ROTARY CLUB OF CEDAR RAPIDS
RIPPLES FROM THE RAPIDS
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010
Editor: Larry H. Christy * Telephone: 363-6301 * Fax: 363-6301 * E-Mail: crrotary@mchsi.com * Web Site: www.rotaryclubofcedarrapids.org * District 5970 * Club 2185 * Chartered June 1, 1914
ripples this week
Grandmaster Woojin Jung, Melanie Alexander and Lou Ebinger Introduced as New MEMBERS, Thank you from Metro, Club Receives an Award, Club Breakouts Announced for April 19, March Birthdays and Club Anniversaries and Area Rotary Calendar.
THE FRONT PAGE
GRANDMASTER WOOJIN JUNG
Why He Chose to Live in Cedar Rapids for the Last 39 years
Woojin Jung arrived in Cedar Rapids on December 31, 1971. He was to stay with a Korean friend who was then living in Cedar Rapids. However, there was no one to greet him at the airport because his plane had been delayed by a snowstorm. His English was poor. He was alone in a strange, new land and had difficulty using the telephone to call his friend. Upon his arrival in the United States from Korea, Jung had only $35 in his pocket.
His first job was pumping gas in a gas station on 15th Street and Mount Vernon Road SE. He ate one meal a day. On Friday’s he treated himself to a wonderful meal at the KFC restaurant for 99-cents. By Wednesday he would be “abuzz with excitement” and by Friday “delirious” with anticipation. The meal revived his “body and soul” and he is sure he will never taste anything better that the KFC Friday lunch meal for the rest of his life.
In 1973, he opened his first Tae Kwon Do School at that same location on Mount Vernon Road SE. In 1979, he built New Life Fitness World in Cedar Rapids. It was the first health club owned and operated by an immigrant in Cedar Rapids and the biggest the city had ever seen. He went on to build 13 more health clubs including facilities in Iowa City, Columbia and Lexington, South Carolina and Fort Meyers, Florida.
Very grateful for his success, he wanted to give back and in the late 1970s, he started forming foundations and charities to help others. He said his inspiration came from the community of Cedar Rapids. He formed Jung’s Black Belt Association, a school scholarship for children in his hometown in Korea, the Grandmasters’ Honor Society and the Jung Family Foundation.
Don Canney, former Mayor of Cedar Rapids, fought in the Korean War. He remembered Koreans as good people and he and Woojin became close friends. Cedar Rapids and Wulsan, Woojin’s hometown, became sister cities. Jack Evans, who introduced Woojin at Rotary this week, has visited Woojin’s home in Wulsan. Jack and Woojin sat on the floor and drank tea with Woojin’s mother. In 1989 Woojin assisted in bringing PMX to Cedar Rapids. This amounted to a $500 million investment and 600 jobs for the community.
In 2007 he sponsored the Goodwill Tour which hosted the North Korean Tae Kwon Do Demonstration Team on a tour of the United States. The team performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cedar Rapids, Louisville and Atlanta. This had been a dream of Mr. Jung for which he’d worked the prior 16 years to create. This was the first tour of its kind and brought citizens of North Korea and the United States together with no political agenda. In 2008, on a similar cultural exchange, the New York Philharmonic played the U.S. national anthem in North Korea for the first time.
Today, 39 years after his arrival in Cedar Rapids, Woojin Jung is known as one of the most successful Tae Kwon Do masters in the United States. He runs seven fitness clubs and owns several shopping malls. He operates a 36-acre Tae Kwon Do training site in the Rocky Mountains and is the publisher of the TaeKwonDo Times Magazine.
Woojin graciously furnished complementary copies of his book Eastern Spirit, Western Dreams to Rotarians present at the meeting. I read my autographed copy over the weekend. It is an absolutely delightful read.
MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010
THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
MARCIA ROGERS
CEDAR RAPIDS FOOD INDUSTRY'S ASSISTANCE TO HAITI
We ask that you arrive arrive in sufficient time to be seated by 12:15 p.m.
UPCOMING RCOFCR PROGRAMS & EVENTS
March 22, 2010 - Brian Connors - Experinces Living and Starting a Small Business in Beijing.
March 29, 2010 - Travis Christopher, Hawkeye Area Boy Scouts of America.
