Thibodaux Rotary Club | District 6200 Governor, Mark LaCour
July 24, 2012
District Governor’s Visit
By: Rita Dickie
District Governor, Mark LaCour was present at our meeting on Tuesday to do his annual visit. Also present was Mark Lee, and Badi. Assistant District Governors.
Governor LaCour commented that he was a snake catcher in his early days. He said that the Good Ship Rotary was an inspiration to make his community a better place and that was why he joined Rotary. We should use our membership in Rotary to build friendships and net working to help others out when they are in need.
Women were allowed to join Rotary in 1987. This has allowed Rotary to increase it’s membership.
Governor LaCour has endorsed CHOICES. This is a program to help children to stay in school. TACO Bell has agreed to fund the program with a grant of $50,000. Keeping children in school helps everyone in the community and he feels that this would be a good “hands on” project for Rotary Clubs in our district. The program is put on by business people and not the school personnel. 12 lessons in the program.
He gave out pins to the membership with the motto for the year “Peace through Service” Individuals have to have lower needs taken care of before higher needs. We need to spread good will throughout the world to promote peace.
Mark LaCour was inducted into the Rotary Club of Gonzales in 1993. He has served his club as Christmas Float Chairperson for 6 years, service chairperson for one year and was club president in 2008-2009. He has won the District Membership Award by inducting eight new members while serving as club president and designed and built the public relations vehicle knows as the “Big Wheel”.
Also during his years as club president, Mark used a little known history fact called the “Good Ship Rotary” for inspiration. This concept was developed by Paul Harris and George Means to keep Rotary “at full sail, always going someplace”. He has 12 years of perfect attendance, is a multiple PHF, a member of the Paul Harris Society, a Benefactor and RLI trainer.
On the District level, he served as Public Relations Chairperson from 2009-2012, writing and being awarded a District PR grant to build 5 Big Wheels for other clubs in the District. In 2010, a PR grant was awarded to support the Baton Rouge area clubs in using electronic billboards to promote Rotary. He served as Assistant District Governor for the area Baton Rouge clubs and the PR contact for the 2011 RI International Convention in New Orleans. He was also awarded a RI grant to build eight Public Relations Pedestals, a unique RP vehicle to display RI posters. He has served as a RYLA counselor for two years.
Growing up in Gonzales and being a 1966 graduate from Gonzales High School, Mark LaCour entered Southeastern Louisiana University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. After teaching sixth grade for one year, he entered the family furniture retail business in 1972. In 1970 while celebrating the Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales, he met his wife Debbie and has been married for 40 years.
They have four children, Danielle, Eric, Michelle and Clint. Mark is a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church and enjoys a yearly weekend retreat at the Jesuit Manresa Retreat House in Convent, LA. Mark’s hobbies include golf, photography, antique collecting, swimming and has retired his interest in tennis and snake catching. If he’s not enjoying a hobby, you can find him repairing roof on their rental properties.
from: rotary6200.org
