I'm surprisingly at my final "President's Message" -- as most past-presidents told me at the beginning, it's over before you know it and you've just figured out what's going on when June arrives.
First of all, my thanks to the membership for your support and participation over the past year. Your board of directors has been very active and helped to keep us on track. Many of them are carrying over to Ron Rubin's board for 17-18 so I know it will be a good year coming up.
My thanks to you for helping us earn the Rotary International Presidential Citation for 16-17 -- Membership increases and retention; Foundation General Fund and Polio Plus support; New Generations support with youth exchange, RYLA, and our new Interact club at Palmer HS; plus humanitarian service to our local and international communities.
I hope the weekly programs proved informative and meaningful for you. That's the one thing I look forward to at our weekly meetings -- learning about something new in our community.
My best wishes to Ron Rubin for a most successful 2017-18 Presidency. Again, my thanks for your personal encouragement to see me through my presidency. Thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to serving the club as a past-president.
My sponsor invited me to Rotary after I cold called him about renting some of his office space and he asked about my business. I was thrilled to read that Rotary is a community service club without ethnic or religious affiliation. The more I learned about both the local and international works of Rotary the more I desired to join. Having had the opportunity to attend several lunches, listen to the speakers and talk to members I am excited to join the downtown club. I am beginning to see why my grandfather was so proud to be a member in Anniston Alabama.
I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit and have lived in various parts of the country and internationally. My bachelor’s degree is in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Finding a career out of college was difficult so I went back to school and received a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico. In the twilight of that career I met my wonderful wife Molly who helped me transition to business. We have moved around the country together a little following her career while I have been working from home and taking care of our two kids. I am the CEO and Director of Western Operations for Cottaquilla Copper LLC. We are brokers between the manufacturers of copper furnishings and end users. Our products are made in Mexico and we facilitate their sale and import. I look forward to volunteering in our community and getting to know new people in Rotary International. Thank you for all of your good work.
(Thought I'd give you a sneak peak on an update from our district's Peace Fellow studying in Australia)
Greetings, Rotary District 5470!
I hope this finds you all well, and that everyone is finally enjoying weather comparable to that in Down Undah! I heard about how much snow Colorado got during the spring season, and I must say I was especially grateful to be removed in the subtropical part of the world!
For those of you who don’t know, my name is Katsa (Shea) Brenneman, and I was selected as a 2017 Rotary Peace Fellow, which means that for a year and a half, I’ll be studying to obtain a master’s degree in international peace and conflict resolution at one of the six Rotary Peace Centres around the world. I am one of ten candidates at the University of Queensland, where the Rotary has covered my travel expenses, tuition, and accommodation! There is not likely to be another fellowship as generous as the Rotary Peace Fellowship, and I would highly recommend that Rotarians continue to inform anyone they might know who would be motivated to apply for this program!
That being said, I wanted to write a brief update about my time thus far in Queensland, Australia to keep you all apprised of what I am learning during my master’s program. During the first six months, I found a great house-share with some Canadian med-school students, met my lovely 2017 Rotary Fellows cohort, and learned to interpret a lot of Aussie slang, including: fair dinkum! (that’s true); I’m getting up at the sparrow’s fart! (I’m getting up early); good on ya! (good for you); and bonzer mate! (happy for you). At the University of Queensland, my courses included intro to peace and conflict studies, mediation, and conflict resolution. The courses traversed culture and history, analysing different approaches to conflict around the world, and how best to accommodate different worldviews in the interest of resolution or relationship transformation. But beyond that, my classmates, who represent everywhere from Russia, to Myanmar, to South Sudan, and everywhere in between, have shared invaluable perspectives and personal testimonies with conflict and its resolution.
As I look ahead, I am excited for a second semester of courses, followed by a compulsory three-month internship that I can undertake anywhere in the world to gain further experience with conflict resolution efforts and career options. I already feel unbelievably fortunate to have participated in the first part of this program, and I am excited beyond words to embark on the continued journey that lies ahead! I will definitely keep in touch with District 5470, since you are my home district, after all!
