Katie Johnson offered a wonderful invocation, worth repeating here:
Join me in a prayer of gratitude.
We give thanks for this Rotary year now coming to a close—for the leadership of President Ryan, whose dedication, steadiness, and heart have guided our club with purpose. We are grateful for the commitment of our Board, our members, and for the generosity of our community which has allowed us to complete so many meaningful projects and touch so many lives.
As we share this meal together, we ask a blessing on the food before us and on the hands that prepared it. May it nourish us for the work still ahead. Because we look toward a new Rotary year now and we will need new and renewed energy to carry forward the spirit of Service Above Self.
Inspire us to build on what we’ve accomplished, to imagine boldly, to invite others to join our worthy work, and to serve with compassion, integrity, and joy.
May our club continue to be known for our strong fellowship and our lasting impact.
For all we have done, and all we are yet called to do, we give thanks.
Amen.
There was a Rotary Minute Plus Quiz based on the June Rotary Magazine and the club ended the Rotary year answering all three questions correctly, which some suggested should result in a financial burden to the administrator or the quiz. Jamie Larson then said its time to start selling the 704 peach lugs we are ordering this year, which works out to every member striving to sell at least 17 lugs, with a few historically doing much better than that to sell all that we will have. A show of hands was requested of those intending to attend the lunch at the Habitat build tomorrow, with members expected to bring their own drink.
Many brags again. Steve Andrews said Meng's last day of teaching was Thursday, June 18th, which news had not been communicated to the students' parents until the night before. Steve Austold told us he and Kathy had recreated his proposal to her at the base of Gooseberry Falls 25 years ago last Friday when they were there again. Tim Hunt reported there was a lot of fun at his household this past week with grandchildren, son and daughter visiting from Washington D.C. Deb Maertens paid for missing last week, shared a picture of Laly in front of the Grand Canyon and said Laly will return to Belgium on July 6th.
John MacFarland thanked Ryan Welle for his service as President the past year and coming to John and Steve Leitte's rescue with the forklift to raise the trusses at the Community Garden build. Thanks to Ryan were echoed by Katie, this writer and David Johnson.
Ryan then entertained us with a PowerPoint presentation highlighting our past year and his business (noting in jest we are all here for one reason - self-promotion), encouraging us to enjoy the cupcakes he provided whenever a picture of Fergus Monument came into view. In terms of The Rotary Foundation, he reported that our Annual Fund goal was $4,000 and we raised $5,938, while our PolioPlus goal was $1,250 and we raised $3,340. He added $100 to the club coffers because he did not bring in two members to our club during the year, which challenge he had issued to himself last July when he took office. He also noted that the Club recognized 11 Paul Harris Fellows or Multiple Fellows during the year. Ryan appreciated all those who told him about their favorite songs at the beginning of the year and was happy to have expanded his play list with everyone's choices. We had many service projects during the year, including Katie, Dave, Keith Olson, Dean Monke and Ryan working at a Habitat build, club members helping with the harvest at the Community Garden and with the greenhouse build (thanks especially to John and Steve Leitte), doing ditch cleanup and some landscaping at the Salvation Army. We held four social activities (a picnic welcoming Laly and honoring Steve Leitte's 84th birthday, the white elephant Christmas exchange, Spartan basketball games and Laly's farewell party hosted by Ryan and Janelle), hosted an Exchange Student, with Laly and three members attending the District Conference (Cody Odland, Deb and Steve Leitte), and conducted four fundraisers during the year (two with the ducks and then the rose and peach sale).
The Rotary International theme for the year was "United for Good" and we achieved that in many ways, including sponsoring the Otter Oration, presenting a Four-Way Essay Test award, supporting a project in Bolivia and providing and reading books to kindergarten and second and third graders. We met off-site twice, at FM Bank and the Fire Station. Ryan also took time to acknowledge the passing of Rotarian Pete Wasberg and the loss we all feel in his absence.
Before concluding, Ryan said he hoped we all had fun and said he was looking forward to the coming Rotary year when four different Past-Presidents will each provide the necessary leadership during a quarter of the year, with Katie Johnson, Ken Harty, Zack Stach and Ryan Welle serving in that order. Ryan received a well-deserved standing ovation for his service this past year and Katie presented him with his Past-President's plaque.
