Stories

Letter from the Editor

Greetings Rotarians!

With Royce out of the country in Guatemala, helping with our Montana Rotary Coalition project, I'm filling in with a letter from the Editor. Greetings from Sunny Miramar Beach, Florida. With the President and Immediate Past President out of town, we're in the good hands of President Elect Rick Oncken this week, he's done such a great job filling in for Royce the last two times, I can't wait to see what he does in his year as president, in just over 6 months from now. In the first few months of 2023 we'll be forming our annual Nominating Committee, to help select the President Elect Nominee for the year following Rick & our new board members, so stay tuned for that announcement. I look forward to seeing you all at the Holiday Party!

-Dean Fiedler

Immediate Past President

Royce and Kathy sing at District 5390 Assembly

https://fb.watch/eN7oNKlLo8/

President Royce Engstrom and Treasurer Kathy Schulte sang at the District Assembly. Check out the above link to the facebook performance. We are so lucky to have this much talent in our club.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

Great news to pass along. The well driller has passed 220 ft with little to no issues. The target aquifer is approximately 450 feet below the surface based on the hydraulic/hydrology report completed for this project. The Rotary Foundation (TRF)is set to transfer the first payment for the project. With the first payment and the funds previously sent by the Rotary Club of Kalispell, there should be enough money available to install the pump house, pump, and construct the water storage tank. I’ve attached several photos taken recently of the drilling operation. If you have any questions about the progress of the project, please call or email.

Thank you for your support,

Mark Rohweder, PE, PMP

Red Cross Blood Drive

Have You Told People to Sign Up on December 21?

Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S. The Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, providing blood for patients in over 2500 hospitals nationwide. Your blood donation is essential to maintaining our community’s health and help replace the emergency supply of blood due to a record number of Covid cases. Give the gift of life to someone in need.

Please help us promote the drive to your co-workers, families and friends. The drive would also be open to the public so anyone may make an appointment. There is an emergency need for blood right now, so we are grateful for everyone who walks in our door.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Shelter Box for Haiti

As many of you know by now Haiti was hit by an earthquake and hurricane just recently. The Rotary Club of Missoula is raising $1000 to purchase a ShelterBox to be sent to Haiti as a relief effort. If you would like to donate click here. Your donation will go through the Missoula Rotary Foundation for a matching grant and a tax deduction.

ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and other essential items to families who have lost their homes to disasters. With operational headquarters in Cornwall, the charity also has 15 affiliate organizations worldwide. The charity has been Rotary International’s project partner in disaster relief since 2012.

A ShelterBox Response Team was sent to the Dominican Republic in response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti.

Buildings have been flattened and hospitals already under strain from COVID-19 are overwhelmed. Recent reports have confirmed that more than 80,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 14, 2021.

The ShelterBox team will work with fellow humanitarians to assess damage reports, understand from communities what they need, and work on the challenging logistics of delivering aid to areas where buildings have been reduced to rubble.

Paul Harris Award December 2020

PAUL HARRIS FELLOW AWARDED

President Victoria Emmons awarded a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) to her future stepson Yucef Bouzina, 16, at the December 23 Rotary club meeting. A PHF honors someone who has demonstrated the Rotary mission of Service Above Self. Yucef is a junior at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, CA. He is past VP and current outreach director of his Interact Club and serves as digital media executive for the Interact District 5170 Assembly. Yucef has been a competitive swimmer since he was a little tyke and switched to water polo when he was 13. He is captain of his water polo team and plays club water polo, as well as for his school team. Yucef is a creative young man with a newly-released composition to his credit. He is also an illustrator and designed the cover of his piece. He was valedictorian of his 8th grade class. Taking numerous AP classes this year, Yucef plans to attend college when he graduates from high school in spring 2022, but has not decided which colleges as yet to apply. He hopes to study computer science/data analysis in health care, as well as his creative endeavors in the arts world.

Volunteers Needed

A second chance to build with Habitat for Humanity September 19

President-Elect Dean Fiedler is looking for volunteers to help build another home with Habitat for Humanity.

We've got another opportunity next weekend 9/19/20 to help out our local Habitat For Humanity. Our volunteer build on September 8th was a great success & the folks at Habitat are excited that we're coming back again this month. If you did not have an opportunity to participate in the last build, now is your chance. We can have up to 6 people volunteer at a time, so if we get more than 6 they're willing to split us into 2 shifts; 8 AM and 1 PM.

You do not need to be skilled in construction to participate (I certainly am not). As long as you're willing to lend a hand they've got the necessary tools and expertise to help you complete the job. Please contact Dean@missoulacomfort.com to sign up. Exact start time & location TBD. (Last time we started at 8:30am)

Six Rotary volunteers are needed each day on September 19. Projects are located in Missoula and Dean will provide more detailed information regarding time and location for volunteers to report. Our Rotary crew worked well during the last such outing and it was a great success.

Habitat for Humanity builds or renovates homes for those in need of housing. With the help of volunteers such as Rotarians and others, families are able to have their own home, some for the first time in their lives. Rotarians may sign up to volunteer with Dean or via the ClubRunner event page. Friends or family members may volunteer along with you.

Thanks to all who supported our last Habitat for Humanity building project and thanks to those who can volunteer for the two upcoming projects this month.

Pictured are the Rotarians working to build a house. Thanks to Mike Peissig for taking these pictures. Other volunteers in attendance were George Bandow, Mike Schauf, Dean Fiedler, Scott Johnson

Membership

New Member Dan Lee inducted September 2

Dr. Daniel M. Lee, associate professor and associate dean at the University of Montana's School of Education, was welcomed as a new member of the Rotary Club of Missoula on September 2. Thanks to Kevin Miltko for serving as Dan's sponsor. Pictured below (Daniel Lee (L), Kevin Miltko (R).

In addition to his teaching and administrative positions at UM’s College of Education, he also directs UM’s Safe Schools Center.

Dan graduated from the University of Maine where he earned his bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral degrees. His primary career has been in public education where he worked for 35 years as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools.

In 2013, Dan and his wife moved from Bangor, Maine to Missoula to be near their grandchildren. At that time, Dan also began a second career at UM in the Department of Educational Leadership where he worked with future Montana principals and superintendents. He has supervised numerous school leadership interns throughout the state.

Dan serves on a number of standing committees at Montana’s Office of Public Instruction and is a member of School Administrators of Montana. A communicant of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Parish in Missoula, Dan has served on the school board for Missoula Catholic Schools. He is also a former Rotary member of a club in Bangor, Maine.

"We are very pleased that Dan has elected to join our Rotary club in Missoula and we welcome him to our fellowship of friends," said President Victoria Emmons.

New Member Welcomed to Rotary

Rotary Club of Missoula recently welcomed Donna Upson Correia, who professionally goes by Donna R. Upson, as a new member of the club.

Donna is a commercial loan officer helping oversee the disposition of the 1200 PPP loans originated at First Security Bank of Missoula, just having started on June 8, 2020. While a commercial lender in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts, her work was all about assisting small- and medium-sized businesses and investors gain access to capital to grow their companies. She assisted businesses in developing business plans which were specifically geared to find them the money they need to grow. From funds to purchase an existing business or investment properties, to monies to help the business owner purchase a new facility, to working capital lines of credit, Donna possesses the unique ability to not only analyze the company’s financial situation but to then put the analysis into writing. Every customer has specific needs that make them unique from every other business. Donna helps identify that uniqueness and highlights those attributes as the plan is developed and written.

Donna earned an MBA in Entrepreneurial Studies from Babson College, Wellesley, MA and a BA from Union College, Schenectady, NY. Her career has spanned 30+ years. She possesses an acute intuitive people sense and outstanding track record in working with clients to obtain the financing they need, from as small as $100,000 to financing packages as large as $15,000,000.

She volunteered most of her time with the Rotary Club of Nashua West, NH, having been a member for over 25 years, as Foundation Chair, on numerous committees, and was named recipient of Rotarian of the Year in 2009. She achieved this award because she spearheaded a massive undertaking to make sure that every one of the 95 Rotarians in Nashua West became Paul Harris Fellows that year. As Foundation Chair, Donna and two other members devised a plan where they took extra Paul Harris points from one member, along with matching points from Rotary International (RI), along with actual dollar donations from a member, to get some to their first Paul Harris Fellow designation, and every other club member to the next level of Fellow. Thus, many members were incentivized to donate $333, which along with $333 points from a fellow member and $333 from RI that year, that new member could become a first time PHF. It took a huge amount of time, organization and follow-through to get it accomplished for the club’s 40th anniversary celebration. Donna also donated her time to numerous nonprofit boards of directors over the years, assisting those organizations with their financial and growth needs. She just recently resigned from the Board of the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center and the Village Networks.

Originally from Milton, Massachusetts, she lived in Southern New Hampshire for over fifteen years prior to moving back to Massachusetts in 2003 to assist her aging parents and be closer to family. A single parent, she raised her daughter, Sarabeth, and is extremely proud of the Smith College graduate and recent recipient of a Master’s in Public Health from The George Washington University. Sarabeth moved to Helena, Montana in December 2018, and works for the State of Montana in DHHS.

Donna married David Correia on December 13, 2014, and they have lived in Missoula Montana, since April 2020.

Habitat for Humanity

Rotary Club of Missoula volunteers assisted with a home build for Habitat for Humanity on July 8 & 9th. Many thanks to those volunteers who went to work serving others.

Rotary Recap May 20, 2020

Rotarians take a virtual tour of Zootown Arts Community Center

President Martha called to order the May 20 meeting of the Rotary Club of Missoula. Remember that anyone who missed the Zoom meeting can watch a recorded version of it — check your email for a link from Bob Minto. If you do watch it, be sure to let Ryan Boyd, club secretary, know for attendance purposes.

Martha shared a video message about COVID-19 from Rotary International President Mark Mahoney, the inspirational message for the day. In the film, Mark discusses the various ways Rotary has connected the world.

“I have never been more proud to be a Rotarian,” Mark says. “We know this is a challenge. We know COVID-19 is a temporary state. COVID-19 is a health threat unlike any other in our lifetime. This is a time for prudence, not panic. Facts, not fear.

“We need to do our part to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 spread. For Rotary, it means postponing meetings or holding online meetings. Many conferences in your Districts have been canceled.

Following science has caused us to cancel the International Conference in Honolulu. I cannot thank the event organizers enough for all that went into planning this event; but as RI leader, I know this is the decision Rotarians needed to make to flatten the curve.

“We are now exploring ways to share some of the great programming we had planned across the world in some sort of virtual event. Our Rotary Action Plan calls on clubs to innovate and change.

Please take the time in these online meetings to help us.

“We cannot detach ourselves from the world. Let us not forget our commitment to eradicate polio. We are also assisting countries around the world in their COVID-19 response. Together we are united to stay safe, but also to help others stay safe; stay healthy and help others stay healthy; stay connected and help others stay connected. Together we share the Aloha spirit.

“As Rotary connects the world, Mahalo and thank you,” Mark said in closing, reflecting the Hawaiian spirit that was dashed as a result of the pandemic of 2020.

Entertainment

Following the video, Kurt Ingold entertained everyone on tenor guitar with a Kingston Trio version of the song “A Rollin’ Stone,” which he sang beautifully. Kurt explained that a tenor guitar is a rhythm instrument perfect for this kind of music. The song Kurt sang is more of a country tune. “A rollin’ stone gathers no moss. I was meant to be just a rolling stone,” he sang. “But I don’t need level ground, I can roll uphill or down.” The song goes on to end “Some might think my life’s a loss. A rollin’ stone never gets lost. So I’ll just keep playin’ it straight ‘til I roll right through that gate. I’m just a rollin’ stone. I’m just a rollin’ stone.” Thank you, Kurt, and thanks to the Kingston Trio!

Guests
Ryan introduced visiting Rotarian Donna Upson, visiting our club meeting again and we are pleased to see her. Dolores Bandow introduced Kelsey Ochs to Rotary club members. “We met last year when we were on the same vacation,” said Dolores. She explained that Kelsey is an artist, new to Missoula, and “when I told her Rotary was my extended family, I invited her to sit in today. Kia Liszak of Zootown Arts Community Center was also visiting us as our guest speaker.

Happy Bucks
Sergeant-at-Arms and Happy Bucks Collector-in-Arms Mike Schauf says we are now working on raising our second $1,000 to donate to Montana Food Bank Network.

“I will kick it off with $5 because I get to go out to eat at a real restaurant,” said Mike, “probably separated by at least 15 feet. I get to go out with big people for dinner.”

Bob Minto was $5 happy because he got his planting done.

George Olsen kicked in $10 because he was over at the YMCA which is back open and they’re doing a good job cleaning it. “I am happy to get back to my daily routine.”

Jim Hutcheson was $5 happy because he got all his summer planting done the day prior. Bob Minto challenged Jim by suggesting he come over to plant his garden and he’d throw in an additional $5. Jim backed off that suggestion!

Bob Minto announced that he was $5 happy that his 91-year-old aunt had moved into a senior residence and he had spent all day helping her move in.

Royce Engstrom donated $10 for his happiness at receiving daily pictures of his grandkids walking through the woods and various paths.

Lauretta Belts forked over $20 in happy bucks — $10 for getting a haircut and $10 because they were going to camp for a week on the High Line.

Kurt gave $10 for being able to share a whole song with the group.

Rick Oncken donated $20 in happy bucks because he got to go to the Peak for the first time in 90 days.

Dolores gave $10 because she was happy that Kelsey had attended the Rotary meeting. And $10 for being happy about such a great group of Rotary friends.

Dolores asked if there was another nonprofit the club would be fundraising for in the future. Mike deferred to President Martha, who mentioned that we encourage members to also give to United Way and The Salvation Army.

“Kiwanis beat us,” Martha said, “They donated $5,000 to the Food bank and made the local news.”

Mike Schauf asked, “Yeah, but did they do it virtually?”

Announcements
President Martha reported that we hope to return to meeting at the Florence, but there are buffet restrictions due to COVID-19. She said that at least through the first week of June, club members will continue with virtual meetings and asked that Bob Minto schedule Zoom meetings for us through June.

Martha also welcomed Bill Jones who had joined the meeting via phone, always an option for anyone without access to a computer connection.

Speaker

Paul Eichwald introduced the meeting’s program speaker. Kia Liszak, executive director of the Zootown Arts Community Center (ZACC), is a young community leader whose creative skills as a nonprofit executive has brought enhanced arts services to the Missoula community. ZACC offers services to people of all ages and abilities through arts education and performances. Kia was instrumental in leading a multi-million dollar campaign to move ZACC to its current downtown headquarters, doubling size its capacity for services. She has helped to make Missoula a treasure in the arts community and is passionate about her project.

Kia thanked her new landlord, Rotarian Lewis Matelich, who was also ZACC’s past landlord in its old location. Through a $3.25 million capital campaign, she explained, ZACC almost reached its fundraising target before the pandemic struck. The success of the campaign allowed the nonprofit organization to purchase the building where it is now housed.

“We believe the arts are essential and help to heal people and make a better world,” said Kia, who then gave her audience a virtual tour of the new facility. “We have a paint-your-own-pottery facility and a large gallery with monthly first Friday exhibitions.”

Kia said that ZACC focuses on bringing community together in unique ways. She said that once a year, ZACC invites kindergarteners to design a monster for its Monster Project and then display the monsters for the community.

“We are looking to build friendships across income lines, age lines, to bring out the voices that do not always get a platform,” said Kia. “We invited Native American artists to display. We also had an exhibit from Soft Landing immigrants. We believe that everyone is an artist. We also have a youth gallery in a separate part of our building to showcase Missoula’s youth. We have an interactive youth play area. Jack Metcalf designed the area; he is from Missoula. Kids can take art supplies from the closet and play. We wanted to provide a downtown space that is a community space, a safe space to get creative.

“In the basement, we have a music room. It started as a girls’ rock camp, but now has been expanded to include everyone. We have our Hero Sound project for veterans — it’s partially about music and partially about healing through music. We added a community recording studio. We will be launching a community recording program so if someone wants to record a simple song and give it to someone for their birthday, or create demos or full albums for bands, especially for those who want to get their music out and have no way to do so. We built a 200-seat or 400 standing capacity room where we’ve had conferences and parties and shows. Big Sky Film Festival has office space there.”

Kia explained that during the campaign, ZACC spent two years studying community needs. The new site includes a full stage with full ramp and wheelchair access.

Upstairs in the building, five days per week during the school year and in 21 summer camps — ZACC offers classes in visual arts, pottery, drama, sculpture and more. They also offer adult education.

They have a public print shop where residents can silk screen tee-shirts. People may also rent art therapy space or visual art space and various groups rent there.

Kia also shared a photo of the Donor Wall at ZACC that was designed by a local ceramic artist. The wall includes ceramic plates displaying donor names.

She also pointed to photos of murals that appear throughout the building, one in front of free art supply closet that was designed by local artists.

“We had some wonderful first months downtown,” Kia said nostalgically. “We love being downtown.”

Since closing for the pandemic, Kia said they have offered online art shows, calling on artists to provide messages of hope that were posted online and in the ZACC windows.

“We had to move our mini-auction to a virtual event,” she said. “We still raised $50,000 even online. It’s been an interesting journey.”

Kia said the Missoula Monster Project is still happening, but they are doing so online. They have also offered a ‘Drink and Draw Your Pets’ online. “We have been trying to inspire in any way we can to get people to draw.”

She said they inspired others to create a little pandemic pal out of their bicycles and then had them on display. They also created a relief fund for artists.

“The pandemic has really hit our artists hard and our performing artists,” said Kia. “We lost over $100,000 in revenue due to having to cancel our events. We were proud of the opportunities we had to pay artists and now we cannot do that. So we created a United Way fund to support artists.”

She said that ZACC will reopen on May 30, ask people to wear masks and implement strict sanitation guidelines. They plan to hold a summer camp season. They have readjusted all kids’ performances. Spacing is readjusted. They are asking all camp counselors to take temperatures every morning and have five to six daily tasks to keep everyone safe.

Dolores asked if anyone teaches harmonica and Kia said they did not offer harmonica instruction. Dolores also asked about ongoing funding for ZACC.

“The arts are hard to fund,” said Kia. “I can count on one hand the organizations that are willing to support the arts. All donations are from private donors, primarily individuals.”

She said ZACC’s revenue comes from fundraising, service revenue from gallery and other sales. Free programs were being supported by events that took place in ZACC’s showroom, all of which have been canceled or postponed. “So now we are relying on anything we can get,” she said. “We are applying for all the COVID relief available. All our former sources are being completely challenged by the pandemic.”

President Martha confirmed ZACC’s May 30 opening date. Kia assured that areas that require extensive sharing will be kept closed initially, such as the youth play area and the free supplies closet.

Larry Gianchetta said he is with the Gallagher Foundation and “hopefully, we’re one of your five supporters. I look forward to seeing the building inside. Your presentation was wonderful.”

Kia referenced the interactive youth area as the Bill and Rosemary Gallagher Play Area. Larry thanked her for saying the Gallagher’s names as they did so much for so many years in Missoula. He fears the younger generation has all but forgotten the Gallagher’s substantial contributions to the community.

Victoria Emmons thanked Kia for her work in fundraising and opening the arts center for the community. “The arts make our community so rich,” she added. “The anthology We Leave The Flowers Where They Are compiled by Richard Fifield helps support ZACC.”

Kia said Richard was wonderful to support the center.

Royce commented on the beauty of the place, asking, “Can Kurt record his songs there? Maybe we can meet there. We can see a whole Rotary record album being produced out of this.”

“Is there any opportunity for Rotary to do community service [at ZACC]?” asked Dolores.

President Martha said the club is always looking for Rotary community service projects and asked if ZACC had done any work with Opportunity Resources

Kia said ZACC had invited Opportunity Resources to hold an art show in its gallery. “We always have a need for volunteers,” she said. “We always have a need for projects and helpers in our art camps, to help the kids, especially after things start to feel safe again. We’d love to work with you.”

President Martha thanked Kia for presentation and said we look forward to many years where we can all utilize the facility and grow even more. She mentioned that a book will be donated in Kia’s name to a local school.

“I appreciate being able to connect with you in this way,” Kia said.

President Martha adjourned the Zoom meeting and with that, everyone clicked on the red “Leave The Meeting” link and disappeared from the screen.

Rotary Fellowship

Rotary Fellowship January 29 at Conflux and MCC

Rotary members and their guests will gather twice for no-host fellowship in late January. In lieu of a regular meeting with a speaker, members and guests will gather at noon on Wednesday, January 29, for an informal lunch at Missoula Country Club. The gathering of Rotary friends allows members and their guests to mix and mingle while catching up on what’s happening in their careers and their lives.

For those who prefer an evening get-together, Rotary members and guests are invited to meet for fellowship and brew tasting at 5:30 pm at Conflux Brewing Company, 210 North Pattee Street, in downtown Missoula. Rotarians are welcome to stay for dinner if schedules permit. Or just enjoy a brew and some quality time with friends.

