This coming Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM your input is needed to help put Mesa West Rotary on a path to even greater success in the coming years.
We will be conducting as visioning exercise facilitated by a Visioning Team from our District. The exercise will work best if participants attend in-person. It will happen at the Salvation Army facility located at 241 East 6th Street in Mesa. It is important that you share your perspective. By hearing from all our members and utilizing that input we will create a vision for what we want to look like and be known for as we look back at our accomplishments three-five years from now.
You should have received a survey to be completed on-line
You should also have received a questionnaire to complete prior to the meeting.
If you need information about the survey or questionnaire, EMAIL Logan Harper
Our esteemed leader, Prez Pam, volunteered at the Mesa Salvation Army office this past week and took a moment to check their supply area. Pam noticed that they are very short on bottled water and hygiene items. The Salvation Army is experiencing a much greater homeless population this year in need of their services.
Pam asked that we bring cases of bottled water and hygiene items to club meetings. I will collect them and deliver them to the Salvation Army. If anyone would like to help with delivery please let me know.
Sean Green suggested that we purchase travel size items as they may be easier for a homeless person to use/transport. I have a message in to the Salvation Army to determine if there are specific needs. I will forward additional info as it comes.
At our July 28 club meeting, it was learned our Rotary Youth Exchange Student - Fanny - wanted to try paddle-boarding. Thanks to a pickup borrowed from Ed and Debbie Koeneman, bright and early Saturday, July 30, Fanny and her host mom, Colleen Coons made their way to Melodie Jackson's lovely home. Even though Melodie often goes paddle-boarding, she typically does not do so on the weekend. She made an exception to make Fanny's paddle-board dream come true and agreed to be their "team leader." Colleen fell into the water twice, but Melodie and Fanny stayed dry.
Fanny is in her second week of school at Campo Verde High School. She tried out for the cheer squad this past Monday.
Allan and Polly Cady were pleasantly surprised when they took their extended family from New Zealand to see "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Phoenix Theatre Friday, July 29. They were pleased to see this smiling group of local Rotarians who had met at the theatre to see the same production that evening.
President Pam opened the meeting and suggested that everyone say "Hi" to Jeanie Morgan who was attending via Zoom. She asked Ed Koeneman to offer the invocation, which he was happy to do, reciting a Boy Scout invocation. Pam showed those present a book that would be available at the reception table. Many members are reluctant to volunteer to offer the invocation or thought for the day. The book is full of inspirational messages that would be perfect, so if your are "voluntold" to offer the invocation at a meeting, grab the book and share one of those messages. Warren Williamson led the Pledge of Allegiance. She announced for the program would be presented by Dr. Mark Leonard on The Happiness Breakthrough.
Rotary Minute - Polly Cady
The Rotary theme for the month of August is Membership and Extension. To truly reflect our community, we should keep in mind the Diversity Equity and Inclusion commitment of Rotary International:
At Rotary, we're committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, allowing everyone's voice to be heard, and providing equitable opportunities for fellowship, service, and leadership.
Our members want and expect Rotary to be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. We're committed to creating supportive environments that foster open communication and shared learning. And although the Rotary experience may differ from country to country, the dynamics, histories, and structures that create inequality and bias can be found all over the world. Issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are globally relevant.
The Rotary International Board of Directors and The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees embrace the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and Rotary is taking action to follow these principles in everything we do. We recognize that being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization will enhance the experience that members have in Rotary, allow us to carry out more meaningful and effective service efforts, and create open, welcoming environments that appeal to people who want to connect with us.
Polly shared a few names of famous Rotarians she had found on a list in Wikipedia. Among those named were Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Gerald R. Ford, John F. Kennedy, Frank Borman, Dr. Charles H. Mayo, Sir Winston Churchill, and Admiral Richard Byrd.
President Pam thanked Steve Ross for serving as greeter. She also remarked that Clarence Birdseye of Birdseye frozen foods was another famous Rotarian.
Introduction of Guests
John Pennypacker introduced his guests - Brian and Jackie Harrington who were visiting from the White Mountains. Brian is currently serving as President of the Silver Creek Rotary Club.
Jay Stuckey introduced Dale Shafer of the Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club, saying Dale was attending his second Rotary Meeting of the day.
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Steve Ross
The ticket drawn was held by Dave Brauchler, but when Dave attempted to draw the Ace of Clubs form the deck, he instead drew the Queen of Diamonds.
Happy Bucks - John Pennypacker
John began by contributing because he was happy to have the Harringtons at our Mesa West meeting. He was also happy his pickup passed emissions.
Jim LaCheminant contributed. He was happy two of his grandchildren are back home, having returned from their missions.
