Bulletin: Rotarian September 1

Tom Coburn, M.D., our special guest at the Rotary Club of Edmond on September 1, is a man of many talents. In his varied career, Dr. Coburn has run the family business, practiced medicine, served as a Member of the United States House of Representatives, and been a United States Senator.

According to his official web page, Dr. Coburn’s priorities as a Senator include reducing wasteful spending, protecting liberty, balancing the budget, improving health care access and affordability, protecting the sanctity of human life, and representing traditional, Oklahoma values. He has offered more amendments than any of his Senate colleagues, often trying to cut excessive expenditures. Who does not know of the “Bridge to Nowhere,” the “Woodstock Museum,” or the numerous other special earmarks Dr. Coburn has tried to eliminate?

In an increasingly partisan Senate, Tom Coburn is known for his bipartisanship. Whether it involves eliminating wasteful spending or teaming up with then-Senator Barack Obama to create an online database of all federal spending, Dr. Coburn repeatedly shows his willingness to work for all citizens, without regard for partisan considerations.

Coburn is a 1970 accounting graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he served as president of the College of Business Student Council. After spending several years growing the family business, he attended the University of Oklahoma Medical School, becoming president of his class and graduating in 1983.

Coburn is quite the political prognosticator. Several years ago, Sen. Coburn visited the Rotary Club of Edmond, and made a statement I remember well, because it seemed so contrary to what the professional politicos were saying. Referring to the upcoming presidential race, he said to keep an eye on the relatively unknown junior senator from Illinois, because, regardless of what the polls or the pros were saying, Dr. Coburn believed this fellow had an excellent chance. Events proved his point, as the senator to whom he was referring is now President of the United States.

Tom Coburn and his wife, Carolyn, a former Miss Oklahoma, were married in 1968. They live in Muskogee, where he specializes in family medicine, obstetrics and the treatment of allergies. Dr. Coburn has personally delivered more than 4,000 babies.

The Coburns have three children and five grandchildren. They are members of First Baptist Church of Muskogee.

Please arrive early and give a warm Rotary Club of Edmond welcome to Oklahoma’s junior United States Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn.

Andy

In the two years he has served as State Auditor and Inspector, Steve Burrage has changed all of that. He has brought a blend of integrity and professionalism to his position that has revitalized the entire office.

Steve Burrage is the first State Auditor in 30 years to be a Certified Public Accountant. He earned a B.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and is chairman of the board of First Bank in Antlers. Before his appointment as State Auditor, he was a board member of the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve and is a past president of the Oklahoma Bankers Association. He sits on the Bizzell Memorial Library Board at the University of Oklahoma and the Foundation Board for Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Did you know that, in addition to serving as State Auditor and Inspector, the incumbent of that office has other duties? He serves on at least ten other boards, including the State Board of Equalization, the School Land Commission, the Oklahoma State Pension System, and the Board of Investors for the Tobacco Settlement Fund, to name just a few.

I have never met Steve Burrage. But I can tell you about his reputation. I have heard many people from all political persuasions discuss the job Steve Burrage has done as State Auditor and Inspector. To a person, whether Republican or Democrat, all have been extremely positive, about him as a person and about the excellent work he has accomplished since becoming our State Auditor.

A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Steve and his wife, Roberta, have three children: Mike, Mark and Bradley.

Please welcome State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Andy

P.S. Because of the large turnout expected for next week’s program featuring our United States Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn, please let Allison know ASAP whether you plan to attend and whether you will bring a guest.

Before his government service, Meacham was Chief Executive Officer of First National Bank & Trust of Elk City. Under his leadership, the bank more than doubled in size and saw its profits increase by more than 150 percent.
Scott Meacham began his service as the 17th State Treasurer in Oklahoma history on June 1, 2005. He was overwhelmingly reelected in 2006, garnering over 60% of the votes.

Meacham, who also serves in the governor’s cabinet as Secretary for Finance and Revenue, is Governor Henry’s primary financial and budget advisor and serves as his chief negotiator on budget, legislative, tribal matters and other issues. He has directed modernization of Oklahoma’s investment portfolio and has more than tripled state investment income while minimizing investment risk.

I met Scott Meacham during our service on Brad Henry’s transition team shortly after the 2002 election. The newly elected Governor gave us the task of meeting with the various state government agencies, hearing their budget requests, and putting together his first annual budget.