Copy of Rotary Recap 1-15-20

Local CPA educates members about changes in the SECURE Act

Welcome handshakes at the door always make Rotary members and guests feel at home. Board members Wayne Hiett and Dean Fiedler greeted us on January 15.

After President Martha Ripley rang the bell to start the meeting, Wayne began the Pledge of Allegiance for everyone to dutifully follow along and Dean offered an excellent inspiration from Martin Luther King, Jr., in honor of the day named for him.

Peter Edwards kept us all singing tunes we remember from our youth as he played a medley of Beatles songs, including the favorite “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Peter explained the acronym does not refer to LSD, as so many conjectured. Rather, he says, the name of the song was taken from a crayon drawing done by John’s son.

Guests/Visiting Rotarians

Ryan introduced guests, including Larry Kelp with the Veterans Corps Missoula, a guest of Kurt Ingold; Patty Schulte, guest of Kathy Schulte; Jeanne Jenkins, a guest of Dolores Bandow and who served on the board with Dolores years ago.

Auction

Mike Schauf did the honors as auctioneer to raise funds for our Avenues of Service projects. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Polson, our club was able to auction a lovely basket of Mexican-themed goods, a “pay it forward” gift from the Polson Club. District Governor Sandy Wong began the “pay-it-forward” project as a way for clubs around the district to connect through sharing. Rotary Clubs send a gift to the next club the DG is visiting and that club can auction it for its own service projects. DG Sandy says that clubs have passed along a variety of gifts that are meaningful to their home club, including tickets to sporting events, stays in local hotels, local brewery specialities, gardening tools, and more. The Polson Club’s basket included two bottles of Cuervo, margarita mix, glasses and other items for having a marvelous Cinco de Mayo celebration. Wayne Hiett and Bob Minto shared the winning bid of $100.

Announcements

Otto Koester announced that the Mansfield Center is seeking hosts for visitors from other countries as part of the UM’s agreement with the U.S. State Department. Anyone interested in serving as host for a weekend or up to three weeks, let Otto know. There are visitors from various countries, some here for only a short visit and others for a lengthier one.

Membership Chair Dan Buchta encouraged members to invite more guests to our club meetings. That is one way to introduce Rotary to potential new members and share our mission.

President Martha announced that we will hold a meeting on January 22. Marcia Hogan will be next week’s speaker. She said that we will also meet the next conductor candidate for the Missoula Symphony at next week’s meeting.

Speaker

Kurt Ingold introduced speaker Nicole Reicker, CPA, M.Tax, who manages the local office of CPAs JCCS. Nicole said she raises chickens, too, and could talk lots about them, if anyone was interested.

Nicole offered an update on new federal tax legislation passed December 2019 called the SECURE Act. The legislation has implications for tax and retirement planning. The acronym stands for “setting every community up for retirement enhancements.”

Highlights from the legislation include;

IRA deposit age limit has been removed. Previously, one could not make contributions with earned income the year in which one turns 70.5 years of age. That is no longer the case. One still must have earned income and, Nicole says, it is good to double check if thinking about QCD.
IRA RMD age rule increased from 70.5 to 72 years old.
Inherited IRA changes — non-spouse now limited to 10-year withdrawal period. Does not apply to spouse or minor children, disabled or chronically ill beneficiaries, or someone less than ten years younger than the deceased.
New exception for IRA early withdrawal penalty. Penalty exemption of $5,000 if within one year of birth or legal adoption finalization. Applies to IRAs and Qualified Defined Contribution Plans. Amounts may be redeposited without penalty within one year. Both parents may use, so potentially $10,000.
Taxable stipends and fellowships qualify for IRA.
Changes to workplace retirement. Longterm, part-time workers can join 401(k) plans. Tax credits for small business starting a retirement plan. Auto enrollment cap increased to 15%. Allows lifetime income investment to be distributed from your workplace retirement plan. Increases transparency into retirement income with “lifetime income disclosure statements.”
Qualified tuition programs (Section 529 Plans). Can now pay for student loans.
Apprenticeship programs also qualified. Programs must be registered with the Department of Labor. There is an apprenticeship program in accounting at Missoula College.
Increase late fee for failure to file partnership and S-corporation. Now $400 per partner per month if extension has not been filed. There is a small partnership exception, but the company must be otherwise compliant.
New rules — back to the old rules. An amendment to the 2018 and 2019 tax rules. Kids are now subject to single rate or parents rate, applies when unearned income exceeds $1,100.
SECURE Act extenders: Extended retroactively – 12/31/2020.
- Personal Residence debt discharged exclusion
- Mortgage insurance premiums allowed as mortgage interest
- Medical expense floor goes back to 7.5% (from 10%)
- Tuition deduction
- Racehorses as 3-year life assets
- Indian employment credit and accelerated dep.
- Expensing of film/TV/theatrical productions
- Alternative fuel refueling property credit
- 2-wheel plug-in electric vehicle credit
- Energy efficient new home credit
- New markets credit
- Employer credit for family leave
- Work opportunity credit
Who knew? Nicole explained that the new tax law also increased the legal smoking age to 21.
State and local tax deduction is still limited to $10,000.

Nicole reminded everyone to check their W-4 forms carefully this year as so many items have changed.

President Martha awarded Nicole a “million-dollar” chocolate bar and thanked her for her presentation. A book will also be donated to a local middle school in Nicole’s name.

The meeting was adjourned.

Upcoming Events

Rotary Night at the Movies

Exclusive Sneak Preview of the document "The Ballad of Don Lewis" with guest appearance & music performance By Don Lewis meet the filmmaker Ned Augustenborg. Proceeds benefit End Polio Now. Rotary's program to eradicate polio in the world.

Saturday, November 9, 2019 7 pm, The Roxy Theater, 718 Higgins Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801. General admission $100 - 1 ticket & signed poster

Mail checks payable to :Missoula Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 9290, Missoula, MT 59807. For more information call 925-699-9421.

PETS 2019

RI President-elect Mark D. Maloney gives his "Grow Rotary" message at PETS training March 1-3 in Denver

I flew into Denver with great expectations. As president-elect nominee for the Rotary Club of Missoula, I was about to spend three days with colleagues from Districts 5390, 5440, 5450, 5470 and 5630 representing a good number of the western U.S. states.

We started our training early on Friday morning, coffee in hand and schedules ready. Members of each District met in separate rooms to kick off PETS sessions. District 5390 met in the Aspen Room of the Denver Renaissance Hotel by Marriott on Quebec Street. The reunion of familiar faces from all around Montana gave way to conversation, sharing and fellowship. District Governor-Elect Sandy Wong lead our District get-togethers, with DG Rick Moore there for presentations and awards.

Friday’s session began with a presentation on membership by Julie Aubrey, membership officer for Rotary International. Julie spoke about the urgent need for all Rotarians to “share Rotary” with others. Enhancing membership is the most important goal for all clubs this next year, she says. Julie acknowledged the aging out of some Rotary Clubs that have not kept up with needed growth.

Each time a club member moves away or dies, the club has lost another valuable member. These resignations must be replenished with new members. And with the influx of new members, we must learn how to encourage them to participate and to retain them as members. “Members are most likely to leave within the first two years,” warns Julie.

She shared a variety of membership resources available on the RI website. She said that the publication “Connect for Good” has recently been revised.

Julie also brought up the need for clubs to be more creative and flexible in their membership. If a club has a corporate membership, for example., she says it is important to include a Corporate Committee in the governance structure as a way to discuss corporate connections that may help develop partnerships for fund raising, as well as attract new corporate partnerships.

She said clubs need to create an “Attraction Plan” and a “Retention Plan” for membership. Communicate the plan to members and get member buy-in to support and work the plan, she advised.

“You need a strong Membership Chair,” she said. “Someone passionate about Rotary and membership. Membership. Membership. Membership. Think Membership.”

Julie was also assisted by Larry Dimmit, RI director, and DG Rick Moore in presenting membership awards. The Director’s Star Award is given for membership growth in the Zone and the District. Clubs must attain a gain of at least one net new member for 2017-2018. Fourteen clubs in District 5390 achieved that distinction, earning the prestigious Star Award.

”Very few districts in our Zone achieve that award, so you should be very proud,” said Larry of District 5390’s achievement.

Rick praised Sandy Wong for her leadership at the district level in membership. “Upcoming DG Sandy Wong was membership chair for two years and deserves recognition,” says Rick.

District and PETS-wide training over the three-day period included a variety of interesting topics, such as harnessing social media to advantage, understanding club culture, fostering/managing change, managing community projects, dealing with controversy, inter-generational issues, giving strategies, strategic planning for clubs, and more.

A highlight of the weekend was a visit from RI President-Elect Mark D. Maloney. He gave a strong message about the need to increase Rotary membership and be creative about doing so.

“Grow Rotary,” Mark said. “Grow it in places where Rotary thrives. Start a new satellite club and help it survive and thrive. There is nothing in the Rotary Constitution that says Rotary has to meet in a certain place, or meet at all. A club can meet every one of the rules and the ‘Rotary police’ will not come swooping down.”

Mark unveiled his new theme and logo for the 2019-2020 year, a wheel of connected figures that represent people connecting around the world. His theme of “Rotary Connects the World” is depicted in the logo of different colors representing different nationalities and creeds all over the world.

“But each figure also has blue,” Mark said, “representing that we are all Rotarians.”

Mark spoke not only to District 5390 members at its district gathering, but also addressed the entire conference of attendees at the Saturday night dinner and luau event, in honor of the president-elect’s 2020 RI Convention scheduled for Honolulu. His message to “Grow Rotary” was repeated loud and clear.

∞∞∞∞∞

As I mentioned at the outset of this article, I flew into Denver with great expectations. I left with my head loaded with ideas and enthusiasm for our upcoming next couple of years of Rotary. Martha Ripley and I learned all about being a club president, how to grow our club and to change with the times. We spent several hours planning together to benefit our club’s future.

While I served as a Rotary Club president in the past, that was a long time ago. I was in my mid-30s then and Rotary had only been coed for a few short years. So much has changed since the mid-1990s. Yet, in some ways, little has changed. We are all still good people interested in serving our community, enjoying one another as friends, supporting fellowship, helping youth, promoting international understanding, and eradicating polio in the world. Today we do that with men and women from all walks of life, all different ages, and from various parts of the world. We share different ideas, goals and objectives. We connect. Rotary is still all about connecting our community and connecting the world.

PETS was a marvelous educational and fellowship experience. It was a chance to serve our club and the world. I thank the membership for giving me this opportunity to be your president-elect nominee. Consider when you might take that chance to serve in a Rotary leadership role. You’ll discover how rewarding it can be to connect.

—Victoria Emmons

District Governor Rick Moore to visit Missoula

Richard C. Moore, P.E. (Rick) is a professional engineer with his own consulting firm. He is an expert in nuclear waste transportation safety and also specializes in environmental impact analysis and community planning. He was one of the principal authors of the Western Governors’ Association WIPP Transportation Safety Program Implementation Guide which has become the standard for transporting nuclear waste safely in the United States.

Rick joined Rotary in 2009. He served as President of the Rotary Club of Helena in 2012 - 2013. He is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Helena Sunrise. He has been District 5390 Area 5 Assistant Governor and the editor of Big Sky Rotary News, the District’s newsletter. He is a member of the Paul Harris Society. Some of his past awards include 2004 Eminent Engineer of Wyoming, University of Wyoming Chapter of Tau Beta Pi; Fellow, National Society of Professional Engineers; and Wyoming Planning Association 1995 Wyoming Planning Commissioner of the Year.

Rick’s wife Sylvia is a Registered Dietitian and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. After a thirty-year career in medical education in Wyoming, Sylvia has worked since 2008 in various higher education leadership roles in Montana. She has served as the Deputy Commissioner for Academics, Research and Student Affairs for the Montana Commission for Higher Education and a one-year interim position as Provost at the University of Montana Western.

Rick and Sylvia were the Friendship Exchange Coordinators for District 5390 for a Friendship Exchange with Tasmania Rotary District 9830. They coordinated both the outbound and inbound Friendship Exchange Teams.

Rick and Sylvia have one daughter Jessie, who is a Professor at Elon University in North Carolina.

This Week’s Speaker

Destination Missoula:

Tourism in Montana

Missoula streets bustling with people? Restaur

ants filled? Downtown parking hard to come by? All signs of a thriving economy and tourists!

This week, Rotary members will learn all about “Tourism in Montana.” Our guest speaker Mimi Hall Gustafson has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry and is currently the Director of Sales and Services at Destination Missoula. Her vast experience, ranging from world class resorts to a local chamber to a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), has provided her a unique understanding of the local and regional tourism markets.

District Assembly

District Assembly inspires club excellence

INSPIRE. CONNECT

. END POLIO. The words on the posters hanging around the conference room at the Comfort Inn bore a similar theme — the message direct from Rotary Brand Central — that Rotary members are People of Action. That’s what the District’s Public Image Chair Patrick Plantenberg (Townsend Rotary) wants you to understand and he hopes that you will spread the message. Rotarians helping to spread the word is how a consistently positive image of Rotary gets formulated in the public’s mind, he explained.

Patrick’s presentation on ideas for implementing Rotary’s branding guidelines was just one of the many topics covered at the annual District 5390 Assembly held in Butte, MT, August 10-11. Rotary members from around the state gathered to learn more about Rotary Foundation grant making, secretary/treasurer officer duties, best practices in clubs, RYLA, Rotary Youth Exchange, Interact, Rotaract Clubs, and education/training opportunities.

Missoula Rotary Club President George Stern and Board Member Victoria Emmons (Missoula Rotary) attended the two-day Assembly, which featured a session led by President George on managing club secretary and treasurer duties.

District Governor Rick Moore (Helena Sunrise Rotary) greeted attendees to the event, offering his encouragement and gratitude to those in attendance. Governor Rick’s wife Sylvia Moore presented a training session on sexual harassment and advised that clubs consider similar training for members.

Saturday’s seminars were held at the Montana Tech campus in uptown Butte. Nathan Dudden, freshly arrived from Taiwan, co-presented with Steve Kice, Megan Bittinger and Jill Bedessem (Bozeman Sunrise Rotary) on how to sponsor Interact and Rotaract Clubs. Lori Cummings (Hamilton Rotary) led a rousing two-hour session sharing club best practices for everything from membership recruitment, to running an exciting weekly meeting, to discovering how to know if leadership is meeting member expectations. Ann Dooling and Rex Walsh presented goal setting and reported. Darryl Hansen (Livingston Rotary) facilitated a large group interested in Rotary Youth Exchange.

Several sessions were presented on how to apply for district grants through the Foundation. Brian Furey (Missoula Sunrise Rotary), this year’s District Foundation Chair for Grant Selection, gave a detailed look at how to apply for a grant. The Foundation matches grants up to $2500 for a variety of community and international service projects. March 31 is the grant application deadline each year for submitting proposals to fund projects the following year.

Governor Rick indicated his objectives for the year are: (1) to increase Interact and Rotaract Clubs and their membership engagement; (2) enhanced marketing/public image to support increased member recruitment, noting the overall decline in membership throughout the District; (3) each club to earn a Rotary Presidential Citation for achievement attaining at least three items in each category with the addition of new silver, gold and platinum distinction levels added by RI President Barry Rassin (East Nassau Rotary, Bahamas); and (4) holding a successful Peace Park event in September.

Governor Rick also announced important upcoming dates for Rotary events, including:
•   May 3-5, 2019, District 5390 Conference in Helena, MT.
•   2019 RI Convention, Hamburg, Germany, June 1-5, 2019; $395 registration fee if reserved by Dec. 15.
•   2020 RI Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii.
•   Zone Institute in Boise, ID. Any Rotarian is welcome to attend.

Weekly Meeting Recap 8/8/18

New Member Proposed

Nonprofits Join Up to Support Homelessness in Missoula

In the absence of President George Stern who was off playing golf in a Senior Golf Tournament in Helena (George tied for 4th in his age category, by the way), President-Elect Martha Ripley called the meeting to order at 12:06 pm.

Club Secretary Nicole Michelotti served as pinch-hitter for greeters. Thank you, Nicole! Paul Eichwald played “Stand by Me” on piano as club members attempted once again to sing all the verses of the famous song.

Nicole announced one guest visiting the meeting, turning the microphone over to Fran Albrecht for introductions. Fran introduced her guest as Kim McGoldrick, newly relocated to Missoula from San Diego. Welcome to Missoula, Kim!

Announcements
President-elect Martha announced that the next Rotary Fellowship will take place on August 22 at the baseball game. Email Andrew George if you plan to attend. Cost is $20 per person and includes ticket and dinner.

Betty Wilkins announced that $19 was available in the 50/50 drawing (nearly enough to buy a ticket to the basketball game). The winner was Holli Ranten.

President-elect Martha indicated that a new member has been proposed. Ryan Boyd has applied for membership. Martha said this meeting was the first reading for Ryan. Club rules require two readings for a new member. Any questions, contact Dan Buchta, Membership Chair.

Program: A Collaboration to Benefit the Community
Program Chair Royce Engstrom introduced co-speakers Cindy Weese and Casey Dunning on a project collaboration between the Missoula YWCA and Missoula Interfaith Council (MIC). The project’s goal is to further the needs of homeless families in the community by combining two programs into one, thereby avoiding duplication of effort.

According to Cindy, the YWCA operates a domestic violence shelter, emergency housing motel rooms, transitional housing apartments, and rapid re-housing rent assistance programs.

Casey explained that MIC offers a variety of programs, as well, including: Building Bridges-Building Leaders; Partners for reintegration in the congregation; the Family Promise Shelter; housing advocate network; and Missoula Works, a staffing agency for people with barriers to employment.

“I am a 5th generation Montanan,” said Casey. “My 5th generation family at one point lost our ranch. When we did, it was devastating for our family; but we had a fabric, a community around us and so someone helped my dad get a job.”

Casey explained, “Today our institutions, families and organizations are disconnected. We have deep divisiveness in our community. We are divided by age, politics, race, gender, religion. It is crippling our communities. The people impacted the most are our most vulnerable families.”

Cindy demonstrated statistics revealing Missoula as having the most homeless families in the state — 31 — during the last statewide count. She said that 75% of those families are headed by single mothers. Current capacity can handle up to 50 families.

“We have waiting lists. There are currently eight families waiting 3-4 weeks to find housing. Without a central facility, local churches have provided help in the interim.” She said with easy access to locating facilities online, there have also been some security issues.

She said the primary reasons for homelessness include: lack of income, disabling condition, domestic violence, and/or lack of same-day access. Single women are at greater risk for homelessness. There are many barriers to permanent housing, she explained, including poor/limited rental history, lack of income, and affordable housing.

Both Cindy and Casey agreed that homelessness is very traumatic for all involved, especially children. Domestic violence and homelessness leave lifelong effects. Both nonprofit organizations find that generational poverty creates a financial burden on society, families, police, fire, and medical services.

The shared vision for YWCA and MIC, which has been in the planning stage for three years, includes:

—A partnership: in both depth & breadth, to share resources & expand capacity
—Same-day access
—Rapidly rehousing (reduce or terminate a wait list)

“We are in a time of social and political divisiveness that is impacting families in need,” said Casey.

Currently, the Family Promise program invites homeless families to stay overnight in congregation building with volunteers who stay overnight with those in need.

“There have been some very deep and rich experiences for people who are making those connections [with volunteers and homeless families],” said Casey, who indicated they have never experienced any safety issues.

Cindy reiterated, “Our goal is to have one single facility to house families.”

During the Q and A time, one member asked if motel costs could be renegotiated to be more competitive. Cindy said that summer is tourist season and hotels can get full rates. Hotels are already providing very low rates.

“We just leased two studio apartments,” she said, “as it is about same price. All options are on the table for funding. There is always a need for shelters, emergency housing, short-term housing. We are trying to compile diverse resources to make this happen.”

President-Elect Martha thanked the speakers and the meeting was adjourned.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

August 22 - Missoula Osprey vs Grand Junction Rockies

On Wednesday, August 22, 2018, Rotary members and guests will gather for an evening of local baseball to watch the Missoula Osprey take on the Grand Junction Rockies. The game begans at 7:05 pm and dinner will be served an hour ahead of the game.

The cost is $20 per person ($8 for the ticket, $11 for the authentic baseball dinner and $1 just to round it up). Please RSVP to Andrew George at andrew@georgelaw.us or call (406) 531-6653 if you would like to attend with number of guests you will bring.

Quotable

"When you talk, use words that inspire you and others." Debasish Mridha

Be the Inspiration.

President George shared his story about what inspires him. Will you share yours? In keeping with this year's Rotary International theme, The Weekly Bulletin would like to include your story about what inspires you in an upcoming issue. Please send your inspiring story to the Weekly Bulletin Editor at victoriaemmons@mac.com.

Weekly Meeting Recap 8/1/18

Bonjour to Mademoiselle Paisley

Inspire Good Health: Live Long and Prosper

Following opening ceremonies from President George Stern, Rotary Club of Missoula members said the Pledge of Allegiance and were then treated to a performance by local female guitarist Britt Arneson at the club’s August 1 meeting. Britt sang and played guitar, even offering to volunteer for the Chocolate and Coffee fundraiser being considered as a joint project with the Missoula Sunrise Club.

