January 22, 2005

Last Week’s Program...
Hal Norwood, senior sales and marketing director for the Louisville Bats AAA minor league baseball team, spoke to the club regarding the team and its impact on the city. The Bats is the top minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Slugger Field, home of the Bats, was constructed four years ago in downtown Louisville. According to Norwood, its presence has contributed greatly to the revitalization of the downtown area. The stadium, which houses two restaurants and a playground, is used year-round for events such as conventions, weddings, and festivals. The Bats organization strives to attract and retain fans with innovative promotions and a variety of ticket plans. Its goal is to provide entertainment that the entire family can enjoy and afford.

Norwood said minor league baseball is making a comeback. 107 new baseball stadiums have been built since 1995 and minor league baseball broke a record last year with 37 million in attendance. The average attendance at Bats games last year was 9,400, best in the International League and third in all of minor league baseball.

Attendance: 78

Highest Attendance This Year: 103

Invocation, Pledge & 4-Way Test: Noel Maddox

Fellowship Report: Bill Gabbert

Introduction of Guests: Junior Roby, guest of Tom Castlen; Bob Darrell, guest of Rodney Berry; Scott Norton, guest of Shirley Cecil; Gary Dennis, guest of Greg Longtine; Amy Whistle, guest of John Kurtz; Matt Wilmes, with the Louisville Bats.

Proposed New Member: Clay Ford, proposed by Jane Noble. Clay is with Money Concepts, a division of E.M. Ford.

Thought for the Week: "For it is in giving that we receive." ~ Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226), Recognized as having lived an exceptionally holy life.

ROTARY ANNOUNCEMENTS...
· The Owensboro Rotary Club Board of Directors will meet this Thursday, January 27, at 11:30 a.m. at the Campbell Club.
· Anyone interested in contributing to Rotary International’s long-term tsunami recovery efforts may do so through our club’s foundation. We’ll be accepting donations for the next two weeks and at the end of the month will send a contribution to RI’s Solidarity in South Asia Fund. 100% of the money donated to this fund will be used to implement long-term recovery projects that will help disaster victims rebuild their lives.
· This month OCTV is airing a program featuring Kirk Kirkpatrick, which includes a segment taped during Kirk’s presentation to our club in November. You can catch the program on Adelphia Cable Channel 51 on January 27 at 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
· Indoor Playground contributions and/or pledges may be mailed to Jeff Ebelhar, Owensboro Rotary Foundation treasurer, at the following address:
Jeff Ebelhar
100 W. Third Street
P.O. Box 1824
Owensboro, KY 42302-1824

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...      
Randy Spaw - January 27

ROTARY REMINDERS  
· Don’t forget to make up your missed meetings at Daviess County Rotary, 7 a.m. on Tuesdays at Heavenly Ham Restaurant in Towne Square North.
· Dave Silvert is the program chair for January.
· Robert Cook will be at the Fellowship Table during January.
· If you have an email address and are not receiving the Impetus online, or you have changed your email address, please send an email to kim@mediaworksadvertising.com and you will be added to the Rotary email address list.
· Log on to Rotary’s website at www.owensbororotary.org. You’ll find our current member directory, photos of new members, past copies of the Impetus, some interesting history, and more!

YOUR PRESIDENT SPEAKS:
This is the month for resolutions and new beginnings. According to the media and advertisers, we’re all supposed to be busy this month getting organized, getting healthy and getting thin. Whether or not we fulfill those expectations, January is a good time for some personal introspection. It’s a time we can re-commit to Rotary and give some serious consideration to what more we might be able to do for our club in this special Centennial Year.

I ran across this quote several years ago. It’s a good reminder of how commitment does make a difference.

COMMITMENT is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions, and the actions that speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none; coming through time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.

With all of us committing to work together for the good of our club and our community, we can't help but succeed!

Have a great week!

Pat

JANUARY IS ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH - HOW "ROTARY AWARE" ARE YOU?
Did you know…
that Rotary is organized at club, district, and international levels to carry out its program of service. Rotarians are members of their clubs, and the clubs are members of the global association known as Rotary International. Each club elects its own officers and enjoys considerable autonomy within the framework of the standard constitution and the constitution and bylaws of Rotary International. Clubs are grouped into 529 Rotary districts, each led by a district governor who is an officer of Rotary International and represents the RI board of directors in the field. A 19-member board of directors, which includes the international president and president-elect, administers Rotary International. While the Rotary International president is the highest officer of RI, the chief administrative officer of RI is the general secretary, who heads a staff of about 600 persons working at the international headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, USA, or in one of seven international offices around the world.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
February 2: Morton Holbrook - Prominent Owensboro attorney, author of judicial reform, civic leader.
February 9: Al Cross - Former Courier-Journal political reporter, Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky.
February 16: Helen Mountjoy - Member and former Chair, Kentucky Board of Education
February 23: Mitch McConnell - U.S. Senator

2004 - 2005
OWENSBORO ROTARY CLUB OFFICERS
President: Pat McFarling
Vice President: Bill Dexter
Past President: Jeff Ebelhar
Secretary: John Kurtz
Treasurer: Bob Nation
Directors: Tish Correa-Osborne, Todd Inman, Patty Drury, Tim Bradshaw, & Noel Maddox

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