The task was not simple. Oklahoma was facing the largest budget shortfall in state history. During the campaign, Henry had pledged to balance the budget without raising taxes. At a time when other newly elected governors broke a similar promise, Governor Henry kept his word.

Scott Meacham made that much simpler. I watched Scott in meeting after meeting, regularly cutting to the heart of the matter, finding appropriate places where the citizens could save money in supposedly barebones budgets. This was no slash-and-run job: Meacham, who was slated to be Director of State Finance, led the effort in smart, effective ways. I learned then what others have come to know, that Oklahoma’s finances are in great hands with Scott Meacham at the helm.

Scott, his wife, Susan, and their four children, Trevor, Evan, Kady and Lucas, live in Edmond. They attend Crossings Community Church.

Please welcome State Treasurer Scott Meacham to the Rotary Club of Edmond.
Andy

Four years ago, the Rotary Club of Edmond began investigating whether it could initiate its own international project with a sister club in another country. Over a period of time, we focused in on Fortaleza, Brazil, and formed a partnership with the Rotary Club de Fortaleza Planalto in District 4490. Together, the two clubs and their Rotary districts raised $29,944, purchased a multi-passenger vehicle, and donated it to Associação Peter Pan, which is using it to transport indigent juvenile cancer patients and their families for their treatments.

This past May, our International Director, Krista Jones, my daughter, Susan Lester, and I traveled to Fortaleza to complete the project. For our program this week, Krista and I will discuss the details of the project, the trip, the many friends we made, and the hopes we have to continue joint efforts with the Fortaleza Planalto club.

What do you know about Fortaleza? The city and its environs have about 3.5 million inhabitants, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil. Located just a couple hundred miles northwest of the easternmost point of the South American continent, the coastal city enjoys temperate weather throughout the year. The average high temperature ranges from 85 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit; the average low ranges from 73 to 77 degrees. The record low is 55 degrees. As you might expect in a coastal city, the relatively humidity tends to be high, especially from January through June.

Fortaleza has witnessed incredible growth. It first attained a population of 100,000 in the early 1920s. The population grew to about one million in the 1970s.
Known for its beautiful sandy beaches, Fortaleza has become one of the main tourist destinations of Brazil. In 2014, Fortaleza will be one of the host cities when the FIFA World Cup takes place in Brazil.

Brazil is a large country. Fortaleza is almost 2,000 miles from São Paulo, the largest city of Brazil, and approximately 1,800 miles from Rio de Janeiro

I have written and said much about our Brazil project. The emails I sent from Fortaleza are posted on our website; if you haven’t had a chance to read them, please click on this link. On Wednesday, Krista and I will share with you, both orally and photographically, how the generosity of the members of the Rotary Club of Edmond, our partners in the Rotary Club de Fortaleza Planalto and Districts 4490 and 5750, is making a big difference in the lives of many.
Krista and I look forward to seeing you this Wednesday as we celebrate the Rotary Club of Edmond’s international project in Brazil and introduce you to some of the members of the Rotary Club of Fortaleza Planalto.
Andy

Special Message from President Gail:

The Rotary Club of Edmond continues to help the Henderson Hills school supplies drive. But it’s rapidly coming to a close. Please bring school supplies (click here for a complete list) Wednesday.

        Hoya Saxa! That’s how I’ll greet our special guest this week. For years, he has led one of the most successful publicly traded companies in Oklahoma. And he is an alumnus of Georgetown University.

        Our speaker this Wednesday is my Georgetown University Law Center classmate, Cliff Hudson. For the last 23 years, Hudson has been affiliated with Sonic Corp. in various leadership positions. Since 2000, he has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sonic. He has also been Sonic’s President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel.

        Under his leadership, Sonic has grown to new heights. Located in more than 40 states, there are now more than 3,500 Sonic Drive-Ins nationwide.

        Here’s a quiz: Which three states have the most Sonic Drive-Ins? How many are in each of these states?

        Let’s add a couple of other Sonic trivia questions. We know about the company’s first drive-in in Shawnee. But where were the first three franchises of the successful Shawnee facility? And, since 1959, the company has been known as Sonic. What was the name before that? The answers appear below.

        Guiding Sonic only begins to tell the story of Cliff Hudson. Over the years, Hudson has been active in numerous national, state and community affairs.

