Rotary Weekly Luncheon Place: American Legion Time: Lunch served from 11:30 - 12:00
Cost: $15 Parking: American Legion and the church only.
Healing Waters
1632 Unit B Big Thompson Ave.
Come hear about the Healing Waters Foundation. It is a small non-profit organization set up in 2005 by Anne Slack to make the use of water available to anyone. It has unique features that allow various activites. Annie will begin by telling of its origin. Then Bethany Matthias, a Board Member, Physical Therapy Assistant and Athletic Trainer will present the Program. Finally there will be a short video to allow everyone to see the pool, its features and some benefits people have received from it.
Update by President Jim Whiteneck
Announcements:
We had a Strong start to our Visioning process this week! Our gratitude goes out to Sally Park, the ad Hoc Visioning Committee, and all who participated! November 18 will be our last and VERY important meeting as we need input on our Club’s activities.
We’re looking forward to hearing about one of Estes Valley’s outstanding charities, Healing Waters, this week.
Annie is planning for an important membership update in two weeks (if all goes as planned!).
November 4, 2021 Meeting Notes
President Jim Whiteneck called the meeting to order. Dennis Gelhaus gave the invocation Jim led the Pledge of Allegiance. Madison Casey led the song, “America The Beautiful”.
Guests:
Annie Slack introduced Gail Corrigan.
Ben Van der Werf and Scott Robbins attended.
Announcements:
Duck Race Meeting today on Zoom at 5:00 to vote on an issue.
Birthdays: Kevin Mullin, Dave Boone, Kathy Groesbeck, Pete Sinnott.
Rotary Anniversaries: Jack Overly 42 years! Longley Parker 20 years.
Scott told his joke of the day.
Happy Money
Beth Weisberg was happy to be 10 weeks past surgery and cleared to hike up hills.
Jim Austin found $1 today so donated it.
Bill Smith celebrates his upcoming retirement after 50 years in business, 35 of which were in Estes.
Scott Robbins reminded us that National Philanthropy Day celebration is today at 1:00 at the Y. Free food and drinks provided as we celebrate our volunteers in town.
Bill Solms was happy for Beth’s surgery results.
Madison was happy twice:
His daughter and son-in law are moving to Fort Collins from California
next week he is going to New Orleans for a friend’s wedding.
Visioning:
Instead of a program today, we divided into groups to begin visioning and planning what we want our club to be. Sally Park was introduced and explained how we would accomplish our vision. Each group discussed why we joined Rotary and what keeps us involved. Then each group reported to the entire club the results. Jim collected the results and will give us a summary later. We will continue this process on November 18th.
The meeting was adjourned with the 4 Way Test.
Madison Casey, scribe
Posted by Phil andTara Moenning
Be Sure to Purchase Your Table!
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING DINNER
Tuesday, December 7th
5 to 8 pm
Announcements:
It’s time to purchase your table for the winter Rotary Scholarship Fundraiser dinner.
The dinner will be held on Tuesday evening, December 7th, 5-8pm, at the Taharaa Mountain Lodge/Twin Owls Steakhouse, 3110 S. St. Vrain Ave.
The dining room will be decorated for the holidays and will provide a beautiful setting for our event.
The menu choices will be
Prime Rib
Salmon
Basil Pesto Pasta.
A table for four will be $715 ($400 will be tax deductible); a table for six will be $1070 ($600 will be tax deductible).
Purchase a table(s) to enjoy with friends/family, or to entertain as a gift.
You may decide on your guests and their menu selections at a later date.
A special musical presentation will be included for a portion of the evening.
We look forward to your joining us, Fund Development Committee
Matching Charitable Donation Program
Double Your Donation to Your Favorite Local Charity!
The Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation is conducting a matching charitable donation program this fall to supplement donations to local non-profits.
The maximum matching donation amount is $300 per member and the minimum donation amount is $50.
Rotary Club of Estes Park members will be able to apply for matching donations from the Foundation until November 18, 2021.
The Foundation will be providing matching donations to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations serving Estes Valley residents and in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State.
The application form which provides detailed instructions is available on the club website and is available at the weekly club meetings. You will also be receiving an email with the application form attached.
If you have any questions, please contact or email Jack Boatman (email: jack.boatman7@gmail.com / Telephone: 832-623-5647)
Board Approves Membership Applications
In an electronic vote last week, the Board of Directors unanimously approved applications for membership from Ben Van der Werf, Scott Robbins and Gail Corrigan.
According to club bylaws, if there are no objections within seven days of publication, the applicants shall be considered elected to membership. Here is a brief summary of Ben's, Scott's and Gail's applications. For more information or to make a comment, contact President Jim Whiteneck or Membership Chair Anne Slack.
Ben Van der Werf:
I was born and raised in Estes Park, graduating from the local high school in 2011. After graduation, I attended Rollins College in Orlando, Florida where I received my Bachelor's degree as a dual major in Economics and History. I joined my school's rowing team and was invited to try out for team USA in 2014. Post college, I moved to Seattle where I worked in transaction laundering detection and continued rowing at the elite level, trying out again for team USA in 2018. I also coached the men's team at Seattle University and my wife and I took on coaching a local masters team together.In 2018, I married Valerie Wasson, at Hyde Chapel here in Estes, the same church I did my Eagle Scout project at. We are currently expecting our first child this Christmas! We moved back to Estes Park in 2020 where I began working as a loan officer at the Bank of Colorado.