Please know that you are never forgotten, and that I am undyingly grateful for this opportunity, and for the way it will shape and transform me the rest of my life. Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll be sure to write with another update soon!
The next orientation meeting is July 11th from 8 AM to 8:50 AM at the Gasper Law Group, 128 S. Tejon, Suite 100, and the next MAC meeting is Friday, June 23rd, from 11 AM to noon at the Antlers Hotel. If you have questions, please contact Caryn Adams at caryn@gasperlaw.com.
Weapons and Rotary Districts and Clubs Policy Clarification
In January 2017, Rotary International’s Board of Directors clarified its existing policy regarding guns in relation to the use of the Rotary logo and sponsorships. The wording of this long-standing policy was unclear, and as a result, Rotary members told our board they were often unsure what the policy did and did not allow. A key consideration was Rotary’s risk if a weapon was purchased at a Rotary event and then caused serious injury or death. Another objective was to ensure consistency in how the Rotary logo is used in the 200 countries and regions where we have clubs. Below are the policy clarifications that address the questions raised by our members and provide clarity on our sponsorship guidelines and use of the Rotary mark.
Excerpt from Rotary’s Policy on Club and District Activities Related to Guns and Weapons
2.100. Clubs and Districts Events Involving Weapons Rotary clubs, Rotary districts and other Rotary Entities may participate in activities involving the sale, give-away or transfer, including raffles, of guns, weapons or other armaments, provided they never take ownership of the item(s) and any transfer of ownership of a firearm is handled by a licensed third party in compliance with all applicable laws. Any use of the Rotary Marks in connection with such activities shall be in compliance with RI policy, including policy for use of the Rotary Marks.
2.110. Legal and Insurance Implications of Events Involving Weapons Rotary clubs, districts and other Rotary Entities that organize events or activities that involve guns or weapons, including sport shooting activities, shall review potential liabilities arising out of such activities and consult with legal and/or insurance professionals to ensure that they are adequately protected.
33.030.6. Use of the Rotary Emblem or other Rotary Marks by Rotary Entities When used by itself, the word “Rotary” or the Rotary Emblem normally refers to the entire organization, Rotary International. It also means the ideals and principles of the organization. All club, district, multidistrict and other Rotary Entity activities, projects and organizations must include identifiers of the club, district, multidistrict group or other Rotary Entity when using the Rotary Emblem or other Rotary Marks. In limited instances and in RI’s sole discretion, a geographic identifier may be used, provided it accurately represents the interests of each club in that area and appropriate approvals are sought from the district governors and/or the club presidents. Such identifier must be in close proximity to and in equal prominence with the Rotary Emblem or other of the Rotary Marks.
The Rotary Marks must always be reproduced in their entirety. No alterations, obstructions or modifications of the Rotary Marks are permitted. To accommodate digital media and enhance an accurate reproduction of the Rotary emblem, a specially modified emblem may be used for replications smaller than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm), such modified emblem to be used only together with “Rotary” as part of the “digital and small space signature lock-up” or with “Interact” or “Rotaract” as part of the digital and small space simplified signatures for the Programs logos. To accommodate the embroidery medium, the modified Rotary emblem may be used on licensed and other RI authorized articles of clothing in replications greater than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) but only in sizes too small to accommodate accurate reproduction of the Rotary emblem, provided the modified Rotary emblem is always used together with “Rotary,” “Interact,” or “Rotaract” in the simplified signature format.
For correct color reproductions of the Rotary emblem or other of the Rotary Marks, current guidelines are found in the Brand Center at https://brandcenter.rotary.org and in “Voice and Visual Identity Guidelines,” which give further specifications for reproducing the Rotary emblem and guidelines for maintaining a standardized, coordinated identity for all Rotary materials (547A). Rotarians are reminded that Rotary is both a local and a global organization and even local uses may enjoy global recognition through the use of the Internet and other electronic communications. Different cultures have different standards and different sensitivities. Any use of the Rotary Marks under these guidelines should attempt to be culturally sensitive and in concert with the Object of Rotary. RI reserves the right to review and approve any uses of the Rotary Marks. The Rotary Marks may not be depicted in combination with images of guns, weapons, or other armaments.
