Vol. 65 No. 4 Notes from the Podium

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President's Time

Amid the echoes, Only in America this week, a Marine recruit is suing the corps claiming he suffered heat stroke because they demanded vigorous physical activity in 100 degree heat without enough fresh water ... Rock legend Prince claims the reason he still has hair is because he's played the electric guitar for 30 years. Apparently he believes that all that electricity coursing through his body has kept the hair on his head in place.

DUES ARE DUE now. You can still take advantage of the 15% discount if you pay by the 30th of July. And don't forget your Sustaining Membership. It's only $2 a week for you but for an under-priviledged child in Thailand it's ONE FULL YEAR of education expenses. EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR.

5TH FRIDAY is July 30 at the new headquarters office for Citizens for a Better South Florida. For the neophytes, every month that has five Fridays, RCCG has a party. It's a fellowship thing ... spouses, friends, prospective members can come too. It's $10 per person. You get catering by Lovables and alcholic libations from 6 until 8 p.m., at some Rotarian's place of business. It's FUN. It's cheap. It's a great way to party with your Rotary friends, and who knows where you'll end up for dinner after? RSVP to Terry Long.

THE 2ND-EVER ROTARY YARD SALE COMETH. In November. But if you want to lose your junque now, we have a warehouse. Call and we'll arrange to meet you there so you can dump your treasures. At the first-ever yard sale we made $10,000. We had some awesome furniture and collectibles. Hopefully we can do that well this time too. All of the proceeds from the Yard Sale will go to the Club Foundation to be used for matching grants for many of our community and international projects.

Enter Leo the Lion, the Sun King. Natives are loyal, pretentious and a little vain. Say Happy Birthday to Gene Witherspoon on July 24.

Did you know that Gloria Burns has been giving kisses for raffle tickets every week for the last 21 years. Happy Rotary Birthday Gloria! Time sure flys when you're having FUN!

HAPPY DOLLARS

Scholarships didn't Groh very much today as Dr. Randy couldn't find many happy Rotarians. They're all on vacation. But we can always depend on Dick Golden for a story about some cows who were artificially inseminated - no bull! Bill Oates came up to say goodbye. He's going to teach at Indiana University for the upcoming school year but he'll be back. JB Spence showed us a story on Consigliere Abe Horowitz. Found the story in Community News, with the photo, in the post office! hmmmm. JB said we should all be very proud of Abe. We are! Dick Golden returned to announce the District Dolphin Football Day. This year it's December 5th. More information will surely follow. We hope more people will be happy next week. Happiness Pays so keep on Smiling!

TODAY’S SPEAKER

Maria Klara Rodriguez
Outreach & Education Program Supervisor
Kristi House

“Ending the Epidemic of Sexual Abuse in Miami-Dade County”

Kristi House was named for a 9 year old girl, pregnant with the child of her mother’s boyfriend 19 years ago. The State Attorney formed a Task Force, and the result was Kristi House. Kristi House was organized to provide services to other sexually abused children and their families.

The Orolowitz-Lee Chirdren’s Advocacy Center, is their headquarters today, located just across the street from the State Attorney’s office. It was opened in 1999. Kristi House works with the Florida Department of Children and Families, the State Attorney’s office, and local law enforcement. A child brought to Kristi house will meet a case coordinator assigned to lead the child through from the first interview, then for a medical examination, and to therapy, all in a home like environment. Services are also provided in satellite office is Miami Gardens and near the Falls. A therapist travels to Homestead to provide services.

Kristi House provides case management, therapy, and transportation free of charge to the child and the non-offending family, as well as community education. Project GOAL (Girls Owning Their Lives and Dreams) has recently been introduced to help children who are caught up in the sex industry. Statistics show that the average age for child prostitution is 12.

The statistics are frightening. One in 7 children is sexually abused while on the internet, 1 in 4 boys and 1 in 6 girls are sexually abused by the age of 18, an average of 56 children per month are brought to Kristi House. There are an estimated 39 million sexual abuse survivors in the US (75% will never even tell someone about their abuse). Kristi House exists to provide these victims with the stability and counseling they need to get their lives back together.

Ms. Rodriguez also graciously thanked the members of RCCG for their generosity over this past month. We've been collecting school supplies for the coming year and our members donated $500 for the same purpose. They are VERY grateful.

WANT A RED TICKET? FORGET YOUR ROTARY PIN? Now you can purchase a pin at the door. The Greeter will have a supply of Coral Gables Rotary Pins, for $5 you get TWO red tickets, two chances to win the pin drawing and you get a pin!

WORKING ROTARIANS - Today, July 22

Greeter - Rodney Langer
Registration - Aaron Glasser
Collections - Abe Horowitz
Head Table - John Wallace
Invocation - Jack Witty
Pledge - Donald Trombly
Singer - Bill Quesenberry
DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - SUPERMAN George Reeves
Given To - Jorge Suarez & Dick Bullman
Pin Drawing Gift - Deena Bell
Pin Drawing Winner - John Wallace
50/50 Raffle Tix - Gloria Burns & Donald Trombly
50/50 Winner - Rob Hatfield (donated to Kristi House)
5-Way Test - Yolanda Woodbridge




THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK by Donald Trombly


"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW ...

THIS IS THE RECENT WEDDING OF GLORIA ESTEFAN'S SON
TO A BEAUTIFUL SOCIALITE.
RECOGNIZE THE MINISTER?

Maybe there's a prize for the winner!