President Jamie Mitchell presided over the meeting. He opened the meeting by thanking everyone who was a part of last week’s Centennial Celebration. He also read a thank you card from Betty Lipscombe who expressed her gratitude for the love and affection our club had for her late husband Milam Cotton. She noted that Rotary was very meaningful to Milam.
Gene Owens gave today’s invocation. Mike McPhail led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thanks to Mallory Donald and Katie Anthony who served as our greeters today.
Brandon Hodges thanked those who helped with today’s meeting and then introduced today’s guests. Ellen Ramp is the guest of Steve Ramp. Kat Kimmel and Brett Harris are guests of Mike Ratliff. Mallory Donald has Mit Cole as her guest today. Mit is a prospective new member.
Erin Granberry noted that the District will award one point for each dollar donated to the Rotary Foundation from now until the end of the year. She also noted that any gift to the Foundation is tax deductible. Several club members already have points that can be given to another member. If anyone would like to know how many points they have, they should contact Erin.
Jim Prout noted that Christian Services will host their Thanksgiving Celebration on November 20th. Turkey carvers are needed to help carve the 19 turkeys that will be cooked on the 19th. If you are interested in assisting, please let Jim or Jamie know.
Katie Anthony then introduced today’s guest speaker, Mary Abraham. Mary grew up in Green County now lives in Hattiesburg. She graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing and had a nursing career. She is now retired and recently published her first book, Where the Creek Runs.
Mary noted that, based on her research, 81% of Americans have a desire to write or have a story they believe needs to be written. She began writing this “novel” in the summer of 2006. The book began with a nugget of an idea that was shared to her by a friend that related to a family she knew as a child. She didn’t write full-time but only when she had the opportunity. She also took two years away from the book to work on something important in her life. A few years later she realized that she had pinned about 60,000 words. Her research told her that a novel had to have a minimum of 80,000 words and that a new writer should not try to get something published with more than 100,000 words.
Mary had no name recognition and no writing credentials but had a book that needed publishing. She researched publishers and mailed part of a manuscript to a publisher who responded favorably. She worked with the publisher’s representatives for several months with hopes of getting the book published. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
She found two Mississippi authors that she thought might help. One actually has a publishing company in Brandon. She contacted him, and he immediately declined to help her. Several months later she met him at an event here in Hattiesburg and was able to convince him to help her, for a fee. She followed his advice until she felt that the book was ready to be published.
However, it didn’t have a cover and the ones offered through the publisher did not meet her expectations. He daughter came to her rescue by introducing her to someone in New York City that agreed to work with her on a cover. Several months later she had what she was looking for and within a few weeks, she had a pallet of new books in her garage. She self-published her novel.
Where the Creek Runs takes place in the 1900’s and is primarily set in Green County although it makes it way to Hattiesburg. It is now available at Main Street Books in Hattiesburg, on Amazon and in a couple of bookstores on the coast.
Jamie thanked today’s speaker and adjourned the meeting with your motto, service above self.