Stories

The Origins of Rotary

Origins of Rotary

Over ninety-nine years ago, there lived in the city of Chicago, a young lawyer who had only a few friends and acquaintances and who felt the pangs of loneliness. His name was Paul Harris. Desiring to extend his circle of acquaintances, he conceived the plan of calling together a few men engaged in different lines of business and explained to them an idea which was forming in his mind.

His idea was that man is friendly by nature and that the necessity of earning a livelihood under modern economic conditions should not compel a person to sacrifice their natural instinct to have friends and be friendly. That it should be possible for the person in the city to have business and professional friends as does the person in the small town. Friendship should be, and in reality is, the fundamental basis of a person's business relations with their fellowmen.

Paul Harris invited three men of acquaintance to meet at his office in the UnityBuilding, Chicago, on the evening of February 23, 1905. Those invited were Silvester A. Schiele, a coal dealer, H. E. Shorey, a merchant tailor, and Gus H. Loehr, a mining operator. The meeting was informal, and Paul Harris explained his idea of the formation of a club composed of people each from a different line of business or profession. It was agreed to meet again a week later in the office of Paul Harris.

At the second meeting several other gentlemen were present by invitation and the formation of a club was completed.

The name of "Rotary" was suggested by Paul Harris for the reason that it was decided to hold the meetings in rotation at the offices of the different members.

In the fall of 1905, the first dinner meeting of the club was held in the old Sherman House. So came into existence Rotary, and Club No. 1 in Chicago.

The first Rotary Club outside the U.S.A. was in WinnipegCanada in 1910. In 1911 Rotary crossed the Atlantic to Ireland and England. In 1912 the International Association of Rotary Clubs was formed and in 1922 this name was shortened to Rotary International.

Today there are 1,206,670 million Rotarians in 32,317 clubs in more than 168 countries making significant contributions to the quality of life at home and around the globe

Space here will not permit a full account of the wonderful growth and spread of Rotary.

Rotary Motto

Service Above Self

The Rotary Club

Meets once each week for breakfast, luncheon or dinner.

Membership is formed on the unique plan of up to five active members from each line of business and profession in the community.

Objects of Rotary

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of their occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to their personal, business, and community life.
The advancement of international understanding, good will, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of service.

Benefits of Rotary

Making the acquaintance of people you ought to know.
Genuine, wholesome good fellowship.
Developing true and helpful friends.
Enlightenment as to other people's work, problems and successes.
Education in methods that increase efficiency.
Stimulation of your desire to be of service to your fellow men, women and society in general.

Obligations of Rotarians

To attend meetings regularly.
To pay dues promptly.
To do my part when called upon.
To be a big-hearted, broad-minded person - a person of energy and action - a Rotarian.

Four Way Test - The Heart of Rotary

One of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the world is the Rotary 4-Way Test. It was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties. He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The 4-Way Test became the guide for sales, production, advertising and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy.

The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. Herb Taylor became president of Rotary International in 1954-55.

Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the Truth?
Is it fair to all Concerned?
Will it build good will and better Friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions

The Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions was adopted by the Rotary International Council on Legislation in 1989 to provide more specific guidelines for the high ethical standards called for in the Object of Rotary:

As a Rotarian engaged in a business or profession, I am expected to:

Consider my vocation to be another opportunity to serve;
Be faithful to the letter and to the spirit of the ethical codes of my vocation, to the laws of my country, and to the moral standards of my community;
Do all in my power to dignify my vocation and to promote the highest ethical standards in my chosen vocation;
Be fair to my employer, employees, associates, competitors, customers, the public and all those with whom I have a business or professional relationship;
Recognize the honor and respect due to all occupations which are useful to society;
Offer my vocational talents: to provide opportunities for young people, to work for the relief of the special needs of others, and to improve the quality of life in my community;
Adhere to honesty in my advertising and in all representations to the public concerning my business or profession;
Neither seek from nor grant to a fellow Rotarian a privilege or advantage not normally accorded others in a business or professional relationship.

