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Rotary Club of Casper WY
Meeting Summary
01/26/2015
President Bill DeGraeve called the meeting to order at 12:34 welcoming all Rotarians and guests to Rotary.
Inspiration, Pledge, 4-Way Test:
Andrew Beyeler
Greeters:
Andrew Beyeler and Bill DeVore were our greeters, Andrew introduced guests:
Jim Grenfell introduced Brenda Sanders;
Martha Rakestraw introduced Tom Moseley, her sister Oleta Thomas, Assistant Principal from NCHS Pete Owen, SOM Mom Carla Realing and Paige Bushnell friend of our SOM;
Eric Easton introduced parents of our other SOM, Wayne and Stacie Heili;
Our Speaker, Leah Reeb introduced her family members, Grandparents John and Marie Maher and parents John and Norine Reeb;
Andrew introduced our exchange student Giulia;
Song and merriment:
Pinky Ellis treated us to a good chuckle and then Mark Owens led us in singing “God Bless America” with Brenda Peters on the piano. Martha Rakestraw then led us in singing “Cowboy Joe”
Family of Rotary:
President Bill asked for an update on Gary Pehrson who had been in the hospital, no word. John Starnes announced that Brenda Eichoff-Johnson’s mom passed away this past week and services will be later this week.
Blue Badge Presentation:
Dave Elmer received his blue badge today, congratulations.
Sponsorship Pin Presentation:
Don Harris received his sponsorship pin for sponsoring Brian Oliver;
Announcements:
Dusty Johnson announced that February 13th will be our Foundation Dinner and will be a great time. You can sign up electronically or there are signup sheets on your tables.
Classification Talks:
Today we heard from our Rotarian John Watson, he is the owner of Casper Care Solutions, is a 2nd generation Casper Native and also a 2nd Generation Rotarian as his Grandfather was a Rotarian for many years. He has two daughters who he is very proud of. He first came to Rotary as a networking opportunity but it didn’t take long for him to realize what Rotary is all about. He learned a little while working for Deb and Gene Theriault when he was younger but after getting involved he has learned a lot more. He said his cousin Charles Schoenwolf always told him that the most important thing in life is creating memories because at the end of the day that’s all you have left. He is thankful for the memories he is creating in Rotary and thanks Stan Lowe for sponsoring him.
Announcements:
Bill DeGraeve had Mandy George stand up and announced that she is taking care of the prizes for the Foundation Dinner and needs people to donate prizes for the games and door prizes. She thanked everyone for all of their generosity so far and is very pleased with all of the help.
Students of the Month:
We had two great students from NCHS today, Riley Realing and William Heili;
Classification Talks:
Kevin Christopherson introduced himself to us today; he is a Casper native, born to Phil and Violet Christopherson. He is on the School Board and gets to sign the diplomas of the graduates this year. He told us that in High School he forgot to take off his boots after checking his trap lines one morning and ended up skunking the school. He graduated from KWHS and then joined his dad at his business, PC Transport which he still runs with his Mom. As a young man Kevin taught himself to pilot hang gliders by jumping off of a cliff which nearly cost him his life but he got better at it. He got into competition hang gliding and discovered Whiskey Peak where he felt he could break some world records if he did it right. In 1988 he flew from there into Montana for a record 224 mile flight then the following year he broke that record by flying into South Dakota for a 245 mile flight. Then he flew into SD again for a whopping 287 mile flight which made him very famous in the hang gliding world. He did speak with the Rotary Club about Hang Gliding back then as well. That was in 1989 when he was having a great time and then his Dad was killed tragically in an airplane crash and so he had to shift his life around and help with the company. He built his own home where he still lives, is raising his kids to enjoy sports and life. He was invited to attend Leadership Wyoming where they preach a lot about trusteeship and giving back to your community and so got more interested in giving back more so he ran for the School District which has become a second job and a lot of work. He thanked Anthony Martinez for introducing him to Rotary and said that if anyone is interested in flying he has a sail plane, planes and hang gliders and has donated a ride in his sail plane as a prize at the Foundation Dinner.
