 Convention,
convention, convention. Great in 08 is actually next week
and everyone is feeling the pressure. Many thanks to the
committee members who have been working hard to see that
Brainerd maintains its reputation as the Great Plains
Convention hotspot! All the hard work that Rory Coit, Joe
Schulte, and a cast of thousands has accomplished so far
seems to indicate that this will definitely be a fun-filled
and worthwhile event to attend.
Rory Coit presented information on the Sertoma Foundation
today. Kathy Williams gave him a little assistance by
sharing her experiences with Sai Gau who was a personal
friend of hers. The Jon Haappajoki Fund and the Sy Gow Fund
are both part of the Sertoma Foundation. Kathy remarked, "Sy
Gau was a great supporter of the Sertoma International
Foundation. He compared Sertoma to the human body and went
on to say that the Foundation is the heart." Kathy went on
to remind us along with Rory that the Foundation is the
charity of Sertoma. Rory then went into detail about the
function of that group. He explained that the Foundation is
undergoing a merger so that all branches of the Great Plains
Region will be under only one Board of Trustees. Great
Plains is working with the IRS in this effort. All Brainerd
Noon Sertomans are already contributors to the Foundation
since our club does pay a percentage of International dues
that go to the Foundation. Individuals and businesses are
encouraged to contribute.
The goal for the Convention is to boost the number of
Fellows (individuals who have contributed $100 or more). The
money has four major uses: support member services such as
trainers, contribute matching grants, provide scholarships
to those who are entering fields related to the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing, and provide scholarships for students who
are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. If you were not at Sertoma
today look for the booth with the brochure pictured. The
International Foundation Event is scheduled for Thursday
evening at 8 p.m. The Great Plains Region continues to hold
the honor of being the highest contributor to the fund. Last
year they were number one and this year they are currently
leading the contributions. |
If
you missed Sertoma today, you missed the classic all-time best
Ole and Lena joke in the world. Thanks Pam Sachs for being
willing to be "naked" in front of Sertoma in the interest of
humor and a tribute to the Swinging Sertomans.
Tom
Krekow has joined Pam Sachs' senior moments club--he took the
cameras for prom and forgot to bring them back. Fortunately
Joyce Anderson had her digital so we have a picture of our award
winners.