Scott Robbins:
I was born in Colorado Springs in 1951. My father was in the HVAC business and my mother was a court reporter for the Air Force. I have one sister living in Arizona. My mom is hanging in there and living in a memory care unit in Colorado Springs at the ripe old age of 102!
I graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School. For college, I graduated from CSU with Bachelor degrees in Economics and Social Work. I did graduate work at the University of Michigan where I obtained an MSW.
Professionally, most of my career was spent working with nonprofit organizations and state government. My first job out of college was working for a health planning agency as an Emergency Medical Services Planner in Larimer and Weld Counties. As a side note, that work resulted in purchase of an ambulance and communications equipment for the volunteer ambulance service and hospital in Estes Park in 1975. Later, I spent fourteen years working for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Most of that time was spent in the Division of Housing managing a variety of housing grant programs. This was where I found my calling to help the homeless, a mission that I continue to be involved with today as a volunteer with Catholic Charities and my church, the Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality. I spent the next fifteen years working for a Mercy Housing, a large nonprofit housing development and management organization. That brought me my second great service love, working with refugees coming to the U.S. to obtain and maintain affordable housing. More recently, I began volunteering with the Estes Park Health Hospice program.I wound down my career for the next five years or so as owner of KOR Consulting in continuing my work with refugees. After a couple of semi-successful seventeen year marriages, I have been married for the past two years to a wonderful woman and longtime Estes Park resident, Mary Mesropian. We are looking forward to spending our golden years enjoying Estes Park, doting over grandchildren (we have four), visiting international destinations and traveling in our little travel trailer. I have two children, Ben and Lucy, a stepson, Rony, and two remarkable rescue dogs, Brewster (a hound) and Ziggi (a terrier mix). I certainly love my children and grandkids and the time we spend together, and I must admit that the dogs are far more demanding!
Gail Corrigan:
Gail graduated from Purdue University (BS Chemistry) and University of Houston (MS Environmental Management). She worked as a hazardous waste specialist for the Texas environmental agency, then for an industrial company, followed by a consulting firm. In 1986, she started her own environmental consulting firm, specializing in hazardous waste site inspection and permitting. She operated the firm for 25 years, growing the firm to 25 staff members. During that time, she participated in several professional organizations, serving as President and Board of Directors. She sold the company in 2011, worked through the transition in 2012. In January 2013, she and her husband, Tony Wessendorff, retired and left on their yacht to sail around the world. In 2013, they sailed from St. Lucia to Bonaire, Curacao, Columbia, and Panama. In 2014, they sailed from Panama to the Galapagos, and French Polynesia. In 2015, they sailed to 9 islands in the French Polynesia. In 2016, they sailed to the Cooks, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand. In 2017 - 2018, they toured NZ while completing a refit on their yacht. In 2019, they sailed from NZ to Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. In 2020, they got locked down here in the US due to Covid. During her travels, Gail volunteered by providing an English translation for a UNESCO site, teaching environmental classes, developing an environmental program for local villages, and providing goods for school children. Gail has seen the international presence of the Rotary Club throughout the South Pacific. She is interested in being a Rotary member because it would offer an opportunity to meet local people and do volunteering in new places where they travel. Gail and her husband have a condo in Nassau Bay, on the south side of Houston. Since June they have been living in Allenspark at their family cabin, and recently decided to spend the winter here. Gail and Tony have one son, who is married with one 2 year old daughter and a son on the way.
Art Kits for CASA
Jessica Van Roekel & Beth Weisberg
The Rotary Club of Estes Park put together and provided 24 art kits to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), a nonprofit organization serving children involved in child neglect and abuse cases going through the Larimer County court system.
Each kit included watercolors and brushes, Crayola crayons and colored pencils, brightly colored stencils, How to Draw books or watercolor-safe sketch books, and other items.
For many of these children, these kits will be their only new possessions, as most of them have been moved around during the past year and had to leave their possessions behind.
The funds for this project of the Rotary Club of Estes Park came primarily from sales of the Friendship Card in Estes Park.
"Thank you so much to the Rotary Club of Estes Park for these amazing art kits! We can't wait to distribute these to the children we serve at CASA of Larimer County. These kits will provide them with a fun and creative outlet during what otherwise is a difficult time in their lives. Thank you to everyone who helped make these happen, we are truly grateful," says Jessica Van Roekel, CASA’s Community Engagement Specialist.
Give to our Foundation while you shop!
Do you find that you are placing Amazon orders more frequently these days? Don't forget to help your Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation with every order. As a recipient of funds in the smile.amazon.com, our foundation will receive a portion of the sale. All you need to do its sign up to get the funds flowing. And SHOP!
Choose the charitable organization by typing in Estes Park Rotary Foundation. Our club and the Longs Peak club will come up in the search. Click on Estes Park Rotary Foundation.
Create a bookmark so every time you shop Amazon, you will participating in the smile.amazon.com program.
