Volume LXVIII, Number 006
PROGRAM this Wednesday, August 10th will be brought to us by Scott Landa and will feature Steven W. Brown, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity.
PROGRAM last week was brought to us by Scott Landa and featured Sue Landa, his Rotarianne, and Laura Gaboardi, along with Milton a service dog in training. Sue is a LaGrange native and as connected to Rotary as is possible without actually joining. Her grandfather, Rufus Newman, her father John Newman, her uncle Gardner Newman, her husband, Scott Landa, her cousin Chunk Newman and her cousin Pete Newman were all members of our club; Chunk still is and has perfect attendance his entire membership. After graduating from LHS, Sue went to Mary Baldwin college in Virginia. After they married, they lived in New Jersey and Virginia before returning to LaGrange in 1988 where they raised their own children. In 1999, they "emBARKed" on the venture of puppy raising for service animals. They later involved a friend, Laura Gaboardi, a graduate of Michigan State who has been in LaGrange for 15 years and works in pet care. Laura brought her current trainee, Mortimer. Laura put Mortimer through his paces, showing of the myriad commands he knows. Sue told us about the program. they train for a specific organization (we're not sure we caught the name, but it might have been Canine Companions for Independence?) out of California. These people send them a dog when it is 8 weeks old and they train it for 8 to 10 months and then they send them for advanced training in Orlando before they go to someone who needs them and they can average a work life of 7 to 10 years. Most dogs are Labradors, Golden Retrievers, or a mix of the two. The dogs they train are destined for usefulness in four categories. Service Dogs (although they are ALL labeled that) learn to pick up things, pull wheel chairs, or open doors, or turn on lights. Hearing Dogs will even alert their person if someone is behind them, or if a door bell or phone rings or an alarm goes off. Facility Dogs work in hospitals and nursing homes or in institutions or for court and police departments, especially as comfort dogs to children and Companion Dogs, who actually assist elderly or handicapped people in other ways than guiding. None of the dogs Sue and her friend train are destined for Seeing Eye dogs, that takes a more specialized training. Sue says they take the dogs everywhere they can, to get them accustomed to noises and to places where animals are not often allowed. She said some people will lie about this to get their dogs in restaurants, etc,. but a real dog in training will have its yellow cape, with official printing on it, on. Their work is very gratifying, not just from working with some of the best animals on Earth, but because they know they are helping someone like a person with a PhD who cannot open a door, or a mother of 4 children who cannot hear if a smoke alarm goes off, or a wounded veteran who cannot turn on a light. What a wonderful, service above self the Landas perform.
The VEEP, David Fowler, introduced our new GRSP student, Matthew Murray from Edinburgh, Scotland last week. We hope to see a lot of him. Anyone who can and wants to help David and Betsy, the Host Family, entertain Matthew should contact Betsy with an offer. David allowed as how Matthew was trying to get accustomed to the weather here AND to the Fowler family, so he felt maybe the lad should be called "Brave Heart."
Guests and Visitors last week (with thanks to Raylene Carter for handing us the list) were: Karin and Rod Thompson, guests of Shirley Pennebaker; Willie Mae Callaway, guest of Edna Foster; James Van Schoor, guest and son-in-law of Taylor Merrill; Marie McNally guest of Cathy Smith; Jack Baker, guest and Rotarkinder of Markette Baker. Willie Mae Callaway is head of LaGrange-Greater Achievement Youth. James Van Schoor is a manager of Dairy Queen. He is also the husband of our favorite television news reporter Mercer Van Schoor (though we know her as Katie Merrill). Marie McNallay is the new Executive Director of D.A.S.H. in LaGrange, replacing our Cathy Smith. We also had a former member visiting, Sallie Hadden, who is now in the Downtown Columbus club.
NEW MEMBER: This week we had a new member added, Mekos Denson, who is the new Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of West Georgia. Mekos was introduced by Shirley Pennebaker and she told us he comes to us from Las Vegas. We hope to find out more about him later.
Foundation Director, Patty Youngblood, presented another spate of Paul Harris Fellows who have earned this honor during our drive to become a 100 percent Paul Harris Club. The ones getting their certificates last week were (hoping we did not miss any) Connie Hensler, John Asbell, Robby Burch, Willie Edmondson, Charles Ferguson, Rett Jones, Scott Landa, Sandra Taylor, Debbie Jones, Jeff Higgins, Ken Miles, Margaret Morton, Ken Pope, Cole Pugh, Amy Warren, and Cathy Smith.
Happy dollars last week came from Trae Long, who put in $10, to cover two announcements. 1st: that Leadership Troup will have a Lessons In Leadership program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce on august 23, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. at Del'avant. Speakers will include our own Jim Thornton, Mayor of LaGrange. Deadline to register is August 17, contact our own Dave Marler at dave@lagrangechamber.com or call 706 884-8671. 2nd: There will be a 5 K Walk for the Humane Society on September 10th. Debbie Jones added to announce the Literacy Volunteers Pancake Breakfast on August 20th. Cathy Smith added to introduce her D.A.S.H. replacement, Marie McNally. Jennifer Shook added $5 to thank everyone who participated in the great for the success of their production of Grease. Yvonne Lopez added double to announce that The Ark Refuge is now offering financial planning classes to their clientele and to celebrate her being chosen for the Troup Leadership Class 2016-2017.
Club Service Director Drew Gay announced we will again be in the Alzheimer's Walk on Saturday September 17, 20016 and anyone who can participate should let him know. We did this last year and it was a great success.