The Carmi Rotary club met on Thursday, with Sheryl Woodham from the Guardian Center as the day’s speaker.
Sheryl told the club that this has been a challenging year so far. She explained that in June she finally received the 2016 guidelines from the Department of Children and Family Services. The new guidelines are much more restrictive and cumbersome than in year’s past, and she said it is becoming increasingly difficult to comply with the complex rules and regulations. She said this year more than ever, the Guardian Center will need support from the community to stay open.
The local center annually assists around 175 children, and she explained that the need is not going away. She told the Rotarians that the new Rotary District Governor, David Mathews, is a big supporter of children’s issues, and will be working hard to get Rotary involved all over the district. The Rotary district runs from the Mississippi River to the Wabash River, with everything south of Route 50.
Sheryl also wanted the club to know that any local group can be trained in a program called “Stewards of Children” in a two hour session put on by the Guardian Center. Anyone interested can contact the center for more information.
In club business, the club voted to give a one hundred dollar donation to the Guardian Center, as well as a one hundred dollar donation to the Southeastern Illinois Pastoral Council to help with their very important work.
Tom Logan won the 50/50 drawing but did not claim the day’s cash prize. Kent Armstrong was named the day’s phantom.
The Carmi Rotary club meets every Thursday at noon at the First United Methodist Church in Carmi. Anyone wishing to learn more about this worldwide civic club is more than welcome to attend a meeting or speak with any Carmi Rotarian.
