The Rotary Club of Marana Hosts Hybrid Meetings
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Service Above Self
A Peacebuilder Club
We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 7:00 AM
Northwest Fire Department
5125 W Camino De Fuego
P O Box 91502 Zip Code 85752
Tucson, AZ 85743
United States of America
P O Box 91502 Zip Code 85752
Tucson, AZ 85743
United States of America
Marana Rotary Club
Weekly meeting minutes
October 12, 2021
Randy – said he would like to have $500.00 donated SALF (Southern Arizona Law Foundation)
John Dooling made a motion to give up to $500.00 to he SALF organization. Don Second it, we voted majority vote was passed.
Randy said at the board meeting, a new committee was formed, and John Dooling is the head of it. It is to decide what we will do with the excess funds the club has $18k in GF, and the foundations has $11k.
The Peace Garden dedication will be Friday the 22nd from 3:00 – 4:00 pm. The poles have the phrase “May peace prevail on earth” in 16 languages.
Randy said we still need some minister, rabbi, Muslim leader to speak the will speak about 2minutes. Laura will try and get on from the Lutheran Church and Kathy has a relationship with the Jewish Center she will contact them. Don will attempt to contact one of the Indian tribes to see if someone would be willing to talk.
Sulee will take the banners next Tuesday and bring them on Friday to the dedication. The Marana Police Chief and some dignitaries from Rotary are already scheduled.
Kathy has written a press release regarding the dedication.
Happy Bucks:
Harold – told Randy we had not received the $500 from RI for the bench at the peace pole, Randy said he would investigate it and that’s what Harold is happy about. Kathy things are going well. Sulee is just happy. John Dooling told us about his 50 years (college reunion and having some great conversations with some of his old friends. Deznise will not be in town next week (I guess she is happy to get out of dodge for a week). John Z, just happy. Richie is very excited he got a promotion at work to the HR Director this is a virtual pat on the back Richie. Don 2000 families received shelter boxes in Haiti, and he is a Red Sox fan and there still in it. Laura happy her brother came to town, and he fixed her screen door. Randy, Happy he went to Kathy (who was a foreign exchange student) wedding in TX.
Our speaker was Ross Freezer, talked about Rotary Peace Corp Fellowship and where he was at,(I didn’t get the name of the location) and he said there are a 160 members of the Peace Corp that have returned and are here in the Tucson area. We should be cultivating them to become members.
We can go online and see projects that peace club are posting online. He showed us a video of where he served and donated close to 20,000 books. The teacher and coordinator in the video said it how much the videos helped the kids. One of the teachers said she had grown up in the US in such book rich environment and these kiddos don’t have books they can usually read. The books have been a chance to help the feel successful and when the finish a book they feel so excited. The group have also been doing some training for teacher. COVID had truly affected how this group can function right now.
I was truly touched by the video.
Marana Rotary Club
Weekly meeting minutes October 5, 2021
The meeting was hybrid with Peter working out the last of the virtual bugs. Peter will not be here next week; Harold agreed to stick-handle the virtual setup. Peter will distribute setup -for -dummie -instructions to members for future use.
Happy Bucks
- Peter updated us on the volcanic activities in La Palma. Sadly, activity increases with new vents opening all the time. Ash and lava have destroyed almost all the banana crops, effecting the entire population of 85,000.
- Mary was searching for words, we will come back to her.
- Dan was happy for the MLB playoffs, especially the iconic match up between the Red Sox and Yankees. Twenty bucks worth of happiness.
- Beckie was prepping for surgery, running the gauntlet of lab tests and pre-op checklist. Why can’t this be done in one place?
- Don was happy for the great relationships brought to us by Cathy and Felicia’s Farms. Five bucks worth of happy.
- Mary was till searching for words…..
- John Z. was not happy with the performance of his hearing aids this morning.
- Harold was happy to have his cataract surgery lined up for November.
- John D. informed as to his turkey hunting adventure with his grandson in Young AZ where the one-pump town was out of gas, but a generous resident provided 5 gallons of the precious liquid. No turkeys seen.
- Denise was happy today for not having to wear a mask today. Twenty bucks worth of happiness.
- Andy was enjoying the Fall colors in the canyonlands and mountains of S Utah
- Cathy was grateful for the technology afforded by Zoom to her mobile phone in these challenging times.
- Laura was once again happily completing home improvement projects.