Announcements
 Fellowship Chair Andrew George announced that he has arranged for members to attend baseball games on four different Wednesdays, beginning with August 22. Cost of $20 per person will include meal and game ticket.

 The Youth Exchange Committee will meet at 5:30 pm August 1 at the offices of Scott Johnson, 1701 South Avenue West In the conference room. Required youth training will be conducted.

 President George announced that the Missoula Rotary Club will host the young professionals group at the Chamber of Commerce on October 18, 5-7 pm. He said members are encouraged to attend the event as it will offer an opportunity to educate young professionals about the benefits of Rotary membership.

 The Club’s Rotary Youth Exchange inbound student will arrive at Missoula International Airport on August 7 at 9:54 pm. Antonio from Italy will be spending a year in the greater Missoula area. Members are invited to join the welcoming party at the airport.

 Mike Schauf announced that the popular five-minute talks from members are “still alive.” He says that President George asked that the talks be presented twice a month instead of three times per month as was the case last year. Members who have yet to introduce themselves in this manner should contact Mike about getting on the calendar.

 Mike also announced that a meeting is planned for September 22 at Missoula Country Club regarding the new submarine USS Missoula. Members are encouraged to attend and to invite friends and neighbors. The meeting is open to the public.

Happy Bucks
Visiting Rotarian Margaret Parson from the Missoula Sunrise Club was the first to offer Happy Bucks. She invited Missoula Rotary to participate in a new event being organized as a fundraiser for February 2019 — a Chocolate-Coffee Convention. “You eat chocolate and drink coffee as you wander from table to table,” Margaret explained when asked about the event. She has attended similar events held in other cities and found them to be a great success. The Rotary Club of Missoula Board members are considering her invitation to co-sponsor the event.

Members gladly spent some money to share a lot of happy news, including Dan Buchta, who introduced a visitor and prospective member who is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Victoria Emmons reminded members to wear their Rotary pins as a way to market Rotary membership. “I have met many other Rotary members by wearing my pin,” she said, while noting that not many members in the club were wearing their pins. “People who are not Rotarians always ask me what my pin is and it offers a gateway to tell them more about Rotary and invite them to a meeting.”

Bonjour
The Missoula Rotary Club’s outbound youth exchange student Paisley Ivanovitch was a guest at our club August 1. Paisley, 17, introduced herself with a very poised

“Bonjour” to her audience. The Big Sky High School senior will depart later this month for France where she will spend a year with two different families, initially on the coast in Saint-Malo for six months and a second French town yet to be determined. The Missoula resident said she was excited to be living at the beach. With only one year of formal French language study under her belt, Paisley looks forward to learning about a new culture, language and people. Although she will spend her senior year in France, Paisley plans to return to Big Sky High School for yet another year to complete her senior studies. She is interested in pursuing culinary programs at Missoula College and her experiences living in France will surely help her develop a love of “la cuisine française.” France remains at the top of the list for cultivating some of the world’s best chefs. Bon voyage, Paisley!

Live Younger, Longer
Program Chair Royce Engstrom introduced our guest speaker Roger Bejcek, a certified health coach, who shared his advice for how to “Live Younger, Longer.”

Roger began by asking everyone to “Take a deep breath and relax.” Once relaxed, the audience listed intently to the speaker’s own personal experiences and his recommendations for changes in life. He added, “A doctor friend of mine once told me, ‘I want to die young as late as possible.’ Who wants to live old?”

“I have 16 whys to live young,” Roger explained, with six of those reasons the various members of his family, including his children and grandkids, four of whom reside in Missoula and the reason for his visit to Montana. “We have a disease care system in this country, not a health care system.”

During a ski trip in Colorado years ago, Roger fell ill and it was later confirmed he had experienced a heart attack. He said it changed his life. He had two stents implanted and the nurse told him the only reason he had survived was because he exercised. The brush with death transformed him.

He said he learned more about the value of fruits and vegetables to a healthy life. He had always considered himself healthy before the heart attack occurred. Wellness was all about living LEAN, he confirmed. His enthusiasm for wellness lead him to become a LEAN-certified wellness coach so that he could help others develop a healthy lifestyle. LEAN is an acronym for lifestyle, exercise, attitude, nutrition.

Roger pointed out not only the value in healthy food choices, but some of the stark facts about heart disease which kills more women than men. He noted that waist size — where the waist is really calculated, guys — remains an indicator of health. Watch the waist, he advises.

The wellness coach presented two startling trends in the world: environmental toxins are increasing and food quality is decreasing. The abundance and ready availability of processed foods today means that more and more people are choosing those convenient options over healthier ones like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Roger asked, “Are you managing stress? Exercising? Eating right?” He suggested that his audience “do something adventurous.” Climb a mountain. Raft a stream. Run a marathon. Exercise doing whatever is most comfortable for you. But choose to exercise.

Roger also reminded listeners that our attitude changes everything. Attitude is a decision. “You turn into what you tune into,” he said, leaving the audience with his closing advice. “Take care. Take charge. Practice simple changes in nutrition, attitude, exercise, lifestyle. Live younger, longer.”

President George thanked the speaker and announced that a book will be given to a local middle school in the speaker’s name. He thanked Youth Exchange student Paisley for attending with best wishes for a successful year in France. George said he would not be able to attend next week’s meeting and that President-Elect Martha Ripley will lead the meeting on August 8. With that, the meeting was adjourned.

Story and photos by Victoria Emmons.

WHAT INSPIRES ME

Be the Inspiration

Grandma is exhausted!

I am exhausted. After two weeks of my two grandchildren under foot, quiet has finally returned to my Missoula home. But I don’t really like it.

After agreeing to care for Alex, 4-1/2, and Zoe, 23 months, at my home while my daughter Kate and her husband relocate their household to Arizona, I wondered at times if I was crazy. Up early, make lunches, pack backpack, get the kids dressed and fed breakfast. Add morning playtime into those early hours along with a few disagreements about the benefits of drinking milk. Pick up (starving) kids at daycare before 5 pm. Quiet time (TV’s Paw Patrol to the rescue!) as Grandma heads for the kitchen. Make dinner and serve by 6:30 p.m. at the latest, followed by baths, fresh diaper, pajamas, sleep sack, and story selection (no more than three each, please). There is nothing better than a tiny hand resting on your arm as you turn the page and read the next lines in a storybook that your grandkid can already recite by heart.

Add a little lullaby music, a night light that creates blue stars on the ceiling, one Binky and one stuffed pink “baby” (has to be the pink one tonight and not the blue), and a “night night” kiss. Curly-haired blond, blue-eyed Zoe is off to sleep. Now turn to Alex.

Alex knows how to dress himself, but some supervision is helpful so that shirts do not end up backwards. His tall height and his extensive vocabulary belie his age. The storybooks he chooses are more complex, so take longer to read. The one about machinations of city life is particularly lengthy. I begin to misspeak words as I attempt to read the book. I find myself periodically dozing off while cuddled next to Alex in bed. It has been a long day. Alex nudges me to wake up. “Could we read just two stories?” I ask.

The night-light is on, as is a lamp next to Alex’s bed. Pillows are strategically placed so that he does not fall off my antique bed, a little higher than most, like he did two nights ago. “Grandma, would you sit with me until I fall asleep?” Gladly, Alex.

An hour later, long after Alex has drifted into dreamland, I pass by Zoe’s room and she is still singing to herself a song of her own composition entitled, “Il pleut” (French for “It’s raining”, a sentence I just taught her the previous week).

The final morning of their stay, I know I must awaken extra early to drive Kate and the kids to the Missoula Airport. But this time, it will be my last crazy morning with them. Zoe climbs into her car seat by herself, as she always insists. It takes longer, but encourages her independence, already an emerging part of her personality. Alex, his forehead and chin covered with scabs from a fall off the playground rings, does the same and buckles himself in. He is so proud that he can buckle the car seat on his own. Few vehicles are on the road at this early hour. As we pass by important landmarks, Alex bids farewell to everything. “Goodbye, Missoula County Fair. Goodbye, Zoe’s old school. Goodbye, Splash Montana.” The family’s departure is finally real.

I hang around the airport as long as I can, being “helpful.” United has delayed passengers dropping off baggage due to a computer problem. Waiting in line with two toddlers is not ideal. After an hour wait at check-in, Kate finally deposits their three pieces of luggage and Alex's car seat and passes through security with Zoe in her stroller, a second car seat attached, and Alex tagging behind. They head up the stairs to the gate, sprinting to make the flight.

I cannot stop the tears flowing down my cheeks as I drive back to my now very quiet home. When Kate’s text arrives early afternoon, I am relieved. “All well, and we landed in Phoenix on time! Now, to see if our bags made it, too. Thanks for all your help today and over the last two weeks. We’ll miss you tremendously! XOXO”

When I think of the Rotary theme “Be the Inspiration”, all I can think about is my beautiful, talented, red-headed daughter — dedicated mother of two, successful career woman, loving wife — juggling it all. Being (sort of) in her shoes for two weeks made me appreciate all that she does every day to raise her family.

It is Kate who inspires me.

-- by Victoria Emmons

Program Speakers

Posted by Victoria Emmons on Aug 01, 2018

Our club members enjoy outstanding speakers each week at our Rotary meetings. To suggest a quality program or speaker for our weekly meeting, please contact Program Chair Royce Engstrom. The Speaker Guideline Document can be viewed on the sidebar of this home page.

Youth Exchange Committee Meeting

The Youth Exchange Committee will conduct a training on Wednesday, August 1st at 5:30 pm at Scott Johnson's office, Cost Management Solutions, 1701 South Avenue W., Missoula. His phone is 550-1811 in case you need directions. Daryl Hansen, YEO for the District will do a quick training on the use of the database and new regulations for Youth Exchange program. If you would like to be a member of this committee we need a few people to join us and this training would be a great way to learn about our program. Please contact Scott Johnson if you would like to be involved or come to the meeting on the 1st.

International Peace Park Assembly

Don't miss the International Peace Park Assembly this year September 21-13 at East Glacier Lodge. There are only a few rooms left so make you reservation now.

To make a room reservation, use the following number for the Call Center and ask for the "Hands Across the Border Group" to receive the Rotary rate. Reservations must be made by July 22nd for the best availability. They are open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Mountain Daylight Time. 1-844-868-7474

Ty Robinson Scholarship Awarded

The Missoula Rotary Foundation has been raising funds for the Ty Robinson scholarship program. Our goal is to raise $20,000 in scholarship funding. Garlington, Lohn and Robinson donated a $5000 check towards that scholarship program. So far we have raised $11,050 towards our goal. If you wish to donate to this scholarship fund in memory of Ty Robinson a long time Missoula Rotary member, please contact Bob Minto at rminto@bigsky.net.

Pictured L-R: Scott Fargo, Steve Brown and Cyan Sportsman

101 Years of Fun!

Lisa Corrigan, Jim Hutcheson and Martha Ripley Sing Missoula Rotary song to celebrate 101 years of Rotary.

Lyrics written by Victoria Emmons and pianist was Mike Evock. A fun time was had by all.

Bentley Goes to a Good Home

Dolores Bandow

has been training dogs for the disabled for years. This is her 5th dog she has trained. Bentley who came to Rotary for lunch for a year is now going to his new home with a veteran. Good luck Bentley. You are one lucky dog!

Pictured L-R: Dolores Bandow and Bentley

Four Way Test

Just a little History about the Four-Way Test:

In 1932, Chicago Rotarian Herbert J Taylor took over bankrupt Club Aluminum Company. We don’t know what effect the Rotary Code of Ethics played when Herb Taylor laid his head on his desk, and the words of the Four-Way Test came to him, all we know is the effect the Four-Way Test had on Club Aluminum, and subsequently, on Rotary International. Members of ROTARY/One, the Chicago club, found out about the Test in 1939 upon the election of Herb Taylor as club president. From that introduction to Rotary, it spread like wildfire. Just four years later, in January of 1943, the Board of Directors of Rotary International officially adopted the Four-Way Test “as a means of furthering the vocational service phase of the Rotary program."

Polio Plus update

Polio Eradication Update

For The Week Ending 03/17/18

The Gates Foundation is matching all Rotarian Raised Polio Donations $2 to each $1 Contributed (Up to $50 Mil/Yr.)

Our Rotary-wide 2017-18 Rotary Year Polio Fundraising Goal is

$50 Million + the $2 for $1 Gates Foundation Match

Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!

PolioPlus: Zero Is The Magic Number!

Advocate, Donate & Educate to END POLIO NOW & FOREVER!

17,400,000 Children Saved from the Paralysis of Polio Since 1988

Total paralysis cases	Year-to-date 2018	LY to D 2017	Total 2017	Total 2016	Total 2015
Globally	3	3	22	37	74
- in endemic countries:	3	3	22	37	74
- in post-endemic countries:	0	0	0	0	0

Wild Polio cases reported this week:

Pakistan 0, Afghanistan 0, Nigeria 0

2018 Polio Case Breakdown by Country (Green Numbers are 2017 Totals)

Endemic Countries –0 Pakistan (2017-8), 3 Afghanistan (2017-14),

0 Nigeria (2017-0)

Terry Ziegler, bigzlumber@aol.com District 5890 Polio Eradication Chair & Zone 21/B/27 PHS Coordinator

Bulletin News

You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.

The members of the Rotary Club of Missoula meet Wednesdays at 11:45 am in the Governors Room, 2nd floor, at the Florence Building downtown Missoula, 111 N Higgins Avenue. The meeting starts promptly at 12 noon. Guests are always welcome. Buffet lunch is served.

Parking

On my way to Rotary last week I met a gentleman from the Downtown Association as I was putting money in the meter. He told me that you can sit in your car and go online to pay your parking. This allows you also to do 1/2 hour segments as well. Go to ppprk.com and download their app on your phone.

Goodwill and Better Friendships

Our next Good Will and Better Friendships meeting with the Sunrise and Centennial Rotary Clubs will be February 28 after work, at 5:15 at the Western Cider Company, 501 N California Street.

Bring a guest to Rotary Feb 14

Happy Holidays

Please note: NO LUNCH MEETING ON WEDS

Our Christmas Party is at the Missoula Country Club, Weds, Dec 20th in the evening starting at 5:30 pm. If you have not RSVP'd yet you need to contact Diane Dawson. Bring a white elephant gift and your Watson Children Shelter gifts. It promises to be a great party!

Here are some pictures from our Rotary in Action meeting last week where we put together some gifts and cards for the Watson Children's Shelter.

Business After Hours

Join us for fellowship and networking at the Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, Tuesday Dec 12 from 5:30-7:00 at the

Mountain Supply store.

Rotary Polio Plus

Check out this link to the Rotary World Polio Day

One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio

24 October

Get ready for our 5th annual World Polio Day event, co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We will stream live from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington to bring together more than 50,000 viewers around the world. Join us as global health experts and celebrities share our progress on the road to polio eradication.

Chris Nowlen does it again

The Missoula Country Club was well represented this week in Helena at the 2017 WMCPGA Pro-Assistant Tournament. The team of Chris Nowlen and Aaron Koerner posted a jaw dropping 61 to win the tournament by 3 shots. Taking 2nd place was the team of Connor Sproull and Kyle Poore with a score of 64. Head Professional Connor Sproull also had his second career hole in one during the practice round witnessed by Aaron Koerner.

Inspired by Rotarians

It was about 12 years ago when I asked for artistic advice from Fellow Rotarian Dave Mihalic, who told me to start drawing thumbnail sketches first, and from Larry Pirnie, who told me to get some brushes & acrylics and start playing with color. I took their advice and started dabbling.

Since training my last guide dog I have done more than dabble, which led to an invitation from Sotheby's to display my creations at First Friday in October at Sotheby's on Higgins.

Rotary has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone more than once. This is definitely one of those times. If you want to see what playing with color looks like through my eyes, please stop by to visit. I would be honored.

Dolores Bandow

Farewell Fellowship

Nathan Dudden leaves for Taiwan to represent Missoula Rotary and attend school. We are having an impromptu farewell gathering of all Rotarians who might be able to attend this Wednesday Evening at 5:30 at the Montana Distillery to send him on his way. Please come and bid him safe travels. He has been a wonderful representative for Rotaract and Rotary this year.

Rotary Youth Exchange

It's that time of year when we need to recruit host families for our youth exchange program. If you know of anyone willing to host a student, please contact Martha Ripley or Scott Johnson.

If you know a student who wishes to travel next year, student applications are due to the local Rotary Club by September 15th. This is a month earlier due to the changes in our program. Applications for Youth Exchange can be downloaded from our website home page. Make sure you download part 1 & 2 of the application.

Directory update

Mike Peissig from Alphagraphics will be putting together our directory and need members to do the following:

1) Go into Club Runner and update your contact information and upload a more current photo

2) If you don't have a current photo, Mike will gladly take your picture for you

3) If you struggle with getting into club runner, send your picture and updated contact information to marthar@orimt.org

Thank you. Don't let this picture be in place of yours.....

International Peace Park Assembly Cancelled

It is with great regret that the Organizing Committee of the 85^th WGIPPA Assembly has made the decision to cancel the upcoming Assembly for 2017 (September 22 – 24) due to the very dangerous forest fire situation adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park and the Waterton town site.

In Memory - David Farnham

David Hubert Farnham, longtime Missoula resident, physician, and beloved father, passed to Heaven on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, after suffering a stroke. David joined the Missoula Rotary club in March 1963. He was a Paul Harris Fellow. He will be missed.

Dave was born Dec. 9, 1925, in Liling, Hunan province, China. His parents, Vernon and Mildred (Boyer) Farnham were missionaries with the United Evangelical Church. Growing up in that country, at a time of intense political and civil turmoil, his early childhood was filled with many "adventures", including evacuations, weeks-long voyages by steam ship and train, around-the-world travel, and daring escapes with his older brother Bobby (Robert). After a final return from China in 1938, Dave finished his elementary school education while living on his grandparents' farm near Reddick, Illinois. His mother and younger sister Helen, traveled from China in 1939 to "check up" on him and Bobby; that would be the last time Dave would see his immediate family until 1944. He completed his high school education in just three years at the Mount Hermon School, a private preparatory school near Northfield, Massachusetts, and then moved back to Illinois to attend North Central College in Naperville in June of 1943. It was there that he met Marcile Speicher. It was also there that the draft found him, and for the next 26 months, the Army sent him to boot camp in New Orleans, harbor craft training in Florida, and then to Europe during the final days of WWII aboard the repurposed luxury liner HMS Queen Elizabeth to be stationed in Ghent, Belgium and Marseilles, France. No matter where the Army sent him, letters from Marcile reached him almost every day.

After his discharge from the Army, Dave enrolled at Northwestern University in the fall of 1946, and a few months later, on June 21, 1947, he and Marcile were married. Then on to medical school in 1948. After his internship and four-year residency in General Surgery at the Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, Illinois, he and Marcile moved to Walla Walla, Washington in 1957 where Dave was the Chief Assistant Surgeon at that VA hospital, and their two sons, Paul and Dean, were born. After a two year period as the Chief Surgeon at the VA hospital at Fort Harrison in Helena. Dave was asked in 1962 to join the Western Montana Clinic in Missoula. For the next 29 years, until 1991, he worked along side the excellent medical community and staff of Missoula's three hospitals (St. Pat's, Community, and Missoula General), saving countless lives, bringing hope and relieving much suffering and anguish. After his "retirement," he continued his work within the medical community by serving on St. Pat's Tumor Board, and, until 2003, to assist with surgeries.

Since their arrival in Missoula, Dave and Marcile were members of the First Presbyterian Church. Dave loved watercraft, especially sailing, and they had a small cabin on Flathead Lake. He used his surgical prowess to create wonderful art in wood, and during the summer months maintained an extensive garden. As Marcile's health declined, he became full time caregiver. After the passing of his beloved mate in December 2012, he moved to The Springs, a Missoula retirement community.

David is survived by his younger siblings, Helen (in Madison, Wisconsin) and Donald (in Sagle, Idaho), his two sons and their wives, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial commemorating Dave’s life is planned for Thursday, Aug. 24, at 9:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula

District Governor Joe McBride

Meet Joe McBride

You may be wondering, "Who is Joe McBride, our District Governor for 2017-2018?" Joe was born in Butte, Montana on February 28th, 1942. He graduated from Butte Central in 1960, and received a BA from the University of Notre Dame in 1964.

After college, Joe was a salesman for small chemical firm in Chicago from 1965 to 1971. He then became an Investment Consultant and worked 39 years for company that changed names several times eventually merging with the Royal Bank of Canada--a Canadian flag has an honored place in his office. Joe wore twohats for twenty years in Rochester, MN - manager and investment consultant.

Joe has been married to Libby for twenty-five years. They meton a blind date. According to Joe, "I was dazzled!" The have two sons. "Dr. Joe," his wife Mary and daughter Molly (13) live in Omaha. Scott, his wife Katarinna, and sons Brady (11) and Henry (9) lvie in Chicago.

