Club Minutes: February 28, 2017
Posted on Mar 06, 2017
President Jaclyn Adams presided over the meeting. Thanks to Gene Owens who gave the invocation and to Bill MacLauchlan who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thanks also to Kemi Simmons and Chris Dunkley who served as our greeters today. Tracie Fowler recognized our visitors today. Jermaine Brown is a guest of Jerome Brown as is Cheyenne Trussell.
Jaclyn asked that we remember Susan Slaughter...
and her family due to the loss of their husband and father, Jay Slaughter. She also reminded members of the upcoming District Conference which will be held in Mobile May 19 – 21. Districts 6840 and 6820 are combining their regional conferences. The food-fest will be held at the USS Alabama.
Samantha McCain reported that the Children’s Center event this past weekend sold more than 300 burger plates and had a total of 417 runners. She thanked our club members who assisted with the project, keeping alive the partnership between our club and the Children’s Center.
Kory Moore thanked club members who are participating in this weekend’s golf tournament supporting William Carey University students. Thanks to Allen Anderson with Anderson Design Center for stepping up to be the Champion Corporate Sponsor. Volunteers are still needed so if you’re interested, please see Kory.
Volunteers are still needed for the Meals on Wheels program. A sign-up sheet is being circulated. If you are interested, please take a route.
Jaclyn reported that our club has received a $1,000 donation from the McComb Rotary club. The money will be deposited to our disaster relief reserve fund. The donation was made to assist with tornado relief.
Mary Cromartie and Mary Ariail were asked to come forward. Dr. Ariail was introduced as our newest Rotary club member. She is recently from Atlanta, Georgia and now heads up a department at the University of Southern Mississippi. She has two children and is excited about being a member and a participant in our club.
Erin Granberry then introduced today’s guest speaker, Rick Cleveland. Rick, a native of Hattiesburg, is the most decorated sports journalist in Mississippi history. He has a 40 year career as a sports editor and columnist. Twenty-six years of his life and career have been right here in Hattiesburg.
Rick noted that he has always had a great interest in sports. His father, Ace Cleveland, was employed by USM athletics and was a proctor in the athletic dorm. Living on campus, Rick had the football field, the sports arena, the baseball field and swimming pool as his back yard. He also acknowledges that he picked up some very colorful language while hanging out with the older and more seasoned athletes.
During his career he has seen many of the “sport greats” come through Mississippi. He watched and reported on many during their high school, college and then professional careers. Some of them include Walter Peyton, Jerry Rice, Archie Manning, Steve McNair, Ray Guy and Brett Farve.
Of the athletes he’s reported on over the years he says Walter Payton and Archie Manning are the two who he would have to say that he was the most impressed with. He says pound for pound Walter Peyton was the best athlete in history. Archie Manning brought class to the sports arena according to Rick.
Mississippi may be on or toward the bottom in many of the statistics quoted today. However, our state leads (per capita) in the number of players named in the Hall of Fame and has the most NFL players of any other state in the union. He encouraged Rotarians to go visit the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson.
With no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned by Jaclyn with our motto, “Service Above Self”.