- Randy was reporting from a questionable motel room in Richardsburg TX en route to a wedding for one of his former foreign exchange student. Twenty bucks worth of happiness.
Announcements
- Randy will ride the 25-mile portion of the El Tour de Tucson (which Andy will someday figure out is different from El Tour de Cookie). Randy asked for sponsors for which he will donate to Polio Plus. Peter made the first offer of $2/mile, with a bonus of $50 if Randy finishes the 25-mile loop.
- Beckie explained why her contact, the Medicaid advisor, cannot speak before clubs; but, said they were available if someone needs their contact.
- Randy asked for members to become involved, if possible, with the Marana Chamber of Commerce. Our club should have representation at the Chamber, plus we are seeking new members from the Chamber.
- The Dove Mountain club will be holding a peace building meeting this coming Thursday (now last Thursday because these minutes are late) on Zoom.
- The Southern AZ Law Enforcement Assoc will be holding a motorcycle rally on Oct. 30. Various levels of sponsorship are available, and the club should discuss possible interest in supporting
Speaker
Mary presented one of two powerful presentations from the Rotary Peace Conference, District 5495. Unfortunately, the three of us on Zoom had no audio and , apparently, there were also sound issues in the NWFD meeting room. Mary subsequently circulated the presentations to members.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
Marana Rotary Club
Weekly meeting minutes, Sept. 28, 2021
General Announcements
Cojibo- Randy clarified that the approval for another year of funding ($2,000 this year in addition to $2,000 this past year) was OK with John D. as this was started under his presidency. John agreed. Randy asked that we consider how and when to visit the project so we have skin in the game.
Mary spoke about the Peace Garden. It seems that we are now the stewards of the Garden in perpetuity. Mary would like to orient club members as to how the maintenance should be carried out and asked for monthly commitments from each member. Members committed as follows:
Denise, October Beckie, March
Cathy, November Laura, April
Dan, December Randy, May
Sulee, January Harold, June
Bob, February Mary, July
Dan and Andy deferred for now, not knowing their schedules. Maintenance should be straight-forward; rearranging the decorative rocks, etc. Tools required, gloves and a rake.
A dedication for the Peace Gardens was set for Oct. 22 at 3PM. This should allow for notice to be given to Marana Town officials and other invitees to hopefully attend. Mary suggested that spiritual leaders, such as local indigenous representatives, be included. Invitations are being prepared.
Happy Bucks (was to be abbreviated due to time constraints, but thanks in part to John D., was not)
- Sulee reached out to Harold for offering a portable oxygen system for her husband to take to frequent doctor’s appointments. Sulee mentioned that this was a great example of our club’s internal support.
- Randy was happy that it felt like Fall in the Old Pueblo.
- Harold was happy that his physical therapy was helping his knees.
- Laura was feeling a sense of accomplishment having had time for some home projects.
- Beckie was preparing for hip surgery. Many offers were made to bring meals; however, Beckie says that Carl is a good cook.
- Peter celebrated his first grandchild! His wife is with his daughter in Minnesota until January. Peter described the devastation from the volcanic eruptions on the island of La Palma where he had been just a few months back working at the observatory, now closed.
- Don reported a “strange week” and it will only get stranger as his Rotary functions ramp up. His wife leaves for one month so he and Peter may hook up to commiserate. Don was also looking forward to several doctor’s appointments (nothing serious, gracias a dios) and signing up for Medicare, a byzantine gauntlet.
- Mary was simply outdoors and happy.
- Andy was enjoying the Fall colors in the mountains of southern Utah.
- Denise was meeting with vendors as her high season approaches. Sadly, she reported the passing of an uncle from COVID at 83 years of age, leaving two orphaned cousins.
- Bob was enjoying his remaining time in Virginia before taking the long drive out west to Tucson. Yesterday he logged 16,000 steps doing yardwork.
- John was his usual happy self. His computer issues were fixed (for now), one grandson participated in a muddy mountain bike event in Flagstaff and another grandson is in the top 10 competitive swimmers in AZ.
- Cathy is happily ordering 325 chickens and celebrated a birthday last week. Happy Birthday, Cathy!
- Dave has had a busy week with work and increasingly active kids. Almost stepped on a rattlesnake while watering and hopes a rattlesnake plague isn’t coming.
- Dan is lamenting the past 1 and ½ years of Zooming and wishes for more face-to-face experiences soon. Dan asked the club to consider whether our meeting venue at Northwest Fire is the best solution. Or the hybrid/virtual venues. Beckie suggested that we give it more time as Peter has heroically resolved the hiccups.