This is a presentation on the origins and history of Rotarty Interational, reviews what Rotary's mission and vision statements are, and covers are 5 areas of service and 7 areas of focus:

Origins of Rotary International

RI Convention 2024 Mark Heuchert

Rotary International Convention 2024

Singapore

In May of 2024 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Singapore for the 2024 RI Convention. I am truly grateful for the Sugar Land Rotary Club's support in attending. In order to document my learnings and the fellowship I had, every day I posted on Facebook with a short summary of the day and with some pictures. Since some members do not use Facebook, I thought I would also put some notes in the Bulletin.

Day 0

Went to the Sensoji temple during my layover in Tokyo, and also ate some absolutely amazing sushi! The subway was a bit a challenge to figure out, but people were very helpfulso I managed to get everywhere just OK.

Day 1

Had a great first day at the 2024 Rotary International convention! Attended the opening session with Grace Machel attending, who is a world renowned leader on women’s rights. Also very appreciative to have Rotarian friends like Farrah to introduce me to some wonderful Rotarians from around the world.

Here are a few pictures of the day. I met Teresa Whitmore, governor elect for Ottawa, and some of her friends as well. Hoping to work with Farrah to get our Nigerian friend Jonathan over to Houston.

Always wonderful to share these experiences with Rotarians from my district and even my Club! (Sugar Land Rotary)

Day 2

My second day at the Rotary Singapore Convention 2024 - D9220 was another great day, learned a lot and made great fellowship. It started out with an early morning sunrise walk at the Gardens by the Bay. Amazing how they turned a barren Island into a freshwater marsh full with animals.

During the opening ceremony, they spoke about mental health and making sure we continue to talk about the topic and helping others, and also a local Singaporean leader Claire Chiang spoke about making a difference in protecting the environment while growing business investments and tourism. Finally, we ended the day with Singapore hosting clubs, and it was super fun with traditional music and dancing from Singapore.

I met many Rotarians from Washington state, Canada, and New York. These are all connections that I will have for years to come! We are always exchanging ideas on projects, fundraising ideas, and helping our communities. This will help me during my term Sugar Land Rotary!

I also registered for the 2025 Rotary International convention in Calgary! Looking forward to seeing everyone I met there. Excited that Bill & Josh will also be going. Hopefully others from our club will go as well! 2025 Rotary International Convention Calgary

Day 3

Day 3 of the Rotary Singapore Convention 2024 - D9220 was yet another great opportunity to meet some neat people from all over the world and learn more about Rotary.

In the morning, I met up with former governor Mindi Snyder and her friend Lynette, and then we had the foundation lunch where we learned about all the amazing things that the foundation is allowing returns to do around the world. Our host was the district governor from Japan, and at the table, we discussed fundraising via a Pickleball tournament! Have to do that.

After lunch, I had a nice coffee with Jeff Tallas and Heather Rimato and shared ideas on what we have learned and what we can implement at our own club in good ole Sugar Land.

In the evening, I went to the Rotary Brew fellowship event, and had some awesome beers at the lion brewery. There I met with Steve Werner, nephew of Vince Lombardi! He is a former Peace Corps alumni and helps alumni from the Peace Corps connect with Rotary clubs, strategizes with RI on joint programs, and helps alumni Connect in general. Great person to meet. Also met with David Kirkaldy from Grand Cayman who is incredibly involved in Rotary on global level.

Day 4

Day 4 of the Rotary Singapore Convention 2024 - D9220….

WHAT if I told you that you could:

- Eliminate homelessness

- Eradicate polio

- Fight human trafficking while helping the trafficked

- Give the gift and of site

- Empower woman

That. Is. Rotary.

So:

1. If you’re in high school join interact.

2. If you’re in college join Rotaract.

3. All others, join Rotary!

As you can see this whole experience was quite inspiring and motivating. Rotary International is far more influential and powerful at helping communities than I ever realized. Rotary doesn’t just raise billions of dollars, it’s in almost every country at all levels of the community and has far more reach than virtually any other organization. The fact that it is non-political and non-governmental makes it even more effective at implementing solutions.

