District #6580 Governor, Kirk Bouchie, made his first visit to the Rotary Club of Greensburg #3437 on Monday, meeting with the local civic club’s Board of Directors, then presenting the program at the regular weekly meeting held at Decatur County REMC. While in Greensburg, the District Governor had the pleasure of being part of a new member induction. Bouchie is from Vincennes, IN and is a member of Club #3453.
“Serve to Change Lives,” is the Rotary International theme for this year, encompassing what we are all about,” Bouchie said during the club meeting. “Greensburg Rotary Club members are a shining star in our District when it comes to giving. I commend you all for your commitment to attempting to do a service project every month.”
Rotary International District #6580 is made up of 34 clubs in the southern half of Indiana with 1,500 members. There are a total of three districts in Indiana, making up the southern, central (District #6560), and northern (District #6540) portions of the state. “If you are out and about or on a trip, I encourage you to stop in at meetings of other clubs to see the things those clubs are doing,” the DG said.
Bouchie congratulated 2021-2022 Greensburg President Jenni Hanna for stepping up and getting the new Rotary year off to a great start, including inducting new members, such as Jill Hart of xPerience Ag in Greensburg. Hanna performed the ceremony making Hart an official member of the Club on Monday while Bouchie had the honor of presenting her with a Rotary pin and other official documents.
Along with President Hanna, Bouchie also presented official Rotary socks to Mandy Lohrum, who serves as Assistant District Governor, responsible for Greensburg, North Vernon, Madison and Batesville Rotary Clubs; Tammi Wenning, Greensburg President in 2020-2021, for leading the club during a difficult time as the Pandemic forced meetings to be held virtually and events were postponed or canceled; Jerry Fox, Past District #6580 Governor and District Champion for the End Polio campaign, and Betty Dunham, District Grants Chair and District Administrative Assistant. Dunham is a member of the New Albany Rotary Club #3444.
“Nobody in our District promotes or talks more about ending Polio than Greensburg’s Jerry Fox,” Bouchie said. “Today Jerry reported that in 2020 there were 61 new cases of Polio in the world and so far this year, there have been only two new cases. Rotary is working hard to eradicate this disease.
“Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta has set a worldwide effort to gain 300,000 new members,” Bouchie said. “We just need to continue growing. Our RI President is also stressing the need to empower young women and in Southern Indiana, we like for that to include all younger generations. Each one bring one, meaning think about what our organization would look like if each Rotarian brought in one new member for the year. We would double our size.”
Grants available to clubs in District #6580 top $40,000 and the Greensburg club will know soon about its request for $3,000 to provide landscaping around the community sign at Centennial Park at the Corner of Lincoln and Main Streets. The sign was erected and paid for by efforts of the members and sponsors of the Rotary Club of Greensburg and dedicated to the City of Greensburg as a means of communication efforts for local not-for-profit organizations.
“We all have a lot of priorities in our lives,” DG Bouchie said. “I just ask that you recommit yourself to Rotary and make it one priority in your life. Just one of them. You will find your life will be better when you have Rotary involved. Make Rotary a good habit.”
Story and photos from Jeff Emsweller