Speaker, Don Jorgensen, Chair of the Membership Committee
Don shared a presentation summarizing the results of the recent members survey focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of our club’s meetings, how to improve membership attraction and retention, and, generally, how to enhance the Marana Rotary Club experience. Don’s presentation was an excellent and motivating synthesis of the members’ responses. Don summarized:
- Improving communications
- Messaging to attract and retain new members
- Suggestions for attracting dynamic speakers
- Ideas for improving our weekly meeting experience.
- Improvement ideas for an already awesome website (note: Randy reminded us how Marc Snow complimented Harold last week on our excellent website).
Marana Rotary Club Meeting Information
September 21, 2021
Guests of Honor:
Governor “Hank” Huisking
Assistant to the Governor Marc Snow
Announcements:
El Tour de Cookie is set for March 12th
At last evening’s board meeting, the Governor mentioned that a foreign exchange student is available for school year 2022/2023, is anyone interested? Please consider and respond, if so. This is for an inbound candidate.
Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Foundation is soliciting several levels of sponsorship. Is our club interested? For consideration and future discussion.
Due to time constraints, there is no Happy Bucks today.
Don won the drawing!
Speakers
Marc Snow, Governor-elect for 2024/25, introduced himself. Now living in Oro Valley, Marc is a native Montanan involved in Rotary for 15 years. He has attended two international conventions in person and two on-line. Marc has hosted several foreign exchange students.
“Hank” Huisking spoke to her focus as Governor. Staying connected in these pandemic times is her driver. Her membership credo is “each one of us Rotarians bring one and keep one member”.
Governor Huisking spoke about Rotary International’s president, Shekhar Mehta, and his philosophies leading Rotary. The guiding messages the Governor shared were:
- Two young girls in India who lived 17 miles apart led entirely different lives due to economic and social backgrounds. These inequities must be overcome.
- Empowerment of women, particularly young women, must be a priority.
- Focus on days of service. After the past two years of isolation, clubs must work together to accomplish something bigger.
Announcements from the Governor
- The Governor noted that the upcoming conference at Casino del Sol is in person October 29-30 and encouraged everyone to attend. Representative Julia Phelps and Alan Mallory will be keynote speakers. Alan will speak on agile leadership and dealing with obstacles, timely topics.
- RYLA will be held January 14th-17th, in person.
- The RI Leadership course is being held virtually, Jan. 22nd, 29th, and Feb 5.
- The Mexican-American Friendship Conference is being held Feb. 3-6.
- Peace Day is tentatively set for Apr. 2nd, honoring 15 District 5500 Peace Clubs
- The Four-Way Test Speech Contest will be Apr. 9. The Governor’s goal is to have 15 students participate.
- Finally, the Veteran Memorial Park foundation picnic will be held on May 22nd in Sierra Vista.
MCAT student of the month
Richie Benner presented Noah, our MCAT student, and his mom, Leandra. Noah graduates in March from Coronado High with all A’s and B’s. Noah checked all the boxes, Academics, Attendance and Attitude, in being selected for this honor. His current goal is to be a shoe designer (athletic, not fashion) and Noah is very business directed.
Marana Rotary Club
Meeting minutes Sept. 14, 2021
The hybrid meeting was held at Mary Straus’s home featuring Cathy Lowling’s induction into the Marana Club. Kudos to the numerous individuals who made this meeting a “virtual” success with respect to audio and visual components. Randy thanked all for their patience not only for the struggle getting our hybrid meetings up to snuff, but for support during his 2 and ½ month travels away from Tucson.
Randy briefly described highlights of his Quixotic journey across the USA. His time with Bob Bishop in Virginia certainly fortified an already strong friendship. However, his serenading of folks along the shores of the lake in a paddle boat may have cost Bob some friendships. Seriously, it sounded wonderful. Randy also described an incident in the Midwest where a buffalo grabbed an errant tourist, removing her pants. “The Midwest was a pleasant surprise.”
Announcements
Randy asked Andy to order Rotary badges and pins for Sulee and Cathy.
There will be a virtual only board meeting Monday evening with the District Governor, “Hank” Husking. Randy asked that Marana Club Board members attend, and all were welcomed and encouraged to attend. Goals and objectives of our club will be discussed; therefore, it is important that our club’s committee chairs attend as well. I will distribute the time and links once confirmed.
