt 25 22 84.69 Valdese 47 47 55 Waynesville 124 121 85.12 Waynesville-Sunrise 21 21 90 Weaverville 18 18 76.67

Totals, Avg Attendance: 2713 2573 77.27% 50 of 52 clubs reporting

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter PROGRESS REPORTED...Young burn victim goes through her final surgery…A long road… Suzanne Amann, the young Filipino burn victim who came to the United States four months ago, underwent her final surgery recently at Pardee Hospital. Dr. William L. Overstreet III finished working on the young girl’s arm at Pardee Hospital. The skin on the side of Aman’s rib cage was fused to her left arm at her armpit. The bend at her elbow was also webbed together. This caused her arm to be permanently bent like a chicken wing. Overstreet, a plastic surgeon at Blue Ridge Plastic Surgery, was able to free up the arm by cutting through the web-like skin, and now Aman can raise her hand above her head for the first time in her life. At the final surgery, which lasted four hours, Overstreet took dead skin from Aman’s thigh and did a skin graft behind her left ear and on her left wrist. “Yay! We are done!” Aman said Monday at Blue Ridge Plastic Surgery. She will continue to have doctor appointments to treat her scars and change the dressings on her arm, body and ear. Not only have the reconstructive surgeries been a success, but Aman has gained much-needed weight. When she arrived in Hendersonville in April, Aman was 14 years old and weighed 74 pounds. Since then she has gained 20 pounds. “She looks a lot healthier,” Overstreet said. Aman and her mother will be staying in the area until December, when the two are scheduled to fly back to the Philippines.

Mark Schulman, Times-News Staff Writer The Rotary Club of Weaverville honored area fire and police personnel Wednesday, September 10th, at its seventh annual “Local Hero’s Breakfast.” The breakfast was held at North Star Diner in Weaverville, and had a total of 25 guests from several Buncombe County fire and police departments. Members of the Weaverville Police Department, as well as Reems Creek, French Broad, Skyland, and Weaverville fire departments attended. “We do this every year because we want to say thank you,” Rotary Club member Paul Aubrey told the guests and the 17

members of the Weaverville Rotary Club who were present. Each Fire Chief and Police Captain introduced the members of his department, followed by a buffet breakfast and a program hosted by Mark Dillingham of the Skyland Fire Department. The breakfast began in 2002 as a thank you from Rotary to the local emergency response personnel. It coincides with Patriot Day, which honors their counterparts across the nation and remembers the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon from September 11, 2001.

Rotary Club of Hendersonville Presents $1,000 Grant The Rotary Club of Hendersonville awarded $1,000 to Ray West of Moldova World Children's Fund. The funds will be used to renovate boarding schools for abandoned children and help to build a horticultural facility in the eastern European Republic of Moldova. Moldova is a country with a struggling economy that has endured severe hardships since the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are 400 abandoned children at Leova’s boarding school that “age out” each year. These children must seek employment in a struggling national economy with widespread unemployment—and with no helpful family connections. Completing construction of an unfinished greenhouse and adjacent vocational classroom building on campus will introduce many of these youngsters to a productive trade, supplement the school’s operating budget, and could help build a nationwide industry.

Dr. William Overstreet III, with Blue Ridge Plastic Surgery, talks with burn victim Suzanne Aman in his office.

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter GOVERNOR NOMINEE SOUGHT FOR 2011-12

ROTARY YEAR "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country"......does this bring back memories for anyone else, memories of typing class............. I will not ask you to come to the aid of your country........... I will ask you to come to the aid of your Rotary club and the other 52 chartered Rotary clubs and one Provisional club of RI District 7670. You can do this by a very simple act. That act is to nominate a great Rotarian for the position of Governor of this great district. The nomination form (Form H) is available on the www.rotary7670.org site. Please ensure that your Club President polls his/her Board for nomination approval. The RC Secretary must sign the Nomination Form. There are many great Rotarians in western NC that are just waiting to be asked........... "Will you allow your name to go forward as candidate for Governor of RI District 7670”?. Some will demure, however, if you know that they will be great in this role, then tell them so. Being asked to allow my name to be submitted was one of the greatest honors my Rotary Club ever bestowed on me. Please honor that great Rotarian by asking them. Please direct any and all questions to: Bill Shillito (828-320-6410 cell) or to Margaret at the District Office (828- 254-3035). Completed Nominations (Form H and Proclamation by Rotary Club Board) should be sent to:

IPDG Bill Shillito, 3248 Weidner Road Newton, NC 28658

Deadline: October 9th, 2008 Members of the Nominating Committee are:

PDG James Aydelotte PDG Chuck Troutman

PDG James (Jim) Efland PDG Charles (Chuck) Reiley

Vickie Gaddy, IPP, RC of Asheville West Gail Walker, IPP, RC of Boone

Aileen Sheehan-Wilson, IPP, RC of McDowell County Lynne Barrett, IPP, of RC of Waynesville

Larry Hinton, IPP, RC of Sylva Dent Sullivan, IPP, RC of Lenoir

DG David Sink, Ad Hoc (Non-voting) Committee Member DGE Carol King, Ad Hoc (Non-Voting) Committee

Member DGN Ed Walcoff, Ad Hoc (Non-Voting) Committee

Member IPDG Bill Shillito, Committee Chair

YOU ARE INVITED TO A STOMPIN’ GOOD TIME, OCTOBER 11TH!

The Rotary Club of Pisgah Forest presents the 10th annual fall dance and concert, featuring the Charlotte band, Blind Manifest. The 5-piece band specializes in “Beach, Buffet and Oldies.” The event will be at 7:30 p.m. Straus Auditorium, Brevard Music Center. Tickets are available at Rockin’ Robin Records in the College Plaza in Brevard. Sponsorships are $1,000 (advertising and 2 tables of 10), tables of 10 are $300 and individual tickets are $30. The proceeds from the event help fund many organizations, including Sharing House, Adopt-a-Family, United Way, American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Club, Shelter Box USA, SAFE, Volunteers in Medicine, Kids in Camp and Habitat for Humanity, as well as many international health and improvement programs. For in format ion cal l : 828-553-7515 or emai l jvanorman@citcom.net. The Rotary Club of Brevard is in its fourth year of participation in The Dictionary Project! Having raised the money to buy the dictionaries, the club will be distributing them to all third grade students in six schools located in Transylvania County, as well as several schools in surrounding counties. Lisa Amacher, Chairman of the Vocational Services Committee, spearheaded the project which brought together nine Rotarians during the early part of a Friday evening for light hors d’oeuvres, fellowship and work. A classic assembly line process resulted in stickers being placed on the inside front cover of each dictionary. Each sticker displays The Four Way Test with a space for the student’s name just beneath. Many thanks go out to the volunteers who helped put the Rotary Club stickers in the dictionaries. Pictured are Erik Hansen, Carol Hansen, Lisa Amacher, Glenda Sansosti, Kitty Anderson, Linda Mager, John Dorner and his lovely wife, Connie.

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter On September 6, the Rotary Club of Highlands Mountaintop held the first ever "Quickdraw" in Highlands. The Quickdraw is an event where 14 artists had two hours to complete a painting while about 100 guests at the event were able to wander among the artists and visit with them and talk and ask questions about color choice, technique or anything else that interested them. Participating artists were, Bonnie Adams, Chris Bell, Kathie Blozan, Jim Chapman, Cheryl Combs, Kay Gorecki, Duncan Greenlee, Bob Martin, Diane McPhail, Mark Menendez, Karen Pait, Jack Stern, Sally Taylor, and Robert Tino. All of the finished paintings were then immediately auctioned off during a live auction, wet paint and all. The bidding on the artwork was exciting as Auctioneer Dennis Hall kept an energetic pace. The first ever Highlands Mountaintop Rotary Quickdraw was a great success and planning is already going on for next year. All proceeds raised will be used by the Mountaintop Rotary for local area Rotary Projects. Thank You to our sponsors: Nick Bazan-Mortgage Banker, Gerry Doubleday, Fressers Eatery, The Highlander Newspaper, The Laurel Magazine, Mitchell's Lodge and Cottages, Peak Experience, The Rotary Club of Highlands, Tin Roof Gallery, The Total Picture, Vivace, and Bill Zoellner. Rotarian Dennis Hall donated his valuable services as auctioneer. Please remember that these individuals and businesses support Rotary the next time you are in need of a service that they provide.

