Byesville Rotary learns the Guernsey Co. Opportunity Center is not just about jobs

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President, Sue Thomas-Sikora, Manager and Marie Schockling, Program Co-coordinator from Guernsey Co. Opportunity Center, Rich Dair, Speaker Host.

Readings for Sept. 28 meeting: September Rotarian--

• President's message
• Rotary Stories, p. 48.

Established in 1998, the goal of the Guernsey County Opportunity Center is to get people re-employed and back to work. Sue Thomas, Manager of the Center, pointed out that the Center provides “…a one stop spot” for people seeking jobs to begin their search.

The Center works with both job-seekers and employers. An important responsibility for staff members is to provide support services to job seekers. The services offered are aimed at meeting a variety of needs such as customized training programs, help writing resumes both paper and on-line, sponsoring job fairs, and wage subsidy programs.

People who are actively looking for work are offered support services to help provide for basic needs and to reduce emotional stress while the job seeker looks for re-employment. These services include referrals to child care providers, transportation assistance, and referrals to other agencies providing help to provide basic needs.

A second responsibility of the Center is to work with employers. Staff members work with businesses to provide on the job training for newly hired employees. They also work with at risk businesses to develop strategies to help the business avoid closing or downsizing. If a company does close, Opportunity Center staff works with both the company and employees to manage the closing process, to reduce harm to employees, and to help them find reemployment as quickly as possible.

The Opportunity Center is a fully funded government agency with a civilian advisory board. Services are offered free to community members. The Guernsey County Opportunity Center is located in the Willett-Pratt Center on the Zane State Campus in Cambridge. More information is available at 740-432-2381 or http://www.guernseyworks.com/

Byesville Rotary’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, September 28, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Larry Miller, 740-439-2767.

District Governor recognizes Byesville Rotary commitment to “Service above Self”

Pictured: Bill McCoach, Assistant District Governor; Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President, Calvin Gebhart, District 6690 Governor.




District 6690 Governor Calvin Gebhart described 4 qualities that make good Rotary clubs great. He identified the qualities as, “…a spirit of service, the belief that each individual club is an important part of Rotary International, club members’ willingness to support Rotary service goals by supporting the ‘Every Rotarian Every Year’ program, and the recognition that one person can make a difference.”

The “spirit of service” is basic to all Rotary members. People who join Rotary are people who want to contribute to their local community and to work toward improving people’s lives around the world. Some Rotarians serve by donating money; some serve by donating time and effort to insure service projects are implemented.

Individual member contributions provide the foundation on which every Rotary service project is based. One way to participate as an individual is through the Every Rotarian Every Year program. Rotarians are encouraged to give $100 every year. Without individual donations from thousands of Rotary members, Rotary would not be able to finance local and international service projects such as the eradication of polio.

McCoach is “…glad to have the opportunity to see all clubs in District 6690 involved in service.” He noted that Byesville Rotary projects such as scholarships to local high school students, the Christmas food basket program, and support of the Dickens Victorian Village and the Byesville Scenic Railway are examples of service projects that “…build the spirit and resources of the local community.”

McCoach supports each club’s efforts to serve. He listed Rotary programs that benefit from individual club involvement—Rotary Youth Leadership Award, sponsorship of Rotaract (college students) or Interact (high school students), and the eradication of polio campaign. Additionally, local District 6690 clubs can support Lifeline of Ohio or “Kick Cancer” campaigns.

Byesville Rotary’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, September 21, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Larry Miller, 740-439-2767. More information about the Byesville Rotary can be found at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com

Byesville Rotary learns about the passion and vision of founder Frank Harvey’s The Living Word

Katrina Mazaher, general manager of The Living Word Outdoor Drama, outlined to Byesville Rotary members how the passion play of Christ came to the Cambridge area and its plans for the future.

Frank Harvey had a passion for drama, but was equally passionate about religion, so he decided to combine the two.

He was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and while in Atlanta, Georgia, he directed his first passion play at the Atlanta Stadium. Surprisingly, and for the first time, he cast a black man to play Jesus Christ. Ebony Magazine at the time said the event undoubtedly saved Atlanta from all the civil disobedience going on at the time.

In late 1972, on land that he and his wife owned, construction began. It is still at the same location—6010 College Hill Road.

From humble beginnings, the first set was built by area volunteers and was ready for its first performance in 1974. Today, it is a far cry from that first performance. The sets are bigger and better. There is a new welcoming center and a new parking lot capable of handling the large tour buses. According to Mazaher, it is an ongoing challenge to make it bigger and better. Something new is the introduction of different plays to be performed, like The Sound of Music. Other musicals and dramas are planned for the future.

The outdoor drama begins the last week of June and runs through the end of September. The concession and gift shop open at 6:30 pm followed by a set tour at 7:15 and the performance at 8:00pm.

Byesville Rotary will next meet 7:30 am, Sept. 7, at the Stop Nine Senior Center, 60313 (GPS use 60299), Southgate road, Byesville. To learn more about Byesville rotary, call membership chairs Marty Patchen, 685-3828, or Larry Miller, 439-2767.

Byesville Rotary welcomes new member

Pictured: Marty Patchen, Membership Chair; Barb Dair, new Byesville Rotarian; Larry Miller, Membership Chair.

Readings for next meeting:

September Rotarian, "Fragile resilience," p. 42.

Important dates and events:

• District Governer's Reception and Business Meeting: Monday, September 13, 6:30, Colonel Tayler Inn.


• District Governor Rotary meeting visit, September 14, 7:30 at Stop Nine Senior Center; breakfast will be provided.

Please note date corrections and cancelations:

• Sept. 11 Chicken BBQ--CANCELLED


• Red Cross blood donation drive--Sept. 15.


• Dairs Rotary social--Sept. 18.

Marty Patchen and Larry Miller, Membership Co-chairs, introduced new member, Barb Dair, to the members of the club. Barb has been an unofficial member for some time. She often joined her husband, already a member of the Byesville Rotary, to help out at fundraisers such as the club’s Breakfast with the Bunny and Breakfast with Santa.

Club members also welcomed visiting Rotarian, Daniel Kebede. He is a member of the Redman Rotary club located in Seattle, Washington. He shared details of his club’s biggest fundraiser—The Redspoke Bicycle Tour (http://www.redspoke.org/). This is a 5 day, 300 mile tour from Redmond to Spokane. Each rider must donate a minimum of $625. The tour is limited to the first 100 riders to register. According to their web-site, they have already begun planning for next year’s event and already have quite a few corporate sponsors.

During their monthly business meeting, Byesville Rotary members approved donations to the Masonic Learning Center, Cambridge Performing Arts, Rotary International Rose Parade Float, and the Dickens Victorian Village to support maintenance of the coal miner manikins at the Byesville Scenic Railway depot.

Byesville Rotary’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, August 17, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Larry Miller, 740-439-2767.