CLUB NEWS
"Welcome to Smoky Hill Rotary Club ...
the best place to be at noon on Monday!
Smoky Hill Rotary Club … serving the City of Aurora and the World!"
2018-19 President & PDG Talee Crowe
The Smoky Hill Rotary Club 2019-2020 Board of Directors needs to fill two positions - Treasurer and Editarian! PE Hugh Radke is looking at ways to make the duties as Editarian easier and more streamlined. If you have any interest in fulfilling one of these important club positions or have any questions or suggestions, please talk with Hugh.
SMOKY HILL ROTARY'S
9th ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT … Friday, August 2nd!
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BUILD DAY is Saturday, May 4th at a home exterior repair project located at 5015 Fillmore St, Denver, 80216 from 9am to 4:30pm. PP Al Horton said we have filled 4 out of the 5 spots for Habitat so we are ready to swing hammers or whatever we are called to do on the repairs for the home!
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THE 2019 DISTRICT CONFERENCE was a one day affair on Saturday, April 27 with President Talee Crowe, PP Bev Edwards, PP Craig Essex, PP Nancy Jones and PE Hugh & Cheryl Radke attending. There were more than 300 people of all age groups in attendance! Talee was impressed by the speakers and was challenged by how Rotary clubs can do more things together. The Aurora Gateway club has a food pantry so during to month of May (3 meetings) we are requested to bring non-perishable food items to donate to their pantry. Craig attended the Rotaract and RYLA sessions at the conference - it was a great day reconnecting with Rotarians he had not seen in a while. Nancy enjoyed wonderful conversations and was impressed by Andrew Romanoff's presentation on mental health. Bev enjoyed meeting members of other clubs and learning about what they are doing. Hugh was impressed by the diversity at the conference and is looking at ways to find diversity in Aurora in order to bring more diversity into the club.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU, GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU - A VOCATIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NEW MEMBER (x2) TIM SWENSON! …
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I am married to Kacey with three sons, Brandon 26, Ryan 22, and Logan 16 and a granddaughter Marilyn 4. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a double major in Economics and Communications. For the past four years I have served as the Sales Manager for Hoffman Weber Construction, a company that specializes in exterior home restoration ie roofing, siding, paint and windows. Previously I worked for the Boy Scouts of America, last serving as the COO for the Nevada Area Council in Reno, NV. I was also a Sergeant in the Marine Corps for 6 years serving as the Chief Maintenance Technician for the 24th Marines T.O.W. Platoon.
Travel and adventure are my passions. My wife and I enjoy all inclusive beach resorts and my younger brother and I are fortunate to have the ability to go to unique destinations together. He and I have explored sixteen counties, [Editorial comment: Think Tim means countries - exploring Arapahoe, Weld, El Paso, Larimer, Denver, Boulder & Douglas counties are okay but ?] most recently experiencing Spain, Morocco and Peru. Last fall we ate guinea pig and alpaca, hiked Machu Picchu, climbed a 17,000 foot mountain and fished for piranha on the Amazon. This fall we plan to add Turkey and Jordan to the list as I am on a mission to go to all 7 new "Wonders of the World" and can't wait to see Petra. Fun here in Colorado involves the outdoors. I have two ATV's and enjoy time with friends and family racing through Rampart Range and various other areas. I am an avid sports fan following the Denver Broncos and KU basketball. I enjoy tennis, bowling, gambling, shooting sports and yelling at my golf clubs.
CUATRO DE MAYO …
It is a MEXICAN FIESTA with chips, salsa, guacamole and carnitas to be held on Saturday, May 4th at the remodeled casa of PP Jim & Judy Suss from 5:30pm to 9pm. Jim makes EXCELENTE margaritas - beer, wine and soda will also be available! Make sure you RSVP to the Evite and make your way to 18972 E. Costilla Place, Centennial 80016 - from Arapahoe Road turn south on S. Chapparal Cir East (next street just east of the stop lights located at S. Chapparal Cir West), head south past E. Briarwood Drive and take the next right on E. Costilla Place. Muchos Gracias to Jim & Judy for their kind generosity hosting and providing the Fiesta food and beverages!
SMOKY HILL ROTARVARIETY OF NEWS …
President Talee Crowe welcomed PP Lloyd Gottman back who just spent a month in Germany! Talee then shared the sad news that PDG Dave Beall passed away this month with services to be held this Saturday at Good Shepard Episcopal Church. Dave is the fourth PDG of District 5450 to pass away in the last 12 months!
Reminders: Smoky Hill Rotary Foundation meeting April 30th at the office of PP Gary Frisch; Smoky Hill Rotary Golf Committee meeting May 2nd at the home of PP Mark Johnson.
PP Betsy Jansen will be providing sign up sheets next week for serving dinner at the Ronald McDonald house on Tuesday, May 14th. This is your last opportunity during this Rotary year to experience the fun, camaraderie and satisfaction that comes from serving a meal the families!
MORE DIVERSITY IN ROTARY … might be one of PE Hugh Radke's goals during his tenure as President of the club based on this comments this week. It would be great to see and welcome more diversity in our club whether it is by race, ethnicity, age or gender. To get a head start on age diversity, Hannah (3) and Logan (7) are wearing Rotary tattoos to arouse the curiosity of their friends in Rotary. Not sure if it will work and don't think mom will let them wear the tattoos to preschool and grade school, but they sure were proud to wear the Rotary logo! They are now famous having appeared for the second time in this newsletter - the first time was shopping at Target for a Century Elementary student's Xmas gift. ["famous" is a stretch but that is how Logan wanted to be described]
THIS WEEK'S THOUGHT … "Leaders, whatever field they work in, have a strong impact on people's lives and on how the world develops. We should remember that we are visitors on this planet. We are here for 90 or 100 years at the most. During this time, we should work to leave the world a better place." --- The Dalai Lama
THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM
Bryan Bernier has been in the insurance industry for 20 years and currently is the CEO of Trusted Choice Insurance Agents of Colorado. Bryan talked about the rising cost of auto insurance rates in Colorado. Colorado's auto insurance rates are rising faster than any other state in the country! Colorado is #2 in the U.S. for hail insurance claims, #2 in the U.S. for increased comprehensive coverage insurance costs and traffic deaths in Colorado are up 29% from 2014 to 2017. As a result, insurance companies in Colorado are not making much money.
Several factors contribute to the rising auto rates in Colorado: unpredictable weather, new car technology which is more expensive to repair, heavy traffic from a booming growth in population, impaired driving including increased use of marijuana, driving that includes distractions (cell phones), no seat belts in use, society's rush to get everywhere, increasing medical treatment fees, record-breaking hailstorms and out of control lawsuit abuses. Studies show most accidents result from distracted drivers talking on phones or texting. From 2017 to 2018, citations involving both marijuana and alcohol increased 112% and more than 20% of all citations involved marijuana.
Bryan's simple solution to avoid rising insurance rates: don't drive, don't own a car, don't own a house!
It is no coincidence that TV and other media are inundated with trial lawyers advertising promising to sue insurance companies to win you more money than the lottery. Due to Colorado's lawsuit laws that is happening but ultimately it is not the insurance companies paying ... all Colorado drivers ultimately foot the bill for an out of control system pushing insurance rates up. Insurance premiums can't keep up with skyrocketing claim costs, costing all Colorado consumers higher premiums.
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