PROGRAM:
 Report on the Rotary International Convention
Suzanne Barkley & Pat Hagan
 
Back in June, our own Pat and Suzanne braved the airports and the crowds to be a part of the Rotary International Convention.  They joined forces with Mat and Audrey, and Ken and Pauline Jeffery from Australia and today they reported on the outcome!  There were in the company of 42,000 Rotarians from around the world.  Welcome Rotary signs were everywhere, from the airport to all the downtown venues.  The Convention was held at the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
 
Some of the highlights that Pat and Suzanne shared included:
  • The opening ceremony includes the presentation of the flags from over 200 countries.  Many countries’ Rotarians come in their native costumes.  The Governor of Georgia welcomed the Rotarians. 
  • The House of Friendship was held in a huge hall that had Rotary vendors, Rotarian Club booths, food, music, artist tables, massage tables and more.  Many Rotary Fellowships had booths---beer, whiskey, motor cycles, and many other special interests (Pat joined the massage fellowship!).  Mat Matson ran at the Rotary Dictionary project table.
  • After the opening ceremony, there were a number of impressive speakers including Bill Gates.  He announced that his Foundation will donate $300 million in 2:1 matching funds for Polio Plus.  By the time the convention ended, $1.2 billion was pledged to eradicate Polio.  Much of it was raised from countries around the world who were contacted during Bill Gates' speech.
  • Another outstanding presentation was a panel that addressed human trafficking and modern day slavery.  We plan to have a club program on this topic in the future because it is a topic of interest at Rotary headquarters.
  • They took a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters because Rotary partners with CDC for polio eradication.
  • Suzanne and Pat were very impressed by their visit to the Center for Human Rights.  It has photos and live interactive experiences from the civil rights era.  There was a video of Martin Luther King giving a speech with surround sound that included all of the sounds of the day.  Martin Luther King's Ebenezer Baptist Church is now a museum and has MLK speeches. 
  • At the closing ceremony, the new RI President was introduced.
Suzanne and Pat left with a deeper sense of the fellowship and friendships that are the foundation of Rotary. 
 
 
GUESTS:
Jennifer Volmer, Platte Canyon Community Partnership Resale Boutique,  Terri Hermsmeyer, Boulder Rotary
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS/BUSINESS:
 
President’s Announcements:
  • Rotary Peak had a large number of hikers last Saturday.  Trail Stewards are needed on Saturdays at 7 AM.  Hikers are done by 10 AM.
  • Planning has started for the Mountain Area Home and Garden Show for next Spring; Janine will be chairing the committee.
  • Wes Paxton is the new President of the Conifer Rotary Foundation.
  • The Visioning evening will be September 13, 5-9 PM at Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church; all club members are encouraged to attend.  There will not be a Tuesday morning meeting that week.
Club Announcements:
  • Come to the Evergreen Blue Grass Festival  this Saturday at the Evergreen Rodeo grounds 11:30 AM -7 PM.  Some of the proceeds will benefit the 285 Backpack Project.
  • Thanks to all who helped with last year's Coupon Book.  Pam Morrison will be contacting businesses soon to sell coupon pages.
  • Thursday August 31, starting at 5:30 PM we will have a club social at Janine Payton’s home.  This is in lieu of the fifth Tuesday club meeting.
  • The ROTARY TREASURES sale will be Saturday September 23, 9 AM - 3 PM at West Jefferson Elementary school.  Donations and volunteers needed.  More information will be coming.
  • Platte Canyon Community Partnership Resale Boutique in Bailey partnered with our Rotary Club and presented a check for $2575.75 for the 285 Back Pack Project.  That was 75% of the Boutique’s profits from June and July.  Thanks to Janine Payton, Charlotte Wytias, Suzanne Barkley, Pat Hagan and Lesley Landon—Rotarians who volunteered at the Boutique as Rotary’s part of the partnership!
  • THE CLUB WILL BE DARK AUGUST 29, come to the social event at the Payton's home (more to come).