High Noon
Rotary Club of Durango
District
5470
Club 1161
Meet at
Doubletree Hotel
Time: 12:00 Noon
Thursdays
Newsletter: August 20, 2009
Program August
27, 2009: Ron Fogleman, “Happenings
Inside the Beltway”
Fellow Rotarians:
- President Mark Prouty led the pledge followed
by Bob Geffe introducing High Noon Rotarian Emeritus John Marshall who now
hails from Carlsbad, CA.
Dick Sullivan introduced Rick Halleck from the Sunrise Club in Tucson, AZ. Ward Holmes introduced his friend,
Jodie. Rick Routh introduced Dale
Machen from Temecula, CA who is a past president of his club
there. Tom (Hemingway Look alike) Galbreath’s guest was his friend in the
other six months of his life when he is not in Durango, Cap’n “Al”.
- Announcements: Mark informed us that Steve Redding won’t
be with us for a couple of weeks as there has been a death in his
family. Barb Stine is back with us
after spending time with her mother who has been ill. Cathy Crum reminded us of the upcoming
Australian GSE visit, August 31st - September 3d. One more host family is still needed and
drivers. There will be a pot luck
the evening of September 2d around 5:30 or 6:00 PM (TBD) and a sign up
roster was being routed around to bring food dishes. Mark Prouty made a presentation of the
Paul Harris Foundation Membership to Chip Lile which was about two years
in coming.
- Meet a Rotarian: Bob Chaput introduced us to Dr. Jim
Burpee who was introduced to Rotary by Vern Swanson in 1981 when they were
both young pups. Jim has been
married to wife, Nancy, for 32 years and has 11 grandchildren ages 11
months to 18 years. Jim hails from Edgerton, WI home of
a little known golf hero and has lived in Durango nearly 10 years. Jim practiced urology in Wichita, KS
and has retired three times. Bob
suggested Jim join a 12 step program for his addiction to work. In his secret life he is a spy and he is
going on a trip to Russia
very soon (the Cold War is Over Jim). Jim’s hobbies are biking and
cooking. He has done the Iron Horse
five times. His guilty pleasure is
performing a certain medical procedure on his fellow male Rotarians that
makes them wince. Jim has been an
advisor to the men’s cancer support group, Man 2 Man for 12 years. His secret desire is to perform volunteer
medical services in Africa or India. Jim’s father was his
primary inspiration in life. Little known fact: Jim was a card carrying
union meat cutter prior to his medical trailing. Jim was well ahead of his peers when
doing cadaver work in medical school due to his meat cutter experience
- Sergeant of Arms, Emily Spencer, again fined
folks for nice things only. She started with Howard Wilson whose
picture appeared in the paper when he was attending a sophisticated
soiree’ at the Cosmopolitan’s new rooftop dining establishment. Poor Tom Crabb was trying to conform to
the Club’s dining etiquette by removing his hat but he still got nailed on
his spiky hair which makes him look like a rock star. Birthdays included Jeanne Wheeldon,
Ellen Roberts and Nancy Hammond.
Anniversaries were Rich Kolb, 35 years and Peter Marshall, 31
years. Happy $$$ included Rick
Routh who snagged Ron Fogleman as our next speaker to talk about “Happenings
Inside the Beltway.” Tom Galbreath
was happy that he and Cap’n Al
received a private tour of the new cougar exhibit that starts on Saturday
August 22d at the Center for Southwest Studies up at Fort Lewis College. Jill Carithers was happy about the
increase in enrollment at the new SW Colorado Community College
campus. John Marshall is happy to
be in Durango to see all his friends which he will accomplish by attending
today’s High Noon Rotary meeting, shopping at Wal Mart where he picked up
some new jeans at $9@ (his wife sent him back for more) and stopping by the El Rancho to quaff a
couple of cool ones with Chip Lile.
Dan McCarthy is happy to have his 3d child enrolled in college back
east. Tim Walsworth was happy to
have all the fundraising support that he gets from Ward Holmes and the Four
Corners Broadcasting staff each year at the United Way kickoff event. Tami Coddington was happy with all the
support she got for the American Cancer Society’s DMR hill climb which her
four year old was able to do while helping her raising $3,000. Eric Christensen was the lucky winner of
the drawing today.
PROGRAM: Rick
Routh introduced Chip Lile and Sara Olsen who gave us a spectacular trip down
the Colorado
in their raft. Their party consisted of six boats, 2 kayaks, 15 people, 16 days
over 224.5 miles in 80-110 degree temperatures.
The Colorado
was running between 8,000 cfs-13,000 cfs at temperatures between 48-58 degrees
Fahrenheit. Since John Wesley Powell’s
time, there have been 86 deaths on the Colorado. A recent incident involved three teenagers
who got swept away after entering the river without life jackets. Their trip involved lots of gear, lots of
water and lots of sun block. There were
wonderful pictures and video taken by Chip and Sara that gave us the feel of
being there without getting wet. Chip
said that 95% of the distance the Colorado
is smooth and flat and 5% with rapids rated from 6-9. They did not flip any of the rafts during the
trip which was commendable and even had veteran rafters like Rick Routh and Tom
Galbreath nodding their heads in approval.
Thanks Sara and Chip, it was a great program.
Mark closed by leading us in “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