Program:
John Starnes introduced our speaker today, Leah Reebgrwho was here to speak with us about her Grandfather and his role in the civil rights movement which was shown in the movie Selma. Her Grandfather, Reverends James Reeb, was killed in Selma back in 1965.She told us that the movie Selma which was released on January 14th chronicled three months of the civil rights movement in Selma Alabama and her Grandfather’s role and murder. This March will mark the 50th anniversary of the marches in Selma, the murder of her Grandfather and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 so the timing of the movie was perfect. She then showed us a clip of the film which is well worth seeing. James Rape was born January 1, 1927 in Wichita KS to Harry and Mae Rape. The name Rape was the anglicized version of Reeb. From 1933 to 1936 James suffered from rheumatic fever and was a very weak and sickly child. He had a thin frame and crossed eyes so he stood out. His family raised him in a good Christian home and proved to be a strong student. In 1942 the family moved to Casper WY where Harry worked for WATCO for many years. James went to school at NCHS and was a very passionate well-spoken and friendly young man who was also focused on the underdog. In 1944 he had surgery to correct his eye problem and he joined ROTC where he moved up the ranks. He also found a home at church and preached when called upon. In 1945 he graduated from NCHS and he knew from his life what it was like to belong and to not belong. After graduation he was heavily involved with the local churches as well as the Casper Boy’s Club which was focused on helping young boys who were often underprivileged and often minorities. In 1945 he joined the military and his letters home often focused on his work in the Churches where he was stationed and when in California he began to see the divide between the races. He started classes at Casper Junior College and that is where he met his wife, Marie. In 1947 he went to a Lutheran college in MN and was remembered for his concern for other human beings. While at College he discovered a thief and he had to take the young man in front of the board to prosecute him as part of his job, instead he defended the young man and got him a second chance. These types of stories really show what type of a man he was. In preparation to enter theology he decided to change his name to Reeb and later his parents also changed their name. In 1950 he married Marie and the young couple moved to New Jersey where he started his studies at Princeton. He was ordained a minister a year and a half later and served in many callings and churches. In 1952 they had their first child, Leah’s father John. While serving as a Chaplain he got to know many people of many races and then in July of 1957 he became the youth director of the local YMCA where he worked with many young blacks and had many board members he worked with who were also black. He became quick friends with many of them. He did a lot of great things at the club to help many people and to get the community involved. This led him to more interest in social activism within the ministry. In 1959 they moved to Washington DC with their then two children and while there they had two more children. While there he took care of many people and became well known for his service. He accomplished many great things while there; working with the minorities and trying to get them recognized as human beings. In 1964 he accepted a new position working with a ghetto in Boston to try to better the situation there. He moved his family right into the middle of the ghetto so they could help and his children then became the minority. While in Boston he saw on TV the horrible happenings of Bloody Sunday in Selma Alabama on March 7, 1965 where people were attacked and killed for marching for equal rights. The next day he received a call from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and so he hopped on a plane to go help. On Tuesday March 9, he arrived in Selma along with many others who wanted to participate in peaceful marches. Thursday they marched but stopped on the opposite side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge there they were met by Police on the opposite side of the bridge and were commanded to stop so they knelt and prayed then returned to the church. James was supposed to return home that evening but after listening to Dr. King asking for those who could to remain and help he decided to stay. He then had dinner at an integrated restaurant called Walkers Café in downtown Selma with some other ministers and while walking back they took a wrong turn and were confronted by 4 men who attacked them. James received a club to the head; it took four hours to get him to a hospital because of a flat tire and other disturbing events. He was rushed into surgery but only survived for two days. His death made national news because of how a white minister was attacked while in Selma. His death became the focus of every newspaper which triggered an uproar across the nation. It took a White man’s murder to bring the attention to civil rights that was needed. His death played no small part in the President putting the Voting Rights Act before Congress that week. On March 14, 1965 President Johnson addressed the nation and spoke about James and his sacrifice. The following April the four men who attacked James and the other two ministers were identified and arrested. They bailed out immediately and then in December 1965 they were acquitted of the charges in just 90 minutes by an all-white jury. Soon after his death and memorial services the family moved back to Casper. He had requested that after his death he be returned to Casper, his ashes were spread over the Shirley Basin. He has been honored across the nation for his sacrifice and there are statues and plaques that honor him. He was a great young man who practiced compassion for everyone.
President Bill DeGraeve adjourned the meeting at 1:37 with the ring of the bell,
“Light Up Rotary”
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