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Message from the President
It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to serve as
the 73rd President of the Union City Rotary Club. Many great men
have held this position since Gus White was elected our first President
in 1936.
Rotary is a worldwide organization. Today, 1.2 million Rotarians
belong to over 32,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries. Rotarians
provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in
all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. As
signified by the motto "Service Above Self", Rotary's
main objective is service in the community, in the work place and
throughout the world.
Through involvement in Rotary, we all make the world a better place
to live. I have always been extremely proud to be a member of the
Union City Rotary Club because of our Club's decision to focus on
the most precious resource of our community: our children. The Union
City Rotary Club makes Obion County a better place to live and provides
the young people of our community with the tools needed to succeed
in life.
Through the Reading Railroad Program, we ensure that each child
in Obion County, from birth to age five, receives an age appropriate
book each month. To date, more than 70,000 books have been distributed
through this program. The Promethean Foundation, established by
Robert and Jenny Kirkland, pays for educational child care for more
than 270 at-risk children, child care which stresses academic excellence
and character building. We also support the Boys and Girls Club
of Northwest Tennessee which assists young people in acquiring the
skills and qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders.
Our annual Rotary Relays promote physical fitness and help encourage
positive attributes such as hard work, team work and discipline.
Finally, our scholarship program gives numerous young people in
our community the opportunity to obtain a college education. This
past year we awarded more than $300,000.00 to deserving students.
Since the scholarship program's inception in 1982, we have awarded
over $3,000,000.00 in scholarships.
The Rotary International theme for 2008 - 2009 is "Make Dreams
Real". Food, water, healthcare and schooling, the chance for
a long a full life, this is the unrealized dream of too many children.
Working together, we can make this a happier, healthier and more
peaceful community. In doing so, we will make dreams real for many
children.
In closing, I want to again thank you for this opportunity to serve
as your President. I look forward to a great year. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if you ever have any ideas, suggestions or
projects that you believe would benefit our club and our community.
Looking forward to a great year-
Yours truly,
Steve Conley
President
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