Stan Crader, author of Stihl American,

will present this week's program

Stan Crader, writer, will speak at the Rotary Club of Estes Park on Thursday, July 12, at their regular noon meeting. Crader came of age watching Stihl emerge from a little known brand in America to become the world’s best-selling outdoor power tool brand. He will share his observations of the people who pioneered Stihl in America, which he wrote about in “Stihl American,” his first non-fiction book.

Stan Crader

Crader was born and raised in rural Missouri, which provided him material and rich characters for his novels. While growing up, his jobs included paper routes, mowing lawns, grocery store carry out, farm equipment, sawmills, small engine mechanic, and janitor. He found that he learned a great deal about people from their grocery purchases and how they care for their lawns and equipment.

Stan is known for the unusual. Once he caught a bat at a Cardinal baseball game, he flew the Atlantic in a Cessna, and his grandfather filmed him jumping a creek on a motorcycle. He was elected city councilman of his hometown, which gave him a new respect for those that serve as volunteers in small towns.

He attended the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. They raised their three boys in Southeast Missouri and boast six grandchildren.  Currently, he is president of Crader Distributing, Stihl’s oldest and largest independent distributor.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century.  Rotary clubs around the world initiate projects that address critical issues such as conflict resolution, disease, clean water, hunger, illiteracy and poverty.

The Rotary Club of Estes Park has moved to its new location, meeting Thursdays in the Timberline Conference Room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Estes Park, 101 South Saint Vrain Ave. Visitors interested in learning more about Rotary and its programs are welcome to attend. Buffet is served at 11:30 a.m., the Rotary business meeting opens at noon, and the program begins at 12:30 p.m. 

July 5, 2018 Meeting Highlights

  

• Just a few members have not paid dues. See Longley Parker.
• Lunch RSVPs are a necessary part of our new meeting place. Please email Karol Rinehart by 10 a.m. Friday every week to let her know if you will attend the next meeting, if a lunch should be ordered for you, and if you will be bringing a guest.
• Bill Smith asked members to sign up for greeter duty.
• Pete Sinnott thanked golfers, volunteers and sponsors for helping this year's memorial tournament to raise approximately $17,000. He thanked Ron Gordon, Jay Harroff and Karen Thompson for their hard work on soliciting sponsorships.
• Scott Thompson presented a sponsor pin to Virgil Holtgrewe for guiding new member Tom Towns. 
• Virgil Holtgrewe presented a Paul Harris Fellowship pin and certificate to Anne Slack. Her Husband Gordon pinned her. Ann presented a Paul Harris Fellowship to Gordon last week as a 50th wedding anniversary gift.
• Dave Evans welcomed Bill Solms to the Board of Directors for 2018-19 as Membership Director.

    

• Pat Vorreiter was happy about having a birthday and supplied the math to determine the celebrated number.
• Bill Smith was happy to be circulating the lunch sign-up sheet for the July 12 meeting.

        

Submitted by Rita DuChateau, scribe and photographer

                                    

1. You plan to attend and have lunch
2. You plan to attend and have beverage service only
3. You will be there and will be bringing a guest.