This week we'll hear from Cari Yturri, Sheila Rice, and Sherrie Arey on NeighborWorks Great Falls. Talk about a Power Point Presentation!
Beth McFadden was the lucky Rotarian last week whose ticket entitled her to a chance at a handsome 50-50 pot - $244! Unfortunately, in her quest for the 6 of spades, she came up with the 6 of diamonds. Her bad fortune could be your windfall next week! Join us at noon at the country club!
We also have our end-of-the-month social on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at Enbar, starting at about 5:30 p.m. See out summer in style with fellow Rotarians!
Last Week at Rotary
Sometimes the best meetings are the ones where we have to punt. Last week our planned presentation fell through, so the ever-resourceful Kurt Baltrusch brought the film depicting our 102 years as a club for us to watch. Seeing how far we've come and how much we've done was an excellent reminder of what brings us together week after week, year after year.
Past President Dean Boyle gave us an update on our charitable giving to the Rotary Foundation. In the past 3 years, we've given $6,248 as a club. While the per capita average in District 5390 is $88, ours is at least $50 lower than that. Because half of the amount donated goes back to District 5390 for grants and because in the last 3 years our club has received $7,540 in grants, we are getting more than we are giving. We can do better.
President Todd Neighbor reported that 32 Rotarians got together for the night at the ballpark earlier in the month. Carey Gray has volunteered to take over the highway clean-up project and will be pulling a group together in September for the fall clean-up. Mary Moe informed the group that the board wants to take another look at the proposed amendments to the bylaws before presenting them to the membership, so the vote has been postponed for at least another month.
Elsewhere in this bulletin, you'll get the report on Philipsburg and a fond remembrance from David Cameron that were also part of last week's meeting. Today's winning # for "bulletin bucks" is 5. Notify Todd Neighbor if you are the winner!
Shades of Hooray in Philipsburg
Last weekend, a contingent of Great Falls Rotarians traveled to Philipsburg to help the Rotarians there run their very successful annual fundraiser, an outdoor concert that draws thousands of music-lovers from across Montana.
Our own Susan Wolff's mother, age 97, was being honored at the event so Susan made a special appeal to her fellow Rotarians to help out so that she could enjoy the occasion with the honoree. As usual, Rotary Club of Great Falls did not disappoint.
Gregg Holt reported on the event at last week's meeting. He went to Philipsburg the night before the concert and attended the vaudeville performance Friday night after touring the historic town. He then joined 8 - 10 other Great Falls Rotarians to staff the concert on Saturday.
"It was a wonderful experience," Gregg enthused. The natural amphitheater has been enhanced by the hard work of local Rotarians and is an excellent venue. The concert was well-organized, the day was lovely, the crowds were big and friendly, and the music was fantastic. Gregg was especially impressed by the silent auction. The Philipsburg club had put together a number of creative silent auction packages, ranging from tons of alfalfa hay to a fishing and clamming trip to San Juan. The silent auction alone raised $40,850!
As the photo accompanying this article documents, it wasn't all work and no play for Rotarians. After helping with wristbands and beer tickets, President-elect Cari Yturri and her husband Jim took a little time to enjoy the day, the music, and one another. Sweet.
Milestones
Next Friday Rebecca Bogden-Richards celebrates her birthday in style. In a happy moment at last week's meeting, she told us she'll be enjoying the fine tennis of the U.S. Open on her birthday - not on TV, like us mere mortals. In person. Wow. We'll be thinking of you, Rebecca ... with envy.
Weekly Wisdom - A Happy Moment
David Cameron used our tradition of "Happy Moments" last week to share the story behind a news clipping he found while sorting through his files last week. The newspaper headline, from 1950, is "Club Sees Pictures Of Safari in Africa," and the story describes the Rotary presentation from earlier in the day. Here's how the newspaper reported it:
"Colored motion pictures taken in East African when David Cameron, 1200 First Avenue South, high school honor student, and his father, John Cameron, went on a safari there during the summer, were shown at the Rotary club meeting today and described by the former. It was a remarkable showing of a great many types of African wild animals and birds in their native haunts, some of them probably never shown here before."
David told the club that he remembers the meeting pretty well, although the location is now a little hazy. He and Bob Oakland agreed it was probably the Rainbow Hotel. What he distinctly remembers, though, is that the Rotarians asked so many questions that he finally had to excuse himself, because as a high school student, he had to get back for a 2:00 class!
It's interesting to reflect on all that David has accomplished and meant to Great Falls in the years between that Rotary presentation and the happy moment we enjoyed last week. We are so fortunate in Great Falls to have so many citizens whose connections - and contributions - to the community go back generations and are still vibrant today.
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