Joe and Libby moved back to Butte six years ago to help raise mony for Butte Cen-tral and continue his passion for Rotary. Rotary experience includes hosting three ex-change students, Agnes from Indonesia, Priya from India and Chris from South Africa. He has served as International Chair, Club President and Assistant Governor.

Joe has set his goals for his year as District Governor. These are:

To help each club to be the best they can be- to help provide any needs each club wants.

To strengthen all that we do for students and encourage RYLA, Interact and Roteract membership and programs.

To introduce a new program called STRIVE - a mentoring program for students who have faced academic challenges.

In addition he has a few other ideas which he will discuss later. Joe says, "Look for my monthly column ‘Joe Bear’s Broadcasts’ starting in July. I am looking forward to a rivet-ing Rotary year. Thanks to all of you for all you do. Please email me or call me at (406)498-6239 with any ideas or suggestions."

Take me out to the ball game social

"Take me out to the Ball Game Social"

Friday, Sept. 1, Ogren Park, starts at 5:30 pm with an all you can eat burger, dog & soda picnic-Missoula vs Billings. $25 per ticket. We need 20 Rotarians to lock in the fun. Sign up sheets will be at the next meeting or mail in your reservation to Kathy with your check made out to the club. Let's celebrate our end of the summer fellowship Labor Day weekend together with a good old baseball rivalry game --- PLAY BALL

Fellowship Event

Join us for Rotary after hours for a book signing on August 2nd at the Missoula Country Club on the patio. New author, Kathy Schulte will talk about her recently published book from 5:00 — 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a no host bar with complimentary appetizers.

Weekly Speaker

Rotary Club of Missoula

Speaker for July 19: Doug Ness, Owner, Missoula Wine Merchants

THIS WEEK’S SPEAKER:

Wine for the Ages

Francis Bacon once wrote: “Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.” Our speaker this week will address the value of the second best aged thing, according to Bacon, a glass of great wine.

Doug Ness, owner of Missoula Wine Merchants, grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, graduating from Indiana University, after which he earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Doug’s first career move was working as an institutional corporate bond salesman with Salomon Brothers/Citigroup in New York City and Chicago. After 15 years, he was laid off during the financial crisis of 2008, which led to his second career as a photographer.

Doug pursued his budding interest in photography by taking classes and participating in workshops in Chicago, London and Greece. Desiring a more intense form of study, he attended the five-month long Career Training Program at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in 2009, which brought him to Missoula. He returned to Missoula the following summer to serve as a teaching assistant for the school’s Summer Intensive program and taught photography there until 2016. As a photographic artist, Doug is represented by Schneider Gallery in Chicago and his work has been displayed at gallery shows and art fairs in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Missoula. He has lived in Missoula full-time since 2010.

In 2016, Doug embarked upon his third career by opening Missoula Wine Merchants. His long-time love of both wine and specialty shops of all kinds led him to the conclusion that a specialty wine shop located in downtown Missoula could be successful. Missoula Wine Merchants focuses its offerings with an edited selection of wines made by small producers, many of whom make natural, organic, and/or biodynamic wines. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about wine, and there’s never a hint of pretension. The shop’s highly successful Wine Club has grown to 125 members in only 18 months and its specialized wine tastings have proven extremely popular. Missoula Wine Merchants recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, proof that for a town known more for its beer aficionados than for its wine geeks, there is a place for a specialty wine shop in Missoula. In March 2017, Doug passed the Master Court of Sommeliers’ Certified Sommelier examination. He and his staff are eager to share their expertise and love of wine with all of Missoula.

Working With Youth: Risk Management Policy

Posted by on Jul 10, 2017

All Rotarians interested in working with youth at a Rotary-sponsored event or committee assignment must submit to a Risk Management Evaluation. Please contact Greg Beach for general information and Scott Johnson about the Rotary Youth Exchange requirements. Thank you for your Service Above Self.

Scholarship Awards

This year Rotary club of Missoula Foundation awarded 4 college scholarships to high school seniors in Missoula: Dylan Haggard, Kellen Round, Bailey Strader, Sydnee Nowlen.

Pictured: Bailey Strader

Pictured L-R: Kellen Round & Dylan Haggard

Club President Message

Pictured L-R: Jim Hutcheson, President Elect presents award to outgoing President Andrew George

JULY 5^TH PRESIDENT’S INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH FOR 17/18

Fellow members

As we look forward to this new 17/18 year we are mindful that we are all members of an international club which has long traditions & challenging opportunities in our many Avenues of Service into the future.

Membership retention & growth remain priorities as well as the development of a centennial project with our joint club partners.

We will continue to work towards bringing you great programs & some fine fellowship events.

Even though we have passed the 100 year mark, let us continue to find out about our fellow Rotarian’s vocations, present & past, & seek ways to best channel our varied experiences and knowledge into serving those around us. The efforts to find new ways to communicate who we are as a club & individuals as well as to enhance the existing media, the Club Runner & the Directory , will be undertaken this year.

We as a club have supported & will continue to support youth programs for our students in this community. Youth from abroad still seek the opportunity to come to Missoula. Let us all search for welcoming homes, families & individuals for these enthusiastic students so that our Rotary Youth Exchange Program will be able to offer reciprocal exchanges to the young people of Missoula.

As we are part of Rotary International, let us participate where we are able in Rotary’s efforts to end Polio now, provide clean water & sanitation, eradicate human trafficking & enhance ongoing world literacy projects. On one of these focus areas your club is making efforts with the Missoula Rotaract Club to establish a water project in Africa. Polio continues to thrive in an ever smaller part of the world & our club will continue to help in the fight for the complete elimination of the virus.

To paraphrase our new Rotary International President’s theme, “Rotary has, is and will be making a difference!”

Let us commit this year to be known as Rotarians, “PEOPLE OF ACTION”.

Jim Hutcheson, President 2017-2018

100 Year Celebration Award

Pictured L-R: Betty Wilkins, Diane Dawson, Andrew George, Kathy Schulte

To pull off a great event you need great organizers and a team of workers. In May 2017 the Rotary Club of Missoula celebrated 100 years. Diane Dawson and Betty Wilkins were the two chairs who pulled off a wonderful dinner and celebration. An award was presented to them by President Andrew George as a thank you for all their hard work.

Pictures from Convention

Here are some more pictures taken by Victoria at the Rotary Convention.

Welcome Sign

Andrew Young, Former Ambassador to the United Nations

Fun Fellowship at the Hard Rock Café

Flag ceremony representing all the nations in Rotary

Global Awareness Banner - How much do people in Missoula know about Rotary?

Jack Nickolas was one of our speakers.

Lauretta and Kurt enjoyed their 3rd Convention

Rotary Convention Pictures

A good time was had by Missoula Rotarians at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta. Here are some pictures.

Jim Hutcheson & Martha Ripley at the Rotary sign.

Rotary Peace Bell

High Power speakers like Bill Gates! He is pledging $640 million to Polio Eradication.

Goal is to raise 1.5 billion to continue to eradicate polio. Only 5 cases reported for 2017... We are this close!

Fun fellowship at the Hard Rock Cafe

Pedro Graduates from Loyola

Jim Hutcheson and Diane Dawson take Pedro out to celebrate his graduation from Loyola.

Middle School Awards - Meadow Hill School

Pictured below are the all around students from Meadow Hill School. Missoula Rotary sponsors and awards students monthly awards during the school year.

6th grade Award Winners (not in order)

Madison Knight, Madison Higgins, Rickson Bull Calf, Devin Rambur, Brent Wildeboer, Bella Bradley-Browning

7th Grade Award Winners (not in order)

Brandon Pannell, Jadine Ketchem, Jadyn Fordah, Aven Nurse, Sarah Mueller

8th grade award winners (not in order)

Layne Haslam, Rhys Velde, Sophia Flores, Sierra Dennison

Exploratory, Morgan Holmes, Camdin Dirnberger, Aliya Xiong

Middle School Award Winners CS Porter

Pictured below are the CS Porter all around students for the 2016-17 Middle school awards:

Pictured L-R: Lisa Hendrix, Jacob Hitchcokc, Cole Carlson, Irelyn Lockridge, Sophia Agostinelli, Chris Nowlen

Pictured L-R: Lisa Hendrix, AJ McCormick, Sara Nordtome, Colton Lauridson, Alex Carlson, Chris Nowlen

Pictured L-R: Lisa Hendrix, Sophia Fero, Josh Smalley, Mariana Sysa, Kennedi Bouchee, Chris Nowlen

Rotary International - Wish I Could be there

Yesterday I had a nice reminder of the international connections that come along with being a Rotarian. For our next to last day here in Siracusa, Lynne and I decided to treat ourselves to a traditional Sicilian meal, and walked unknowingly into the restaurant that hosts the local Rotary Club's meetings. When the maitre de learned that I was a Rotarian, we got the royal treatment and were given the largest selection of local antipasti and dinner dinner cordials for free!

Happy anniversary Rotary! I look forward to hearing about the celebration when we return in mid May.

Best wishes to all,

Otto Koester

Rotary 100 year celebration

I know there are better pictures out there but here are some I took at the 100 year gala May 5th. A lovely time was had by all. Thanks to Kathy Ogren for opening up her lovely home for the event. Ty Robinson our oldest member at 101 years of age was the chair of the committee that put this event on. If you have pictures you would like to share please send them to marthar@orimt.org.

Andrew George kicks off the night. Dan Smith was the MC.

Nathan shared his speech that he did at the district conference

Lovely entertainment

Bill Jones gave a wonderful speech and shared about 4 meetings in 4 decades that inspired him. He also passed on a pin from the early years to share with future Presidents.

District Conference

This year's district conference was held in Kalispell April 28-30th. Here are a few pictures that were taken of that weekend featuring our exchange students and Rotaract President Nathan Dudden. Many thanks to Victoria and Jim for sharing these pictures.

Youth Exchange Students 2017

Tim, Victoria, Joao, Jim

Joao, Nathan Dudden, Rotaract President

Tim, Victoria and Jim

Pedro & Nathan - Rotaract Members

In Memory - George Caras

George Caras was a very special Rotarian. He joined Rotary in April of 1950 and was a past club President from 1964-1965. He was also a Paul Harris Fellow. George died April 7 at the age of 93. His obituary is in the Missoulian. A memorial service and reception will be held on May 17 starting at 4 p.m. at Garden City Funeral Home. In lieu of most anything else, please send flowers to someone you love.

I will always be fond of George as he awarded me my first Paul Harris and welcomed everyone to Rotary with a smile.

Martha Ripley, Editor

Paul Harris Awards

On March 29th several Paul Harris Awards were given out in groups by how many they had acquired. Below are the pictures of each group.

First Paul Harris Awards

L-R: Ed Rosenburg, Chris Nowlen, Mindy Ming, Scott Johnson, Wayne Hyatt, Tim Deschamps

Martha Ripley (Right) presented a surprise Paul Harris Award to Nathan Dudden (left) for all the work he has done for Rotaract this year.

2nd Paul Harris

L-R: Bob Homer, Bob Hermes

3rd Paul Harris

L-R: Twila Wolfe, Don Gillespie, Louis Mattlich, Doug Smith, Greg Beach

Fourth Paul Harris

L-R: Martha Ripley, Carragh Smith Kathy Ogren, Ron Browne

5th Year - Dave Mihalic

6th Plus Paul Harris

L-R: John Talbot, Kevin Miltko (8th Paul Harris)

Annual Meeting

Please mark your calendars for April 19 luncheon as we will have our annual meeting that day. We encourage all members to attend so that you can learn about future plans for our club.

New Members

L-R seated-Nicole Michelotti, Dan Buchta, Betty Wilkins, Diane Dawson.

L-R standing: David Rosulek, Andrew George, Jim Hutcheson, Matt Mellott, Tim Descamps.

Fellow Rotarians held the New Member Orientation at the Finn & Porter 3/7/2017. Diane Dawson spoke on the preparations for the 100 year Gala Party. Attendees:

PETS

Jim Hutcheson shared this photo from his visit to Colorado for the President Elect Training Seminar. He will be our upcoming President in July. Pictured below is the Missoula Sunrise Rotary president elect Betsy Mulligan-Dague, District Governor Malinda Shaufman and Missoula Rotary President elect Jim Hutcheson.

RYLA

This year the RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) camp is July 11-15 at Luccock Park Camp, Livingston, MT. If you know of someone with a current freshman in high school, please let them know that we are taking applications for RYLA campers. Missoula Rotary will be sponsoring two students for this year. The application deadline is April 1^st. Please contact Rotarians Wayne Hiett or Debbie Lawton (406-728-1800) if interested in learning more about this wonderful event.

Rotaract Club

The three Rotary Clubs of Missoula have combined their support for the next generation of leaders by co-sponsoring the Rotaract Club of Missoula. With a total of nine members, the Rotaract Club of Missoula has already fundraised over $1100 for the Ronald McDonald House Charity and is currently doing a service project with the local Animeals. The Missoula Rotaract strives to collaborate with their local Rotarians and also get involved with district level programs. During February and throughout March its members are contributing to the local RYLA promotion and selection process in addition to establishing Rotex; a program designed to keep Rotary Youth Exchange students involved after their year abroad. With high ambitions, these young and passionate individuals are flourishing tremendously as a part of the Missoula Rotary Family.

Rotary After Hours

There will be a Rotary After Hours fellowship event at Rattlesnake Creek Distillers, 128 W Alder, at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, March 22. Owner Dan Hogan will present an overview of the business. We will have the opportunity to try out RCD's products, either straight up or as mixed drinks. Pizza will be ordered from the Pie Hole.

In Memory - Tot Mayer

Tot Mayer was my Rotary sponsor and he was a great friend of my father. I am so lucky to have know both him and Caroline.

Below is his obituary from the Missoulian.

MILWAUKIE, OREGON – On Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, LTC (Ret) Thaddeus (Tot) Mayer went to the arms of his Lord for his eternal rest. Tot was raised in the Bitterroot Valley and entered military service in December of 1949. He had a long and distinguished career serving in both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army. He advanced from the rank of Private to retire as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1972, serving in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. His last duty station was here in Missoula at the University of Montana, Department of Military Science. His nickname Tot, which stands for "Time on Target," was proudly earned from his service as a field artillery officer.

After leaving the service, Tot was a Missoula County deputy sheriff. During retirement he served on the Montana Board of Veterans Affairs and several Veteran projects including the Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula. He was also a member of the Missoula Rotary Club serving as Secretary for many years and being awarded a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church for over 35 years where he held numerous offices and volunteered countless hours maintaining the grounds. Tot is survived by his sons James (Karen) Mayer of Texas, David (Debra) Mayer of Oregon, daughters; Iris (Bill) Deadwyler of Virginia, Co (Dale) Rogan of Washington, Tonia (Sterritt) Fuller of Colorado and Caroline (Dave) Hill of Oregon, 18 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife of more than 50 years, Caroline, daughter Johanna (Bob) Schmid of Missoula and two infant daughters, Elisabeth and Tina.

Tot’s memorial service is Friday, March 24, at 10 a.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church with a light luncheon to follow. Interment service will be at 3 p.m. at the Montana State Veteran’s Cemetery. Tot would like to be remembered as a Christian, husband, father, grandfather and patriot. To our family he was all that and so much more. Rest in Peace Pops. Until we see you again in our heavenly home your presence is greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Montana State Veterans Cemetery: State Veterans Cemetery, P.O. Box 5715, Helena, MT 59604.

Congratulations to Rotary Member Chris Nowlen

In January, Rotarian Chris Nowlen was named "Pacific Northwest Section Golf Professional of the Year." Make sure you say congratulations to Chris at out next meeting.

Rotary 100 Year Celebration

Many thanks to you who have shared your Rotary stories. We still can use more stories and pictures if you have them. Please mark your calendars: Don't miss the 100 year celebration at Kathy Ogren's home in Missoula, MT on May 5th. This is a black tie optional affair. Cost is $100.00 per person. There will be a silent auction, fun and laughter, music and a fabulous buffet dinner.

Please note that invitations will be coming out the end of March or early April.

Rotaract Club

For the first fundraiser of the 2016-17 year for Rotaract, a check was given to the director of the Ronald McDonald House for over $1011 raised from all three Rotary clubs and the Rotaract members in December. Thanks to all who donated to this great cause.

Pictured L-R: Amy Peterson, Ronald McDonald House Director, Nathan Duddin, Rotaract President, Heather Cummins, Rotaract Vice President

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR - Here are the words to Auld Lang Syne that you might sing over the holidays.

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl't in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll tak a right guid willie-waught
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint' stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Here's a message from Don Gillespie regarding his visit to New Zealand.....

Martha, Is the club still aware of the sister club relationship with Palmerston North, New Zealand? This was established by Tom Collins and Professor Bauchmuel in the 1970’s with yearly visits to New Zealand. In 2009, Mary and I visited New Zealand and contacted the Rotary club there. They were most gracious to us, putting us up for the night and attending their weekly meeting. Although, most members were younger, their were a few old timers who remembered the connection. I’m sure it could be renewed if there was a desire to do so. Don Gillespie

Here are a few pictures from last week's meeting at the Country Club (thanks Jim Hutcheson):

Pictured Above: Lisa Corrigan and Beth Taylor Wilson

Pedro our last year's Rotary YE Student joined us for lunch. He's doing great at Loyola.

Holiday Party - Thank you

Many thanks to Victoria Emmons and Chris Nowlen for putting together a great Holiday Party. The Missoula Country Club provided a yummy meal and a fun time was had by all. We had a great show from MCT Bits and Pieces and a gift exchange. Here's a picture of Kevin in his sweater that he received.

100 Year Centennial Celebration Committee

Hi Folks, The Centennial Celebration Committee is looking for your help. We am working on the Centennial Program and looking for content help from the membership. We are missing some of our ‘history notes’ from our archives so while we are looking for them, I want to ask members especially our past presidents and longtime Rotarians to share some of their stories of past successes, projects and events that we can include in our program. we are not looking for a lot of detail, but a paragraph or two on an interesting event/project/funny story that we can share with all in the program. We are looking to go to production on the program the first part of January and would greatly appreciate your help. If you have questions or need any additional information, please contact Mike Schauf (mschauf@att.net or 251-3231). You can send your submissions to Mike’s email as well. Thanks for your support.

Holiday Schedule for Meetings

Below are the remainder of the year meeting times.

December 21st-- Wednesday meeting at Missoula Country Club again.

December 28th-- Wednesday meeting back at the Florence-- Paul Harris and Percy Frazier awards will be given.

Rotaract

Rotaract is getting ready to get started. Martha attended their board meeting last week and it is incredible what they are accomplishing in such a short time. We are looking to invite young professionals who are working in the community. If you know of someone who would like to be a part of Rotaract between the ages of 18 and 30, please let Martha Ripley know. Right now their board meeting Fridays, 5:30 at the Liquid Planet downtown and anyone is welcome. If you would like to financially assist this group, please donate to the Missoula Rotary Foundation.

Wine Tasting Fellowship

A great time was had by all who attended the Rotary Wine Tasting Fellowship October 26th. Many thanks to Diane and Victoria for arranging this fun get together with snacks and wine! Thanks also to the Ten Spoon Winery for their hospitality.

Rotary Fellowship October 26

Rotarians,

Please bring your significant other or friend and enjoy a couple of hours with your fellow members at the no host 10 Spoon Winery social 4175 Rattlesnake Dr. -59802 on Wednesday, Oct. 26th starting at 6 PM and ending at 8. An appetizer box will be prepared at the cost of $12 for those who wish to purchase a little something to eat. Sign up sheets will be available for the purchase of the boxes at future noon meetings.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS and come enjoy the FUN & FELLOWSHIP!

84th Annual Rotary International Peace Park

The weather was blustery but the fellowship was fun at the International Peace Park September 16-18. Here are a few pictures that Jim Hutcheson took at the Sunday Hands Across the Border Ceremony.

Pictured L-R Jim Hutcheson, Pam & Lon Dale, Betty & Tom Wilkins

Native American Tribal leader at the Two Medicine Border to Canada

Food was great! We had Trout and Steak for the banquet and a big cake celebrating 100 years of the park.

Nathan Dudden with our District 5390 Governor Malinda Shafman

Rotary Foundation Dinner

DISTRICT 5390 and The Rotary Club of Big Sky cordially invites you to a celebration of 100 years of the Rotary Foundation at the ROTARY FOUNDATION DINNER. An evening of food, fellowship, great speakers, and giving at the 320 Guest Ranch south of Big Sky on Friday, October 7th at 6 PM.

This is your last chance to register for this fun event. Tickets are $65 per person. Seating is limited. Lodging is available at the 320. Call 406-995-4283 and ask for the Rotary discount or visit their web site at www.320ranch.com to view their beautiful facility.

In memory - Jeremy Thane

Jeremy Thane passed away on August 25, 2016. He was a Missoula rotary club member since 1990 and a Paul Harris Fellow.

