March 17, 2009

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

STRATFORD: - Meets Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at Forsyth Country Club
March 19: Kevin Baker with the Piedmont Triad International Airport-“What’s New at PTI”
March 26: Rence Callahan, partner, Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects "Moving Toward a More Sustainable Community"
April 02: Chris Murphy Chief Operating Officer and Strategic Manager for AFIRM “A Behind the Scenes Look at the Wake Forest Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM)”

WINSTON-SALEM ROTARY: - Meets Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Benton Convention Center
March 17: Bill Dean, Piedmont Triad Research Park, “Next Generation Research Parks”
March 24: John Medlin, “A Perspective on the Economy and Financial System,”
March 31: Classification Talks by Peggy Valentine, Sandlin Douglas and Robert Egleston

REYNOLDA ROTARY: - Meets Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Assembly Room of the LJV Coliseum
March 20: Dale Folwell, State Representative, will speak on “Issues Facing the NC General Assembly”
March 27: Classification Talks

CLEMMONS: - Meets Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m. at the Village Inn – Clemmons
March 18: Club Assembly
March 25: David Burr

WESTERN FORSYTH: - Meets Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Big Shotz Tavern in Clemmons
March 31: 6:00 PM Winston Cup Museum in downtown Winston-Salem. A tour and history of the Winston Cup and light appetizers

DATES TO REMEMBER:

March 19-21 – PETS
April 23-26 – District Conference at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort
May 28 – Spring Social

CONGRATULATIONS:

Please welcome our newest member to our club:
L.P. Hill
Classification: BANKING - BB&T, Vice President Business Services

ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEWS & INFORMATION………………

Propose a NEW Member:
Get all the information you need by going to the following link:
www.stratfordrotary.org/members/index.html

Sergeant-at-Arms for March is Alan Ruley.

Invocation Schedule:
Mar. 19- Susan Carson
Mar. 26- Perry Clark
Apr. 02- Carl Deaton
Apr. 09- NO MEETING

March 12
The District Governor presented us with a banner for being a 100% sustaining member club. Of 33,000 clubs only 417 were sustaining member clubs and in District 7690 there were only 27 of 50. Congratulations! You helped raise $110 million dollars last year for Rotary International programs!

PROGRAMS

March 05, 2009

Lane Ragsdale, Travel Industry Manager for the NC Zoo enlightened and entertained us as he talked about the treasure we have in the NC Zoo. Lane is also an accomplished singer and comedian working from NY to Atlanta, and has judged over 130 beauty contests, the latest was Miss Arkansas 2008.

We have the largest natural habitat zoo and the third largest zoo in the country behind the San Diego Zoo and one in Oregon. Sitting atop Purgatory Mountain in Ashboro there are more than 500 acres already developed that provide a 5 ½ hour walking tour of the park.

We are one of only two state supported zoos in the country, the other is in Minnesota. All school children visit the zoo free of charge, mandated by the State Legislature which also provides funding for the park along with the Zoo Society. Funding on par with last years would be most welcome. Last year there were 750,000 visitors!

Dr. Jones DVM, from London, believes in sustainability and green projects. There are 1161 animals in our zoo that have been rescued from roadside amusements and other less than optimal conditions. The Polar Bear was rescued from Puerto Rico and the Grizzly from Montana. There are over 41,000 plants with more than 1500 species NOT indigenous to N. America. Our Aviary is ranked one of the Top 10 by USA Today. Dr. Jones believes that animals are essential for our survival.

Now and Fall, when the weather is cooler, are the best times to visit the zoo both for your and the animals comfort. The animals are more active in cooler weather so you are more likely to see more of them. This spring they will open the first ever feeding station and you will be able to feed the Giraffes! How cool is that!

A successful breeding program is always at the forefront of any zoos priorities. Not only does it help to keep the genetic pool of animals across the country healthy and sustainable but who doesn’t want to see baby animals? They can be the biggest attendance draw available to a zoo. This past Valentines Day the Elephants and Rhinos were particularly amorous so who knows? Maybe there will be some large “babies” in the coming months to go and visit. If you haven’t been to the zoo lately, a lot has changed, so bring a picnic or buy food at the park and spend some quality time with the ones you love visiting one of the best Zoos in the country right here in your own backyard.


March 12, 2009

Margaret Mertz, Executive Director of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts spoke to us about how the Arts affect our economy. She has worked at the Institute since July 2004 and previous to that was the Dean of General Studies for the School of the Arts.

There are 5 ways to be a contributor to the arts, you can be an originator, produce products, deliver products, provide parts and facilitate or provide services. There are 9880 businesses with 135,000 employed and 23,000 self-employed. In a national study from 2005-2007, $55 million was spent in Forsyth County with a population of 325,000 with $70 million in household income. In comparison Guilford County, with a population of 443,519 spent only $13,834,631. The Arts are a critical part of Winston-Salem’s identity.

Most people working in the arts do so by freelancing. There are no healthcare benefits or insurance and they work gig to gig never knowing how long it will last or where the next one will come from. They work creatively; they are the risk takers and make something from nothing.

Several books were recommended by our speaker:
Sir Ken Robinson- The Element- Get it, Love it, Want it, Look for it
Patricia Martin- The RenGen Manifesto- Strong personalities to follow, more creative experiences for young people.
Dan Pink- A Whole New Mind- High Concept- what energizes creativity- High Touch- participating in the work.