Speakers were Jim and Dawn Tallman. Jim is a past District Governor, and now chairman of District Foundation grant program. He mentioned that our district has sent between $300-400,000. to India over the past 6 years when he has been chairman, and they travelled to India with Meena Patel and a group to see the results.India has 1.2 billion people in a space 1/3 of US, ranks second in world in population, surpassed only by China. While there, they visited a Microfinance Conference, which offers grants to women to start businesses and then sponsor others with profits, had 7000 women in one place to celebrate successes. Also got to be part of a Polio Day in which 160 million children were immunized on Feb. 1 nationwide. They toured many Rotary water and solar cooking projects, also a Deaf School and Pardata Pardadi school for girls who can learn a trade to support themselves, sponsored by Sam Singh, now moving to create a boys school with same idea. Plaques in many of his pictures mentioned Salem, Dover, and Jackson Rotary clubs in our district as sponsors of the project. Jim and Dawn gave a lot of information in a short time.
October 5 Brian called the meeting to order, invocation, God Bless America, and pledge by Karl Rein. Guests were Jim and Dawn Tallman from Niles Rotary, speakers for today. Tony Cebriak led singing of "America", a message of thanks was read from Diane Senedak, librarian at Woodside, thanking us for the wonderful and up to date books donated in honor of our speakers each week, which we will continue in Brian's term. Dictionaries were distributed by Toby to Rotarians who will deliver them this week. October 10 is Make a Difference Day nationwide, and we will be doing our Roadside Cleanup on Kirk Road that day, topping off the Dictionary Project as two positives for the same week. Meet at Smith Corners Church, corner of Rt. 46 and Kirk Rd., at 9:30 a.m., rain or shine, and teams will be formed to do the job, counts as a makeup for attendance. Interact students from Fitch will be helping too. After the cleanup, we will meet at Township Park for a quick picnic at the Celebration Grove for those who helped with the cleanup at 11 a.m., Brian passed around a signup sheet for food, drinks, and supplies. Chuck Baker gave a Rotary minute, spoke on being in St. Louis last week and meeting with a Rotarian, H. Bruce Montgomery, from Atlanta, Ga. who was among the 1000 attending, value of the Rotary pin in a group.Melissa Crowley fined anyone who wasn't helping Saturday, and only a few got up, so we should be well staffed. Chuck won the drawing, but no big card.Speakers were Jim and Dawn Tallman. Jim is a past District Governor, and now chairman of District Foundation grant program. He mentioned that our district has sent between $300-400,000. to India over the past 6 years when he has been chairman, and they travelled to India with Meena Patel and a group to see the results.India has 1.2 billion people in a space 1/3 of US, ranks second in world in population, surpassed only by China. While there, they visited a Microfinance Conference, which offers grants to women to start businesses and then sponsor others with profits, had 7000 women in one place to celebrate successes. Also got to be part of a Polio Day in which 160 million children were immunized on Feb. 1 nationwide. They toured many Rotary water and solar cooking projects, also a Deaf School and Pardata Pardadi school for girls who can learn a trade to support themselves, sponsored by Sam Singh, now moving to create a boys school with same idea. Plaques in many of his pictures mentioned Salem, Dover, and Jackson Rotary clubs in our district as sponsors of the project. Jim and Dawn gave a lot of information in a short time.