Our noon meeting was held at Alpine Mountain Ranch this week. Thank you to Lori Livingston and Ranch personnel for making lunch arrangements and hosting our meeting. We were on the back patio overlooking the pond and surrounding countryside, couldn’t have had a better view. Thank you to all the club members who made the extra effort required to attend the meeting through construction delays, tar and gravel.
Lori also offered the Thought for the Day, sharing some of her recent travel experience to Africa and expressing the beauty of our surroundings here in the Yampa Valley. Guest introductions were made: a few visiting Rotarians, George and his wife Joyce, ADG Julie Haffner from the Loveland Club and her husband Gene and our friend Jane. We also had some very special guests, returning exchange student Sam and his friend were visiting.
During announcements, Scott Ping, a past club president from Whitefish, Montana, presented an opportunity to partner with North American Ski Joring Assoc. to assist in putting on an event here in Steamboat. This professional sport has been growing over recent years and they are looking for communities to expand into. They look for non-profits within the community to assist with the volunteer force in exchange for receiving monies from the event. He presented a basic outline, but will be providing much more detail for us, as a Club to consider. More on that later…
Tim, our remaining exchange student, said his goodbyes and thank yous to the Club and presented us with a flag from his Club in Germany. He and Janis were such great exchange students, fully participating in all our Club did this year and they will be sorely missed. Good luck to both of them and hope to see them in future visits.
Holly did a final reading of three new Club members, to be inducted in the near future.
An announcement was made again regarding the matching funds that are available for any Club member desiring to make a donation to our local Foundation. The one-to-one match is available throughout the month of July, up to $5,000. We have had several members already take advantage of this match so don’t delay if you would like to do this.
The President’s program was lengthy…sorry…and it was hot, so I appreciate all in attendance for surviving it. An introduction of Board members was made with a few facts/secrets about each member.
“Be the Inspiration” is the theme for Rotary this year, chosen by President Barry Rassin. He gave a very inspiring speech, via video, at our President’s training this spring, followed by a personal email to all leadership a week ago, at the beginning of the Rotary year. It is hard not to get excited about the potential of what Rotary can do after listening to him.
We reviewed the Survey that we took during a meeting about a month ago, looking at the “good things” that we do and some of the areas for improvement. Also compared this year’s survey to one that was completed four years ago and some headway has been made. If you would like a copy of the results, please contact me.
An overview of our goals for the year was presented. Highlights of some new goals include a focus on meeting attendance and participation.
- The current average is 57% at weekly meetings and up to 64% with make-ups. I would like to see a 10% increase in weekly attendance. Also, I will ask participation by everyone in at least one fundraiser, project or committee.
- Next year is the 30th Anniversary of Women being invited to be a part of Rotary and we will have a. It would be great to have a 50/50 gender representation, or close to it, at that time.
- Three areas that will require some brainstorming, in addition to current programs, are Peacebuilding, Domestic Violence and Literacy. We already have some ideas in the works and we will be looking for leadership and involvement from our members.
- It is also the 30 year anniversary of the beginning of the Polio Eradication program. We are getting ever so close to having a year with no case reported for Polio, but we cannot stop. I would like to increase the giving to Polio Plus this year to $2500 in an effort to raise funds to end this disease.
- We will continue to lend support to youth programs, Interact, Exchange students, RYLA and encourage their involvement whenever feasible.
- In addition to Polio Plus, a Rotary Foundation Goal of $12,500 was made or $125 per member. The same goal for the local Foundation of $125 per member was made, similar to last year.
- Finally, our membership loves fellowship and we will continue to organize home hospitality dinners, FAC gatherings and family friendly events on a regular basis.
This was the Reader’s Digest version of my goals for the year. We will continue to review them as they come up.
John Holloway offered to do Good News, but fist invited anyone that is interested to meet at the Mountain Tap House at 5:00pm today, Friday. He will be leading a walk on the core trail and gathering ideas regarding the landscaping and installation of the stone bench project to be done at the Peace Pavilion and river entry. Please join him and a group to lend your ideas and expertise.
Next week back at The Grand.
Respectfully yours,
Carol Johnson