Overview of Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club Service Projects.  “Service above Self” describes the membership of Cary-Kildaire perfectly.  Volunteering is as much a part of our club as good fellowship.  Whether we are gleaning sweet potatoes for St. Andrews, ringing the Salvation Army bell, repairing homes for the needy, or singing Christmas Carols and passing gift bags at a local nursing home, our Club’s focus is to strive for full participation and to have fun.

 

Family is a big part of Cary-Kildaire’s purpose as well.  We have annual picnics in the fall, go to professional sporting events, have a ‘real’ Santa at our Christmas Party, and involve the Club’s family with a couple of needy families at Christmas complete with gifts and food to last through the holidays.  Our Club supports the community family by recognizing outstanding citizens, awarding four-year and vocational scholarships to high school kids, and re-supplying a local needy shop several times a year.

 

Matching grants have made helping the International family a tradition at the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club.  Here are some of the projects:

·        Iraqi Adopt-a-Clinic Project

·        Medical Books to Ghana in West Africa

·        Ambulance to Paraguay (Cary-Kildaire and Clayton Rotary)

·        Solar Lighting to 17 schools in Cochabamba, Bolivia (Cary-Kildaire and NCSU)

·        Money for Textbooks for schools in Guatemala (District-wide)

·        Childhood Development/Diversity Project for Sweden (Cary-Kildaire + Crabtree Rotary)

 

SUPPORT OF ROTARY DISTRICT 7710 PROGRAMS - Cary-Kildaire has participated in many District programs; the most notable are RYLA and helping the Boys & Girls Home at Lake Waccamaw.

 

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS  (RYLA)

Cary-Kildaire has promoted a team of young men and women – high school Juniors – to participate in the RYLA training program.  We provide transportation to and from the location.  When the students return, we invite them and their parents to a Club meeting to review the strengths and weaknesses of the two-day seminar.  We have all learned a great deal from these reviews.  The participants are hand-picked by the schools and are considered future leaders.  Cary-Kildaire has participated in the program from its inception.

 

BOYS’ & GIRLS’ HOME

The Boys’ & Girls’ cottages are located at Lake Waccamaw, NC.  In 1994, a cottage was converted to house young women.  An all new women’s residence was completed in 1995.  Long-range plans call for a total of four residences, housing 36 young women.

In recent years, under the leadership of Stuart Sherman, the Lake Waccamaw campus has undergone considerable positive change.

Cary-Kildaire has actively supported the needs of the Rotary Cottage.  We have participated in several projects:

·        Harvest Train- clothing, computers, bed linens, etc.

·        Upgrade Furniture- bedrooms, game room and entertainment areas

·        Established in 2001 the Bill Phelps Scholarship for graduating Seniors.  The scholarships are awarded to men and women who are approved by our Scholarship Committee.  Each scholar has been invited to our Club.

·        Spring Cleanup of campus grounds.

·        Invited residents of the Rotary Cottage to our annual Pig Pickin’.

·        Contributions of money to the Rotary Cottage.

·        Individual members have visited the Cottage, met counselors and residents, visited the new Chapel, and toured the facility.  “This is a moving experience.”

·        Helped supply bicycles when our young men needed them.

We encourage all Rotarians to visit the Boys’ & Girls’ Home, share a meal with the boys and meet the supervisors.  You are guaranteed to see ”Rotary in Action”.

 

DISTRICT GOVERNORS  - Cary-Kildaire is proud to have two members elected as local District Governors:  William Lefes, District Governor 1999-2000, whose classification is Foreign Affairs, and Governor-Elect Charles Hatch 2004-05, classification Computer Manufacturing.  Both Bill and Charlie are Paul Harris Fellows, as well as Past-Presidents of our Club.  Bill proved himself to be a progressive Governor with exceptional leadership skills.  Charlie has spent his career in computer manufacturing.  He is a planner, team player, and accepts his new role with inspired enthusiasm.  He has his team in place – all hand picked.  Charlie will be a strong advocate for District 7710; he has made a special effort to visit each club in the District, and has recently returned from Governors’ Training Session.  We are also proud to have Roger Phelps as a member of our Club.  Roger is a former District Governor from New York State, and his guidance has been very helpful to us through the years.

