BOISE SOUTHWEST: THEY START 'EM YOUNG!

Who is this young man? 

He is 1) ... the president of the Rotary Club of Boise Southwest,  2) ... the DG of Rotary 5400, or  3) ... the RI president.

Answer:  You are correct, whatever your choice!  He is destined to be all three. 

This ten-year-old is Jack Haynes, grandson of Linda Gerber of the Boise Southwest Club where I visited on Aug. 18.  He has been attending the club with Linda since he was seven years old and has a better attendance record, I am surmising, than many a Rotarian.  Yes, they start 'em young in this club. 

Yes, you guessed it.  He is a Paul Harris Fellow!

JACK HAS GREAT ROLE MODELS!

What great role models Jack has to depict a vibrant, energetic and fun Rotary club.  I met with the club leadership on Aug. 17 at Lock Stock and Barrel and  took this picture of the group after the meal, some libation (obviously), and the evening conversation. 

In the front row on the left is Nancy Chinn, Sarah Wolverton, Minnie Benton who is being kissed by Marshall Baker.  In the second row standing from left to right is Dave Shaw (open mouthed), Mike Jones (rabbit ears),  Frank Taylor (great beard), and Mike Fease, (laughing president).

ARE YOU OLD ENOUGH?  LET ME SEE YOUR I.D.!

The waitress at Lock Stock and Barrel demanded to see Sarah Wolverton's identification to determine her age.  What a howl went up from the rest of the group who demanded that they be carded, too! 

WHAT KIND OF CLUB ARE WE?
Yes, the picture above show a fun group, but they are very serious about the work of Rotary and about growing their membership.  President Fease has set a goal of gaining 18 members this year so the club can bounce back from a current low of 87 to 105. 

As we discussed why we joined Rotary, Marshall Baker posed the question about the type of club Boise Southwest wishes to be, a service club or a checkbook club.  This is a great question with which each Rotary club should grapple.

Are there clues to the final answer for this club in the answers the leadership gave about why they joined?  Perhaps.  President Fease joined in 1998 as a way to make contacts for his company.  He stayed because of the service projects, grateful that Doug Colwell asked him to join.  Sarah Wolverton has found Rotarians to be amazing people, working in the community, which is her passion.  Dave Shaw, head of the Youth Exhchange Program of District 5400, mentioned that he joined because of the international aspect of Rotary and RI's work with youth.  Frank Taylor, a Rotarian of only three years, said he was casual about charity before Rotary, but finds that Rotary can assure that the money contributed to its causes gets to the needs.  Mike Jones said he likes the idea of many hands, one voice working on great challenges like matching Bill Gathes contribution to end polio.  Minnie Benton voiced her passion for helping veterans.  And Nancy Chinn said when she joined in 1995, it was an obligation because of work, but now she sees the club as a

way to help her become involved in the community.

GREAT CLUB...GOOD VISIT...WITH GOOD PEOPLE.
Thanks Boise Southwest Club for your gracious acceptance of my visit.  I am closing my Rotary Ramblings with a picture of two of the sterling members of the club, David Hawk and Wink Jones.  (I received the privilege of giving Wink Jones his Paul Harris plus 3 pin the day I visited.)

Jack, here are two more Rotarians to emulate!