Erica Clouse wins Byesville Rotary Four-Way Test Public speaking contest

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President; Trevor Mourer, runner up; Erica Clouse, first place; Sharon Miller, Four Way Test Public Speaking Contest Speech Chair.

Reading for April 5: April Rotarian, "Rest Stop," p. 23, and President's Message.

Reminder--next meeting is a business meeting. Remember to bring your canned meat donation and individually wrapped candy to stuff Easter Bunny eggs.

Byesville Rotary held their club’s Four-Way Test Public Speaking Contest during the Tuesday morning weekly meeting. All students assigned to Meadowbrook High School as a home school were invited to participate in the contest.

The contest requires each student prepare and give a 5-7 minute original speech in which the student applies the Rotary Four-Way Test to everyday relationships. Students are evaluated on speech content, organization, and delivery.

The club awards were $150 to the first place winner, and $100 to as many as 3 runner ups. The winner of the Byesville Rotary contest will compete in the District competition on April 16. The District will award prizes of $1000, $750, and $500 to the first, second, and third place winners.

Rotarians believe that making business and personal decisions guided by personal ethics is important. They are confident that a person who consistently applies the Four-Way Test each day in business will also get into the habit of doing it in his or her home, social, and community life. Using the test helps a person become a better parent, a better friend, and a better citizen.

The Four-Way Test speaking contest challenges students to think about how personal ethics affects their lives. The 24 words the students are asked to present a speech on are:

1. Is it the truth?


2. Is it fair to all concerned?


3. Will it build good will and better friendships?


4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Three of the club’s members served as judges for the competition. Erica Clouse was selected as first place winner and Trevor Mourer as runner up.

Both are seniors at Meadowbrook. This is the third year Erica has participated in the Four Way Test competition. She plans to attend the Fisher College of Business at OSU in the fall. She will work on a double major in business accounting and agricultural communication.

Trevor will attend Mount Union in the fall. He plans to major in exercise science and hopes to own his own gym someday. He will also be playing football as a defensive end at Mount Union.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, April 5, 2011, 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.

Financial officer from Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities explains budgeting goals

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President; Stephanie Neuhart, financial officer for the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities; and Tanya Hitchens, Speaker Host.

Readings for next meeting: March Rotarian, "Pure Banerjee," p. 39 and "Breaking new ground," p. 42.

Club business:

• Four Way speech Contest will be held during next week's meeting.
• The Breakfast with the Bunny committee asks Rotary members to bring a bag of individual wrapped candy to be used to stuff plastics eggs for the kids coming to the Bunny Breakfast.

Stephanie Neuhart from the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) spoke to the Byesville Rotary about the GCDD’s efforts to do more with less. Ms. Neuhart stated that the GCDD has been developing and applying good money management skills in recent years. These skills will enable them to meet the challenges posed by state and federal budget cutting for the present budget cycle.

The GCDD budget is based on local, state and federal monies. Local financing is currently based on 2 levies: a 4 mil levy passed in 1990 and a 2 mil levy passed in 1999. The levies provide 55% of the Board’s income.

The goal of the GCDD has been to maintain services within their current budget by operating more efficiently and identifying ways to reduce costs. They have done well. Other county Boards of Developmental Disabilities are looking at the GCDD operation to identify best practices that they could apply.

One method GCDD is using to reduce costs is through staff attrition. Personnel are not being replaced as staff members resign or retire. Several years ago, GCDD employed 58 people full time with an additional 15-20 part time workers. In 2010, the number of staff was down to 53.

A second method GCDD uses to maintain services is to identify alternate sources of funding. When funding from real estate taxes dried up, GCDD began refinancing services with federal money and Medicaid dollars.

GCDD staff has also identified previously unused resources which can be used to provide funding for programs such as the new Bridges and Transition program. The goal of this program is to prepare clients to be integrated into the community. The program is designed to teach life and work skills to clients ages 14-22. Clients leaving the program will be prepared to be employed in the community.

