YOUTH EXCHANGE ...GREAT PROGRAM...GREAT PEOPLE

One of the brightest programs we run in District 5400 is Youth Exchange.

A group of dedicated Rotarians and friends help run this program smoothy and efficiently.  Here is the group responsible for the program on the steps of Buhl High School on Nov. 6 when they interviewed students and parents and guardians.  Thanks to Kate Rosenthal, an outbound youth, for taking this picture.

1st row L. to R.:  Terry Gilbert, Elizabeth Barker, Marla Barnes, Donna Edwards, Marianne Barker
2nd row L. to R.:  Mike Sielder and Cory Brestler and Dave and Nancy Shaw
3rd row L. to R.:  Tom Rosenthal, Oli Devaud, Phil Uhlig, Lane Barnes, Jim Barker, Rob Taylor, Gene DeLaveaga, Stu Edwards

Below are Glen Harvey and Kathy Morter posing by Director Dave Shaw.  (Glen and Kathy didn't make it for the group shot.)

I am posting the pictures and names of eight of the Youth Exchange students whose parents gave me written permission to do so.  On Saturday, we interviewed a total of 16 young people.  Come back to this page periodically to see if I have updated the photos because I received additional permission.  

KATE ROSENTHAL from BOISE

SARAH CURET from SALMON

HANNA FISCHER from BOISE

TASIA BOWMAN from BOISE

ANNE SELVAGE from BOISE

JAE ANNE SWAINSTON from PRESTON

AMAYA AMIGO from BOISE



JORDAN TOMCHAK from RIGBY



PAIGE ROWBERRY from IDAHO FALLS

KEN MARSHALL from BUHL

BRETT TAYLOR from BOISE



 

WE WISH YOU WELL, BRAVE YOUNG PEOPLE!  THANKS, YOUTH EXCHANGE ROTARIANS AND FRIENDS FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM WORK!!

THE CALDWELL CLUB...BIGGER, BETTER, BOLDER

See this laughing fellow?  That's Greg Evans, president of the Rotary Club of Caldwell.  My wife has her hand on his shoulder, perhaps to culminate a humorous story about a Rotarian with a bad elbow and shoulder (I just made that up). 

Greg is not only a humorous fellow, he provides effective leadership to his club as our visit with the leadership at the Bent Fork Grill  in Caldwell on  Nov. 9 proved. 

Greg commented on how influential attending the RI Convention in Montreal this sunmer was to him.  I assured the leadership that he had, indeed, attended the Convention, and I had proof in a picture I took of him at the event.

OUTSTANDING ROTARIANS...OUTSTANDING ACTIVITIES

This is an all Paul Harris Club!!  On June 16, Kevin Learned presented the recognition banner on June 16 to this unique organization.  It's the only all Paul Harris Club in D5400.  Congratulations.

The gentlemen below are faithful Rotarians.  Bill Rankin is just 92 years old and Frank Crookham a young 101.  Wally Lanergan serves on the District Scholarship Committee and Jerry Bauman has served as president.

L. to R.:  Bill Rankin, Wally Lonergan, Jerry Bauman and Frank Crookham

The club believes in RI's theme of Building Communities--Bridging Continents and the District's slogan of Promoting Ethics, Pursuing Peace and Providing for Children.

Here is a brief listing of their projects: 

• Dictionary Project to 3rd graders in 18 elementary schools
• A book for each 2nd grader in the same schools ($6,000 per year appx.)
• Rotary Readers in elementary schools
• YMCA donation to the Strong Kids Campaign
• Salvation Army (Christmas bell ringing)
• Sponsorship of Red Cross Blood Drive in December
• Scholarships:  Academic ($1,000 & $500) and College of Idaho ($1,000)
• RYLA - sponsor two students per year
• Guayaquil Rotary Club of Ecuador:  one of the club members has purchased the 2011 calendar "Faces from Ecuador."  All the income will be invested in projects in Guayaquil and Polio-Plus!
• The president-elect Milan McDaniel and his wife Joyce will go to New Orleans thanks to $3,500 to be provided by the club.  (The McDaniel's are faithful educators in Caldwell.  Each of their children are also educators...an outstanding family.)



Leora Summer, secretary, with future president Milan McDaniel and his wife Joyce



Marilyn and Jerry Bauman Met Just a Few Years Ago
As we met each other at the leadership meeting, we learned that Marilyn and Jerry Bauman met in school when they were fourteen.  They have been married for 55 years, as I recall, an outstanding couple and outstanding Rotarians who have hosted young exchange students in their home, establishing lifelong friendships.

