Catch-up with Rotary 3/17
Again, we had a great meeting it was a pie kinda day, if you were at the meeting hope you had some, if you weren’t at the meeting you missed out. We started with some special Rotarians Jim Nook, Assistant DG from Dove Mountain
Rotary and Joe Hentges, President Elect. The club was presented with some very special awards: Every Rotarian every Year, Certificate of appreciation for donations to End Polio Now and a Certificate for actively working to Engage Rotary, Change Lives. (click on photo albums to view)
 
Alice reminded us: March 28th is Rotary Day walk, at Reid Park Zoo – S Randolph Way, registration is at 9am. April 12th is Rotary Day at Chase Field, Dbacks vs the Dodges lets go sounds like fun.
 
Alice; The board approved on March 16th, two projects for Africa joining with Dove Mountain one is to help build a poultry farm at an elderly home and the other is to paint a parking lot and school building. The total of the two projects is $400.00, if you have any further questions please contact Alice.
 
 
 
Our speaker was Don McNeill from Mentoring Tucson’s Kids, he truly has a deep love for kids and how to make them future good citizens. In 1988 Don was a track coach at Suguaro High School, when one of the kids he coached that had everything going for him committed suicide. He knew that day he wanted to start a mentoring program and he has been doing this for 20 years now. One-on-One Mentoring is a community-based program similar to big brother and big sister. In 2007 he started Mentoring Tucson’s Kids a faith-based program. The mentoring program is for kids from 5-17. The mentoring program mentors between 1000 – 1200 kids a year but there are over 20,000 kids in Pima County that one or both parents are in jail, over 30,000 kids who are in foster homes, living with friends, grandparents, group homes or living on the streets.
 
How can we help? First be a mentor recruiter if you know of someone who would be a great mentor, contact Don. It’s a one-year commitment and once a month there is an organized event. Each mentor should spend 3 hours per week with the kids. When a kid has a mentor for six months or longer it builds a strong bond and helps build character. Youth participating in the mentoring program builds relationships, reduces negative behaviors, improves social attitudes and relationships. If you don’t want to be a mentor you can volunteer to help at events. If you have any interest go to the “Save our Kids” Breakfast May 1st 7-8 a.m. at the Oro Valley Country Club. If you want additional information email mentoringtucsonskids@gmail.com
 
Bring a Guest to Rotary Day, April 28 start thinking about who you are going to invite and start talking to them about it. Get a commitment and email me at semaranarotary@gmail.com so we know how many people we will have at the meeting