One of the results of the Board's efforts to be efficient is that, unlike other county Boards, GCDD does not have a waiting list of clients needing services. Everyone requesting assistance has been provided with the services they need.

For more information about the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities and services they provide, contact 439-4451.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, March 29, 2011, 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.

Byesville Rotary learns Guernsey County families face homelessness

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President, Stephanie Laube, Multi-system Youth Coordinator for Creative Options; Stevie Fairchild, Ohio Valley Educational Service Center; and Bob Werner, President—Samaritan Center.

Club business:

• Reading: None assigned for next meeting.


• Breakfast with the Bunny committee is woking on this fundraiser. Members wanting to help, contact Phyllis Jeffries. Members are asked to donate a few dollars to Larry Miller to purchase plastic egg or bring in candy that will fit into the plastic eggs.


• Oziel Jeffries is this year's Chicken BBQ chair. The first BBQ will be held April 30. See Oziel to volunteer.


• Club members voted to donate $50 to Tanya so she can purchase non-perishable food items to be donated to the food drive being held at District PETS.


• The Four Way Test competitors will present their speeches at the March 29 meeting.

Program:



“Homelessness is an emotional issue,” stated Stevie Fairchild who works as Homeless Liaison for the Ohio Valley Educational Service. Emotions caused by losing a home are particular hard on the children and young people caught in this situation.

In Guernsey County, homelessness affects families who live in or who are related to families located in Guernsey. Most homeless children are members of a one parent family.

Fairchild describes a homeless person as a child or a young person who does not have a fixed and suitable night time residence, who is doubling up and sharing a house with family and or friends, or who is a runaway living on the street or with friends or relatives. In order to help the child, Fairchild begins by helping the parents.

Local statistics as of September, 2010, identified 138 Guernsey County children as homeless.

Homelessness is a multifaceted problem that affects many different areas of a person’s life. Dealing with homelessness and the problems associated with it involves many different agencies. Fairchild and Stephanie Laube work to link up homeless families with various social agencies, services and local organizations such as churches.

One of the local organizations they work with is the Samaritan Center for Transitional Housing. Bob Werner, president of the Samaritan Center, stated that his organization has two goals. One is to provide a temporary home for 6 weeks or more. This time will allow families to get back on their feet. The second goal is to teach families how to break the cycle of homelessness by learning skills that will enable them to help themselves. Families involved in the Samaritan program are asked to save a portion of their income toward a safety deposit and first month’s rent for a permanent home.

Werner reported that a house has been donated to the Samaritan Center to serve as transitional housing. Vandals stripped the unoccupied house of pipes, fixtures and appliances. The building needs work and about $50,000 worth of materials to make it livable. Werner estimates turning this house into a home will take 2 years.

Currently, the Samaritan Center is raising funds through local fund raisers such as a Soup and Dessert Luncheon being held at the St. Benedict Activity Center on March 11, 11:00-2:00.

For more information about meeting the needs of homelessness, contact Stevie Fairchild, 439-3558, of Stephanie Laube, 432-9271.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, March 15, 2011, 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 begins new service project

Pictured: Jim Vaughan, Shana Fair, Landscape Committee members, and Joe (Grizz) Smith, Landscape Committee chair.

No reading assignment for next week.

Guest: Devin Cork, secretary of Byesville Rotary Interact Club.

Business meeting:

• Members voted to give $3200 to District for EREY and to allocated 100 points toward Paul Harris to each member of the club listed on the July 1, 2010 SARS report.
• Members voted to authorize up to $450 for Four Way speech Contest prizes.
• Tanya reported that next year the District Governor will focus on hunger. He wants each club to be involved in 3 hunger campaigns and 3 literacy campaigns. Club Presidents Elect have been asked to bring non-perishable food items to the District Assembly. Tanya is asking members to bring food items to the next meeting.
• The club has been asked by the Relay For Life Planning Committee to select a club member to serve as an Honorary Co-Chair for the Relay this year. Joe asked for a volunteer.
• The Landscape Committee will meet next week after the regular meeting.