Dianne will also attend our club meeting this coming Tuesday. Randy asked that everyone attend, if possible. The Governor personally attends over 50 club meetings per year; therefore, our efforts to attend are important.
Harold summarized last week’s social event where 7 club members toured the Marana Health Center. Harold reported that there may be two great candidates there that may be interested in joining our club.
Harold also reported on efforts to have the 5th Tuesday in November social gathering at the 390 Air Museum. Several suggestions were made as to day and time. Sulee offered to circulate a poll with options and set the meeting according to the majority preference.
Induction of Cathy Lolwing into the Marana Rotary Club (note that yours truly finally spelled her name correctly, my apologies)Mary Straus introduced Cathy, and her husband, Mark, to the club. Cathy is the Executive Director of Felicia’s Farms, who we have come to know well as one of our club’s newest community projects. Mark holds the position of Director of Circulation and Consumer Innovation of the Arizona Daily Star. Randy provided background color prior to the formal induction. Their daughter, Amanda, will be participating in RILA and they have a son, Sam, 21 years old studying to be an air traffic controller. Both Cathy and Mark are musicians. Cathy plays guitar and Mark has written over 1,000 songs. Between Randy and the new inductees, our entertainment needs will be met for the foreseeable future. Randy emphasized that Mark will also be considered a member and is invited to participate in the club’s activities. Lynne presented a check from our club to Felicia’s Farms in the amount of $3250, representing ½ of the donation to Felicia’s Farms pending the remaining balance from the District.
Randy presented the pin to Cathy and the club warmly welcomed Cathy and mark to Rotary. One of Cathy’s first involvements will be to assist in the Tour de Cookie event.
Speaker, Don JorgensenDon provided more information regarding how Shelter Box functions. We are all familiar with Shelter Box having participated for almost three years in supporting the effort. The Marana Club has been named a “Hero Club” being one of the most successful clubs in raising funds; $1,000 per year for three years running.
Don used the recent Haiti disaster in describing the behind-the-scenes activities of Shelter Box. Shelter Box is aiding Haiti for the third time.
2010- 20,000 families displaced by a major hurricane were provided shelter (tents)
2015- Haiti was once again hit by a major hurricane and Shelter Box supplied rebuilding supplies designed for the youth to be actively involved.
Today- Haiti encountered both earthquake and hurricane wherein 137,000 families were wiped out.
Don described just some of the methods that Shelter Box utilized before entering a country such as Haiti. SB liaises with organizations such as the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and the UN in designing logistical support. Disaster aid is a straight-forward concept. What is less understood are the steps taken before a decision is taken to provide assistance. Don described the following:
An assessment team was sent, in this case, to the Dominican Republic because of uncertainty and political instability in adjoining Haiti. Questions asked included:
- Are there at least 200 families effected?
- Will the required aid be needed for longer than one month?
- Will Haiti even accept assistance?
- Can the government perform duties such as facilitating customs on incoming aid?
- Are there translators/facilitators?
- Is there adequate security? Protection under COVID conditions?
Needs in this case were determined to be quick, temporary shelter gear, mosquito netting, tarps, grommets, wire. The assistance is underway and ongoing. Thanks to Don for his commitment and eloquent presentation.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
Marana Rotary Club
Meeting minutes September 7, 2021
Next Tuesday, September 14th, the meeting (hybrid) will be held at Mary’s house at 7AM and will include a guest speaker and the induction of Kathy Lowling into our club. The guest speaker will be Amanda, the CEO of the Marana Chamber of Commerce. Amanda was scheduled to speak today; however, technical problems precluded the ability to have an effective presentation.
The meeting began with numerous glitches and frustration. Peter, Harold, Mary and others did their level best to overcome audio and video connection issues. The meeting was indeed hybrid with some using their phones and Mary refereeing communications using various devices. We discussed ideas going forward including going purely hybrid and/or purchasing a laptop which would be set up for and dedicated to our meetings. Harold will attend the Dove Mountain hybrid meeting this Thursday to observe how they deal with the venue. Randy suggested calling a special board meeting within one week to weigh different solutions for presentation to the club.
Happy Bucks (abbreviated)
Randy was elated to have encountered an albino wild turkey (proof unknown) during his travels in northeastern Washington state this morning on his way to an internet connection.
Laura shared her happiness after just having four of her siblings visiting after a long absence
Others present were certainly happy; however, reports were skipped due to the late start this morning.
