Well, maybe NOT the shirt off your back, but instead some old t-shirts out of the back of your closet.
Westwood Interact's first service project this year will be making dog chew toys for a local animal shelter. They make these dog toys out of old t-shirts. So, dig way back into your closet, or that drawer where all your old stuff is, and bring a shirt or two to lunch this Thursday.
NEW - Midwest Food Bank needs our help. They are having a food drive soliciting donations of specific items. Starting September 8, we will focus on a collecting a different item on their listeach week.
September 8 - please bring Peanut Butter and Jelly to our Mesa West Rotary Club meeting.
Help the Chef - Salvation Army heat relief project
Wednesday mornings 8-10 August 31 through October 26
We are excited to announce the 5th Annual Pursuing Peace Conference will be on Friday, September 16th! We have an amazing slate of guest speakers who will be sharing their peacemaking experiences. The primary topic for this year's conference is "Creating Peacemakers Around Us." Speakers include:
Chuck Fitzgerald – Conference Founder & Host
Elizabeth Gamarra – World Rotary Peace Fellow serving at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Larry Horton - Retired Phoenix Police Officer & current Rotary District Governor
Lisa Jernigan – Co-Founder & President, Amplify Peace
Dr. Sanjeev Khagram – Director General & Dean, ASU's Thunderbird School of Global Management
Scott Martin – Mediator & Conflict Coach, Mediators Beyond Borders International
Rev. Eve Nunez – Founder & President, National Latina / Latino Commission
Dr. Clyde Rivers – Founder & President, iChange Nations
The conference will be a one-day hybrid event; we will be streaming online, and we will be "in person" at the new campus of ASU's Thunderbird School of Global Management in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a series of three one-day educational sessions to learn about Rotary beyond the Club Level. All three sessions are held in the same place on the same day enabling car-pooling for participants no matter which session they plan to attend. The location where the sessions are held can move around, promoting a little Rotary tourism. Whether you are a relatively new Rotarian or a seasoned Rotarian who finally has time to get more involved, members are encouraged to sign up and participate.
At their August 16 Board Meeting, Mesa West Rotary Club officers and directors approved making one of the recent visioning session ideas become a reality. The club will cover the registration cost for those who register and attend RLI going forward.
The next RLI is scheduled to take place in Flagstaff Saturday, September 24, at the Flagstaff Art Leadership Academy, 3401 N Valley Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Check-in will start at 8:00 AM and the sessions will start at 8:45 AM. Lunch will be served at noon followed by a graduation ceremony for those attending Session III. The sessions will resume at 1:00 PM and end by 4:00 PM.
Members who wish to register can e-mail Jeanie Morgan, letting her know which session they are ready for. They are taken in order - Session I, II, or III. Registration is open for the September 24 RLI. If someone has Jeanie pay for their registration but fails to attend, they will be invoiced for the cost of their registration.
Our own Polly Cady is the current RLI Chairperson. She will be glad to answer any questions about RLI.
CLICK HEREto cast your vote for Child Crisis Arizona in the fourth round of voting. There is one vote per device per person during each round. They are now in the fourth round of voting which began August 29. If you first voted in either of the prior three rounds, you can vote again. In fact, you can vote a few more times. They are in the fourth of five rounds of voting, and you can vote using each of your devices once each round.
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 were sitting in first place in this round the last time we checked. The voting link gets updated for each round. We will try to keep the current link available to our members by updating this article
Just before the 2021-22 fiscal year ended, Mesa West Rotary Foundation sent a $2,000 donation to Child Crisis Arizona. CLICK HERE to read the letter of appreciation received from Child Crisis Arizona. You may want to have a tissue box handy...
We are getting into the routine. Every Monday, Fanny spends 2.5 hours at Dauntless Athletics practicing cheer (flying). This Wednesday's Lunch was amazing and 2.5 hours with Polly. We had such a great time laughing and learning from each other. We did not want the afternoon to end.
Fanny went to the Tuscany Theater in Gilbert (Youth Productions) of Tarzan. It was a great time and the performance was "amazing" with the singing and dancing by the young performers. That evening, Fanny had her first "team bonding" experience with her cheer squad - arts and crafts, jacuzzi and pizza with the team.
Sunday - we spent the morning shopping in Scottsdale as it is her Mother's and Grandmother's birthday next week. Scottsdale Fashion Square was a perfect spot for lunch and people watching. In France, the shops are not open, so shopping at H&M was the best. We ended our day at Clovr- with a first time ever manicure!
Ron Thompson offered the invocation and John Pennypacker led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Introduction of Guests
Shelly Romine introduced Kevin Poole, a visiting Rotarian who has visited previously and was invited by Sean Green.
Shelly also introduced Becky Kuhle as a friend, former workmate, and potential member.
