Club Bulletin for January 3, 2012

Program

The program was provided by our own member  - Mark Reed who is the executive director of Special Olympics Iowa.  Mark is a graduate of Drake University and is married with three children.   Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 and is an organization for people with intellectual disabilities which through various sports competitions bulids greater self confidence, physical fitness and motor skills, positive self images, friendships and increased family support.

Special Olympics Iowa was started in 1974 and currently operates with a budget of $4.3 million and has several events throughout the year including winter events in Dubuque as well as events in Iowa City and Ames.  Special Olymipics has a great need for volunteers throughout the year.

Mark told the inspirational story of Kelly, an individual who has made great changes in his life as a result of confidence he gained as a result of Special Olympics.  Some of our club members volunteered at the national Specila Olympics games in Ames in 2006.

Three Miunute Speaker / Sgt. at Arms 

Ben Chiochon is a district director for Mid Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts.   Ben is from Spirit Lake and is a graduate of Northern Iowa.   He began his career with the Boy Scouts and has been located in Waterloo, Decorah and Davenport before recently relating to Des Moines.  Ben is married with a 4 year old son and is an acitve outdoorsman.  Ben quizzed the club on the background information on some of the candiates involved in the Republican Caucuses.

Announcements

There will be a Board meeting next week prior to the regular meeting.

The Iowa Energy / Polio Plus Basketball game is scheduled for 1/21/12 and will include two high schools games for the Valley High School boys and girls teams.  We are asking that members purchase three tickets for $25 apiece of which 1/3 will be donated by the Energy to the Polio Plus Campaign.

Last week 14 rotarians worked on the Bicyles project.