At the Installation Banquet, we introduced the Rotary International Theme for the coming year.

Be a gift to the world.

As our incoming District Governor told me, "I had a long-time District leader say that he thought it was the best theme Rotary has had in his many years of involvement." 

Everyone of us belongs to Rotary because someone saw our own "gifts"- our talents- and felt we would make a good Rotarian.  We all were invited to join. 

Incoming R.I. President K. R. "Ravi" Ravindran, who authored the theme, said "All of you have been given so many gifts.  And you have now been given this great gift: one year to take all your talents, all your gifts, everything that you are and can become--and Be a Gift to the World."

For our club, those gifts have been present for generations.  How we use them in the coming year will translate into how we use them in the future.  Lets make 2015-16 a great year and a launchpad going forward as the Pekin Rotary Club approaches its 100th Anniversary in just five short years. 

As we enter this new Rotary year, I want to thank Matt Stropes for his almost two years as our President.  It is not an easy task and he admirably answered the call when the club sought a new president.

Finally, congratulations to Mike Caringello on being recognized for his more than half-century of contribution to the club and our community.  It was a very fitting acknowledgement of his Lifetime Achievement.

Gary Gillis

Our member spotlight this month is the recipient of the 2015 Paul Harris Award.  

Following is a reprint of the presentation.

This Rotarian, without a doubt, has earned this honor; paid his dues.

Like a number of us, he is not a Pekin native, not a Pekin High Graduate, but is now a source of local pride and recognition.

He graduated from a high school in a town with a statue of Abraham Lincoln and Melissa Goings.

(Metamora)

He attended Western Illinois University and ISU where he earned both his Bachelors and Masters degrees.

Possessing the talent to do anything he wanted, he chose the noble calling of teaching.

He began his career at Georgetown Middle School in Marquette Heights.  After one year there, he moved to our own District 108 teaching at Edison Jr. High.  From there he began moving up the ladder.

He became Assistant Principal at Starke School before moving back to Edison as their Principal.

Of course such moving around is in his DNA since he is an Ultra Marathon Runner.

If you haven't guessed who it is by now, let me share some additional things you most likely don't know about him.

He is a Star Trek fan.  He loves spending time with his family.

He has a strong interest in trivia- so here's a trivia fact about him that his wife said he would "kill her for sharing it"-

He's legitimately scared of Big Foot!

A Rotarian since 2008 he served as our President for not one, but two years.  We know him for his passion for Polio Plus and one-time obsession with Illinois Press and Publishing for the simple reason that he could refer to it as:

IPP.

Professionally he is the Assistant Superintendent of Pekin District 108.  He's "Dad" to his kids- Katherine, Teagan and Step-Son Luke.  I don't know what his wife Stacie calls him.

Tonight he is our MC, but he now has a different role-

To step forward and accept a new title...

Please join me in recognizing our 2015 Paul Harris Fellow-    Len Ealey