HIGH NOON ROTARY

AUGUST 31, 2000

President Tom Galbraith in classy khaki shorts and blue striped shirt opened the meeting with a ring of the Rotary bell.

Today's opening prayer and pledge was rendered by Dr. Mary Barter, who admitted being unfamiliar with this role. Nice job, Mary.

Guests today were Jim and Ruth Jackson from Illinois, Chuck Calkins of Payson, Arizona, John Anderson, Chuck Owens, Bryan Kimmel, Ken Davidson and Adam Sanders.

Please be in touch with Jeannie Wheeldon or Nancy Hammond if you can host the Up With People cast. They will have details on who, what, when and where. This is coming up soon - don't delay.

Applicants are needed for Group Study Exchange leaders to Mexico City next April and May. Ability to speak Spanish would be helpful.

Volunteer hosts for the Friendship Exchange from England for October 1,2 and 3, are Dick Pearson, Drs Sanders, Chessa Gill, and Paulette Church.

Joe and Shirley Thompson are attempting to fly to Seattle to be with their grandson, who was seriously burned in an industrial accident. Prayers are in order.

Chuck Owens was the speaker today. He is an attorney who has also been a businessman and now a teacher at Durango High School

Chuck quoted from "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam about "Social Capital" i.e. how we treat each other in business.

A copy of Chuck's excellent speech is provided below.

HIGH NOON ROTARY CLUB OF DURANGO

P.O. Box 3058

Durango, CO 81302

www.frontier.net/~highnoon

Text of Chuck Owens Speech Follows

EDUCATORS OFTEN THINK DEMOGRAPHICS IS THE REAL PROBLEM; FEWER PEOPLE WITH SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN. THE 1990 CENSUS REPORTED NATIONWIDE ABOUT 25% OF FAMILIES HAD SCHOOL AGED CHILDEN. I SUSPECT THE NUMBER IS LOWER NOW AND PARTICULAR IN DURANGO WHERE WE HAVE AN OLDER POPULATION AND A GOOD NUMBER OF RETIREES.

DEMOGRAPHICS IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS EDUCATION FACES HOWEVER IT'S UNLIKELY ANYTHING WE COULD DO WILL CHANGE THIS TREND.

I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT A BIGGER PROBLEM EDUCATION FACES AND THE ROLE YOU PERFORM AS ROTARIANS AND AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

I HOPE TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU ARE PROBABLY THE BEST HOPE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE IF THEY ARE TO RECEIVE A QUALITY EDUCATION.

A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, ROBERT PUTMAN, RECENTLY AUTHORED A BOOK ENTITLED "BOWLING ALONE" WHICH CHRONICALS THE COLLAPSE AND REVIVAL OF AMERICAN COMMUNITY. MUCH OF THE INFORMATION I'LL SHARE WITH YOU TODAY IS FOUND IN HIS RESEARCH.

IT MAY SEEM STRANGE TO NAME A BOOK "BOWLING ALONE" BUT AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, BOWLING IS THE MOST POPULAR COMPETITIVE SPORT IN AMERICA. BOWLERS OUTNUMBER JOGGERS, GOLFERS, OR SOFTBALL PLAYERS 2 TO 1. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LEAGUE BOWLING OVER THE LAST CENTURY MIRRORS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR SOCIETY.

WE CAN THINK OF SOCIETY IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL CAPITAL (E.G. A COMPUTER), HUMAN CAPITAL (A COLLEGE EDUCATION) AND SOCIAL CAPITAL.

SOCIAL CAPITAL REFERS TO CONNECTION AMONG INDIVIDUALS - WHAT WE MAY THINK OF AS CIVIC VIRTUE. IT INCLUDES GOODWILL, FELLOWSHIP, SYMPATHIC SOCIAL INTERCOURSE AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND FAMALIES.

SOCIAL CAPITAL ENCOMPASSES THE NOTION THAT OUR CONNECTIONS TO OTHER PEOPLE CONSTITUTE SOCIAL AND INDIVIDUAL ASSETS. THE MORE CONNNECTIONS IN A COMMUNITY, THE HEALTHIER IT IS AND THE BETTER OFF ITS MEMBERS ARE.

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS FORMAL IN THAT IT DESCRIBES HOW WE CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES. WE DO THIS AS MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS: ROTARY, KIWANIS, VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS, POLITICAL PARTIES, CHURCHES, AND UNIONS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, INFORMAL SOCIAL CAPITAL IS GETTING TOGETHER AFTER WORK FOR DRINKS, WEEKLY POKER GAMES, COFFEE WITH THE REGULARS AT THE DINER, HAVING YOUR NEIGHBORS OVER FOR DINNER, MEETING YOUR FRIENDS AT THE SPORTS CLUB, HAVING MEALS TOGETHER AS A FAMILY. 

