https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3748672091
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.
President Dan Coons opened the meeting, reminding members of the 2021-22 Rotary International theme - Serve to Change Lives. He then recited the Rotary Vision Statement:
Together we see a world where people unite and
take action to create lasting change -
across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves
Invocation - Dick Myren
Pledge of Allegiance - Warren Williamson
Introduction of Guests
Dan Lamborn introduced his guest, Ben Fulmer, a friend and colleague. If Ben were to join Mesa West, the average height would be taller and the average age would be lower.
Don LaBarge introduced his guest - our honorary member - Rod Daniels. Rod is working for Don. Don said he would buy Rod's lunch, but made Rod clock out before leaving for Rotary.
Rotary Minute - Jeanie Morgan
Jeanie spoke briefly about the Mesa West Rotary website: mesawestrotary.org. She said that it is more than just a home page. Mesa West uses the ClubRunner platform, which is used by many Rotary Clubs. It is designed to meet Rotary International's stringent privacy criteria to protect members' data. After members log in, there is a wealth of information available to members - the most popular is access to up-to-date contact information. It is our membership database, but it also has an enormous capacity for keeping club records in a central location. Jeanie hopes more members will sign in, get acquainted with the system and use it to their own and our club's advantage. Dan Coons uses it to send emails to members. Shelly Romine uses it to let members know about service events, and our secretary, Lola McClane uses it. Jeanie produces the weekly electronic Messenger using it and is easily able to keep the home page of our site fresh.
Word Power - Jeane Crouse
Pedantic - a "big people" word used to describe someone who is full of themselves, often correcting small errors of others, emphasizing their own expertise in boring detail. Another word for such a person might be "obnoxious."
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Chuck Flint
Chuck explained that the holder of the raffle ticket drawn would immediately win $40. He explained that each week the funds received in ticket sales is split three ways. This week, an additional $40 was turned in to be deposited to the club operating account and $40 was added to the growing "big pot."
The holder of the winning ticket would have the opportunity to draw a card from the deck of cards. If they were to draw the joker, they would win an additional $20. If they draw the Ace of Clubs (which we are), they would win the large pot which is now up to $225. Any other card drawn would be torn up. Chuck had Ben Fulmer draw the winning ticket. Our speaker, Dan Baldwin was the lucky winner. The card drawn was the Queen of Diamonds.
Auction Item - Jeanie Morgan
Jeanie had returned from a two week vacation visiting her daughter's family in Michigan. While there, they took her to Frankenmuth, Michigan, home of the world's largest Christmas store. It took Jeanie quite a while to find items to purchase that were made in the USA. She did purchase one item from Germany. Shelly Romine won the items with her top bid of $35.
Happy Bucks - Jeane Crouse
John Pennypacker asked to be billed for the pledge he made when announcing that he would be flying to Virginia on Tuesday, April 17 to spend two weeks with his daughter's family - taking care of his grandsons (5 and 7-year-olds) for one weekend.
Warren Williamson contributed, paying for the right to tell a joke about John Pennypacker. John was out playing golf on a course with a troublesome water hazard. John was familiar with the hazard. He had lost several golf balls there in the past. John keeps some old golf balls in his bag for such occasions. As he started to get one of his old balls out of the bag, he heard a loud clear voice from the sky say, "John, use a new ball." John got out a new ball. As he was getting ready to take a swing, he heard the voice again, "John, take a practice swing." John took a practice swing, after which, he heard, "John, use an old ball."
Chuck Flint asked to be billed $10. He was happy to have attended the 23rd annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Air Venture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is billed as the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration." Chuck said there were over 608,000 people in attendance and over 10,000 airplanes present for the 2021 event.
Ed Koeneman contributed out of appreciation for the Rotary magazines members have given him to share with Interact students. He urged members to bring their old magazines to meetings so he can continue to share them. He promises to black out all the personal information on the mailing labels before giving the magazines away.
Shelly Romine contributed a little saying she didn't have much money left after celebrating August birthdays in her family - her husband, dad, older sister, that sister's son, and a week later, her other sister. Shelly is happy to be headed to Idaho to celebrate with everyone.
Jeane fined Robin Harris for the beautiful daughter he brought to a meeting a few weeks ago.
Allan Cady contributed - happy to be present again. He also contributed $10 wanting Don LaBarge to retell the tale he shared at our last Mesa West meeting.
Colleen Coons contributed $25. She enjoyed the opportunity to help move Wayne General's mother into the top assisted living facility in Ahwatukee, which the Generals found with the help of Jay and Melissa Stuckey. Colleen thinks she and Dan should move there. She said it is like a top-of-the line five-star hotel. Other Mesa West Rotarians helping with the move were Pam Cohen, Dan Coons, Chuck Flint, Wayne and Lucinda General and Tim Troy.
Polly Cady contributed $1, wishing it could be $100, because she was so happy to have Rod Daniels at our meeting.
Frank Rosenberg contributed. He was happy about a trip he had taken to Austen, Texas flying his little plane. He was also happy he was going to see his dad, Jack Rosenberg, that evening to celebrate Jack's birthday with him.
Pam Cohen contributed - happy that Dan Lamborn had brought Ben Fulmer to the meeting, and expressing her hope that Ben will come back to future meetings.
Dick Myren contributed $1 for himself plus $1 on behalf of Rod Daniels because they both believe Mesa West is the best Rotary Club in the world. He also told of a grandson who made the golf team at his high school. His grandson has already made his first hole-in-one, astounding Dick, because he's never had one.
