A Message from the Club President

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June, 2010

Wow!  Where has the year gone?  I want to thank the members for the honor of being president for 2009 - 2010.  I appreciate your faith in me.  I have enjoyed it tremendously.

I am pleased to report that we ended the Rotary year on a couple of high notes:

1.  Our fundraising finished strong.  We made $2357 on the Yard Sale, thanks to the tireless efforts of Chairperson Robyn Allen.  Many Rotarians helped out by donating items, picking up/delivering donations, and working the day of the yard sale.  I thank you all.

2.  We officially finished the Rotary year with a net increase of three members (we're "graded" as of March 31).  I thank our Membership Chairperson, Sam Shield, for his hard work in recruiting members and, along with Teresa Stewart, conducting the New & Prospective Member Orientation every month.  But most of all, I thank all the members who brought guests to our meetings.  I'm convinced if we can just get prospective members to the meetings, and they can feel our positive energy, hear about how we help our community and the world, and meet our great members, they'll want to join!

I am fortunate be handing the gavel over to super Rotarian Randy Reed.  Randy has assembled a cracker jack lineup of officers for his Administration.  I don't want to steal his thunder, but expect some good ideas from our new leaders.

May the good Lord continue to bless our club and the work we do.

Yours truly,

Kerby Moore

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May, 2010

We continue to enjoy terrific programs.  I truly appreciate the time and effort that Rotarians invest in securing quality speakers for our meetings.

Six exercise stations have been purchased for our "signature project" for the 2009 - 2010 Rotary year.  They are:  bounding bars, horizontal bars, push up stand, back extender, parallel bars, and sit up bench.  These are scheduled to be delivered and installed by the end of summer when the Town of Farmville completes the construction of the trail surface around Wilck's Lake.

As we head to the summer months, I encourage members to make the extra effort to keep their attendance rates up.  With vacations, travel, etc., it's easy to miss meetings, but please try to make them up.  As I am writing this, with only six weeks left in this Rotary year, we still have a dozen members in the running for the Jim Parker Perfect Attendance Award.  Amazing!

Sincerely,

Kerby Moore

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April, 2010

Our sincerest appreciation to the good folks at Charley's Waterfront Cafe.  Once again they have proven themselves to be great friends of our Rotary club.  They allowed us to host "Rotary Day" at Charley's on April 5.  They donated 10% of their proceeds to the club.  We received a check for $400!  Please go out of your way to say Thank You to Charley's.

Thank you to all Rotarians who stepped up to the plate to help sponsor this website.  Due to their generosity, this website has changed from a cost to the club to a revenue generator!  I encourage all members to visit our sponsors' advertisements and utilize their services whenever possible.

Also in April, our Club helped out our friends at Meals on Wheels.  We were one of the sponsors for their first ever Farmville Wine Festival fundraiser.  We provided half the wine glasses.  These glasses had our name, logo, and web site address.  Unfortunately, we did not have enough volunteers to actually have a booth as we had hoped.

Yours in Service,

Kerby Moore

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March, 2010

Welcome to our newest member Bob Murray!  Bob is the Internal Auditor at Longwood University and was sponsored by Russell Dove.  Bob is the sixth new member to join since July 1.  Let's keep our membership growing!

I'm very proud of our club.  When we passed the hat to raise money for Haiti, we raised over $600.  That's about 10% of what the entire district raised.

All members are reminded about two specific financial responsibilities our club has pledged:

1.  $4400 to the Foundation.  This figure is based on our having 44 members at the beginning of this Rotary year and each giving $100.  This is part of the ongoing EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) campaign.  You can either write your check outright or our Treasurer will be happy to add $25.00 per quarter to your invoice.

2.  $2000 Bill and Melinda Gates Challenge.  All Rotary Clubs, regardless of size, are asked to contribute an extra $2000 this year and next.  It will be matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates.  This money goes exclusively towards the eradication of polio once and for all.  You can either write a check for $50 or our Treasurer will be happy to add $12.50 per quarter to your invoice.

The deadline for the above two goals is June 30th.  So if you haven't given, please consider doing so and by the deadline.  Thanks!

Speaking of challenges, I'd like to remind the entire club of our "Prospect Challenge."  All members are challenged to bring one prospective member to lunch during the 2009-2010 year.  Well... the year is half over!  To date, only ten members have answered the call.  Looks like we might have a lot of folks spinning the Wheel of Misfortune" this July 1st!

Looking for a way to help your business and our club?  Please become a sponsor of this website.  The cost is only $50.00 per year!