Announcements
- Mary reported that the District grant for Felicia’s Farm was approved in the amount of $1666. She relayed a note from the District commending our club on our ongoing efforts towards improving our local community.
- At the recent Board meeting, Harold and John raised the less-than-ideal conditions at the site where Felicia’s Farms produce were being delivered. Sulee has identified a domestic violence shelter site as an alternative delivery point. Mary asked for thoughts on other possible beneficiaries for the produce.
- Harold advised that efforts were underway to have our next Social meeting (fifth week in November) at the 309 Air Museum
Committee Reports
Mary gave an update on special projects, time having run short at our last meeting:
- Cameroon Project- Bouba has reached out to the leader of the Women’s training association to resolve administrative challenges. The group is expected to be back up and running soon.
- Shelter Box- We expect to again participate in the program for the third year
- Peace Garden (aka Peace Pole)- further arrangement is ongoing. Final arrangement awaits Randy’s return next week
- Holiday family support- we need to determine candidate families
- MCAT- Kathy Lowling’s daughter, Amanda, has been approved as a student for RILA. We could support another candidate; however, it is likely too late to submit application
Mary asked the club to consider additional projects. Randy suggested club members volunteer to visit assisted living, especially memory-assisted living facilities as a club support project. The idea was enthusiastically embraced. Also consider Veteran homes
.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
Service Projects
2018 to Present
Food Distribution for Community Food Bank of Marana
Annually Host the Best El Tour de Tucson Aid Station
Purchased Shelter Boxes
Recognition of Students at a High School that Serves High Risk Students
Contribution to the End Polio Now Campaign
Memory Screening for Underserved: Nogales, Sonora
Holidays Family Support
Built a Play and Exploratory Area at a MUSD Elementary School for Children with Special Needs
No Cost Tax Preparation, partnering with the United Way
Painted Elementary School Bathrooms
Built a School and Playground in Natabayengwe, Zimbabwe
Home Renovation for Veterans in Marana
Literacy Project – Provided Books for Low Income Families Partnering with WIC Programs
Rebuilt a Home and Hot Dog Cart for a Family in Lima, Peru, following a devastating earthquake
Host Many Exchange Students
Economic Development in Cameroon: Lifting a Village from Poverty and Malnutrition to Prosperity through Development of Expertise in Cottage Industries and Business Practices, Development of a Garden, and Purchasing a Starting Herd of Cattle to Feed School Children
Provided Air Filtration Systems for Special Needs Classrooms in MUSD during Covid
With other Rotary Clubs, Planted over 100 Trees at Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery
Peace Garden with Peace Poles
Renovation of Assisted Living Facility in Mexico Devastated by an Earthquake
Distribute Fresh Organic Produce to the Picture Rocks Community Center
Handbags of Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence.
Renovated old folks home in Mexico.
Backpacks for MUSD students
Oxygen generators for COVID patients in India
Oxygen tanks for COVID patients in Mexico
Marana Rotary weekly meeting
August 24, 2021
The meeting was held all virtual, again attended by folks from all sorts of locals including Tucson. Welcomed was our guest, Cathy Lowling from Felicia’s Farm
Randy asked if everyone was in favor of Happy Bucks, having heard that there may be thoughts to the contrary. Members supported the continuation as a form of comradery and personalizing our meetings. So…
Happy Bucks
Harold loves the nice weather, for a change, and was happy to have had a good look at the space station circling the heavens
Dan was not happy. His past weeks have been filled with house remodeling nightmares punctuated by mask conflicts within the school district
Andy was happy that all of the fire smoke had dissipated over Utah….for now.
Richie was happy for the follow-through and commitment to the Peace Poles Project, having been initiated 18 months ago under his watch
John D was happy for he and Harold having delivered the first round of produce from Felita’s Farm. On a profoundly sad note, he lost an obviously close and important friend. Members reached out with strong emotional support. Maybe a good reminder as to why we share during Happy Bucks
Don was happy for the completion of the Peace Pole project and noted that in his travels to Seattle and Rhode Island, he has not seen a drop of rain; ironic as Tucson is flooding.
Laura was happy to see the start of teaching at the U of A
Beckie was happy to have harvested several good speaker candidates at an Oro Valley event for nonprofits.
Mary was happy that Cathy will soon be applying to our club for membership. She was also grateful for Peter pulling her stuck car out of her front yard (must be much more to this story?)