 

TRAGEDY INSPIRES SCHOLARSHIP -  In September 1985, Charter Member James Atkins was taken from us by Cancer.  James had given of himself to the community long before he became a Rotarian.  He served for several years as Chairman of the Wake County School Board, and gave much support to Life Experiences.  Knowing his interest in education, the Club Board voted to name our new scholarship program The James Atkins Memorial Scholarship Fund.

 

JAMES ATKINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND -  The Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club has established scholarships to assist deserving local students to attend colleges and universities of their choice ---- an investment in the future and well-being of our community. The James Atkins Memorial Scholarship supports a new student each year for four years at a university and two students each year to attend Wake Technical Community College. The Bill Phelps Memorial Scholarship supports a graduating senior each year at the Lake Waccamaw Boys and Girls Home to attend college.

 Students selected by the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club are outstanding in many ways – academics, school activities, community service, leadership potential and need. Some outstanding examples of achievement underscore the success of the James Atkins Memorial Scholarship and Bill Phelps Memorial Scholarship:

·         A James Atkins scholar completed requirements for a degree in Dentistry. She currently operates her own non-profit dental clinic for indigent and needy citizens.

·         A mother of two children, a James Atkins scholar began a career as a reporter. She now teaches journalism in a public high school.

·         After working as an accountant at IBM for seven years, a James Atkins scholar is now a systems analyst in the Budget Office of a major university. She also volunteers as a church youth group leader.

·         A James Atkins scholar is involved in community activities and works as a mortgage consultant at a major mortgage corporation.

·         After earning a Masters degree in Elementary Education, a James Atkins scholar teaches second grade in a public school.

·         With a Duke Medical School degree, a James Atkins scholar holds a residency at Emory University.

·         An honors graduate, a James Atkins scholar is a fourth year student in medical school.

·         A James Atkins scholar now works as a Senior Systems Architect at a major software company.

·         After completing a program in Architectural Technology, a Wake Tech James Atkins scholar helped design the new campus being developed in northern Wake County.

·         A Wake Tech James Atkins scholar now plies her skills in early childhood education at a childcare center.

·         After completing college, a Bill Phelps scholar and graduate of the Lake Waccamaw Boys and Girls Home is now working in the music business.

THE ‘PIG PICKIN’ IN THE PARK - Cary-Kildaire’s oldest and most successful fund-raising project is the Annual Pig Pickin’ In The Park, which began in 1986 to fund the James Atkins Memorial Scholarship Fund.  The first year, with 250 attendees, profits funded one $1000 scholarship.  Today, attendees are 750 persons, and profits provide $11,000 for scholarships, and additional funds for humanitarian projects.  The event, held at Bond Park, provides food, fellowship, and entertainment for young and old:  Bill Ellis’ BarBQ, bluegrass music, facepainting, and doorprizes.  The Club organizes into 10 committees steered by the President-Elect.

 

SUPPORT OF ROTARY FOUNDATION - Over our first 20-years, Cary-Kildaire has an outstanding record of support for the Rotary Foundation, with fifty-eight (58) Paul Harris Fellows recorded.  A prime incentive for Rotarians to give to the Rotary Foundation, during the early years of Cary-Kildaire, was the Polio-Plus Program, which generated many Paul Harris Fellows in that period, as well as Group Study Exchange, and other programs funded by Rotary Foundation.  Thanks to Joe Knoll who Chaired the Rotary Foundation committee and encouraged us to give.  And, currently there are approximately twenty (20) Sustaining Members of the Rotary Foundation. 

 

CARY-KILDAIRE ROTARY FOUNDATION - Based on a ruling by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on May 13, 1958, all Rotary Clubs in the U.S. were given 501(c)(4) status.  This allowed clubs to collect funds for various programs exempt from payment of Federal Income Taxes, with the proviso that a Form 990-T is submitted to the IRS annually.  While this helped clubs to collect funds, it did not provide contributors with the facility for charitable deductions.

In 1989 Rotarian Bill Lefes began to study the possibility for establishing a 501(c)(3) entity for the Club to enable contributions to be made as charitable deductions.  In February 1997 the process of obtaining North Carolina State Certification for a Non Profit Corporation was initiated.  By April 1997 the State’s certification and the IRS application for Recognition of Exemption was submitted to the IRS.   The Foundation was operational by January 1998.

The purpose of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Foundation is to collect, invest, and disburse funds for Educational and Humanitarian Assistance programs of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club.