Cheers to a new year! Thank you Past-President Caryn Adams for an amazing year. The distinguished group of Past Presidents of this club has another leader in their ranks. We have continued to bless this community and each other as we entered the season of COVID-19. Through social-distancing, masks and quarantine, we kept our mission moving forward. The switch to virtual meetings was jarring for some of us but we figured it out. That’s what Rotarians do. We figure it out. We figure it out on a level that inspires others. This organization is a bright light for good in our community. Past-President Caryn, through your leadership we had a very successful year. Thank you to the Rotarians that faithfully served on the 2019-2020 Board of Directors. What’s next you ask? I’ll tell you all about on Friday 😊. (https://youtu.be/AvREbSdKExg)
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone that’s coming to the in-person meeting on Friday. It will be nice to be in your company again…with caution. For those joining us from cyberspace, please use the Zoom link.
Now we can applaud the first big win of the 2020-2021 Rotary year! Together we celebrate our humble contribution to making the World a better place through Sarah Harper-Johnston.
District 5470’s 2020/2021 Global Grant Scholar is Sarah Harper-Johnston. She initially became involved with Rotary almost ten years ago. Sarah hails from Crested Butte, Colorado. She was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student for her junior year of high school in Denmark. In September 2020, she will be studying at Trinity College Dublin to pursue a Master of Philosophy degree in Race, Ethnicity and Conflict, with the support of Rotary International.
Sarah owes her extensive international experience and interest in global affairs to the life changing experience in Denmark. After graduating high school, she moved to Paris, France and studied at the American University of Paris. There she majored in Global Communications with a focus in both Film Studies and Political Communications. Sarah graduated with honors and was the Undergraduate Student President. She then joined the Peace Corps.
Sarah served two years in a rural town outside Yangon, Myanmar, where she volunteered as an English Teacher trainer with the Peace Corps. After completing service in March 2020, Sarah intends to pursue a M.Phil degree in Race, Ethnicity, and Conflict and focus her dissertation on the ethnic conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Once completing the degree, she will seek further research in ethnic conflict and genocide prevention to move towards a career in international human rights.
We are proud to have Sarah as our Global Grant Scholarship recipient and are excited to follow her experiences at both Trinity and at her Rotary Host Club in Dublin. Congratulations, Sarah!!!
Dr. Thomas will be Program Chair for the new year. He plans to bring a variety of inspiring, educational and topical programs every Friday. And he welcomes input and ideas for insuring the high quality and success of our Friday programs.
Thank you to those who registered to attend our Friday meeting at The Antlers! If you are one of the Zoomers, the link to virtually attend our meeting is included in the email you received from Claudine.
For those in attendance at the Antlers, we are required to wear masks. Those masks need to be used except while eating. Please know that we are trying to accommodate Rotarians while taking into account all of the safety measures that need to be followed to ensure our club stays healthy! Seating will be staged to include proper socially distanced chairs and food will be plated.
Another concern that some club members have mentioned is how to greet each other, especially because we haven't seen each other in person for so long! So the guidelines are as follows: Handshaking and hugging will spread potential germs. So the club has adopted an elbow-bumping technique for greeting and minimal touching. And we want pictures of the club doing the elbow bump!
*The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs and The Antlers have put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, the Club nor the Antlers can guarantee that you or your guests will not become infected with COVID-19. Further, attending the in-person meetings could increase your risk and your guest's risk of contracting COVID-19. By RSVP'ing to in-person meetings you are acknowledging the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk of exposure.
This waiver will remain effective until laws and mandates relevant to COVID-19 are lifted.*
You are invited to participate in the Craig & Kyle Whitney Memorial Golf Tournament at Colorado Springs Country Club! Golfers must register by August 1, 2020 at kylewhitneygolf.com. We look forward to seeing you on August 31st!
Topic: Community Service Meeting, Rotary Club of Colorado Springs
Time: Jul 17, 2020 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join the Community Service Committee for our first meeting of the 2020-2021 year via Zoom. We will discuss projects typically planned for the year as well as future projects members may want to pursue.
Thirteen years supporting School District 11 and Rotary service projects!
We’ve come so far through time, improving and innovating every year. As the primary fundraiser for our club, we have raised well over one million dollars for these projects. Even though we have been constrained this year due to COVID-19, we are forging ahead with our plans. The artists have started creating their pieces and are sending us pictures and videos of their work in progress. We will have them on our new website in a couple weeks. We’ll let you know when it’s live.
As to the event, it is scheduled for September 26th at the Boot Barn next to Bourbon Brothers on the north side of town. We are building as much flexibility as possible into our plans so we can accommodate various scenarios. Right now, it looks like we will have a hybrid event, that is limited attendance in person as well as a virtual, live-streamed opportunity to participate. What all that looks like is still in the planning stages and we will report to you as we go along.
Now for some things we need from you. Our new website will have a history page called “Through the Years.” We want to include memories, factoids and other historical information as well as any pictures we can find. If you would be willing to share your Flight experiences and history with us, we’d be grateful. If you have a creation (or several!) of your own and will share some history and pictures, they would be appreciated. You can contact any of the Flight committee members including Caryn, Rodney and Claudine for further information.
Also, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about next year. All of us on the Flight committee want to make sure this project is successful for many years to come. So, we are looking for members who would be interested in joining Flight next year and would be willing to shadow our committee this year to learn the ropes (and butterflies!). Some of the opportunities are Artist Management, Fabrication, Sponsorships/Partnerships, Logistics, Website, Marketing, Video/Photography, Silent Auction, Live Auction, Raffle and of course, Co-Chairs. Many in our committee will stay on for another year or at least be involved in some way but just in case, we want to be prepared. It takes a Rotary village to make Flight 2020 a success and we need you!
Today at the bank, an elderly lady asked me to help check her balance. So I pushed her over.
I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with, but I've been tripping all day.
I told my girlfriend she drew her eyebrows too high. She seemed surprised.
My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot. It got so bad, finally I had to take his bike away.
I'm so good at sleeping. I can do it with my eyes closed.
Kathleen's Korner
Hello my fellow Rotarians!
I am so excited to see some of you this Friday, even in masks! It's been a very long time since we were together in the same room!
One of my favorite quotes is so Rotary-centric:
"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Lily Tomlin
We are all such unique individuals but that quote shows me where our passions overlap and we find our common ground. Service Above Self! I have been a Rotarian for nearly 8 years now and I have been so inspired by you. We have a plethora of truly remarkable club members!
For those attending the meeting at the Antlers this Friday, please remember to wear your masks except when you are eating and start practicing the elbow-bump! It will be an interesting albeit hug-less and handshake-less meeting.
For those attending the meeting through Zoom, well, you don't even have to wear pants!! #Lucky
Warning: Dad jokes ahead ►
