As far as I know, we are still in District 5890 and all is quiet with the Rotary hierarchy! I’m only kidding! We had a delightful visit from our District Governor, Camille Hamilton, this past week. Those guys were working it - she had been to a couple of Rotary meetings the day before and was off to Northshore after our meeting. It was very fun hosting The University Area and Houston Westside Rotary Clubs. We also had a couple of Assistant District Governors, President of the Katy Club and Jennifer Clark, the Governors Chief of Staff in the house. Hopefully, everyone got to work the crowd a bit and meet some of our fellow Rotarians. A big thanks to the set up team - Kim, Ralph, Roldan and Anthony, the place looked great! They had to overcome a few obstacles, i.e., an expired link for the Governors presentation, but all went smoothly.
My Rotary mentor and Past President, Stephen Smith joined me for a little club reconnaissance work. We attended the Rotary Club of Houston’s lunch meeting on Thursday at Tony’s. It was fun to encounter a new group of Rotarians and guests, but also informative to see how they organize their event. I think we both learned a few things. Just an fyi, the price point is a little steeper at $40.00 per person plus parking.
Rotary After Hours (RAH), our companion club, had their meeting that same evening and we heard from West U Rotary Club’s most recent Global Grant Scholar, John LaChappelle. I must say he is very well spoken and has an interesting background. He will soon be off to Israel to attend Tel Aviv University for a Masters in Peacemaking and Mediation. If you have an interest in learning more about Global Grants Scholarship program, reach out to Sharon Williams, as she was instrumental in guiding John through the process.
As you know, currently RAH is being graciously hosted by Kim and Jay at their West U home. We all need to be thinking of a more permanent location that fits the requirements of the afterhours club. Please reach out to Anthony, Kim or Kelsey with any questions or thoughts. In the meantime, when RAH meets, to find their home, just look for the Rotary Flag in the front yard!
Lastly, and don't shoot the messenger, our walk-in breakfast charge is increasing to $25.00 starting in October 2026. This is per our board vote of last week and the new charge includes everyone except active standard members. I understand that this is a big jump but the current breakfast cost from Skeeter's is $24.00 which is the same price since we returned a year ago.
Thank you Kim & Jay Anderson for your gracious hosting of RAH while we find a more permanent gathering spot. It was a great place to hear from our Global Grant Scholar, John LaChappelle.
Rotary After Hours is designed for professionals with busy mornings but a heart for service. If breakfast meetings don’t fit your schedule, this is your chance to stay engaged with all the community and camaraderie that make West U Rotary special.
Pre-announcement reminder- the Celebration of Life for Jack Hardin will be at 2:00 pm on Friday, September 25, 2026, at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church at 1900 Bering Drive, Houston Texas 77057!
The West U Rotary Club Foundation would like to honor the memory of our friend Jack Hardin, a long-time committed Rotarian and former president of the Foundation. We hope to fund this memorial gift through donations from club members and other individuals who may also wish to honor Jack.
After speaking with Janice about the causes Jack was most passionate about, we determined that a scholarship for a community college student would be appropriate. As of this time, the Board has not voted on a particular scholarship or school. That will be decided once we can determine the funding available.
Should you wish to contribute to honoring Jack's memory, you may send a check to The West U Rotary Club Foundation at P.O. Box 272727, Houston, TX 77277, or contribute via Zelle using foundation@westurotary.org. If you would prefer giving cash or have any questions about how to donate, please contact Sharon Williams at sw324houston@gmail.com or Foundation Treasurer Cathy Graber at cwmgraber@gmail.com.
On Friday, September 25th from 11:00am - 2:00 pm, WURC will be volunteering to staff a pop up grocery for Second Servings. Please see the attached flier for details and how to register for the event.
For those attending Jack Hardin's celebration of life, you can leave the pop up at any time needed
Thanks to those who have signed up for the blood drive. We can still use some more donors! If you've never donated before, this is you oppprtunity to give it a try! It's safe, easy and helps save lives. The Blood Center needs 1000 donations per day to meet demand! Please invite family and friends to participate.
Our next Rotary Blood Drive is scheduled for Thursday, October 1st from 6:30 - 10:00 am in the Skeeter's parking lot. As a thank you gift for your donation you will receive a coupon for a free pint at Saint Arnold, a warm cozy blanket and a free cholesterol test.
See the below flier for how to sign up, or just send Ralph a text to 713-979-6179 to get you signed up.
This year, we will be celebrating World Polio Day on Saturday, October 24 by Walking The Walk. Rotarians and their families and friends from all over our District will be walking from the Galleria (Dillard's parking lot, 4925 Westheimer) to the Waterwall Park (roundtrip distance one mile) in support of our END POLIO NOW effort. Meeting time is 9:30 AM.
Each Rotarian is asked to donate $100+ to Rotary's Polio Fund between now and 10/24/26 to participate in the walk. Please donate even if you are unable to participate in the walk. And please donate more than $100 if you are able as the Gates Foundation will be matching our Polio donations with $2 for each $1 we donate again this year!
Our club is making your Polio donation extra easy this year. Just make your $25 Rotary Foundation donation as usual with your upcoming West U Rotary Club dues invoice and it will go to the Polio Fund and will be matched by our club Foundation. Or you can increase your dues invoice donation to $50 and have that matched for a total of $100. You are also welcome to donate by logging on to your account at MyRotary.org. Just click on the Donate tab at the top and specify that this donation is for Polio. You can always also give me a check (made to The Rotary Foundation) or cash and I'll send it in for you.
One last match - if you donate between $100 and $500, your donation will be matched with Rotary Foundation Recognition points to make you a Paul Harris Fellow or next level PHF sooner. The points match does not apply if you are already a Major Donor.
Please wear your End Polio or Rotary shirt to the Walk if you have one. Terry Ziegler, Rotary Regional END POLIO NOW Coordinator, will give you an END POLIO NOW shirt (X-tra large size only) to wear if you need one for the walk.
Shannon McNair is in leadership at The Rose Breast Health Center of Excellence in Houston, Texas. The Rose has been
providing access to screening mammograms, diagnostic procedures, and breast cancer treatment since 1986.
Since 2015, Shannon has been responsible for developing strategies to raise awareness of health disparities in breast
healthcare and executing all special events for The Rose. Throughout the year she also oversees roughly 150
independent third-party fundraising events and is responsible for raising more than $1 million annually to support The
Rose’s mission of serving uninsured patients.
In addition, she handles most of the community engagement/speaking events and represents The Rose on several
boards. Shannon is based in Houston. Shannon brings a 30-plus-year career in marketing and communications to The
Rose. She has worked in the nonprofit, banking, and media industries, including Hearst Media and PNC Bank.
A native of Pasadena, Shannon graduated from Sam Rayburn High School and attended San Jacinto Jr College before
graduating from Texas State University with a BA in Communication and Journalism. Shannon enjoys traveling,
particularly to New Orleans where her family is originally from, Astros games, coffee, dining out, crafting while binging
TV shows and spending time with family, friends and her Pasadena Animal Shelter rescue dog, Nola Roux.