Shirley and Jerry Conger

Both are esteemed members of their respective Rotary Club.  Shirley is past president of the Rotary Club of Canyon County Sunrise and Jerry of the Caldwell club.  I am unaware of any other Rotary couple that have served two separate clubs as presidents. 



Jerry Conger, a Rotary Reader




Shirley Conger



ALISHA HAVENS...YOUNG ROTARIAN...GREAT ROTARIAN



I rely on assistant governors like Alisha Havens to work with the clubs.  The district has 12 assistants each with 2-4 clubs. 

I had the privilege of presenting RI President Ray Klinginsmith's theme, "Building Communities - Bridging Continents."  My slogan, the basis of my presentation to each club is pictured here:  "Promoting Ethics - Pursuing Peace -  Providing for Children."

The club gave Carolyn and me a gift (Potato skin cream for her and Owyhee Candy toffee for me.  Owyhee candy is owned by Dave Wagers, a Rotarian from the Boise Sunrise Club.)

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MEET ADDITIONAL LEADERS OF THE CLUB

This club is well led.  I was able to capture some of them in the picture below.  From front to back (with some faces obscured) are Chuck and Sandy McHugh, Patrick and Tracy Baumgart, Sharon Johnson and Joe Ziegenmeyer.

 Wayne Johnson's face was obscured in the picture above, so I am featuring him below.

FUNDRAISERS?  YES...

Rotary Concession Booth at Caldwell Night Rodeo raises $7-8,000 while building brotherly love among Rotarians.

The E-Bay sales scheduled for September 2011 will feature a fly fishing trip for two, two fly rods and reels, air fare on Southwest or Alaskan Air, motel, car rental, two box seats to one of the September BSU football games. 

Rhino Metals has donated 8-12 gun safes with slight dent and scratches to the club for sale.  Proceeds will go toward local, national and international Rotary projects.

Day Dream Raffle  will feature a possible grandiose item to be raffled but the club won't reveal the item yet.

GREAT CLUB.  IT CAN CUT THE CAKE...HERE'S PROOF.

Leora Summers, secretary, cuts the cake!

ELMORE COUNTY/MOUNTAIN HOME...TANKS BUT NO TANKS!

 IS BEING PRESIDENT OF THE RC OF ELMORE COUNTY-MOUNTAIN HOME A TANKLESS TASK...NO!!!

First, you may get a hug from Lindsay Johnson, a long-time Mountain Home educator and current club secretary, as he is doing with Laura Lineberry below.

And, you may see a 10-year Rotary club project come to fruition with the placement of a tank on the northern edge of town in honor of Mountain Home's military veterans.  (There I am satisfied with my pun.  Do I believe I will be thanked for this bit of blog humor.  No, for unlike the club, I will be tankless.)

THIS IS AN ENERGETIC CLUB

So energetic, in fact, that I could not take a still picture because they wouldn't remain still as Jon Sowers above demonstrates with the waving of his hands as he makes a point to Ed Sharp and Betty Ann Nettleton.

The club participated in a Visioning Adventure last April 13, seven months ago.  I am always interested in determining if the visioning experience actually has an impact on the club.  In Mountain Home, it has! 

Membership is growing.  I was privileged to induct into membership Cheryl Moore of the Air Force.  What a pleasure.

The club is planning a  Christmas Festival of Trees, an idea that emerged from the April 13 visioning.

And they are planning on a second Big Night Out to raise money.

Below I have placed random pictures of the members.

Carolyn and I Thank the Club for Allowing Us to Stay at the Dusty Rose Bed and Breakfast.

Frequently there are surprises in each small town. Joe and Jen Sowers have restored a 100-year old house into an delightfully and carefully furnished unique-to-Mountain Home bed and breakfast. Here are a few pictures of our joyful stay.



Jon and Jen Sowers of the Dusty Rose.

Finally, don't forget the waitstaff that make many of our meetings enjoyable, like Tracy below, posing with Lindsay.



Tracy with Lindsay

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE IN EAGLE-GARDEN CITY

One of the pleasure of being District Governor is getting to know the personality of a club.  Eagle-Garden City is ably led by Troy Knutson, president, and Gretchen Brown, president-elect.  (No, I don't know why their picture is horizontal.  I can't rotate it, so just move your head a bit.)

