We'll have a change of venue next week as Sherrie Neff gives us an update on the Children's Museum of Montana. Partly that is because our space at MLCC will be in use to celebrate the life for former Rotarian Barb Moe. (See "Milestones," below.) But mainly it is because you really have to be at the museum to get a sense of what a delightful experience it provides for kids.
The Children's Museum of Montana is located in Railroad Square, behind the Civic Center and close to the First Avenue North underpass. Box lunches will be provided.
Last Week at Rotary
Last week fellow Rotarian Troy Hallsell treated us to a slice of history with enormous influence on the history of Great Falls itself - the creation of Malmstrom AFB’s missile fields that took place between 1960 and 1963.
Troy began with an overview on the Cold War and the creation of intercontinental ballistic missiles as a new weapon technology and then explained how a technical problem with the first iteration of the Minuteman ICBM brought the first missile wing to Malmstrom AFB.
Next he provided a broad description of the construction of the missile fields, followed by the 341st Strategic Missile Wing’s role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He concluded with President Kennedy’s visit to Great Falls in September of 1963, where he placed Montana on the front lines of the Cold War. Some Great Falls Rotarians remember that visit vividly. It was on a beautiful Indian summer day and the President delivered his remarks from the iconic Memorial Stadium. Two months later he was assassinated on an equally sunny day in Dallas, Texas.
Troy concluded with an examination of how the crisis affected the ICBM mission and provided the foundation for its post-Cold War problems. An excellent presentation by a dedicated historian!
In "happy moments," Sheila Rice urged Rotarians to reserve Sept. 10-12 on their calendars for the first-ever Big River Ruckus, featuring live music, sporting events, walking, hiking, biking, a duck race on the river ... and much, much more. She asked us to commit to two activities: (1) help man the beer truck at the event, and (2) spread the word about the Big River Ruckus to friends, relatives, and neighbors throughout Montana.
Kelley Aline reported on the fire damage she observed on her drive to Helena recently to sit for certification examinations important to her field ... and also, she passed her exams! Congratulations, Kelley!
Jesse Mahugh reminded Rotarians of the Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser on August 20. Golf Fore Kids' Sake will be August 20 at Eagle Falls. Support a fellow Rotarian ... and a great cause!
Chuck Jennings had the winning 50-50 ticket last week, but that's where his luck ran out. The pot thickens.
Another RYLA in the Books!
Good news. After losing a year to COVID-19, a new set of young people from Great Falls has completed the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy! We'll be hearing about their experiences, we hope, before the summer is over.
In the meantime, thanks to Sydney Blair for her project management; Fred Anderson, Bill Harp (posthumously), and Cheryl Crawley for helping with the interviews; and Kurt Baltrusch and his wife Velda for transporting the kids to and from the camp.
Camp Rotary Update
What are the implications for Camp Rotary with all the wildfires in the area? Our camp caretaker, Shawn Roberts, has been part of the area fire department's support for the Balsinger fire. He is receiving daily emails from the Forest Service and is in direct contact with his Fire Chief as to daily briefings with the Forest Service. Shawn is keeping Rotary informed and will discuss the threat of evacuation with future groups if fire danger intensifies. "As for now," he wrote, "we are seeing what the weather brings us ... with the heat and low humidity, we need to keep our fingers crossed."
Kurt Baltrusch passed nearby as he was transporting kids to and from RYLA and reports that he did not see any significant smoke, but there were many fire vehicles and a command center set up at the Forest Service building.
Fingers crossed indeed! It is such a relief to know that Shawn is on the spot!
Milestones
If you could only cite one woman who broke glass ceilings in Great Falls, Barbara L. Moe would be the likely one. A self-taught entrepreneur, when her boss asked her in 1971 to set up the books for a travel agency he and a partner were opening, Barb began a career that took her from bookkeeper to travel consultant to manager to co-owner of a travel agency with eight offices across the state. By 1985, she was sole proprietor. And that's not all.
Barb was a member of the first group of women who joined Rotary Club of Great Falls when the club expanded its membership to include women in 1988. She was the first woman to be recognized by the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce with its Athena Award, given since 1986 to a woman in Great Falls who has shown not only business acumen, but also exceptional leadership, advocacy for women, and community service. Several Rotarian women have since joined her as Athenas. Other awards include the Silver Medal Award, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Ad Club's Golden Girdle Award, and in 2016, the C.M. Russell Museum's Josephine Trigg Award.
But wait: There's more. She was the epitome of service above self, contributing her time and considerable talent to local and state tourism boards, as well as the boards of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce, the Great Falls Advertising Federation, the C.M. Russell Museum, NorWest Bank, and the Benefis Foundation. That level of engagement continued long after she retired from the business world.
Best of all, Barbara showed generations of women that they could be successful businesswomen, leaders in their communities and loyal friends and devoted family women. As her obituary noted, "she loved nothing more than sitting back and watching her grandkids and great-grandkids take on the world. You could find her cheering from the sidelines of the skate park, basketball court, soccer field, or whatever activity her grandchildren or great-grandchildren were in."
That life so well-lived ended on July 12, 2021. Barb's funeral Mass is next Tuesday, July 20, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, followed by a celebration at Meadow Lark Country Club. Rotarians are encouraged to attend. Do not wear open-toed shoes. Too much broken glass around.