DR. PUTMAN CONFIRMED THAT AS A SOCIETY, WE ARE LOSING OUR SOCIAL CAPITAL AT AN ALARMING RATE. FOR THE FIRST 2/3S OF THE 20TH CENTURY - FROM THE EARLY 1900S THROUGH THE 1960S, INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL SORTS ROSE STEADILY, EXCEPT FOR A SHORT TIME DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

SINCE THE 1960S SOCIAL CAPITAL - BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL - HAS TAKEN A NOSE DIVE.

HIS RESEARCH IS BASED ON MEMBERSHIP AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE POPLUATION,

RATHER THAN ACTUAL NUMBERS.

HE FOUND THAT ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN FACE-TO-FACE ORGANIZATIONS - RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR -HAS PLUMENTED 50 %. ONLY THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE MEMBERSHIP CONSIST OF MAILING LIST MEMBERSHIP (AARP, GREENPEACE) HAVE GROWN.

THE PTA (AND COMPANION ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE PTO), HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT BY OUR SOCIAL DISCONNECTIVENESS. THE PTA APPEALED TO MANY WHO WANTED TO BE ENGAGED IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION. MY GUESS IS FOR MOST OF US HERE, ONE OR MORE OF OUR PARENTS WERE MEMBERS. WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY MOTHER WAS MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN SCHOOL THAN I WANTED HER TO BE - SHE WOULD HEAR ABOUT MY MISDEEDS BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. IN THE EARLY 1960'S THE PTA BOASTS 50 MEMBERS PER 100 FAMILIES WITH CHILDRE. AT THE CLOSE OF THE CENTURY, THERE ARE FEWER THAN 20 MEMBERS PER 100 SUCH FAMILIES.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS TREND HAS OCCURRED DESPITE AN AGING AND BETTER EDUCATED POPULATION, BOTH FACTORS WHICH WOULD LEAD ONE TO EXPECT INCREASED MEMBERSHIP.

SPEAKING OF MEMBERSHIP, I'M INTERESTED TO SEE IF THE RESEARCH ACCURATELY DESCRIBES YOU AS MEMBERS OF A CIVIC ORGANIZATION:

COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION:

YOU ARE MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED

YOU ARE FINANCIALLY BETTER OFF

YOU ARE MORE LIKEY TO VOLUNTEER - IN FACT YOU PROBABLY VOLUNTEERED 17 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH 10 TIMES FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION.

BY THE WAY, THE MOST POWERFUL REASON YOU VOLUNTEERED: SOMEONE ASKED YOU.

87% OF YOU CONTRIBUTE TO CHARITY

YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO WATCH TV

YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO READ A NEWSPAPER

YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO TRUST YOUR FELLOW CITIZEN

YOU PARTICIPATE MORE OFTEN IN POLITICS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS YOU SERVE MORE READILY ON JURIES

YOU GIVE BLOOD MORE FREQUENTLY

YOU COMPLY MORE FULLY WITH YOUR TAX OBLIGATIONS

YOU ARE MORE TOLERENT OF MINORITY VIEWS.

YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO CONDONE CHEATING ON TAXES, INSURANCE CLAIMS, BANK LOAN FORMS, AND EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS.

THE TREND PUTMAN CHRONICALS - INCREASING MEMBERSHIP THROUGH THE 1960S FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DECLINE - APPLIES EQUALLY TO INFORMAL SOCIAL CAPITAL..

FOR INSTANCE, THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS REPORTING THAT THEIR WHOLE FAMILY USUALLY EATS TOGETHER HAS DWINDLED FROM 50% TO 34%, 1/3 IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.

A NUMBER OF REASONS ARE SUGGESTED FOR THIS TREND BUT I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU TO READ THE BOOK. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER INTEREST.

TODAY MY FOCUS IS ON EDUCATION. YOU ARE PROBABLY ASKING YOURSELF WHAT HAS THIS TREND GOT TO DO WITH EDUCATION?

PUTMAN FOUND THAT SOCIAL CAPITAL HAS A PROFOUND AFFECT ON YOUNG PEOPLE. IN FACT, SOCIAL CAPITAL IS SECOND ONLY TO POVERTY IN THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF ITS AFFECT ON CHILDREN'S LIVES.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS DON'T MATTER, THEY DO. THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF STUDENT VIOLENCE IS NOT POVERTY, PARENTAL EDUCATION OR URBANISM, IT'S HAVING A TWO PARENT FAMILY.

