President Arthur kicked off the meeting with the mighty pounding of the gavel. And if you go, you know he sometimes really has to pound to get this group to listen!
Our inspiration came from Scott Davenport. Scott shared a little story called "The Boy & Ice Cream". We won't spoil it by retelling it in paraphrase here, but you might ask Scott how to find it. We heard a collective "Awww" from the audience at the end when there was a Hallmark moment of just plain 'ol good in it. In these fraught times, we do need to remember to judge a bit less quickly, be generous when we can be, and above all, be kind. It is the Rotary way, after all.
We had guests and visiting Rotarians at the last meeting: Ann Klein (not THE Ann Klein). Ann represents Dress for Success which is an international organization that helps women get a leg up with donations of nice work clothes, shoes, handbags, and bras. (This caused a buzz; you'd think we were in middle school for all the chuckles.) They also collect and give away other essential but sometimes "extra" things that a woman needs when she is going through difficult times and trying to get/hold a job.
Ann offered to come again for a full presentation but she did offer a great short overview. ( In fairness, we did, upon reflection, realize later that Ann was talking about bras in front of a life-size Dolly Parton cardboard cutout, so maybe that was at the root of the laughs...)
We also had a visitor from the Sunrise Club. Thanks for joining us, Paul!
The Rock was graciously passed from Jane to the ever-humble and kind, Bill Simmermon. As Jane said, Bill exudes Rotary. His dad instilled his love of Rotary along with other things like baseball, but Bill is more than the average Rotarian. He seems to LIVE the four-way test. As an aside, from The Wheel Spinner "team" (Kim), he welcomed me to Rotary and was the first person to invite me to lunch. He is kind and funny and he gives graciously of his time and energy. Bill attends international events and he IS the Change we want to see in the world, isn't he? Great choice, Jane!
Speaking of all things international, did you feel the energy of the Rotary International Exchange students in town last weekend?
Some of us sure did! We had 11 Exchange students in town this past weekend staying with members of our club (plus one host from Centennial, I believe). Many of us hosted 2 kids. Some of us spent the weekend speaking three languages and it was a blast!
The kids enjoyed orientation in Denver, and then attended the Highlands Ranch Oktoberfest. Funny enough, Susanne Julia, who stayed with Kim DeCoste was from Germany. She was from outside of Hannover in the North. This was her FIRST Oktoberfest!
Thanks to all who hosted. Please think of the young people visiting the District this year. Filippo is our student at Rock Canyon, but there are others if you plan something interesting and can include any of them, they are eager to experience all aspects of life in the Centennial State. Kimberly Armitage is the District Youth Exchange Coordinator.
This week's meeting was a dual presentation:
First, we had two ladies from the Douglas County Library Association in attendance, Jane Gottlieb and her colleague Mary. They were accompanied by that lovely full-sized Dolly Parton cutout as they spoke to us about the incredible Imagination Library Program. You can find details of the program online at ImaginationLibrary.com.
The program was conceived by Dolly as a way to get books - not just into the hands of children ages infant to 5 years old - but also to get books in the hands of communities of children that age.
You may know Dolly grew up poor with 12 siblings to illiterate parents in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. The program was conceived as a tribute to her dad.
With it, children can sign up to receive books monthly. The notion is that not only will they expedite language acquisition if they are read to, but that they will also come to appreciate reading, AND when they go off on those first scary days to school, the kids around them will have grown up reading the same stories.
That shared experience will help them build friendships and community in school more quickly, and thereby elevate their academic experience and engagement. Giving children the gift of books helps them learn to read, of course, but it also helps them learn how to express themselves with a richer vocabulary and greater ease.
The program is FREE to the children but comes at a cost, of course. Here in Douglas County, the DCLF is always looking for ways to partner with people and organizations to get more books in the hands of more kids. You may support this directly from the Douglas County Library Foundation's website or you may be involved in the program itself. They hope to spread the books' distribution while offsetting the cost to the Library Foundation.
Finally, Ann Klein also spoke about the incredible program at Dress For Success Denver. They work to help women in career/life transitions get "suited" and become work-ready. Ann heads the programs related to professional development. There are many ways to be involved in this cause as well. Look for information on their website and NOTE they are having the big annual Gala this Friday evening. Details are on the site if you are interested in attending or want information to become involved in some way now or in the future.
Announcements:
Bill Simmermon is collecting eyeglasses and contacts this month if you have any lying around that you do not need, please bring them to the meetings in September.
RX, readers, blue light glasses, mens', women's and kids' glasses, and sunglasses and contacts are all needed. He is handing these off to a friend who is a Lions Club member. Use this as a chance to purge your night stand and kitchen junk drawer. Most of us have many old pairs lying around.
The Board of Directors Nomination Process will continue this week. Please contact President Arthur if you wish to nominate yourself or another club member.
Bright Futures was a Success! Thanks to all who supported the effort. We have 97% participation from the Noon Club and 100% from the Sunrise Club. (We did not take a note about Flyin' B, but will report that in the future.)
Drum roll, please.... the campaign has so far reached $129, 450 AND Jane did not like the odd number, so she chipped in $50 during Happy Dollars to bring it to an even $129,500. Can we nudge it up to $130,000? More? We shall see... c'mon you 3%!
For Family of Rotary:
Phil Calderbank continues to do well in his treatment. Elaine is hopeful that he will be home soon.
Bob Larson is on the mend and we hope to see him in the coming week or so.
Please also keep Peter & Ellen Ulrich in your ongoing thoughts as she heals.
Please hold these people in your hearts and reach out to them if you are comfortable doing so. We send each of them our very best.
Our final meeting announcements were of importance:
1) The Holiday Celebration will be at South Suburban on December 7th. Details to follow.
2) The WASH Symposium is on Oct. 19th and the registration is online. It is in the same location as the District Conference, at the new CSU extension facility near the Denver Stock Show Grounds.
Our District Conference is on September 28, 2024. Please register and attend. Details are on the District website or in the email you should have received from Bev Mendel.
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