Attendees: Bob, Don, Mark, Harold, Gregg, John, Bev & guest Joe, Cindy

Quick recap

The meeting was a Rotary club meeting with low attendance due to multiple members being on vacation. The club heard from their guest speaker Fran, who introduced Luke 5 Adventures Tucson, a nonprofit organization that provides adaptive hiking experiences for individuals with disabilities using specialized rickshaw-like devices called Rosies. The organization has grown from seven hikes in 2022 to 70 hikes in 2025, serving over 200 hikers with the help of approximately 130 volunteers. 

Other updates included news about Andrea leaving the club to become assistant town manager, the installation of Emma as district governor, and plans for hosting a young man from South Korea at Ironwood Ridge High School through a youth exchange program.

Happy Bucks:

Bob – Headed to Oklahoma where 4 generations of family members will gather for a month-long reunion.

Don – Enjoying a vacation in Flagstaff with family. They took their grandson to Sunset Crater on Monday.

Mark - Spent the weekend in Flagstaff and attended a Jerry Seinfield show at NAU, the best Uni in AZ! He’s currently attending a state-wide administrator’s retreat at El Conquistador. Two of the school’s principals earned honors as Best in the State (MHS & Roadrunner)! 

Harold – lost his phone and his daughter could find it via the app. When he returned to the bank the next morning, they greeted him at the door with his phone.

Cindy

• Email out the video referenced in the Luke 5 Adventures presentation to meeting attendees.
• Coordinate introduction of the South Korean exchange student to Ironwood Ridge High School football coaches.
• Travel to Yuma to meet with youth exchange students (outbound to Thailand, returned from Romania, and Romanian inbound) and coordinate their activities.

Greg

• Submit Costco receipts for club meal expenses at the next opportunity.

John

• Send photos from recent Luke 5 Adventures Tucson hikes to Bob for inclusion in the meeting article.

Mark

• Continue work on the international list as referenced earlier in the meeting.

Collaboration

• Cindy/Club Officers: Send out more details regarding possible schedule changes for end of June/early July meetings due to holidays and member vacations.

Summary

Club Funding and Administrative Updates

The meeting began with informal conversation about funding requests, including a $2,500 allocation for children's shoes, though specific details were incomplete due to someone being on vacation. The group discussed various administrative matters including club banners, breakfast expenses, and project updates from Rotaract. Several members were absent due to vacation, leading to concerns about low attendance, though the scheduled speaker was confirmed to be present.

Meeting Attendance and Updates

The meeting began with a discussion about low attendance due to vacations and travel. Participants shared personal updates, including Robert's upcoming month-long trip to Oklahoma and Don's location in Flagstaff. The meeting officially started with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Carol. Cindy then provided an update about attending Emma's installation ceremony at La Paloma, where she served as principal at Esperanza at Lakeside School District, and mentioned the successful send-off for Bruce.

Club Updates and Personnel Changes

Cindy announced that Andrea is leaving the club to take on a new role as assistant town manager. The group discussed an upcoming conference, with Don confirming it starts Friday morning at 9 AM and includes a dinner. Mark shared news about two Marana principals winning state awards, and the conversation ended with happy bucks sharing, including Robert's plans to visit family in Oklahoma for a month-long reunion with their one-year-old granddaughter.

Two-Week Road Trip Planning

Cindy discussed planning a two-week trip through Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Yellowstone with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which she and Robert will take in late June or early July. They will be driving an Odyssey van and plan to visit their grandson in Golden, Colorado, as well as explore Yellowstone National Park. Cindy also shared her joy about spending time with her two young grandsons, who are enjoying regular visits with their grandparents.

Caring for Sulcata Turtle Hatchlings

Gregg discussed her experience with sulcata turtles, explaining how they unexpectedly had 43 baby turtles after one of their female turtles laid clutches. He described the challenges of caring for the turtles, including building an enclosure with railroad ties and creating a pool with rebar. Cindy mentioned that while the turtles were once popular and could be sold for around $50 each, she is not interested in selling them and is working to prevent future breeding.

Youth Exchange and Adaptive Programs

Cindy shared updates about hosting a young man from South Korea at Ironwood Ridge High School through a youth exchange program, and discussed plans to meet with students returning from and departing for international exchanges. She also introduced Fran, the assistant director of Luke 5 Adventures Tucson, a nonprofit that provides adaptive hiking experiences for individuals with disabilities. The conversation ended with plans to distribute presentation materials about Luke 5 Adventures.

