We've amassed a lot of years and a lot of money through Harvest Howl over the years, and nobody has been more instrumental in that effort than Mike Wier and Tom Nelson. With the record-breaking crowd - and profits - from last year's Howl, we thought the milestone should be recognized with something special for these two event planners. Last week at our noon meeting, we provided that recognition.
On hand as Tom and Mike were presented with their unique Harvest Howl metal art were Rob Rezek and Susan Wolff, whose silent auction efforts have also been spectacular, and President-Elect Cari Yturri. A sincere club-wide thank-you to Mike, Tom, and their incredible leadership team.
Next Week at Rotary
Next week at noon Rotary fellow Rotarian Chelle Fried will give us an update on Easter Seals. Join us at noon at the country club!
On Wednesday, April 17, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., all members are invited to the home of President-elect Cari Yturri at 437 Park Garden Road for a visioning session based on recent survey results and future opportunities for a greater impact. Appetizers and beverages will be provided.
There is no evening Rotary this week.
Last Week at Rotary
Last week at noon we renewed the annual tradition of saluting the new Eagle and Gold Scouts in the area. Bill Harp emceed the program. The featured speaker was Dr. Chuck Jennings, whose grandson Seamus was one of the honorees. (See related story in this issue.) Dr. Jennings is himself an exemplar of the fine preparation the Boy Scouts of America provide young people for productive adults lives.
Last week Rotarian Troy Hallsell spoke to the evening group about the role of a historian. He tested the group's ability to draw inferences from historical maps and posters in order to reinforce his point that historians do not memorize facts, but interpret the past. The most common question historians have to answer, he reminded the group, is "So what?" -- not what happened, but why it matters to us today.
Lori Eckhardt also spoke, encouraging Rotarians to get involved in Give Great Falls on May 2-3. The event kickoff is Thursday, May 2, from 4-6 p.m. at the Children's Museum.
The Boy Scout Connection
Last week, we recognized new Eagle and Gold Scouts in the area, as we do annually. This year's crop includes this five-some, from left to right, Adam Blake, Sean Lynch, Ashton Blake, Alexander Tooley, and Seamus Jennings. What we sometimes forget is that the connection between the Boy Scouts of America and Rotary Club of Great Falls is far more deeply engrained than an annual celebration.
It was the need for a camp for local Boy Scouts that led to Camp Rotary and to Rotary Club of Great Falls itself. Early in December 1915, Jefferson Forest Supervisor and future Rotarian Scott Leavitt worked with YMCA board chair I.W. Church, also a future Rotarian, to locate a boys’ camp in the Little Belt Mountains. The YMCA had an organization of boys and several adults who felt that the boys would enjoy a wilderness experience. They visited locations in the Little Belts for a camp. With the Forest Service promoting the camp, and with the YMCA having the clientele, they found a location. What they were missing was the manpower to develop the camp.
In late December, businessmen in Great Falls gathered to create a Rotary club. From the very first they promoted typical Rotary goals, but with a concentration on a boys’ camp. They made several trips to the Little Belts and located a site near the Wellwood railroad siding at the confluence of Belt and Rafferty Creeks, easily accessible by rail.
By June, a forest service application was submitted by the YMCA and approved by Scott Leavitt. The YMCA boys and later the Boy Scouts camped there in summer 1916. Because hiking was a big part of the experience, the early camp was called “Camp Belt-hike”. However, by early 1919 the camp was referred to as Camp Rotary, and the YMCA permit was transferred to the Rotary Club in 1924.
The Great Falls Rotary Club and YMCA worked very closely with youth during this period. Rotary invited Boy Scouts to several meetings and gave solid support to the young men. So the annual meeting with the Boy Scouts is appropriate within our mission but especially important because of our shared history. (Editor's Note: Thanks to Kurt Baltrusch for doing the research and essentially writing this article!)
Change Is in the Air
We are fortunate to have a progressive, energized board that is determined to push Rotary Club of Great Falls to tap its full potential. Thanks to the behind-the-scenes work of Zack Swartz, we have polled the membership to identify areas in which we can improve. This week we'll take the next step: envision the club we want to become and how we get there from here. President-elect Cari Yturri is opening her home at 437 Park Garden Road for the visioning session. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Appetizers and beverages will be provided. This could be the start of something great!
On a more somber note, Rob Rezek has submitted his resignation from the Rotary board. His duties at work and the upcoming addition to his family (Congratulations, Rob!) are making the board commitment just too much. We will probably see less of him at Rotary for a while as well, but he promises to be back to help with Harvest Howl. Thank you, Rob, for your service. Our bylaws leave the job of filling board vacancies to the board itself, so they will undertake that process in May.
Changes are in store at Camp Rotary too! We've got beds to install and a basketball court to create, in addition to our annual spring cleaning. Join us on for the Camp Rotary Spruce-up April 27 and May 11 to help out. Details in future bulletins. Speaking of bulletins, the bulletin bucks # this week is #40. If that's the number on the back of your Rotary button, contact Todd Neighbor for your $25 cash card!
Weekly Warmth: Intercontinental Gratitude
You may recall that last fall Dr. Cait Walter encouraged us to contribute to educating young refugees in Africa. For a remarkably small amount, she told us, we could send someone to school for a year! We were inspired and on January 23, 2019, we donated $800 to the Nakivale Scholarship Fund.
Cait's brother Michael, President of Prodigal Preacher Ministries, sent her word recently that our donation allowed the scholarship fund to send 25 orphaned and high-risk refugee children to school for the year, paying for their tuition, fees, meals, uniforms, and school supplies. "Thank you for helping us educate kids in Africa!" he wrote.
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Last week, we recognized new Eagle and Gold Scouts in the area, as we do annually. This year's crop includes this five-some, from left to right, Adam Blake, Sean Lynch, Ashton Blake, Alexander Tooley, and Seamus Jennings. What we sometimes forget is that the connection between the Boy Scouts of America and Rotary Club of Great Falls is far more deeply engrained than an annual celebration.