Colleen Coons was happy to present a new bell ringer for Pam to use at club meeting. It was made by a Massai Tribe in the area they visited in Kenya. She also contributed happy to be hosting Fanny - our Rotary Youth Exchange Student. Fanny planned to try out for the cheer squad on Monday, August 1. She hopes to play badmitten. Fanny also wants to go paddle-boarding. She thanked Brian Harrington for his father's help with Crutches 4 Africa and offered to show he and Jackie the photos taken on the mission which were conveniently available on her IPad. She said it was a life-changing experience.
Dale Shafer contributed. He was happy to be at the Mesa West meeting.
Warren Williamson said he had voiced a concern with their family doctor about Sunny losing her hearing. The doctor said he could not speculate on what the problem was but suggested Warren could do his own simple evaluation. He suggested he say something to Sunny using his normal voice from about 20' away, and each time he did not get a response to move five steps closer. He tried it. He asked Sunny, "What's for dinner?" There was no response. He moved five steps closer and asked again. Still, no response. He moved five steps closer and asked again. Sunny loudly replied, "For the third time, we're having chicken for dinner!"
Ed Koeneman was happy he had been able to be at the airport to meet everyone returning from the C4A mission to Africa as well as greet Fanny when she arrived for her year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student.
Brian Harrington was happy to be at Mesa West - the most stellar club in the district. Other clubs strive to be like us.
Dave Brauchler was "guilted" into contributing. He had fun working with Polly Cady Tuesday, July 26. He said Polly had a personal grown experience. He was able to teach her how to close plastic containers. Dave worked with her for an hour and a half and she can do it now. It might be up to Allan to teach her how to open them herself.
Dr. Ron Thompson was happy to be back after missing two meetings.
Lu General said any day she get to see the Harringtons is a stellar day. She said she and Wayne took some Arizona heat with them when the travelled back East for her father's memorial. The temperature reached 100 with 90% humidity. When they returned to Arizona, they brought some humidity with them. She thanked God for the club - and loves everyone.
Past President Dan was happy to have the Harringtons at the meeting. He recalled Brian helping him prepare to lead a GSE team to Australia. DG Larry Horton was on that trip. He was also happy to have been pulled over by a member of the Mesa PD, who just chatted with him and let him go. He said the kids from Westwood who went on the C4A mission were the best kids you could every have. He said the Massai people to not get mad - they are the best people he's ever seen.
Dan Lamborn contributed $5 specifying it be donated to TRVFA. He was happy about daughters' participation in Penn State online curriculum and ASU
Dick Myren contributed his traditional $2 - happy that he and Honorary Member Rod Daniels are members of the best Rotary Club in the world. He also thanked Jackie Harrington for the help she always readily provided when he was Executive Secretary.
Pam Cohen was happy Logan Harper no longer has a scheduling conflict and will be able to attend our meeting in person. She thanked Dale Shafer for checking us out. She thanked the Coons for being Fanny's host parents. She said the Harringtons were like a second set of parents for her daughter who was hosted by them on summer exchanges.
Auction - Lucinda General
Lucinda pointed out that she was the deliverer. The items were all selected by Wayne, who would purchase one item for the auction at each of several interesting places they visited. She pointed out the "Newport Mansion" on the bag which contained something edible, but no alcohol. She suggested the bidding start at $35. She said one item started out being edible but is now in a different state. The bag was purchased by Colleen Coons for $75. Among the items in the bag was some Cinnamon Pear Jam, a mysterious Cranberry item and a book about New England Ships.
Announcements
Dave Brauchler talked about the Salvation Army service project. He said they REALLY need help on the weekends and thanked everyone who had volunteered for helping. He said the Salvation Army is overwhelmed with extra customers, and that he still had some vacant spots for Friday, July 29.
Attending via Zoom were Bob Jensen and Bob Zarling as well as Jeanie.
Logan Harper apologized for bombarding everyone with emails, but stressed the importance of setting aside time to attend and participate in the August 6 Visioning Session to be held at Salvation Army. If you are hesitant to register online, email Logan and he will enter your registration. He asked everyone to fill out the written form even if they are unable to attend. Pam reinforced how important it is to have a strategic plan to take us into the future incorporating our passions.
Program - Dr. Mark Leonard - The Happiness Breakthrough
President Pam introduced our speaker. He has been an entrepreneur and business owner for over twenty years. He's had his share of worries, sleepless nights and setbacks. He currently owns two businesses that employ - on average- twenty employees. He understands the pressure of owning a business. For the past sixteen years, he has studied why some people are successful while others struggle. In his quest he has earned an EdD in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University where he gained expertise in helping companies and their leaders achieve their goals. Helping people break through their limitations and plateaus is a personal passion for him.
He has been married over thirty years. He and his wife have six children, and twelve grandchildren. When it comes to juggling life's priorities, he understands the challenges.
One of life's puzzles is trying to figure out why when some people touch something it turns to gold while others cause the opposite reaction. He enjoys employing teenagers in one of his businesses - an Italian Ice store. He teaches the kids about business and about giving more than is expected, encouraging them to serve their community.