April 5, 2010 - Rich Patterson, Director, Indian Creek Nature Center.
April 12, 2010 - Sean McMahon, Executive Director of the Iowa Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.
April 19, 2010 - Breakout Meetings at Member Businesses.
April 26, 2010 - Shannon Ramsay, President, Trees Forever.
May 3, 2010 - Kirk Ferentz, Head Football Coach, The University of Iowa.
May 10, 2010 - Robert Massey, Executive Director, Orchestra Iowa.
May 17, 2010 - Joe Jennison, Executive Director, Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance.
May 24, 2010 - Charles Swanson, Executive Director, Hancher Auditorium.
May 31, 2010 - NO ROTARY IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMBORIAL DAY.
June 7, 2010 - John Bloomhall, President, Diamond V Mills.
June 14, 2010 - Elwynn Taylor, Professor of Climatology, Iowa State University.
June 21, 2010 - Chris Coleman, President, Better Business Bureau.
June 28, 2009 - Passing the Gavel and Community Service & Appreciation Awards.
CLUB NEWS
CLUB BREAKOUT SESSIONS ANNOUNCED
Monday, April 19, 2010 is scheduled for Breakout Sessions at business locations of Cedar Rapids Rotary members. There is no set program. Hosts are free to have general conversation. The breakout might provide a tour of the host facility. The idea is to have a small group engage in meaningful conversation with fellow Rotarians. These sessions have always been popular with our members and we try to schedule them at least twice a year.
We assign approximately 10 members (including the host) to each site unless the host indicates a larger number can be accommodated. The host has the responsibility of deciding on lunch, collecting from the members, if appropriate, and deciding on a menu.
We need about 25-30 Breakout hosts. It is always difficult to estimate because members often don’t indicate that they are not going to attend or they wait until the last minute. If you would be willing to serve as a host, please notify Cathy Gullickson or Larry Christy (see addresses below).
IMPORTANT!
CAN’T BE THERE?
IF YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO ATTEND OR DO NOT DESIRE TO ATTEND A BREAKOUT ON APRIL 19, IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED IF YOU WOULD NOTIFY BREAKOUT CHAIR CATHY GULLICKSON (373-8450) (e-mail: mcgullickson@gmail.com) OR SECRETARY LARRY CHRISTY (363-6301) (e-mail crrotary@mchsi.com) SO THAT YOUR NAME WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED TO A HOST. This is very important, as it will help insure that the balance of Rotarians between breakout sites is optimized and a full complement of members is present at each site.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS!
MELANIE ALEXANDER
CLUB NAME: MELANIE
Executive Director
Carl & Mary Koehler History Center
615 First Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Telephone: 362-1501
Fax: 362-6790
E-mail: Melanie@historycenter.org
Sponsor: Peggy Whitworth
Melanie became the Executive Director of the Carl & Mary Koehler History Center in August 2009. She had 10 years of museum experience including five years at the Muscatine History and Industry Center. While in Muscatine she wrote Muscatine’s Pearl Button Industry.
Melanie holds a masters degree in Museum Studies from Setan Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. Her undergraduate degree in Art History and French is from Truman State University in Missouri.
Melanie is currently the co-chair of the Director’s Committee of the Iowa Museum Association. In Muscatine she was involved with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, the Young Professionals Network and participated in Leadership Muscatine. She served on the boards of the Downtown Action Alliance and Art Space and hopes to be engaged in similar activity in Cedar Rapids. Melanie was a member of the Muscatine Rotary Club since 2004.
Residence:
1020 Duchess Drive #7
Solon, Iowa 52333
Telephone: 678-0289
LOUID E. EBINGER
CLUB NAME: LOU
Attorney
Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman
115 3rd Street SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Telephone: 366-7641
Fax: 366-1917
E-mail: lebinger@simmonsperrine.com
Sponsor: Jack Evans
Lou was a four-sport letter winner at Regis and continued his athletic career following graduation playing football at Georgetown University. After graduation from Georgetown, Lou served in the U.S. Navy. He was a naval officer with a nuclear specialty. He served on ships in Pearl Harbor and Newport News, Virginia.