Today started out with a nice coffee with Klaus from Germany, after which I went to a session on expanding membership and met Tari from Hungary. I met Dave from Iowa who knows Nancy Anderson and sends his regards, and we also brainstormed ideas on being a more adaptive club, and to make it “irresistible“ for people to join. Henry from Uganda wants to buy Draeger gas detection equipment! And finally, I am excited for the trip next year to Calgary, which will be an absolutely beautiful place to explore as well!

Day 5

My last day in Singapore: vacation day!

Singapore is a really neat city with some fantastic architecture. I did all the touristy stuff, so next time I can explore the beaches a bit more, or catch a flight to Bali.

The cloud dome was truly an amazing experience, where you could walk through all different kinds of ecosystems, from caves to mountain cloud forests.

Then while taking a “bum boat“ cruise, I met Josef and his wife Mirka - Rotarians from the Czech Republic! They introduced me to a local Singaporean, Billy, who was an incredibly gracious host. Can’t wait to repay the favor.

Mark Heuchert Facebook links of trip:

Travel to Singapore:

Houston - Singapore

Day 1 in Singapore

Day 2 in Singapore

Day 3 in Singapore

Day 4 in Singapore

Day 5 in Singapore

Program - Installation of 2024-2025 Board & President

By Mark Heuchert

Our Program on June 10th was the Installation of the 2024-2025 board. Natalie spoke about over two dozen projects our club completed during her year, from Sugar Land 95 and Toys for Tots to planting trees. Natalie also showed an emotional and impactful video from Stella from Rescue Us mission that is helping people that were trafficked. Then our incoming DG (District Governor), Nancy Anderson, called up the new board and installed them, finalizing with Mark Heuchert, our club President for 2024-2025. Mark then presented his goals for the year to the club, including a new Vision and Mission statement that show how impactful our club is in the community, and how worthwhile our work is.

Rotary International Goals

>20 Community Projects
>69 members
>4 RAG members
>5 current board & new members to district training
>10 MyRotary.org training
>20 to district conference

SLRC Specific Goals

Raise >$37,000
Donate >$36,000 to the community
Club: 100% Paul Harris Fellows!
District Grants
- Attack Poverty: $6,000
- Companion IMPACT Club
- Meet 1/mo, anywhere, anytime, cost is $29/mo
Scouting America (Boys & Girls Scouts)!
- Sponsor a pack!
- Next Gen will be key contact
International Project ⇒ Team up with The Guerrero Clinic
- 2024 Fall Clinic will be Sunday Sept 29th thru Sunday October 6th
- Cost: $385 (room & board) plus flight ($850)
- Looking for at least 2-3 members to come with me!
Raffle for Club Foundation
- Buy $1 tickets, if win raffle pull poker card, if pull Queen of Hearts, win half

Planning Meeting for 2024 5K run

By Todd Breton

Our 2024 Running With A Heart 5K and Kids 1K planning is about to start. I'm super excited for next years race, we will be celebrating our 5th annual race and each year our event gets larger and more exciting.

Registration is now open at www.sugarlandrotary5k.com

If you would like to participate in our kick off planning meeting, please join Heidi Bailes and I on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at my home. My address is

2522 Country Club Blvd

Sugar Land, Texas

Start Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Please let me know if you would like to participate in the planning for our 2024 event.

We look forward to seeing you on September 19.

Raising Money for Polio Day!

Each year we raise money to eradicate polio around the world. In 2021 we had a fun and successful "Pies for Polio Day" to raise awareness of this program and raise funds. Thanks to everyone who participated and donated!!

Sugar Land Rotary is at Fort Bend Women's Center

Sugar Land Rotary proudly supports the Fort Bend Women's Center. Following this event, we had several cases of water and fruit juices leftover that were donated by one of our sponsors,

World of Coca-Cola. We were honored to donate these.

#sugarlandrotaryrocks #rotary #rotaryinternational

President's Message: Marvin Marcell 2022-23

To those of you visiting this web site, I say Welcome!

