TM Rotary News - September 4th (Sep 04, 2017)

Bill Hart

A Message from President Bill Hart

Please be advised that there will be no meeting held on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. We will resume with our regularly scheduled meeting at the Ozaukee Country Club on September 12, 2017.

Have a great week!

Quote of the Week

Rotary Helps Hurricane Harvey Victims

Courtesy Rotary.Org

The Rotary Foundation and clubs along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, USA, are collecting emergency relief funds to help flood victims of Hurricane Harvey, which slammed into southeast Texas over the weekend.

Severe rainfall has caused historic flooding along the Texas coast, including in Houston, the fourth largest city by population in the United States. Deluged towns in the region are in desperate need of aid as thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes. About 6.8 million people have been affected by the hurricane, which made landfall on 25 August.

With an estimated damage of $190 billion, Hurricane Harvey could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

“The power of Rotary is in the foundation's ability to pull help from around the world while local clubs provide immediate relief in their own communities,” says Don Mebus of the Rotary Club of Arlington, Texas.

Rotary districts located along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana are collecting emergency relief funds and providing immediate aid to flood victims.

“We know that a disaster of this magnitude will require our financial assistance for months into the future,” says District 5930 Governor Betty Ramirez-Lara. “Our disaster relief committee will provide support where we believe it can best be used.”

ShelterBox, an independent charity and Rotary’s project partner, is also providing support to families displaced by the storm. Hundreds of light privacy tents will be deployed to evacuation centers throughout Texas for families to use temporarily.

“Our normal tents and ShelterKits are not appropriate for the conditions families are experiencing in Texas,” says James Luxton, ShelterBox operations team leader. “The flooding is covering large swathes of land, and is set to rise even further in the coming days, making indoor shelter the best option.”

How to contribute to the Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Donor Advised Fund

By check

Payable to: The Rotary Foundation DAF
Memo line: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund #608
Mail to: Rotary DAF, c/o NRS, 12 Gill Street, Suite 2600, Woburn, MA, 01801

By credit card

Online at: https://www.your-fundaccount.com/rotary/HowToContribute.asp

Account name: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund
Account number: 608

By wire transfer

To the account of: Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
ABA number: 011002343
For credit to: The Rotary Foundation
Account number: 943423732

For Further Credit: TRF DAF
Account name: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund #608

You must fax a copy of the wire authorization to +1-781-658-2497 to complete the transfer.

If you have questions about how you can help, contact relief@rotary.org.

TM Rotary Joined By Saul Newton, WI Veterans Chamber Director

Saul Newton, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club on August 29th as guest speaker. Newton founded the WI Veterans Chamber of Commerce in 2015. The Chamber has grown from a kickoff event with 10 people in attendance to a booming 150 member chamber and one of the most active chambers of commerce in the State of Wisconsin.

Founded on the principle of providing resources to Veterans in the business community and workforce, Newton shared intriguing numbers with the Club. 11% of all businesses in Wisconsin are owned by Veterans, approximately 65,000. Veterans have historically been very entrepreneurial dating back to World War II. 49% of WWII veterans started their own businesses.

Of late, the journey into business ownership for veterans has been anything but easy. 75% of small business startups fail within the first 10 years in operation. The number is more staggering when it comes to veterans as 93% of veteran owned businesses fail within the first 10 years. Enter the WI Veterans Chamber, whose main objective is to serve as a coordinator of small business and workforce readiness resources. The Chamber aims to bring both veteran and civilian resources together.

The three main areas of focus for the Chamber are Business Ownership, Veteran Employment and Community Leadership & Development. The Veteran population in Wisconsin is approximately 450,000 of America's finest, with an additional 150,000 brave men and women serving in the Reserves and National Guard.

Newton, who himself is a combat veteran having served in Afghanistan, is galvanizing people who share his passion for providing veterans with the tools and resources required to aid in their success. He has expanded the Chamber into Madison, WI this year and is laying the groundwork for additional expansion in the State.

If you wish to become a member of the WI Veterans Chamber of Commerce, to serve as a sponsor or to simply donate to the organization, please visit https://wiveteranschamber.org/

Welcome Dr. Ken Harris!

The Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club welcomed its newest member, Dr. Ken Harris of Concordia University. Dr. Harris is an Associate Professor with Concordia and serves as Program Director for the Masters of Science program in Organizational Leadership and Administration.