After his military service he returned to Iowa and earned two degrees from the University of Iowa; a JD from the College of Law and an MBA from the Tippie College of Business. He joined Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman where he is an Associate in general practice including bankruptcy, real estate and financial institutions.
He is a member of the Linn Law Club and a contributing writer for Edge Business Magazine.
Lou and his wife, Rebecca, are the parents of two small children.
Residence:
3622 Honey Hill Drive SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
Telephone: 541-3879
AL SMITH SCHOOL + COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AWARD
The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids has received the Al Smith School + Community Partnership Recognition Award for Special Service to Education during 2009 on behalf of Metro High School. The award is named in honor and appreciation of Mr. Al Smith. Mr. Smith served as a member of the Board of Education from 1995-2002. A passionate advocate for students, he worked tirelessly during his Board tenure to support public education and exemplify the District mission of Excellence for All.
The Downtown Rotary Club has supported Metro High School in their efforts to transition students from school to post-secondary education. They have worked with Metro staff to support fundraising efforts for the Metro Student Achievement Fund. This fund provides financial recognition to graduates who are pursuing post-secondary education. Metro alumni, who bring in their transcripts, may receive up to $300 each term for their academic work. Last year, Metro was able to give out over $10,000 to former students. This fall, Metro became a pilot site for the state’s first JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) Program for high school drop outs. The Downtown Rotary Club donated funds to support this program initiative.
THANK YOU FROM METRO HIGH SCHOOL
On the evening of March 3, 2010, the club held a Social Event at the newly renovated Iowa Theatre Building and a sell out crowd enjoyed the Theatre Cedar Rapids production of The Producers.
Club President Paul Morf presented a check to Kathy Green, Principal of Metro, for $15,000 in support of Metro’s Student Achievement Fund. The contribution represented the net revenue from the production and a 2 for 1 club match of the funds.
Following is a letter received by President Paul from Kathy Green:
Paul:
On behalf of Metro High School students and staff, I would like to thank the Rotarians again for their incredible support. Wednesday evening’s event was so wonderful – we really cannot thank the group enough. With the funds donated to our Student Achievement Fund, we will be able to continue our financial support to Metro graduates who are furthering their post-secondary education in the coming year.
Our mission at Metro is to provide the supports and services that will allow our graduates to be contributing members of the Cedar Rapids work force.
Thank you so much for allowing us to further our mission.
Most sincerely,
Kathy Green
Principal
MARCH 2010 MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
04 Lee Clancey
05 Christine Crosby
05 Jerry Matchett
06 Diane Ramsey
09 Bob Kazimour
09 Greg Neumeyer
11 Don Hattery
12 Janelle McClain
14 Steve Hammes
14 Christine E. H. Landa
14 Dave Wolf
18 Chris Blake
19 Al Chapman
20 Joe Hladky
20 Salma Igram
23 Bill Moss
23 Danielle Rings
24 Lois Buntz
29 Pat Airy
29 Steve Ovel
31 Dick Felter
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL!
ROTARY EXTENDS A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GREETING TO:
Don Hattery who will be 80 years old on March 11
&
Dick Felter who will be 80 years old on March 31
MARCH CLUB ANNIVERSARIES (SILVER +)
John Smith - 30 years
&
Warren Verdeck - 30 Years
ROTARY ODDS & END
THE 4,547TH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF CEDAR RAPIDS 3/8/10
Presiding: President Paul Morf. Greeters: Amy Johnson Boyle and Carey Downs Gibson. Badges: Steve Heyer. Attendance: Nick Gearhart. Invocation: Susan O’Connor. News: Becky Lutgen Gardner. Guests and Visitors: Robert Massey. Music: Jason Wright. March Program Chairs: John Bloomhall, Arvin Dandekar, Christine Landa and Keith Rippy. Speakers Gift: Woojin Jung Family Foundation. Eyeglasses: Dan Baldwin and Shannon Ramsay. Cell Phones: Dan Baldwin.