Click here for a link to his obituary in the Missoulian. Jerry exemplified true service above self and lived the four way test in his profession and life. He will be missed by all.

Youth Exchange

We are pleased to sponsor a Youth Exchange student Joao Ruiz this year from Brazil. Joao is pictured below came to lunch on August 24th. Joao will be attending Hellgate High school. He is from Adamantina, Sao Paulo. His father Ananias is a lawyer and Rotarian from district 4510. His mother Nadia is a bank clerk. He has a younger sister Ana. If you meet him you will discover that he is fluent in English and very friendly. He loves sports of any kind so if anyone wishes to help Joao experience any fun activities in Montana, don't hesitate to contact his counselors George Stern or Jim Hutcheson.

A little gathering with Pedro who is attending Loyola and his host family with Joao and his host family.

Save the Date

Don't miss the 100 year celebration at Kathy Ogren's home in Missoula, MT on May 5th. This is a black tie affair. Cost is $100.00 per person. There will be a silent auction, fun and laughter, music and a fabulous buffet dinner. More information to come.

Rotary in Action

Many thanks to the Youth Exchange Team and volunteers for setting up the booth at the Western Montana Fair August 11 & 12th. This was a chance to recruit Youth Exchange students and possible host families. A special thanks to Diane Dawson for all her hard work in making this happen. Pictured below are Scott Johnson and Jim Hutcheson.

Youth Exchange Arrival

Welcome to our new Youth Exchange Student Joao from Brazil who arrived August 12th. He was greeted by his host family and four Rotarians (Scott, Jim, Lisa and Diane).

District Governor Visit

Our District 5390 Governor will visit our club August 24.

Malinda Shafman, District Governor 2016-2017

Malinda was born and raised on a farm in central Iowa. After attending the University of Northern Iowa, where she graduated with degrees in Teaching English and Teaching English as a Foreign Language, she taught junior high and high school for 2 years. In 1979 she moved to a corporate environment, working for Principal Financial Group (PFG) in Des Moines, Iowa for 24 years. There she held several positions over the years, including technical writing, doing computer system design, computer system testing and project management, developing new computer systems and individual

insurance products for PFG, and auditing agency offices. She also managed life insurance departments and when she left the company in 2002 was working as a Senior Business Risk consultant, doing internal auditing. Malinda and her husband, Dave, moved to Montana in 2002 where she worked as a Financial Advisor for Waddell & Reed for 2 years. In 2004 she moved to the Montana Logging Association (MLA), a non-profit association, where she sold and serviced insurance products for the MLA’s

logging industry members. Malinda was President of the Montana National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) in 2011. In 2014 she retired from MLA. She remains licensed and active in the insurance community, forming an LLC and working occasionally helping out other insurance advisors.

Malinda has been married to Dave since 1987. He is a retired pharmacist. They have one daughter and son-in-law with two grandchildren. Her daughter and son-in-law have served in the mission field in Africa but are currently living in Iowa where they were married in 2012. They intend to return to the mission field after the son-in-law completes his Certified Public Accountant studies. Malinda became a Rotarian in 2003 and has served as President, Foundation Chair, and Board Member of the Rotary Club of Evergreen in Montana. She has also been an Assistant Governor and served in many capacities at the Club and District level. She is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a

Rotary Foundation sustaining member, a Paul Harris Society member and a Rotary Foundation Benefactor. She has been involved volunteering for and serving on the board of various non-profit organizations over the years. Malinda’s hobbies include hiking, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, traveling, reading, gardening, and rock hounding.

District Assembly highlights

Andrew, Kelly, Jim and Martha attended the district assembly last weekend in Butte, Montana. Topics included building up membership, utilizing Rotary Foundation Funds to do good around the State and world, Leadership Institute, Youth programs such as RYLA, Dictionary project and Youth Exchange and what makes Rotary special around the world. Don't hesitate to talk to one of these folks for highlights of the weekend.

We encourage members to invite a friend to lunch who might be interested in being a Rotarian. Rotary is worth sharing!

Rotary Fair Booth

We are going to have a Rotary table at the Missoula County Fair on August 11 & 12 and need volunteers to man the table from 1 pm to 7 pm. This is a chance for you to share about our Youth Exchange program so we can recruit host families and students. We'll also generate goodwill and build better friendships within the community about Rotary around the world. The good news is that the building is air conditioned. If interested in helping us man the table (even for a couple of hours), please see Scott Johnson or Diane Dawson. Don't worry, there will be sign up sheets and flyers about our Youth Exchange program so you can share that information with people who come to the booth. Thanks.

New Member Dan Buchta

Dan Buchta has been a member of the Missoula community for the past 7 years.

He attended Crespi Carmelite High School and graduated from the University of San Diego in 1996 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Dan began his career in broadcast advertising sales in Los Angeles where he met his wife Carolyn. Before having children, the couple took advantage of their mobility and moved up the ladder while working in broadcast markets such as San Diego, Albuquerque, Durango, and finally up to Missoula. Upon arriving in Missoula, Dan realized that it was the perfect place to raise a family and settled down with his wife and two young boys.

Dan recently moved out of broadcast advertising and began work for the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau has recently committed to establishing a dedicated manager in each major Montana city and it is Dan’s job to get that mission off the ground while servicing his home market of Missoula.

Dan was motivated to join the BBB because of their dedication to help consumers find businesses they can trust, provide consumer education, and service accredited businesses and our local community as whole.

Dan Buchta is excited to join Rotary and getting to know all of the members!

Farewell to Amadine

One of the saddest parts of the youth exchange program is when the students leave. Pictured is Amandine from France who enjoyed her year at Sentinel High School. Many thanks to her counselor Miranda Ming and her host family the Khomenko's for making her feel welcome and treasured. She was a wonderful ambassador for this program. Amandine leaves August 11th. Miranda hopes to bring her to the August 3rd meeting to say goodbye.

Glacier Peace Park

The following was noted by Jim Hutchenson regarding the Peace Park. If you have not reserved your spot, you might first call the hotel to see if they have any more Rotary rooms available. This is a celebration of 100 years of the parks and should be well attended by all.

Hi All,

I just registered for the Peace Park and noted that there are only about 30 banquet slots left open. If you are planning on going in Sept. it might be a good idea to register & reserve your meal places. Go to the www.montanarotary.org as shown below to register. I have no idea what the situation is now for rooms at East Glacier. Those reservations are separate.

Just and FYI,

Jim Hutcheson

In Memory

Gordon Spring, a Missoula Rotary member from 1994-2006 passed away this month. Anyone who knew Gordon remembers his love of golf and other activities. He was such a pleasant and positive person. He will be missed. Below is the obituary from the Missoulian:

MISSOULA – Gordon Dale Spring, a longtime Missoula resident, died Sunday, July 10, 2016. He was born in Butte on Dec. 23, 1933, the son of Lillian and Leo Spring.

A Message From Rotary International RI President K.R. Ravindran

RAVINDRAN MOVES AUDIENCE WITH PERSONAL STORY

RI President K.R. Ravindran shares a personal story of triumph over polio at the closing session of the 107th Rotary convention.

Photo Credit: SJ Cho

RI President K.R. Ravindran closed the convention in Korea on Wednesday, 1 June, with a poignant story about his mother's fight to survive polio at age 30.

When Ravindran was 11 years old in his native Sri Lanka, his mother awoke one day feeling weak and short of breath. Sitting down to rest, she found herself unable to move. The polio virus had quickly invaded her nervous system, resulting in paralysis.

She was placed in an iron lung at the hospital to enable her to breathe, and was told that her chances of walking, or even surviving without a ventilator, were slim. But most Sri Lankan hospitals were not equipped with ventilators in 1963.

Ravindran's grandfather, a Rotary member, hosted a club committee meeting in his living room the evening after his daughter was rushed to the hospital. Rather than simply offer consolation, his fellow members went to work, using their business acumen and professional connections to find a ventilator.

One of the members was a bank manager who called a government minister to facilitate a quick international transfer of funds. Another member, a manager at SwissAir, arranged to have a ventilator flown in. The next day, it arrived at the hospital.

"There was so much red tape at the time in Sri Lanka, but somehow, those Rotarians made it all fall away," Ravindran told the packed audience at the KINTEX Convention Center in Goyang city.

Ravindran's mother spent a year-and-a-half in a hospital bed, but her condition gradually improved. She eventually left the hospital walking -- with a walker, but upright, on her own two feet.

"Fifty-three years ago, my mother's life was perhaps one of the very first to be saved from polio by Rotarians," Ravindran said. "We have saved millions of lives since then.

"Tonight, I stand before you as her son, and your president, to say that soon -- perhaps not in years but in months -- Rotary will give a gift that will endure forever: a world without polio."

At the convention's general session the day before, Rebecca Martin, director of the Center for Global Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had described how close we are to polio eradication. Earlier that day, Rotary released an additional $35 million in grants to support global efforts to end the crippling disease.

This year's convention, one of the largest in Rotary history, attracted more than 43,000 attendees from over 150 countries. Ravindran, in his final speech to members as their president, emphasized what it really means to be a Rotarian.

"There are people on this planet whose lives are better now because you traversed this earth," he said. "And it doesn't matter if they know that or not. It doesn't matter if they even know your name or not. What really matters is that your work touched lives; that it left people healthier, happier, better than they were before."

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR

Following Ravindran's remarks, members of Ravindran's Rotary Club of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and RI President-elect John Germ's Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, took the stage to exchange club banners, a tradition that unofficially marks the changing of the guard.

Germ told the audience that Rotary is about to begin the most progressive year in its history.

"You told us that we need to change and become more flexible so that Rotary service will be attractive to younger members, recent retirees, and working people," Germ said. "You spoke with clarity, and groundbreaking legislation was passed this year at the Council on Legislation.

"Clubs now have the opportunity to be who they want to be, but at the same time remain true to our core. I'm pleased to share with you that Rotarians all over the world are responding with great excitement."

From your Club Treasurer

Bills for the next fiscal year will be going out in less than 2 weeks. Bills can be paid in a single payment, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly if you set up an automatic payment program with your bank. I can accept payment by credit card. If you catch me at a meeting, I can swipe your card. Also, I can charge manually if you give me your card number, expiration date, CVV code, billing zip code, and the amount to pay, either by phone or email. It is important that you make some payment by July 1 indicating your intent to remain a member of the club for the coming year. Otherwise we end up paying RI and District dues for members who drop their membership but don’t let us know.

You will notice a change in this coming year’s dues, which have been increased to $292. The reason for this is that our lunch charge was not covering the cost of lunches. Previously, we were charging $13/lunch, which was to cover the actual cost of the meal, $11.50, plus the cost of the room. The room costs $104 per meeting, with an average of 40 members attending each lunch, so the cost per attending member of $2.50 was leaving us a dollar short. The Board decided, therefore, to add $57/member to the dues to cover the fixed cost of the room. To make up for that, the lunch charge has been reduced to $12, the actual cost of meals next year. For regular members, or seniors who attend each week, the net effect is only a $5 difference.

Thank you for your cooperation. George Stern, Club Treasurer

Youth Exchange at District Conference

Jim Hutcheson and I attended the District Conference at Fairmont April 22-23rd. Each youth exchange student inbound and outbound got a few minutes to speak. Here is the picture of the students. Both Amadine and Pedro did a great job presenting about their homes and experiences in Missoula.

Tasmanian Professional Development Team

Many thanks to club members from Sunrise and Noon club that helped me transport and entertain the Professional Development Team. The team had a wonderful time at the Missoula Children's Theatre and enjoyed their individual tours. Pictured is 4 of the members at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation tour.

New Member Todd Johnson

Todd Johnson is a Financial Advisor with UBS Wealth Management in Missoula, Montana and has been in the financial services industry since 1997. He graduated from the University of Montana Business School with an emphasis in Finance in 1997. Todd resides in Missoula with his wife, Amy and two daughters, Abby and Lilly. They enjoy spending the summer months at their cabin on Flathead Lake and cheering on the University of Montana Grizzlies sports teams.

MCT China Support

Missoula Children's Theatre presented a request for funding for a project they currently have with the China National Theatre for Children. Ten Missoula high school students will travel for a month to China to perform at the China Children's Theatre Festival in July 2016. This is an ongoing project between MCT and the China National Theatre for Children. Last year, 2 MCT actors traveled to China to teach 50 local children to perform MCT's Princess and the Pea. Some of these children are scheduled to come to Missoula to perform this fall. Due to the immediate need for funding, the board decided to support this program with the proceeds from our recent Instant Wine Cellar raffle-$1,100.00 and encourage any of our members to also contribute to this program. The original request from MCT was for $5,000.00. We are also planning on making a contact with a local Rotary in China to see about the possibility of a future collaboration. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or Cate Sundeen directly.

From your treasurer....

Bills for the 4th quarter of the 2015-16 fiscal year will go out on approximately April 1. This will relate to those who pay their dues quarterly, senior members who ate lunches from January-March this year, and members who, for whatever reason, have an existing balance on their account. Payment can be made by check, either mailed to the Club or given to Kelly. I can also take a credit card, either by swiping a card at a meeting (please take note that I will miss three consecutive meetings April 13-27), or I can enter it manually if I receive the following information: card #, CVV code, exp. date, account address zip code, and the amount to pay. Since this is the last bill for the year, ALL members should pay the FULL balance on their accounts.

Thanks for your help and support. George Stern

Host Families

Our Rotary club will sponsor one inbound youth exchange student (boy or girl) this next year. We need Rotarians to assist us in finding at least two host families in the Hellgate school area. If you are interested or know someone who would be willing to host for 4-5 months, please contact Mike Stark or Scott Johnson.

Wine Tasting Fundraiser

You won't want to miss this fun event! LAST CHANCE TO GET TICKETS.....

Instant Wine Cellar Wine Tasting

Thursday, March 31st

Garlington, Lohn and Robinson.

Tickets: Single $20/Couple $30

Includes wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Raffle tickets are $10 each or 5 for $40.

First Prize: 48 bottles of wine

Second Prize: 24 bottles of wine

Third Prize: 12 bottles of wine

Cate will bring the event tickets and raffle tickets to club meetings between now and March 31.

District 5390 Conference

Don't miss this year's District Conference at Fairmont Hot Springs. March 31st is the deadline for reserving your room.

Apr 22, 2016 – Apr 23, 2016

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
1500 Fairmont Road
I-90 Exit #211 West of Butte
Anaconda, MT 59711
United States

ALL Rotarians and their families are invited to attend the 2016 District Conference at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, between Butte and Anaconda, on April 22 & 23.

The conference space is being expanded, the pools are fun for the entire family, and DG 2015-16, Bill Spath and Mary Lou are planning a great program to celebrate the 2015-16 Rotary year in Montana.

Registration will open by early in 2016.

Professional Development Exchange Visit

Upcoming is a visit from the Professional Development Exchange that will be in Montana visiting from Tasmania, Australia in April 2016. Our President Bob Homer will let us know when they plan on visiting Missoula. To learn more about the team, go to the district 5390 website www.montanarotary.org.

Similar to the prior Group Study Exchange program, the Professional Development Exchange is an opportunity for young professionals to experience employment/business environments similar to those they have here in Montana. Employers have the opportunity to send an employee for training that would cost thousands of dollars elsewhere.

Victoria Emmons - Paul Harris Award

Pictured is our new member Victoria Emmons receiving the first Paul Harris award for 2016 in our club. This is not Victoria's first Paul Harris award as she has transferred to our club from the Los Altos, California club.

Here's more about Victoria from her LinkedIn profile.

With over 25 years of experience in management, operations, marketing, public relations, advocacy, volunteers and fund development, Victoria Emmons has been recognized for her creativity, high quality and successful outcomes. She is currently director of development for the University of Montana School of Journalism.

Ms. Emmons formerly held positions as CEO of Hope Hospice, Dublin, CA; vice-president of Hospice of the Valley in San Jose; and CEO of Community Health Partnership, a consortium of community health centers. She held leadership positions at schools, hospitals and nonprofits in California and Florida. She was adjunct instructor at USF and San Jose State University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and fluent in French.

Recognized with a Pinnacle Award from the Healthcare Marketing & PR Association and an Honorable Mention from Healthcare Marketing Report, Ms. Emmons was also named “Rotarian of the Year” by Rotary Club of Los Altos, honored with a Silver Fox Award for outstanding leadership at El Camino Hospital, and was a recipient of the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award. While Ms. Emmons served as VP Marketing for AFP Silicon Valley, the chapter was honored with the prestigious Abel Hanson Award for outstanding marketing communications. She is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Missoula.

Ms. Emmons is a published poet and writer. She authors a column for Life on Foothill Road lifestyle magazine and writes a blog of poetry and essays called La Vue de rue Sleidan located at www.ruesleidan.wordpress.com. She is a former member of the California Writers' Club - Tri-Valley Chapter.

Grace Bandows Medical Mission report

Grace Bandow, Dolores daughter, came to Rotary to talk about her medical mission in Jordan. An article she wrote was published and it spawned a whole project with Direct Relief and The Vaseline Healing Project which launched this week.

Another Washington Post article recounts the project. Click on these links to find out more information. Thanks Dolores for sharing some follow up stories.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/01/04/the-incredibly-simple-household-item-syrian-refugees-need-and-the-campaign-to-get-it-to-them/

http://www.refinery29.com/vaseline-healing-project

Annual Rotary Party

Come join the Annual Rotary Party

Saturday, February 6th

Missoula Children's Theater

5 -9 pm

Live music with dance floor

Catered food and beverages

Upper children's area with crafts, movies, Valentine's Day cookie decorating, pizza, face painting.

Please let Secretary Kelly know if you plan to attend and your guests so we can plan for the correct amount of food and drinks. Ksstengem@charter.net or 406-698-8049.

In Memory - Jean Bowman

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to dear Jean Bowman. She was a member of the Helena Rotary club in 1988-1991 and was the first woman club president in 1997-98. She moved to Missoula and became a beloved member of our club. Jean was passionate about leaving a legacy through her service in Rotary and was serving recently as our Sergeant of Arms and served on the Foundation board. Below is the obituary from the Missoulian. Jean will be missed by all.

NO DECEMBER 23 ROTARY MEETING

There will be no regular Rotary luncheon on Wednesday December 23rd so Rotarians can spend the holiday with their family. There will be a special luncheon on December 30th and we encourage Rotarians to bring their family and friends to this lunch. Happy Holidays.

Youth Homes Christmas Gifts

Remember to bring your unwrapped gift back to Rotary this Wednesday so we can distribute them. If you do not have time to purchase a gift, cash would be appreciated so they can purchase presents for the kids. PLEASE DO NOT WRAP GIFTS BUT DO PUT TAGS WITH GIFT. Thanks for being so generous to the kids.

Waterton-Glacier Peace Park 2016

Next September is the international peace park September 13-18th. If you try to book a room online it shows that the hotel is sold out. They have set aside only 100 rooms for Rotary and it is recommended that if you plan on attending that you reserve your room now. They also only have set aside the 16 & 17th which is Friday and Saturday as the only dates saved for Rotary rooms. The 13-15th are the special international program and I recommend if you wish to attend the week's activities you book those rooms now. The phone number to reserve a room is 406-226-5600. The rooms cost $156.00 a night which is a bargain for the weekend. Don't miss the 100 year anniversary of our treasured Glacier Park.

100 years of Glacier National Park - Peace Park 2016

Believe it or not, next year's International Peace Park will be September 13 - 15, 2016. East Glacier Lodge only has 125 rooms set aside and will go fast. Jim Hutcheson recommend you sign up for the hotel now so you don't lose a spot. Glacier park lodge gets booked a year in advance so don't miss it. For more information you can click here.

Dictionary Distribution

As many of you are aware, each year we distribute dictionaries to every third grader in Missoula County schools. Rob Williams is the contact person and he needs the following volunteers:

Hellgate - 3-4 more people

DeSmet - 1 person

Valley Christian - 1 person

Please email Rob at rwilliams @mtnpress.com if you can do one of these schools.

Dictionaries for 3rd graders

Each year Missoula Rotarians deliver dictionaries to Missoula County elementary schools. If you are able to volunteer, please see Wayne Hiett or email him at wayne@ghg-cpa.com or call 728-1800.

District Govenor Bill Spath

Our District Governor Bill Spath will speak to the Missoula Rotary club Wednesday October 7th.

Dr. Spath joined the Montana Tech of the University of Montana faculty in 1986. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Applied Health Science, Occupational Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene. Dr. Spath is a Tenured, Full Professor, is the Applied Health Science program coordinator, the HPER program manager and serves on several college committees. Before coming to Montana Tech, Dr. Spath taught and coached at Florissant Valley Community College in St. Louis, MO.

Bill has a B.S. Degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Southeast Missouri State University, a M.Ed. from the University of Arizona, and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as an Exercise Specialist and Health/Fitness Program Director. He is a PearsonVue certified testing administrator and is in charge of the yearly ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor certification testing done on the Tech campus.

