2018-19 West Oklahoma Rotary Club in review
The West Oklahoma City Rotary Club has been busy since celebrating its 50thInstallation Banquet in June 26, 2018.
We closed the 2018-19 year with Lance Singleton, 2019-20 District Governor and wife Laura; Charter Member Jim Moon and wife, Sally, Club officers, Committee Chairs and a host of Club members in attendance.
Embassy Suites Will Rogers General Manager, Chris DeAngeli, made the event over-the-top with an outstanding menu and staff service.
Following a great social hour and fabulous dinner, outgoing President Todd Krout, with his usual big smile, took the stage and asked Kevin Richardson, 2019-20 Grants Director to say the prayer, lead the Pledge and the 5-Way Test (#5 Is It Fun) and asked each member to introduce themselves and their guest (which became quite competitive with who had the most awesome spouse. A lot of laughter was aroused).
Beginning with a thank you to the 2018-19 officers, Todd introduced officers and committee chairs and thanked the many others who worked behind the scenes making year 51 a success
(Past-President Becky Ferguson; President Elect Marc Long; Secretary Amber Davis; Treasurer Edward Granger; Sergeant of Arms Jay Thurber, At Large Board members Ellis Annett and Dea Dietrick Wood; Hal Almen Committee Chairmen Jim Moon and Jim Hampton; Speaker Program Chair Dea Dietrick Wood; Jr. Rotarian Chairs Marc Long and Danna Szymanski; Fundraiser Chair Becky Young; Dale Rogers Event Chair Brian Maughan; Bulletin Editor Scott Fairbairn; Brag Bucks Chair Scot Webber; Social Media and Historian Dea Dietrick Wood and husband Ernie; Foundation Chair Sharon Voorhees; Grants Chair Becky Ferguson; Membership Chair Danny Bell; Communications Director Heather Walker and Service Above Self projects Anysia Neal).
and the Installation banquet was underway!
Todd’s first order of business was to announce the Rotarian of the Year. From among several outstanding, contributing club members, Dea Dietrick Wood was selected as the Rotarian of Year. Her contributions to the Club were her position on the Board; setting up ClubRunner; acting as Club Historian; taking on Social Media; Program speaker scheduling and was an integral part in our Service Above Self projects.
His second order of business was newto the West Oklahoma City Rotary club: the West Oklahoma City Rotary Club Hall of Fame. The inaugural inductee was none other than Billy McDaniel. Although Billy was off on vacation scuba diving, his long-time service to the Club is to be celebrated and appreciated.
“Billy has a standing gig for Rotary. Anytime music is needed for a party, he is there as the DJ with all of his equipment. He tirelessly and quietly donates his time, service and personal resources, but won’t accept anything for his service! Every year, at the Dale Rogers Training Center parties, Fund Raising events and annual Christmas party, he provides great dancing and karaoke music for both our talented (Kevin Richardson, Riley Cleaver, Danna Syzmanski and Becky Ferguson) and not so talented unnamed singers!
The Hall of Fame award is to recognize his outstanding service, but doesn’t mean he is done serving. “We just want to recognize and award his previous, current and future service to the club!”
To highlight club accomplishments for this past 2018-19 year:
- Our club has grown this past year to 56 members!
- 23 Hal Almen Scholarships were awarded totaling $92,000
- We had nearly 100% participation in the Paul Harris Fellows program thanks to Sharon Voorhees
- Our members were consistently generous and have given out over $11,000 to donate to nonprofits (*see donation recipient’s list below)
- The Friday Night Fever fundraiser netted around $5,800 last fall. Thank you to Becky and her team!
- We are sponsoring 3 students going to RYLA in July 2019.
- We are sponsoring Josiah Richardson’s trip to Japan for the WINGS of Rotary program.
- We hosted 2 events at the Dale Rogers center and donated a total of $500 with an additional $250 in brag bucks
- We launched our ClubRunner website
- We made a monthly service project available for our members to benefit the community (*see the projects list below)
*Non-profit Donation Recipients (Reel Recovery; Citizens for Caring Children; Shine Foundation; Edmond Memorial High School Swine Week; Teen Challenge; Mercy Foundation; Oklahoma Museum Association; Skyline Ministries; Children’s Center Pool project; Santa’s Cause; Salvation Army; Dale Rogers Training Center; Piedmont Schools Duck Week; Wings of Rotary; RYLA sponsorship and RYLA Sayonara party; March of Dimes; Oklahoma City Ballet; and our Embassy Suites Hotel meeting staff who serve and care for us 50+ weeks a year)
* Service Above Self to our community (Regional Food Bank; Feed the Children; Dale Rogers Training Center Christmas party gift wrap; Stockyards Stampede and Wines of the West; Santa’s Cause; Salvation Army Bell Ringing and Coat Drive; OK County Shredding project; Parmalee Elementary School PTA bake sale; OK City Center; Stanley Hupfeld Academy Elementary School Spring Clean-up; RYLA Chili Cook off; Skyline Ministries; and Oklahoma Museum Association Smarties Trivia night
Todd added he warned everyone at last year’s banquet that the last civic club he was the president of got shut down. His leadership at the West OKC Rotary club proved different!
Before turning the podium over to Lance Singleton, 2019-20 District Governor, Todd inducted Marc Long as incoming President 2019-20 and gave him his President’s Pin. (He wanted Marc to kneel so he could rest a sword on his shoulder, but member and GM of Embassy suites Chris DeAngeli quickly halted a potential liability suit and police visit)!
Todd closed his year as President with this statement, “This year we had successful fundraisers, gave away a lot of money and served our community on a monthly basis. It has been my honor toserve with such a wonder, kind and giving group; a club that has FUN no matter what we do!”
The West Oklahoma Rotary Club members have a lot to look forward to in 2019-20 year as President Marc Long leads. He shared his vision and is up and running on the same platform as those who have led before him; benefit club members through networking and events, support Rotary International and make a profound impact in our local and international communities.
To assist with his vision are the following officers and Committee Chairs:
Past President Todd Krout
President Elect Dea Dietrick Wood
Secretary Riley Cleaver
Treasurer Jay Thurber
Sergeant of Arms Mark White
At Large Board members Alex Cavillo and Kevin Richardson.
Alternative Meetings and Events Directors – Erika Boyce and Derek Villanueva
Bulletin Editor – Scott Fairbairn
Brag Bucks Director – Scot Webber
ClubRunner – Dea Dietrick Wood
Communications Coordinator– Heather Walter
Dale Rogers Training Center Coordinator – Brian Maughan
Foundation Director – Sharon Voorhees
Fundraising Directors – Brenda Granger and Becky Young
Grants Director – Kevin Richardson
Hal Almen Scholarship Coordinators – Jim Moon and Jim Hampton
Jr. Rotarians Director– Peter Pembroke
Membership Director – Danny Bell
Program Director – Brian Maughan
RYLA/Wings of Rotary Coordinator – Danna Szymanski
Service Above Self Coordinator – Matt Evans