ATTENDANCE REPORT
TOTAL MEMBER COUNT 344 (29 HONORARY)
NUMBER USED FOR ATTENDANCE – 245 (EXCLUDES 99 HONORARY & EXEMPT MEMBERS)
MEMBERS PRESENT – 144 (3 HONORARY AND 15 EXEMPT)
GUESTS PRESENT - 21
MAKE UPS APPLIED TO THIS MEETING – 1
PERCENTAGE FOR THIS MEETING – 51.84%
PERCENTAGE FOR MARCH 2010 (2 MEETINGS) – 57.68%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2009-2010 (31 MEETINGS) – 61.58%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2008-2009 – 59.63%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2007-2008 – 60.72%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2006-2007 – 65.64%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2005-2006 –65.04%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2004-2005 – 64.96%
PERCENTAGE FOR ROTARY YEAR 2003-2004 – 67.56%
MAKE UPS LOCAL
CEDAR RAPIDS SUNRISE, 02/04/10: None. CEDAR RAPIDS METRO NORTH, 02/04/10: Have Hardinger and Shannon Meyer. CEDAR RAPIDS SUNRISE, 02/11/10: Al Varney. CEDAR RAPIDS METRO NORTH, 02/11/10: Nancy Lowenberg, Jim Prosser, John Rodgers and Jim Schmitt. CEDAR RAPIDS DAYBREAK, 02/12/10: No Report Received to Date.
CEDAR RAPIDS SUNRISE, 02/18/10: None. CEDAR RAPIDS METRO NORTH, 02/18/10: No Report Received to Date. CEDAR RAPIDS DAYBREAK, 02/19/10: No Report Received to Date. MARION/EAST CEDAR RAPIDS, 02/23/10: Ron Fielder, Chuck Larson and Howard Ohsman. CEDAR RAPIDS WEST: 02/24/10: Travis Christopher and John Rodgers. CEDAR RAPIDS SUNRISE, 02/25/10: No Report Received to Date. CEDAR RAPIDS METRO NORTH, 02/25/10: Les Garner and Leighton Smith. CEDAR RAPIDS DAYBREAK, 02/26/10: No Report Received to Date.
MARION/EAST CEDAR RAPIDS, 03/02/10: Ron Fielder, Chuck Larson and Howard Ohsman. CEDAR RAPIDS WEST: 03/03/10: CEDAR RAPIDS SUNRISE, 03/04/10: No Report Received to Date. CEDAR RAPIDS METRO NORTH, 03/04/10: Paul Brundell and Al Varney. CEDAR RAPIDS DAYBREAK, 03/05/10: No Report Received to Date.
MAKE UPS – OUT OF TOWN
Dan Rogers (Auckland, New Zealand), Dave Storey (Iowa City), Anne Cunningham (Estero, Florida – 4) (Bonita Springs, Florida – 2) and Fort Meyers, Florida – 2).
MAKE UPS – ECLUB ONE & WASHINGTON INTERACT
None.
ROTARIAN GUESTS
Cally Murray, Dennis Jordan, Richard Pankey and Scott Friauf (Daybreak).
GUESTS OF MEMBERS
Adam Tiedt (Jordan), Angelise Walsh (Kasparek), Jennifer Peden (Rippy), Marion Vogt (Helling), Shamus Thompson (Thompson) and Sharon Larid (Laird).
OTHER GUESTS
New Life Fitness Staff.
AREA ROTARY CALENDAR
March 11, 2010 – Sunrise (7 AM) – Stacy Johnson, Linn County Solid Waste Agency.
March 11, 2010 – Metro North (11:30 AM) – No Program Announced.
March 12, 2010 – Daybreak (7AM) – Mick Starcevich, President, Kirkwood Community College.
March 16, 2010 – Marion (Noon) – Ted Townsend, President & CEO, St. Luke’s Hospital.
March 17, 2010 – West (Noon) – Bob Pasicznyuk or Amber Mussman – Cedar Rapids Public Library New Building.
March 18, 2010 – Sunrise (7 AM) – City Manager Lou Pluckhahn.
March 18, 2010 – Metro North (11:30 AM) – Dr. David Benson, Superintendent of Cedar Rapids Schools.
March 19, 2009 Daybreak (7 AM) – Committee Meetings.