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February, 2010

Due to yet another winter storm, our "Super Bowl Chili Bowl" fundraiser had to be postponed and thus became the "Valentine Chili Bowl."  My thanks to everyone who bought/sold chili.  We had a nine percent increase over last year!  Also, please go out of your way to thank the nice folks at Charley's Waterfront Cafe who gave us our ingredients at their cost.  Whenever possible, please reward Charley's with your patronage.  In addition to helping with the Chili Bowl, they participate in our Celebrity Cook Off, they're allowing us to host "Rotary Day" in April, and take very good care of us on Thursdays.

On a sad note, we say goodbye to one of the giants of Farmville Rotary, Tucker Doyne, Jr., who passed away February 9 at age 96, was an outstanding member for many decades.  He served as president 1962 - 1963.  Tucker brought great humor to our meetings.  He will be greatly missed.

Our annual awards banquet was February 18th at the Gee-Price Activity Center on the campus of Fuqua School.  Our Honorary Rotarian committee, chaired by Marshall Thackston, has made an outstanding recommendation which the Board unanimously approved.  Mr. Ralph Dews was our 2009 - 2010 recipient.  Mr. Dews truly lives his life by the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self."   Our big winners: 

(1) Outstanding New Rotarian - Kerry Mossler

(2) Rotarian of the Year - Doug McClure

A hearty welcome to our two newest members, Roman Nelson and Bob Frank.  This is Roman's first time being a Rotarian.  Bob, on the other hand, has six years of experience before moving to Farmvilleand joining our club.  Welcome to you both!

Kerby Moore

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January, 2010

Happy New Year!

Busy!  Busy!  Busy!

There's no other way to describe it as the Rotary Club of Farmville is headed into its busiest time of the year:

January 21 is our Celebrity Cookoff

February 6 is our Super Bowl Chili Bowl

February 18 is our annual awards banquet

Whew!  But I know we're up to the challenge! 

Speaking of challenges, I'd like to remind the entire club of our "Prospect Challenge."  All members are challenged to bring one prospective member to lunch during the 2009-2010 year.  Well... the year is half over!  To date, only six members have answered the call.  Looks like we might have a lot of folks spinning the Wheel of Misfortune" this July 1st!

On a solemn note, it is with sadness we say goodbye to former Farmville Rotarian Lawrence Sours who passed away at age 95.  He was a member of our club for many years after relocating to Farmville later in life.  In total, he was a Rotarian for over sixty years.  Lawrence is the grandfather of Farmville Rotarian Cannon Watson.  Lawrence will be greatly missed.

Yours in Service,

Kerby Moore

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December, 2009

"The best laid plans o'mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley."  Robert Burns.

What else can one say?  Consider:

We had the best laid plans for what could have been our most successful Salvation Army bill ringing ever.  We were scheduled for the Saturday before Christmas at both entrances to Wal-Mart for a full six hours (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)

Also, we had the best laid plans for our first Christmas party in a very long time.  We had secured the Old Mill Cellar (a very rustic setting which opens onto a huge deck overlooking the Appomattox River).  We had over three dozen to RSVP who all signed up to bring delicioius food.

But then the blizzard of the decade (at least) hits, dumping over a foot of snow on Farmville, and all events had to be cancelled.

I wish all members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Kerby Moore

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November, 2009

Our many thanks to Doug McClure for another excellently executed Pancake Breakfast.  Way to go, Doug!  I was extremely pleased at the incredible member participation.  We were very well staffed.

On a sadder note, we have lost two members whose schedules did not allow them to make meetings.  This means we now have a net decreasein membership since July 1.  We need to double our efforts to recruit new members.

Soon you will see a slightly different look to our website; i.e., you'll see advertisements!  At its November meeting, the Board approved allowing ads on our website in order to ensure the new website isn't costing the club money.  Depending on how successful we are, it could even be a money maker!  Club members will be given the first chance to advertise.

Yours in Service,

Kerby Moore

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October, 2009

On October 17, the Rotary Club of Farmvilledid our part to help one of our community's most worthwhile organization:  Meals on Wheels.  We had a boothat their annual cookofffundraiser.  Our chili recipe was voted "Crowd Favorite!"  My thanks to Rotarian Jeff Smithfor alerting the club to this event, provided the tables, and helped staff our boothnearly the entire day.  Way to go, Jeff!

