Stories

Like many clubs across our district, Eagle/Garden City is struggling to find ways to serve others while remaining safe and connected to each other and the community. Being creative and flexible are key in these challenging times. Some of our projects require modifying or rescheduling; however, some just require us to roll up our sleeves, get outside and get dirty.

Many Rotarians in our district are asking, “What can I do to help in the fight against COVID-19?” A donation to The Rotary Foundation’s Disaster Response Fund is one way.  And District 5400 is committing $15,000 of its DDF (District Designated Funds) to match individual and club donations to this fund. This is a one-to-one match, and all Disaster Response Fund contributions back to July 1, 2019, are eligible.  
 

Always wanting to do more to enhance our community, the Rotary Club of Eagle/Garden City asked nearby Pierce Park Elementary how we could help. School counselor Sarah Dunn said that providing some art supplies would be great. Most teachers can’t afford them, and the Boise School District doesn’t provide supplemental funds for such supplies. 

 

Isn't it frustrating when you want to call or email another Rotary club member but you don't know the phone number or email? Well, ClubRunner is your answer! It's a valuable tool — a one-stop shop, if you will — for Rotary clubs, serving as database, wed editor, calendar and so much more. But to serve these functions, it's vital that every member keep his or her contact information updated. Here are the basics for ClubRunner.

Aloha from Lobster Fest! This year, the event went Hawaiian to raise funds for service organizations that benefit youth. Four local Rotary clubs, including our Eagle/Garden City Rotary Club, joined together Saturday, Sept. 28, at BSU's Jordan ballroom for a dinner and auction. And we had a wonderful time!

Our presentation at this week's luncheon featured Cathy Cooke of Whole Home and Body Health. As a certified expert in holistic nutrition and building biology, she and her company dig deep to address underlying imbalances in people's bodies, looking especially at nutrition, exercise, mental outlook and stress, as well as at chemicals, mold and EMFs in their homes and workplaces. Just in time for Halloween, we were scared silly but inspired by her focus on EMFs or electric and magnetic fields

Not so with the Eagle/Garden City Rotary Club’s attempt to bring the district’s first exchange student from Africa. We’ll call her Mary. Despite the best efforts of our club, the Idaho Fine Arts Academy in Eagle, and Dr. Vincent Kituku’s nonprofit Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope, our movie featuring Mary did not have a happy ending. That said, we're not giving up!

The Eagle/Garden City Rotary Club officially welcomed three transfer members, and we could not be more excited! I'm shown here with Dennis Creighton, Kathy Creighton and Rebecca Blewett on my left. These three members bring enthusiasm for service and perspectives on how other clubs work. They will help guide us toward our vision of enriching the lives of our community, especially our youth.

Hey club members! We all know what a big job it is to govern District 5400. And we've had some amazing people filling that slot in recent years. But the process of nominating and preparing Rotarians to serve as district governor (DG) never ends. It's time to submit nominations for 2022-2023! Put on your thinking cap and share your ideas at an upcoming Eagle/Garden City Rotary meeting.

Several members of the Eagle/Garden City Rotary Club had a very special experience over the weekend of May 17 through 19. That experience was the 2019 District 5400 Celebration, which was held in Boise for the first time in many years, if ever. Historically, Sun Valley has hosted the annual conference, and perhaps this new venue was a trigger for inspiration and energy as the event was truly one to remember. Led by the boundless spirit and creativity of District Governor Jennifer Deroin, EGC members Gretchen Brown, Natalie Chavez, Gene de Laveaga, C.J. Huston, Mike Sieler and I, along with more nearly 300 other Rotarians laughed, cried, worked and played our way through a remarkable weekend.

Recently, Gen. Darrel Manning, founding member of the Rotary Club of Eagle/Garden City, wrote about the start of our club almost 22 years ago. We began with 25 members — a level we wanted to maintain — and that’s about where we are today. As Gen. Manning said, we take pride in being a small and nimble organization that can move quickly and get things accomplished efficiently. All of this is done with a great spirit of friendship, respect and collegiality. Now as we reflect on our past, we see opportunities for growth in the future. This is the first of several blogs I'll write about our plans and progress. Read more and check back soon!

Rotex, is it the same as Rotaract or Interact? Where do "Rotexers" fit into my Rotary club? I'm glad you asked. Rotexers are young people who have completed a Rotary youth exchange and wish to continue service with their local youth exchange program and clubs. These youth, usually between 17 and 30, are not necessarily Rotary members. But they live, work and study within our communities and have a thirst for service and leadership. 

Chicago attorney Paul Harris formed the Rotary Club in 1905 to bring together professionals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas, form lifelong friendships and give back to their communities. Rotary's name came from the group's early practice of rotating their meetings among the offices of its members. That was 114 years ago, and now the organization has 1.2 million members around the globe. Rotary's anniversary reminds General Darrell Manning about the beginning of the Rotary Club of Eagle-Garden City in 1996. We're not at 114 years yet, but we're still counting!

District 5400 Rotarians traveled to Denver for the North American Youth Exchange Network conference, held March 13-17. They went carrying pins, business cards, proven Rotary Youth Exchange practices, and a thirst for new ideas. They returned with a bronze-level certificate of achievement for our leadership and quality RYE program.

This Friday, Feb. 22, our waitress extraordinaire Martina McAllister is strapping on her dancing shoes and preparing to bust 17 hours of moves to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.

 

That's right, it's time for BSU's annual Dance Marathon! This year, the students have set their sights high, at $208,000. This money goes to the St. Luke's Children's Hospital, paying for a gamut of needed supplies for sick children and their families. Open your wallet and give generously today!

As part of the Eagle-Garden City Rotary Club's commitment to promoting peace and helping youth, we annually host a Rotary Youth Exchange student coming to District 5400. This year, we are proud to host Julia Hakola of Finland.

District Governor Jennifer Deroin visited the Eagle-Garden City Rotary Club November 1 to urge us to "be the inspiration." Using the metaphor of spindles of thread that can be woven into beautiful tapestries, she encouraged each of us to "pull the thread" of our potential and weave it into the Rotary tapestry of our lives. 

Our motto, "Service Above Self," embodies our humanitarian spirit. Rotary’s Avenues of Service guide our activities: