Welcome to a New Rotary Year!

Welcome to another issue of our weekly newsletter (or bulletin as some call it). The Rotary Club of Highlands Ranch is a dynamic club that exemplifies the Spirit of Rotary and Service Above Self. This newsletter provides recent meeting highlights, committee announcements, events, and photos as well as information about Club Leaders and Club Initiatives. Please share this with neighbors, colleagues, and friends who might be interested in joining us, and please invite them to visit a meeting! We are a lot of fun in person!

With a new President, Arthur Cone, and a new District Governor, Tamie Fennell, who is also from our Club, we look forward to exploring the Rotary International 2024-25 Theme, "The Magic of Rotary." Join us!

Mark your calendars

Come celebrate the Fourth of July with us as we march in the Highlands Ranch Parade on Thursday! We will meet at the parking lot of Target on Lucent at 7:30. We need volunteers to decorate and then we need MARCHERS. A few can float on the "float" but we need you to put on your sneakers and help hand out flyers for the Peach Sale.

If you do not know, this is the 24th Annual Peach Sale and proceeds from this are what we use to fund our RYLA and Young RYLA camps. This year, our club single-handedly sent 18 kids to camp at no cost to them! This investment in our young people stays with them for a lifetime.

Please note, the link to order peaches is also live in the top corner of our Club's website. Please order peaches, gift peaches, invite friends, neighbors, and family to do the same! Special thanks to Jan Keaton for her work on RYLA. Also, special thanks to Debbie Leonard and the PR Committee for their work organizing the Parade logistics.

Announcements

As we are dark again this week because of the holiday and the new Rotary year starting, we did not have a lot of announcements to share. A few things to note:

1) Allen Balfour found a stray chair which was left behind after the picnic on Saturday. If you are missing your favorite camping/ sports viewing chair, please contact Allen.

2) Win reminds us that Flyin' B did meet last week. The past DG, Jim Johnston was in attendance as he attended the last unvisited club/satellite in the District. Also, Win notes that we need have good attendance in the coming weeks to vote on future commitments such as the blood drive, recycle event, and tutoring. Stay tuned in future weeks for updates. Note that Flyin' B meets at Wincrest and often does a "dutch" Dinner after they meet.

3) At the picnic, of course, there were many inspirational and emotional comments and stories. In the way of announcements, one stood out to the Wheel Spinner "team" and that had to do with the new Bright Futures campaign for 2024-2025. New members, please just be aware that this is a major initiative and more information is forthcoming. There are details about the program also on our Club's website.

The Highlights from the Changing of the Guard...

Well, the first rule of the 4 Way Test is "Is it the truth?" Friends, the truth is, your Wheel Spinner "team" did not bring a notebook to the picnic and while we like to think we have the mind of a steel trap, sadly, that is not quite true.

SO, the general highlights? It was a FANTASTIC day! The food was delicious. Special shout out from our "food editors" that the beans were super tasty, there was a wonderful warm potato dish that was so delicious, the fresh fruit was appreciated, and the Charcuterie cups from new member, Kristy, were fabulous! From the dessert table, our "foodies" especially loved the mint brownies and the **shortbread** was the best home made we have ever had! Beverages flowed freely and were refreshing!

El Jefe, our outgoing Presidente, Bob, gave thanks and kudos to many people. He shared awards with a few whose contributions were most notable to him. We heard tears in the voices of those who acknowledged not only that they had done a lot to accomplish the goals, but that they got a lot out of the work. Our club, it was noted, is truly special. The generous good work of members is remarkable! Thanks to each and every member who makes this club so very special.

Incoming President, Arthur, and his beautiful and kind wife, Theresa, were front and center and really teed us up for another extraordinary year of giving and of doing.

Finally, a few words from our very own Tamie Fennell, incoming District Governor to District 5450. Tammie reflected again on what we have done, who we are as a club, and what we can do in the coming year!

As a final note, we have LOTS of photos, but the bulletin / newsletter is not the easiest place to put them. Please look to the Club's Facebook and note that Kristy Hayzlett is pulling together an INSTAGRAM REEL !! Woot woot!

We will continue to improve how we share images and how we use social media to show how great this club is!

See you all on Thursday if you are free. If not, have a happy and safe 4th of July.

Our next noon meeting will be on the 11th when we will officially hear from the new President!

God bless you all and God bless America!

Respectfully and gratefully submitted by your Wheel Spinner "Team" :-)

Member of the Week

This is a small description for the Person of the Week. Let's put the spotlight on one of our exceptional members! If you all agree and with permission of the President, this is a placeholder for a future feature!

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102-2060 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, ON, L6H 5R7