Spring is coming. Thoughts of Byesville Rotary members are turning to gardening. Under the leadership of Dr. Joe (Grizz) Smith, Byesville Rotary is making plans to upgrade the landscaping at the Rotary Gazebo at the corner of Main and 2ed. streets in Byesville.

Members of the Landscaping Committee, led by Grizz, have begun meeting and developing plans for the gazebo area. This area is used for a variety of activities. Club members want to insure that landscaping will enhance, not hinder, use of the area. The committee wants to design a landscape that will be easy to care for and will be visually enticing to people driving through town, walkers, and visitors to the village.

Some of the activities taking place in the gazebo include the use of the site for rest, relaxation, and reflection, for posting signs to be seen from the street, and for the Byesville Rotary chicken BBQ. Committee members want the area to be seen as a welcoming spot for public use and to present a visually positive image of Byesville from the street.

Projects being considered are to upgrade the current BBQ fire pit and redo the wood storage bin which has become an eyesore. Committee members would like to use plants to create a visual break between the next-door parking lot and the gazebo area. They plan to landscape the corner of Main and 2ed so that signs can be posted and be seen from a moving car easily. They also would like to ensure landscaping in this area allows for easy mowing around signs.

An important consideration in the new landscaping design will be developing a landscape that will be attractive through all four seasons. Perennials and annuals providing pops of color during spring, summer, and fall will be added. Plants chosen will need to be attractive in the winter.

The club plans to preserve the gazebo as a focal point. They will also preserve the mature trees already in the area and would like to enlarge the plantings near the row of Norway spruce at the rear of the area.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, March 8, 2011, 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

Members of SkillsUSA visit Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President; George Bell, SkillsUSA advisor; Denzel Davis, SkillsUSA President; Cory Hanning, SkillsUSA treasurer; and Dr. Joe Smith, Speaker Host.

Two students from Mid-East Technical and Career Center, Buffalo Campus, explained to the Byesville Rotary how the student organization, SkillsUSA, helps develop student skills and encourage all members to become active examples of the organization’s motto “Champions at Work.”

Denzel Davis is president of the Buffalo Campus organization. He is a senior in the dental assisting program. Cory Hanning, also a senior, is the treasurer. He is in the commercial art program. Both students plan to continue their education at a college or university. They were accompanied by George Bell, the group advisor, and Dan Coffman, Director of the Buffalo Campus.

The students, wearing distinctive red, SkillsUSA sports jackets talked about their recent trip to Washington DC. They represented the local SkillsUSA group at a leadership training conference. Trip requirements included that the students wear the official SkillsUSA jacket and have an “elevator speech” ready to explain the purpose of the organization when they were asked what the jackets represented. An “elevator speech” is a short—60 second—explanation of the SkillsUSA organization and its goals.

About 23 clubs were chosen internationally to attend the Washington DC Leadership Conference. The trip to Washington provided experience in many areas. Students attended leadership training sessions. Representatives from the Buffalo group visited Senator Sherrod Brown’s office and got experience in lobbying by presenting arguments for the continued support of the SkillsUSA program. Twenty three clubs, including the Buffalo Campus group, were chosen to participate in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

SkillsUSA is a vocational/leadership club for students. The goal of the organization is to help students enrolled in trade and industrial education develop leadership skills, create respect for the dignity of work, help students attain a purposeful life, and inspire enthusiasm for learning.

Every year new officers are elected to represent the student membership. SkillsUSA also sponsors competitions in each trade area as well as leadership skills. All of the elections and competitions are held at the local, regional, state, and national levels. These competitions inspire a desire for excellence in the group members.

If Denzel and Cory are an indication, the organization is successfully meeting its goals. The Buffalo Campus has 200 students participating in the SkillsUSA organization.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, February 24, 2011, 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.