This week we continue recognizing the top graduates in our area by hosting the top Flint Hills Technical College graduates. Please mingle and get acquainted with these talented young people at our club meeting.
Our Rotary Club recognized eleven graduating seniors of Emporia High School at our club meeting. EHS Principal Dr. Britton Hart indicated that there are 325 EHS graduates this year. This group includes 3 perfect 4.0 un-weighted GPA's, 3 Governor's Scholars, 53 honor students with 3.75 and higher GPA's, and 5 National Merit Scholars. This group recognized represent "the best of the best" at Emporia High School.
Steve Blocker, who has coached Emporia State University track & field since 2009, talked about the program that has demonstrated that it can bring out the best in individuals who are focused and driven to perform to their best ability. Since 2009, ESU track & field has produced over 65 All Americans. The first meet hosted by ESU this spring, brought over 18 teams and 1,000 individual athletes to compete. Events like that have to be an economic shot in the arm for Emporia.
If you haven't seen the new "Golden Oval" track, you have to go see it. ESU has a great facility in a pursuit of excellence.
Erin Blocker, an Emporia State University track & field coach, has a passion to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline among aging people in small communities. She has developed an outreach of education and exercise to smaller communities. Erin indicated that there is a genetic factor for cognitive decline, but the vast majority of risks result from how we live our lives. Erin now is employed by the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center conducting outreach to smaller communities to promote healthy brain aging and strategies to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Erin conducts a six-week LEAP! workshop series and a six-week LEAP! in action exercise program, both at Emporia State University and in other parts of Kansas. For more information call Erin at 913.912.3480 or e-mail eblocker@kumc.edu.
Sharon Tidwell, the Executive Director of the Jones Foundation, along with Jack Atherton, both Rotary Club members, provided a fascinating history of Walter, Evan and Olive Jones and what lead to the formation of the Jones Trust and the Jones Foundation. Of Welsh ancestry, Walter (1876) and Evan (1880) Jones grew up in Arvonia, Kansas. Walter married Olive, and the three of them created a thriving cattle business in the Flint Hills. Walter was the cattle buyer and seller, while Evan was more hands-on, taking care of the cattle. Olive was a meticulous bookkeeper for the business. Over the years, their thriftiness and business acumen accumulated six sections of the Flint Hills of Kansas and 44,000 acres in Texas, which also ended up producing oil and natural gas.
Walter and Evan both died in 1953, and Olive died in 1957. In 1955, Jack Atherton started taking care of probating the estate contested by nephews and nieces. With no children of their own, the Jones' estate was originally designated for kids with polio and for foster care in Osage, Lyon and Coffey counties. Their estate amounted to $19 million in 1955, and was later interpreted to include the medical, educational and recreational needs of children in this same region.
The Jones Trust exists to grant funds to organizations, while the Jones Foundation grants funds to individuals. Since 1995, $30,956,000 has been granted from the Jones Trust to the Jones Foundation. From the Jones Foundation there has been $11,388,000 medical grants and $16,671,000 educational grants to individuals.
Dr. Jennie Long, who has been involved in the Early Childhood Program at Emporia State University for the past five years, described the Children Inspire Glass Project. This project celebrates children, their imaginations and creative expressions in collaboration with instructors and students from various educational disciplines who share this enthusiasm. Children 5-10 years old create a 2-D creature on paper and a story about their creature. With the help of the ESU students, the kids create a 3-D clay object of their creature. The ESU glass blowing students then reproduce that creature into a 3-D glass sculpture. The kids have an opportunity to critique their glass sculpture once more before the final glass sculpture is completed in full color. What a great opportunity for the kids of the Emporia area and the ESU students.
For more information, and images of many of the creatures that have been created, click HERE.
Sam Purohit has ordered Rotary Club of Emporia license plates that celebrate our 100th Anniversary. The cost per license plate is $6.00. All funds are going to pay for the cost of the plates. Any funds over the cost are being contributed to Polio Plus. You can get yours from Sam or from Jim Wayman.
Last fall, District Governor Chris Ford challenged all Rotary clubs to increase membership by 20%, or 14 new members for our club. The first step in getting new members is to ask a person who may be interested in joining to come to a meeting. To encourage this very thing, we are offering some incentives.
When a Rotarian brings a potential member for the first time, the Rotarian will receive $5 in Chamber Bucks. When that new member is inducted, the sponsoring Rotarian will receive $20 in Chamber Bucks.
Mike Hudson is our Rotary Club's newest member. Bill Barnes proposed Mike for membership. 
Our Rotary Club recognized eleven graduating seniors of 
Emporia High School at our club meeting. EHS Principal Dr. Britton Hart indicated that there are 325 EHS graduates this year. This group includes 3 perfect 4.0 un-weighted GPA's, 3 Governor's Scholars, 53 honor students with 3.75 and higher GPA's, and 5 National Merit Scholars. This group recognized represent "the best of the best" at Emporia High School.
Steve Blocker, who has coached Emporia State University track & field since 2009, talked about the program that has demonstrated that it can bring out the best in individuals who are focused and driven to perform to their best ability. Since 2009, ESU track & field has produced over 65 All Americans. The first meet hosted by ESU this spring, brought over 18 teams and 1,000 individual athletes to compete. Events like that have to be an economic shot in the arm for Emporia. 
Erin Blocker, an Emporia State University track & field coach, has a passion to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline among aging people in small communities. She has developed an outreach of education and exercise to smaller communities. Erin indicated that there is a genetic factor for cognitive decline, but the vast majority of risks result from how we live our lives. Erin now is employed by the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center conducting outreach to smaller communities to promote healthy brain aging and strategies to prevent Alzheimer's 
Sharon Tidwell, the Executive Director of the Jones Foundation, 
along with Jack Atherton, both Rotary Club members, provided a fascinating history of Walter, Evan and Olive Jones and what lead to the formation of the Jones Trust and the Jones Foundation. Of Welsh 
Dr. Jennie Long, who has been involved in the Early Childhood Program at Emporia State University for the past five years, described the Children Inspire Glass Project. This project celebrates children, their imaginations and creative expressions in collaboration with instructors and students from various educational disciplines who share this enthusiasm. Children 5-10 years old create a 2-D creature on paper and a story about their creature. With the help of the ESU students, the kids create a 3-D clay object of their creature. The ESU glass blowing students then reproduce that creature into a 3-D glass sculpture. The kids have an opportunity to critique their glass sculpture once more before the final glass sculpture is completed in full color. What a great opportunity for the kids of the Emporia area and the ESU students..jpg)
Sam Purohit has ordered Rotary Club of Emporia license plates that celebrate our 100th Anniversary. The cost per license plate is $6.00. All funds are going to pay for the cost of the plates. Any funds over the cost are being contributed to Polio Plus. You can get yours from Sam or from Jim Wayman.
