Last week we were treated to a presentation by Hillary Rose, the new Executive Director of the Great Falls Symphony. Hillary is a Great Falls native who began performing as a clarinetist while attending our local schools. She got a full-ride scholarship to the School of Music at the University of Montana and graduated from there with degrees in Music Performance and in Hospitality Management.
Hillary gave us a preview of an exciting year with the Symphony. It's the Symphony's 58th season and, after a 35-year run, it's the last season for beloved conductor Gordon Johnson. In addition to their usual high-quality concerts, many of which will be conducted by a finalist for Gordon's position, there are a couple of special events to look forward to. The first is scheduled for the Halloween season, the Haunted Hollywood Ball. The dress code for the formal occasion is "zombie chic" and the setting is the iconic Croxford Funeral Home! The season will conclude with a farewell reception for Gordon Johnson on May 6, 2017. Sounds like a wonderful year ahead!
This Week at Rotary
This week Superintendent Tammy Lacey of Great Falls Public Schools will tell us about the major facilities plan that will go before the voters in the fall. Join us at noon at the country club!
Also this week is the monthly meeting of the Rotary Board of Directors. It will be Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at L'Heureux Page Warner.
Camp Rotary Update
It was too rainy to do outside work on clean-up day, so until last week there was still a major task to accomplish: creating driveways for the two handicap-accessible cabins. Last week Bill Knick and Kurt Baltrusch drove up to Camp Rotary and got it done. They packed gravel in the drive areas, filled the adjacent areas with dirt and seeded the area for grass.
Our caretaker tells us that the grass previously seeded is greening up nicely, especially on the hydro-seeded portions. Cheryl Crawley reports that the effort to create a safety procedures manual for the camp is nearly completed.
Coming right up: camping season!
Rotarians ... Are Award-Winning!
Rotarians pulled down award after award in May from organizations hither and yon. At its annual conference, the Montana Housing Partnership Association recognized the remarkable work of Sheila Rice with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Sheila had just finished giving a speech where she fired up the whole crowd, including the Governor. When she was given the award, the entire audience rose in a riotous standing ovation. Michael O'Neill, who presented the award, captured Sheila best when he asked, “Doesn’t everyone want to be like Sheila Rice?"
And it looks like being a Rotarian was a prerequisite for the Great Falls Ad Club awards this year. The organization named Jim Senst its Golden Guy of the Year in appreciation of all he does for that club. (You'll notice that Rotarian Carey Gray, lower left in the photo, is serenading him as part of that celebration.) The club also gave Art Taft and his dog Charlie its Mover and Shaker Award for all they do behind the scenes. Their most prestigious award, the Silver Medial, went to Bob Oakland in recognition of all he does for Special Olympics and numerous other good causes in the community.
Congratulations, award-winners! We bask in the glow of your achievements!
Milestones
On Thursday, June 9, our president, Tim Peterson, will celebrate another birthday. Tim, we've always been grateful for your presence in our midst, but never more so than this past year, when you led us through some amazing accomplishments. Best wishes for a great day and a great new year of life!
However, you are not looking at Tim's baby picture. Please greet the youngest Rotarian relative, Billy Sparklin! Sophia welcomed this 7'11" beauty into the world Friday night. Move over, Leo ... life is about to get very, very interesting!
Weekly Wisdom from Muhammad Ali
Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.
It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.
Don’t count the days. Make the days count.
It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.
A man who has no imagination has no wings.
I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked.
A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
Live every day as if it were your last because someday you're going to be right.
On Thursday, June 9, our president, Tim Peterson, will celebrate another birthday. Tim, we've always been grateful for your presence in our midst, but never more so than this past year, when you led us through some amazing accomplishments. Best wishes for a great day and a great new year of life!