There are 35,000 Rotary Clubs on six continents and in virtually every country on the planet. But we are the only Sugar Land Club in the world committed to serving our friends and neighbors in the Sugar Land area including Missouri City, Stafford and Meadows Place.

Service is the action verb of the near 40-year history of this club. To us service involves action that makes our area and its people better off than they were. Our members serve by being a Scout Leader, being a city Council member, helping Seniors who require it, filling needs of women living in a shelter, filling the needs of schools who cannot operate without volunteers, supporting law enforcement when its never been more important and a hundred other things you will think of if you open your imagination.

We shamelessly ask you to join us in our quest and become a member of this great organization. There is great camaraderie among people who are serving others so we share even more than fun.

This is an especially poignant time of year when we arrange our club leadership differently. Darla Alston is soon to be our past President and Natalie Lerner will become the President Elect and I am honored to fit between two great leaders and work to make 2022/23 the most meaningful for our members. Each Rotary Club is unique but part of a District. We are especially fortunate to have a District with sound, tested leaders who help keep us on the path we have chosen as the club serving the Sugar Land area..

Our Rotary Club is diverse as is the community we serve and we think it makes us better at serving by understanding our mix of professions, genders, ages and ethnicities. We enjoy a great lunch each Wednesday at Sugar Creek Country Club and also take a half hour to be updated on issues by key leaders in our community. In July our speakers include former Congressman Pete Olson, the Sugar Land City manager, Jim Goodrum, and our new School Superintendent, Christie Whitbeck. There is nothing like having lunch with people like that in an up close setting.

Please visit our web site in detail, consider how Rotary might just be a good fit in your life, then reach out to me or our membership Director (Chair) and let's get rolling.

Marvin Marcell
Government Relations Consulting Services
marvin@mmarcell.com
281.685.5504

September 21, 2019 - Win this CAR!

Posted on Jul 17, 2019

Save the Date - September 21, 2019 for Sugar Land Rotary's Fall Classic Fundraiser

Casino Fun and Raffle for a 1996 Classic Convertible Corvette!

Rick Smith named Rotarian of the Year

Past President, Assistant Governor, and active Rotarian Rick Smith was named Rotarian of the Year by President Jim Munnell at the last meeting of the 33rd year of Sugar Land Rotary Club. Congratulations Rick! A well-deserved award!

Sugar Land Rotary hosts Mayoral Candidate Debate

Join us and invite your local Sugar Land Friends and Family as our club hosts a mayoral candidate debate on April 27th, 2016 from 11:30am - 1:30pm in the Sweetwater Country Club Ballroom. Cost is $15, lunch is included.

RYLA 2016

We love our RYLA kids! Students from Clements HS enjoyed a weekend of leadership training and fun. As Rotarians,

we provided scholarships and rides back and forth, and as you can see, the kids loved it!

Fort Bend Boy's Choir 2015

The Fort Bend Boy's Choir put on a fantastic mini-concert for Sugar Land Rotary Club! A definite club favorite!

October Rotarian of the Month

First Annual Rotary Scholarship

Exchange Student Program

Clements HS student Ingrid Wu and Elodie, an exchange student from France, are swapping countries for a few weeks, and we are happy to sponsor them!

Sugar Land Rotary Installation Banquet 2015

Some highlights from the event

	Outgoing President Patrick Bullard congratulates Dr. Stacy Croft as she is inducted as President of Sugar Land Rotary Club 2015-16.
	Outgoing President Patrick Bullard and event emcee Past President Greg Pendley.
	Rotarian of the Year, Justin Steinhard, is honored by President Patrick Bullard for his contributions for the year as Treasurer. Justin went above and beyond in his role, even securing contracts which lock in fees for the next 2 years so that the club is not burdened by rate increases from our various vendors. Way to go Justin.