Loop 5 Adventures Tucson Presentation

Fran presented Loop 5 Adventures Tucson, highlighting their growth from 7 hikes in 2022 to 70 hikes in 2025 with over 1,600 volunteer hours. He explained their use of modified Rosie devices (single-wheel rickshaw-like equipment from France) to enable hiking experiences for people with disabilities, with three current devices and approximately 130 volunteers in their database. The organization conducts various activities including regular hikes, special events like date nights and sunset hikes, and partnership programs with Johnny and Friends and Tim Tebow's Foundation.

The fourth Tuesday of the month business meeting focused on updates from recent activities and discussions about ongoing projects. Cindy shared her experience from a recent trip to Romania, where she and Don & Kathy Jorgensen participated in a Rotary friendship exchange program visiting orphanages and community projects. Joshua provided an update on last week's Family Resource Center tour, highlighting their services supporting 929 students and 865 families, including food distribution, school supplies, and clothing assistance. Don presented information about a new "Shoes for Kids" project in partnership with the Zone Institute, where sponsored clubs would receive new shoes to distribute to local families in need. The meeting also included happy bucks sharing where members discussed recent activities and experiences, including travel and local events. Financial updates were provided showing the club has approximately $7,400 and the foundation has about $32,000.  

Next steps 

Cindy 

• Reach out to Becky to check on her settlement in Sherwood and determine an appropriate appreciation gift (e.g., basket of flowers, tomato plants) for her departure; coordinate with club members as appropriate.
• Await official notification regarding the recent grant submission; once confirmed, begin work on a new grant application for the Family Resource Center, incorporating lessons learned from the previous submission.
• Look up and send to Harold the original funding request/funding details for the teachers' grant for record-keeping purposes.
• Sit down with Mark to discuss plans for club officer roles and the upcoming installation dinner; respond to Rotary International's request for updated officer information. 

Don 

• Continue outreach to clubs regarding the Zone Institute "Shoes for Kids" project and confirm participation as soon as clubs commit. 

Gregg 

• Send photos from last week's tour/event to Harold for the club website. 

Joshua 

• Provide Harold with a brief summary/minutes of last week's meeting for posting on the club website.
• Look into and potentially provide statistics on the impact of the Family Resource Center programs (e.g., student retention, reduced dropout rates) as requested by Peter. 

Peter 

• Bring in the pair of shoes (incorrect size) to donate to the Family Resource Center next week. 

Family Resource Center Update 

Joshua provided an update on the tour of the Family Resource Center, highlighting its services and impact on students and families in the district. The center served 929 students and 865 families, distributed food boxes and school supply kits, and provided various programs including parenting classes and holiday support. Peter asked about the program's impact on school attendance, to which Joshua responded that tracking statistics on dropout prevention would be a valuable follow-up. 

Rotary Zone Institute Shoe Sponsorship 

Don presented a new project where clubs can sponsor the Rotary Zone Institute in Phoenix by providing $2,500 in sponsorship and contributing new children's shoes, with sponsored clubs receiving approximately 100 pairs of shoes to distribute to local families. Joshua confirmed that the Family Resource Center currently provides clothing and shoes to both students and community families, with a particular need for new shoes of various sizes. Peter offered to donate two pairs of shoes he purchased but couldn't return, and Joshua explained that the center accepts both cash donations and direct item donations, preferring to donate to organizations that give items away rather than sell them. 

Happy Bucks and Updates Meeting 

The meeting focused on Happy Bucks sharing where members discussed their recent experiences and activities. Harold shared about visiting his grandkids, Gregg mentioned spending time with family and playing golf, and Joshua described attending an 8th grade promotion ceremony where he had the opportunity to address students and see former kindergarten students progress to high school. Robert updated the group on his work with the Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona, including interviewing their 14th applicant of the year and completing bylaw review work, while also announcing they had exceeded their $350,000 fundraising goal.  Peter shared details about his recent visit to Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico and explained the costly demolition process of the old National Solar Observatory telescope facility, which is estimated to cost $1 billion due to environmental cleanup requirements. John was happy about a family fishing trip to Mexico and VERY happy to get Cindy back home. This was their longest separation in 55 years! Don shared his positive experience from a recent trip to Romania, where he and Kathy participated in a Rotary friendship exchange. They visited service projects helping orphaned and abandoned children, including homes in Aradia and Bucharest, and were impressed by the generosity of Romanian Rotarians. Don mentioned that a group of approximately 15 Romanian visitors will be coming to their area from September 17-27 as part of a reciprocal exchange. Michael expressed enthusiasm about upcoming summer plans in Tucson. Has always liked the hot Tucson summers.  

