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At our most recent meeting, November 3 at Rustico's restaurant, we heard from Kate Jones (pictured at right), executive director of Telluride Arts, who gave a fascinating talk about the 50-year history of the Arts District and the renovation of the Telluride Transfer Warehouse.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, November 17, at Rustico's restaurant. The meeting will run promptly from 5:30 - 6:30, but we encourage members and guests to show up close to 5 to order drinks, enjoy appetizers and socialize. Ordering a full dinner from the restaurant is optional. Our guest speakers will be Dominique Bruneau, a new service specialist at Wilkinson Public Library from Chile specializing in bilingual/bicultural outreach; and Kristi Redlinger, the District Chair for Rotary Youth Exchange. We are canceling our December 1 regular meeting, then we have our club holiday party on December 15.

Thank you to the speakers who make our meetings so informative and interesting! Please click Read More to see the list of guest speakers from earlier in 2021.

Update on Rotary Youth Exchange

Are you a high school student interested in making new friends, learning a new language, experiencing a new culture and foreign travel? Then the Rotary Youth Exchange program is for you. After a two-year covid-forced hiatus, during which Rotary International suspended the program, our club will endeavor to send out at least one student for the 2022-23 school year. Students need to be between 15.5 -18 years old by their departure date, August of 2022. All the information about the program is on the district website mountainandplainsrye.com, look under the applicant’s tab. Our club's Youth Exchange Officer is Patricia Kiernan; feel free to email her questions at kiernanpatricia6@gmail.com.

As we send out students, we also host a foreign student so he/she can learn about our culture, language, make friends and travel. If you are interested in hosting a student, please email Patricia Kiernan at kiernanpatricia6@gmail.com and also check out the district website at mountainandplainsrye.com for more information.

Pictured at right: 2019-20 youth exchange student Maile Silva of Telluride High who studied in the Czech Republic & Slovakia.

Telluride Rotary Awards Scholarships

Telluride Rotary is pleased to award three scholarships to graduating seniors for 2021. The club’s special Service Above Self award for outstanding community service, and a $2000 academic scholarship, went to Telluride High School senior Rowen Kelly Warren (pictured here). Rowen has demonstrated exceptional service by leveraging his expertise and passion for radio communication and emergency response to assist several regional agencies with wildfire response, search and rescue, and he has also volunteered for the sheriff’s office and medical center. He’s an athlete, actor and high-achieving student. Telluride Rotary is proud to support his forthcoming education at CU Boulder’s College of Engineering.

Telluride Rotary also is pleased to award two additional scholarships to hard-working and high-achieving students: a $1000 vocational education scholarship to Telluride High School senior Juan Pablo Flores, who will advance his skills in welding at Western Colorado Community College; and the $500 John Micetic Memorial Athletic Scholarship goes to Norwood High School student Jenna Baugh for her outstanding athletic achievements.

Our club seeks to expand its scholarship fund in the coming year from $3500 to at least $10,000, to offer more support to talented and deserving high school seniors in our county. Please support this effort by making a tax-deductible donation by using the “Donate” tab on the menu above.

Sarah Lavender Smith

Hello, and thank you for visiting Telluride Rotary’s site to learn more about our club. I’m gratified to have been elected the club’s president for 2021-22. My goals for Telluride Rotary’s 76th year include:

making Rotary membership more fun and meaningful through in-person fellowship, engaging speakers, outdoor activities and hands-on service
raising more money for service projects and scholarships through fundraisers, most notably Telluride Rotary’s Golf Tournament, which will make a comeback June 25, 2022, at Bridges Golf Club in Montrose
strengthening support for the community’s youth and restarting our club’s participation in Rotary Youth Exchange (sending a high school student abroad, and hosting a foreign student), which has been on hiatus since the pandemic
continuing our club’s commitment to community service and environmental awareness and action
supporting Rotary International and representing its mission and values.

A bit about me: I have been a part-time resident of Telluride since childhood, because my family roots are here, and my husband and I moved here year-round in 2019. I joined Telluride Rotary because my dad was a lifelong Rotarian and active in Telluride Rotary, which made a positive impression on me. I’m a freelance writer, author, running coach, dedicated ultrarunner and mom of two grown kids.

Telluride Rotary offers a rewarding way to give back to the community and to network. Our members span from young adults to seniors, from varied backgrounds, united in a belief in the motto “Service Above Self.” Contact telluriderotary@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you’re interested in attending a meeting as a guest. Also, see this June 17 feature article about the club in the Telluride Daily Planet for more info.

https://www.facebook.com/telluriderotary

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We meet In Person & Online

Wednesdays at 5:30 PM

Rustico Ristorante

114 E. Colorado Ave.
Telluride, CO 81435
United States of America

We meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 5:30; starting mid-October, we will meet at Rustico Ristorante, 114 E. Colorado Ave. Arrive closer to 5 to enjoy food and socialize; meeting runs from 5:30 - 6:30. Zoom option available for remote attendees.

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District Site