THANK YOU to Patrick Boley for volunteering to be our Youth Exchange Officer!
Tom Triplett has been the chair of the Program Committee for several years and has decided to give someone else the opportunity. Tom will continue to be on the Program Committee. Let us know if you are interested or have questions on what it involves.
Human trafficking is a nationwide public health and civil rights crisis. Its victims and survivors are everywhere, with each city and community being no exception. Rotary districts 5950, 5960, and 5580 are striving to increase awareness and promote prevention. January 2020 is National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month and January 11, 2020 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Please consider attending the Stillwater City Council Meeting on January 7th at 7:00pm. The Mayor will read a proclamation, requested by our Rotary club, declaring January 11th as Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Stillwater. Please contact our Club Champion, Katie Bang (cbang@lakeelmobank.com), if you have questions. Let’s all help raise awareness of this tragic epidemic, happening right here in our community.
Rotary historians have written that the Oakland (CA) Rotary Club’s sixth President, V. O. Lawrence was the first Rotarian in history to inaugurate a system of fines on latecomers at the weekly luncheons, enriching the club’s charity funds. From this practice evolved the birthday fine and bell ringer. In 1922, U.S. Rotarians organized an attendance contest; the challenge was that the losing clubs would join in giving the winning club a prize. The Rotary Club of New York City was declared the winner and to them was awarded as a prize a bell from a popular patrol boat, which was placed on wood that came from HMS “Victory”, Admiral Nelson’s vessel at the battle of Trafalgar. Since then, the bell used in Rotary meetings started to represent, as on the ships, order, discipline and the time to guide us through the weekly hour and a half meetings.
The bell informs us with its sound the beginning of the Rotary meeting, at which time people present should stand, same as at the end, in order to salute the national and Rotary flags.
The gavel symbolizes the authority invested in the Rotarian elected to the highest position in Rotary, and through him or her, reminds those present of his or her authority.
When presidents transmit their positions to their successors at the end of their mandate, they give the bell their last hit turning the gavel over to their successor, symbolizing the transfer of authority.
The sound of the bell has the power to charm, to amaze, to warn, and can be fun.
