Rotary Club of Marana
 
                                                                            
Mark Murray led us in the Pledge. My notes are a little hazy here, but according to President Jo some guy named Lyons said something profound regarding if we fail to take notice we cannot take action because we failed to notice. This was followed by applause. (You had to be there). Not able to contain herself President Jo quoted Mia Hamm regards building fires. No applause. (You did not have to be there) We then learned  that Richie Benner just had a wedding anniversary and that he is an expectant father. Bob Bishop proceeded to educate us explaining that having a baby is a process, but provided no further elucidation.
 
Today we also learned that:
1) Tree planting ceremony is this Saturday,
2) Jo's relatives are leaving town soon (whew)
3) Our book program will be through WIC at MHC Healthcare and partnering with Make Way for Books
4) Over 30 families served at Ortiz Center via Food Bank last week. Thank you to our volunteers,
5) Don mentored at Open Doors and did not just recite his health problems as did the last presenter from our club.Randy?
6) At PETS Mary met other clubs possibly interested in our Cameroon project consideration
 
Happy Bucks:
1) John suggested we partner up at our breakfast tables with at least one person with good hearing at each table. This suggestion was tabled as we may need to recruit more (younger) members in order to have a person with good hearing at EACH table.
2)Mary and Randy/Deb-Good time at Dove MTN fund raising event.
Many others also gave but were too polite to say it was because Maeve had no joke today. Javier did have a joke. Maeve, your job is NOT in jeopardy.
Don won and lost the drawing. This made Randy sad.
 
Speaker today, as just so happened, was Ally Baehr, the Director of Community Events for Make Way For Books. Ally, who will soon be joining the Tucson Sunrise Rotary Club, gave a wonderful presentation of the twenty year history of Make Way for Books. Numerous facts were shared such as:
1. At age 5 one can successfully predict if college is in the students future
2. Half of education gap is BEFORE child starts Kindergarten.
3. Poor readers are 4X more likely to drop out before high school graduation
4. 82% of neural connections complete by age three
5. The Pokey Little Puppy is the number one best seller of all time
 
 Make Way for Books has kiosks where books are free and where they can be loaned like a library
They focus on 13 grade schools in Tucson where 95% of the students are on free or reduced lunch program
 
Attendance at only 70% today. If you are reading this and did not attend today please try and make it next Tuesday.