First Lady & President Elect Terre Cone with Jim Bramley welcoming people in to the Solar Panel for Ukraine Interact Event at Mountain Vista High School on Saturday.
DG Tamie Fennel, Andy Lenec of Solar Panels for Ukraine, and Terre Cone
Team Leader, Zig Berzins and his wife, Christine, were on hand to help and to "whistle" us to attention! Thank you, Zig and Christine.
While the Rotarians, Teachers, visiting adults, and students built, tested, and packaged 24 solar panels, we got to speak with several Rotarians in Kyiv live from Mountain Vista!
Meeting Notes from the (Noon Meeting) & Announcements
MEETING NOTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Our Wheel Spinner this week is a bit different since Jack Frost prevented us from making it to lunch last week.
Instead, we have some photo highlights and notes to share from Committees and Activities around Rotary this past week.
We will be meeting this Thursday at the usual time and place for the noon meeting.
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A few reminders we should note from Bill Simmermon of events that are forthcoming.
There will be a Pickleball Tournament on 1/25 that is hosted by the Cherry Creek Club and a couple of others.
The annual MLK Marade March for Rotarians in Downtown will be on 1/20. For information on both, please contact Bill Simmermon at bsimmermon@blueskyprivatewealth.
Claudia Caves reminded us of the following:
IFCS will gather to serve again on 1/15 and is in need of 5-6 volunteers.
Eagle Academy is having an event on 1/21 and also needs 5-6 volunteers. You may contact Claudia Caves for information on these events. cjcaves123@gmail.com
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Family of Rotary:
Mary Kay will share details of Earl's Celebration of Life when they are available. Our loving thoughts are with her and with their family. Earl will be missed by many.
Claudia sent a beautiful tribute video with notes about Tim Sparks from his wife in an email earlier this week. If you missed it, please check your inbox. Tim will be missed and remembered fondly.
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Reminders & Updates:
Please mark your calendars and REGISTER ASAP to save some money. THE PRESIDENT OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL will be be in Denver for a dinner on February 1, 2024 at The Wings Over the Rockies Museum. Please visit the District Website for our District (5450) or find the email from Bev Mendel that went out with the headline "EXTRA EXTRA". CORRECTION The final deadline will be January 23, 2025. Do not delay and let's enjoy a great evening with her and in support of our District Governor, Tamie Fennel.
We were also reminded the "Early Bird" rate for THE RI CONVENTION in Calgary in JUNE of 2025 also has less expensive EARLY registration now. Many of us will be there! Let's make it a group adventure and show up in force, RCHR! There was also an email from Bev Mendel in the District Office about tours for Rotarians who attend.
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COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS
FROM THE PAST WEEK & THE MEETINGS
Sunrise Meetings Group Update
From their most recent meeting, we have the following notes:
The last meeting was at The Links for a change of venue in the Grille and new member, Peter Kelly, was there. Welcome, Peter!
The group will soon turn its focus to the Recycle Event planning on May 2nd and they are looking for sponsor if you would like to support the event. The minimum sponsor amount is $500.
They will be working to determine charitable giving plans for the year and forms with suggestions are due by 3/1/25.
The next meeting is scheduled for 1/22 at Eastridge. Please stop in if you have not been in a while or have never been.
As the Solar Panel for Ukraine Project was a passion project for Terre, the panels sat in their living room during Thanksgiving to honor the sharing of this gift to humanity.
Flyin' B Meeting Update
Oh, the Flyin' B is already humming along for the New Year!
Reminder that we meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 4-5pm in the Longs Ridge Classroom. We often gather after the meeting for a "Dutch" dinner at The Windows Restaurant.
Nominations for Club Officers has begun and the following people have been suggested:
Chairman - Win
Secretary - Judy
Treasurer - Bill
Sgt. at Arms - Carol
Programming Chair - Dan
They are still hoping to find - Events & Activities Chair, Member Chair, HR Rotary Board Representative, and Chair-elect for 2026. Nominations on the floor on the day of the vote (2/13/25) will be allowed or please see Bill, Dan, or Darlene.
The Apple was passed to Pat Burnett from Gail Mullin for her tireless efforts including brownies for the blood drive, stitch and stuff, the Girls' School in Mexico, and recruiting a new member.
We will further discussed memorializing Mike Oldham. So far, besides the tree and plaque we have also mailed at $200 donation in his name to the Denver Indian Center. The discussion is ongoing.
We donated 250 Comfort Pillows in December.
Gail Mullin has agreed to be a stand-by reader for Sedalia Elementary.
We will continue to discuss the History of the 4 Way Test and real world examples of how to apply it in our everyday lives at Wind Crest.
It is time for Dues to Bill for $60. Please bring them to a meeting or his is box #2301 in the Town Center Cubbies.
Finally, the following events have been approved by Wind Crest:
Electronic Recycling 5/2/25
Shoe Collection 5/17/25
Blood Drives 5/31 and 11/1/25
Trees/Pollinator Planting in April/May
Next meeting is 1/23 with dinner to follow at Windows and guests are welcome!
Additional Committee News and Other Announcements
The Social Committee will have a new event calendar for 2025 soon. Stay tuned! Friendship dinners are on the horizon for late January or early February.
RCHR Board - 2nd Wednesday each month 7:30-9 am
Highlands Ranch Rotary Foundation - 3rd Thursday 9-11:30am - That means 1/16.
Community Service - 3rd Thursday 11am. The next meeting is January 1/16 at LTGC!
The Committee will meet again in January on the 16th if you would like to attend to learn more or be involved. Many thanks to ALL who are involved in all of this important work!
International Service Committee (ISC) - 2nd Thursday 11am
Phil asked us to note the following:
ISC would like to expand upon the success of the Solar Panels for Ukraine effort. Zig Berzins is looking for help to do this both as a Co-chair is needed and he is considering bringing this effort under ISC as a sub-committee. Details are pending but would require that he has more help to organize and carry-through with this commitment.
Finally, the ISC is looking at the following ideas RE: Solar Panels:
Working to persuade Peace Corp to adopt this into the work they are doing through and international partnership with Rotary.
Pitching something at the International Conference in Calgary.
Considering pursuing a District Grant. For this, a grant lead would be needed to write the grant request.
A reminder that we will need a replacement Editor for the Wheel Spinner by the end of June for the new Rotary Year. If you are interested, please contact Kim DeCoste.
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