Congratulations to the the outgoing 2014-15 Rotary Board of Directors for all of your successes in the past year. And welcome to the incoming Board of Directors for the 2015-16 Rotary year. Incoming President Dr. Stacy Croft looks forward to an exciting year. The Rotary International motto for this year is "Be A Gift To The World". Dr. Stacy hopes this year's board can Enlighten, Update, Educate and Entertain the members of Sugar Land Rotary through great speakers each week and a phenomenal fundraiser on October 3: Escape to the Rainforest.

Sugar Land Rotary Presents $30,000 Check for Barrier-Free Park

Posted by Marty Clayton on Apr 15, 2014

April 16th was a very good day for Sugar Land Rotary and for the City of Sugar Land. We have been waiting since 2007 to give the $30,000 check that will be used to help build a barrier free park at the Little League ball field at Austin Parkway, and that was finally done. The Sugar Land Legacy Foundation had to be organized so the rest of the funds could be raised to make the park a reality. Sugar Land Rotary’s name will be on display there to show our contribution to this project.
Thanks to Past President Scott Finley, who started this project, and to Charlie Myer and their boards for having the vision to make this a reality. In addition to the District Governor Bob Gebhard and many Sugar Land Rotarians the Sugar Land Legacy Foundation board, including Gene Reed, Bob Brown, William Jameson, Suni Sharma and John Null, attended.
Sugar Land Rotary also honored City Manager Allen Bogard with the Service Above Self Award. This was voted on by the Sugar Land Rotary board and is only the second time Sugar Land Rotary has recognized a city official. In attendance were Mayor James Thompson, City Council members Himesh Gandhi, Joe Zimmerman, Amy Mitchell, Steve Porter and Harish Jajoo and former councilmen Don Olsen and Sonny Johnston. From the city manager’s office Jim Callaway, Mike Goodrum, Steve Griffin, Judy Janecek and Jennifer May were in attendance. Former Mayor Dean Hrbacek and Mayor Thompson spoke about Mr. Bogard and his dedication to the city.
It was a great day for Sugar Land and Sugar Land Rotary. Thank you to all of you who attended.

Heart Of Texas

Posted by Greg Pendley on Oct 15, 2013

A Note from Grove Norwood of the Heart of Texas Foundation

The Sugar Land Rotary Club of Sugar Land, Texas, recently made an historic donation to the work of The Heart of Texas Foundation. President Ward Pendleton, flanked by District 5890 (62 Rotary Clubs) Governor Bob Gebhard, presented founder Grove Norwood with an unprecedented donation by Rotary to our prison reform movement in Texas. Below you will find a link to the full article, which we encourage you to read. The donation was in excess of $20,000. The Heart of Texas Foundation says, "Thank you, Sugar Land Rotary, President Ward Pendleton, District Governor Bob Gebhard, and all of the future donors in District 5890 Rotary Clubs in Texas!"

Read the Article about the Rotary Club Donation to The Heart of Texas Foundation in "Your Houston News"

Grove Norwood, former USAF fighter pilot and Founder of The Heart of Texas Foundation, says:

"Thank you to Rotary for joining us in this monumental work! Rotary has recognized what is upon us, and the opportunity we in Texas, and all of America, have. It is clear that what is coming is this: the 'American Prison Seminary Movement.' It is a movement that will lead to the establishment of a prison Seminary Bible College in every state in America. The results are clear: less violence, more safety, more reconciliation with families, significant financial benefits to taxpayers, healing of the children. All that is needed is another 48 such prison seminaries in America, based on the Texas-Louisiana Model. Regardless of a person's political or religious persuasion, the fact is that a privately funded, open-to-all, voluntary, Bible College program inside a maximum security prison-- in any state-- will reduce violence and victims, heal families, and reduce costs to taxpayers. This has been demonstrated in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and its experience as the first American Prison Seminary.

Thank you, from our hearts. And thank you, Rotary of Texas!

Grove Norwood, Founder

The Heart of Texas Foundation, Inc.

Sugar Land Rotary honors exceptional Fort Bend ISD teachers

Posted by Nancy Porter on May 31, 2011

Sugar Land Rotary honored exceptional Fort Bend ISD teachers during a special recognition program held at a recent Rotary meeting.

