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