POVERTY DEFINITELY HAS AN AFFECT. POVERTY INCREASES THE CHANCE OF TEEN BIRTHS, MORTALITY, AND IDLENESS. SOCIAL CAPITAL, IN THE FORM OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT: IT KEEPS CHILDREN FROM BEING BORN UNHEALTHY, KEEPS TEENAGERS IN SCHOOL, AND KEEPS THEM FROM HAVING CHILDREN OUT OF WEDLOCK.

IN SHORT, SOCIAL CAPITAL KEEPS BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING TO GOOD KIDS.

IN ADDITION TO AFFECTING THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, SO TOO IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN SOCIAL CAPITAL AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE.

BASED ON STANDARDIZED TEST TAKEN AT ALL LEVELS OF SCHOOL, THOSE STATES WITH HIGH SOCIAL CAPITAL HAVE MEASURABILY BETTER EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES THAN DO LESS CIVIC STATES. STUDENTS IN THESE STATES ALSO STAY IN SCHOOL LONGER .

EVEN THOSE STATES WITH MATERIAL AND CULTURAL ADVANTAGES DO A POOR JOB OF EDUCATING THEIR YOUTH IF THE ADULTS OF THE COMMUNITY DON'T CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER.

THE RESEARCH FOUND THAT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMAL SOCIAL CAPITAL A STATE ENJOYS - THOSE CONTACTS AMONG INDIVIDUALS - WAS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. SOCIAL CAPITAL DRIVES TEST SCORES.

AS A STATE, COLORADO RANKS ABOUT MID WAY IN CIVIC VIRTUE. NORTH DAKOTA ENJOYS THE HIGHEST RANKING, FOLLOWED BY INDIANA AND MINNESOTA. MISSISSIPPI, LOUSIANA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA ARE AT THE BOTTOM.

HOW ARE SOCIAL CAPITAL AND TEST SCORE CONNECTED?

TEACHERS REPORT THAT WHERE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS HIGH, THERE IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF PARENTAL SUPPORT AND A LOWER LEVEL OF STUDENTS MISBEHAVIOR.

THE SECOND REASON IS THAT IN STATES WITH HIGH SOCIAL CAPITAL, STUDENTS SPEND LESS TIME WATCHING TV. CHILDREN ARE DRAWN INTO MORE PRODUCTIVE USE OF THEIR LEISURE TIME THAN IN THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE SOCIAL CONNECTIVENESS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG ADULTS IS LIMITED.

FOR SOME OF YOU THIS ISN'T NEW INFORMATION. HOW MANY OF YOU WENT TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL?

I'M SURE THOSE AT YOUR TABLE HAVE HEARD YOU SAY THAT IF MORE SCHOOLS WERE LIKE THOSE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS TODAY. IN A WAY YOU ARE CORRECT.

STUDIES FOUND THAT STUDENTS IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS WERE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN STUDENTS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TO DROP OUT. EVEN IN NON CATHOLIC PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE TWICE AS LIKEY TO DROP OUT.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL WERE ALSO MORE SUCCESSFUL IN TEACHING STUDENTS MATHEMATICS AND VERAL SKILLS.

THOSE WHO ATTENDED CATHOLIC SCHOOL MIGHT TELL YOU THEY LEARNED BECAUSE THEY LIVED IN FEAR OF THOSE NUNS WITH THEIR RULERS. IN THE LARGER PICTURE, THE REASON FOR THEIR SUCCESS WAS DUE TO THE SCOIAL STRUCTURE ENVELOPING THE SCHOOL: YOU SEE, PARENTS OF THESE STUDENTS HAD MULTISTRANDED RELATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER, BOTH AS MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL CHURCH AND AS PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHUMS. THE PARENT COMMUNITIES PROVIDED SOCIAL RESOURCES FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS AND THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW SCHOOLS TO WATER DOWN THEIR CORE CURRICULA.

SO, BOTH AS A MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND INDIVIDUALLY, YOU ARE THIS COMMUNITY'S SOCIAL CAPITAL. YOU CAN HAVE A PROFOUND AFFECT ON THE EDUCATION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE - MORE SO THAN MORE MONEY, MORE TEACHERS, MORE PROGRAMS, OR WHO IS ELECTED PRESIDENT.  

I WOULD BE REMISS TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN AFFECT STUDENTS LIVES AND NOT GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS AND EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU CAN DO:

CONTINUE WITH YOUR EXISTING PROGRAMS ( INTERACT CLUB (OR KEY CLUB), ---

AS AN EMPLOYER, HIRE A YOUNG PERSON AS AN EMPLOYEE OR WORK WITH ONE AS A NON PAID INTERN.