Sugar Land Rotary donates $30,000 to the Literacy Council of Fort Bend for GED project

Posted by Nancy Porter

2014-2015 Officers Installed; Awards-Sugar Land Rotary Hall of Fame, Rotarian of the Year and Cornerstone Awards presented

Posted by Nancy Porter

In June, Sugar Land Rotary installed a new slate of officers for 2014-2015 that includes: Patrick Bullard, President; Stacy Croft, President-Elect; Mitch Rahim, Vice-President, Rafael Manrique de Lara, Secretary; Justin Steinhard, Treasurer; and Ward Pendelton, Past-President. Pictured is the new Sugar Land Rotary President Patrick Bullard giving an award to outgoing President Ward Pendleton.

Sugar Land Rotary volunteers for The ARC of Fort Bend County’s Special Olympics

Posted by Nancy Porter

For the first community service project of the new Rotary year, on Saturday, June 28, a dedicated group of Sugar Land Rotarians volunteered as waiters for The ARC of Fort Bend County’s Special Olympics athletic banquet. More than 200 people attended the event and the athletes had a wonderful time.

Sugar Land Rotary Honors Veterans on November 20 at Annual Celebration!

Posted by Nancy Porter

Please plan to join Sugar Land Rotarians in honoring our great nation’s veterans at a special Annual Sugar Land Rotary Veterans Day Celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at Sweetwater Country Club, 4400 Palm Royale Blvd., Sugar Land from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sugar Land Rotary Honors FBISD District Teachers of the Year and Finalists

Posted by Nancy Porter

Sugar Land Rotary Honors First-Year Teachers

Posted by Nancy Porter

Santa’s Exchange and Toys for Tots are Joining Forces to help children in Fort Bend County

Posted by Nancy Porter

They are all smiles about helping more than 4,000 children in Fort Bend County during the holiday season this year!! Pictured at the Sugar Land Fire Department’s Fire Station No. 7 are (left to right): back row in the fire truck - Lieutenant Darryl Teague (driver), Santa, Captain Trent Herrod; and standing in the front are: Carolyn Tarver, Project SMILE; John Robson, Exchange Club of Sugar Land; Jack Molho, Toys for Tots; and Jared Jameson, Sugar Land Rotary.

Recognize anyone at the Rotary Halloween Costume "Party"?

Posted by Nancy Porter

We all know that the best way for students to learn is to be at school attending their classes. When students are absent from school with unexcused absences or truant, they are at risk in not doing well in their school work, as well as, engaging in criminal behavior. Judge Cannata recently spoke to Sugr Land Rotarians about truancy prevention in Fort Bend County.

Sugar Land Rotary Celebrates Veterans Day on November 16; Veterans and Spouses Invited as Honored Guests

Posted by Nancy Porter

Please save the date and plan to join Sugar Land Rotary in honoring our nation’s veterans at a special Annual Sugar Land Rotary Veterans Day Celebration on Wednesday, November 16, at Sweetwater Country Club, 4400 Palm Royale Blvd., Sugar Land, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pictured are Sugar Land Rotarians Sonny Johnston, Lerleen Hawkins, Hal Jay, and Greg Pendley, President.

"Many of those who were there are no longer with us, and we cannot forget.” - Hal Jay, Event Chair

Thank you Jeff, Greg and Mitch for your leadership for Shrimpfest 2011!

Posted by Nancy Porter

Be sure and thank all of the Shrimpfest Sponsors when you see them or do business with them in the community. All proceeds from Shrimpfest benefit Sugar Land Rotary charities! 2011 Shrimpfest Sponsors

We did it! A successful Shrimpfest 2011 is in the history books!

Posted by Nancy Porter

Shrimpfest 2011 is in the history books, and Sugar Land Rotary thanks all of the sponsors and those who donated auction items and volunteer hours to make Shrimpfest possible.

