We're in for a treat this week. Emily Wilson, curator at the C. M. Russell Museum of Western Art, will be presenting to us on the subject of the women in Charlie Russell's life and art. How can that be anything but fascinating? Join us at noon at the country club!
Last Week at Rotary
Last week Jessica Briggs, volunteer coordinator for United Way and RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program), filled us in on an array of volunteer activities here in Great Falls.
RSVP has been especially active. In 2017, for instance, 467 volunteers dedicated 41,476 hours at 73 different worksites. They are most active in the Healthy Futures program, addressing the unmet health needs of seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families. However, they also volunteer to assist programs providing economic opportunity, education, services for veterans and military families, and environmental stewardship.
Jessica is always looking for more volunteers. To learn more about volunteer opportunities visit the website www.rsvp-uwcc.org or call Jessica at 7273400.
Continuing a new tradition, the club invited Ian Davidson to give us an updated 3-minute talk. Ian has been a member of our club for 52 years, so many of us (OK, all of us!) were not around for his first self-introduction. Ian told us that his life changes with the seasons now. He is back to the community he will always call home until July, when he and Nancy will go to Flathead Lake to enjoy the summer there. They'll come back home for the crisp, beautiful days of fall, stay through the holidays and spend the winter in Palm Springs. "I live a blessed life," Ian told us, smiling. It's nice to have him home again.
Rotarians Active in Service Projects
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for many, if not most, members of our club. After collecting over $3,000 in donations in the last month, Todd Neighbor, Rob Rezek, several military volunteers (pictured) and a number of other Rotarians put together and mailed care packages for the military.
The week before that, Sydney Blair called together a team of Rotarians to interview 16 high school freshmen and select the lucky 8 who will attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) in July. Volunteers included Cheryl Crawley, Bill Harp, Channing Hartelius, Colin Lee and Sophia Sparklin. Winnowing the talented group of teenagers down to eight was tough, Bill reported, but they got it done. Be sure to thank these folks for their yeoman's service: The interviews alone require a 6-hour commitment on two different evenings in the same week.
Yesterday, Rotarians met at the 4B's at 8 a.m. and made the annual trip to Camp Rotary, where they spent a good part of the day cleaning up the camp in preparation for another season. It could not have been a nicer day for this labor of love and the camaraderie of companions working together on our signature project made the day even warmer. Everyone left the camp clean and trim, ready to welcome hundreds of new campers who will make memories there this summer that last a lifetime.
Advancing the New Membership Option
At its monthly meeting last week, our Rotary board mapped out the process for presenting the membership with a pilot project for a new membership option. Pursuant to Article 12 of our bylaws, the decision to go forward with the pilot lies in the hands of the membership. Here are the steps you can expect:
1. This Tuesday at Rotary, you will receive a written summary of the proposal which will detail, at a minimum, (a) when the pilot will begin and end, (b) when the new meetings will be, (c) what the dues for this membership option will be, (d) what the attendance and service expectations for the new members will be; (e) how current members will interact with members pursuing the new option and (f) how the new members will keep in contact with the board and with the current members. All members will also be emailed the summary by Wednesday, May 16. In addition, the summary will be printed in the next issue of this newsletter.
2. Our May 22 meeting will be dedicated to a presentation and discussion of the proposal, but we will not vote on the proposal until June 26. The intent of the May 22 presentation is to present the proposal to you and to hear any suggestions or concerns you may have, in the hope that your input will help the board "tweak" the proposal to incorporate good suggestions or address concerns.
3. At its June 12 meeting, the board will revise the proposal as it deems necessary based on your input and vote to approve or not to approve the pilot project.
4. If the project is approved by the board, on or before June 16, the board-approved proposal will be emailed to you for your review and consideration before it is presented to you for a vote. It will also be included in the June 16/17 issue of this newsletter and be available as a printed document at the June 19 weekly club meeting.
5. On June 26, the membership will vote on the proposal by paper ballot.
Milestones
Three Rotarians are blowing out birthday candles this week: Keith Duncan on Tuesday, Mark Finnicum on Friday, and Ryan Miller on Saturday. Happy birthday, guys!
Weekly Wisdom
Excellence in some endeavors is difficult to define. It goes too deep, covers too much, mingles too many things. Motherhood is such an endeavor. Look at this photograph. You don't even see the mother's face. But in the snug fit of the baby's head on her chest, his arm drooping comfortably down her side, the clutter of coffee and juice and notes and baby food packages in the background, the sweet peace of his sleeping face, and her calm hand, gently but firmly holding him steady ... you see a good mother. Happy Mother's Day, fellow Rotarians.
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