Notes from October 23, 2025 by Colton Heinrich
President Cara Sauceda rang the bell to start the meeting at 12:05 p.m. She then invited Dave Hartman to lead the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the song I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, led by David Spencer.
We were honored to have Phillip from Web Fire join our meeting. As a reminder, we are currently holding a membership competition between Noros Martin and Alan Donaldson. Everyone was encouraged to bring guests to future meetings, and Cara reviewed the guest assistance program. Our goal is to grow membership, so on a case-by-case basis, members may request reimbursement for guest lunch dues. We are also taking recommendations for corporate sponsorships.
I didn’t pass on the note-taking duties during the Brag Bucket, but I did collect a few dollars for some great brags this week! For the sunshine reports, Steve Prester informed the club that Richard Boyd had surgery, and Brayden Wood shared that his son recently had ACL surgery. Josh Phillips presented a check to Jon Dearolf for the Miracle League and the YMCA.
We had a few announcements this week. Brayden Wood announced that this is the final day for nominations for the Outstanding Citizen Award. World Polio Day is October 24, and there are two district events:
- Pedaling for Polio on October 26 in Grapevine
- Ridin’ With Red on October 21 in Weatherford
The Rotary Foundation Gala will be held on November 8 in Grapevine. This year’s event will celebrate 120 years of Rotary. Additionally, the club’s 110th birthday party will be held in January, with more details to come.
Our pianist, Susan, will be retiring and will no longer be playing for the club starting in January 2026. Andy Kocher announced that he has registration for one of the flag trailers; if you need tags, reach out to Andy. Finally, Flag Captains will meet following the meeting on October 30.
Today’s program was introduced by Josh Phillips and featured Roger Ritchie, who spoke about Air Evac Lifeteam 34. Air Evac Lifeteam 34, based in Wichita Falls, Texas, is an emergency air medical transport program that provides rapid helicopter transportation for critically ill or injured patients. The base is part of the Air Evac Lifeteam network, which serves rural and underserved communities by delivering fast access to advanced medical care when ground transport would take too long.
The Wichita Falls base operates 24/7 with a crew of trained flight nurses, paramedics, and pilots, responding to emergency scenes and interfacility transfers.
Air Evac Lifeteam is also a member of the AirMedCare Network, offering an optional membership program that helps protect members from out-of-pocket air ambulance costs. For an annual household fee (typically around $99), members’ insurance payments are accepted as full payment if transported by an Air Evac aircraft during a life- or limb-threatening emergency.
The meeting concluded with the presentation of the speaker’s gift and the Four-Way Test.