Ville Platte Rotary Club welcomes recent guests

August 5, Meeting
Rotarian Paul Schexnayder welcomed Shane Darbonne, a fitness trainer with Wellness Plus, to address the August 5, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. Darbonne has been in fitness for nearly 15 years here in Ville Platte. He briefly described the difference between fitness and health, noting that health is the general condition of the mind and body, while fitness is the goal of an individual’s mind and body health. Darbonne noted that health and fitness guidelines changed in 2011, stating that it is now recommended to exercise 150 minutes each week, preferably 30 minutes five days a week. He noted the sessions could be broken down into 10 minute intervals and that any amount of exercise is better than none. He told Rotarians not to believe in all of the gimmicks currently on the market, noting warming up with stretches or yoga, toning up with weights and burning calories over a period of time is the best way to go.
August 12, Meeting
Rotarian and Evangeline Parish School Board Superintendent Toni Hamlin addressed the August 12, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club with a report on the coming school year, which began Thursday, August 14. She announced that the school board adopted a new math text book that will have an online tutorial program to assist students and parents. She stated the board has had a hard time finding elementary school teachers this year, as many teachers have retired and the board had not received as many applications as they have in the past. She added that fewer young people are going into education so there is a shortage of teachers in the work force. She said there is still an opening for a Spanish teacher at Pine Prairie High School. She noted bus routes should remain in tact as last year. Hamlin said the board is expecting approximately 6,200 students throughout all of the schools in the parish. She noted that due to state budget cuts, the school district will have one million dollars less in operating funds this school term, adding that the school district spends 80 percent of its funds on salaries for a total of 800 employees. Hamlin noted that the school board will remain focused on the Common Core program until told otherwise from the state, which is currently in the middle of a political battle over the issue. In the meantime, Hamlin emphasized the teachers and students will prepare diligently for whatever assessment program is handed down from the state and do the best they can with the resources available. She also noted that advanced placement courses, as well as duel enrollment programs, are being offered at all four parish high schools to better help students prepare for college.
The club also heard from member Annette Johnson about Faith House. Johnson heads the Rotary Club’s involvement with Faith House, and she stated the local Faith House office informed her they would be better served through donations of office supplies or monetary donations in lieu of the product donations the club had been collecting for Faith House over the past few years.
Member Wayne Vidrine also reported that the Ville Platte club now has approximately 60 flags received from other rotary clubs in an effort to replace the club’s many flags that were destroyed by the fire at the club’s previous meeting location.