Becky Douglas is the founder and president of Rising Star Outreach, a non-profit that works with the leprosy-affected of India.  Her organization uses micro-credit to create economic self-reliance, provides medical services, and gives a world-class education to the children of the leprosy colonies.

 

Becky is the subject of the Gracie Award-winning PBS documentary, Breaking the Curse, and the Emmy Award-winning Documentary by Profiles in Caring. She was the recipient of the John Houston Allen Humanitarian of the Year Award by Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.  She received the "Classic Woman Award" in 2009 by Traditional Homes Magazine.  Her work has been featured in the Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post, and numerous other journals and magazines, as well as by the BBC, ABC, NBC, and other television networks. 

 

Becky's work has touched audiences across the world.  She spreads the message that within each of us lies the power to make a difference in the world.

 

Becky is married to John L. Douglas, an international banking attorney with Davis, Polk & Wardwell in New York City.  They are the parents of ten children.

On Saturday, April 29, 2017, the American Red Cross of Michigan is participating in the nationwide Smoke Alarm Installation “Mega Blitz”. The goal is to install smoke alarms in local homes to help reduce our community’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly half. On the event day, volunteer teams will meet and receive training over breakfast and then the teams go door to door for installation. Each visit takes about 20-30 minutes and Red Cross vehicles travel through the neighborhoods to provide support to the teams. The teams are usually out installing for 4 hours and return for a celebration lunch to conclude the project.

 

Our Rotary Club Hands On Committee will be volunteering for this event and all Rotarians as well as their families and friends are welcome to join the team to do some amazing work in the community! Please contact Julie Pingston at jpingston@lansing.org or 517-377-1412 if you would like to join the Rotary install team on April 29. Thanks!!!

President Jack Davis called the meeting to order. John Shaski gave a lovely, welcoming, Rotary-centered invocation. We sang God Bless America accompanied by John Dale Smith on the piano. Despite the parking challenges due to a huge junior high school wrestling meet in the Lansing Center, there was one visiting Rotarian and several Rotarians who brought guests.

 

Irv Nichols gave the Remembrance Report saying that a large contingent of Lansing Rotarians attended the memorial service for Jack Bates. Irv called Ken Beachler to the microphone for a moving tribute to Jack Bates. Jack was an enthusiastic, energetic Rotarian and served Lansing Rotary well for decades in many roles. Jack’s contributions to the club and to Rotary were exemplary. He also was a key part of several other Lansing-area organizations. Jack made his mark on the community and the world by making it a better place.

 

Jack Bates was Rotary’s most ardent cheerleader. He was so instrumental in the success of the Rotary Club of Lansing that when the club established its fund at the Community Foundation the Board voted to name it the Jack Bates Fund.

 

Donna Gardner gave a rousing Paul Harris pitch as we begin April and the “Annual” Paul Harris campaign. She reminded Rotarians that giving to and even achieving a Paul Harris award is not a one-time thing. Donna told us that we would be getting a letter for the Paul Harris campaign and she spoke of the many good things that come from our donations and the donations of Rotarians around the world, including the campaign to end polio. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given Rotary another grant. It is a matching grant so $50 you give to the Polio Plus campaign will turn into $150. And your gift will go toward your own Paul Harris award.

 

126 members of Lansing Rotary have Paul Harris Awards. 57 members of Lansing Rotary have multiple Paul Harris Awards. Since this is our club’s 100th anniversary year, it would be great to have 100% participation in the Paul Harris program this year.

 

President Jack gave a plug for some of the many cultural programs going on in Lansing this week, including the Lansing Symphony playing for the kickoff of the Lansing Film Festival. Rotary’s Justin Sheehan of the Lansing Promise has a dinner April 27 where President Jack will be honored. Jack thanked Michelle Reynaert for being Chairperson of the Month for March.

 

Melissa Nay made the March birthday announcements. “What’s your slogan if you ran for office?” Manny Garcia said, “I’m your man…y.” Trey Williams said, “Vote for me. I don’t have a Twitter account.” Melissa Nay said, “Vote ‘yay’ for Nay.”

 

Christopher Chamberlain got his new member red badge. Welcome to the club, “River Cruise guy” as President Jack called Christopher.

 

Chris Holman introduced the president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority, Wayne Sieloff. Wayne, a Lansing Rotarian came to Lansing from the Wayne County Airport Authority. He explained that ours is a very competitive market, considering all the other airports in the state.

 

The Capital Region Airport Authority has three services – the Lansing Airport, Mason Jewett Field, and Port Lansing, which for the past 9 years has been used for cargo clearance as well as passengers. For six years, it has had warehousing services for incoming products that leave by rail, surface transport, or by air.

 

Wayne said the airport authority’s focus is to support the region’s growth and quality of life. That is done by 1.) Driving her customer satisfaction, 2.) Providing financial competitiveness and stability, and 3.) Ensuring operating excellence. You accomplish this by, among other things, managing the millions of dollars of assets that are already in place.

 

There are several drivers in the transportation market: Industry consolidation, pilot shortages, destinations and fares (determined by airlines), and the industry trend to larger aircraft. Airlines consolidated in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Today in addition to new start-ups, Delta, United, Southwest, and American are the primary airlines. There are over 5,000 airports in the United States. Very few have closed, except in places where communities have not support their airports.

 

14,000 new pilots will be needed by 2022 to maintain the same level of service as today. Many of the most experienced pilots are in the four large airlines. Many will be transitioning out. We need to encourage young people to become pilots. A pilot needs 1,500 hours to be certified and the cost is three times what it was a few years ago.

 

The military is producing fewer pilots. Drones, guided by people moving joysticks hundreds of miles away, can drop a bomb instead of using planes flown by pilots. In 2012 if a plane had 100 seats, 29% of those seats cost went for fuel. 20% went to salaries, and so on. Only a small percent went to airport costs. Even now, with lower cost of fuel, airlines’ profits been significant. Airlines are switching to larger jets and that’s key to Lansing’s successes. Lansing has direct service to Minneapolis and other major hubs. Lansing has 80 flights. Apple Vacations has moved nearly all of its services from Detroit to Lansing.

 

Flying from Lansing has several advantages. Save on gas, hassle, and avoid possibly more expensive parking. Wayne shared that a strong air service equals a strong local economy. He advised Rotarians to check prices out of Lansing. [As an aside, my husband and I took family on a flight to Asia. We learned that seats for them out of Lansing were $400 less per person than if they checked in at Detroit and got on the same plane to Shanghai! Guess who drove from Rochester Hills to Lansing to start their trip?]

 

Time did not allow for questions but Wayne said he’d be happy to answer questions any time you see him at Rotary. President Jack gave Wayne the Four Way Test coin and adjourned the meeting.