https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85900479873
Doubletree, 1011 W Holmes
Mesa, AZ 85210 United States of America
Our hybrid meetings are held weekly on the 1st thru 4th Thursdays of each month. The meetings are broadcast via Zoom to include all, whether attending virtually or in person.
During the October 17 Mesa West Rotary Club Board Meeting, President Elect Logan Harper confirmed the recent Facebook news that he had, indeed asked Taylor Adams to marry him, and she said "Yes!" It was pretty astute planning on his part. He should never forget the anniversary of the day they became engaged, since it is the day prior to his birthday. Logan said current plans project a January 17, 2025 wedding date.
Why Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)?Participant Interaction and FUN!
Come interact with fellow Rotarians about:
Rotary Basics Service and Foundation
Leadership Communication
Ethics & Vocation Membership
RLI is a world-wide organization that some refer to as Rotary’s “College of Knowledge”. RLI touches on “everything Rotary” and is not a “leadership” course to become an officer of your Club. RLI is made up of three one-day Sessions to give you an overview of what Rotary is and what it does worldwide. Its goal is to create ENTHUSIASM for Rotary and show the enormous potential of Rotary service and how with knowledge and excellent leadership in Clubs, the world will benefit.
What a blessing in my life it has been to know Richard D. King. Just two days ago, some of us were having lunch with him after his recent time in the hospital, and he was joking about how his doctor told him it was time to ":dust off some of his old speeches and get back to speaking." But now (October 10, 2023) that beautiful baritone voice is silent.
Rick was really more of a story-teller than a speech giver; he never used a Power Point presentation with bullet points to get his message across. Rather, he used words that touched our hearts and made us laugh or moved us to tears to make his points. A Rick King speech was more like a "magic carpet ride." Rick knew how to capture an audience and transport us to another time and place where he and Cheri had been, and Cheri was always an important part of every story. As a Past President of Rotary International, Rick with Cheri at his side traveled to every corner of the world, met with Rotarians, kings and queens, prime ministers, and the presidents of most of the countries in the world. But he told me when I was District Governor that "no club was too small for him to come and give a talk." Rick believed that Rotary was how God used ordinary people to do his work on earth, and his personal and Rotary motto was "Mankind is Our Business."
There are some people that are just "Bigger than Life" and Rick King was that to me. He served his country with distinction as District Governor in 1982-1983. He serve our Zone with distinction as the Zone director in 1989-1991. And he served Rotary International with distinction as the International President in 2001-2002. I loved hearing Rick talk about "the early days" when he would be suing in the morning, singing in Las Vegas in the evening (where he met his wife Cheri), and then flying back home in the wee hours of the morning. When Cheri agreed to marry Rick, she asked him "how long does this Rotary stuff last," to which he responded - it is just for one year honey, so don't worry about it. But like their marriage, it lasted for a lifetime.
I know tht we all have our favorite memories of Rick, and as I thought about mine, I first thought about the time Rick did his cabaret show at my District Conference in Monterey, Rick sang his favorite songs, Cheri danced, and I got to accompany hi on my drums. I thought about the time I got to be his aid for three days at Richard Flanders' District Conference in San Ramon. But I think my favorite memory was two days ago when some of us got to just sit with Rick and chat at his favorite mom and pop restaurant in Danville, while having a burger & fries. We have all heard Rick give his speech about "the Uncommon Man", and ask the question "Who Touched You?" And for most of us the easy answer is Rick touched us, because he was the Uncommon Man.''
Welcome and Opening of Meeting - President Colleen Coons
As she welcomed everyone to the meeting, Colleen shared that October 1, 1982 was the date she joined the United States Army.
Dick Myren presented a thought for the day relating to the conflicts going on in the world - especially the newest conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. We need to pray that all leaders involved will be led to work to seek peace. In any conflict there are innocent bystanders who are hurt. We were all urged to make this a priority in our prayer lives.
Lola McClane led the Pledge of Allegiance.
President Colleen thanked the following individuals:
Deb Koeneman for serving as Greeter
Chuck Flint for handling the raffle
Diane Ware for handling check-in
Ron Thompson for serving as Sgt at Arms
Ed Koeneman for his mastery of technology
Westwood High School Interact students who brought their Purple Pinkie project to the meeting
Introduction of Guests
Colleen introduced inbound Rotary Youth Exchange students from Germany, Sweden and Spain. They were all available to attend the meeting as their schools are on fall break.
