Next week Tom Nelson will give us the numbers we're waiting to hear on Harvest Howl and we'll debrief on Harvest Howl 2021. Join us on Zoom or at the country club Tuesday at noon!
The Annual Meeting has been scheduled for November 30. At this meeting, we will vote on the new slate of officers and board members. We have several board seats opening up for election for a 2-year term beginning July 1, 2022. If you're interested in serving on the board, please call or email Megan Connors at 406.207.5948 or mconnors@azworld.com.
There will be no e-Bulletin next Saturday.
Last Week at Rotary
Last week was one of those great Rotary meetings that you just can't plan. Even though our speaker had to cancel, we had a fantastic introduction to the Outlaws baseball team, a wonderful Member Moment (see related story), and the camaraderie of several guests and new members.
President Gallagher announced that she has received membership applications from Dr. Mark Miles, Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, Catherine Burnstein and Dick Lauritzen.
John Huber invited as guests the manager and assistant manager of the Great Falls Outlaws, Will Garten and Zach Griffin. Will told us that the Outlaws are a relatively new Legion B baseball team in town, organized because too many kids are "on the outside looking in" at legion ball. Just a few years ago they started with only 15 kids but today that number has increased to 60. The organizers emphasize the importance of "representing" - not just the team, but the community. They also engage the kids in fundraising to cover the club's expenses. It was in that context that John became aware of the Outlaws and recruited them to up after Harvest Howl. As Rotarians will attest and the photos accompanying this story show, these kids went about this unpleasant task in an enthusiastic, energetic and engaging manner.
John Huber donated $500 to their fundraising effort, an amount matched by the Harvest Howl Committee. Before John had even completed his first sentence last week, Rotarians Kurt Baltrusch, Tony DiLello, Bill Salina and Susan Wolff had each contributed $100 to the cause. The meeting was just a little bit warmer because we got to meet people like Will and Zach, who take so much time out of their lives to help kids learn to love a game and learn valuable life lessons as well.
The meeting closed with Art Taft holding the lucky 50-50 ticket, but his luck ran out when it came time to draw the elusive nine of spades. The pot thickens!
Member Moment: John Juras
Lately we've been taking a little time at each meeting to have a member answer the question, Why are you a Rotarian? Last week we asked John Juras, and here's what he had to say:
Many companies encourage their people to be involved in civic organizations. It's good for the employee and good for business. John's company, TD&H Engineering, is one of those companies so John decided to become a Rotarian. The benefits have been substantial.
"I've met some great people," John mused, looking around the room, "people I probably wouldn't have got to know if it weren't for Rotary."
"I've also had the opportunity to be part of Harvest Howl," he noted. He finds the event affirming in many ways as Rotarians work together doing all the little - and big - things necessary to make the event a success. "It builds us up to help others," he commented.
Since Camp Rotary is what Harvest Howl is all about and is so intertwined with our history as a club, John has also immersed himself in making sure the camp provides an excellent outdoor experience for visiting kids. He now chairs the Camp Rotary Committee and enjoys the operational details behind the camp.
"And let's face it," he said with a smile. "I get to indulge my trails addiction there." John has been working on creating and improving the trails at the camp so that more kids get to enjoy that facet of outdoor recreation.
John is a good example of the opportunity that Rotary provides all its members - the opportunity to find a way that your particular skills and "addictions" can advance the goals of the club. We welcome diverse members! Have you encouraged a friend or colleague to give Rotary a try lately? Bring him or her to lunch to hear about service above self, eradicating polio, Camp Rotary, and why we became Rotarians!
Vote on Dues Increase Scheduled
Last week Board Member Tony DiLello explained the dues increase proposed by the Rotary Board of Directors. Meadow Lark Country Club is no longer able to offer us meals at our current rate and if we want to keep meeting at the country club, we will need to pay the going rate.
The country club is a great venue for our club, offering a fantastic meeting space, as well as rooms for our various committee meetings. In order to implement the dues increase incrementally, the board proposes increasing the annual dues by $35 for the remainder of the fiscal year (i.e., January 1 through June 30, 2022), keeping dues at that rate for the next fiscal year, and then raising them by another $25 beginning on July 1, 2023.
Thus, if approved by the membership, the total annual dues for this fiscal year and the next one will be $675. Beginning July 1, 2023, total annual dues will be $700.
Rotarians may vote on the proposal in two ways. A ballot will be sent out electronically at noon on Sunday, Dec. 5. Rotarians may vote YES if they approve the increase proposal and NO if they do not. Their votes must be returned electronically by noon on Tuesday, Dec. 7. For those who prefer to vote in person, paper ballots will be available at the Dec. 7 meeting.
Milestones
Happy birthday this Sunday to Thomas Trunkle. May the year to come be your happiest and healthiest ever! Thanks for all you do for Rotary Club of Great Falls!
