The Rotary Club of Slidell-Northshore is offering a new program for our community that is really a fantastic opportunity to show your patriotism.
The Flag Lease program is off and running for 2015 although the group started on a small scale to be sure they could handle the demand. Of course, now that I’m telling everyone about the program I have a feeling they will be getting a few more calls.
The program is a simple one in that an individual or business pays $49 a year for Rotary members to show up on your property five different times a year to install five American flags in front of your business or home.
The flags are not little, they are 3-feet X 5-feet flags, installed in a 10-foot pole.
The flags are installed on the following holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veteran’s Day. I know that one of those dates has passed already, but I’m sure they have a way to work that out if you want to get in on the final four holidays.
I was in the Rotary Club for four years when I worked at a newspaper in LaPlace and I got to know a lot about the organization. Their motto is “Service Above Self,” and I truly saw dozens of people who were in it for that reason. In Slidell, where we have two Rotary clubs, I have also seen dozens more people on the North Shore who love the group because it is a true, civic-minded organization.
Groups like Rotary are similar to many other non-profit organizations in that they offer individuals a venue to give back to the community. I have watched the endless events and functions the Rotary clubs have been a part of, all through their own fundraising efforts, and every one of them is a blessing to our community.
When I heard about the Flag Lease program I knew it was another winner for the group, and for our community, so if you want to get in on it call them at 643-9742 or e-mail to rotarysnflaglease@gmail.com.
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Speaking of an opportunity to give back to your community, a great way to become involved with other business leaders is the Leadership Northshore program that is currently accepting applicants for its Class of 2016. Deadline to sign up is June 15.
Leadership Northshore is an innovative program to assist in preparing emerging community leaders for leadership positions in local government, business and community affairs. The purpose is to provide a forum for, as well as increase the awareness of potential leaders by giving them an intense course which encompasses a broad scope of community concerns.
After an orientation retreat in September, the class will attend 10 all-day sessions, each focusing on a specific aspect of St. Tammany, such as art and culture, history, social services, education, local government, economic development, healthcare, judicial, law enforcement, environment and leadership skills.
The culmination of the year-long class is for them to break into several smaller groups of four to five business leaders, where each group will decide on performing a community service project. Those projects have become some of the biggest civic-related events in Slidell’s past 20 years of the Leadership Northshore program.
Tuition of $1,100 covers fees, course materials, luncheons, socials, orientation retreat, group transportation and the state government session in Baton Rouge. Partial scholarships are available and some employers will pay a majority of the fee for their employee, although the student must pay a minimum of $100 for tuition.
For more information, or to register, call the East St. Tammany Chamber at 985-643-5678. Deadline to apply is June 15.
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If you are looking for a great place to send your kids for several weeks this summer I have to recommend the St. Luke Catholic Church summer camp.
Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of summer camps around, most of which provide a great time for kids. This year my grandchildren signed up for the St. Luke camp, since it was convenient to our house, and in the first week they have come home every afternoon raving about how much fun they were having.
That was a pleasant surprise since I recall some past camps the kids attended where it became much of the same thing day-after-day and they weren’t so thrilled with going anymore. Even that is hard to believe, isn’t it?
From the stories I hear, the volunteers helping at the St. Luke camp are really super with the kids, and aided by the fact the classes are not overwhelmingly big.
The camp goes through the July 4 weekend and is open for boys and girls ages 5 to 13. It is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, and there is before and after camp care available.
They offer bowling, dance, karate, water slides, swimming, gymnastics, touch football, arts and crafts, rock climbing, movies, roller skating, kickball, soccer, basketball and more.
You can still sign up by calling 985-641-6570 or go online to saintlukeslidell.org/summer camp.
Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.
Summer is upon us and I have a tip for any parents looking for a great place to send their kids for a few weeks.
St. Luke Catholic Church