This week Deb Kottel will tell the noon club all about one of Camp Rotary's most endearing programs, Camp Skychild. Join us at noon at the country club.
There is no evening meeting this week.
An end-of-the-month Rotary social in Boston's banquet room on Sept. 26. Football will be on the TV and members are encouraged to come wearing their favorite team's swag.
Camp Rotary Clean-up and Social has been set for Saturday, Oct. 12. More details to come in future bulletins, but block out the day now!
Last Week at Rotary
Last week Mary Kunkel joined the noon meeting to tell us about Easter Seals Goodwill's clinical service for seniors.
Mary runs the Adult Day Services, which allow adults to visit for a few hours or spend the day at the EasterSeals facility, including lunch. Seniors play games to keep their minds active and enjoy the opportunity to socialize with one another. The program also gives family members and other caregivers a respite from their duties of care. Mary sees some 30 adults Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Medallion Home Health program helps people stay at home by providing skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and speech therapy for individuals who are unable to leave their homes. Personal Care Services provide in-home assistance with daily living activities such as personal grooming, housekeeping and meal preparation. Medallion Hospice provides medical, psychological, social and spiritual support for terminally ill patients and their loved ones.
Mary clearly loves her work and the people she provides services for. Great Falls is lucky to have her.
Update on the Bridge Project
Under the leadership of John Juras, Rotarians are actively seeking a solution to the derating of the bridge to Camp Rotary. Restricting load limits on the bridge to lighter vehicles than have been allowed in the past has resulted in restricted access for campers. This summer some groups were forced to cancel their stays and others had to regroup to arrange for individual vehicles rather than the bus transport they had used before.
Preliminary meetings with the United States Forest Service have been productive. Our club has agreed to be responsible for contracting for the design of the replacement structure in order to expedite the process of replacement. In order to have the bridge replaced by Summer 2020, an estimated $160,000 - $200,000 must be raised this winter through a partnership with USFS, Rotary Club of Great Falls, Northwestern Energy, and affected landowners.
Sheila Rice is spearheading the effort to seek Congressional support, grants and philanthropic funding. While she believes that, between Harvest Howl 2019 and current savings, we can cover 1/3 – ½ of the costs, additional funding sources will be necessary. If you have suggestions for possible donors, please discuss them with President Cari Yturri as soon as possible.
Spotlight on ... Jim Humphrey
Who's that unassuming fellow who regales us with beautiful piano renderings at the noon meeting? Jim Humphrey. He kindly agreed to provide the information needed for this week's Rotarian Spotlight.
James A. Humphrey is married to Lucretia (shown with Jim, below). Together they have two grown children - Andrew, 38, and Luke, 36 - and are expecting their first grandchild in late October. Jim is a farmland property manager. He loves being outdoors on the Montana prairie and appreciates being able to connect with rural Montana and its hard-working, capable people. He's not ready to retire yet, but concedes it's getting closer.
He enjoys playing the piano, reading, quiet dinners with friends, and just enough political activism to feel like he's doing his part to make our system of government vibrant. He confesses he's also a sucker for dopey shows on Netflix.
Jim joined Rotary in 1986 or 1987. He came to Great Falls with a good impression of Rotary from his previous community and his father, now deceased, was a member of the Great Falls club at that time. His grandfather had also been a member. So joining was a no-brainer. What's kept him in Rotary all this time? As a self-employed individual, I love the way that Rotary connects me with the wider Great Falls community," Jim said. "I also think that service and the values of the four way test are essential ingredients of community."
Fellow Rotarians consistently speak of Jim's kind and thoughtful ways. Nowhere were those qualities more evident than in his relationship with his father. "By the early 2000s, his father had become quite frail," Mary Moe recalls. "At our meetings, Jim was always at his side, treating him with just the right blend of deference and dignity. I thought of that often as my own father aged. He blazed a trail that I followed."
Every club needs a trailblazer or two. We are blessed to have Jim Humphrey blazing his in his quiet, unassuming way.
Milestones
Happy birthday to three additional Virgo women this week: Virginia Stacey, today; Sherrie Arey, on Monday; and Beth McFadden, on Thursday. Movers and shakers, for sure!
Weekly Wonder: How Lucky Are We II
“I’m in love with Montana.
For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection.
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