Rotary Trip Experience in Romania 

Don shared a story about staying with a funeral director and his wife in Slutina who also ran a flower shop and provided support to bereaved families. He noted that all four Rotary host families they stayed with during their trip were outstanding, and that the Rotary meetings in the four cities they visited were primarily attended by younger members who meet in the evenings. Cindy mentioned a separate story about communist takeovers of farmland and homes, and discussed the community's pride in their mayor who became Romania's Prime Minister. 

Don mentioned seeing their exchange student from Yuma during the visit. The conversation ended with Don leading the four-way test, followed by a brief discussion between Cindy and Harold about needing to update Rotary International on club officers and locate a previous funding request document for a $4,000 grant. 

Meeting summary

Attendees:  Harold, Don, Gregg, Mike, John, Kathy, Beckie and Cindy

District, where Stephanie Lippert, the CTE Director, presented on the district's 20 CTE programs serving 3,549 students with 475 industry certifications achieved last year. The discussion covered how CTE programs prepare students for both college and career pathways, with particular emphasis on industry certifications ranging from $10 to $300+ that help students gain workforce readiness. The presentation highlighted successful partnerships, including one with Marana Health Center that has hired 12 past dental assisting program students, and mentioned plans to expand programs to include construction and HVAC training on additional campus pads. The meeting also included updates about More Than a Bed's resource center for foster care families and the Rotary Vocational Foundation's $350,000 budget for statewide vocational grants.

Next steps

Cindy

• Send out the link for the ESREG (Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group) project seminar to interested participants.
• Check with Emily (Oro Valley president) on the status of the Guatemala water sanitation project and potential presentation by Rick Chimblo or others involved. (Note: Nothing has been submitted yet)

Informal Meeting Introductions and Updates

The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Mike.

Rotary Project Updates and Initiatives

The meeting began with welcome remarks to guests including Stephanie Lippert, Starr, and Bob Bishop. 

The recipients of the Tour de Cookie charities received checks today for their organizations. Starr is the communications manager with More Than a Bed. She provided updates on the organization and their goals for future development, including a resource center that provides essential items to foster care families and an enrichment center offering off-site classes including creative expressions, chess club, and jewelry making.

 Bob Bishop received the check for The Rotary Vocational Foundation of Arizona (TRVFA) and shared how the funds impact not only the recipient but the families, too. TRVFA provides approximately $2,000 in grants for vocational training across Arizona, with a recent budget increase to $350,000.

The club sponsored a luncheon for MCAT faculty for Teacher Appreciation Week. John Dooling delivered sandwiches, meat and cheese platter, chips, drinks and dessert to that high school.

CTE Programs Overview Presentation

Stephanie Lippert presented an overview of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in Marana Unified School District, highlighting their 20 current programs across three high schools with an enrollment of 3,549 students. The programs focus on industry certifications, with students able to earn two certifications by the end of high school and noted their strong partnership with Marana Health Center which has hired 12 former students. The district charges $10 per semester for CTE courses, though some industry certifications can be expensive, and they are exploring ways to support students who cannot afford the certification fees. Stephanie will invite any interested Rotarians to attend the CTE ambassador event in September.

Career Technical Education Benefits

The discussion focused on Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and their benefits. Mark shared how CTE pathways can increase students' motivation for higher education, supported by examples from his children's experiences transitioning from CTE programs like business management to college degrees in nursing and construction management. The conversation highlighted specific partnerships and projects, including Marana's welding program's collaboration with the town for public art installations and the donation of vehicles for automotive programs. Gregg shared how his son enrolled in the welding and auto mechanics programs. He has been able to combine those skills in his career that at age 22 he purchased a home. When asked about basic life skills in education, Mark confirmed that CTE programs incorporate essential skills like cooking and typing, with some basic skills now integrated into core subjects after previous gaps were identified.