        From 1994-2001, Hudson served as chairman of the board of directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), a presidential appointment. He recently served as Chairman of the Oklahoma City School Board, currently serves as trustee of the Ford Foundation, and is the Chairman of the Board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

        Hudson has been honored as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences, and serves as a member of its Board of Visitors. At Georgetown University Law Center, Hudson served as an editor of the International Law Journal, was later a member of its board of visitors, and in 2006 was given the Paul Dean Award for service to the school.

        Hudson and his wife, Leslie, an epidemiologist, have two sons and live in Oklahoma City.

        Please welcome J. Clifford Hudson to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

        Andy

        Answers to the Sonic trivia quiz:

        The three states which currently have the most Sonic Drive-Ins are Texas, with 958, Oklahoma, with 269, and Tennessee, with 229.

        The first three franchises were located in Woodward, Enid and Stillwater.

        Before 1959, the company was known as Top Hat Drive-In.

RYLA
RYLA. You’ve heard it mentioned. You’ve met the students. But do you know what RYLA is?
According to the Rotary International website (www.rotary.org), “Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary’s leadership training program for young people.” The website continues:
RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth, and aims to:
Demonstrate Rotary’s respect and concern for youth;
Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders;
Encourage leadership of youth by youth;
Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities.
Historically, our club has actively supported RYLA. Over the years, we’ve regularly provided numerous scholarships for many students to attend our District’s RYLA activities.
This week, students from each of the three Edmond public high schools will visit with us about their RYLA experiences. In reviewing the backgrounds of these students, I think you will be impressed. All three are extremely active, both academically and in extra-curricular activities. National Honor Society, Air Force JROTC, Crew, Golf, Theater, Debate, Band – these are just some of the activities are special guests are involved in.
“The mission of Rotary International,” the RI website says, “is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.” RYLA is one of the many ways the Rotary Club of Edmond participates in this mission and promote Service Above Self.
This Wednesday, as we celebrate RYLA and all it does, please help welcome some of our future leaders to the Rotary Club of Edmond.
Andy

        Imagine a government agency that is completely self-funded. No taxpayer money needed. Imagine also the head of that agency is appointed by the Governor, and yet, no matter who the Governor is, Republican or Democrat, the agency head is continually reappointed. Is that a pipedream?

        No, it’s reality. The Oklahoma State Banking Department is that agency. Its head, Oklahoma State Banking Commissioner Mick Thompson, who led the Banking Department to become self-funded, is the special guest speaker this week of the Rotary Club of Edmond.

        Thompson, who was executive vice president of Poteau’s Central National Bank, was appointed to the position of Commissioner on September 1, 1992, by Governor David Walters. Reappointed in 1996 and 2000 by Governor Frank Keating, and in 2004 and 2008 by Governor Brad Henry, Thompson has served as Banking Commissioner longer than any person in Oklahoma history.

        From 1976 to 1984, Thompson served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He chaired the House Banking and Finance Committee, served as majority floor leader, and was a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committee. It was during his chairmanship of the Banking and Finance Committee that Oklahoma enacted its first branch banking and multi-bank holding company laws.

Thompson has chaired the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, and has served as a Trustee of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. He is a board member of the Carl Albert State College Foundation and the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Foundation.

The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado recently awarded Thompson the James C. Scarboro Memorial Award, which is presented annually to a commercial banker or banking educator who has provided outstanding leadership to the banking community and/or banking education nationwide.

Thompson graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he currently serves on the School of Business Advisory Council.  He earned a master’s degree in education from Northeastern State University, as well as a graduate degree in banking from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

With his wife, Peggy, Thompson lives in Edmond. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Please welcome our guest speaker, State Banking Commissioner Mick Thompson, to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Andy

Well, life sometimes gets in the way. We faced some obstacles, some expected, some not. The challenging national economy had finally reached Edmond. Then, just three weeks into our Rotary year, we learned, only a few minutes before our scheduled meeting, our meeting place was no longer available. We moved twice, and underwent a significant price increase, the first in over 15 years.

Yet, despite some false starts, we accomplished a lot. Let’s briefly review what we’ve done.