Sulee was happy to have things going smoothly
Bob was happy to have his 5 ½ year old grandson starting school
Denise enjoyed a fun interview with a vocational fund applicant
Peter enjoyed the process of hydraulically lifting his house, twice, so that he could video the event
Cathy was happy to be joining the Marana club and that Felicia’s Farm produce was used in a Thai themed banquet
Randy was happy to be soon welcoming Cathy and for our relationship with Felicia’s Farm
Announcements
Harold advised that the Peace Pole Project pictures were posted on the website. Everyone was grateful for the very hard work performed by Mary, Peter, and Laura over the past weekend.
Next week the meeting will be “social” with a tour of the Marana Health Center; breakfast to follow. Meet up will be at 7AM; six people indicated their intention to join. Sulee will send specifics for the location.
Lynne not being present, Randy briefly presented the Budget report. All-in-all, the club’s fund is robust with a balance of approximately $11,000 after taking into consideration monies owed or committed for Shelter Box, Felicia’s Farm, the San Carlos old folks project and, perhaps, the Uganda Project (to be confirmed). Randy noted that several club members are behind in dues and urged all to verify. Apparently, some communications from Lynne to members may have been lost as Lynne is using a new email address. (Look for possible emails from RotaryLynne@gmail.com)
Denise has been kind enough to volunteer to bring goodies to in-person meetings for the month of September.
Randy remined that the time is coming for adopting a family for Thanksgiving and X-mas; so, please start thinking.
The topic was raised that clubs can reserve a table at the upcoming District Convention to showcase their club’s accomplishments. Mary recommended that we reserve the table now and decide later how and what to prepare. Peter offered the use of his display stands for a nice presentation. After discussion, it was generally felt that participating would inform the attendees of our club’s track-record and potentially attract new members.
Committee Reports
Membership- Don is compiling the questionnaires sent to club members and will report in more detail when time permits. Meanwhile, he made several general comments:
- Community projects brought many members to join; however, the fellowships are what tend to keep people in Marana Rotary
- Meetings and speaker topics show continued improvement
- Strong sense that everyone feels that this club creates a welcoming atmosphere
- Suggested that a standard mentorship be created for new members.
- More
Foundation- John Dooling reported on his and Bob’s activities during a very successful year. The Marana Club may not be the biggest or wealthiest; however, the dollar amounts donated per member are the highest of any club in the District. Members are reminded that donations to the Annual Programs Fund are encouraged and that matching funds from the club will boost the donations. Matching funds, along with our donations, will count towards each individual’s Paul Harris designation. The Foundation meeting will be held on November 2.
Youth Services- Richie announced that upcoming dates for the Student of the Month Program are Sept 14 and Oct. 26.
Due to our limited time, Randy asked that Committee reports be continued at a later meeting.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
Rotary Club of Marana Peace Poles
Crossroads at Silverbell District Park
Marana Rotary Club
Meeting minutes Aug. 17, 2021
This was a hybrid meeting with attendees currently chiming in from such romantic locals such as Virginia, Washington, and Utah. The club welcomed our guest speaker, Abby Rosen, Executive Director of the Marana Community Food Bank.
Happy Bucks (we seemed to have had to dig deep today!)
- Sulee started by saying she had lots of things to be happy about
- John D. followed by reporting that he had nothing to be happy about. Nobody believed him. It was suggested that his mountain bike spill has lingering effects
- Harold was happy that he didn’t have to walk to the meeting in the rain
- Richie was happily sinking into 4” of water in his backyard.
- Laura was happy for the majestic green mountains
- Peter was having his house lifted preventing it from sliding into the wash, but not happy about the cost
- Beckie took her first trip to Sierra Vista and happy for the green mountains
- Bob was happy about lots of things, including his visitors with whom he was having a great time.
- Andy was looking forward to the monsoons which will dissipate the fire smoke
- Don was also looking out over the water. Not the standing flood waters of Tucson, but the Puget Sound
- Randy was enjoying his and Deb’s extended stay in Virginia with Bob before heading to Nashville, presumably to audition
Announcements
Shelter Box- Harold will determine if the $1,000 donation has been submitted by the Foundation. Don reported that Shelter Box assessment teams were already on the ground in Haiti. As soon as it is determined to be safe, more teams will be deployed to aid in the disaster.
Randy announced that a young lady will be interviewing the following day for support from the Rotary Vocational Fund of AZ
John D. and Harold reported that we need to start thinking about the next contribution for the Cobijo Project in San Carlos, Mexico.