2010-2011 Rotary Awards

Posted by Nancy Porter

Award recipients at the June installation dinner included the following:

Craig DeSerf: 2010-2011 Sugar Land Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year

Posted by Nancy Porter

The 2010-2011 Sugar Land Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year is Craig DeSerf. Craig joined Sugar Land Rotary in 2006 after he was recommended for membership by Zac Cypert.

Sugar Land Rotary President Greg Pendley begins the 2011-2012 year

Posted by Nancy Porter

Sugar Land Rotary President Greg Pendley begins the 2011-2012 year with a continued pursuit of the Rotary P.R.I.D.E. theme, with the over-arching goal to: "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity."

Edward Crowell shares the exciting vision of the Imperial Performing Arts in Sugar Land

Posted by Marty Clayton

Edward Crowell is Founder and Executive Director of Imperial Performing Arts in Sugar Land, Texas, Fort Bend County's only resident professional performing arts organization. He was a recent speaker at Sugar Land Rotary.

N.D. Kalu, former NFL defensive end, speaks at Sugar Land Rotary!

Posted by Nancy Porter

N.D. Kalu, former NFL defensive end and Rotary Guest Speaker is one of Craig DeSerf's favorites!

Sugar Land Rotary honors Fort Bend ISD first-year teachers

Posted by Nancy Porter

Sugar Land Rotary honored exceptional first-year teachers during a special recognition program held at a recent Rotary meeting. For more than 15 years, Sugar Land Rotary has been honoring the teaching profession through this recognition program.

Sugar Land Rotarians in Action at the Kendleton City Park

Posted by Nancy Porter

Sugar Land Rotarians Marvin Joubert, Kerry, Greg Pendley, John Nadolski, Don Waldon, Steve Weathered and Pat Houck and Susan Carrizal participated in the revitalization project at Kendleton City Park.

Steve Sparks, Former Major League baseball player, gets a standing ovation!

Posted by Marty Clayton

Sugar Land Rotary President Dan Green begins his 2009-2010 year with a continued pursuit of the Rotary P.R.I.D.E. theme, with the ever-present drive to have all understand that: "Participating Rotarians Involved Do Excel."

2009/2010 Club Goals and Objectives

Posted by Jair Bobys

Sugar Land Rotary President's Primary Goal: Develop a process for communicating the need for all our Sugar Rotary Club Membership to participate in and contribute to the operations and activities of the Sugar Land Rotary Club to make a successful year and to achieve Club growth.

Read the board's goals in the full story!

Veteran Home Ground Breaking

Posted by Marty Clayton

Sugar Land Rotary Supports Local Wounded Veteran! - Thanks in part to a $35,000 donation by the Sugar Land Rotary Club and Foundation, wounded Iraqi War Veteran, Specialist Dillon Cannon, US Army (Ret.) broke ground along with community supporters on his new home. The ground breaking was held on April 16, 2009 and is expected to be completed later this year.

Thank You Shrimpfest Sponsors!

Posted by Charlie Myer

Sugar Land Rotary would like to thank our many sponsors that made this year's Shrimpfest a big success! Please join us in thanking our sponsors.

Link to sponsors - http://www.clubrunner.ca/Data/5890/1688/HTML/44798/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20-%20Shrimpfest%202008%20Presentation.pdf

300 Smoke Alarms Installed

Posted by Charlie Myer

"Ole Smoky" Project Completed - Thanks to the support of over 70 volunteers and the partnership of the Fort Bend YMCA and City of Arcola, over 300 Smoke Alarms were installed in low income homes in and around Arcola, Texas.

07/08 Rotarian of the Year & Hall of Fame!

Posted by Charlie Myer

At the 2008/09 Installation Banquet, Marshall Whichard was named as the Rotarian of the Year for the 2007/08 Club Year. Also, Jeff Tallas was inducted into the Sugar Land Rotary's Hall of Fame. Congratulations Marshall & Jeff!

Thanking Our Area Teachers

Posted by Charlie Myer

Sugar Land Rotary Honors Teachers in Monthly Vocational Service Program