Don LaBarge fined himself for the way he had treated Rod Daniels at his business. He said Rod serves as his utility - any odd job that needs to be done, Rod is his go-to guy. The recent abundant rain had triggered prolific growth of weeds on Don's lot. He had sent Rod out to get the weeds under control. The women who work in the office arrived to find Rod working outside in the intense Arizona sun. They were more than obvious with their anger toward Don and brought Rod inside to get him hydrated and cooled down.
Rod Daniels contributed, thanking Don for inviting to the meeting. He also warned Jeane she should be careful about letting him hold the microphone. Having been a Rotary Club President five times, he's never met a microphone he didn't like - much like a PDG.
Someone suggested Jeane "shake down" Ted Williams. After contributing, Ted told of his son who had been a Lt Col in the Air Force as a Radiation Oncologist, is now located in Utah, and was hired at Intermountain Healthcare in St. George, Utah. It has been challenging to find a home for his family, however. He, his wife, and their six boys have been living in a motor home. They thought they had found a home and - fortunately - before closing a big rainstorm did severe water damage. The week of August 9, they finally moved into a beautiful home near St. George in Diamond Valley near St. George.
Jeane Crouse wrapped up by announcing that she had made the highest grade in a French cooking class on Saturday, August 7.
Announcements
RYLA Ponderosa was scheduled for October. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is a camp designed to help high school students hone their leadership skills. Rotarians were urged to recommend the camp to people in their circle of influence who are parents of teens. At the board meeting, August 17, President Dan announced that the current COVID surge has caused the RYLA planning committee to move the date from October to April - more specifics to come later. Dave Brauchler added that his favorite annual meeting in his former club in California was when they invited RYLA participants they had sponsored to their meeting with their parents and members heard - first hand - the impact the camp had made on the lives of the youth.
The available volunteer positions for the August service project at Paz de Cristo are all filled.
District Governor Bret McKeand will make his official visit to Mesa West Rotary on September 23. He would like to meet with members who joined our club in the past year at 11:30 AM - before the start of the meeting, and with the club board of directors for thirty minutes following the meeting.
A Club Assembly is being planned for one of our October meetings.
Program - Dan Baldwin
Dan Baldwin is a prolific writer - having written over 60 books ranging from business books to thrillers, westerns, and books on the paranormal. Since he began researching the spirit world, he has found spirits are everywhere and easy to contact. He waid he has been a writer al long as he can remember.
Dan described being on a walk and having an overwhelming compulsion to find missing kids. The feeling would not go away.
At age 50, he learned that psychic abilities seem to run in his family. In thinking about finding missing kids, he determined a psychic approach was the way to go. He learned about "pendulum dousing." He held up a crystal pendulum on a chain. He explained that you ask yes and no questions. If the pendulum swing right, the answer is yes. If it swings to the left, the answer is no. He learned that if he asked if the missing kids were alive, he might get a misleading yes answer because they might be physically deceased, but their spirit had lived on. He said the correct question to ask is if the missing person is physically alive. He described how you can narrow the location down to a relatively small area by asking the right questions.
Pendulum dousing is not new - it dates back to at least ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago. Police are aware of and have used psychic detecting to help solve cases. It may not be spoken of publicly, but it is more common that most are aware of. Even most skeptics have no problem believing in a "cop's instinct."
Dan told of one case where a girl from Indiana was missing. By asking questions, he was able to narrow it down that she was going to Tucson, Arizona. She was hitchhiking, was safe, and traveling on I-40. He was able to learn she was safe, having been picked up by a traveling salesman, learn the salesman's name, where he had booked a room at a Days Inn in Albuquerque, guaranteeing a late arrival. The ball got dropped when he tried to get Albuquerque police involved. Fortunately, the girl did get to Tucson safely.
When Dan started researching the spirit world, he started going to haunted places. He held up a cute metal lunch box that he called his "ghost hunting kit." He held up a simple stone tied to a string. Pendulum dowsing does not require anything fancy. Any small rock tied to a string will work. He said "size doesn't matter." Another item in his kit was a recorder - he said the cheaper, the better. More expensive recorders buffer out some sounds. He told of a time when he was visiting a family cemetery near Texarkana, Texas, he lost his pendulum. They had their recorder turned on. When they listened to the recording later, they heard a female voice say "by the truck." He told of another instance when he was in Shreveport, Louisiana with a curator, he commented on someone in a picture being very good looking, and heard a female voice say, "Thank you."
Dan said if you show respect, courtesy and human decency when contacting the spirit world, you get a better response. He said most documentaries about the paranormal are "crap." He said he has never had a negative experience. He did say some of his experiences have been playful.
Someone asked if it is possible to come back in another form. Dan believes there is something to reincarnation, but believes it is a matter of choice. He has met spirits who came back to celebrate pleasant moments in their lives. He indicated he believes there are lots of options from the other side.
CLICK HERE or on Dan's photo at the top of this article to learn more about him. Many of his books are available on Amazon.
Please join us if you can for dinner service at Paz de Cristo on Aug 31st from 4 pm to 7 pm. Paz de Cristo is a homeless outreach in Mesa that provides 50,000 meals a month to homeless and impoverished. Our project this month will be to help them with a nightly meal service. We have room for 14 volunteers and we will all be working there together. Hope to see you there!
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.
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.
Rotary Minute - Jeanie Morgan
Auction Item - Jeanie Morgan
Dan told of one case where a girl from Indiana was missing. By asking questions, he was able to narrow it down that she was going to Tucson, Arizona. She was hitchhiking, was safe, and traveling on I-40. He was able to learn she was safe, having been picked up by a traveling salesman, learn the salesman's name, where he had booked a room at a Days Inn in Albuquerque, guaranteeing a late arrival. The ball got dropped when he tried to get Albuquerque police involved. Fortunately, the girl did get to Tucson safely.
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:
