President Dan Coons introduced himself as he called the meeting to order. He reminded members of the 2020-21 Rotary International Theme - Rotary Opens Opportunities. He then recited the Rotary Vision Statement:Together we see a world where people unite and
take action to create lasting change -
across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves
Thought for the Day - Jay Stuckey
Jay shared some inspirational thoughts he found on the Rotary International website:
- Rotary changes us and those we serve. I believe we can change the world one life at a time. Paul Harris
- Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the Passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman
Pledge of Allegiance - Robin Harris
Rotary Minute - Ed Koeneman
Ed asked if anyone had participated in the Rotary International Convention which ended June 16 and had been held virtually this year. PDG's Jeanie Morgan and John Pennypacker both raised their hands. Ed asked if either wanted to share highlights. PDG John volunteered to share, burning the Rotary minute into a bit longer than a minute. John had particularly enjoyed the flag ceremony. He was particularly happy to see the flag for the newest country to have their flag presented - Viet Nam. He said the Donor Summit was definitely worth watching. He enjoyed an interview between Jennifer Jones and Sylvia Whitlock, who was the first woman to serve as Club President in Rotary. Jennifer Jones is currently Rotary International President Nominee and is the first woman to serve in that capacity. Another interview he enjoyed was conducted by Jennifer Jones and was about the Rotary partnership with UNICEF in fighting polio.
When Ed regained control of the microphone, he first spoke about the first Rotary Convention in 1910. At that time, there were sixteen Rotary Clubs. Daniel Cady estimated that in eighty years, that number would grow to 1,000. It actually only took eleven years for Rotary to have 1,000 clubs. Ed has attended two RI conventions. His first was in Sao Paulo Brazil. His next was in 2019 in Hamburg, Germany. He plans to attend the 2022 convention in Houston, and hopes to attend the 2023 convention in Melbourne, Australia. Ed wrapped up his Rotary minute asking who, among, those present had attended the most Rotary International Conventions. Jeanie Morgan had attended four - San Antonio in 2001, Los Angeles in 2008, Birmingham England in 2009 and Montreal Canada in 2010.
This link at the RI website can provide access to some of the 2021 convention images and videos: https://my.rotary.org/en/exchange-ideas/events/convention-images-videos
Introduction of Guests
- Jay Stuckey introduced his guest, Joe Troia with Sage Hospice.
- Shenaaz Shaik was attending as a guest via Zoom.
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Chuck Flint
Chuck explained that the big pot is up to $1,707. The holder of the winning ticket would automatically win $50, and have the opportunity to try to draw the Ace of Clubs from the nine cards remaining in the deck. He asked Joe Troia to draw the winning ticket, which was held by Greg Okonowski. The card Greg drew after shuffling the few cards left, was NOT the Ace of Clubs and was immediately destroyed. Next week, the big pot will have grown and the odds of drawing the Ace of Clubs will be better.
Happy Bucks - Greg Okonowski
- Ed Koeneman was happy to have noted recently that he has now been in Rotary over ten years. His anniversary came up last fall when he was unavailable to attend even our virtual meetings.
- Warren Williamson contributed to tell what he had learned about a conversation between God and Adam when Adam was alone in the Garden of Eden. God told Adam he had noticed Adam seemed somewhat sad and lonely and offered to create a companion for him. His companion would be a beautiful woman whose sole purpose would be to please Adam in every way. She would gather and prepare food, she would bear his children, she would admire everything about Adam and never ever complain about anything. Adam asked what he might have to give up to get such a wonderful companion and God exclaimed it would cost Adam and arm and a leg. Adam asked what he could get for a rib.
- Pam Cohen contributed so she could correct Warren's story by telling what actually happened. It was actually Eve who was along in the Garden of Eden. God asked her if she would like to have a companion who would be an excellent hunter, and would be very fit and strong and well able to protect her, and that he would love to have fun with Eve and their children. Eve asked God what she would have to do to get this fine-sounding companion and God answered she would simply have to tell him that he was there first.
