Next week our RYLA students will tell us all about their experiences at Rotary Youth Leadership Academy. It's always inspirational to see the growth these students describe, thanks to this opportunity provided by Rotary District 5390. Join us at noon - or on Zoom - at the country club!
Warning: The wi-fi at the country club is iffy - we're working on it because we're committed to the Zoom option - but connectivity may be spotty. Bear with us!
Last Week at Rotary
Rotarians visited the Children's Museum of Montana for last week's meeting and heard all about this community treasure from its director, Sherrie Neff. She was drawn to the job because of her belief in lifelong learning and the role that rich childhood experiences have in stimulating the curious and innovative mind.
The building currently housing the museum is actually vacated City property, but thanks to the inspiration of a long-ago class of Leadership Great Falls and the hard work of various community and youth groups, it is a shadow of its former self. On two floors, children are encouraged to play ... and as Sherrie reminded us, you can't help but learn as you play. There are pirate ships to climb, planes to aviate, race tracks to send miniature cars down, a stage to act upon, and clinics and stores to play at being a shopper or a doctor or a cashier if you prefer.
The museum offers a variety of camps during the summers. Students, in "camps" of about 15, can learn about space dinosaurs and get a sense of the wild, wild West. In an Animals camp, they learn to identify the tracks, the scats, and the daily lives of a variety of animals. On Tuesday afternoons, children learn American Sign Language. About 3/4 of the kids are not hearing-impaired, but want to learn to communicate with those who do. Cool.
A major focus of the museum is to focus on Montana as a whole. Exhibits on Montana industries, Montana geography, and Montana's indigenous peoples are being planned.
The museum's lease expires soon and the City of Great Falls has notified Sherrie that due to its own space problems, city staff will need to make use of this building. Sherrie and her board are looking for a new home - and the funding that make relocating possible. Various partners are willing to help support the project, but the Children's Museum of Montana must raise the first $1 million. At least two other service organizations are pitching in, and it is certainly a project within the mission of Rotary Club of Great Falls. Sherrie thanked us for our interest and encouraged us to contact her with any questions or ideas for the Museum.
Updates
Meadow Lark Country Club let us know earlier this month that they will be raising our lunch fees. For some time, we have enjoyed the rate of $12.50/plate. The new rates will be $15/plate for buffet lunch and $18/plate for served lunches. The board is analyzing the budget in the hope that we can absorb this increase without a dues hike. The board is also working with the club to improve internet connectivity, so that we can continue to offer the Zoom option for attendance at our weekly meetings. Stay tuned.
The fire danger in the Camp Rotary area has not abated. John Juras and Shawn Roberts have been in communication with the Forest Service and have been told to be prepared to evacuate the camp. As allowed for in our lease agreement, the Forest Service may need to use the camp as a headquarters for fire activity in the area. The Forest Service has also done some work to protect some wooden structures by affixing fire retardant strips. We will notify campers of the potential for evacuation and if they decide to cancel their reservations, we will refund their money.
Mark Your Calendars!
Rotarians in Philipsburg will hold their annual summer concert once again on Saturday, Aug. 21, and once again would appreciate our help taking tickets. Volunteers should plan on being there by 10 a.m. for a training, but the work will be easier this year because they will have a scanner. Apart from the warm feeling of service above self, you'll enjoy a fantastic concert! Susan Wolff, who usually organizes the Great Falls group, will be unable to attend herself, but will still make the appropriate connections between volunteers from Great Falls and the Philipsburg Rotarians. Please contact Susan (541-400-0681) as soon as possible if you can help.
Social Committee Chair Heidi Hockett has planned our next Rotary Social at Brush Crazy on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m. With some help from a local artist, we will be painting canvases that we can take home with us. The cost is $15 and bring the beverage of your choice. Reservations are required for the 15 spots available, so please email Heidi at Heidi.Hockett@northwestern.com to reserve your spot.
Since we have a camp, we really should go camping, shouldn't we? Reserve Saturday, Sept. 26, for the first-ever Club Overnight Camp! Think of the magic of meeting under the stars in this historic place for Great Falls Rotarians! Plans are in the works to make it a memorable experience.
Milestones
July is jam-packed with the anniversaries of Rotarians in Great Falls. Kurt Baltrusch leads the pack for longevity in this month's class, celebrating 35 years as a Rotarian. He is followed by:
27 years - Cheryl Crawley, Dave Crum, Sheila Rice
20 years - Steve Schnider
19 years - Aaron Weissman
10 years - Michael Bowman
Just think of all the unique and countless ways that each of these Rotarians has put service above self, not just in Rotary, but in the community! Thanks for joining us, July Rotarians - and for sticking with us!
Weekly Wisdom: A Message from Bill Gates
An important shot in the arm for Rotary's polio initiative has been the interest and funding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided to the cause. This week Bill Gates sent out this message to all of us concerned about the fight against polio:
"Our foundation joined the polio fight almost 15 years ago. And in all that time, I cannot think of a more important moment than right now.
In my new Gates Notes post, I write about the amazing progress the world has made against the crippling disease, but also why we are at risk of losing the gains we have fought so hard for. We still aren’t reaching areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only countries where polio remains endemic. Outbreaks of other forms of polio continue to crop up in under-immunized communities across Africa and parts of Asia. And the pandemic continues to interrupt polio campaigns and routine immunizations.
But thanks to the iron will of the thousands of polio workers and an improved strategy to end this disease, I’m confident that with sufficient financial resources and political support we can create a world where no child will ever be paralyzed by polio again.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn more about this effort. Thanks for being an Insider!"
