High Noon Rotary Club of Durango

District 5470

Club 1161

Meet at Doubletree Hotel

Time: 12:00 Noon

Thursdays

Newsletter: November 20, 2008

PROGRAM November 27, 2008: Thanksgiving – No Meeting.

December 4, 2008: Christmas Party Strater Hotel 5:00 PM Cocktails, Dinner 6:00 PM.

December 11, 2008: Kirk Rawles – Durango Winter Sports

Fellow Rotarians:

• Tami led the pledge and asked Rick Routh to introduce Katie Tiernan, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center and today’s program. Rick also introduced another engineer with personality, Steve Pavlik with Russell Engineering. Steve has been with us about 5-6 times now. Burt Coleman introduced friends, John and Kathy Cohen retired CPA and social services professionals, respectively. Burt wanted to give them a Rotary experience. Ward Holmes introduced guest Mark Tucker of Durango Rafting. Nancy Vanderwal introduced our stealth November–January Sergeant of Arms, Tom Crabbe.

• Announcements: Exchange Student, Boom, talked about receiving a snowboard and boots, playing basketball on Friday and getting hurt playing soccer on Monday. She also took a cooking class and baked a scone that made her sick. Tami may not want to assign Boom chef duties while hosting her. Tami reported on the well attended Board Meeting held Tuesday, 11/18/2008 at the Strater. Red Badger, Nancy Bennet, was in attendance. Tami reminded membership that requests for leave of absence had to be made in writing to Membership Chair, Jill Wark, and had to include the specified period of time for the absence. Tami asked for volunteers to assist in reviewing and revising our bylaws relating to the HNR office of president. Cathy Crum reported on her work on the Project Merry Christmas (PMC) Board. PMC serves 400 families which includes 1,400 children. The big focus for PMC this year is on providing new blankets and coats to children. If people have lightly used blankets or coats and donate them to PMC, they will in turn be donated to the Family Center and the Manna Soup Kitchen. All members were asked to pick up City Market reusable grocery bags (generously donated by Dick Pierson) to fill with food items to complete a family’s food needs for a day. Items purchased must be non-perishable and in non-breakable plastic and cans. A sign up sheet for Salvation Army Bell Ringers for the week of December 8-14, 2008 was circulated. Mark Prouty, 2009-2010 president elect, presented a slate of candidates for HNR president for 2010-2011. The four candidates are: Niles Bruno, Nancy Bennet, Frank Valen and Wayne Bedor. Steve Redding announced the new Durango Public Library opening date of December 1^st, 2008. There is an entire week of festivities with the following themes: Monday December 1^st, Ribbon Cutting and Reception, Tuesday December 2d, Celebration of Durango’s book Clubs, Wednesday December 3d Creativity Day, Thursday December 4^th, Art at the Library, Friday December 5^th, Grand Opening Gala, Saturday December 6^th, A Celebration of Family and Cultures and Sunday December 7th, movie screening of the “Milagro Beanfield War.” Ted Weirather who here-to-fore believed he was the only member of the fundraising committee discovered that he has a dozen or so associates that had been keeping a low profile. That should make Ted’s job immeasurably easier. Justin Osborne announced the Holiday Party on December 4^th at the Strater. Sign up sheets were on each table. There will be cocktails at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:00 PM. Food items for Project Merry Christmas should be brought to the Holiday Party for collection. The cost of members’ meals is covered but guests must be paid.

• Sgt. of Arms, Fines and Happy Dollars: Sgt. of Arms Tom Crabbe finally made his debut to help us raise some money for good causes in the community. After a bumpy start, he got into the swing of dinging people for funds and surprise, surprise, it appeared that he really enjoyed making folks squirm. Bill Cartwright was fined “just because”; Steve and Jeanne Wheeldon were fined for 20 years of happiness. Steve was downright giddy, for a CPA that is, while Jeanne appeared to be shaking her head. Regardless, they made a generous donation to the Rotary Foundation. Jeff Brown proudly waved a check for $48 made out to the Paul Harris Foundation which he said was for his birthday; however, there were mumblings of “Is it the truth,” amongst the membership. Unlike Jeff, Angie Beach erred in the other direction and wrote a $29 check. We know full well she is only 24. Thanks for your generosity Angie! Rick Routh paid a fine for talking up the engineering profession when introducing his guest, Steve Pavlik. Nancy Vanderwal was fined for introducing Tom Crabbe as a long absent member. Both Red Wings’ supporters, Samantha Gallant and Bud Poe were fined by Tom who also fined all fundraising committee members who had kept their identities hidden from their Committee Chair, Ted Weirather, for the first 4 ½ months of the Club year. Don Freemyer won the drawing and donated it back to the club. Happy dollars poured forth for visiting children over Thanksgiving from Nancy Bennet, Steve Redding, Kathy Firestone and Dan McCarthy. Bud Deering was happy about getting free ice cream as a refill in his pumpkin pie tart. Scott Mathis was happy to be back after being off for six weeks during which he garnered a new titanium hip. Jan Measles was happy and Steve Osborne was in tears over their recent ring shopping foray. Bob Chaput was happy about the support he got for Boom’s snowboard rental. Steve Redding was happy about getting Bob Chaput to do the photography work for the new library grand opening ceremonies. Ted Weirather was happy to discover that he is not the only member of the fundraising committee. He asked the entire HNR membership for new blood and new ideas.

• Program: Program chair, Rick Routh, introduced Katie Tiernan, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center. Katie reported that the WRC helps about 2,000 clients annually, was started in 1987 and has 1 full time and 2 part time staff. The WRC has four key service areas: 1) personal empowerment 2) economic self sufficiency for women, 3) community resources and referral, and 4) girls to women program. Some of their challenges are: food, clothing and housing, family services, emergency financial assistance, domestic violence and sexual assault assistance, legal assistance, do-it-yourself divorce assistance and small business development assistance.

The WRC values a woman’s right to: food shelter and health care, physical and emotional safety, economic self sufficiency, workplace equality, reproductive choice, a voice in policy, and a supportive community. The WRC is an organization that: collaborates and builds partnerships, provides leadership on women’s issues, advocates for individuals and brings women together. The WRC has done wonders in this community over the last 21 years to assist women and girls live safe, healthy and meaningful lives. Katie announced that she would be moving back to Denver shortly and the WRC is in the process of finding a new Executive Director.

• Upcoming : November 27^th no meeting, December 4^th Holiday Party at the Strater and December 11th program: Kirk Rawles – Durango Winter Sports

The Four Way Test in everything we do and say:

ü Is it the truth?

ü Is it fair to all concerned?

ü Will it build good will and better friendships?

ü Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Yours in Rotary,

Editor

Wayne Bedor

waynebedor@yahoo.com