Newsletter

(05-17-2007 Meeting)

 

Opening

Ward led with the pledge back in our regular digs.   

 

Jan Measles’ understudy, Steve Osborne, was not prepared with an inspirational thought so we started the meeting uninspired.   However, that changed.

 

Guests       

  

            Guest (s)                                                                        Sponsor/Host

Bob Casey                                                                     Bruce Ehnlenbach                                                                                                                

            Dan McCarthy                                                              Angie Beach    

            Brad Tafoya                                                                  Steve Wheeldon

            Eric Christensen                                                            Ward Holmes

            Dennis Hansen                                                              Ward Holmes

            Beth McCracken                                                           Mark Prouty

            Deb Schultz                                                                   Mark Prouty

           

Visiting Rotarians

           

Eric Christiansen (22 year member of San Antonio)               San Antonio Club     

Deb Schultz and Beth McCracken                                           Morning Club                           

 

New Member Inductions – N/A

 

Announcements

 

Deb Schultz and Beth McCracken from the morning Club announced their upcoming Barn Dance and requested help with ticket sales and distribution of their posters.  Exchange Student Joseph expounded on his budding stage career in the high school play “Aladdin.”  Joseph also described how his fellow thespians made sad over his impending departure from Durango at the end of the school year.  Steve Wheeldon talked up his former partner and current employer Brad Tafoya, incoming president of Durango’s Morning Rotary Club.  Ward Holmes expounded on his guest, Dave Hansen’s, great help with the Rotary Club’s annual publication.  Ward also announced that Tim Walsworth is still looking for hole sponsors for our big summer time fund raising event.  Wayne Bedor announced the arrival of 11 Russian Accountants and Auditors and two translators on Saturday at 5:00 PM in Rotary Park.  Please join them for a picnic and expand your understanding of Russia today. They will be here for a week visiting 7 local business entities: Fort Lewis College, First National Bank, Mercy Medical Center, Brown Wheeldon, Tafoya, CPAs, Brainstorm Industries, Durango Mountain Resort,   and Mercury Payment Systems.  Dick Sullivan is looking for volunteers willing to spend time with ASA rafting athletes.  Bud Deering volunteered to pay for up to $300 of the rafting expenses.  What a guy!  Bob Chaput introduced the new directory person, Howard Wilson.  Come prepared to have your picture taken next week.  Ward announced that John Beekman was sick but that we are in good financial shape notwithstanding that some of our fundraisers this year have not made as much money as projected.

 

 Sgt. of Arms

 

Chandler Jackson did not have the list for anniversaries and birthdays since John Beekman was not present.  Sara Olson fessed up to being older than 21. Happy dollars: Dick Sullivan is happy that he finished the skin treatment and does not look like Tom Brossia anymore.  Walter Nowotny was happy that he got to see Joseph in the Aladdin play the High School put on.  Tom Brossia paid because he is going to Alaska to fish. Leanne Jaworsky paid because she now has her boat in the water.  Tom Casey paid because his wife cleaned the garage and he didn’t have to do it.  Bob Salzer paid because he finished physical therapy and was able to go on a bike ride to Trimble and back.  Sara Olson was happy to have had a great scuba diving trip to Cozumel and came back with a great tan.

 

Program

 

 The meeting was a club assembly so President-Elect Chip Lile introduced the new organizational structure of the club as directed by Rotary International.  He gave us a great power point presentation and it was clear to everyone, that every thing is the same but different and better.  The new structure will make us more efficient as a club.  Chip is willing to take the time to explain the new structure to anyone that does not understand it.  When the question was put to the assembly to adopt the new structure, the motion passed unanimously which speaks well of the excellent presentation that Chip made to the Club.  Chip was very Presidential today. 

 

Ward then asked the Committee Chairs to speak on the accomplishments of their respective committees for the 2006/2007 fiscal year.  Justin Osborne, Club Service;  Bill Cartwright, Community Service;  Charlie Albert, International; Mark Prouty; Vocational Service;  and Angie Beach, Youth Service; all spoke eloquently about their respective Committees’ many accomplishments and the assistance they received from the many club members in each committee.

Assistant District Governor, Steve Govreau, was called on to explain to the membership the inner workings of District 5470 and RI.  Except for RI headquarters, it is all done by volunteers. Steve also explained the Annual Program Fund and the Permanent Fund which were responsible for spending $280,000 in 2006/2007 on District Projects.  If anyone doubts that Rotary is making a difference, Steve dispelled that with his presentation.  Well done Steve!

 

Closing

 

Bud had two pretty good jokes for the day.   One had to do with a Game Warden who was accused of the possibility of committing sexual harassment just because he was equipped for it.  This was similar to his trying to charge a woman sitting in a boat reading a book of fishing without a license just because a box of tackle was in the boat with her.  The second joke had to do with an officious Department of Agriculture (DoA) representative who told a farmer that his DoA card would allow him to go anywhere he wanted to go, no questions asked.  After entering a field with a big, ugly bull belonging to the farmer, the official discovers that his ID card does not deter the bull.  The Farmer’s helpful advice to him to show the bull his DoA ID card was to no avail.

 

This is my last newsletter, as I will be on a leave of absence from 6/1/2007-8/31/2007.  My thanks to all in the club who gave me support these past 20 months with kind words, cards, flowers, visits, telephone calls and attendance at my wife’s memorial service last month.  It was greatly appreciated and almost made the unbearable bearable.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Wayne M. Bedor