Dr. Leonard has a back story. It started when he was in a hospital bed waiting for lung surgery. He was getting mixed messages. "You have cancer" - "No you don't." If the final diagnosis was cancer, he was going to lose his lungs. In his speaking/coaching business, his tool was his voice. He begged God not to let him lose his voice.
He learned life was worth striving for. He had too much to live for. He was needed. His family was growing. He said daughter #5 brought her wedding dress the night before our meeting. He has travelled the world. He's been in Africa, Serviced in India. While there, his wife was in a room with prostitutes who were sold into slavery by their husbands. He knew that whatever he was doing it wasn't enough. He is certain we are here to live a life of excellence.
It's impossible to find what excellence looks like for others. It's not what anyone else defines. It is what we each define for ourselves. We each need to define what our excellence looks like.
He suggested taking a piece of paper, sit upright with both feet firmly on the ground, get comfortable, and take a deep breath. With eyes closed, visualize how someone would describe the very best of you at a memorial service. Come up with words that would fit on a business card. His words are, "Authentic, Courageous, and Serving." For a time, he and his wife switched places. He was a stay at home dad. One night his wife told him he had his "work" face on at home. He realized he was different in each environment and worked to change that. He said that the night before our meeting, he was ready to fire a nineteen-year-old who had slept for 70 minutes in his office. Instead, he ended up hugging him and asking how he could help. Once you understand your definition of excellence, you can work to live your excellence.
He talked for a bit about actually connecting with those we interact with. Instead of asking the normal "What do you do? Where do you live?" questions, ask someone to tell you about something they are passionate about. This can happen when making introductions. It can also happen with family. It's possible to connect with people wherever you are. It's really important to connect with your family and close friends. Take time to connect with cousins you rarely see. Don't postpone that phone call. Ask what you can do for them.
To live a life of excellence, do simple things over and over. Find opportunities to do what you've been sent here to do.
The rest of the story about lung cancer. There was a tumor pressing up against the lung wall. It looked like it was inside the lung, but it wasn't. The biopsy ruled out cancer. It was a rare disease - Castleman's disease - not cancer. He said there is power in prayer. He knows it. He's felt it.
His Italian Ice store is at Victoria and Ellsworth - Jeremiah's Italian Ice. They make everything in the store. and serve over 40 flavors.
Pam closed the meeting ringer the bell with our new ringer.
CLICK HERE to cast your vote for Child Crisis Arizona in the first round of voting. There is one vote per person during each round. We are now in the second round of voting which began August 1. If you first voted in July, you can vote again.
Mesa West Rotary has a long history of supporting Child Crisis Arizona. Your vote(s) will help propel them to the next level in this competition. They currently are sitting in second place.
Just before the 2021-22 fiscal year ended, Mesa West Rotary Foundation sent a $2,000 donation. CLICK HERE to read the letter of appreciation received from Child Crisis Arizona. You may want to have a tissue box handy...
The Consular Entrepreneurship Program for Mexican Women Abroad started in the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix with the objective of providing tools to Mexican Women in Arizona to start or grow their business. As a result of the success of this project, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) adopted the program and it is currently implemented across the Mexican Consulates in the United States and Canada, in the Embassy of Mexico in Paris, France, and with plans of expansion to other countries.
The upcoming edition of the Consular Entrepreneurship Program for Mexican Women Abroad will take place between September of 2022 and January of 2023 with an additional stage in the summer of 2023. During the program, participants will complete DreamBuilders, attend virtual conferences with experts on entrepreneurship and business topics, engage in a pitch competition, take part in a mentoring program and obtain a list of useful resources for small businesswomen.
Results of the program with 40 graduates:
90% increased their sales.
On average, their sales increased 163% and the number of customers by 71%.
64% reduced their direct and/or indirect costs.
78% of the participants developed a new marketing strategy.
60% created a website for the business.
78% of the participants developed a business plan for the first time.
52% of the participants have done a sales forecast.
23% of the participants received some type of financing.
Opportunities for collaboration for members of the Rotary Club of Mesa West
Become a mentor for English speaking participants.
Become a sponsor. Examples of previous sponsored items/services: iPads, consulting services and developing a marketing strategy.
Be added to our mailing list. You can expect to receive an email every other week and each time we will have a spotlight business. The objective is to promote participant's business.
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.
Club Information
Welcome to our Rotary Club of Mesa West!
THE ACE OF CLUBS
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Via Zoom or in-person
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.
Have you done your homework?
Allan and Polly Cady were pleasantly surprised when they took their extended family from New Zealand to see "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Phoenix Theatre Friday, July 29. They were pleased to see this smiling group of local Rotarians who had met at the theatre to see the same production that evening. 
Program - Dr. Mark Leonard - The Happiness Breakthrough
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:
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