Attendees: Bob, Laura, Mike, Mark, John, Don, Kathy, Harold, Beckie, Peter and Cindy

Quick recap

The Marana Rotary Club meeting focused on updates and planning for upcoming events and initiatives. The club discussed their successful Tour de Cookie event, which raised over $21,000, with plans to donate $5,500 to two beneficiaries: The Rotary Vocational Foundation and More Than a Bed. The group addressed a $500 user fee owed to Pima County for using the urban trail during the event, with Laura advocating for payment based on the fee's reasonable percentage of total revenue. The club also discussed plans for upcoming activities including providing lunch for MCAT teachers and tours of the Family Resource Center. Don shared details about the Zone Institute's "Shoes for Souls" project offering clubs the opportunity to sponsor new shoe collections for children.

Happy Bucks

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by John and others.

• Bob shared his happy bucks about the successful Run to Remember event, which had 30,000 runners and 5,000 volunteers, including his sister-in-law Paula who managed finish line activities.
• Laura then shared her happy bucks about winning a case at the Arizona Court of Appeals regarding a peace officer cancer claim against the city of Tucson, with the city not petitioning the Supreme Court for review.
• Mike is planning to hike the Sabino Canyon area after the meeting.
• Mark spent 6 days hiking and camping in the Grand Canyon with his son and long-time friend.
• John reminisced about his trek from Alton to Jacksonville, Illinois when he was in college. Making it in under 24 hours.
• Don has spent the last two Saturdays coaching his grandson’s baseball team and loving the fun with the kids.
• Kathy is planting tomatoes and has an expert helping to build her drip system.
• Harold is pleased he’s through with doctor’s appointments for the week and feeling much better after a recent hospital stay.
• Beckie is packing and has 3 open houses coming up as she and family plan their move to Sherwood, Oregon. She updated the group about her ongoing appeal with United Healthcare regarding a $15,500 medical claim.
• Peter is enjoying the morning breeze and life in general.
• Cindy noted the singers that entertained the audience during grandson Carter’s college graduation have been invited to Washington DC to participate in the 250 year celebration on May 17.

Updates

• Beckie will resign prior to June 1^st and her departure to Oregon. We will all miss her and her dedication to helping the community. 

Bob

• Email Craig to check if he can produce the big checks and offered to pay for production for TRVFA and More Than a Bed.

• Bob mentioned he would be returning to Arizona for the upcoming meeting on the 5th and was still seeking a speaker. Laura suggested Charity Nelson from "Phones Down Just Drive" as a potential speaker for the distracted driving awareness program, providing her contact information. Bob agreed to follow up on both the ALS group, MUSD’s CTE Director and Charity Nelson as potential speakers.

Cindy

• Find a vendor to deliver breakfast/lunch to MCAT teachers by next Monday or Tuesday.  Meal and transportation was approved up to $250).
• Bring gift cards and a card to Mark for the MCAT STAR student recognition.
• Coordinate with Mark and Josh about the possibility of a district grant to support the Marana School District backpack program after Josh's tour in May.
• Adrienne (Treasures4Teachers) mailed the final invoice to Cindy for the District Grant. Cindy will finalize the grant reports.

Laura

• Call the county to generate an invoice for the user fee for the event and ensure payment is made.

Club Brochure Recruitment Planning

The group discussed the need to create a trifold brochure about their clubs to help with recruitment and information sharing. 

Tour de Cookie Fundraising Results

The board discussed two main items: Tour de Cookie fundraising results and a user fee for using a public loop facility. The event raised over $21,000 after expenses were paid, with the board deciding to allocate $5,500 to beneficiaries, leaving around $11,000 in proceeds. Laura raised concerns about a paying the $500 user fee for the public loop, arguing it was reasonable given the event's success and community impact, while others debated whether the club or county should decide how the money is spent. 

Rotary Club Activities and Planning

The club discussed several upcoming activities and financial obligations. Cindy reported on a potential backpack program for Marana School District, which Josh would handle, and Don suggested creating a district grant to fund it. The club also addressed their "Every Rotary Every Year" designation, which requires a $1,500 donation to the Rotary Foundation.