Diane Ware introduced Daniella Mitchell. Diane had shared information about Mesa West Rotary with Daniella on Wednesday. Diane must have a good Rotary "elevator speech" since it inspired Daniella to attend the very next day!
Dilworth Brinton was introduced as a visiting Rotarian from the Mesa Rotary Club. He is working on putting together a 100-year history of Rotary in Mesa.
Polo Santiago was again introduced as a visitor noting it was his 3rd visit to Mesa West Rotary.
Jim Erickson introduced Jaylee Alvin. Jaylee is an outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student who will be leaving September 1 to spend the 2022-23 school term in Spain. Pam presented Jaylee with a Mesa West Rotary banner to present to her host club in Spain.
Roasted Chicken Auction - Dave Brauchler
Dave Brauchler explained that - in talking to his Rotary buddy, Allan Cady, that Allan is often disappointed to learn that the main course of the day at our meetings will be chicken. At Dave's household chicken is a favorite. He roasts a chicken at least once a week on his grill using, onions, lemons, and spices to enhance the flavor. He decided to auction a chicken at our meeting, so Allan would have a chance to taste his chicken. Lucinda General carried the chicken being auctioned around the room so members and guests could get a better look and enjoy the aroma. The bidding started at $5 and was quite robust and generous until Dave realized the members were 'bidding higher and higher so Allan would have to pay a hefty price to taste the chicken. After David explained there were two chickens - one to be auctioned to benefit the club and one to be given to Allen, the bidding restarted at $5 on the extra chicken which was purchased by visiting Rotarian Kevin Poole.
Ace of Clubs Auction - Ron Thompson
Jaylee Alvin - our outbound RYE student drew the winning ticket which was held by Polly Cady, making her the automatic winner of $22.00 plus the chance to draw the Ace of Clubs which would net another $80. The card Polly drew was the Four of Diamonds.
Happy Bucks - Ron Thompson
John Pennypacker announced the front seat of his pickup was receiving some needed attention from Top Notch Upholstery in Mesa.
Allan Cady was glad to be at the meeting.
Warren Williamson contributed for the privilege of sharing a joke. He told about a student looking for odd jobs who knocked on the door of a residence. The man of the house decided to take advantage of the offer to get his porch painted - a job the homeowner had been procrastinating about doing. He told the young man where to find the paint and equipment and went back to enjoy his afternoon nap while the work was being accomplished. After a while the young man rang the doorbell again and announced he was finished, adding "I didn't notice until I was nearly finished - it isn't a Porsche, it's a Tesla!"
Wayne General was happy about reconnecting after 35 years and sharing geneology information with a long-lost cousin who now lives in Tampa.
Shelly Romine was happy to be at the meeting and was enjoying getting acquainted with the two visitors who were seated on either side of her at her table and hoping one or both might be potential new members.
Dave Brauchler was happy to have played a chicken joke on Allan. He was also happy for the hygiene items members have been donating for Salvation Army to distribute. He was also happy for the T-Shirts members had brought in for Ed Koeneman to deliver to the Westwood HS Interact Club for their chew-toy project.
Colleen Coons was happy to be wearing her name tag showing shie is "First Lady." She asked "Honey (Pam)" to donate $25 on her behalf. She was happy to have enjoyed having Fanny in their home another week. She thanked John Pennypacker for taking Fanny to a golf tournament. They went to see a youth theater production of Tarzan, and Fanny enjoyed her first mani-pedi at a nail salon. Colleen brings Fanny's activity calendar to the meetings. She is looking forward to spending a day or weekend in San Diego.
Guest Daniella Mitchell was happy to have passed her one year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer. After going through chemo and radiation, she treasures every day - saying, "Every day is a gift."
Diane Ware said she was enjoying our wonderful club. She enjoyed volunteering recently at the Salvation Army and will be going back.
Polly Cady was happy to have enjoyed a nice chat with Polo Santiago. She was also happy to announce Polo plans to complete our membership application. Polly also enjoyed a fun lunch with Fanny and Colleen on Wednesday. They had so much fun, lunch lasted 2.5 hours.
Dick Myren contributed his traditional $2 for himself and Honorary Member Rod Daniels - they are both happy to be associated with the Ace of Clubs. He contributed a little more to complain about hitting red lights at every regulated intersection on the way to the meeting.
Don Boucher was happy to have transitioned his dental work to Ron Thompson's practice. He also bragged about how fantastic it is to enjoy his first grandson who was born about nine months ago.
Lucinda General took over the job of District Treasurer July 1. She was happy Jim Schmidt spent some time helping her make financial reporting look straighter and nicer. She thanked him for his dedication and for going above and beyond.
Dan Coons contributed thanking the club for the support Fanny has received from a variety of members.
President Pam contributed - thankful to have so many guests with some of them considering becoming members.
