When Tim Peterson visited the Cargill site recently as a board member for Great Falls Development Authority, he thought that a presentation on Cargill's operations in northcentral Montana would be perfect for a Rotary meeting. He was right! Last week Keith Horton, Senior Trial Agronomist for Cargill, gave us a fascinating overview.
Cargill has been in existence for over 150 years and now does business in 70 countries across the globe. Its Montana operations began with a grain project in Valier in 1908, so Cargill has spent more than a century in the Treasure State. Keith's job is to supervise the trials required to develop and get FDA approval for a variety of canola rich with Omega 3. As the population of ocean fish, the primary source Omega 3, declines, it will be important to world health to develop another primary source.
Keith oversees the farming operations in Northcentral Montana dedicated to testing multiple strains of canola to identify the one that will have the highest quality of Omega 3 and the greatest hope of sustainability. Cargill has the mission of providing the world with healthy food options, and the canola project is a big piece of that puzzle.
Keith grew up in Asheville, NC, determined not to be a farmer, but in college he fell in love with agronomy and he's been with Cargill since graduation. Keith and his wife and child are outdoor enthusiasts and are particularly enamored of paddle-boarding. They are delighted with their move to a city with a river running through it!
On another note, fellow Rotarian Tim McGonigal of KRTV told the group about a new project promoting Rotary. KRTV will help us create PSAs (public service announcements featuring a particular member or members and concluding with Ask Me Why (I'm a Rotarian). The ads are only 15 seconds and show either a short video or a collage of photographs of a Rotary project (his was the dictionary project) with your voice-over and a closing shot of you. If you have an idea for an ad, see Cari Yturri.
This Week at Rotary
This week we'll get an update on Giant Springs Elementary School from David Cantley. Join us at noon at the country club!
Welcome to New Blue Badge, Red Badge Wearers
In one of the funniest 3-minute talks in memory, Bob Wigdorski told the club a little bit about himself. He began by saying, "I have two big fears: public speaking and talking about myself. So don't expect much." But his talk was great!
Bob was born and raised in Great Falls, graduating from Great Falls High School in 1982. He spent 22 years in the Air Force as a special agent in counterintelligence. After living all over the world - English, Turkey, Italy, for example - 13 years ago, he decided to come back home to Great Falls. He "commuted" from Great Falls to D.C. for 12 years, but ultimately decided to find work closer to home.
He applied to be Executive Director of Gateway Community Services. "What does counterintelligence have to do with addiction prevention and treatment?" he asked rhetorically. "Nothing." Nonetheless, he got the job and is dedicated to the work and impressed by the people he works with.
His talk concluded, Bob was presented with his blue badge by Todd Neighbor. Bob is a great addition to Rotary Club of Great Falls!
Also, have you met red badge wearer Chayleen Person yet? Chayleen grew up in Cascade, where she was a top multi-sport athlete for four years. She now works with New York Life. Take the time to introduce yourself sometime soon.
Coming Events
Enbar will host our end-of-the-month social, donating $1 for every drink to the Rotary Foundation. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 25, from 5 - 8 p.m., at Enbar!
The District 5390 Conference is coming right up - April 28-29 at Fairmont Hot Springs. For details, see President Dean Boyle.
Packaging day for our Military Care Packages project (see related article below) is Tuesday, May 15, beginning at 3 p.m. at Davidson Companies downtown.
Helena Rotary Club will celebrate its centennial anniversary on June 16 at the Great Northern Hotel. Consider joining them on their special day.
The District Training Assembly will be August 10-11 in Butte. It's a great opportunity to tap into leadership, membership, and PR expertise at the district level.
For Our Troops: Because We Care
Rotary Club will be sending care packages to Montana Air Force and Air Guard troops again this spring. If you'd like to help support our troops, gift or cash donations are being accepted; 100% of the donations go directly towards this program. Collections run April 10 - May 10. Donations can be left at all four Great Falls US Bank locations, DA Davidson Companies, and Cogswell Insurance.
Checks can be written to Great Falls Rotary Club. Cash donations will be used strictly to purchase needed items and to cover postage.
Potential Items to Donate: Lip balm, Lotion, Chap Stick, Toothpaste, Hand Sanitizer, Breakfast and Nutritional Bars, New Magazines, Liquorish, Taffy, Gum, Hard Candies, Beef Jerky, Nuts/Dried Goods, Teas/Hot Choco, Canned Sardines/Oysters/Tuna/Fruit. Please keep in mind that certain foods/products cannot be sent overseas such as pork products, liquor, perishable foods, and items packaged in glass containers.
The packages will be sorted and built Tuesday, May 15, at 3 p.m. at the Liberty Building across the courtyard from DA Davidson.
To volunteer, or to get more information, contact:
* Denise Gray, Gray Reality, (406) 453-1163, dgrayrealty@gmail.com
* Todd Neighbor, US Bank, 406-454-5165, todd.neighbor@usbank.com
* Rob Rezek, DA Davidson Companies, 406-268-3017, rrezek@dadco.com
* Colin Lee, Cogswell Insurance, 406-761-5000, clee@cogswellinsurance.com
Weekly Wit
Here are a few more famous sayings with new endings suggested by first-graders:
In one of the funniest 3-minute talks in memory, Bob Wigdorski told the club a little bit about himself. He began by saying, "I have two big fears: public speaking and talking about myself. So don't expect much." But his talk was great!
