Next Tuesday we'll have our annual holiday luncheon with entertainment from one of the musical groups from Great Falls Public Schools. If you were unable to sign up at last week's meeting, please respond to this email if you plan to attend and, if so, if you plan to bring a guest, so that we can get an accurate headcount.
Also next week, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., we'll have the December social at the country club. Jim Humphrey will provide the music, Rotary will provide the appetizers, and there will be a no-host bar. Bring a guest and enjoy the warmth of fellowship during the holiday season! If you were unable to sign up for the social at last week's meeting, please reply to this email if you plan to attend, again indicating any guests you'll be bringing.
This will be the last newsletter of 2019.
Last Week's Evening Meeting
Rotarian Dani Grebe joined Benefis’s Jami Wald at last week’s evening meeting to tell Rotarians about the state-of-the-art Women’s and Children’s Center. Dani is the architect on the project.
The new center will provide women and children in Northcentral Montana with a new and improved healthcare experience. Rather than popping from office building to office building for prenatal, delivery and pediatric care, as well as the range of women’s healthcare services, the full range of services will all be provided under one roof.
The center will be on the 2700 block of 10th Avenue South, directly adjacent to the hospital on Benefis East Campus. It will be a three-story facility, with women’s health on the third floor, pediatrics on the second floor, and lab/imaging and pediatric therapies on the first floor. “It’s going to be a comfortable and attractive area,” Dani predicts.
The goal is to break ground and begin construction in 2020.
Last Week at Noon
In a fascinating combination of travel commentary and course synopsis last week, Heather Palermo told the club about her experience at Oxford in October. Heather was one of 36 women worldwide and one of only 5 Americans chosen to participate in the Women Transforming Leadership Seminar at Oxford (yes, THE Oxford). Her expenses were paid in part by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, which distinguished Heather and two other women last summer with awards honoring the late Montana Governor Judy Martz.
A world traveler, Heather fell in love with Oxford and took advantage of her stay to visit Bath, Stratford-on-Avon, and the rollings hills of the Cotswolds. Mainly, though, she buckled down and dug into the concepts of leadership offered through the program. She left with a broad, multi-cultural network of women leaders. Perhaps more importantly, she now has a clearer understanding of her personal leadership assets, the journeys all leaders make, the types of problems they encounter, and the importance of creating a strategic intent: what it is she wants to achieve as a leader. Definitely a worthwhile experience!
Heather's boss and fellow Rotarian Susan Wolff ended the meeting by complimenting Heather on her value as a leader on the Great Falls College MSU campus, helping businesses and individuals grow through customized learning experiences.
Updates from the Rotary Board
The annual meeting of Rotary Club of Great Falls, conducted for the purpose of electing officers for installation in July 2020, will be Jan. 7. Ordinarily this meeting is conducted in December, but because the last two meetings in December (Dec. 24 and Dec. 31) have been canceled, the annual meeting has been postponed to a date more conducive to attendance. As Past President, Todd Neighbor has overseen the preparation of a slate of officers and directors. Returning officers include Cari Yturri, who will be Immediate Past President; Megan Connors, who will be President; and Lacey Gallagher, who will be President-Elect.
The nominees for positions being vacated in July are Kevin Burnett, President-Elect Nominee; Shumalia (Shim) Abbasi, Secretary; Tom Nelson, Treasurer; and for board directors, Brett Doney, Heidi Hockett, Mary Moe, and Dirk Smith. Nominations for any of these positions may also be made from the floor at the meeting on Jan. 7. Voting must be done by ballot during the meeting.
Treasurer Megan Connors reminds members that invoices for dues were sent out by email last week. You may pay your dues quarterly, but whether you pay your dues in full or by the quarter, dues for the first half of the Rotary year should be paid in full as soon as possible.
Milestones
Birthday greetings go out for the remainder of this month to Bob Oakland on Dec. 14, Ken Munski on Dec. 20, and Paul Gorsuch on Dec. 26.
We also celebrate the 56th anniversary of Bob Oakland's becoming a Rotarian. The runner-up for longevity has exactly half as many years in the club, and that's Fred Anderson with 28. Whew! That's a lot of years of service above self stored in just two individuals!
