5-26-2011 Rotary Club meeting

The 5-26-2011 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha came to order with a prayer, pledge and song.

Guests included Lindel Pettigrew, Kyle Mottinger and Jonah Robertson.

Prayer concerns include Rotarians Bret Burn and Jim (Electronics) Allen, whose homes were hit by the Tuesday, May 24 tornado.

President Mark said a collection box for the storm victims would be on the table near the badges for anyone wanting to make a donation to the relief efforts.

Rotarian Stewart Fairburn, Chickasha's city manger, gave a preliminary assessment of the storm's toll in Chickasha. He said 12 homes were damages in Sleepy Hollow, 12 mobile homes in Watson's Mobile Home Park, four buildings destroyed at Winds of Oak Ridge Apartments and several businesses heavily damaged as the storm tracked through the city on up to the Friend community.

Phillip Wint was inducted by President Mark as a new member. His sponsor was Conrad Duprez, who presented Went his Rotary pin. Phillip is an 8-year resident of Chickasha. He had been a factory rep for 35 years. He is married a Chickasha native.

Phil Gordon introduced Michael Butler, pastor of First Baptist Church of Chickasha, as a our guest speaker.

He talked to us about "developing community among our people" and how to respond to people responding to tragedy in light of what in Chickasha on Tuesday.

He said it was important to sympathy and comfort, that we don't pretend to have all the answers, that we don't try to fix all that is wrong and that we don't try to  answer the question "why?".

Pastor Butler said the biggest thing in responding to people in need of comfort is to not miss the opportunity to offer them encouragement and hope. 

Thank you Michael for these timely and encouraging words.