John Pennypacker introduced his "lady friend of five and a half minutes" - Sue Gifford with Child Crisis Center - an organization he has personally been impressed with since 2015. They have grown in their capacity to do good in the years he has been aware of them. They will be holding their annual "Lunch for Love" at the Biltmore on Halloween. (An invitation for Rotarians to support the event with their attendance was sent to club members on October 13. If you wish to attend, send Colleen an email. Colleen mentioned that her Rotary Moment last year was at a club service project held at Child Crisis Center.
Allan Cady introduced Myla from Westwood High School Interact Club.
Polly Cady introduced Michelle Holcomb, DG2B from the Rotary Club of Fountain Hills. Polly was able to spend time with Michelle at the District 5500 District Conference held the prior weekend. She learned to appreciate Michelle's class and vision.
Cassandra and Adrian were welcomed as Westwood HS Interactors, and thanked for having their Purple Pinkie project visible at our check-in area.
Colleen introduced Brenda Capezzi and Roger Brusnighan from Mesa House.
Mesa Police Officers Trevor Cook, Kevin Hernandez and Amy Sailors were welcomed.
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Chuck Flint
Chuck began by announcing he would need someone to fill in handling the raffle for a few weeks beginning the second week in November. He is scheduled to have serious back surgery November 7. He explained that only members can purchase raffle tickets when the large pot is over $1,000. It was currently at $1,130. The Small pot would be $40. Tickets are sold for $5 each. The proceeds are split three ways with 1/3 going to the club operating account, 1/3 adding to the large pot, and 1/3 being the weekly pot. A ticket is drawn. the holder of its stub automatically wins the small pot. They also win the opportunity to draw a card from the cards remaining in the deck. If they draw the Joker, they win an additional $20. If they draw the Ace of Clubs, they win the large pot. Any other card drawn is destroyed.
Chuck asked Kevin Hernandez to draw the winning ticket which was held by Frank and Amanda Rosenberg. Amanda's fortune cookie had said "May you grow rich." Unfortunately for Frank and Amanda, the card Frank drew from the deck was the Ace of Spades.
Happy Bucks - Sgt at Arms Ron Thompson
On the screen was an image of four feet, with members encouraged to guess whose feet they were. Lucinda and Wayne General had taken the photo of their own feet as they relaxed on lounge chairs in beautiful surroundings in Portugal. It was suggested they be billed $10 happy bucks . . .
Ron contributed $4, fining himself sad bucks for having missed the October 5 meeting when an extraction had become complicated and kept him in his office tending to his patient.
Dick Myren contributed his traditional $2 - happy that he and Honorary Member Rod Daniels are fortunate enough to be associated with the Ace of Clubs. He made an additional contribution because he was happy Olivia is able to attend so many of our Mesa West Rotary Club meetings.
Steve Ross was happy that his PhD son, Dr. Scot Ross was celebrating his 34th birthday October 12.
Warren Williamson said he would make a $100 Polio Plus contribution to celebrate his birthday Sunday. He also contributed a bit more to tell everyone about a new minister who came to the small town in Illinois he grew up in. Because the town was small, the church struggled financially. The Trustees told the minister that the previous minister had mowed the church lawn to save money, The new minister responded that he had already checked with the old minister and "he doesn't want to do it anymore."
Ed Koeneman was happy to have so many Interactors at the meeting during their fall break. Cassandra is not only the Westwood HS Interact President, she is also the Interact District Governor. He was glad Carlotta (the Exchange Student from Spain who is staying with he and Debby) was able to be at the meeting. He announced he would be taking Carlotto to visit the Tempe South Rotary Club early Friday morning. He said he would miss the October 19 meeting as he and Deb would be travelling to see their son graduate from basic training.
John Pennypacker was reminded of his previous service with the US Army, and said he retired on November 1 a long time ago. He was glad so many from Westwood HS were at the meeting. With Steve Ross's commitment to donate $100 to Polio Plus, John said Steve was entitled to one of the Koala Bears John was giving away.
Pam Cohen contributed $5 for having missed the October 5 meeting. She had travelled to Willamette Oregon where she rode in a plane and threw fire bombs. She was also happy to have babysat Wilder Tuesday evening. They jousted and Wilder slept in a make-shift fort created in his closet. Pam was also impressed with Olivia's bucket list.
Allan Cady was happy to have attended the District 5500 Conference. He said they had some excellent speakers.
Polly Cady contributed $5 to show everyone Allan's "pinkie" finger. His index finger was purple from his participation in the Purple Pinkie project. Polly was also happy Michelle was at our meeting. She also said that seven individuals had enjoyed the recent gourmet dinner at Pam's house which they had pooled their funds to purchase when Pam auctioned it to raise money for our Sponsor Program late last spring.
