Speakers

Jun 27, 2014
President Rhyan Anderson
Rotary Year's End

View entire list

A member of the Santa Catarina assembly receives a receipt from assembly president Roxana Dominguez after making a loan payment. Read more.

Celebrating success

President Rhyan's swan song is on Friday morning's agenda; he may actually sing it.

Rhyan has directed the club during this year of successful service, leading the way (and paving new ground) for the administrative team that will assume direction when the new Rotary Year begins on July 1. From United Way's Day of Caring to Relay for Life to Honeyfest Bike Tour to Flags for Scholars, Rhyan has been a hands-on leader, cut from the same pattern that yielded the leaders who founded the Burleson Rotary Club more than 30 years ago. Friday's program will celebrate Rhyan's leadership, and it will definitely be a day NOT to miss.

Flags for Scholars demonstrates one of the major changes Rhyan helped to implement this year. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts have relieved Rotarians of much of this project's physical demand, to the great relief of a good many Rotarians! This new cooperative effort has potential to increase income, which means more and better scholarships for Burleson students. The Scouts benefit, as well, earning money for their own good projects and activities.

Nick is with Boy Scout Troop 11, and Ethan is with Cub Scout Pack 11. Both Troop and Pack have their own flag routes.

Photo courtesy Griselda Finestead

Rhyan will pass the gavel to President-Elect Manuel Trevino at the end of Friday's meeting. Burleson Rotary remains in good hands, and RY2014-2015 promises to carry on the traditions of service for which the club has been recognized for more than three decades. Thank you, Rhyan and team, for your leadership and your great work.

Polio detected in sewage sample near São Paulo

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in a sewage sample collected in March 2014 near São Paulo, home of this year's World Cup. Brazilian authorities are conducting further investigations to rule out any local spread, but at this time no cases of polio have been reported in Brazil, which has been polio-free since 1989.

"The detection of poliovirus in sewage from Brazil underscores what Rotary and its partners have long known: in today's global society, if polio exists anywhere, children everywhere are at risk," says Rotary's International PolioPlus Committee Chair Dr. Robert Scott. "However, Rotary emphasizes that there is no case of acute polio in Brazil at this time and going forward is monitoring the situation very closely."

Brazil's most recent nationwide campaign was conducted in June 2013 and is reported to have reached 93 percent of children in São Paulo State. Routine immunization coverage rates are reported to be above 95 percent.

Surely you jest

The rabbi and the priest met at the town's annual picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter.

"This ham is really delicious," the priest teased the rabbi. "You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but you just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs. Hall's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, when are you going to break down and have some?"

The rabbi looked at his friend with a big grin and said, "At your wedding."

My wife says I'm way out of touch with the world. Me thinketh she doth speaketh poppycock!

Barman says to Paddy, "Your glass is empty. Would you like another one?"

Paddy replies, "What would I want with two empty glasses?"

Service Above Self