Our one and only fall fundraiser, the Pancake Breakfast, has been moved to the second Saturday in November (Nov 14th), from 8 - 11 a.m.  Please click this date on our calendar for all the details.  Rotariansare asked to tell everyone you know - and sell tickets, of course - for this event.  Withthe economy being so slow, we'll have to work extra hard!

Thank you for all you do,

Kerby Moore

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September, 2009

Our club continues to grow!  We've recently added three new members:  Robbie Lester (sponsored by Randy Reed), P J Johnson, and Jackie Lester-Ghee (both sponsored by Rhonda Arnold).  Welcome to all!

A reminder to the club about "The Prospect Challenge" - every member has until June 30, 2010 to bring a prospective member to a meeting.  Anyone who does not will have to spin the Wheel of Misfortune!

Our thanks to Rotarian Doug McClure who again chaired our annual picnic at Wilck'sLake.  It was the largest picnic in my memory withover 50 folks attending.  And, of course, the food was delicious!  The main course was catered by Grady's BBQ along withside dishes and desserts brought by the members.  Yummy!

I am pleased to report, thanks in part to the Rotary Club of Farmville'sfinancial support, a new club has been started in our district.  The Rotary Club of Powhatan is the newest addition to District 7600 and has 35 members already.  I was proud to represent our club at their Charter ceremony on September 17.

Great news!  Our club has been awarded $1280 from the Simplified District Grant towards our "signature project" of creating a Rotary Fitness Trail in conjunction withthe new Sarah Terry Trail around Wilcks Lake.

Yours in Service,

Kerby Moore

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August, 2009

Our new Rotary year is off to a terrific start!  On July 9, we welcomed a new member, Jackie Paterson.  Her sponsor is Stephen Goldberger.  Welcome aboard, Jackie!

All members are encourage to make a special effort to attend on September 3rd for the official visit of the District Governor, Karlis Graubics.

Our annual club picnic is September 10th.  Members are encouraged to bring their families.  There will be no additional cost to the Rotarian for the picnic.  Reminder:  there will be no lunchtime meeting that day, so if a member misses the picnic, it needs to be made up. 

As of August 1, our club still has 39 (or 86.6% of our members with perfect attendance.  Way to go!  For the month of July, our club's attendance was at 74.5% which I feel is very good considering many members are away on vacation.

Thank you for all you do for Rotary, and therefore, our community.  Your service is greatly appreciated!

Yours in Service,

Kerby Moore

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July, 2009

Greetings!

I am honored and excited to be the President of the Rotary Club of Farmvillefor the 2009 - 2010 Rotary year!

My sincere thanks to outgoing President Sam for handing me the reins to a very healthy club.  Sam has worked tirelessly during his administration resulting in one of the smoothest years ever.  Under his leadership, we saw the introduction of two new fundraisers, the Pancake Breakfast and the Super Bowl Chili Bowl.  Our club's attendance rate grew from 58% to 80%.  He grew our membership when most civic groups are losing members.  If Sam actually counted all his time on behalf of Rotary this past year, his attendance would be 300+%!  Our hats are off to you, Sam, as you enjoy wearing that Past President pin!

The recent survey of our members shows that we're on the right track.  (My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to respond).  The fundraisers and service projects we do are, indeed, the ones our members stated they enjoy the most and believe to be most beneficial to our community.

Members will notice a few changes:

I.  Meetings begin at 12:00 noon sharp! 

II.  New web site.  Our utmost gratitude to Rotarian Jeff for singlehandedlycreating and maintaining our club's web site for years and years and years.  He's done an outstanding job.  We're switching to a vendor provided website because it allows multiple members to have access and keep it updated.

III.  Weekly wires.  Please expect a quick, concise e-mail from me at the beginning of each week to offer important bullet points on upcoming events, deadlines, etc., that need your immediate attention.  The purpose is to consolidate e-mails, rather than getting several each week from different officers.

IV.  Rotary Socials.  One item that came out of the surveys loud and clear was members wanted more social time together.  Therefore, for those who wish to participate, there is now a standing invitation to meet at Charley's on the third Friday of each month from 5:30 - ???.  Bring your spouse and prospective members! 

V.  Our "Signature Project" for this year is to install fitness course equipment along the Sarah Terry Trail which will go around Wilck'sLake.  This will be a high visibility project in the community.  It will give the club an opportunity to provide some "sweat equity."  Bothhigh visibility and sweat equity are criteria for receiving a matching grant from the District this year.

VI.  No more newsletter.  This website, coupled with timely e-mails, will serve as our primary means of keeping the membership informed.

I am open to your ideas and suggestions.  Two heads are better than one.  I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Kerby Moore