Rotary Gram

Durango High Noon Rotary Club

September 12, 2002

"The commitment of one's time and energy is the fullest expression of the Rotary ideal"

Rotarian Paul Wemeau

Jeff opened the meeting by announcing the annual Kiwanis Pancake Day, to be held Thursday, September 19th at the Fairgrounds. Our club will attend at noon in lieu of our regular meeting. Be sure to sign in!!

Jay Hwang gave the invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Looking out over the room, Jeff noted that there were a 'plethora' of guests.

The guests and visiting Rotarians included:

Susan and Rodney Cross

Charlotte Brown, the club's First Lady

David and Linda Salisbury

Dr. Laura and Paul Webb

Bob Geffe

Tami Graham

Dr. Howard Wilson

Steve Swisher

Jan Williams, President of the Daybreak Club

Erin Driscoll

Kristal Phelps

Julie Williams

Mary Kay Agner

Joe De Giacomo (sp)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Blue Grass for the River: Tami Coddington told us of the Saturday event to raise money for projects related to the Animas River watershed.

Habitat for Humanity: Scott Mathis told us that a group of volunteers were meeting at 8:00 AM in Bayfield and then heading to the latest HFH project to clear the property and to make it fire-ready.

It's a fact, Jack's Back: After a two year leave of absence, Jack Cassidy was present at the meeting.

District Conference, October 4 - 6: Jeff reminded us of the conference dates and encouraged everyone interested to attend. It will be held in Crested Butte, not Gunnison. Registration packets, according to the August District Newsletter were mailed in early September to 3,000 Rotarians. You can also call Crested Butte Central Reservations @ 800-215-2226.

Past Due Dues: If your dues are 90 days or more past due, expect a call from President Jeff. He will want to know when the club can expect overdue accounts to be made current.

President Elect to Run September 26th Meeting: In Jeff's absence, Chessa Gill, President Elect, will preside over the weekly meeting.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

OCTOBERFEST!: Paulette reminded us of the annual fund raiser, Thursday, October 24th at the Fairgrounds. Sign up sheets were on all the tables. Pick a task, sign up and get their early. The operative phrase was, "Serve or be fined." Should be easy, this is a service organization.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

GSE Team Leader, Argentina 2003: Jeff indicated that team leader applications for the GSE team traveling to Argentina in late April or early May of '03 are being sought. Contact Roger Ptolemy of the evening club for more info.

GSE Team Accommodations Needed: We are still one host family short to provide a bed a few meals for a GSE team member from Argentina. They will arrive on Saturday, October 12th and leave on the 15th. Contact Chip Lile to be a host.

October 10th Meeting Canceled: Our regular meeting, Thursday, October 10th is cancelled and in it's place is a joint reception for the visiting GSE team from Argentina, with the Evening and Daybreak clubs, on Saturday October 12th. The GSE team will make their program to the clubs, with appetizers and drinks to be served. The train museum is the likely venue, but that has not been confirmed.

CLUB SERVICE

Sergeant at Arms: Once again, Rick O'Block conducted the duties of this high office. Tom Galbraith was 'recognized' for his absence during the official visit of the District Governor, Chuck Tutor. David Farmer selected the a card from the deck and again the pot rolled over.

Kevin Schneider Turns Blue: Jeff asked Jill Bruce to the podium and she invited Kevin to join her. Having completed the service requirements of a new member, Kevin was awarded his blue badge. Congratulations Kevin.

100th Member: Jill introduced Paulette and Dr. Laura Webb. Laura was presented to the club as our newest member by Paulette, her sponsor, bringing the current roster to 100 members. Laura has a Ph.D. in college administration and serves as Director of Pueblo Community College. She has selected the Scholarship and Youth Mentoring committees. She and her husband Paul have 4 boys, one serves in the Air Force, another has an MBA, one is a black dealer and the fourth is a cook.

Laura enjoys skiing, gardening, stained glass, golf and reading. She has 17 years experience in management settings, is a licensed professional counselor, serves on the board of DACRA, is a DIP and involved with SW Colorado Workforce. She has additional experience as a teacher, grant writing and want to increase he involvement with membership in the High Noon Rotary Club. Welcome Laura!

Past President Galbraith Recognized: Jeff asked Steve W. to stand in for Chuck Tutor and to present Tom with his Past President's badge and pin. Steve thanked Tom for his leadership and then said thanks to club members that had been contacted him with concern about mudslides at his home.

Wal-Mart Foundation: Russell Parker presented $500 to Tom Brossia for Ducks Unlimited and $1000 to Jenny Kane for the San Juan Mountains Association.

PROGRAM

Jeff gave Steve O. the floor. We were asked to remember where we were a year and a day ago, September 11, 2001. Steve told of staying with Rodney Cross until he had heard from his wife Susan, who was working in Tower 2 of the WTC on that day. Steve introduced Susan Cross, our speaker.

She began by thanking us for the chance to share her story and said that she get's at least one question each time she speaks of her experience that day. Susan was attending sales training for Morgan Stanley at their offices on the 61st floor of the south tower. There were approximately 270 people in her group, not counting advisors.

During a break at 8:40 AM, waiting for coffee, she saw papers flying past the windows, first thinking that they might be election flyers, but then noticed that they were on fire. Shortly, a bell rang, followed by an announcement to head for the exits and begin the decent down the stairs. After the first bombing of the WTC towers, Morgan Stanley had implemented an emergency plan for evacuation and it went into action.

As she went down the stairs (there were more than one) she thought that the crash into the other tower had been an accident. Later said she smelled natural gas, which she thought was the likely cause of the explosion in the second tower that was the second plane.

At this point there was no panic, since it was not know what had happened. As she went down she wonder if she was ever going to get out, since the stairs became more crowded. At the 10th floor she saw smoke in a hallway and people with difficulty breathing.

Firefighters were now yelling at everyone to run for their lives, to the street of the subway. Debris was falling and they were told to run and not stop to look up. It took 25 - 30 minutes to get out of the building. A half block away, she stopped at a coffee shop for water and tried to call her husband, but the lines were out. It was evacuated and she started moving away again. From a car radio she learned that the Pentagon had been hit and that the crashes were in fact an attack.

9 or 10 blocks away, she borrowed a cell phone and reached her husband to assure she was ok. She was on the phone with him when the first tower collapsed.

She said that minutes made the difference for her and many others that escaped. After a number of hours, she made it back to her hotel. She was able to leave town by train to Philadelphia, where she was met by her brother.

Jeff thanked her for sharing her experiences, thanked the guests and visiting Rotarians and closed the meeting.

COMING UP

Sept 19 Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. Meet at the fairgrounds instead of the Double Tree

Sept 26 NFIB State Director

Oct 3 Adult Ed Center / County Commissioners

Oct 10 NO MEETING ON THURSDAY.

Oct 12 Argentine GSE Team Arrives

Oct 12 Reception for GSE Team Members and the presentation of their program.

Oct 15 GSE Mid-Tour Break begins

Oct 17 American Cancer Society. Denise Maurer

Oct 24 Octoberfest Dinner at Fairgrounds

Oct 31 Mercy Hospital