THE BACK PAGE
FEBRUARY 2010 BOARD NEWS
The February, 2010 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids was held at 7:30 A.M. in the 10th Floor Conference Room at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman, PLC with President-Elect Douglas D. Laird presiding. Directors present were President-Elect Laird, Amy Johnson Boyle, Salma Igram and Ted Sorensen (via conference phone) and Directors-Elect Bob Carlson and John Wasta and Membership Co-Chair Lydia Brown and Secretary Larry Christy. Directors Dan Baldwin, Chris Blake, Amy Johnson Boyle, Arvind Dandekar, Larry Erb, Paul Morf and Diane Stefani and Directors-Elect Lois Buntz and Dick Heft were absent. The board:
Approved the minutes of the January 28, 2010 meeting as circulated. There was no regular December meeting of the board.
Reviewed and acted upon club correspondence, requests for leaves of absence and other miscellaneous issues.
Reviewed the Report of the Membership Committee recommending the election of three new Active members to the club’s membership roster.
Finalized plans for the Club Social on March 3. Proceeds from the Social will benefit Metro High School. Proceeds from the event will be matched $2 for $1 by the club.
Received a preliminary report on results of the current “OPT OUT” Campaign for the benefit of the Rotary Foundation.
Received an update on the club’s international project, A Promise of Health.
Upon motion, duly seconded the board approved the payment of $12,827.69 for plantings damaged by the flood at the Metro Rotary Centennial Park which amount has been reimbursed by the Rotary Centennial Fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.
Upon motion, duly seconded the board approved a $1,000 payment to the charity of choice of the recipient of the 2009-2010 Rotary year Community Service Award.
Upon motion, duly seconded the board approved up to four $500 awards for Club Appreciation Awards for the 2009-2010 Rotary year.
Upon motion, duly seconded the board approved the reversal of a $2,400 accrual from Rotary year 2008-2009 for A Promise of Health as the funds are no longer needed for the purpose for which they were intended.
Reviewed the club financial reports for the period ended January 31, 2010.
Reviewed the Attendance Report for the period January 1, 2010 through February 25, 2010.
Reviewed the Membership Reconciliation Report for the period July 1, 2009 through February 25, 2010.
The next meeting of the board will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7:30 A. M. at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman, PLC.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE ACTIONS
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The following individuals have been elected Active members of The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids. They will be introduced to the general membership at future club meetings.
ANTHONY E. ARRINGTON
Executive Recruiter, Qualified Management Recruiters
Classification: “Executive Recruiting”
Membership Type: “Active – Ordinary”
Sponsor: Nancylee Ziese
LOUIS E. EBINGER
Associate Attorney, Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman, PLC
Classification: “Law – Business Transactions”
Membership Type: “Active – Ordinary”
Sponsor: Jack Evans
DANIELLE RINGS
Independent Insurance Agent, AFLAC
Classification: “Insurance – General”
Membership Type: “Active – Ordinary”
Sponsor: Lydia Brown
GETTING ON THE WEB
CLUB WEB SITE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Open your Internet browser (AOL, Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc.).
3. Click the MEMBERSHIP button to proceed to the password-protected area of the site.
4. In the field entitled, "User" key in the first letter of your first name and your entire last name (lchristy), for example.
5. In the field entitled, "Password" key in your private password.
6. Most computers will ask if you would like your password saved. If this computer is your primary computer, you will want to select "yes". This will save you from having to type in the user name and password each time you visit.
7. After you access your account in the MEMBERSHIP section of the web site, you can change your password at any time you wish.
8. If you forget your password the web site will send you an email with your password included.
9. If you cannot access the site and/or the password-protected area using this procedure, please call Larry Christy (363-6301) or E-mail (crrotary@mchsi.com).
ROTARY CLUB OF CEDAR RAPIDS
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
JULY 1, 2009 TO JUNE 30, 2010
President-Elect Douglas D. Laird (247-5000) (dlaird@skogman.com)
Past President Daniel R. Baldwin (366-2862) (dan.baldwin@gcrcf.org)
Director Christopher R. L. Blake (368-6464)(cblake@mtmercy.edu)
Director Arvind J. Dandekar (294-6664)(ajdandekar@aol.com)
Director Larry A. Erb (366-6613) (larry.a.erb@gmail.com)
Director Salma Igram (393-3600)(sigram@cedargraphicsinc.com)
Secretary/Treasurer Larry H. Christy (363-6301) (crrotary@mchsi.com)
Sergeant-at-Arms George K. Baldwin (362-4093) (baldwingeo@aol.com)
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