Pursues opportunities for each Rotarian to represent the dignity and value of his or her vocation to the other members of the club, as well as the responsibility of the club to undertake projects related to such areas as career planning, vocational training, and the promotion of high ethical standards in the workplace.
Four Way Speech Program
Students will be selected an invited along with a sponsor and / or parents to attend the March 12 meeting. Winners receive prizes and the first place winner moves on to the next level of competition.
Scholarship for Graduating Senior or Seniors
Rotary will distribute $4,000 for scholarship programs this year. Deserving students are selected annually from our Student of the Month winners.
Dictionary Program
All 3rd graders in Port Isabel will receive a dictionary from the Port Isabel Rotary Club.
RYLA Rotary Youth Leadership Association
Two students are selected to compete in Corpus Christi.
Student of the Month
The local school and the Rotary Club will select a student every month for honors. The student, parents, counselor and or teachers are invited to attend a Friday lunch meeting.
VOCATIONAL SERVICE Traci Tousey , Chair
Student of the Month
Each month during the school year, we recognize a student for their academic and/or community service achievement. The honoree receives a $100.00 (at maturity) savings bond.
2009 results
October student of the month: Tyler Nuckols
November student of the month: Brenda Rodriguez
December student of the month: Brice Dunkum
January student of the month: Matt McCann
February student of the month: Jess Alford
March student of the month: Yara Reyes
April student of the month: Brenda Oloarte
May student of the month: Joe Vega
Scholarships
Each year we award $1,000.00 scholarships to four of the eight students selected as Students of the Month. Joe Vega, Brenda Oloarte, Tyler Nuckols, and Yara Reyes received scholarships. Jess Alford was awarded our "Service Above Self" award.
RYLA
Each year we send two students—a boy and a girl—to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards weekend held in January in Corpus Christi. We pay the $250.00 registration fee for each student and for their bus ticket to and from Corpus.
2009 results
A student, Jess Alford, we sent in January, 2009, returned as a counselor this year.
This year we decided to send three students to RYLA.
The students are Josh Molina, Rose Mary Ochoa and Christian Morgan.
Group Study Exchange
In May, 2010, District 5930 will be sending a Group Study Exchange team to France.
2009 results
An applicant from Port Isabel, Veronica Mariscal, was accepted for this team. Bob White and Dinah Bowman have agreed to mentor her. She had a very successful visit to France. We also hosted the French GSE team when they were in south Texas.
Ambassadorial Scholar
District 5930 has two $26,000.00 scholarships for a student to spend an academic year abroad. We have a potential applicatant for 2010-2011.
Interact
There used to be an Interact Club at the Port Isabel High School. It went out of existence a number of years ago.
2009 results
Thanks to the incredible support of the new principal, William Roach, we have made great inroads into the high school. He brought Christian Morgan to us…a junior interested in starting an Interact Club. Traci Tousey is our lead advisor/liaison. The new club received its charter in February. We provided $1,000.00 to pay to buy supplies. Delinda White is the faculty advisor. Students participated in the April 10 trash bash.
EarlyAct—Elementary School
To build on our dictionary project, we are embarking on starting an EarlyAct Club at Derry and Garriga Elementary Schools. These efforts will be purused after the new school year begins.
2009 results
Ken Irwin and Jeff Hughes have agreed to pursue this effort. He has met with the Derry Elementary School principal and she is supportive of starting a club during the next school year.
EarlyAct—Junior High School
To keep the continuum going…the board has also decided to try and get an Interact club started at the Junior High School. We are in need of a club advisor.
4-way Speech Contest
Each year High School students compete at three levels in a speech contest—students are asked to apply the 4-way test to anything they wish and present to our club, Area 9 (Brownsville and Port Isabel) and then at the District level. Our contest must occur by March.
2009 results
Our contest was held on March 12. Our board agreed to provide $100.00 for 1st prize, $75.00 as 2nd prize, and $50.00 as 3rd prize. We also need to provide $100.00 towards the area prizes. We had 3 contestants: Alex Cowgill won first prize, Christian Morgan won second prize and Yara Reyes won third prize. Area 9 prizes are $300.00, $150.00, and $50.00. District prizes are $1,500.00, $1,000.00, $750.00, and $250.00 for all others. Alex won the Area speech contest and participated in the District contest.
Vocational Service
RYLA $750.00
Student of the Month $800.00
4-Way Speech Contest $325.00
Scholarships $4,000.00
Interact $1,000.00
Total $6,875.00