Friday, March 16, 2007 - Ron Green reports on Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Tennessee and brings B&G Club Choir with him to Rotary

Ron Green on Boys & Girls Club of NW Tennessee

      Today, Union City Rotarians welcome Rotarian Ron Green, chief professional officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Tennessee and the B&G Club Choir, which will make their first appearance before the Rotary Club.
     Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe place for many of the community’s disadvantaged youth to learn and grow—all while having fun.  Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. 
     Ron Green grew up in Tupelo, MS. Prior to joining the B&G Club and moving to Union City, he attended Samford University in Birmingham , where he played baseball and football. He would later sign with the Chicago Cubs.
     Under Ron’s leadership, the local B&G Club has grown to over 700 members, operating out of the former Miles School building. Welcome Ron and boys and girls!

Pat Fligor Reports on Retail Recruitment Efforts for OC

     Next  week, Rotarians will hear from Pat Fligor, the newest member of Obion County’s economic development team, who will report on retail recruitment efforts currently taking place in Obion County through the auspices of the OC Chamber of Commerce and the Obion County Joint Economic Development Council.  Pat will also talk about why Obion County should be represented at the national retail recruitment convention in May and why Obion County needs to continue to as a Three-Star Community denoting economic preparedness.  The Three-Star Program is a road map to assist local communities in their effort to achieve excellence in community and economic development. Her report will include a PowerPoint presentation.
   In recent months, Obion County has received inquiries from several nationally-known chains expressing a real interest in locating in Obion County.

Chancellor Nick Dunagan on the TN Scholars Program

     Last week, Rotarians heard from retiring UTM Chancellor Dr. Nick Dunagan, who talked about The Tennessee Scholars Program and its specific impact on educational opportunities in Obion County.
     One of Dr. Dunagan’s themes last week was the need for America to do a better job of educating its children—first by making sure they graduate high school and then, by making sure they are introduced to some form of higher education.
     “The top twenty-five percent of our high school students will go on and do fine in a higher education setting,” Dunagan said. “The bottom twenty-five percent may not even go to college.  It’s the middle twenty-five percent that we’ve got to focus on with our Scholars Program.”
     The TSP is designed to kick in when students reach the eighth grade—getting them focused on the curriculum they plan to take during their high school career.
     Dr. Dunagan introduced Ron Green, who spoke briefly about the work of the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Tennessee, the pending influx of the baby-boomers into the retirement sector, and global competition with students from Japan and other progressive nations around the world.
     Dr. Dunagan returned to the podium to offer a few statistics, including those that show 37 percent of students across Obion County are participating in the Tennessee Scholars Program at the present time. He said fifty percent of the students enrolled in colleges and universities in Tennessee need some type of remedial work—mostly in math subjects. He said having proficient third-grade reading skills has been identified as one of the keys to becoming a successful student.  During Q&A, Dr. Dunagan admitted much of the blame for whatever failures we have with our educational system lies at home—where our students have not received the formal encouragement and support to succeed in school.
     Dr. Dunagan praised the work of the Union City Rotary Club with its Scholarship Program, Promethean Project, Reading Railroad, and the individual efforts of such Rotarians as Robert Kirkland and Clay Woods to emphasize educational opportunities through the years.
    

Coming Attractions

3/30     Gary Roach—UTM Rodeo
4/6       Jo Ann Spears and Ron Cooper on Coming Airport Improvements
4/13     Virginia Betts—TN Commissioner of Mental Health
4/19     (Thursday)—DSA Banquet featuring Jim Ellis
4/20     No Meeting Today
4/27     Rotary Relays and visit from Paul Tinkle of Thunderbolt  Broadcasting
5/4        Rotary Scholarship Program

Happy Birthday

3/17     Trent Arnold

Happy Anniversaries

3/19     Bill and Doris Tanner
3/20     Robert and Martha Clendenin

Welcome Newest Rotarians

Say Hello to our newest Rotarians:

Larry Baker
Phillip Creswell
Doy Daniels
Matt Goodrich

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