- John Pennypacker urged everyone to take very good care of their key fobs after he learned the cost of buying a replacement as well as the cost of having the replacement fob programmed at a recent visit he had made to the dealership. He decided to risk losing his only remaining fob rather than part with the combined price.
- Pam Cohen contributed $5 so Jeane Crouse could share a joke about a circus who was trying to hire new lion tamers. Since sound effects involved would be nearly impossibly to report in this publication, readers need to ask Jeane to share the joke with them the next time they see her. It might lost some of its impact, however, if Ron Thompson isn't around to deliver the punch line for her.
- Ron Thompson was happy Greg won the raffle since they buy their tickets in partnership.
- Jack Rosenberg was glad to be attending in person. He was also thankful that members were honoring the "fully-vaccinated-only " restriction of the table nearest the door for his sake.
- Jeanie Crouse was happy to be able to see her old buddy, Jack.
- Chuck Flint contributed for the opportunity to share a story about two friends - Sylvia and Wanda who had both died. Sylvia had frozen to death, and Wanda had died of a massive heart attack. When they met at St. Peter's Gate, they exchanged stories about how they had died. Wanda went first. She had been certain her husband was having an affair. She went home at a time he would not have expected her. She found him quietly watching TV in the den, but she was suspicious that was a cover up. She ran upstairs and searched every room. She ran up to the attick and looked everywhere, then back to the main floor and searched every possible hiding place. The then looked everywhere in the basement, but had the heart attack before she was able to look in the deep freeze. Sylvia told Wanda it was a mistake to not have looked in the deep freeze first. If she had, they might both still be alive.
Announcements
- Shelly Romine announced that we will still be collecting non-perishable food through our June 24 meeting to be donated to the Paz de Cristo food pantry, and that on Tuesday, June 22, Mesa West Rotary volunteers would be helping move a classroom and library for the United Autism school located near Shea and Scottsdale Boulevards in Scottsdale.
- Installation Dinner will be Thursday evening, July 1 at the Doubletree. Members were urged to respond to the invitation that will soon go out to make their reservations.
- District 5495 Celebration - all Rotarians are invited and encouraged to make their reservation to attend this event. See separate article in this newsletter to do so.
Program - President Dan's Review of 2020-21 Year
Dan began by saying it has been a gift to be President. As President, he has had an opportunity to see what a giving club Mesa West is. He has had the opportunity to be aware of generosity of individual members who give of their time and talent as well as their funds. It has been a pleasure to see the club in action. He has also enjoyed getting to know everyone better.
This spring, the club Board of Directors recommended that the Mesa West Rotary Foundation give four $2,000 scholarships to Westwood High School seniors. In fact, the foundation awarded five $2,000 scholarships to seniors at Westwood. In reviewing the applicants, there was one stellar person that they did not want to leave out. Trustees Bob Jensen and Jim Crutcher each donated $1,000 to that individual could also receive a scholarship.
Dan was aware that a substantial contribution had been made by John Pennypacker to support the Aqua Africa global grant project.
Bob Zarling was not able to be present the day the club was presenting the recognition awards from The Rotary Foundation, but in preparing for that meeting, Dan learned that Bob has earned recognition for a very significant contribution to support the End Polio Now effort of TRF..
Bob has not only been active in Mesa West Rotary as our President-Elect. He has also been involved on the District Foundation Committee and has served on the local Salvation Army board. Bob has recently had to make a difficult, but wise decision. He is a great Rotarian, but he is an even better son. He is the primary family caregiver for his mother and her well-being is having to take top priority for Bob at this time. It was announced at the June 15 Mesa West Board meeting that Bob would not be taking over as President of Mesa West on July 1. After reviewing language in the club's governing documents, the board elected to have Dan continue as President one more year. Dan's joy of serving will continue one more year.
Dan thanked members for the way they worked together during COVID challenges. There were a few bumps, but Mesa West has rebounded with strength from the obstacles faced. Dan was especially thankful to Membership Chair, Polly Cady for the stellar performance of her committee this year. Shelly Romine carried through in meeting Dan's request that she have at least one hands-on service project each month.
