Minutes of the Membership Meeting of The Rotary Club of Pensacola
Welcome was extended to attendees by Scott Paul and with a greeting smile, Margaret Stopp sold raffle tickets on this beautiful fall day.
Al Stubblefield opened the meeting with our prayer and pledge. President Keith reminded everyone that there will be a CROP Military Appreciation Meeting November 2nd and we will not meet November 3rd. His father, Ellis, won the $70 raffle. Jimmy Jones, M.D. introduced our USN military guests, visitors and visiting Rotarians. Several excellent tales of humor were given followed by the birthday song to members.
Alan Bookman presented the Club a brief summery of the Constitutional Amendments that will appear on the ballot in November. An excellent description can be found on the League of Women Voters of Florida website, http://www.lwvfla.org (Election Info).
Paul Young introduced our own Jerry Maygarden who gave us a presentation on the Better Pensacola Forum survey taken this summer. While at Baptist Hospital, Jerry recalled Quint Studer arriving and leading the hospital to excellence by involving all of the staff with the care and treatment of the customer, the patient. Jerry also noted he asked Quint to try this same approach with the Florida Legislature but without the same success. We might all think government should be run as a business, but in practice it is not that easy. And, in some cases, not practical or possible at all.
The survey was to gauge our community’s success and act as a report card of the success of our community and local government. Polling organizations were contacted to set up the survey. Pollster Larry Harris was asked to finalize the poll and tabulate the results. Eight hundred city and county residents were interviewed. The results were compiled and compared with national statistics. The report indicated we were the worst the pollsters had ever seen on the public perception of the local situation. The comments indicated the public is poised for change and wants change across the board in local government.
Job security was the main concern with no near term solutions seen. High marks were given for quality of life and location of our area and things were not so bad for established residents. But it mentions that over the next five years, a majority of our youth will seek opportunities elsewhere as they do not exist here, especially for new graduates and minorities. There were similar sentiments in other parts of the U.S. studied, but none as bad as our area study response. It bordered on despair.
Governmental consolidation would help reduce duplicate roles and lower the cost of government. Representatives from Jacksonville met in Pensacola recently to discuss their consolidated government. They observed that we were very similar to where Jacksonville was back in 1968 and we have a wond to make some very important changes for our future. Bold leadership is needed right now for us to move forward.
Consolidation: We need a current movement to give consolidated government a fare hearing. Even governmental employees are grouping together to push for consolidation. We would be the sixth largest city in Florida which would create great influence in program funding.
Collaboration: Judy Bense, President of UWF is an example of doing a great job working with other universities and community colleges to work together eliminating duplication of efforts in Education. Their collaboration is having a positive effect.
Coordination: To attract new industry there needs to be an elimination of duplicate services. Studies need to be made in multi-county transportation for the airport and the City port. Promotion of our area assets as the beaches needs to be better presented.
There is poor efficiency in government with all of the duplication and layers of government. Dialogue needs to start so we can begin to move forward on these issues.
Meeting adjourned.
Jack Fleming and Ted Nickinson invite all hands and families to the St. John’s Cemetery ecumenical program in the cemetery on Saturday morning, November 1st, at ten o’clock. The annual All Saints Day observations are always colorful. Jack Gray will be one of the presenters. Twenty-five of the first Pensacola Rotary presidents are interred in St. John’s.
Again, note of what our own Sandra Jennings does as director of the county’s Perdido Landfill. She has an increasing role in managing the handling of huge tonnages of solid waste collected throughout the county.
Hear tell that Jimmy Jones will be a Calendar Boy in the 2009 Council on Aging calendar, which will be available soon. John Clark has again rounded up a host of celebrities to model.
Ronnie Labrato and his Gulf Power colleagues are taking a new approach to having us all conserve energy. The new computer-generated figures and TV commercials deal with everything from special light bulbs to solar installations.
Poor Bill Maloy and his library promoters continue to be in a political badminton game. Who WILL build and operate new facilities…where and when?
The local press featured Walter Strong and Mrs. Strong recently, detailing their years of Salvation Army service. That came just as our club organized for the annual bell ringing efforts.
Hal Minnich, October 21, Boiling Springs, PA, 47 years
Sally Cary, October 23, Mobile, AL, less than 1 year
Tom Owens, October 23, Pensacola, FL, 11 years
Billy Hale, October 24, Pensacola, FL, 5 years
Gene Killinger, October 24, Perry, FL, 32 years
Malcolm Williams, October 26, Pensacola, FL, 8 years
Alexis Bolin, October 27 , Long Branch, NJ, 14 years
Family Of Rotary Fall Gathering will be Wednesday, November 5, 5 - 7 p.m. at Jackson’s Steakhouse. Please join us for a fall social…..a little wine and appetizers paired with some great art by some of our outstanding local artists! $15 per person. Please sign up for yourself and any additional guests by emailing Maria Goldberg at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or sign up at this Tuesday’s Rotary meeting!
October 21:
Greeters: Randy Butler and Ed Meadows
Raffle: Evon Emerson and Jack Gray
October 28:
Greeters: Charles Gund and Clark Merritt
Raffle: Tony Neuner and Susan O’Connor