05-20-08 Rotary Spoke

Guests:

-Eileen Toney

Visiting Rotarians:

-Dwayne Nelson

-Kent Figy

Announcements:

-Chicken BBQ tickets are available. Remember that the goal is for every member to sell or give away a book of 40. You don’t have to wait until all the money is collected to turn funds in to Milt.

-Remember to get your dues in if you haven’t done that yet.

-Our club received thank you cards from several students able to go on the WashingtonDC trip because of our donation.

-The District 6360 Conference, held last weekend in Angola, Indiana, was a great success. Tom represented our club and reported that it was a very beneficial experience. He brought home boxes for club members to fill in partnership with the Children of the Dump gift box project. He has the forms that instruct participants in what materials to include in each box, and the boxes are marked with the age and gender of the child for whom they are intended. Filled boxes must be returned to the club by early July, but Tom will take them whenever we have them put together.

-Next year’s District Conference is in Frankenmuth from May 15-17.

Boasts and Brags:

-Karl Kincade reminds us that the Detroit Redwings are in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Presidential Trivia:John Hanson

There is a great deal of mystery surrounding this historical figure who served as the President of the Continental Congress from 1781 until 1782. According to some sources he established the Great Seal of the United States, the first Secretary of War, and even Thanksgiving. However, many scholars credit him with minimal involvement in any of these issues.

Presentation: Pinch Hitter, Verlyn Benson

The Two Kingdoms in the Heart of Southern Africa: Swaziland and Lesotho

Despite the fear that is naturally engendered by news reports of violence and turmoil in this part of the world, Verlyn explained that these two Kingdoms possess a beauty and charm worthy of tourism.

While everyone expects Southern Africa to be HOT, in actuality, especially in Lesotho, temperatures were quite cool. Lesothois the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 3,300ft in elevation. Its lowest point is 4,593ft, and over 80% of the country lies above 5,900ft. Verlyn even saw some snow there.

The people of these regions have many struggles:

-Highest AIDS rate in the world

-Migrant male population where non-existant economic opportunity forces men to live in South Africa and work in the mines. They travel home perhaps once each year at Christmas time to visit their families. Often they have 2 families, one in each location.

-A total lack of even rudimentary technology resulting from the absence of electricity. Before recent roads were constructed, many villagers had never even seen a car before. The ground the farm requires backbreaking hand tilling and often hand watering.

-Very little water is available in the mountainous regions. A water system was designed years ago, but the minimal electricity required to run the pump could not be paid for by the beneficiaries. People drink water from a small lake where run-off collects. This small lake is also used by animals and for washing.

Verlyn and his team went to this area to see if they could come up with ideas to improve the people’s quality of life through engineering and agricultural development. Purdue University was initially involved in the project, but lacked the time and expertise needed to produce the sought after results. They called Andrews. Hopefully, helpful ideas can be generated and perhaps in the future a partnership can be developed between Andrews and Purdue.

Some other projects currently being tested out in the area involve things like Solar Ovens which can bake 10 loaves of bread at a time and are powered by solar energy. Additionally, setting up a solar array might allow enough energy to be produced that it could be sold to the energy companies while still allowing enough for the use of the inhabitants of the region.

Verlyn saw Rotary International at work during his travels. They were developing projects involving seed distribution and inhabitant training facilities.

Thanks, Verlyn, for stepping in and sharing your fascinating experiences with the club!