The Program Committee did an outstanding job under the leadership of Wendell Jones. As a member of that committee in addition to her Club Secretary duties, Lola McClane arranged for some very interesting speakers. Some program highlights quickly recalled by Dan were the OJ Simpson prosecutor, an FBI presentation, the Mayor of Mesa, and the life of John Pennypacker.
When other clubs were struggling because of the pandemic in their ability to raise funds to do good, Dan pointed out that Allan Cady and his team had brought in over $55,000 - our best sponsorship campaign to date!
We didn't get to spend money on some of the things we normally fund. There was no Youth Exchange. There was no in-person RYLA. As things open up there will be ways to use funds in appropriate ways.
Members added some comments to Dan's review.
- Pam said that even though the Aqua Africa global grant has been approved by The Rotary Foundation, completion of the work will require $165,000 more than has been committed to date. Members may remember hearing from Buy Van Tut who was a child soldier in South Sudan. Aqua Africa is his way of giving back to his original homeland. He is from Pam and Chris Krueger's home community of Omaha Nebraska and they hope to have an Aqua Africa run to help raise some of the additional funds as well as raise awareness of the need for water in South Sudan and many other parts of our globe.
- Allan Cady spoke about the signature project that came to Mesa West Rotary when Mesa Baseline Rotary merged into our club is the Guaymas Gift of Hearing project. Pre-COVID, each year for over twenty-five years, a team of audiologists and other medical specialists would be bused to Guaymas, Mexico for a weekend clinic benefitting local residents ranging from young children to the elderly. There is no audiologist in Guaymas, so we are not harming anyone's business. Rotarians go along and perform logistical and clerical functions to enable the mission's success. Ray Smith does the planning and Robert Jensen has been involved from the beginning as audiologist responsible for the origination of the mission, even before it became a signature project for the Mesa Baseline club. It was sad that COVID prevented the 2020 trip and looks likely to prevent a 2021 trip as well. It is nearly impossible to purchase hearing aids in the volumes that would be needed at this time because of COVID-related supply chain issues. Safety of team and patients would still be questionable in Guaymas as well.
- Don Boucher was thankful when Don LaBarge started having in-person meetings at the Salvation Army before the club board felt safe resuming in-person meetings.
- Don LaBarge reported that the Mesa West kettle at Bass Pro set a kettle record in 2020, brining in over $22,000. He knows it was a record for the Western Division which includes Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. They tried to find out if any other Division could claim a higher record, but no-one responded to their inquiries. Don added that the Manager at Bass Pro said that CBS had done a feature on their store, and one of the things the manager talked about was the Mesa West Rotary record-making Salvation Army Kettle, but he did not know if that would make it through the editing of the eventual program to be aired. Don was also very proud of the transformation we made with our District Grant benefitting the 7th Street Food Pantry and looks forward to helping the House of Refuge with the District Grant we have applied for for the 2021-22 Rotary Year.
- Shelly Romine thanked Jeanie for all she does for the club as well as the district and TRVFA.
- Jeanie Morgan thanked Mesa West for being the club that has the highest number of individual donors to TRVFA, as well as having more Mesa West donors who give using automated recurring donations than the entire balance of Rotarians in the state.
- Darl Andersen added that the work of Microcredit in Mexico continued during COVID. Pam Cohen elaborated explaining how those small microcredit loans enable poor women to become entrepreneurs creating a much better quality of life for their family.
- The Mesa West Foundation board approved a $2,000 donation to The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) as well as a $4,000 donation to Interact District 5495 to fund the travel and in-country expenses 2021 Interact Ambassador teams going to Kenya and Mexico to deliver mobility devices to those in need in both countries. Two students from the Westwood High School Interact Club will be participating - one going to Africa and the other going to Mexico.
Dan thanked everyone for allowing him to have this front-row seat. He thanked Jim Schmidt for setting the tone during the early months of COVID isolation. His leadership inspired loyalty. He thanked the members for being loyal and felt like one of the keys to the year's success was our continued community outreach.