Durango High Noon Rotary
Minutes of Meeting
June 3, 2004

Chessa Gil led the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests were introduced: Ron Dent, today's speaker; Eddie Cheung of Newbury Park; Brad Tafoya of the Daybreak Club; Bill Hobson, guest of Howard Wilson; Mike Kane, guest of Jay Huagn; Bill )'Brien; and Alex Ganevsky, son of Dave Ganevsky.

Chessa remembered the "slam bang good time" had by all at  Durango Motor Expo; she extended special thanks to Brad Tafoya for his assistance with the Pancake Breakfast, Frank Valen for his role as principal organzier.  Two hundred vehicles were exhibited; 1,000 is a reasonable goal within five years..  Net profit of $12,600 was realized.  Great result!  Thanks Frank!

Ward Holmes informed that Walter Park's son is in Denver for surgery; the condition is extremely serious.

June 11 — Walkers are needed in behalf of Rotary at the American Cancer Society fund raiser.  Cathy Crum, who lost both parents to cancer, spearheads our effort.

Host families are needed for Youth Exchange.  June 13 - 16 — housing required.  June 15 and 16 — Group potluck dinner, 5;30 P.M.  Contact Chip Lile.

June 28 — Introduction to Youth Exchange, an evening informational about hosting kids for three months.  At Durango Rec. Center.  Time TBA.

Emile Nagy described his three-week trip to Hungary and reported visiting the Hungarian family our club assisted following a serious accident while the family vacationed here three years ago.  The family extends warm greetings and sincere appreciation to Rotary members.

Jeff Brown shared "secret" information how to obtain information about the status of one's Paul Harris Fellowship via the internet. Status of contributions and itemization of donations available in printable form.

August 14 — Our No. 1 annual fund raiser — Golf Tournament at Dalton Ranch.  Plan to play/participate/ volunteer-/sponsor holes/gather door prizes!

Sgt.-at-Arms Bud Deering announces that sluggish contribution to the "Fines" cups each week in response to member birthdays (in proportion to years of life attained) may require him to impose further levies upon ever more tenuous birthdays and anniversaries.  No expedient will be too extreme: the birthday of your in-laws, your dog; your cat, being possibilities.  His take-home message: Stubborn persistence upon appropriate donations will be unrelenting, so pay up!  Or else!  All fines today will go to Cathy Crum for the American Cancer Society.

Happy Dollars — Ward Holmes announces the Four Corners Broadcasting Empire's expansion with a new radio station in Cortez.  Spencer Pearse announces his gift of Wheelchairs in the name of each of his grandchildren and extends thanks to Jeff Brown of his local activity in behalf of The Wheelchair Foundation.

This Is My Life — Dean Brooke, grew up in Bozeman, Montana.  His father was a high school teacher.  His brother, many years his senior, today runs a 100-person architectural firm in Seattle, WA.  In his youth, Dean played "smoke jumper" and became an Eagle Scout and learned Indian dancing; he camped in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  At 14, the family moved to Denver and Dean took up caddying at Cherry Hills Country Club.  This work earned him a caddy scholarship to attend U of Colo., Boulder, where he earned an architecture degree. He moved to Durango and started his architecture practice.

Ron Dent presented an excellent program upon the La Plata County Airport which he manages.  His talk expanded into an in-depth exposition upon the compromised status of the airline industry in order to explain Durango's own challenges in obtaining (and then keeping) adequate airline service.

Terry Price, Keeper of the Minutes.