Notes from October 2, 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 America the Beautiful.
There were no guests this week. That said, we are currently having a membership competition between Noros Martin and Alan Donaldson. During the meeting, everyone was encouraged to write down the names of two potential guests to invite in the coming weeks. Cara also introduced the guest assistance program. Our goal is to grow membership, so on a case-by-case basis, members can request reimbursement for guest lunch dues.
During the Sunshine Report, Andy Kocher informed the club that his brother-in-law had broken his hip and is having a difficult time recovering. Please keep him in your prayers. Josh Phillips is also not feeling well. I didn’t pass on the note-taking duties during the Brag Bucket, but I did collect a few dollars for some brags this week!
Braden Wood announced that nomination forms for the Outstanding Citizen Award are now available. The committee has also provided a list of nomination criteria. Be sure to grab a form at one of the upcoming meetings and submit your nominations.
Today’s program was presented by President Cara Sauceda. She reviewed two programs that are very meaningful to Rotary: PolioPlus and the Paul Harris Fellow Program.
Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under 5. It spreads through contaminated water or food and can cause paralysis, permanent disability, or even death in severe cases. While there is no cure, it is preventable through vaccination.
PolioPlus is a program launched by Rotary International in 1985 to eradicate polio worldwide. It supports mass immunization campaigns, disease surveillance, and public awareness efforts in collaboration with global partners like the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Rotary has played a key role in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, helping reduce polio cases by over 99%. However, the fight is not yet over.
The Paul Harris Fellow Program is a recognition from Rotary International that honors individuals who contribute—or have contributions made in their name—of $1,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation. It is named after Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary.
The program acknowledges a commitment to Rotary’s mission of promoting peace, fighting disease (like polio), supporting education, and improving communities worldwide. Our club has a Paul Harris Fund that will match $500, so members only need to contribute $500 to become a Fellow within our club.
The meeting ended with the Four-Way Test.