Harry Grossman contributed $3 for each of the Cardinals wins this year. Sadly, he said the direction this season is going, it's not going to be very costly for him to donate $1 for each of their accumulated wins each week. He said Pam's fortune cookie was empty. He got one that said "Wealth is where your friends are"
Major Mike contributed sad dollars. A planned trip to the Holy Land had to be cancelled because of the current conflict.
Frank Rosenberg was happy so many youth were at the meeting.
Gina Schroeder was happy to have Brenda from Mesa House back at the meeting. She realized after she had been at our meeting to present that they used to live across the street from one another.
Jay Stuckey thanked the Mesa Police Officers for being at the meeting
Colleen Coons thanked officer Janet Gonzales for hosting her ride-along. Colleen was happy to have been hosted by a woman officer who was also a vet and a mother. Janet is planning on going on our Guaymas Gift of Hearing Mission.
Via Zoom, Erica Williams provided an update on the Guaymas mission. She said they have been successful in getting 100 hearing aids donated by a foundation, saying they were probably sitting by her front door at the moment. She said transportation is an issue. ASU's policies for the volunteers who have been recruited from the University is that they need to ride in a commercial bus rather than rented vans as the volunteers were shuttled in last year. The bus companies they have worked with in the past are no longer providing that service. If anyone in the club has contacts that could help arrange commercial bus transportation from Mesa to Guaymas and back, please get word to Erica.
Ted Williams was happy the Diamondbacks took care of the Dodgers in three games. He was also very emotional when he talked about the dread of answering an early morning phone call when a family member serves as a police officer. He has a son who served 18 years with the Phoenix PD.
Sgt Ron indicated Colleen always has something to say as he handed her the microphone. She said he sounded like her husband, Dan. She said she and dan had a wonderful vacation in Washington DC. They walked 508 miles each day. For her, the Holocaust Museum was the most amazing. She said Olivia's mother is Korean, but that the first time she ate Korean food was with Son Hee Williamson. Now Korean food is Olivia's favorite.
Auction - Polly Cady
At the District 500 conference, Polly picked up a necklace created by Shirley Grace, a Rotarian from Fresno, California. Shirley serves as the Zone Foundation Coordinator. Polly suggested the starting bid should be $25. John Pennypacker made the top bid of $40.
Quarterly Club Choice for Community Service Donation
Brenda Capezzi and Roger Brusnighan were invited to come forward to receive a $750 donation to Mesa House. Of the non-profits who presented during the July-September quarter, Mesa House received the most votes from club members to receive this donation. Brenda said she was both thrilled and honored for their charity be honored in this way. She said the use of this unexpected gift would be to allow them to purchase stocking stuffers for the men in their system at Christmas. She was very thankful. Colleen said she was glad we were doing something to honor the men who need help.
Program - Mesa Police Officers
President Colleen introduced the program. She said she has one brother who is a Police Officer and another brother who is a Captain. She is participating in Mesa Leadership and participated in a ride-along with Janet Gonzales as a leadership program activity. She was extremely impressed with the dignity and respect Officer Gonzales showed to everyone she dealt with that day. Colleen said from the morning briefing to the end of the day it was back-to-back activity. Each of the officers present addressed the members and guests present separately, then participated in a panel discussion and Q&A Session.
Amy Sailors is with Crime Prevention in the Fiesta District. She provides education which includes crime prevention tips. An increasing problem is pedestrian fatalities. Too often cell phones are involved with pedestrians walking in high traffic areas without paying attention. She encouraged everyone to stay "in the moment," and be the extra eyes and ears needed.
Kevin Hernandez is involved with Community Engagement in the Fiesta Division. He has been with Mesa PD for 18 years. He is grateful to be here. He works with community events.
Janet Gonzales is a patrol officer. She loves what she does. For herself, an important question in her decisions is "what will benefit the community.
Trevor Cooke has a 29 1/2 year career as a police officer. He retired after 20 years in Michigan and has now been with Mesa PD 9 1/2 years. He said it is like our Rotary wheel. It takes every piece to create a working force.
In the panel discussion, some of the information shared:
The police force is like a tree. The department is the trunk with several branches or units.
Mesa PD is one of the top in the USA. Others come here to study what our local force does.
Mesa is one step ahead in technology with 180 cameras monitoring high crime areas. This has increased successful apprehensions and reduced incidents. These eyes in the sky prevent many time-wasting activities. The technology came from London.
They have caring hearts. They want to make a difference.
They will stay until its not fun anymore.
They shared a brief video. The equipment they wear weights 23-27#. It includes their vest and tools of the trade like their track light, and their baton. Trevor said that he has used his baton twice. Both times to open a gate latch he couldn't reach. The weight and bulk of the equipment does hinder their ability to chase offenders.
