Rotary Gram

Durango High Noon Rotary Club

February 27, 2003

"Rotary's strength lies in the fact that its members look beyond themselves

and their borders to serve humanity"

Bhichai Rattakul, President, Rotary International

President Elect Chessa Gill opened the meeting, asking us to keep club President Jeff Brown and wife Charlotte in our thoughts while they were away due to the death of Charlotte's father.

Chessa asked Bud Deering to give the invocation and to lead us in the pledge. The meeting was well attended, we were a bit cramped in a lower meeting room, but the snow had everyone in great spirits.

Announcements

Australia, Mates!: There is still time to register for the RI Annual Meeting this coming June in Australia. Chessa has registration information. A number of Durango Rotarians will be going.

Benefactor Program: Chessa asked the club to consider a bequest to RI when making plans for your charitable giving in your will.

Community Service

Red Ball Success!!: The Red Ball Express was judged to be a big success for it's inaugural year. Early accounting indicates that about $27k was raised, with $4k going to the 3 clubs and the balance to a number of non-profits in the community. Dozens of volunteers from all three Durango Rotary Clubs provided the muscle and brains and DMR provided the venue and outstanding support. We owe a large part of the success of the event to DMR!

Hey golfers!!: Melisa gave us notice that the annual High Noon Rotary/United Way golf tournament is only a little over 5 months away, August 9th at Dalton Ranch. This is the club's biggest fund raiser and your help is needed. She would like to get a few volunteers to help with the door prizes, auction items, golfers, and hole sponsors. Remember, Melisa is the organizer and needs our service to make the event a success and to run smoothly. Looking for something to do other than keep your attendance up? This is it! melisa@animas.net . PS. Melisa needs bail to get herself out of jail as part of the Muscular Dystrophy fund raiser.

La Plata Youth Services: Steve Redding told us that the Rotary mentoring program has taken on the responsibility for the diversion program, as funding for LPYS had dropped off. There will be a discussion next week's meeting to find a way to save the program.

Bowl for Kids Sake: This Saturday and Sunday is the BB/BS fundraiser at the Durango Bowl. A number of High Nooners need sponsors. Make a pledge and make a difference. Have some fun too!

Club Service

Sergeant at Arms: Jim Wotkyns, apparently eagerly, had the duty this week to recognize club members for their noteworthiness. Pam's husband Wade won $1k of the Red Ball prize money and she was encouraged to be generous. She did, after paying for some new tires etc. 'Taco' Frank and his wife JoAnn's enterprise, Del Taco, has been in the paper twice in recent days, mostly in the context of dealing with city planners. A number of Rotarians evidently drive around town without drivers licenses. They were encouraged to confess. Mike McGuire got some heat, I guess because he showed up. Bob Chaput had a large birthday and Miss Jane and the General have been in the paper a lot of late. All made appropriate offerings.

Belated thanks: Thanks to Spencer for publishing the club bulletin while your regular scribe was on the left Coast with family. Please tell him what a great job he does!!

IBM Day: Chessa asked everyone wearing a white shirt to stand. Then she gave each person so attired a few minutes to speak about themselves, family, their business or any issue the would give the members more insight into their lives. There is a lot of experience in this club and the strength of conviction and depth of feeling is part of what makes Rotary work.

Program

Chessa asked Bob Salazar to introduce the day's speakers, Sidny Zink and Justin Tafoya, both connected with Leadership La Plata. In skit form, with apologies to Larry King, they outlined the objectives of leadership La Plata, whose alumni number 240 after 15 years of the program.

Founders include familiar names like Bill Mashaw, Joel Jones, Steve Parker and more. LLP is supported by the Durango Area Chamber of Commerce

LLP takes applications for 16 students that attend the program each year and this year's recruitment reception is April 23rd, 5:00 PM at the Bank of Colorado. The training is nine months long, beginning with a retreat, followed by 8 one-day monthly meetings thereafter.

Those fortunate enough to be selected must make a two year commitment, one for the course and the other to teach future students. The fee is $400, which includes meals and the retreat. Justin is a 2001 graduate of LLP and says she knows much more about the community and how she can make a difference.

The selection process includes as effort to create diversity of backgrounds, increasing what classmates learn from one another. In Sidny's opinion, Leadership La Plata is one of the best thing that the chamber does.

Leadership La Plata

P.O. Box 2587

Durango, CO 81302

259-0312

After a few questions, Chessa presented Justin and Sidny with Rotary speaker's mugs and thanked them on behalf of the club

Coming Up (please note changes from the last bulletin)

Mar 6 Buckley Park Project

Mar 13 Prostate Health

Mar 20 Durango Children's Chorale

Mar 27 After the Fire - Missionary Ridge

Apr 3 Alexii Carey - Cuba Trip

Apr 10 Club Assembly

Apr 17 Dr. Heddington-Insights to Balding

Apr 24 Open

May 1 Mexican Food Fiesta

John E. Marshall

3005 County Road 207

Durango, CO 81301

970-259-6248 p

970-259-4498 f