The Carmi Rotary club had a very special guest on Thursday, as Justice David Overstreet was the day’s speaker. Justice Overstreet told the club that he was a native of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, who did his college studies in Tennessee, before returning to Mt. Vernon in 1995.
He began his talk with some memories of long-time Carmi Rotarian Henry Lewis. Justice Overstreet told the Rotarians that he had many, many dealings with Judge Lewis through the years, including listening to a very interesting talk about Groundhog Day at a conference one year.
The Justice said he had started his judicial career as a trial judge, and he joked that a trial judge in Southern Illinois can hear all kinds of cases, sometimes in the same day.
He moved on from that post when he was appointed to the Appellate court due to a vacancy. He was then voted in to take that role for a ten-year term, which he is now fulfilling.
The main focus of his talk on Thursday was a side-project he is currently working on, which is part of a committee of 29 folks from across the state, who are creating a strategic plan for the judicial branch of government in Illinois. As he stated, most businesses have plans in place for the future, but this has never been done in the court systems. He commented that the court system has basically been unchanged for 200 plus years, even though technology has advanced at an incredible pace.
His primary focus on the committee is under the heading “Understanding of/confidence in the Judicial Branch. His role is that of improving the public relations aspect of the courts, and bringing some of today’s technology to work toward that goal.
The overall committee has adopted an acronym to highlight the goal of the plan. The acronym F.A.I.R. is being used; F for fairness, A for accountability, I for integrity, and R for respect. Justice Overstreet pointed out that the “respect” in the name does not mean respect for the judges or lawyers, but rather respect for the citizens who are appearing in the court system.
The Rotarians quickly discussed the upcoming trivia contest, which will be held on Saturday, March 7th at the American Legion in Carmi. As in year’s past, teams need to be made up of four people, and the cost for entry is just forty dollars per team. There will be four rounds of ten questions each, from such diverse topics as: history, sports, pop culture, the Bible, food, and many others. There will be cash prizes awarded to the top three teams, and there will be plenty of finger foods and drinks on hand for the players and the spectators. Doors open around 5:30 with the first question asked promptly at six.
In club business, Sheri Logan won the 50/50 drawing and managed to claim the day’s cash prize. Cindy Conley was named as the day’s phantom.
The Carmi Rotary club meets every Thursday at noon at the First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Carmi. Anyone wishing to learn more about this civic organization is welcome to attend a meeting or speak with any Carmi Rotarian.
Story provided by Randy Adams
