This week's program is always one of those in which I leave feeling that our world is going to be in good hands. Our Rotary Youth Leadership students who our club sponsored at RYLA will be on hand to tell us about their summer camp experience.
Head Hornet football coach Garin Higgins is creating a very well-run program with mostly Kansas talent and a great, young coaching staff. With only one full-ride football scholarship recipient, Coach Higgins has learned to make a total of 36 scholarships work among 75 to 80 football players. Among a team that only lost two games last year, and graduation rates of 75%-83% over several years, Hornet football players have shown that they are staying in school and graduating.
When asked about developing a great program such as NW Missouri State, Coach Higgins gave these characteristics:
Recognizing and focusing on their strengths;
stability of staff;
when staff does leave, they go on as head football coaches elsewhere;
consistent, hard work from within their program.
It looks like Hornet Football is definitely headed in the right direction.
In the spirit of Rotary, we would like to offer our members a way to assist with relief efforts associated with Hurricane Harvey through a tax deductible gift. We ask that you consider making a contribution to United Way of the Flint Hills, after which all monies accumulated will be forwarded to assist with relief efforts. Our local United Way, as well as the United Way of Greater Houston, have guaranteed that 100% of all donations will go towards recovery efforts – no administration fees will be withdrawn. Checks, with Emporia Rotary notated in the memo line, should be made payable to United Way of the Flint Hills, 702 Commercial Street, Suite 2E, Emporia, KS 66801. Please make your contributions by the end of September.
Rotarian Shirley Antes, who is the executive director for the Emporia Community Foundation, pinch-hit for the Never Let Go Fund. This fund started in 2013 by Sandy Solano to help families of children diagnosed with cancer from $538 earned from a garage sale. The fund received a boost of over $8,400 in 2014 from a donation from the Dirty Kanza organization, and the fund now offers to assist families across a seven-county area for medical, travel and lodging expenses. The maximum grant per family is $2,000 over a 12-month period.
Bill Barnes, Chairman of the Board of the Emporia Community Foundation, announced that Shirley Antes will be retiring as Foundation Executive Director effective this fall after a new Executive Director is named. During her tenure, Shirley doubled the number of funds held at the Emporia Community Foundation. The past year, $90,000 of scholarships were paid out. Under her leadership, Match Day was started and has grown in funds raised from $61,000 in 2014, to $120,000 in 2015, to $180,000 in 2016. The 2017 Match Day is on November 13 with the largest number of organization participating - 25.
Bill announced that the Fund for the Future was also started to raise funds for the operations of ECF. The goal is to raise $2 million by 2025.
Funds collected from Happy Bucks during our July, August and September meetings go to the Emporia Community Foundation's Match Day activities. Contributions toward this have resulting in attracting growing contributions every year since Match Day started. Please contribute!
Emporia High School head football coach Corby Millison scheduled less this summer, but accomplished more with his team. Millison encourages three-sport athletes, and encouraged them to enjoy participating in other sports this summer in addition to EHS football. Sixty returning players and a roster of ninety-six compares with 70, 65, and 60 respectively the last three years. This year's team will have more size than in recent years as well.
Coach Millison established a leadership council for the football team, whose members studied leadership principles this summer. He introduced to our Rotary Club two of his seniors who are among the team leaders: Sawyer Clayton, offense, and Brent Haster, defense. They commented on the leadership skills that they have been learning, including "speaking up when something isn't right", and "yelling is not leadership". They both said to expect a fast tempo, no huddle spread offense, and a fast, up-tempo defense.
Coach Randy Wells leads the team's weight training among a total of ten coaches who work with the team. The EHS football schedule is very tough again this year, competing against some of the best teams in the state.
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Head Hornet football coach Garin Higgins is creating a very well-run program with mostly Kansas talent and a great, young coaching staff. With only one full-ride football scholarship recipient, Coach Higgins has learned to make a total of 36 scholarships work among 75 to 80 football players. Among a team that only lost two games last year, and graduation rates of 75%-83% over several years, Hornet football players have shown that they are staying in school and graduating. 
Rotarian Shirley Antes, who is the executive director for the Emporia Community Foundation, pinch-hit for the Never Let Go Fund. This fund started in 2013 by Sandy Solano to help families of children diagnosed with cancer from $538 earned from a garage sale. The fund received a boost of over $8,400 in 2014 from a donation from the Dirty Kanza organization, and the fund now offers to assist families across a seven-county area for medical, travel and lodging expenses. The maximum grant per family is $2,000 over a 12-month period. 
announced that Shirley Antes will be retiring as Foundation Executive Director effective this fall after a new Executive Director is named. During her tenure, Shirley doubled the number of funds held at the Emporia Community Foundation. The past year, $90,000 of scholarships were paid out. Under her leadership, Match Day was started and has grown in funds raised from $61,000 in 2014, to $120,000 in 2015, to $180,000 in 2016. The 2017 Match Day is on November 13 with the largest number of organization participating - 25. 
Coach Millison established a leadership council for the football team, whose members studied leadership principles this summer. 
