Mike Kevlin reviews the club's accomplishments for the past year of the Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area during his last meeting as club president. The Rotary "year" ends on June 30. He also announced his choice for Rotarian of the Year, Eric Gomez, during the meeting.
During its June 30 Club Assembly meeting, Rotary Club President Mike Kevlin reviewed his past year as president. It was a very unusual year to say the least.
While the world-wide pandemic made every club’s year unusual, the Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area added a few extra wrinkles to its eventful year.
President Kevlin pointed out that the club had moved its meeting location two times in the past year from the Humble Civic to Tin Roof BBQ and finally to the Lake Houston Family YMCA. In addition, the club began Zooming all it’s meetings for members who were unable to attend.
The club’s dues structure had changed four times as the club moved from meeting in person to online via Zoom to in-person again and to Zoom again and finally doing both in-person and Zoom meetings. $120 per member will be allocated to the annual fund and $20 per member to Polio Plus. The remaining dues will be used for club operations and fundraising receipts will be directed to the club’s foundation.
At the beginning on the club’s Rotary year in July, Mike reminded the members of the club’s four goals for the year. They were: 1. Increase Membership; 2. Increase Service Projects; 3. Improve Public Image; and 4. Resolve Open Issues Regarding the Club’s Name and its Satellite Club.
Mike Kevlin, Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area President, reviews the club's 2020-21 year to the membership on June 30th.
During the 2020-21 pandemic year the club increased its membership with a net gain of ten. The club now has 54 male and 28 female members verses 51 male and 21 female during the 2019-20 Rotary year. Mike went on to praise our Membership chair, Eric Gomez for his hard work during the year.
The club’s name changed from the Rotary Club of Humble to the Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area to more accurately reflect the club’s members and the area serviced by the club. This is no small feat as it had to be put up to a vote of the membership and approved by Rotary International. Once approved, it also meant changing our name in our by-laws, website, domain name, etc.
The membership also decided in a vote to include the its satellite club members as full-fledged members of the Lake Houston club instead of spinning it off as a separate club.
Club goals one and four were met successfully.
Goal number two, Increase Service Projects, became impossible as the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down. As for goal number three, Improve Public Image, Mike reported he believed it was work-in-progress.
“Our sponsors stuck with us even though we had to cancel the Generation Park event,” he said. The club was able to provide sponsors with community exposure through the Cinco de Mayo Golf Tournament and the Corvette Car Raffle. Both fundraisers were a success.
Because of their continuing support, the club was still able to provide Humble ISD student scholarships and donations to local non-profits including the YMCA’s Operation Backpack. Mike went on to thank them by reading their name aloud. He included presenting sponsors Plains State Bank and Robbins Chevrolet; premiere club sponsors Mann Eye Institute and Plains State Bank; golf tournament sponsors Community Bank of Texas, Edward Jones Financial Advisors, The Mint National Bank, Currin-Wuest-Mielke-Paul & Knapp PLLC, Pro-Tank, Memorial Hermann, Michael Carr-Attorney-Independent Title, The Home Care Family and MKP-Price Financial.
Next, he reviewed our Youth Programs by reporting our Junior Rotarian Program may be the only one of its kind in the U.S. There are six high schools in the Humble ISD that are in the club’s service area and we have two senior Junior Rotarians at each school. “We have an unbelievable partnership with Humble ISD”, he said and that helps us to keep the program going. The program includes twelve mentors and twelve student scholarships equaling $12,000.
The club was also able to provide a total of $22,500 in Humble ISD student scholarships to recipients of the Four Way Essay Contest, CARES Scholarship, CTE Scholarship and the Oran Bain Memorial Scholarship (the last is funded separately but granted through Rotary).
Mike went on to share the club’s success in financially supporting local charities and non-profits including: Y.M.C.A. (Operation Backpack - $8,000); Family Time (Healing Space Project - $5,000); Including Kids (Air Cleaners - $5,000); Oaks of Righteousness (Window and Bathroom Repair - $5,000); Family Promise (Family Programming - $4,500); Re:Mind (Depression and Bipolar Support Groups - $2,500); HAAM (Outreach to Unsheltered - $8,000); Mission Northeast (Adult Education - $6,000); Rotary Rose Group (PPD Support Group - $2,400); Boots for Troops (Care Packages for Deployed - $2,830); and Humble ISD (FFA Auction - $8,709).
The club also provided International Service help by sponsoring four financial grants through Rotary International and Rotary District 5890. They were for Diagnostics and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Venezuela; Cucuta, Columbia Educational Grant (3 school laboratories); and Karen Tai, Global Scholar, Oxford, United Kingdom.
As the meeting was coming to a close, President Kevlin thanked his 2020-21 officers, board of directors and committee chairs for their service during this unusual year. They were: President Elect: Kathy Lemman; Past President: Chris Elliott; President Nominee: Eric Gomez; Secretary: Robin Schoonover; Treasurer: Gregg Mielke; Board Members At-large: Pat Guard, Valerie Copley, Sandra Collison, Janna Watson, Don Thompson, Christy Tarkington; Foundation Chair: Danny Contreras; Youth Programs: Susan Brodbeck; Membership Chair: Eric Gomez; Community Service Chair: Juan Aybar; International Chair: Felipe La Rotta; and Public Relations Chair: Eric Gomez.
Lastly, Mike reminded everyone of the Multi-Club Installation Dinner with District 5890 Governor Michelle Bohreer swearing in the new officers, board members and committee chairs on July 14 at the Clubs of Kingwood. He said he would ordinarily make his last announcement at the installation dinner if it was just our club members. But he took the opportunity at the end or his last meeting to announce his choice of Rotarian of the Year, Eric Gomez. (see related story).
Mike praised Eric for all his help during the year including being Membership Chair, Public Image Chair, President Nominee and Raffle Co-Ordinator. Eric is also married, the father of four young children and owns and runs his own business. He was very busy this past year.
The Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area members and guests meet 11:45 a.m. Wednesdays for their weekly lunch meeting at the Lake Houston Family YMCA, 2420 West Lake Houston Pkwy in Kingwood. For more information about Rotary, visit www.LHARotary.com .