Operation Hometown Outreach visits Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President, Connie Finton, Operation Hometown Outreach.

Warning: the Sgt. at Arms is being VERY creative with questions for fines. Be prepared for anything.

Connie Finton, a volunteer speaker for Operation Hometown Outreach, states that many people are moving away from farms and as a result “...many children do not know where food comes from.” She went on to report that when asked, many children will answer that they get food from McDonalds and others will say “the grocery store.” Fewer and fewer children are aware that the things they eat and drink are produced on a farm and are the result of lots of hard work.

The organization she belongs to, Operation Hometown Outreach, is trying to change that perception. One of their goals is to provide speakers to groups and reintroduce people to the farmers that supply the food in the grocery stores.

Finton is one half of a farm team. She and her husband own Carlene Farm in Tuscararus County. Carlene Farms produces safe dairy products for families .Their farm is family run with no outside help. Help is provided by three of her grandchildren who want to go into farming. The grandchildren will be the 5th generation of Fintons to work the Carlene Farm. Finton and her family consider themselves caretakers of the land and the animals they raise.

Holstein dairy cows are the heart of their farm. On average, the farm has a herd of 85-90 cows that are providing milk. Additionally, there will be a smaller herd of cows that are dry or are expecting calves. Taking care of this many large animals is hard work.

Good care is important because the cows represent a big investment and because the Fintons depend on the animals for their livelihood. Finton said that her family takes good care of their animals because “…it is the right thing to do,” and because if they don’t, the farm will not make any money

Her cows stay in an open sided building that provides shade. The building is furnished with a large waterbed which the cows love so much they don’t like to leave the building. The cows are milked twice at day—at 5:30 am and 5:00 pm. Milking takes about 3 hours for a herd of 90 cows. Dairy farming is a 365 day a year job with no vacations. Cows need milked every day—no exceptions.

Byesville Rotary meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, 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 Randy Launder, 740-685-8294.

Bright Beginnings and Byesville Rotary share interest in children’s literacy

Pictured: Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President and Lynne Beros, Director, Bright Beginnings Pre-School Program.

Chicken BBQ Saturday. If you aren't working, come byy and purchase a chicken.

Reading for next week: July Rotarian, "Our better angels,: pp. 30-35.

Lynne Beros, Director of the Bright Beginnings Pre-School Program offered by the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center, explained what her program offers to improve literacy skills in Guernsey County. Bright Beginnings provides early learning programs for pre-school children in the Cambridge, East Guernsey and Rolling Hills school districts and for schools in Noble and Monroe counties.

Byesville Rotary has strong interest in literacy and shares concerns for literacy development with Bright Beginnings programs. Rotary International encourages all Rotary clubs o become involved in literacy service projects. One of Byesville’s on-going literacy projects has been to provide dictionaries to each 3rd grade student in the Rolling Hills schools.

Bright Beginnings assesses a child’s development in several areas such as literacy, physical development and social and emotional development. If the assessment indicates the child would benefit from the Bright Beginnings program, the child is recommended for pre-school services. Many children qualify for the program free of charge based on their developmental need or their family’s income level.

Beros pointed out “…research indicates that the size of a child’s vocabulary at the time the child enters kindergarten is an accurate predictor of school success.” The larger the vocabulary, the better the child will do in his or her school career. Since 85% of a child’s brain develops by age 3, it is important for the child to begin developing literacy skills as early as possible.

In the state of Ohio about 30% of children entering Kindergarten need intervention services like those provided by Bright Beginnings. This means that almost 40,000 children whose literacy skills are below average enter Kindergarten each year. Intervention services offered by Bright Beginnings help a child develop important basic education and literacy skills. Bright Beginnings programs introduce children to many different kinds of books and encourage children to develop an interest in reading and writing.

Staff members at Bright Beginnings are licensed by the state of Ohio and are required to have professional degrees. The current staff of 58 includes teachers, aides, psychologists occupational and physical therapists, administrators, and a nurse. The Guernsey County staff is currently serving 475 students at various schools in Guernsey County.

For more information about Bright Beginnings programs and services, contact Carmen Feldner, 740-435-0320 ex 22, or Wanda Hockenberry, 740-435-0320 ex 30.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday 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 Randy Launder, 740-801-0017

Three Byesville Rotarians become Paul Harris Fellows

Pictured: Byesville Rotary Club’s newest Paul Harris Fellows: Oziel Jeffries and Shana Fair. Not pictured, Dr. Mamidi.

Oziel Jeffries, Dr. Mamidi, and Shana Fair were presented with the emblems earned by Rotarians who become Paul Harris Fellows. They were presented with a Paul Harris Medallion, a Paul Harris Fellow pin, and a certificate recognizing their commitment to the objectives and mission of Rotary International.

The Paul Harris Fellowship is named for Paul Harris who founded Rotary with three business associates. It was established in 1957 in honor of Mr. Harris. Rotarians become Paul Harris Fellows when they contribute $1000 to The Rotary Foundation. Funds from The Rotary Foundation are used for a variety of humanitarian and educational programs that save and invigorate the lives of people around the world and that enhance international friendship and understanding. This Foundation helps fund Rotarian efforts to provide food, potable water, immunizations and shelter for millions of people.

Monies from The Rotary Foundation return to local clubs when the club applies for a Simplified Grant. These grants are used by clubs to support local service projects. In the past, Byesville Rotary has used funds from the Rotary Foundation to support its annual Christmas Food Basket program.

Jeffries, Mamidi, and Fair join 13 other members of the Byesville club who are Paul Harris Fellows.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday 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 Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

Byesville Rotary holds Changing of the Guard Dinner for 2010-2011

On Thursday, June 23, Byesville Rotary held its Changing of the Guard Dinner at the Cambridge Country Club. Arrangements for the dinner were handled by Nellie Bichard and Marty Patchen.

At the dinner, Joe Waske, club president for 2010-2011, expressed his appreciation for club member efforts by presenting a flower and vase decorated with the Rotary symbol to each club member. He then turned the gavel over to Tanya Hitchens, club president for 2011-2012.

Officers also serving during 29011-2012 term are Oziel Jeffries, President Elect; Chuck Fair, Treasurer; Shana Fair, Secretary, Jim Vaughan, Sergeant at Arms; Marty Patchen and Randy Launder, Membership Chairs; Sharon Miller, Interact Advisor; Nellie Bichard, Speaker Chair. Larry Miller will join Jim Vaughan and Dr. Mamidi as a Board member.

During the dinner other members of the club were recognized for their contributions to Rotary. Over half the members were recognized for perfect attendance which means that members made the effort to attend the meetings or volunteered to work on a club projects. Oziel Jeffries, Dr Mamidi and Shana Fair were awarded Paul Harris pins in recognition of their contribution to the Rotary Paul Harris Foundation. Each made an individual contribution of $1000 to qualify for this award. Shana Fair was selected by the club members as Rotarian of the Year in recognition of the contribution this individual made to the club during the year.

After awards were presented, Dan Navicky, club historian, reviewed the highlights of the club year. These included providing over 120 families in the Byesville area with Christmas food baskets, co sponsoring a Health fair with SEORMC that served 125 local people, awarding 4 scholarships to3 seniors from Meadowbrook High School and 1 senior from the Mid-East Career and Techonology Centers Buffalo Campus.

The meets every Tuesday morning at 7:30 am 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 Randy Launder, 740-685-8294.