EITHER CASE, ASK THE YOUNG PERSON FOR A COPY OF HIS OR HER TRANSCRIPT AND RECORD OF ATTENDANCE. GIVE THEM A PRE- EMPLOYMENT TEST TO SEE IF THEY CAN READ AND WRITE TO THE STANDARD YOU EXPECT. CALL THEIR TEACHER FOR A REFERENCE. MAKE SURE THEY AREN'T SCHEDULED TO WORK PAST 10:00 O'CLOCK. ASK TO SEE THEIR REPORT CARD AND LET THEM KNOW THEIR POSITION WITH YOU IS DEPENDENT ON MAINTAINING AN ACCEPTABLE GRADE AVERAGE.

WORK WITH KIDS UNDER THE STUDY CONNECTION PROGRAM, A PROGAM IN WHICH BILL MASHAW OF BIG BROTHER AND BIG SISTERS, DR. MARY BARTER AND HER HUSBAND CLINT ARE INVOLVED AND YOU'LL HERE MORE ABOUT IN WEEKS TO COME.

PARTICIPATE IN CAREER DAY

SPEAK TO CLASSES

SIGN UP FOR PATHFINDER (WWW.PATHFINDERWORKS.ORG)

VOLUNTEER, USING YOUR EXPERTISE TO UNDERTAKE A SPECIAL PROJECT, TO ADVISE THE SCHOOL ON MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT TECHNIQUES.

HIRE TEACHERS FOR SUMMER JOBS. THAT WILL ALLOW TEACHERS TO APPRECIATE WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR WORLD AND BRING THHOSE EXPERIENCES INTO THE CLASSROOM. KNOWING A GOOD SUMMER JOB IS AVAILABLE MAY ALSO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR A NEW TEACHERS BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN DURANGO.

JOIN A VOCATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE - THE HIGH SCHOOL' S VOCATIONAL CLASSES ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN VOCATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES WITH NON-TEACHERS AS THE DOMINATE MEMBERS.

THERE ARE DISTRICT AND SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEES THAT BY STATE STATUE ARE EMPOWERED TO SEE IF SCHOOL BOARDS AND SCHOOLS ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE SUSPOSED TO DO. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE NON PARENTS AS MEMBERS

THERE ARE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR AD HOCK COMMITTEES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

YOU WON'T BE ALONE. COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE USED THEIR EXPERTISE, THEIR HOBBIES AND INTEREST TO HELP WITH THE LANDSCAPING TO HELP PLACE GARDENS AND TREES.

KEEP IN MIND THAT SCHOOLS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO GIVE YOU REAL DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITY AND PLACE YOU IN POSITIONS SUITED TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. YOU DON'T NEED TO SORT PAPERS OR HELP WITH THE NEWSLETTER.

KEEP IN MIND: SCHOOLS AREN'T GOOD AT ASKING. TEACHERS ARE BURDENED ENOUGH WITH WHAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO TEACH - A SITUATION EXCERBATED BY THE STANDARDS MOVEMENT - SO YOU MAY HAVE TO BE INSISTENT.

CONCLUSION: ONE OF THE REASONS I BELIEVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY GET A GOOD EDUCATION IS BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF SOCIAL CAPITAL. I SEE IT IN THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TURN OUT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS. IN MY FIRST SCHOOL POSITION I PLACED SPECIAL ED AND AT RISK YOUTHS WITH LOCAL EMPLOYERS. I WAS AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS WHO WERE MORE THAN WILLING TO WORK WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. TODAY, AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER, I NEVER LACK FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO TALK TO MY CLASSES OR WORK WITH A YOUNG PERSON ON DEVELOPING HIS OR HER SKILLS.

THINK OF WHERE 9-R WAS IN THE EYES OF THIS COMMUNITY JUST A FEW YRS AGO WHEN 27OO PEOPLE SIGNED A PETITION CONCERNING THE ELIMINATION OF THE INDEPENDENT STUDIES PROGRAM. THINK OF HOW 9-R RESOLVED ITS OWN FINANCIAL FIASCO AFTER A COMMUNITY BASED COMMITTEE WAS FORMED TO MONITOR AND GUIDE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. I THINK DR. BARTER AND OTHERS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES WILL CONFIRM THE HIGH LEVEL OF SOCIAL CAPITAL.

AS THE PERCENT OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SOCIAL CAPITAL, THE INFLUENCE OF THOSE REMAINING INCREASES. YOU'VE LOST SOME NUMBERS BUT THOSE OF YOU HERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT.

I HOPE I'VE GIVEN YOU CAUSE TO THINK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO THIS COMMUNITY'S EDUCATION. WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.