June 2, 2001 

Last Week’s Program... 
- Gay Lynn Lyle (Owensboro Public Schools) and Renee Ireland (Daviess County Public Schools) 
Fred Reeves, Chairman of the Readifest/Youth Fund committee, gave a brief history of Rotary’s involvement with Readifest prior to introducing this week’s speakers. Years ago, Larry Hager identified a need within the schools to assist kids who had emergency needs but whose families could not afford to meet those needs – broken eye glasses, tooth aches, lack of clothing, etc. Larry, through the Hager Foundation, pledged $5K if Rotary would match it and fund an emergency fund for the school systems. Rotary did. Later, when the Family Resource Youth Services Centers identified a need to provide “necessities” to kids at the beginning of school, Larry, again, offered to pledge $5K if Rotary would match it and help fund Readifest. Rotary did. This past year, the Rotary board voted to combine the Rotary Youth Fund and Readifest contributions and make a single donation of $20K (including Larry’s $10K) to the school systems to help fund Readifest and emergency needs of students. Rotary also committed to provide volunteer assistance at each school’s Readifest and help secure supplies and door prizes. The schools graciously agreed to rename Readifest “Rotary Readifest.” 

Gay Lynn Lyle coordinates Readifest for OPS and Renee Ireland for DCPS. They reported that Readifest is a program of the FRYSC’s that was designed to improve back to school preparedness and has been an extremely successful program. The goal of Readifest, beyond meeting basic needs, is to enhance attitudes and motivate students. You might say the goal is to remove “need” as a distraction and obstacle to learning. Readifest is designed and implemented to provide students from preschool to 12th grade with the opportunity to receive needed goods and services, such as school supplies, haircuts, vision and dental screenings and immunizations, all at one site. 

Many local agencies provide services, goods and information. Readifest 2000 reached 3,226 city and county students. Over 270 volunteers worked the two events. 70 agencies had booths and over 80 businesses donated items or services. The total cost of the 2 events was $18,300. This cost did not include money used from the emergency funds. This year’s events will be held on July 23 at the Sportscenter and on July 31 at Burns Middle School. Rotarians are urged to volunteer on those days. 

Attendance: 95 

Highest Attendance This Year: 117 

Invocation, Pledge & 4-Way Test: Hugh Gilbert 

Fellowship Report: Donna Risley 

Introduction of Guests: Mills Brockman, guest of Kirk Kirkpatrick; Andy Groves, guest of K.C. Thomaskutty; John and Drew Kirkland, guests of Drew Kirkland 

Thought for the Week: 
“We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it.” - William Osler 

SPECIAL EVENT!! 
The Rotary Gala will be held June 28 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Owensboro Country Club. Please plan to join us for a night of food, fun, and fellowship! 

YOUR PRESIDENT SPEAKS: DOE’S EATS 
Please permit me to take the liberty of using this week’s column to tell you about a place I went during last week’s vacation to Mississippi. (That’s right, Mississippi; not everybody wants to go to Paris to get their culture.) Some people plan trips to see wonders of the world, like the Eiffel Tower. Some like our natural wonders, like the Grand Canyon. And, then, of course, there are the golfers. Me? I love to go to great places to eat! And I really picked a great place this year: Doe’s Eats in Greenville, MS. 

Now, understand that “great” to me doesn’t mean a place that cooks fine French cuisine or has fabulous décor. And, it definitely doesn’t mean one of those places where the menu has items with those little “hearts” next to them. In fact, the food I like would more likely have little cans of Crisco next to them. While quality is important, quantity isn’t far behind. 

Doe’s Eats was once, decades ago, a grocery store. It is now an old, white-washed restaurant open only at night. When you walk in the front door, you are in the kitchen where they cook the steaks. The broilers are at the left. At the right is an old tamale machine. As you step through this very small kitchen, you enter another small kitchen where cooks are peeling and frying french fries. No store bought fries. And, no fancy frying equipment. Just big black iron skillets filled with fresh cut potatoes. The cash register is also in this room. You are then taken to a room to the right of this second kitchen where there are 6 tables. 

Forget about the “hearts” next to menu items. There is no menu. Your choices are straightforward: A 2 lb. T-bone, a 2 ½ lb T-bone, or a 5 ½ lb Porterhouse for 2. With that you get french fries accompanied with ample steak grease (wow, just like mama used to make!). Since tamales were the first food items offered at the grocery store, they are still served. When we were there, they had 6 huge pots of tamales boiling on the stove. All but what was being served that night were already being packaged in 1 gallon tin cans for take out. 

I have found my Eiffel tower. It is shaped like a big steak at Doe’s Eats. And this is one wonder of the world I definitely intend on visiting again! 

Have a great week! 

Sim 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 
• VOTING ON THE BIG PROJECT - JUNE 6 
We will have three 10-minute presentations and then vote on 1 project. Only those present will vote. A run off will be held if a project doesn’t get 50% of the vote. 
• If you have an email address and are not receiving the Impetus online, please send an email to kim@mediaworksadvertising.com and you will be added to the Rotary email address list. 
• Here are a couple of Thank You notes from our Laswell Scholarship Award Winners: 

Dear Mr. Gardner & other Rotary friends, 

I could never express in words how honored I am to be named a Tom Laswell Scholarship recipient from the Rotary Club of Owensboro. 

Hearing all of Mr. Laswell’s accomplishments during your meeting last week, helped me realize how truly fortunate I am to receive a scholarship in his name. Your generous scholarship will be very helpful to me in my pursuit of a higher education. Thank you again, for the confidence you have placed in me!

Sincerely, Nicole Scharber 

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Dear Mr. Gardner & all Rotarians, 

I would like to thank you for awarding me the Tom Laswell Scholarship. You can’t imagine how surprised I was when my guidance counselor informed me I had just received $1,000 for my first year of college. I can’t thank you enough for contributing to my future education. 

Sincerely, Jillian Conkright 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... 
Bill Jones - June 2 
Jean Wells - June 6 
Bill O’Bryan - June 7 
Doug Wetzel - June 8 

ROTARY REMINDERS... 
• Don't forget to make up your missed meetings at breakfast Rotary at 7 on Tuesday mornings at Moonlite Barbecue. 
• The Program Chairman for June is Malcolm Bryant. 

Please mail any questions, suggestions, or comments regarding the Impetus to: 

Mike Wallace 
MediaWorks Advertising, Inc. 
One Executive Boulevard 
P.O. Box 1866 
Owensboro, KY 42302 
Phone: 270-684-4554 
Email: mike@mediaworksadvertising.com

DEADLINE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE IMPETUS IS THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO MONDAY'S PUBLICATION DATE. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS 
June 13: PRIDE - The Beautification and Appearance of our community 
June 20: President’s Annual Awards 
June 27: No Meeting due to Gala on June 28th

IN THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE “CAN’TS” AND THE “CANS” IN ROTARY, THE “CAN’TS” HAVE NEVER WON A SINGLE PERMANENT VICTORY TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE BROAD VISIONS, THE NOBLER PURPOSES, HAVE ALWAYS WON. MESSAGE TO 1930 RI CONVENTION CHICAGO, IL 

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