Our programs are second to none. Speaking to our club this year were our Governor, Brad Henry, our Lieutenant Governor, Jari Askins, our Attorney General, Drew Edmonson, our Insurance Commissioner, Kim Holland, Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud, two State Senators – Clark Jolley and Todd Lamb – and State Representative Ken Miller. We hosted the Chancellor for Higher Education, Glenn Johnson, and the head of the state Medicaid Agency, Mike Fogarty. We had a collegiate athletic director, Mike Holder, a head basketball coach, Travis Ford, a head football coach, Tracy Holland, and a two-time Olympic wrestling champion, John Smith. Former Chief Judge Robert Henry of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Oklahoma Supreme Court Vice-Chief Justice, Steve Taylor, and Chief Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma all spoke to our Club. A Congressman, a Secretary of State, a Mrs. Oklahoma, two United States Attorneys, a Secretary for Veterans’ Affairs visited us. And, even though we are a non-singing Rotary Club, we enjoyed the musical talents of world-renowned opera diva, Leona Mitchell.

Compare our programs to those of any other service organization. None tops us. None comes close.

We have remained active in our community, both near and far. Consider our service projects. We work with Ida Freeman Elementary School in several ways: reading to students through Rotary Readers; enhancing the school library, with our weekly speaker inscribing a book we donate to the school; and annually recognizing the Teacher of the Year. We applied for and received a District Simplified Grant, which, coupled with our own donation, provided a much needed video camera for Ida Freeman.

We sponsor a Four-Way Test Contest, a Four-Way Test Speech Contest, and Career Shadow Day. We are a sustaining Club – every year, we contribute $100 per member to the Rotary Foundation. We raise funds for scholarships through our annual Golf Tournament, our annual Omelets and Pancakes breakfast, our Sergeant-at-Arms “fines,” and even our weekly search for the Ace of Spades (amazingly, someone always seems to come “close!”). And, we continue to award college scholarships.

We sponsor RYLA students, outbound and inbound Ambassadorial Scholars, and even a foreign exchange student. We pick up trash along a two-mile stretch of roadway in Edmond. We helped at the Endeavor Games. The ShelterBox we purchased last year was deployed in Pandang, Sumatra. And, when disaster struck in Haiti, our Club responded with funds to purchase three additional ShelterBoxes!

Then there is our Brazil project. Our Club, partnering with the Rotary Club of Fortaleza Planalto, our District 5750, that club’s District 4490, and the Rotary Foundation, changed the lives of indigent juvenile cancer patients and their families. The members of this Rotary Club generously gave close to $20,000 which, when combined with Rotary grants, provided a total of $29,944, the purchase price of a beautiful new vehicle which is being used to transport these children and their families for their treatments. Because of Edmond and Fortaleza Rotarians, they will get the help they need, and will have a great chance for a normal life. This project, initiated by our club, has created a long-lasting relationship with our friends in Brazil.

All of this happened because of you, the members of the Rotary Club of Edmond. You regularly step forward and volunteer to do so much and contribute in so many ways. Thank you for demonstrating what it means to put Service Above Self.

One thing I suspect every Past President knows is that the best way to get to know the members of your Rotary Club well is to serve as president. Well, I’ve done that now, and I think I have gotten to know you even better than I did before. Last year at this time, I said that you – my Rotary friends – are the reason I so greatly enjoy being a member of the Rotary Club of Edmond. That was true then and is even truer now. Thank you for entrusting me with the honor and privilege of serving as your president.

Closing Remarks on the Board of Directors

I have had the best board a Rotary Club president could ever want to have. Every member of the board has not only done the job that person was supposed to do – and that is no small feat – but has gone way beyond the call of duty.

Todd Segress came to the board as a presidential appointee (under our By-laws, the president can appoint up to three non-voting members of the board), and reactivated our website. Please visit it at www.edmondrotary.com.

Rusty Hale, in his own quiet way, has kept our financial records open, accurate, and well in the black.

Mike Roark did a lot more than simply keep minutes of our board meetings. In this Club, the Secretary is, unofficially, our President-Elect in waiting. Mike spent much of the year planning for his term as President, now only a year away.

Clark Jolley kept us entertained. You know, Sergeant-at-Arms is a funny job. For those of you who don’t know, several years ago, when Clark was President, I was Sergeant-at-Arms. It’s not easy. You try to come up with different ways to raise money in a fun, light-hearted way. One of the things I did, starting the day Clark was sworn in, was to assess a fine against our new president. Clark was a bit surprised – I will never forget his shocked expression – but was incredibly good-natured about it, even though I assessed fines against him throughout the year. I must say, I think Clark more than got even with me this year.