On August 23rd and 24th, the Rotary Club of Franklin Daybreak held its 20th annual golf tournament at Mill Creek Country Club. Franklin Daybreak Rotarians Mike Wood, Ron Winecoff and Jeff Cloer organize the annual event with support of club members. This year’s tournament netted $7,500, which will be used in continued support of the New Century Scholars Program at Southwestern Community College. The New Century Scholars Program is a joint effort of Southwestern Community College and the school systems of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties to provide incentives in the form of scholarships and extra support to selected rising seventh grade students. The scholarships are two-year full tuition awards to Southwestern Community College. The club annually funds a scholarship and purchases laptop computers for New Century Scholar Students in Macon County.

ROTARY CLUB OF LENOIR NEWS… PDG Bill Armfield inducted Jamie Armstrong as a member of the club. Jamie, sponsored by President Debbie, is Senior Minister of First United Methodist Church of Lenoir. He was a Rotarian before he came to Lenoir in June with his wife, Elizabeth, who is also a minister and serves Littlejohn Methodist Church in Caldwell County. They have two children. Pictured are Jamie and his wife, Elizabeth, on the day he was inducted. Dr. Paul Warrick, EMT, and certified, American Board of Otolaryngology, who established Piedmont Vista Ear, Nose, Throat, Allergy, Sleep Associates, PLLC, was a speaker at a recent club meeting. Dr. Warrick, and his assistant, Clinical Audiologist Mandy Kelly, presented a

program on "Why Am I Losing My Hearing?" He stated that hearing loss is a common problem, and is due to the hair cell loss in the inner ear. Ms. Kelly said that 28 million people have hearing loss, and she spoke about the importance of hearing evaluations. She described the procedure for evaluating hearing loss, and said one should get checked every couple of years. She also mentioned the advancement made in hearing aids in recent year. (Pictured are Ms. Kelly, Dr. Warrick, and Laura Easton)

Three club members were recently awarded Perfect Attendance Pins: (left to right: Louise Bradshaw, Jack Mason, Mary Kidder) Louise Bradshaw ( 16 years), Jack Mason (11 years), and Mary Kidder (1 year). Congratulations to all! Debbie Mitchell, Principal, and Grayson Beane represented the Caldwell Career Center Middle College well with their recent Lenoir Rotary Club lunch program! Their presentation included an informative and enthusiastically designed video which showcased many of the career tracks available through their curriculum. Some of the technologies mentioned were biomedical, computer, construction,

architectural design, web design, networking and engineering!

14 artists who participated in Quickdraw

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter

Susan Strawn - Lenoir Rotary Club member, Tera Davis - Interact Vice President, Tiffany Davis - Interact President, Catlin Bush - Interact Secretary, and Debbie Mason - Lenoir Rotary Club President.

During a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Lenoir, three Hibriten students were guests of member Susan Strawn who is a volunteer for the Hibriten High School Interact Club. Student members of Interact participate in lots of service projects throughout the year at Hibriten, in the community or in conjunction with the Lenoir Rotary Club. The students shared their hobbies and interests and plans for their future education.

The Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley congratulates its new members! At the beginning of ’08, all of those members who have joined our club within the past year formed a committee and decided to take on a new project to benefit the club. The result was the highly successful Labor Day Fall Fling, a delightful Arts and Crafts Show. For artisans, craft lovers, and Cashiers area shoppers, the Fling, located in the Village Green Park in the center of Cashiers, provided an opportunity to share in the mutual appreciation of fine hand-made wares, munch a fresh grilled burger or hot dog, and watch Rotary in action. It was a fine beginning to the Fall season and proved to be a wonderful success for the town and for Rotary. School-in-session means a renewed opportunity to teach dental hygiene and prevention of tooth decay to Cashiers area youngsters. The Rotary Fluoride Project for Dental Health is beginning its second season, kicked off by free dental screenings for participating K-6 students at Blue Ridge and Summit Charter Schools. Initiated last fall in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project (sponsor of Cashiers’ Free Dental Clinic), this project works to prevent the all-too-common tooth decay and loss seen so frequently in the Appalachian Mountains. Meanwhile, the local chapter of Interact at Blue Ridge School has been actively organizing to find ways to demonstrate the Rotary motto of “Service above Self”. Early this month, the club held its big fundraiser, the annual Alumni Volleyball Jamboree. September 24 brings the induction of 15 new members at the regular Wednesday morning meeting of Cashiers Rotary. This Interact club has pledged to raise $1,000 over and above their usual budget to help fund the Rotary International PolioPlus initiative! Best of all, next month will mark the grand opening of the new fitness complex/playground at BRS. This ends a three-year effort by Interact to replace the old, worn out playscape at the school with state-of-the-art play and fitness equipment. Kudos to these young people for all their dedication and hard work!

