Henry Moy speaks to Rotary

Henry Moy, right, told Kilgore Rotarians about the Museum of the Red River. Above, with Rotary president Sammy York, Moy receives a book which will go, in his name, to the library of a local elementary school. Henry Moy, a Rotarian from Idabel, Okla., and the director of the Museum of the Red River in Idabel, was the guest speaker for the Kilgore Rotary Club on Wednesday.

Moy spoke not only about his museum, which is an art and cultural museum that has been in business since 1975, but about museums in general.

He said there are approximately 11,000 museums in the United States and Oklahoma has approximately 700 of them. Our state, Texas, has 900 museums that fall under this definition.

In order to meet "museum" criteria, as defined by the federal government, the facility must be non-profit, must be an institution for aesthetic appreciation or for teaching and education, must have regular staff (paid or non-paid), and must have regular hours.

Of the total number of museums in America, 30 percent of them are art museums. The museum for which Moy is the director is an art and cultural museum, housing just more than 17,000 items in 18,000 square feet. And, the museum is getting ready to add on additional space to house a dinosaur which has been found in the McCurtain County area of Oklahoma. This dinosaur is millions of years old and will be a nice addition to the Native American culture of the museum, according to Moy.

Linda Clayton of the Kilgore Rotary Club presents a plaque to Brenda Smith, Teacher of the Month from Leverett's Chapel High School, and a plaque to Student of the Month Hunter Hammontree, son of Ricky and Patty Hammontree of Leverett's Chapel. Both were honored at Wednesday's meeting. The museum is currently 40 percent local archeological materials and 60 percent ethnographic materials surrounding cultures in North America, South America and Central America.

Moy said the museum is a nice tour for Kilgore people, about two to two and a half hours away and just across the state line in Southeastern Oklahoma. Idabel is also the home area of Hugo Lake, Beaver's Bend State Park and other attractions.

In other Rotary news, Hunter Trey Hammontree, a senior at Leverett's Chapel, was named Student of the Month for the Kilgore Rotary Club. He is the son of Ricky and Patty Hammontree, has attended Leverett's Chapel schools every year except his junior year, excels in academics and has helped lead LC to the football playoffs for the first time since the 1980s.

Brenda Smith was named Teacher of the Month by the Kilgore Rotary Club. She has been teaching for 21 years, and most of those years were spent in the elementary grades. In recent years, she has switched to high school teaching at Leverett's Chapel and has been noted as being one of, if not the best teacher on campus.

Steve Brown and Tom Sartor talked to third graders in Kilgore, and the kids raised money to help the Kilgore Rotary Club fight polio. President Sammy York said the children donated $297.60 to help Rotarians reach their goal of $5,000 this year. He will be going with Brown and Sartor to the school this week to personally thank them for their efforts.

Gordon Reed, K Castles, Steve Brown and Tom Sartor were thanked for New Member Orientation this week. The people who benefited from their expertise were Linda Clayton, Linda Sartor and Megan McKenry.

This week, the Rev. Bill Ingersoll, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, will deliver the program. He is a member of the club but will be leaving in December to move to the Chicago metropolitan area. The club is giving him one last chance to address the membership before he leaves for his new home in the suburbs outside of the Windy City.

Kilgore Rotary Club meets each Wednesday at noon in the ballroom of the Meadowbrook Country Club. Guests are always welcome.