Dan Chavez made sure our programs were excellent. Amazingly, not a single speaker ever crossed the line by turning the program into either a solicitation for funds or a partisan political plea (and let me add here, for those who thought we had too many Democrats – and I heard from several of you – and for those who thought we had too many Republicans – and I heard from several of you, too: eight elected officials spoke – four were Democrats, four were Republicans). Dan made certain – and this too is no small feat – all our speakers were present. We receive lots of comments about the programs. Because of my own special interest in this area, Dan probably heard from me, as well as from you, more than any other board member. He always graciously took care of business.

Jeff Cato once again got the hard work done to make sure we were appropriately active in our community. I think Edmond knows a lot about our Rotary Club, thanks to Jeff.

Jay Smith also kept his various programs going forward. He did it quietly. And, as always, he did it effectively.

Krista Jones agreed to serve on our board, and had the unenviable job of completing our Brazil project. With her incredibly busy schedule, she took up that challenge, spent untold hours on it, and made it an amazing success.

Mitzi Hancuff was supposed to have the easy job on the board – that of Past President. But Mitzi is not one to take the easy way out. Mitzi repeatedly came to the rescue. She took the lead when we suddenly had to find a new meeting place and a new caterer. Throughout the year, she regularly found ways to do so much to make our club better, and to make my tenure easier.

Allison Calhoun is the sine qua non. Every past president had told me how much I would depend on Allison. They were right. She’s tops.

The President-Elect is another funny position. You are actually elected to President more than a year and a half before you take office. In essence, you spend the interim preparing to be president. Another funny thing about the job is your presidency really starts not on the first of July, but actually around the first of April. Gail Carr has embraced her role, and is already leading our club. Having worked with Gail for so long, I know the Club is in great hands and will see great things over the next year.

Anything good that happened during my year as president happened because of these wonderful, selfless people. My year as president was easy. It really was. The members of our Board did the hard work. They made the good stuff happen. Please join me in thanking the members of our board.

It was a typical autumn day, that September 24, 1977. Almost 90,000 fans filled the horseshoe shaped Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Two of the most storied college football teams – 4th ranked Ohio State University and the 3rd ranked University of Oklahoma – were meeting for the first time. ABC broadcast the event to a nationwide television audience.

In a game marred by fumbles, OU ran out to a 20-0 lead. But never count out perennial national powerhouse Ohio State. The Buckeyes stormed back and took a 28-20 lead. Late in the fourth quarter, led by reserve quarterback Dean Blevins, OU scored a touchdown, but was stopped short on the two-point conversion attempt.

After a successful onside kick, the Sooners drove the ball to the Ohio State 23 yard line. With only six seconds remaining in the game, OU was down to its last play.

The Sooners lined up for a field goal. Uwe von Schamann, the young kicker for OU, was ready to go when legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes called time out.

During the pause, the partisan Buckeyes crowd loudly cheered, “Block that kick.” Cool as a cucumber, von Schamann eased the tension of the moment by waiving his hands at the crowd, directing the Ohio State cheers.

As his Sooners again took the field, Coach Barry Switzer knelt on the sidelines. Number 10, Uwe von Schamann, prepared to kick the ball. The snap was perfect, the ball holder placed it down, and von Schamann nailed the 41-yard field goal right through the center of the uprights. The Sooners won and moved to the top spot in the polls.

Von Schamann went on to be named the all-time, All Big 8 kicker, and the All Century OU kicker. Drafted by the Miami Dolphins, he made 101 of his 149 NFL field goal attempts and was 237 out of 250 on extra points. Perfect in his two Superbowls appearances, his 70 extra point attempts in 1984 set an NFL record that stood until 2007.

Von Schamann, who moved from Berlin, Germany, to Fort Worth at the age of 16, considers his greatest accomplishment to have been his return to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned his journalism degree in 1996.

Since 2001, he has been affiliated with the J. D. McCarty Center for children with developmental disabilities in Norman, and currently works with Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. He is a frequent speaker on leadership styles, values and principles he learned both on and off the football field.

Please come for President Gail’s first meeting, and welcome our special guest, Uwe von Schamann, to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Andy