Russell Majors and Ed Whitby

GREAT DISTRICT TRAINING On Saturday 13 September about 130 Rotarians gathered in the beautiful David W. Sink, Jr. building on the campus of the Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. After refreshments and fellowship and some inspiring remarks from Governor David, the Rotarians welcomed the seven Youth Exchange students from five countries who are staying in our District (who then left to go on a hike, but returned for lunch).

The group then divided, the larger part participating in a Membership Seminar led by PDG Jim Efland. Jim conducted a plenary session for all who attended, then split the Rotarians into three groups, representing the various size Rotary Clubs. There was a Small, Medium and Large club breakout session. The sessions concentrated on the essentials of recruitment of new members and, even more important, the retention of all members by involving them in meaningful service projects and new friendships within the club. The other part learned about making clubs better from DGE Carol King and PDG Chuck Troutman (concentrating on the new Club Leadership Plan). They also learned about opportunities to serve at the District level from IPDG Bill Shillito and PDG James A y d e l o t t e (concentrating on the District Leadership Plan). At the conclusion, nearly all signed up to serve on various committees and activities in 2009-10. All then returned for a delicious box lunch and good fellowship.

PDG James Aydelotte

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September 2008 District 7670 Newsletter ROTARY IN PICTURES

The week of September 8th the Rotary Club of Thermal Belt labeled over 300 dictionaries for distribution to third grade students in our area. They received help from ADG John Sheiry also. Each third grade student in 5 elementary schools will enjoy their dictionary for years to come. To date, more than 7.5 million students have received dictionaires in the United States.

Dr. Jay Adams was the guest speaker at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Thermal Belt. As well as being a member of the Rotary Club, Dr. Adams serves on Rotary District 7670 Governors Committee on Health/Hunger, Literacy, Water and Sanitation. In his "spare" time Dr. Jay is the brew master at a micro-brewery in Asheville, NC. Dr. Jay presented a program on beer tasting to Rotarians. Each Rotarian and guest tasted about 10-12 different kinds of beer that Jay has brewed. He gave an interesting discourse on the attributes, ingredients and alcoholic content of the various beers.

Governor David Sink visited The Rotary Club of Madison County on July 31st. His message about promoting membership, the Polio drive, and Honor Air was well received by our Club. The Club has already begun a promotion to identify World War II Vets in Madison County and hopes to send at least eight of them on the November 1, 2008 trip out of Asheville Airport. The Club feels that we can meet both goals presented by Governor David: increasing our membership by 5% and donating $1,000 to the End Polio Now promotion. On July 29th, DG David

Sink visited the RC of Waynesville-Sunrise and presented Paul Harris Awards. Left is Jim Nabors, Stacy Overbay and Steve Leonard and Jay Parmar, club president. Randy Rogers was not present but was one of four Paul Harris Awards recipient.

On August 18th, the Rotary Club of Thermal Belt Club donated 10 back packs filled with school supplies for third graders at Polk Central Elementary School. It is the Rotarians hope that each student begins the school year full of hopes and dreams and this contribution will help make them become real. Supplies were donated by Thermal Belt

Rotarians. Pictured above are the Club President, Pete Crandall and Dottie Kinlaw, principal of the Polk Central Elementary School.

Dr. Alfred Hamer talks with Linda Wilson, project coordinator for Even Start in Burke County, at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Burke-Sunrise. Even Start is based on the premise that parents and children can learn together to enhance each other’s lives. Rotary International encourages literacy educational opportunities.

Lisa Schell, from Raleigh, and Dr. Rance Henderson were guests of the Rotary Club of Burke-Sunrise. Henderson, past superintendant of the North Carolina School For The Deaf, is the first-ever person from Burke County to serve as a trustee for the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

Hickory Sunrise recently welcomed District Governor David Sink, Jr., during a visit in which he challenged, inspired and encouraged members to continue efforts and programs to benefit not only this community, but ones that will have a global impact as well.