Announcements
Dave Brauchler reminded members that we will be continuing to need individuals to volunteer with our Salvation Army chef assistance project on Wednesday mornings from 8-10 AM. We will be doing this through the last Wednesday in October. CLICK HERE to register. We also have a scheduled decorative rock-moving project at the Y on Saturday, September 24. Volunteers should bring wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes if possible. CLICK HERE to register for the project at the Y.
Colleen Coons announced there would be a statewide university-based Rotaract Retreat September 24. There will be a social from 4-6 (or 8). All Rotaract Officers are invited to attend.. Members of sponsoring Rotary Clubs are also welcome.
Polly Cady reminded members the next Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Flagstaff Saturday, September 24. Sessions I, II, and III will run concurrently. The club board of directors has authorized the club to pay for registration for members whose dues are current who wish to attend. If you wish to take advantage of this offer to learn more about Rotary beyond the club, EMAIL Jeanie specifying which session (I, II, or III) you wish to attend. She will complete your registration and send you a confirmation.
Program - Dr. Sean Drake - Conquering Your Peak Performance in Life
Jay Stuckey introduced the speaker, Dr. Sean Drake
Dr. Drake received his BA at Florida State University. He received his Masters in Sports Health Science with an emphasis in Sports Injury Management as well as his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University in Atlanta.
Dr. Drake holds numerous professional certifications including Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) from the American Academy of Chiropractic Sports Physicians, Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and specializes in human performance.
Dr. Drake has extensive experience in treating active individuals as well as professional athletes in addition to consulting for fire, police, military, professional teams, and athletes. He is an international speaker on numerous categories relating to improving performance in life. He founded Athlete Chiropractic and Athlete Empowered in Scottsdale Arizona where he continues to work with amateur and professional athletes in the area of sport specialization using the best technology and electricity for improved performance.
Dr. Drake indicated he grew up as a military kid, relocating every few years. He was in Interact during his high school years, serving as his Interact Club President during his final year of high school. He was in Rotaract while in college.
(Editorial Note - I had difficulty hearing the audio while attending via Zoom once Dr. Drake started using his prepared PowerPoint presentation. I asked John Pennypacker to provide a summary of his "takeaways" from the program which he found very powerful.) Following are John's comments:
Conquering Mount Kilimanjaro was his focus, but from his previous training experience with professional athletes, he knew that he and his wife could not do it without the right team.
He talked about four major goals we have had in our lives. How did we do? Did we do it alone or did we do it with a team? My goals were coming home from Vietnam, learning to fly a helicopter, getting married and having children. I think I did accomplish them quite well, but I would have to acknowledge that in retrospect, I now know I did not do it alone - I had a great team and the right team around me.
To me, his focus was "How do you know if you have the right team?" We all have goals, we think we know how to get there, but do we realize that it takes a team to accomplish everything.
He also noted that there are times when one must go slowly, ever so slowly, and observe what is around us to fully comprehend the makings of the right team. It is also just as important for those team members to also be focused on what is important to help us reach our goals.
The driver - the one with the goal - must also stay focused on what makes the team cohesion work and acknowledge the contributions of each member of the team. This is a continuous process, not just a thank you at the end of the journey.
This focus on a team effort can be applied to simple everyday tasks: cleaning the house, making dinner, driving to a destination, and perhaps even conducting a Rotary meeting.
---Some of my own thinking may be in here, but it is how I envisioned his presentation
After the PowerPoint was no longer being used, I could again hear some of what Dr. Drake was saying. I remember him sharing how grateful they were
to get back to where they could have hot water at the end of the day, and reminded those present that we need to remind ourselves to appreciate what we have here in America. He also said that riding in a land rover over bumpy roads in Africa is referred to in America as an African massage. Experiencing the success of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro with the help of the right team changes your soul.
CLICK HERE to see the slides used in Dr. Drake's presentation.
When I published an article in our August 24 Messenger congratulating Hans and Lolita Wiesner for reaching 50 years of wedded bliss, the link to send a congratulatory email had a digit missing.
CLICK HERE if you would like to congratulate them!
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.
Well, maybe NOT the shirt off your back, but instead some old t-shirts out of the back of your closet. 
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a series of three one-day educational sessions to learn about Rotary beyond the Club Level. All three sessions are held in the same place on the same day enabling car-pooling for participants no matter which session they plan to attend. The location where the sessions are held can move around, promoting a little Rotary tourism. Whether you are a relatively new Rotarian or a seasoned Rotarian who finally has time to get more involved, members are encouraged to sign up and participate.
When I published an article in our August 24 Messenger congratulating Hans and Lolita Wiesner for reaching 50 years of wedded bliss, the link to send a congratulatory email had a digit missing. 
Tell me and I forget.
My boss calls me "The Computer."
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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