Rep. Nancy Boyda speaks to the Topeka Rotary Club

United States Congresswoman Nancy Boyda was today's guest speaker at the Topeka Rotary Club. Boyda spoke on many of the issues before Congress and her vision for the future. A more complete report will follow in the April Rotopeka.

March Rotopeka is Online

The March issue of the Rotopeka is on its way to the printers. But you can read it here first. This month focuses of course on the governor's speech and other Rotary programs around the world.

Upcoming Social Programs

AN EVENING AT THE THEATER

With the success of last years social at the Topeka Civic Theater we are setting up another for this year. It will be planned for April of May for the performances of Macbeth or Noises Off, stay tuned. (Note: If you are a season ticket holder with TCTA you can use you season ticket toward the show the club will see.)

SPRING TIME AT SPIRIT LAKE
This spring we are looking to have a club gathering at Spirit Lake Resort. An afternoon of fun, friendship and barbeque in a nice relaxing setting. Stay tuned for more details.

THE CLUB ANNUAL MEETING
Hold the date June 26, 2008. This is the date for our club’s annual meeting. Because of work at the Topeka Country Club we are moving the location. Stay tuned for update.
If you have ideas, suggestions or questions contact William Beteta (785) 250-8773 or wmbeteta@sbcglobal.net

Message from the President

Dear Fellow Rotarians:

For my message this month, I’d like to share excerpts from a letter to club Presidents from Rotary International President, Wilf Wilkinson. President Wilf has set increasing membership for Rotary International as one of his goals – a goal our club has embraced. Although we have some wonderful new members, we have not yet gained the “one net new member” required for a presidential citation this year.

Here are the results to date:
16 New Members since July 1, 2007 - Max Clayton, Sharad Doshi, Bucky Gaudreau, Johnny Huffman, Terry Iles, CindyLuxem, Todd Payne, Terry Sandlin, Maggie Warren, Jason Adair, Jose Davis, Jamie Dean, Travis Maurath, Elizabeth Page, Brady Robb, and Kathleen Williams

19 Resigned/Death since July 1, 2007— Pete Doll, Steve Durrell, Duane Fager, Dale Garrett, Dan Lassley, Mary Martell, John Martin, Frank McGrath, Don Rankin, Tony Sawyer, Debra Snow, Candace Stephenson, Bob Wheeler, Debbie White, Breta Bloomberg, Ros Cofran, Gary Dick, Claudia Larkin, John Pinegar
President Wilf states:
“Growing our membership is all of our responsibility (Member Recruit Member) and we must get that message across to our club colleagues. Through the first six months of this 2007-08 Rotary year (July through January, 2008) we have experienced a slight increase of 1,240 net new members.

“I challenged every Rotarian to bring in at least one new member. Have you met my challenge? Have you served your club or district by promoting membership growth whenever you can? We need your continued good efforts if we are to achieve our goal. Most clubs lose 5% to 10% of their members each year so we must replace those we lose and add new members to reach the membership growth Rotary needs to succeed. As a reminder, my Presidential Citation requires each club to gain one net new member by March 31, 2008. It would be a shame for the rest of the good work your club is doing to not be recognized because this membership goal was not met! Thank you for all you are doing to make Rotary the premier Service Organization in the World.”

Won’t you talk to your friends and colleagues about Rotary? Our policy allows you to bring a guest, and if that guest is a potential member, the club will pay for the luncheon fee. Membership applications are on the table in the back.

Help us Share Rotary!
Joan Wagnon

Protect yourself from scams

Story by Roger Aeschliman
It’s a big scary world out there. There are truly monsters who seek to take advantage of the unwary or infirm. Most commonly today these monsters are called scam artists and the steal from the elderly.
That’s one message from Joe Molina, Assistant Attorney General in the anti-trust division of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. The other message is that scammers can be defeated with some common sense methods and vigilance. Molina spoke to the Topeka Rotary Club in February bringing an informative slide show and a subtle sense of humor.
Key points for protecting yourself and your loved ones from scams include:
· Recognize scammer patter. Scammers know how to paint a picture over the telephone with one hand and reach into your wallet with the other. Real people with real offers want to meet in person.
· Don’t be rushed. A scammer wants a decision now and will pressure you. Real offers don’t come with urgent deadlines.
· Don’t be lured in by people asking for help. One of the greatest attributes of Americans is that we like to help people. Scammers know this and take advantage of it.
· Shred everything. Or at least all financial and family records.
· Some one offering you money over the phone or by e-mail is a scam. Bottom-line!
· Someone offering you a valuable prize you have won in exchange for shipping and handling fees is a scam too!
A final category of fraud is in home repair. Most commonly these are Door-to-door contractors offering “free inspections” and recommended home repairs. They take a large down payment/deposit and disappear; quote low price and raise it after work starts; con you into using your home as collateral; or even the rougher act of one person distracting you while another robs your home.
Molina encouraged everyone to feel free to contact his office for assistance if they suspect fraud or a scam, 296-3751.

From the Editor

I wrote several months ago about sharing. It is, as you might remember, the theme for Rotary this year. There are many different ways in which you can share, I wrote, but I guess I forgot at least one.

Another way to share with Rotary is to speak to another Rotary club, which I had the opportunity to do earlier this month when I was asked to present a program on the Kansas Mission of Mercy dental project at the Independence, Kansas Rotary Club.

I enjoy every opportunity I have to speak about this project and to speak about it at a Rotary club is even more special. But for me, the real pleasure was speaking to a Rotary club in the town in which I was raised and having the privilege of sitting at the head table with my parents who came to hear me speak.

While speaking, I realized just how important that Rotary is to me and how much I enjoy the opportunities Rotary has already given me, a thirty-six year old, who has already had the chance to serve three years on the club’s board of directors, and now a four year editor of the Rotopeka. I hope that someday to have the chance to travel the world and see the work that Rotary has done.

Each week, Rotary has something new and unique to offer and we can share the Rotary experience with a new member. President Wagnon writes this month about the Presidential Citation Award. One of the requirements is a very simple “one net new member.” So far, we are down. So on page 6, I have brought back the “membership thermometer” to show where we stand and where we have let to go to achieve this very simple goal of one new member.

This month, Governor Kathleen Sebelius spoke to our club and I was amazed at just how vital Kansas is to the rest of the world. There are so many things that we as Kansans take for granted. It’s great to have people out there touting Kansas and to see it so well respected around the world is something that we should all be proud of.

Youth Career Day

The second Youth Career Fair has been scheduled for March 14th form 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Kaw Area Technical School at 5724 SW Huntoon.The sponsors of the program are the Topeka Rotary Club, Kaw Area Technical School, Kansas Contractors Association and various businesses and schools. Kaw Area Technical School will help with different career booths.If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation to help with a scholarship, please contact Mike Welch (232-1245) or Fred Gatlin 296-1965.