Officer Gonzales said because of her small size, she is probably tested more. She said that one insight she has gained is that those she is working with have to settle down to hear her low tone of voice. By staying calm, she forces them to settle down. She has been trained in de-escalation.
The officers were asked what percent of the staff is bilingual. They did not have the answer. They did say they have an interpreter line available as a tool.
Asked about their hours, they responded that the patrol officers bid for set hours for the coming year. Those with the most seniority have the highest priority in getting their preferred hours. Typically, they work four ten-hour days.
Rotarians could participate in a ride-along. They would have to make their request online.
Kevin suggested the Citizen Engagement Academy which is scheduled periodically on Saturday.
To thank them for their informative presentation, President Collen presented each of the officers with a commemorative coin.
As Rotarians, we are regularly exposed to opportunities to support various causes with our time, talent and treasure. Sometimes it is hard to sift through all the information and decide where we are going to use our available financial resources.
It would be wonderful if every Arizona Rotarian would make the following BIG FOUR their Rotary charities of choice and support every one of them every year, we could make a bigger difference than we are making today.
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Annual Fund - The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world." Giving a small amount each month adds up. CLICK HERE to download a form you can use to sign up for Rotary Direct, electing "Annual Fund - Share" for your recurring donation.
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Polio Plus - Rotary's commitment to eradicate polio is so well known and respected that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches donations $2 for $1. To take advantage of this opportunity to multiply the effect of your giving, CLICK HERE and download a second Rotary Direct form, this time electing electing "Polio Eradication" for your recurring donations. Those who donate $100 or more annually to Polio Plus qualify in District 5495 as Polio Plus Society Members. If you would like to make that commitment, CLICK HERE to download the commitment form.
The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) provides vocational education grants to Arizona Residents who meet specific low-income guidelines. The grants enable the recipients to lift themselves out of poverty, benefitting themselves, their families and the economy of our state. TRVFA is a 501(c)(3) charity. They also are a Qualifying Charitable Organization for Arizona Tax Credit Donations. Their QCO Code is 20698. Many Arizona Rotarians say giving to TRVFA is a "no brainer." If you can help someone lift themselves out of poverty and it won't end up costing you anything why would you not do it? Mesa West Rotary has the highest number of members who have signed up for automated monthly recurring donations by electing that option on the "Donate Now" button on the TRVFA website. Click the image to learn more or CLICK HERE to DONATE NOW.
Mesa West Rotary Foundation, Inc. is the funding and fundraising arm of our own Mesa West Rotary Club. It is a 501(c)(3) charity. We have had successful sponsorship campaigns the last few years enabling us to spend our energy on service rather than on holding fundraising events. Charitable grants that we get involved with are funded through our charitable foundation, Our signature Gift of Hearing Project in Guaymas Mexico is funded through this foundation. Scholarships are awarded annually to Westwood High School Students (the high school where Mesa West Rotary sponsors an Interact Club). Funds are used to support a variety of activities in four of the Rotary Avenues of Service:
Community Service
International Service
Vocational Service
Youth Service
The process isn't quite automated at this point in time, but we hope it soon will be. For now, you can email our executive secretary who can help you work out a recurring donation plan should you wish to make that arrangement to support our own club's charitable activity.
Rick was really more of a story-teller than a speech giver; he never used a Power Point presentation with bullet points to get his message across. Rather, he used words that touched our hearts and made us laugh or moved us to tears to make his points. A Rick King speech was more like a "magic carpet ride." Rick knew how to capture an audience and transport us to another time and place where he and Cheri had been, and Cheri was always an important part of every story. As a Past President of Rotary International, Rick with Cheri at his side traveled to every corner of the world, met with Rotarians, kings and queens, prime ministers, and the presidents of most of the countries in the world. But he told me when I was District Governor that "no club was too small for him to come and give a talk." Rick believed that Rotary was how God used ordinary people to do his work on earth, and his personal and Rotary motto was "Mankind is Our Business."
Mesa West Rotary Foundation, Inc. is the funding and fundraising arm of our own Mesa West Rotary Club. It is a 501(c)(3) charity. We have had successful sponsorship campaigns the last few years enabling us to spend our energy on service rather than on holding fundraising events. Charitable grants that we get involved with are funded through our charitable foundation, Our signature Gift of Hearing Project in Guaymas Mexico is funded through this foundation. Scholarships are awarded annually to Westwood High School Students (the high school where Mesa West Rotary sponsors an Interact Club). Funds are used to support a variety of activities in four of the Rotary Avenues of Service:.png)