Bill is certified through the National Association of Underwater Instructors and the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers as an open water SCUBA, technical SCUBA and Closed Circuit Rebreather instructor. He is also certified through Divers Alert Network to teach their diver first aid, injury evaluation and treatment courses. He is a licensed Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and a certified Diver Medical Technician. Bill is also qualified as an EMT Lead Instructor and is teaching the EMT course at Montana Tech.

Bill has been very active with the Rotary Club of Butte, Montana, USA since 1986. He has been secretary, treasurer, board member, president and club TRF chair. He was an operating committee member and chair of the Pacific Northwest President Elect Training Seminar in Seattle, WA. He served as the District Leadership Academy Dean. Bill was a board member and president of the Rotary Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Association. He served as District 5390 Governor in 1993-94. He will serve as District Governor again in 2015-16. He is currently a member of the High Country PETS operating committee. Bill is a Paul Harris Society member, a multiple

Paul Harris Fellow, a sustaining member and a Rotary Foundation Benefactor.

Bill's wife, Mary Lou, enjoyed her twenty year career in computer support and alumni database management at the Montana Tech Foundation. After retirement, Mary Lou went back to college to earn her Early Childhood Development Certificate, taught in the local Head Start Program and Butte School District. She currently works for Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. as an administrative assistant. She is an honorary member of the Butte Rotary Club, a sustaining member and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.

District Governor Bill Spath

Mark your calendars for Weds October 7th for meeting our District Governor William "Bill Spath" the Montana Rotary District Governor for 2015-16. Bill is from the Rotary club of Butte. To learn more about Bill, go the the district website www.montanarotary.org.

Youth Exchange Applications for 2016

It is that time of year when we start to plan and advertise for students to apply for the 2016-17 Rotary Youth Exchange. If you know of any 15-17 year old interested in this program, please have them go to our website and download and complete the application in full.

We are also looking for new members to be involved on our Youth Exchange committee. You are welcome to talk to one of these members about the current role they play:

Scott Johnson, Chair

George Stern, Counselor

Miranda Ming, Counselor

Lisa Corrigan, Outbound/Inbound Coordinator

Martha Ripley, Host Family Coordinator

Jim Hutcheson, Selection Committee

Diane Dawson, Selection Committee

GREATEST NEED: Please help us recruit host families

How best to recruit: Word of Mouth advertising is recommended by Rotary. We cannot advertise like other programs so we depend upon Rotarians to get the word out to friends and families. Previous host families also share their experiences with friends and families in their churches and schools. We need two host families per student. If interested in helping out by speaking at one of the schools about our program, please talk to one of our committee members.

Missoula Club celebrating 100 years

Andrew George, our President Elect announced that they are putting together a committee for the upcoming May 2, 2017 100 years of Missoula Rotary celebration. If you would like to serve on that committee, please contact Andrew or Bob.

Youth Exchange

Pictured are our Youth Exchange students on a trip to Ekstroms' Stage Station Restaurant- Rock Creek, MT. Many thanks to Diane and Jim for entertaining and taking these two students on outings. If you would like to invite these students to special events, please contact George or Miranda their Rotary counselors.

Pedro Exchanges Flags

Bob Homer exchanges Flags with Pedro Duenas from Portoviejo, Ecuador District 4400.

In Memory - Louie Knudsen

All of us who knew Louie would appreciate knowing how much he loved Rotary. Here is the Missoulian article about his passing in July. Louie joined Missoula Rotary July 1994. He also was in Rotary in California from 1973-1994. He served the Altadena Rotary club as their president in 1978-1979. He always had a smile and greeting for me each week. He will be missed.

MISSOULA – Louie Brodsgaard Knudsen, 94, died Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at the Village Senior Residence in Missoula. He passed away due to natural causes.

Louie was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended Central High School; sailed as a Sea Scout on nearby Carter Lake, Iowa; and joined the Naval Reserve, making annual cruises on the Great Lakes. He studied at the University of Nebraska.

U.S. Sen. George W. Norris appointed Louie to the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1945. Louie participated in yacht racing on the USNA Highland Light and was named sailing master during his first class year. He crewed as bowman on the Highlight Light in the 1948 Newport-Bermuda race. After graduation, Louie served on active duty for 20 years and attained the rank of lieutenant commander. After attending the World War II Harvard Business School training course, his first posting was as supply officer of the USS Gatling (DD 671), and he was aboard in Tokyo Bay at the Japanese surrender.

In 1946, he became supply officer of the USS Haven (AH 11) during the Bikini nuclear weapon tests. His next duty was at the U.S. Navy Regional Accounts Office in Washington, D.C., where he met Elaine V. Zworykin; they were married Sept. 17, 1949. Further assignments included the Naval Supply Center, Oakland, California; USS Deuel (APA 160); the Office of the Inspector of Naval Materiel, Milwaukee; the U.S. Military Advisory Group, Tehran; and the staff of the Inspector General of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts and the Navy Contracting Office, Washington, D.C. Louie was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his duties in the Navy section, Military Advisory Group in Iran. He earned an MBA from George Washington University.

Following retirement in 1964, Louie moved to Pasadena, California, and entered the field of unmanned space exploration as a contract administration specialist at the California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He sailed from Long Beach Naval Station. After his second retirement, Louie moved to Missoula, where he was passionate about sailing on Flathead Lake, trout fishing and golfing at Larchmont Golf Course. From 1996, Louie served on the Missoula County Airport Authority Board. Since 1967, he was an active Rotary International member (most recently on the committee that presents a dictionary to every fourth-grader in Missoula County), past president and Paul Harris Fellow.

Louie’s wife Elaine died Feb. 8, 2011. They are survived by their four children, Sandra, Valerie, Eric and Peter; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Louie’s ashes will be conserved at the Columbarium of the U.S. Naval Academy next to those of his wife, Elaine.

Louie would want any memorials to be donated to Rotary International or a charity of your choice.

Youth Exchange Student Arrival

Pictured is George, Pedro and Lisa at the Missoula airport on Sunday. Pedro will be staying with Martha until we can find him a permanent host family. Pedro is from Ecuador and loves to play soccer,ride bikes and hike. He will be attending a soccer camp July 27-31st at Big Sky High School. Martha works an 8-5 workday and could use some help during the week with activities for him. If anyone would be available to help Martha entertain Pedro this summer, please contact Martha at 329-1727.

Osprey Game

You are invited:

What: Rotary night at the Osprey baseball game and BBQ

Who: All Rotarians and their guests

When: Wednesday July 22. BBQ begins at 6. Gametime 7 pm.

Cost: $21 per person which includes ticket, all you can eat BBQ, Osprey hat and game program.

How: RSVP by this Wednesday July 15 to Kevin Miltko at miltko5@msn.com

Should be a terrific evening of fellowship!

New Member Athena Pallis

Bob Homer's first new member induction. Athena Pallis joined Rotary July 1, 2015.

Athena is a first-generation American, Raised in a Greek/Cuban household in San Diego. She's been a member of the Missoula Community for 20 years. She has two confident and well-adjusted children, 18 year old Stellios, who has just graduated from Hellgate and is heading to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this fall, and Estrella, entering the 8th grade at Washington.

Athena is a graduate of the Paralegal Studies Program of the University of San Diego, and holds an undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Montana, with an emphasis in Religion and minor in Southeast Asian Studies. She is also a graduate of Integral Coaching Canada, from which she received her Integral Master Coach certification.

Athena has years of experience in the field of personal growth and development, and a passion for supporting individuals and organizations in their evolution. She is also a mediator, and appreciates the opportunity to bring peace to the world one relationship at a time. Truthfully, she's a bit of a growth and development junkie, and has attended dozens and dozens of workshops, training and retreats over the years. Her work as a transformational coach draws from this lifetime of work and certifications.

She is presently most excited about the upcoming launch of the Peace Pillow Project, a "for cause" business she conceived to benefit communities vulnerable to human trafficking and the sleep deprived. Athena has been interested in Rotary for many years and is delighted to join the membership.

Rotary International update

RI President-elect K.R. Ravindran introduced a member benefits program at the 9 June closing session of the 2015 Rotary International Convention, saying that many more hands are needed to continue Rotary’s work around the world.

The program, Rotary Global Rewards, aims to boost membership and enhance member satisfaction. It will debut on 1 July. to learn more click here.

RI President-elect K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran chose Be a Gift to the World as his theme for 2015-16. Ravindran urges Rotary members to give the gifts of time, talent, and knowledge to improve lives in communities across the globe. "Through Rotary, we can take these gifts and make a genuine difference in the lives of others and in our world."

New Member James Scott

James Scott is an assistant vice president and commercial banker with First Interstate Bank-Missoula. Prior to joining the community, James was a commercial banking officer with Citywide Banks in Denver, CO and attended the University of Denver where he received an MBA and Masters of Finance. He received an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since moving to Missoula with his wife Kimberly, James has served as co-chair to the Special Olympics State Summer Games. He also serves on the Montana Community Development Corporation's External Loan Committee and will be joining the Community Medical Center advisory board in July. A native Montanan, James was born in Billings and enjoys being on the rivers and lakes of both sides of the State.

Doug Anderson Remembered by Rotarians

Many of you remember Doug Anderson. Doug joined Missoula Rotary club in 1980 and was club President in 1990-91. A Paul Harris Fellow he was generous with his time and gifts to our Rotary club. Doug had a wonderful sense of humor and truly will be missed by all. Below is his obituary from the Missoulian.

Jan. 5, 1944 - May 17, 2015

REDMOND, Ore. – Doug Anderson of Redmond, Oregon, formerly of Missoula, passed away at home May 17, 2015, of renal failure. His wife of 49 years, Yvonne, was at his side.

Doug was the manager of Southgate Mall from 1982 to 1998. He then took on the capital fundraising project for the Montana Boy Scouts and was able to raise the funds to purchase Melita Island for the Scouts, thanks to all the wonderful contributors. Doug then went on to be vice president of business development for First Interstate Bank for five years.

During his 30 years in Missoula, Doug was involved with the following community associations: Rotary Club, American Heart Association, St. Patrick Hospital Foundation, Montana Ambassadors, Missoula Downtown Association, Ruff Club, Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, Missoula AirFest, NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Arts and Humanities, Boy Scouts of America and several other groups.

Doug was born to Margaret and Richard Anderson in Seattle. Doug is survived by his mother, Margaret, of Des Moines, Washington; wife, Yvonne, of Redmond; daughter, Jennifer (James) of Danville, California; son, Bill (Meg) of Bend, Oregon; sisters, Janet (Jeff) and Barbara (Don); brother, Mike (Sandy); grandchildren, Caitlyn, Sophia, Carter and Jordan; and several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date in Des Moines. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Doug’s name may be made to Montana Boy Scouts of America (Melita Island), 820 17th Ave. S., Great Falls, MT 59405-5939.

Youth Exchange Host Family Needed

We are in need of a host family for Pedro from Ecuador who arrives in the Fall. Pedro has two older sisters who went on exchanges. He is 16 years old and loves to play soccer. Both of his parents are engineers. His goal is to go to college after he completes his year abroad. We need two host families in place for him in the Big Sky school area. Please contact Martha Ripley at 329-1727 or marthar@orimt.org if interested in hosting this next year.

New Member Michael Stark

My name is Michael Stark. I’m a 32 year old financial service professional who has a passion for service and community involvement. I’ve lived in Missoula for the past 8 years and was born and mostly raised in Colorado. As a kid I came up to the Missoula often, my mother was born and raised in Anaconda and her extended family live throughout this area. Originally, I went to college at The University of Denver to play soccer but ended up graduating from The University of Montana with a degree in business administration. Both of my parents are University of Montana alumni as well as various cousins, aunts, and uncles. My passion for service stems from my high school experience. In Denver, I attended a Jesuit Catholic high school which instilled in me a commitment to service work. From that time on, I’ve been committing myself to volunteer work and community involvement in various ways.

Professional

I am a financial advisor for a Missoula-based financial firm, S.G. Long and Company. Previous work history includes the same position at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America here in Missoula, various entrepreneurial endeavors, and time as an academic advisor at The School of Business Administration at The University of Montana.

Passions

I’m passionate about my profession, coaching soccer, supporting the arts, and volunteering my time and experience for the benefit of my community. The following are some of the organizations I’ve volunteered with in the greater Missoula: Habitat for Humanity, Youth Homes, The Humane Society of Western Montana, The Special Olympics of Montana, The Missoula Food Bank, Strikers Soccer Association, and The Flagship Program.

New Membership Pin

Timothy Descamps was the first recipient of the new Membership pin. Tim brought in the most members this year.

Club Dues

From the treasurer…

We are rapidly approaching the end of our fiscal year. For those of you who still have an outstanding balance on your account, now is the time to bring your account up to date. For those of you who have an outstanding balance, I will be sending statements in the next week. Those statements will include all of the relevant invoices and payments to explain why you still owe money. If you still have questions, please call me and I will do my best to explain the details of your account.

Invoices for dues and sustaining Paul Harris memberships for the 2015-16 fiscal year will be sent out around the first of June. I would appreciate if all of you would make at least a partial payment before the first of July; you can choose to pay the entire amount up front, a 50% semiannual payment, a 25% quarterly payment, or monthly if you set up an automatic payment system with your bank. The reason we ask this is that we have to submit our semiannual report to RI by July 1. If you make a payment, we know you are a continuing member. We have to pay RI and district dues based on the number of members listed in the semiannual report. Payment of dues in the first month allows us to get an accurate member count so we don’t end up having to pay for members who may be dropping out of the club.

I appreciate your cooperation.

George Stern. Treasurer

Give Local Missoula

May 5th is the Missoula Community Foundations "GIVE LOCAL MISSOULA CAMPAIGN." This is a non profit 24 hour marathon for various charities in Missoula. Please go online and give on Tuesday at www.givelocalmissoula.org.

New Member Sherri Davidoff

Sherri Davidoff is the CEO of LMG Security and the co-author of "Network Forensics: Tracking Hackers Through Cyberspace" (Prentice Hall, 2012). She has over fourteen years of experience as a cyber security professional, specializing in digital forensics, security awareness training, penetration testing and web security assessments. Sherri has conducted onsite security training for the Department of Defense, Google, Comcast, Los Alamos National Laboratories, and authored classes for the SANS Institute and Black Hat.

Sherri is adjunct faculty in both the School of Business and the Computer Science Department at the University of Montana, where she teaches cybersecurity classes. She is a GIAC-certified forensic examiner (GCFA) and penetration tester (GPEN), and holds her degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT.

Rotary Volunteers for Special Olympics

For the next three years Missoula will be the host city for Special Olympics State games. Debbie Lawton has signup sheets on the tables at lunch and is asking Missoula Rotary clubs to volunteer for this very special event this year. Family members are welcome to volunteer as well.

Your help is needed!

Our club has been asked to help as ushers at the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony, Wednesday May 20^th from 5:30 PM until about 8 PM. They need about 40 volunteers so please let me know if you, a friend or your family can help. I will also need t-shirt sizes.

Please respond back to me at dlawton@wipfli.com or call 360-6729. This is a fun and great event to support.

Thanks for your support,

Debbie Lawton

Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) is a state-wide non-profit organization that provides year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health-related programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities. SOMT changes lives through the power of sport by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect. SOMT is an athlete-centered, family-based, volunteer-driven and sponsor-supported movement with 2,000 athletes registered in 121 programs from 65 Montana communities. Nearly 4,000 Montana volunteers help organize and host local, area and state level competitions.

Rotary Youth Exchange

Pictured above are Matt from Taipai, Taiwan and Catharina from Vienna, Austria who are currently living in Missoula attending high school through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. They both gave a great presentation on December 10 about their homelands.

Our YE committee has met and interviewed potential candidates for the 2015-16 school year and will be looking for host families starting in August 2015. If you are interested in hosting a student, please contact Martha Ripley at marthar@orimt .org or call 329-1727.

Holiday Party - A Good Time Had by All

Many thanks to Kelly and her crew for organizing a wonderful Holiday Party December 6th. The Starlighters were great and provided some wonderful swing music. Children's activities were fun and kids and adults enjoyed themselves. Happy Holidays to everyone. Remember no meeting on December 24 or 31st this year.

Pictured: Adam, Cate, Conner, Carragh

Dinner with friends of the foundation

Pictured L-R: Betty Wilkins, John Talbot, Sue Talbot, Kurt Ingold, Tom Wilkins, Jean Bowman, Diane Dawson, Jim Hutchinson, Dianne and Alan Pickens.

Diane Dawson hosted a wonderful pheasant dinner to raise money for the Rotary Foundation. This is a great way to raise money and also fellowship with Rotarians in our club. Thanks to Kevin Miltko for supplying the pheasants.

Pictured L-R: Alan, Kurt, Jean, John, Sue, Dianne

Rotary Youth Exchange Applications

Youth Exchange applications for the 2014-15 school year are on our website in the download section on our home page. Students turn in their applications and will be contacted for an interview. Our club will select the candidate to be interviewed by the District If anyone would like to be on the interview committee, please see Scott Johnson our YE Chair.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: OCTOBER 22, 2014

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION:

WWW.MISSOULAROTARY.ORG

Contact:

Lisa Corrigan

Rotary Club of Missoula

P.O. Box 9290

Missoula, MT 59807

406-531-8149

LCorrigan@firstmontanabank.com

Rotaract club

The Rotaract club has started up again for 2014-2015 year. The meetings are held at the UC Center and below is their schedule for the rest of the year. Please encourage anyone ages 18-30 years old to come. They meet every other week and on the weeks they do not meet they do community service projects. If your non profit organization or fundraiser needs some help, don't hesitate to talk to Rotaract Advisor Martha Ripley.

10/8/2014 Wed 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 2nd/Conf Rm 215 Confirmed
10/22/2014 Wed 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 2nd/Conf Rm 224 Confirmed
11/5/2014 Wed 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 2nd/Conf Rm 215 Confirmed
11/19/2014 Wed 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 2nd/Conf Rm 215 Confirmed
12/3/2014 Wed 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 2nd/Conf Rm 215 Confirmed

Pictured below are students building a habitat for humanity home which they worked on in September.

Pictured L-R: Bynum, Jesse, Michelle, Kayleen, Janae

Rotaract At Peace Park

Here are some new pictures and a big thank you from Katelyn de Boer, Rotaract Club of Lethbridge:

Rotary Youth Exchange Students at Flathead Lutheran Camp

I hope you have all recovered from an amazing weekend at Peace Park in the beautiful state of Montana!

I wanted to take a moment to personally say THANK YOU to each and every one of you. There is no possible way for me to thank everyone, but I am going to try:

Carl Prinzing, Terry Allen, Doug Wold and more for putting on a remarkable conference and having the YEX students at the event.
Rotarians and host families that supported students and drove them to Kalispell for the event.
Counsellors who worked hard to ensure their students could attend.
Rick Istead and Daryl Hansen - YEX Chairs - for keeping in excellent contact with me and helping spread the word to students and counsellors. Thank you Rick for answering the hundreds of questions I sent your way - I would have been lost without you.
The Missoula Rotaract Club for sending Bynum and Matt to help chaperone and run the event. Thank Martha with Missoula Rotary for being in contact with me throughout the process.
Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp for the amazing accommodations and meals.
The University of Lethbridge Rotaract for planning this event.
And of course, thank you students for making this an excellent weekend - and keeping us on our toes!

I have attached a few pictures from the weekend. Please check out the U of L Rotaract Facebook page for a complete album. https://www.facebook.com/ulethrotaract.org If you have any photos you would like to share or see in the album (especially of the Hands Across Borders ceremony), send them to me and I can add them. If you have any comments or feedback regarding the weekend, please don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The whole Peace Park experience has shown me just how much Youth Exchange Students mean to the Rotary world. Thank you Rotary for providing students with this once in a lifetime opportunity! You change the lives of these students - and in turn the students change ours.

Best wishes, Katelyn de Boer, Organizer, 2014 WGIPPA YEX Program, Rotary Relations, University of Lethbridge Rotaract Club

Pictured L-R: Bynum, Katelyn & Matt (Rotaract Chaperones)

Percy Frazier Award Al Pickens

Tom and Betty Wilkins Percy Frazier Award

Tom Wilkins – Not Present was awarded a Percy Frazier award along with his lovely wife Betty. Here’s what Tom has to say about himself.

Born and raised in Billings. Third generation Montanan. Graduated from the UM Business School. Officer in the US Air Force. Spent approximately 20 years working for First Bank System aka First Bank Missoula. Owner operator of the Bitterroot Flower Shop for ten years. Spent the past forty years as owner/operator of various rental properties. Since 2003 have been involved in property development and construction. Occasionally pretends to be a frustrated sculpturer. Still trying to figure out what I will do when I grow up…. I do not hunt. I do not fish. I do not golf. All of the money I saved enabled me to support the Missoula Rotary Foundation…

Betty Wilkins joined the Missoula Rotary club in 1996. She has also served on many Rotary club committees and very generous with her time and money to the Foundation for years.

Both Tom and Betty are Paul Harris Fellows as well.

Percy Frazier Awards Bob Minto

Bob Minto received his 2nd Percy Frazier Award. That means that he gave over $4000 to the Rotary Foundation. Here's what Jean Bowman said about him.

