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Minutes from January 30, 2017

 
 

The Casper Rotary Club

This weeks meeting will be held
Monday February 6, 2017
at The Parkway Plaza
123 West E Street
Casper, WY 82601
 
 
 
Greeters: Kodi Merschat & Tom Crull

 

Inspiration: Gary Pehrson

Program: Blaine Christiansen- Casper Rotary Foundation

 

 
 

 
Rotary Club of Casper WY
Meeting Summary
1/30/2017 
 
President Elect Richard Schwahn called the meeting to order at 12:30, welcoming everyone to today’s meeting. 
Inspiration, Pledge, 4-Way Test:
Dan Odell
 
Greeters:
Deanna Frey and Jeff Johnson were the greeters today, and Deanna introduced the members who brought guests:
  • Rob Lemka, visiting Rotarian from Reveille Rotary;
  • Roxy Skogen, visiting Rotarian from Five Trails Rotary;
  • Greta Hindeiliter, visiting Rotarian from Reveille Rotary;
  • Maribeth Plocek introduced Sarah Johnson, Michael Foland & Mark Melman;
  • Kodi Merschat introduced Elissa Ruckle;
  • Mandy George introduced Ryan Hauck;
  • Lisa Hubbard introduced Michael Hoffman;
  • Dusty Johnson introduced Student of the Month parents, Des & Carrie Bennion and Casi Rush
  • Tobby and Claudia, the club’s exchange students, were introduced;
Song:
Gary Pehrson led us in singing “America the Beautiful”
 
New Member Induction:
Tara Short welcomed new member, Kimberly Manchego, sponsored by Dan Odell, by reciting the Rotary Induction Ceremony.
 
Family of Rotary:
Richard Schwahn shared a slide show of his daughter, Madeline, who is the club’s outbound exchange student.  Richard reported that she is in the Netherlands and is doing very well.
Don Harris fell and is now in the hospital.  It was reported that nothing was broken.  He has requested no visitors or phone calls.
Martha Rakestraw is struggling with several physical issues at this time and is unable to drive.  She would love cards, visits and phone calls.
Liz Becher is in Missouri with her ailing father.
Marie Robertson, wife of Rob Robertson is in Hospice.  She will be celebrating her birthday this week.  It would be wonderful for club members to send her cards.
Brenda Peters is at LifeCare at this time and is doing very well.  She estimates being in there for another couple of weeks and would love cards, visits and calls.
 
 
Rotarians of the Week:
Susan Griffith gave the club an update on Roosevelt’s Interact Club.  They have been active with putting together gifts for children that are staying at the Mission during the holidays.
Deanna Frey was nominated for helping with distribution at King’s Corner.
Denise Prugh and her husband were nominated for organizing a Ski Train at Winterpark.
Liz Becher was nominated for organizing a great Winter Exchange Student Orientation.  Some of the activities that she arranged for the exchange students were skiing, snowboarding, Jump Craze, movies at Adbay, visiting the Historic Trails Center and shopping downtown.  Liz wanted to thank the following for their help: Steve Loftin, Hal Hutchinson, Mark an Janet Owens, Jim and Ann Ruble, Richard and Michelle Schwahn, LisaHulshizer, Don Luke, Vladimir Vangelov,  Ryan and Amber McCormick (currently hosting Tobby), DG Barb Redder and Don Redder, AGE Wayne Heili, Brain McCash, Rob Lempka, Christine Vencil, Connie Woehl, Carolyn Griffith, Lisa Scroggins, Kevin Hawley, Jackie Schulte, John Vencil, Ed Berg and exchange students Clod, Tobby, Juho and Celine.
Dan Odell nominated the 4 members that helped pack food last week at the Food Bank of the Rocky Mountains. 
Dan Odell was nominated for organizing the workers for the Food Bank.
Dennis Gazdiewich was nominated for supporting the Rotoract Club by attending one of their functions.
 
Students of the Month:
Both TiLynn Rush from Roosevelt High School and Kelli Bennion from Kelly Walsh High School were honored as the Rotary Students of the Month for January 2017.
 
Announcements:
 
Rotary Leadership Institute will be held March 24 & 25 and is highly recommended for any member who would like to learn more about Rotary.
The Casper Rotary Foundation Dinner and Auction will be held February 10, 2017 at the Ramkota.  They are still in need of donated raffle items and volunteers for the evening.  Contact Mandy George.
Craig Valdez spoke about Leadership Wyoming and a program that they are doing named Kindness Wyoming.  February 12 – 18, track all kind acts done.  Go to: kindnesswyoming.org for more information.
Rob Lempka, from Reveille Rotary, informed the club about a fundraiser that Reveille is hosting, Mardigras Bingo, February 28. From 6-8pm at the Casper Senior Center.  Proceeds will go to Wyoming Dementia Care.    
 
Program (Jessica Lippincott and Andrew Rossi of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center):
Richard Schwahn introduced our speakers today, Andrew Rossi and Jessica Lippincott from the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Dig Site.  Together they presented “The Past, Present and Future of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center”.  Andrew informed the club that more dinosaur remains have been found in Wyoming than in any other state beginning in the late 1800’s.  He referred to Wyoming as the “Real Jurassic Park”.  Starting in 1901 the bones that were found in Wyoming were taken out of state and assembled in different locations. Nowadays, Wyoming dinosaurs are the centerpiece exhibits in many museums around the world.  In the last 150 years, Wyoming has lost a lot and usually does not get credit for the finds.  The Wyoming Dinosaur Center was founded in 1995 so that Wyoming dinosaurs can be housed and displayed.  Andrew went on to say the in its 20 years of existence the Wyoming Dinosaur Center has handled 10,000 dinosaur bones and is now considered one of the finest dinosaur museums in the world.  They want to bring the public into the world of Paleontology and to create a unique educational experience.  At this time they are raising funds for a new building that will be located next to the interstate.  They are working to create a building that is not only LEED Certified but a Net Zero Building with the Living Building Challenge.  Andrew stated that the mission of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center is to show people the grandeur of what has been collected while adding a personal touch.  Jessica Lippincott is in charge of the education program at the museum.  She discussed the variety of programs that the museum offers, such as, Dig for a Day and Dinosaur Assembly.   They ended by saying that the ground breaking for the new building will be April 22, 2017.
  
President Elect Richard Schwahn concluded the meeting at 1:28 and reminded us that next week we will be here again at the Parkway Plaza.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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