The meeting started with lots of good food to include Chef’s salad fixings, Hamburgers and/or BBQ Chicken sandwiches. PRESIDENT MARGARET called the meeting to order and new member MARI DEVRIES ROSS led the Pledge and song, “My Country Tis of Thee.”
JEFF RONSTADT transformed into KURTIS DAWSON who offered the inspiration. Rotary thrives on diversity and allows us to take advantage of our unique, individual strengths to create a greater good for all.
PRESIDENT MARGARET asked us to pause for a minute, turn to the person beside us, hopefully someone that we didn’t know, and thank them for their service at Rotary. DAN KALM introduced all of our guests and then we were on to our program for the day.
It was nice to see PAT ZUMBUSCH and he introduced our speaker. Brian Watson who worked 28 years as a Special Agent at the IRS targeting “White Collar Crime.” Brian noted that 35 years ago, he received a Rotary Scholarship. His program was titled “Financial Scam Awareness & Prevention. We’re Not Dealing With Your Father’s Scammers Anymore.”A few takeaways from his presentation:
- It can happen to anyone.
- Don’t ever allow remote access to your computer. Especially if you’re talking to someone on the phone who says they can help.
- If/when your in a stressful situation where someone is asking for money, access to your computer, to be reimbursed for an accounting error, etc., take a break. Walk away and take some time.
- Hang up and call a verified number…if the person on the other line adamantly refuses there is a good chance that it’s a scam.
- Phone a friend. Have someone that you can call and get a second opinion before doing ANYTHING.
- These are very high level scammers with lots of money behind them. They are very professional and come across like a quality business.
- Sign up at RoseAdvocacy.org and receive their monthly newsletter.
Brian then signed the book “How To Babysit a Grandpa.”
NINA TRASOFF was celebrating her 15th birthday. Well sort of. That’s the sum of the first and second numeral of her age. Did you know that she speaks 4 languages and fakes another one. NINA is the longest standing female member of our club!
MARIANNE FREITAS introduced our newest member, MARI DEVRIES ROSS who is the sister of our late member MIKE DEVRIES. She went to CDO High School, then the U of A and graduated with a degree in accounting. In fact, she does the accounting for our Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation. Thank you MARI! Oh, and she was also once a Rock N Roll singer.
JIM MURPHY presented a blue badge to FAH SAETAN whose father has been a member of the Rotary Club of Tongkah in Thailand for many years.
The 4 Way Test Award was introduced by SANDRA JOHNSON and presented by DIANA MADARAS. Lisa Bates was the well-deserved recipient of the award. Lisa has been the Executive Director of the Tucson Wildlife Center for more than 25 years and has never been paid to do so. She also donated her house and property to the center. The Tucson Wildlife Center currently treats more than 4,000 animals per year and is the only resource of it’s kind in Southern Arizona.DAN KALM held a 50/50 raffle and the winner was BOB MORKEN. While BOB didn’t win the $830.00 pot, he did walk away with $70 and feeling like a winner! PRESIDENT MARGARET announced that it would be the last meeting that DAN would have the role as Sergeant at Arms because he’s going on an extended RV trip. She gave him a bouquet of plastic windmills, art posters to color on and a personal fan to stay cool. Have a great trip DAN and thank you for a great year as our SAA!
Announcements were as follows:
- 5/29 - Social Mixer at the Eddy Hotel (just north of Campbell/River). Sign up on tucsonrotary.org
- CHARLOTTE HARRIS was the winner of the Service Project Award for April
- NANCY BEVINS is selling Rotary Service Shirts. Let her know what you might need.
JEANNE ZETAH introduced Kanon Nakamura who is our exchange student from Japan. Kanon offered a presentation of where she’s from and what’s she’s been doing since she’s been in Tucson. Have a great trip back to Japan, Kanon!PRESIDENT MARGARET closed the meeting and KURTIS DAWSON, on behalf of JEFF RONSTADT, offered the toast to the USA and we were adjourned.