Randy pointed out that only 17 people have registered for the upcoming Conference and asked for more to consider attending.
RILA- Randy reminded that he would like to see two candidates put forth for support from our club for RILA. He asked that any candidates be brought forth by the end of this week so that interviews can be scheduled for the following Monday. Nominees will not be considered beyond the end of the week. Sulee made the motion that the club fund up to $900 ($450/student), Laura seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Speaker
Abby Rosen gave an outstanding presentation on the Marana Community Food Bank’s vision and functions. The scope and reach of this organization were likely under-appreciated by most of us. Besides over 2,200 meals prepared daily, the organization provides support for acquiring GED’s, has a learning garden, manages a five-acre farm and provides a drive-through service supplying 3-5 days’ worth of food in the form of emergency meals. Its partnerships serve 5 counties in S Arizona. The Food Bank is also involved in broader policy issues such as advocating the increase of minimum wages to $15/hour in Arizona. The main purpose of the Food Bank is to provide food assistance in a way that allows for community members to participate with dignity. The Bank has 160 employees and thousands of volunteers.
Randy noted that the Marana Rotary Club had supported the Marana Food Bank for as long as 30 years through meeting collections up until the Pandemic. He suggested that continued support should be discussed at the Club’s next Board meeting.
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
MARANA ROTARY CLUB
Meeting minutes, August 10, 2021
Mary welcomed our guest (and future club member?) from Felicia's Farms, Kathy Lowling.
Randy announced:
- The District is seeking a new chair for the Right to End Polio by year-end
- The District Conference (Oct. 29-30) has only 17 registrants; please consider registration
- The District is also seeking Youth Exchange Officer
- RILA- members please consider bringing forth candidates. The funding ($450/attendee) needs to be established by end of August. Mary indicated that Kathy’s daughter may be interested.
- Ernie is soon to leave ICU, is speaking (a big step!) and aims to do the Kids Ride in the Tour de Tucson. Richie corrected to read “The Fun Ride”.
Mary had two announcements:
- A sign-up sheet has been prepared for the 2 X/month produce delivery from FF to the Picture Rocks Community Center.
- On August 21st the Town of Marana will deliver the rocks for the Peace Pole Garden. Volunteers needed!!!
Harold announced that for the 5th Tuesday social event this month (August 30th) there will be a tour of the Marana Health facility beginning at 7AM; breakfast possibilities to follow the tour.
A discussion ensued regarding in-person versus hybrid versus virtual meetings in the face of rising concerns over the Delta Variant. Consensus was to continue status quo; however, Randy asked that anyone uncomfortable not attend in person and that everyone attending in person PLEASE wear a mask.
Since we did not have a speaker, Randy asked for members to think about and share why we were Rotary members. The themes centered around fellowship and projects for the betterment of our communities, local and abroad. Many expressed the relatively small size of our club and, therefore the efficiency and passion behind our projects. Many referred to the ability to effect youth and pointed to their many positive and life-changing experiences with their involvement through exchange programs. Most agreed that the comradery of such a small but generous club was the motivator for being in Rotary. John compared the club to a secular church where he has made close friends in six countries. Sulee joined for business reasons; however, three youth exchange students changed their lives. Bob described a similar story after having taken in the first five Russian students after Glasnov and introducing them to capitalism.
Happy Bucks
Harold was happy to have found his raincoat
John D. was just happy. He reported that his mountain biking injuries were improving.
Peter related the emotional encounter with a procession of 200 emergency vehicles commemorating the recent death of a Tucson paramedic.
Denise loves the rain but not the abundance of resulting flies. Her car is now safe as Carl has purchased a new car
Laura happily scored 4 season tickets to the UA Women’s Basketball games. Everyone instantly became her best friend.
Mary was happy to have ridden to the meeting with Kathy of FF
Richie was happy that his new digs did not flood and that his roof was undamaged….unlike so many of his new neighbors
Denise was happy to have had Laura drop by the store. She was also proud of the generosity of our club
Don was happy to have seen family and friends back east and was trying to find his way home during the airline chaos
Sulee was happy to have cleaned up after flooding
Bob was looking forward to Randy’s (brief) visit to Virginian
Randy was happy to advise Bob that he wouldn’t stay more than 90 days and was looking forward to the prolonged visit
Andy was happy that the horrendous wildfire smoke was clearing in southern Utah in time to watch the meteor showers
Andy Swarthout, Secretary
