Saturday, July 25 from 1:00-6:00 pm is the date for pick-up for the 2020 Rotary Club of Longmont Peach Sale./Fundraiser! Pick-up will be held in the Ace Hardware parking lot, southwest corner, at 1727 Main Street in Longmont. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted for payment. These delicious, mouth-watering peaches are freestone and are coming from Georgia this year, as the Palisade crop was destroyed due to a spring frost. The cost is $30/12 lb. box. Click this link to order: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054DA5A92FA6F58-peach

 

This week, our club was joined by Lisa Searchinger, Executive Director for Recovery Café-Longmont, and Diana DeBrohun, who represented the Board of Directors of the Café. The theme of Lisa's talk was the "Opposite of Addiction is Connection."

 

The Recovery Café-Longmont serves members who are dealing with substance abuse, addiction, life traumatic events, homelessness and mental health issues. The Café is part of a national network that focuses on accountability. The program is person-centered and peer-supported. Colorado has experienced a rise in drug and alcohol-related overdoses and suicide events and currently ranks 4th in the nation for these events.

 

The Café was closed briefly due to COVID-19, but has recently reopened, operating under strict protocols. The Café is funded mainly through grants, foundations and donations. Lisa encouraged members to watch a Ted Talk by Johann Hari with the title, "Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong." 



Hello Everyone,

 

Two years ago, when Debbie Setlock called and asked if I would be interested in being the President-Elect Nominee (and the following four years of offices), I really didn’t think I would be the right person for the job.  I was still new to Rotary, and to Longmont.  After thinking about it, I figured that there probably wasn’t a better way to become acquainted with both.  The club was almost 100 years old at the time, so I assumed that systems and processes were in place, and I really couldn’t break anything.  While I knew that I didn’t know what I didn’t know, I would not have guessed that my term as president would begin while the world was experiencing a pandemic and our community following an evolving set of Safer at Home guidelines.  Our current situation presents significant challenges for the club. I think it also makes it simple to focus on priorities.  

 

A key theme for the upcoming Rotary year will be on how to we maintain and continue all that the club has built over the last 100+ years.  What do we need to do to maintain the club as a cohesive unit?  How do we continue to support our community through local grants and projects?  How do we continue to support Rotary International, the Foundation, and Polio plus?  Also, how do we prepare for the day when programs like RYLA are able to resume?  

 

A friend of mine is a multiple time cancer survivor.  He always says that tough times mean that better ones are in the future.  With that in mind, my focus will be on how we maintain what we have today, and how we prepare to transition to the other side of our current paradigm.  Longmont Rotary has a great tradition and a great group of people.  Like everything else these days, things will be a little more difficult than usual, but we can and will succeed.

    

I’d like to thank Nancy Rezac for the job she did adapting to a rapidly changing environment and keeping the club moving in the right direction.  Secondly, I’d like to thank the other current board members, Debby Paris, Wein-Pin Yeh, Frank Rainey, Jerry Buchholz, Andres Puky, Raeann Larsen, Rose Crispin, Sam Smith, Laura Phillips, Yvonne Pierce, Chris Ray and Bob Parsons.  It’s been my pleasure to serve on the board with them, and I look forward to the next year.

 

Thanks

Dave

The Rotary District 5450 Annual Conference is scheduled for Saturday, August 29th and will be a Virtual on-line event.  It’s a great chance to learn from other district clubs and share ideas.    

Our Family of Rotary Chair, Diane Stow is available to members during this challenging time.  We want to serve and support one another.  If you have needs or know of a club member in need, please reach out to Diane Stow.  You can email Diane or contact her at 303-775-3338.