What are the passions of the Eagle-Garden City Club?  A night with them at the Willowcreek Grill in Eagle for a Visioning Adventure on Friday (yes Friday!) Nov. 5 revealed that this club really cares about ...

YOUTH AND EDUCATION

PROMOTING ROTARY

ENJOYING OUR FELLOWSHIP

L. to R.:  Troy Knutson, president, Gene de Laveaga, Robert Anderson and Dick Norquist

This is a hardworking group of Rotarians as the picture above reveals.  In the Visioning Adventure, the facilitators ask the group to respond to a series of questions looking back on their club from the vantage point of 2015.  What great things has the club accomplished?

This exercise prods members to envision the club's future.  What has the Eagle-Garden City Club achieved in the past five years?  Here are a few of their accomplishments...

• Membership is now 26, up from 17, a 10% increase yearly.
• They increased membership through a spectacular wine makers event, energetic recruiting contest and invitations to non-profits and businesses.
• They assisted young people with mock interviews and sponsored a career day.
• They helped refugees to Boise with work skills and landing jobs.
• They taught eighth grade students budget realities and provided handyman services for seniors.
• They raised money through a cribbage tournament.
• They continued to work with Eagle Academy, sending students & teachers to international projects.
• They kept their website updated.

Where did these ideas emerge?  From the hardworking, thoughtful members who assembled that evening like the group below.

L. to R.:  Mike Sieler, Robin Dodson, Gretchen Brown and Melissa Schweigert.  In the picture below, you see past president Josh Sears who joined the group a little late (work commitment) but jumped right in.

Thanks to facilitators Mary Reiman and Jeff Hatch

I had the privilege of working with two energetic Rotarians. In the foreground is Jeff Hatch, a member of the newly-formed Rotary Club of Boise East.  Mary Reiman of Boise Metro is at the computer quickly typing the stream of ideas created by the club members.   Thanks Jeff and Mary.

L. to R.:  Mary Reiman, Troy Knutson, Terry Gilbert and Jeff Hatch

And thank you, RC of Eagle-Garden City for participating in this important event.

If you are interested in a Visioning Adventure session for your club, please contact me at 695-9262 or glennsson@msn.com.

TWIN FALLS AFTER HOURS...THIS RINGS A BELL!

I had posted my accounting of the Twin Falls After Hours Club when I received this cell phone picture today (11.10.10) of Kathleen Hale and Jeff Schroeder receving a bell and gavel from Chip and Jim of the Rotary Club of Reno Club.

Kathleen Hale, the president wrote to Chip via e-mail with the following than you.

Thank you so much for coming to Twin Falls to present The Rotary Club After Hours with the bell and gavel. What an honor to have you and Jim Annis at our Rotary meeting/social event last evening and present the bell and gavel personally. You guys made our night! I'm gratefully to have had the opportunity to share my thoughts and visions with Jim and know that I'm on the right track. We all feel fortunate to have had the time to drink, eat and visit with you both. It's even more special to our club to have received these gifts from chartered Rotarians. How cool is that!

THURSDAY...ROCK CREEK GRILL...5:30...BE THERE!
 

What are you doing on Thursday around 5:30 in Twin Falls?  Well, you could attend the Rotary Club of Twin Falls at Rock Creek Grill and meet smiling Kathleen Hale, president of this new club.

This is the 42nd club in District 5400 and a vigorous group of new Rotarians you'll want to meet.  I met many of them on September 17 at Celebration Park in Twin Falls where we gathered to party with the.  It was a happy event.

On 11.2.10, I returned for my official presentation to the club and met several of the Rotarians from the party.   Plus, I was happy to see Mel and Lee Rayborn, parents of Cathy Lynch.  Jake Tolman announced that Mel had been his sixth grade teacher.   



Mel and Lee Rayborn

  

Cathy Lynch looks on as Jake poses by Mel Rayborn



 This is a friendly smiling club as the picture above shows.  The lady in purple is Marianne Barker, assistant governor to the club.  The smiling fellow is Jeff Schroeder holding raffle tickets.  (I bought 3 and won the right to pick the ace of spades from the deck, my downfall.)

L. to R.:  Jeff Schroeder, Rusty Satterwhite, Jim Lynch, Cathy Lynch, Marianne Barker, Kathleen Hale, Chris Stevenson nad me.

It was a small group that gathered that day.  Nicole Veenendaal who works two jobs had to leave early so she was not able to stay for the group shot.  That's why I am picturing her separately.

Go Twin Falls After Hours!  We're behind you!!