MEETING NOTES FROM LUNCH AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This week's meeting was eye-opening for many of us as we learned a LOT about Lithium-ion battery safety. More on that in a moment.
Please note that we will consolidate several announcements at the end of this week's bulletin/newsletter so that you have all of the "bullet items" in one place for reference.
We began with Carolyn Bradish's inspired choice. She shared President George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Address.
As she noted, in 1789, it was not lost on our first President that we had achieved greatness in our victory in the war against King George in the Revolution. Further, and importantly, after serving his second term, George Washington taught us what he and the other Founders believed we needed to learn. He resigned a Presidency he surely could have kept. It is such an important moment and especially relevant in this moment in History when some worry about Presidential authority. Thank you, Carolyn, for this timely reminder both on civil behavior in the time of changing administrations and on the importance of the Thanksgiving Day, which he decreed for the state of New York with that address.
We were joined by our student of the month, Taylor Dean, and her family. Taylor is a bright and motivated young woman who is looking toward a future in healthcare. She attends Valor Christian and has a 4.085 GPA (unweighted 3.83) with 4 AP classes this year and a STEM endorsement. As a baby she had a heart challenge but she is healthy now and is going to be captain of the girls' swim team at the school. She believes she will study Physical Therapy and has college applications out, but most hopes to attend Texas A&M which is a legacy school for her family. She also has helped with a summer sleepaway camp for children with disabilities called Camp Barabas.
"Big" John Kennett was with us again wearing his TRF hat (with the tag his grandson made for it). He came to share the importance of the work RI's Foundation does. For new Rotarians, please note, this is separately funded from other areas where you may be donating. The Rotary Annual Fund is something we all can do throughout out time with Rotary and can be part of your annual charitable giving every year to any degree. When you hear of Paul Harris Fellows (the phrase "Paul Harris plus__#"), that is an indication of donation in increments of $1000 that acrue over time. This funds work we all do all over the world every year. It is often where the "matching fund" come from in our own efforts or at the District level.
For example, in 2020, these small donations totaled $5.1 million. More than 90% of your donation to the Annual Fund is returned to our District three years later and supports us directly. Last year, the District awarded District Grants to 46 projects (most here in Colorado) and 10 Global Grants to support our own international projects.
We ask that every member consider donating. Please contact John for details or ask for the flyer from the meeting last week. His email is johnkennett3@gmail.com or phone is 408-621-0198.
We then heard from Kari who passed The Rock along to Nancy Barton, who you may recall, just marked her one year anniversary. Nancy has thrown herself into Rotary and clearly was moved to have been chosen. Congratulations, Nancy, you deserve the recognition for all you do!
We then had a Red Badge induction of Shara Hubert. Bill Simmermon introduced Shara to our club. Her daughter is an Interact Student at Mountain Vista. Shara has recently changed professional directions and is looking to be involved with "things that matter" to her. Her mentor will be Terre.
Our program this week was compelling and, frankly, unsettling. Sue Bramley explained in the introduction that she witnessed a neighbor have a garage fire caused by a lithium-ion battery in a granchild's hoverboard. It made her curious to better understand that critically important and growing problem, so she reached out to South Metro Fire and got Brandy Miller to come speak to us.
Brandy is the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on this subject and also told us she worked on a project that will be launching on 11/20/24 to provide more information to our community and for our friends and families. The batteries can cause serious and life-threatening fires. They are extremely difficult and expensive to extinguish and one should never use water on them. (This creates fatally noxious gasses very fast.) The fires start quickly and often violently and spread fast. They also have a propensity to re-ignite, which is another enormous environmental challenge.
There was a lot shared and a lot to think about. Please, please take time to look up what you can as we approach a time when gifts are ordered online quickly. These batteries are almost anything that is rechargeable, so the are ubiquitous and often they are forgotten. They are found in every part of a home and garage.
If you missed the meeting, find someone to chat with who was there or if you are with a satellite, perhaps you would like to reach Brandy directly. The National Fire Protection Association is the leading source for knowledge resource on fire, electrical, and related hazards. They have a site at:
nfpa.org/education where you can find more details and please watch for the PSA that is forthcoming.
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Do you know what PEN stands for?
Maybe you do not. Maybe you do not want to ask, so let us explain. PEN stands for President-Elect Nominee. This is a vital leadership role, and we must (soon) choose our next PEN.
It is almost time to announce PEN nominees The Rotary year begins in July, and we will be making our final choices soon. Debby Doig took a moment last week to encourage people who might be "on the fence" and to assure you, there is excellent support for this role. You will have plenty of help. Contact Debby for information or please contact President Arthur. The club needs you!
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Family of Rotary:
We remembered Charles Tutor who passed a few months ago at 89.
Bob Larson's progress has been slow, but we remain optimistic that we will see him soon. Peter Ulrich remains ill and is not leaving Wincrest much these days. We send him our very best. Kari's husband, Mark, under went an ablation last week and had one other "scare", but she said he is recovering well. Michelle McRae joined us after her ablation and is on the mend. Finally, we heard that Tim Sparks was still at Skyridge trying to fight pneumonia. Please keep these people in your thoughts and check on them or their spouse/partner during these holiday weeks. Every thought matters and no good dead is too small, friends.
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Final Notes from the Lunch Meeting Announcements & President Arthur:
- Please look for the survey if you are in the Noon Club. There is a new Membership Survey specific to this group and you should receive an email asking you to complete the survey. It will take less than 10 minutes and it is vitally important for the club's leaders to understand how YOU feel about how things are going in our club. We cannot make improvements without suggestions from you!
The link to the survey for new members is here:
CLUB SURVEY
- There is a forthcoming fundraiser for Health & Hope.
- Ray Anderson is championing a new fundraiser that involves SEE'S CANDY!
If you would like to order See's you will be supporting the club's work, as the money will go back to the foundation. The donation See's makes is about $6 for every $30lb of chocolate sold. If you have not tried See's, you are missing out. You may order and have it sent directly to family & friends & clients. They have all kinks of choices. The deadline is fast approaching (December 6th) for the holidays, so please do not delay. You may find our link at:
RotaryFundraiser- See's Candy
Our goal is $1,000.
It is a great day to be a Rotarian;
make it fun!
See you Thursday, friends. Stay warm until then.
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