Bob, like Percy, is a philanthropist. He’s in for the long haul. A Rotarian since 2006, he is a Paul Harris Fellow, guided us with our strategic plan, has worked to encourage young people to join Rotary. He is a major player in support of the Children’s Museum, the Montana Justice Foundation and The University of Montana School of Law, and, of course the Missoula Rotary Foundation. Bob kicked off our efforts to establish an endowment fund and challenged all of us to follow his lead. Thank you, Bob.

82nd Peace Park celebration

Pictured L-R: Martha, George, Bob, Adam, Cate, Diane, Jim and Lauretta

The weather and fellowship were great for the 82nd Rotary International Peace Park celebration on September 19-21st. About 106 Rotarians and guests registered for this weekend event and the speakers were fabulous. Above are the Missoula Rotary attendees at Apgar in Glacier Park for the Hands Across the Border ceremony. Many thanks to Jim Hutcheson for helping coordinating this event on the committee. Next year the Peace Park is scheduled to meet in Waterton, Canada September 11-13.

Hands Across the Border ceremony - Canadians on left and Americans on the right held hands and recited the peace park prayer.

Rotary Youth Exchange at Peace Park

Fifteen youth exchange students attending schools in Canada got together with the 5 students attending schools in Montana for the 82nd International Peace Park. Many thanks to Katelyn de Boer from the University of Lethbridge Rotaract Club who organized a special camp experience at the Flathead Lutheran Camp on Flathead Lake. The students had a wonderful time and made friends with 17 different countries. This was truly an international peace exchange. Missoula Rotaract members Bynum Jackson and Matt Keller also chaperoned the students for the two night stay.

Rotary Youth Exchange students from around the world pictured above standing in Glacier Park by Lake McDonald

Pictured L-R: Bynum and Katelyn

Percy Frazier Award Mike Duffield

Pictured L-R: Mike Duffield and Miranda Ming

Mike Duffield was awarded a Percy Frazier Award on September 17th. Here's what Miranda shared about him:

Mike grew up in Thompson Falls, Montana and is a graduate of the University of Montana school of business. He received his CPA license in 1970 and has had a very successful accounting career. He was instrumental in growing the Missoula office of Galusha, Higgins & Galusha where he was a shareholder and worked for over 30 years. Mike joined the Missoula Rotary Club in 1981 and served as the club's treasurer from 1992-2002. Mike is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys skiing. Lately he has been traveling the world with his wife Kay. Memorable trips include cruising across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary, Antartica and many trips to see his new grandson. Mike & Kay support many Missoula organizations including the Montana Natural History Center, the Missoula Art Museum, the Missoula Symphony and of course the Missoula Rotary Foundation.

Percy Frazier Award Jim Hutcheson

Pictured L-R: Kurt Ingold and Jim Hutcheson

Jim Hutcheson was awarded a Percy Frazier award on September 17th for his continued contribution to the Rotary Foundation.

Jim has been a familiar face at the Missoula RC since June, 1991. He has devoted part of his life to helping make positive, lasting change in his community and, through Rotary, the world.

First, some background. Jim was born in Houston and grew up in the San Diego area. He served five years in the US Army as a captain in Latin America in the 7^th and 8^th Special Forces Groups, the Green Berets, SF in those days were teams of highly trained specialists who lived with and helped train people friendly to US. Jim graduated from the Thurderbird School, known for its excellence in preparing students for a career in business. Jim started in sales management with Wolverine Shoes and then with the alcoholic beverage industry in the Seattle/Portland area and Montana. Jim has been active in Rotary on the west coast and Missoula, serving on the board of directors, international committee and club service. It’s been Jim who has provided a bottle of wine for our birthday table each month for at least the last twenty years. He’s supported our club financially and with his time. As Missoula Foundation Treasurer, I can tell you Jim is often the one who writes the first check on a project or contributes to bring a project “over the top.” If you wonder what service above self means, get to know Jim Hutcheson.

Kurt Ingold

Percy Frazier Award Dean Holstead

Pictured L-R: Dean Holstead and Lauretta Belts

Dean Holstead was awarded a Percy Frazier award by Lauretta Belts on September 17th.

Dean was born in 1951 and reared on his family’s wide open wheat farm in central North Dakota, which is still at least a hundred miles from the nearest oil well there. Dean and his wife Meredith, a former English teacher at Sentinel High, met at college near a small field that separates the campuses of Concordia College and Moorhead State University, known as the Prairie Home Cemetery, the namesake of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Show. Unlike Garrison, they managed to stay married and celebrated 40 years of being together this past June. They have one son Michael, a paramedic in Boise, ID. Dean graduated from law school, the first time, thirty eight years ago at the University of North Dakota. Since then he has practiced continuously in Minnesota, North Dakota and most recently in Montana. His former partner Bill Jones invited Dean to become a member of Missoula Rotary and sponsored his admission in 1998. Since then Dean has earned five and most of a sixth Paul Harris awards and had the great privilege of meeting and knowing Percy Frazier. In 2008 Dean returned to law school at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, the so-called insurance capital, and obtained an LLM or master’s degree in Insurance Law. Dean is the only attorney in Montana who holds this distinction. While in Hartford Dean also spent as much time as he could spare at the Mark Twain home and museum studying Twain and particularly Twain’s jokes about lawyers. Dean has no formal ties or connection with North Dakota State University but found he was the butt of a lot of North Dakota jokes when the Bison came to Missoula for a preliminary game with the Griz back in 2003. Some may remember that the Griz were up 22-0 at half time, yet somehow the Bison recovered and won. After that game no one, including Bill Jones, talked to him very much for the next week or so. Now, following last week’s ESPN broadcast of the Bison’s 58 to 0 victory over their Texas opponent, Dean has decided not to return to Fargo for the Griz-Bison rematch game this weekend. Despite numerous invitations from family and friends affiliated with both teams, Dean wants to avoid being identified with the wrong team again in Fargo. While he hopes the best team wins, he plans to pursue his real interest and the main reason for coming to Montana. Like Percy, Dean loves going into the wild outdoors, especially on horseback. He and his next door neighbor Smoke Elser have been planning a short trip into Bob, hopefully this weekend. It is there that he most enjoys providing service to others above self, and right now Montana wilderness supporters need all the help they can get to set aside more designated areas of National Wilderness for future generations. Dean believes most people from other places do regard Missoula as having good football, education, technology, and other social programs. But he believes wild country is the bedrock foundation of our local culture and core attraction for most high caliber, successful people choosing to visit and then move to western Montana, and as proof he says just look at what is happening in Bozeman and Whitefish. He believes the ability to appreciate and take advantage of this great natural treasure is why smart business and civic leaders in those towns have electrified their communities with commercial growth and economic improvements. Eking out a sustainable local economy requires more than expanding health and education facilities, increasing government spending programs, attracting more non-profits, building soup kitchens and low income housing, and acquiring city owned utilities. While trendy, nice and important, Dean believes those sorts of activities are less significant than preserving the town’s real remaining asset and only serve to drive up the cost of living to the point where it is becoming more impractical and in some ways even less worthwhile to live here than in other mountain communities like Boulder, Bend, Boise or even Billings, to name just a few. Dean believes expanding designated wilderness land areas is what western Montana, and Missoula in particular, need to get completely focused on in order to keep reaping the rare and enormous benefits of having easy access to the last best, wild and scenic places on the planet. Where else can you take a free ride on a city bus to the trailhead of a national wilderness area? This is why Dean chose to move here fifteen years ago, and why he believes others continue to visit and will come to reside, if Missoula can only make it affordable and more competitive with other communities for them to do so. Dean believes we must get more wild land preserved in perpetuity so the University, federal and state agencies, the Carhart Foundation and other committed local and global organizations can continue their programs that benefit this community in so many ways. Dean hopes members of Missoula Rotary Club and its foundation will also recognize and respond to the urgent need for expanding designated national wilderness areas in this region, and pledge meaningful and substantial support for this great humanitarian goal that Percy Frazier would have loved to pursue.

Member Photos Needed

Posted by on Oct 19, 2013

All members: now is the time to get your photo taken for the Member Directory. If you're new to the Club or if your photo needs to be updated, please see Martha Ripley at a Club event or contact Mike Peissig at AlphaGraphics.

Program Committee Looking for Additional Members

Posted by Miranda Ming on Sep 07, 2013

Cate Sundeen is looking for program committee members to help organize speakers for our weekly meetings. The committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month immediately after our regular meeting to discuss upcoming and potential speakers.

If you are interested in joining this fun committee, please contact Cate at csundeen@mctinc.org or 829-5219.

Percy Frazier award

Posted on Sep 21, 2011

Bob Minto was awarded the first Percy Frazier Award for his generous giving to the Rotary Foundation. Members who give over $2000 will be receiving this award. The next award will be given October 5th.

For those of you who are new and did not get the pleasure of knowing Percy, he was a great Rotarian and one of the first to attend the International Peace Park with his dad in 1923. His dedication to Rotary was truly an inspiration to us all.

Youth Exchange

Posted on Sep 18, 2011

Our Youth Exchange program went under some reconstruction and is now ready to accept long term exchange students for the 2012-2013 year. If you know of someone who is interested in an exchange, please have them download the application and submit to either Coco Ballew or Jean Jenkins. The deadline for applications to clubs is October 30th. The hardest part of this program is finding two families who would be willing to host a student for the year. We encourage you to talk about how great this program is and help our committee find two good homes. Screening of these families must be done before our club can accept a student. For more information about the program you can go to our district website at www.montanarotary.org.

Youth Exchange Students 2014-15

Many Thanks to George Stern and Miranda Ming for taking the students to Helena for the Youth Exchange Orientation. Pictured are the five students who are here for the school year.

Rotary International Peace Park

The Rotary International Peace Park will be held September 19-21 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell, MT just a two hour drive from Missoula. You can register on the District website by clicking here. You will have to contact the Hilton to reserve a room and make sure you mention Rotary for the special rate. For more information about the weekend you can talk to Jim Hutcheson who has handouts on the tables at lunch. It looks to be a great weekend.

Rotarian Keith Harris

A beautiful evening on the deck at Finn and Porter with Rotarian Keith Harris from Boston. He is traveling by bike from Seattle to Boston which will take him at least 6-7 weeks raising money for the Rotary Foundation. His goal is to raise $25,000. Keith stated that due to the generosity of Rotarians he raised $23,000 before he left Boston so imagine what he could do raising awareness of Rotary as he travels by himself across country.

Read more about Keith's quest here http://www.pedalingforapurpose.com/

Pictured L-R: Keith Harris & John Talbot

Pictured L-R: Martha Ripley, Keith Harris, Adam Hubel, Cate Sundeen and Jean Bowman.

Change of Officers

On July 2nd Lauretta Belts was awarded a President's badge, pin and plaque for her service as our outgoing President. Inbound President Cate Sundeen shared about her vision for the year and recent trip to Australia. She and her husband Adam also hosted Keith Harris on his bicycle adventure.

Pictured above: Cate Sundeen, 2014-15 President

Pictured Above: Lauretta Belts 2013-14 President

Heart of Rotary Awards

Last Wednesday Rotarians were greeted with a warm welcome to the Rotary Club of Missoula’s “Walk of Fame” gallery. A series of 10 + posters highlighted all the Rotarians who served and contributed to the success of the Rotary year 2013-14. It was the opening of a great day which demonstrated The Heart of Rotary, it’s members. Board members recounted personal examples of Rotary moments and personal recognition of various Rotarians which further emphasized our Rotary family and spirit. President Lauretta shared ‘a little’ of the many accomplishments of the club this year. Thirty- six Paul Harris Fellows were awarded during the year. The Rotary Youth Exchange Program was successfully launched with 2 outgoing students to Taiwan and Equador and 2 incoming students arriving early August. Three students will be attending Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) this summer, every 3^rd grader in the Missoula County Public School District received dictionaries and every month middle school students throughout the district were given an award for demonstrating good character. The success of the GRIZ/CAT END POLIO NOW challenge was unprecedented. There were many other areas of progress and success highlighted throughout the day. Rotarians came to know during the day that when a several little accomplishments were added together the Rotary Club of Missoula accomplished a lot and that became evident when President Lauretta shared the overall club giving in 2013-2014 was $87,733.82. (Paul Harris Fellows, END POLIO NOW campaign with Gates Foundation Match, Rotary International Foundations annual fund, Missoula Rotary Foundation and the Community Giving Grant). They day included an outstanding music performance by Soprano Lisa Corrigan accompanied by Dan Smith. The day wouldn’t be complete however without the special recognition of a few. Mr. Conor Smith for his support as Past President and Advisor, Leslie Wustrack for her outstanding support in PR/Media and her whole heart contribution to the END POLIO NOW campaign and Mr. Bob Minto as supporter, advisor, and lead cheerleader in the END POLIO Campaign. “An idea develops into reality only when someone ignites the fire.” There were five “The Heart of Rotary Awards” presented for the 2013-2014 Rotary year. Each of them was a representation depicting the quality and character of those who represent the Heart of a Rotarian committed to Service above Self in its truest form.

New Rotarian Guide Dog in Training - Kingsley

Posted by Dolores Bandow

This is why I train puppies for Guide Dogs of America.

Photos like this one provoke action. These children aren't old enough yet to walk with a guide dog, they have to be 16 years old, but when they are, I hope they can toss those canes aside and walk beside a living, breathing, comforting guide dog, such as Wyatt, Maxwell, and now Kingsley.

Kingsley is a German Shepherd from Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar, CA. He was born March 1, 2014, and flew to Montana when he was just eight weeks old on the late flight arriving at midnight in Missoula.

This is the pilot who volunteered to deliver him to me, and it was my first glimpse of Kingsley. This pilot volunteered to use his standby status to bring Kingsley to Montana to another volunteer who will raise him, buy his food, pay for his vet, and bring him to Rotary meetings. The pilot picked up our puppy in California, toted a diaper bag, full of puppy pads, toys and emergency food and water and boarded a plane. Once seated, he laid Kingsley's comfort blanket down under the seat in front of him, tucked Kingsley to bed, changed flights in Salt Lake City, repeated the routine, and arrived in Missoula at midnight.

For the first few days, it is important to stay home and let puppies acclimate to new environments. He already instinctively would sit for his food, which came at exact intervals three times a day. He was learning to wait for the "OK" command before eating, and he already was learning to relieve himself on leash and on command.

Guide puppies in training must go with us everywhere. We begin first by carrying Kingsley when out in public. Until puppies get their quota of immunizations, they can't walk on public grounds where other dogs leave droppings and germs. At home, however, we start introducing puppies to leashes, to simple commands: sit, down, wait, stay, heel, come...with name recognition topping the list of things to learn.

Puppies grow fast, as you see his changes each week at Rotary. Kingsley is now four months old, weighs 37.7 pounds, practices his commands a few times everyday, has just received his rabies shot, has graduated to two meals a day, is learning to sit quietly at Rotary meetings, sort of. We have weekly training meetings, and he is now ready to begin his first formal obedience classes.

Kingsley will continue to train and learn with me until he is 18 months old, at which time I return with him to California, where he gets fitted for a harness and begins formal guide training with experienced trainers, who work with about 300 dogs each year.

That translates to a lot of miles; trainers go through four pairs of shoes every year and average walking 150 miles each week working with multiple dogs. Imagine what those miles feel like on the pads of the dogs' feet.

Guide Dogs of America has its own breeding program, which includes 33 brood bitches and 14 stud dogs, who generate 33 litters each year, and 800 loads of laundry each month. Only 50 percent of dogs graduate to guide a blind person. We do our best part to ensure that Kingsley is one of those to match. Perhaps at the culmination of all this training, 2 1/2 years from now, one of those students in the first photo will be old enough to match with him.

End of Year Picnic

Many thanks to the Missoula Country Club for a wonderful pool party end of the year picnic.

District Assembly in Butte

July 1st is the deadline to get the Rotary rate and a room for the District Assembly August 1 & 2nd in Butte. To register click here. Cost is $65 and it is being held at the LaQuinta Inn in Butte. If you are new to Rotary or even if you have lots of experience with Rotary you will enjoy the District Assembly as you meet Rotarians around the state and share the many stories about what is happening with Rotary in Montana.

Senior Citizen Center Grant

Below are pictures of the Senior Center construction project that Rick Hilmes and Scott Johnson worked on securing a $75,000 Hud/Community Development Block Grant matching grant. Scott & Rick headed up a two-year collaboration of the Center and Rotary Club of Missoula to upgrade the Senior Center. Thanks to their hard work and commitment, the Missoula Senior Center now has ADA compliant restrooms.

pictured below: L-R: Kevin and Susan Grover/Jocko River Construction-subcontractors for demolition/framing/drywall; Marc Hauger/New Era Plumbing and Heating-plumbing sub; Scott Johnson - Rotarian; Michelle Hastings-Senior Center ED; Rick Hilmes/Architect-Rotarian

Global Grant

Below are some photos that were sent to us about our matching global grant. It's wonderful to see a finished project. Our Tom Roy Matching grant provided all of these school desks and benches for all of these schools in India impacting hundreds of school children for years to come.

Rotary Member for 65 Years

Pictured (L-R) Ty Robinson, Lon Dale

Lon Dale shared a story about Ty Robinson at our last meeting. He stands up straight and has been a Rotary Member since August 1949. As the oldest member of our club (born in 1916) Ty has been a good friend to many Rotarians. Take a few minutes to chat with him at our meetings. He's got a lot of great stories. Thanks Ty for your continued service to our community and for being a faithful Rotarian for 65 years.

Best Flocking Club Award

Pictured above (L-R) Alexander Deedy, Lauretta Belts

Alexander Deedy our outgoing Rotaract President awarded the Missoula Club with the best Flocking Club award at the May 7th meeting. Rotary and Kiwanis clubs were flocked with the pink flamingos and many Rotarians were generous in their contributions. However, we are still $600 away from making a kids wish come true. If you would still like to give, please talk with Martha at lunch. Thank you to everyone that had a great sense of humor and supported the Rotaract club throughout the year. A big thank you to Alexander for being our Rotaract President this year. He will be graduating May 16th with a degree in Journalism from the University of Montana.

New Member Carol Seim

Carol Seim was born in Livingston Mt.. She grew up in Bozeman and Helena, and graduated from the U of M with a degree in biological sciences. She taught secondary school and adult education. She has been an active Missoula community volunteer for 0ver forty years including St. Pat’s Hospital Foundation Board, Mt eye bank. Church council, Missoula Schools community liaison, Missoula Chamber of Commerce” Leadership Missoula,”, Missoula Symphony Board, Symphony Guild past president , MAM Board , past president Art Associates , past president and emeritus member of the U of M advisory council of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She is the wife of Dr. Robert Seim

New Member Chris Nowlen

Welcome to our new member Chris Nowlen pictured above

My name is Chris Nowlen. I am the General Manager and Director of Golf at the Missoula Country Club. I am the proud father of three, Sydnee (14), Maycee (13), and William (6). My wife is Mindy Nowlen, an 8^th grade school teacher at CS Porter.

I was born in Missoula in 1972 and raised in Frenchtown where I graduated high school in 1991. I attended the University of Montana and graduated in 1996 with a Business Degree, with an emphasis in computer information systems. In 1998, I completed the Golf Professional Training Program and became a member of the Professional Golfers Association of America.

In my career, I have been the Head golf Professional at King Ranch GC in Frenchtown (5 years), General Manager at Mission Mountain CC in Ronan (4 years), General Manager & Director of Golf at Scotts Bluff CC in Scottsbluff, Nebraska (6 years), and now at Missoula Country Club.

One of my passions is community involvement and leadership. I served six years as an officer of the Western Montana Chapter of the PGA, and four years on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA, and I was recognized as Golf Professional of the Year in 2005. I have served as VP of TeamMates, a Nebraska mentoring program, Chairman of West Nebraska Ducks Unlimited, and served on the boards of the UM Golf Club, Frenchtown Stadium Fund committee, the Dave Sagmiller ALS Committee, Life Connection for Diabetes, and long-range planning for Scottsbluff High Schools and Missoula County Public Schools.

Through my work and the game of golf, I have had the privilege of participating in many fundraising efforts with many charitable organizations. I am proud to be a member of the PGA of America and all that we do for communities through the game of golf. Additionally, I am proud to be a member of Rotary and passionate about what our organization does both at home and around the world.

Rotaract Flocking Award

The Rotaract Club spent the month of April raising funds for Make a Wish. Their goal was $3900 for one wish. Missoula Rotary and Kiwanis clubs competed with each other. Rotaract Club President Alexander Deedy will present our club with the Best Flocking Club award this Wednesday. The students raised $3200 and are only $600 short of their goal. There is still a chance that you can contibute to this worthy cause by going online and contributing. For more information go this this link.

New Members

In April we had two new members join our club. More information will be coming about these two new members.

Chris Nowlen, General Manager of the Missoula Country Club.

Carol Seim, Wife of Bob Seim.

Flock A Wish - Rotaract Club

Dear Rotary members,

Purchase your flocking insurance now. Your presidents yards have already been invaded by these pink atrocities. This fundraiser by Rotaract and Circle K is to support the Montana Make-A-Wish foundation and has enlisted the help of these pink flamingos in hopes of making a child's wish come true. These flamingos are vicious and will flock your yard while you are not home and even have the nerve to do it while you are home as well. Please protect your home and purchase flocking insurance now. To purchase flocking insurance follow this link.

http://friends.wish.org/041-000/page/Kalene-Kuntz/Flocks-for-Wishes-for-Make-A-Wish.htm

But beware.. If a friend of your's wishes for you to be flocked these birds will still make their way to your yard if your insurance coverage was not high enough. Remember this fundraiser is meant to be fun, if it upsets you to have flamingos in your yard please let us know and we will put you on our no flock list. Thank you for your support, and may no flock find you .

Sincerely,

Missoula Rotaract Club

The University of Montana Circle K International Club

and the help of Hellgate and Sentinal Key Club

Host Families Needed

We are expecting two Youth Exchange students this fall and would like to open it up to Rotarians that would host a student for a three month period. We have our first host families in place in the fall so are looking for the winter and spring. We have a boy from Taiwan who will be going to Hellgate and a girl from Austria who will be attending Big Sky. Please contact Martha Ripley at marthar@orimt.org if interested in being a host family this next year.

A Special Film Hip Hop Artist Emmanuel Jal

Rotary Meeting April 2, 2014

Greeters: Bob Homer/Barbara Wickel
Chair: Martha Ripley/Tim Furey

“Left home at the age of seven, one year later I’m carryin’ an AK-47.” His electrifying music crackles with both pain and hope. For hip hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war, these lyrics are hardly empty posturing. They are the bitter reality of a young man who was forged in the crucible of one of the world’s most cruel wars, “voices on my brain of friends that were slain…”

A visiting film crew discovered the eloquent and self possessed 7 year old refugee. The grim reality was beatings and brainwashing, fighting, living off vultures to avoid starvation and acting like animals themselves. Jal rose from ruthless child soldier to refugee to rap star where he finds his own redemption and life mission through a message of peace that represents one of the 21st centuries' most inspiring and hopeful journeys. An extraordinary and beautifully crafted film.

Rotary Signage: Rotary in Action Missoula

Rotary's giving grant is making a difference in our community. Thanks to Rotarians Scott Johnson & Rick Hilmes, the Missoula Senior Center project will soon be underway.

Missoula Community Chorus

Be prepared to be inspired by the Missoula Community Chorus choral singers as they share a few songs from their upcoming Spring concert May 9th. Directed by Ron Wilcott and accompanied on the piano by Alice Williams. Robin Roche-Rose will share how the Chorus got started in 2001.

The Missoula Community Chorus provides singers of all ages and abilities an opportunity to sing in a chorus without an audition. In addition to singing a wide variety of great choral music, they enjoy the relationships and friendships developed through participation in the chorus. The Missoula Community Chorus was founded to provide an educational, cultural, and recreational resource for individuals interested in singing and performing a wide range of great music. As a non-audition choir, they promote universal participation. They remain open to all interested people willing to make a personal commitment to quality musicianship in order that local audiences can enjoy high quality performances at reasonable or no cost. For information, contact Rotarian Martha Ripley.

Happy Birthday to You

If you were born in March, please sit at the birthday table this week.
Happy Birthday to Conor Smith, George Caras, Irma Russell, Julie Sirrs, Maureen Fleming, Michael Wangen, Robin Williams, and Tom Wilkins.

Tom Wilkins retires

Tom Wilkins, the outgoing club secretary/treasurer, was recognized at our March 5th meeting. Tom has served as secretary since the 2005-2006 Rotary year, and became treasurer in 2009.

Pictured (L-R): Tom with seven of the presidents he served - Lauretta Belts, Tom Wilkins, Dan Smith, Kathy Schulte, Conor Smith, Kevin Miltko, David Kinsey.

New Secretary Chosen

Leslie Wustrack was voted in as the new Secretary of Rotary Club of Missoula. Leslie has been a Rotarian since 1996 and serves on the board of Rotary Club of Missoula. A new treasurer will be appointed in the near future. If you are interested in the treasurer's position, contact a board member or the president.

Lewis & Clark Dictionary Delivery, Jan. 10th

Bob Hermes, Betty Robinson, Geoff Birnbaum, Bob Homer, George Stern, Alex Apostle, and Leslie Wustrack were the lucky Rotarians who delivered dictionaries to Lewis & Clark third-graders on January 10th. The children were enthused and excited to have their new books.

(L-R): George Stern, Alex Apostle

The Beatles visited Rotary Club of Missoula

John, Paul, Ringo, and George sang a "Hard Day's Night" at our meeting on February 26th.
It was difficult to keep all the fans in their seats.

The troopers were: (L-R) Paul Eichwald, Larry Gianchetta, Lewie Matelich, and Ray Round.

Goodbye Tom Wilkins

Not really. Tom's not leaving us; he just retired as Secretary/Treasurer of our club. Last week's meeting was his last as a board officer; this week welcome him as a 'regular' member.

Opportunity Resources: Meet our new CEO

Invitation from Opportunity Resources: all Rotarians are invited to an Open House on March 4, 4:30pm-6pm, to meet their new CEO, Jesse Dunn. No RSVP required. 2821 South Russell St.

Collaboration nets Missoula Senior Center a $75,000. HUD/CDBG program plus more

Rotary Club Of Missoula
P.O. Box 9290
Missoula, Montana 59807
missoularotary.org

MISSOULA SENIOR CENTER RECEIVES REMODEL GRANT

Collaboration will result in needed ADA compliance

February 21, 2014 (MISSOULA, MT.) A two-year collaboration between the Rotary Club of Missoula and the Missoula Senior Center (MSC) has finally resulted in the needed funding for an important remodel project for the MSC.

MSC Executive Administrator Michelle Hastings announced today that thanks to the Rotary Club of Missoula, the Senior Center has received a grant for $75,000. from the federal Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Hastings stated “the Senior Center, established in 1970, primarily serves Missoula’s senior population, ages 50+. Our men’s and women’s restrooms were not ADA compliant but we’re thrilled to announce that they will be soon.”

Hastings added “our facility has members that utilize wheelchairs or walkers for mobilization. The remodel will make all the difference in their general well-being at the Center.” She also stated “in addition, our facility, which offers programming from yoga to dominos, is available for rent to the general public. The new ADA compliant restrooms will help make the Center more useable and more attractive to everyone.”

Rotary Club of Missoula’s Scott Johnson worked with Hastings to write a grant for the funding. A Rotary general giving grant of $3,000. and a Missoula Walmart stores $1,000. grant combined with MSC’s $10k, and resulted in a grant of $75,000. from the HUD/CDBG program.

Bids for the project will be opened on March 6, 2014, at 3pm, at MSC, 705 S. Higgins. The project will begin on March 17, 2014, and is expected to take two months to complete. Missoula architect Rick Hilmes, a Rotary Club of Missoula member, donated his services for the project.

For more information, contact Leslie Wustrack, 619.559.7484, leslie.wustrack@gmail.com

####

Rotary Club of Missoula’s members are community leaders dedicated to the service of others – locally and globally.

An organization of 1.2 million members worldwide, the mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Rotarians Johnson and Hilmes: Missoula Senior Center bid opening, Thursday, March 6th

Join Rotarians Scott Johnson and Rick Hilmes at the Missoula Senior Center on Thursday, March 6th, at 3pm, for the Missoula Senior Center bid opening. Scott & Rick headed up a two-year collaboration of the Center and Rotary Club of Missoula to win a $75,000. HUD/CDBG program. Thanks to their hard work and commitment, the Missoula Senior Center will now have ADA compliant restrooms. Johnson will head up the project. Hilmes, a Missoula architect, donated his services to the project. The bid opening will be held at the Center, 705 S. Higgins.

The latest Paul Harris Fellows

At our March 5th club meeting, Conor Smith honored retiring County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg with a Paul Harris. To view all the recent Paul Harris Fellows, visit this page on the website.

Welcome to New Member: Ray Round

The Rotary Club of Missoula inducted new member, Ray Round, Senior V.P. and Financial Advisor, D.A. Davidson. A Montana native, Ray is an engaged community member and dedicated husband and father.

Paul Harris Fellows presented on January 29th

Congratulations to two Rotary Club of Missoula members who were presented with Paul Harris Fellowship pins. The number of fellowships each has received is in parenthesis following their names: (L-R) Robert Minto (2,3) and Diane Dawson (2).

Missoula Businesswomen's Network Symposium Booth, January 25

President Lauretta Belts and Board member Leslie Wustrack staffed a booth representing all three Missoula Rotary clubs at the recent all-day Missoula Businesswomen's Network Symposium. Great contacts and connections were made. The booth materials represented us well and awareness of Rotary and its mission was spread. Thanks to Rotarian & MBN member Martha Ripley who joined us and Rotarian Miranda Ming (a MBN committee co-chair).

Paul Harris Fellows presented on January 22nd

Congratulations to the following Rotarians who received Paul Harris Fellowship pins at our recent meeting. The number of fellowships received per person is in parenthesis following their name. From (L-R): Dan Lambros (4), Faye Warren (1), and Jim Hutcheson (3).

Montana Rep

The Montana Repertory Theatre opening night gala event is Friday, January 24th at the Montana Theatre. The production company will present: The Miracle Worker by William Gibs. For more information contact Susan Hays-Patrick at United Way at susan@missoulaunitedway.org or Greg Johnson greg.johnson@mso.umt.edu If 10 Rotarians put together a table, each seat will only cost $50.

Membership Directory

The membership directory is in the process of being updated. If contact revisions are needed, forms are available on our luncheon tables or email mpeissig@alphagraphics.com. To have your photograph taken, see Martha Ripley at a meeting or go to Alphagraphics, 1947 South Avenue West.

Paul Harris Fellows presented on January 15th

The following Rotarians received Paul Harris Fellowships at our recent meeting. The number of fellowships per person is in parenthesis following their name. From (L-R): Kevin Miltko (7), Tom Wilkins (7), Betty Wilkins (7), Kathy Schulte (2), Dave Mihalic (5), Doug Klein (3), Tim Furey (5), Rick Oncken (1), and Fran Albrecht (4).

Missoula Rotary Foundation

At the end of 2013, fifteen generous Rotarians contributed a total of $8200. to the local Rotary Foundation Endowment Fund A hearty thanks to all of you. We exceeded our goal of $5000. The Endowment fund now has $56,700. We also have 8 "Percys"--Rotarians who have contributed a cumulative total of $2000. to the Endowment Fund. They will be recognized at a meeting soon.

Missoula Rotary Clubs host a booth at Missoula Businesswomen's Symposium, Sat., Jan. 25th

Missoula Rotary Clubs will have a booth at the annual Missoula Businesswomen's Symposium, on Saturday, January 25th, at the UC on the UM campus. If you're attending the conference, your help would be appreciated in manning the booth for a short period. Contact President Lauretta Belts, lauretta.belts@gmail.com or Leslie Wustrack, leslie.wustrack@gmail.com.

Missoula Sunrise Rotary hosts Annual Ethics Seminar

Led by facilitator Karen McNenny, this year's Ethics Seminar will be held on February 6th, 8am-12noon, at the Holiday Inn Downtown. Community leaders, business professionals, and students will discuss real life ethical decison-making and the application of Rotary's 4-Way Test in everyday situations. For more information and to register, visit www.MissoulaSunriseRotary.org.

Fellowship event at Zootown Brew Coffee Shop, Feb. 7th

Mayor Engen gives Q&A on January 8th

Mayor Engen gave excellent insight into the 'state' of Missoula and its current and upcoming projects. The well-attended meeting was filled with thirsty-for-knowledge Rotarians. Thanks Mayor Engen.

End Polio Now Campaign

The December 18th meeting was a culmination of the Griz-Cat Challenge to END POLIO NOW. David Kinsey, Rotary Foundation Chair, Lauretta Belts, and Bozeman Club President present a check for the Rotary International's Polio Plus campaign. Rotary Club of Missoula, Missoula Centennial, and Bozeman Rotary Clubs raised $22k. That amount will be matched, 2 to 1, by the Gates Foundation for a grand total of $67,000.

Have yourself a merry, little Christmas and a happy new year. Meetings resume on January 8th.

Missoula County Partnership Health Center

President Lauretta Belts and Mayor John Engen presented a $5,000 check from Rotary Club of Missoula to Kim Mansch of Missoula County Partnership Health Center to benefit their dental program for low income families.

Ho ho ho Merry Christmas...the sparkle in Betty's eye says it all

Greeters at Rotary

Every week, we'll have Rotarian greeters at the door to welcome our members & guests. If you'd like to sign up, please see Betty Robinson.
February 12 - Diane Dawson/Jim Hutcheson
February 19 - David Sandee/Cate Sundeen
February 26 - Stephen Mauer/Rikki Sanders
March 5 - Bob Homer/Geoff Birnbaum
March 12 - Jon Lange/Julie Sirrs
March 19 - Leslie Wustrack
March 26 - Cate Sundeen
April 2 - Bob Homer
April 9 - Martha Ripley

Author Todd Wilkinson discusses Ted Turner

Our guest speaker on December 4th gave an excellent talk about his biography of Montana rancher/environmentalist/media mogul Ted Turner. It was a tremendously interesting program and well-attended by club members. Todd brought a few books for sale and they were sold immediately. If you're interested in purchasing an autographed copy, ask at the meeting.

Photo: (L-R) Todd Wilkinson, Paul Eichwald

Hopefully a Celebration on December 18th: Did the Griz Rotarians beat the Cat Rotarians?

The jury is still out until the numbers are released. But thanks to all our members, the team of Rotary Club of Missoula & Missoula Centennial Rotary raised almost $18,000. in the fight to END POLIO NOW. Yeah Team. Who is this guy?

Paul Harris Fellows presented on October 16th.

The following Rotarians were honored as Paul Harris Fellows: John Talbot received his seventh, Charlie Bloom received his sixth, John Browne and George Olsen each received their third, and Ray Murray received his second. At a $1000. donation per fellowship, this equates to $21,000. donated to the Rotary International Foundation.

(L-R): Ray, John, Charlie, George, & John.

Paul Harris Fellows presented on October 9th.

Ten Paul Harris Fellows were awarded at our Club's meeting on October 9th. Bob Homer, Ellie Hill, and Leslie Wustrack received their first. Jerry Thane, Kirk Ingold, Mike Wengen, and Twila Wolfe received their second. Martha Ripley received her third. Allan Pickens and Louis Knudsen received their fifth. At $1000. per Paul Harris, this represents $24,000. given to the Rotary International Foundation.

Photo (L-R): Kurt Ingold, Twila Wolfe, Mike Wengen, Leslie Wustrack, Allan Pickens, Lauretta Belts, Jerry Thane, Bob Homer, Louie Knudsen, Elllie Hill, Martha Ripley.

Ground-Breaking Ceremony at the New Tom Roy Youth Guidance Home

Monday, October 21st @ 11 a.m.
All Rotarians are invited to join Youth Homes for the Commencement of Construction of the New Tom Roy Youth Guidance Home.
2824 West Central, Missoula. Please RSVP to Ramey Kodadek by email: rkodadek@youthhomesmt.org or phone: 406.541.1642

END POLIO NOW EVENT PHOTOS

Dinner fellowship at Betty's: Rock Cornish Game Hens with a fun group.

Sipping In Style at Montgomery Distillery, November 12.
Enviable fashion show by Laurel Creek.

END POLIO NOW Marketing Campaign Thank You's

Thank you for the generous support and contribution to our marketing campaign:
Rotarian David Bell, Fuel Montana
Rotarian Lori Cummings, Missoula Centennial
Rotarian Doug Klein
Rotarian Bob Hermes, KPAX
Charter Communications (Annelise Hedahl)
Rotarian Dolores Bandow
KECI (Richard Reingold)
Missoula Symphony (John Driscoll)
Rotarian Mike Peissig, AlphaGraphics
Rotarian Conor Smith, First Solution
Jed Dennison, Mercantile Bldg
Big Prints Plus, Randy Stekly

END POLIO NOW Campaign Kickoff with UM Griz Cheer Squad

Many thanks to the UM Griz Cheer Squad who volunteered their time to help raise money for our END POLIO NOW campaign kickoff. Competitive games ensued and a fun time was had by all. In just 20 minutes $228 was raised for the cause.

Rotaract

Ract-201

End Polio Now Banner - We're 'This Close'

Many thanks to Mike Peissig, Alphagraphics, for producing and donating the PolioPlus signage.

Wednesday, Sept. 18th - End Polio Now Campaign with Mayor Engen

Please come early to this week's meeting. Fun & games begin at 11:30 a.m. Get ready for a little competition and a good dose of camaraderie.

Fourth Annual Old West Autumn Fest

Volunteers/Sponsors Needed: Contact Rotarian Tim Furey to volunteer or sponsor the ‘Fourth Annual Old West Autumn Fest,’ Saturday, September 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Opportunity Ranch in Frenchtown. This fun event for all ages will benefit Opportunity Resources, an organization serving individuals with disabilities for over 58 years. For more information about the event: Opportunity Resources

Ohe Rotary Club

In August, Club President Lauretta Belts presented a Rotary Club of Missoula banner to visiting students from Ohe, Japan. Below is a photograph of the Ohe Rotary Club’s members in Japan holding the banner.

Wednesday, Sept. 11th - All Missoula Municipal Judge candidates

Incumbent Kathleen Jenks,Leta Womack (Montana Public Defenders office), and Mark McLaverty (Attorney, McLaverty & Associates) will all be present and stating their platforms. Time will be available during our regularly scheduled meeting for questions and answers.

Speaker Highlight - August 28, 2013

Roger Peterson, Public Affairs Officer, US Forest Service, "The Nez Perce National Historic Trail."

Congress passed the National Trails System Act in 1968, establishing a framework for a nationwide system of scenic, recreational, and historic trails. The Nez Perce (Nimíipuu or Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail stretches from Wallowa Lake, Oregon, to the Bear Paw Battlefield near Chinook, Montana. It was added to this system by Congress as a National Historic Trail in 1986.

The 1877 flight of the Nez Perce from their homelands while pursued by U.S. Army Generals Howard, Sturgis, and Miles, is one of the most fascinating and sorrowful events in Western U.S. history. Chief Joseph, Chief Looking Glass, Chief White Bird, Chief Ollokot, Chief Lean Elk, and others led nearly 750 Nez Perce men, women, and children and twice that many horses over 1,170 miles through the mountains, on a trip that lasted from June to October of 1877.

Sarah Gravlee Presents to Club.

Sarah Gravlee is ABC FOX MONTANA NEWS' News Director and Anchor. She let us know what a typical day as a news anchor is like in Missoula at our July 24th meeting. Thanks Doug Smith for some very entertaining speakers this month.

Conor Smith receives Paul Harris

Dudley Anderson presented a Paul Harris to Conor Smith for his service last year as President Lauretta Belts shared stories of his success. Thanks Conor for your continued service to Rotary.

International Choral Festival

Many thanks to all the Rotarians who hosted and drove people around for the International Choir Festival. Pictured is the Meng Choir from China who performed for us July 28th. They were fabulous.

International Peace Park

If you are planning to attend the annual International Peace Park Assembly in Waterton, Alberta, Canada in September, please remember to register soon. You can use the link in this message or go to our district web site at www.montanarotary.org. Look under District Events and click on the Peace Park name to open a page with additional information.

Event	Peace Park Assembly 2013
Date	Sep 13, 2013 - Sep 15, 2013
Fee	$100 Canadian
Location	Waterton Park
View Map	Waterton, AB Canada
Details	The 2013 Peace Park Assembly will be held in the town of Waterton and hosted by Canadian Rotarians. Registration is by mail-in OR ON-LINE.You can download a copy of the mail-in form or use this direct-link: 2013 PEACE PARK REGISTRATION A copy of the agenda is now available under Related Files on the Peace Park event page on the District web site. The Rotary rate for the hotels/motels will expire on August 1st. If you are planning to attend the Assembly, make sure you have reserved your room before then.

President Lauretta Belts

Pictured is Lauretta Belts our President for the 2013-14 year. She shared with us her vision for Rotary and how we are "this close" to eradicating Polio in the world. Lauretta got the chance to attend Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal this year. I'm sure pictures and a story are coming soon.

Ty Robinson

97 Years Strong - Ty Robinson spoke to Rotary on July 3 about his experiences with working with the US Navy and especially Admiral Chester Nimitz. Thanks Ty for your continued service to Rotary and Missoula.

Ty Robinson is a 3 time Paul Harris Fellow, Benefactor and an active Rotarian since August 1949.

End of the Year Party

A great turnout at the June 19th end of the Rotary year gathering and fundraisers. Many thanks so our sponsors and All Events Catering for the great food. Many thanks to Dan Smith for his wonderful piano playing as well.

All (223) Membership (1) Rotary (1) Thanks (1)