Remember: Since Wednesday, 1/10/24  is the second week of the month, there will be no lunch meeting at the TCC. 

 

At our next lunch meeting on 1/17/24, we are looking forward to the presentation from UA President, Robert Robbins as our guest speaker. Since this is a high profile program, we are asking all members to register as well as your guests on the Home Page of the Website under Upcoming Events.  Thank you! 

It is so hard to believe I am half-way through my tenure as RCOT President for 2023-2024. It has been an amazing six months, one for which I will always be grateful: this period of time has given me the opportunity to serve our community in ways I never imagined. 

 

To practicalities: As a club, as a Board of Directors, I believe that we have achieved - indeed - exceeded our goals. I will keep this brief:

 

Glenn Ewing, our Treasurer, says that we are ‘holding our own’, financially speaking. I’d like us to be doing more than that, but that will happen in the next six months, thereby setting up the PE Kurtis Dawson, for a very successful 2024-2025. Why do I say the next six months? Because:

 

Our Membership Director, Mitch Pisik, tells me that we have turned a corner. On RCOT’s behalf, Mitch set goals regarding membership increases, loss, and retention. And we are reliably meeting these goals. We seem to have stayed at about the same number, but we have members waiting in line for approval, and so our numbers will increase, and we have less loss of membership. Mitch works hard and has established a corporate-member-seeking sub-group. Importantly, to my mind, he provides a structured approach; structure takes time to implement, then time to reap results. The next six months, encompassing March Madness spearheaded by Vicki Jacobs, will demonstrate the value of the structured approach. 

 

Our Services Director, Diana Madaras, has similarly brought structure to our service projects. Historically we have lost members because some have felt that RCOT is not doing enough service work. Now, due to the service projects, we have past members saying that they wished they had stayed with us. Diana has done us proud: by generating a good team, with creativity, she has established approximately 14 projects, some of which are already underway, and some have yet to start. She has implemented monthly prizes for members doing the most (recorded) service work. A notable project is the Reading Coach literacy project led by Dr Jon Wang: it is up and running again (I am a coach!), And there is the Community Food Bank project, the Adopt-a-road project……and more. This is what Rotary is about: service to others. And of course, we once again held a spectacularly successful car show, spearheaded by Lee Olitzky: the money generated by this, our signature event, allows RCOT to provide substantial financial support to local non-profit organisations. It is service work in the extreme. Further, RCOT has received a District grant of $2,000, to match our Foundation’s $2,000, totaling $4,000 for service work in Senegal, leading, hopefully, to a global grant. Personally, my service project while President is to seek donations of children’s books, to be donated to Make Way for Books, or similar entities. Books are already stacked against the walls in my home. Please give me more. 

 

Our Programs are being managed by Pat Zumbusch and his team, who are doing an excellent job of bringing in speakers on a wide range of topics; all of whom are connected to our community, reflect Tucson, and offer interesting information. Programs and Membership are intertwined, to my mind, with each of them driving the other. Special thanks go to Gary Hirsch for working extremely hard, with huge success, to bring John Hewko, Rotary International’s General Secretary, to speak to our club on November 15th. What a coup!

 

Nina Trasoff, our Communications Director is busy working on improving the website to make it more ‘user friendly’ and is ensuring that we get coverage in District 5500’s promo materials, virtual and tangible. 

 

Our Social Director, Alan Rogers, seems to have established an excellent relationship with Brother John’s: who knows? We may have many more mixers there……

 

Our Sergeant-at-arms, Dan Kalm, has re-initiated member recognitions (aka ‘fines’) which not only spotlight individuals in our club but also brings in a small amount of dollars. He has also brought back the long lost “Greeter Line” to our weekly meetings.

 

Randomly selected club members were invited to ‘listening sessions’: the facilitators of these sessions will report back to the board on ways members feel that the club meetings could be revitalised. I sincerely look forward to seeing the results of these sessions and implementing what I can, in the remaining time I have as President. Thereafter it’s up to Kurtis, our PE. We are nothing if not forward thinking. 

 

While I am sure that there is much more that I can report, and folk that I have forgotten to mention, I think there is substantial content above: enough to see that we are moving ahead, with great aplomb. Thanks to Dorinna, to Erica and other board members for absolutely all of their hard work. Truly, their hard work leads to RCOT being able to serve our community in many and varied ways. 

 

From my prior quarterly report, I repeat that we are an outstanding club. You are outstanding members. There is no doubt about that. 

 

Cheerfully,

 

Margaret Higgins, PhD

RCOT President, 2023-2024

Lovely MARGARET HIGGINS interrupted the savory beef, chicken, mashed potatoes and yummy steamed vegetables to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hand off to JAMAL GIVENS to lead us in the pledge and a gorgeous rendition of “America the Beautiful” accompanied by our very own musical maestro KHRIS DODGE. Lovely MARGARET noted our esteemed guest’s beautiful voice and he should seriously consider joining our weekly, lunch choir!

 

Softly somber MARGARET then gave us a moment of silence for member, SARA GAAR EHRENS’ husband Bruce who has been in hospice and is close to passing. 

 

And then … a 180 degree inspirational mood swing … with cheerful BRITTANY BATTLE listing 1924 predictions highlighting great, if sometimes optimistic, human imagination: 1) horses may become extinct; 2) life expectancy of 100 makes 75 “still young”; 3) conducting business via wire or even wireless = working from home; 4) Jazz will be classical music by 2024!

 

Two wheeled motor enthusiast DAN KALM thanked ALAN ROGERS for the fun, festive Holiday Party, and introduced guests Ellie Paterson, Kathleen Bowman, Kristi & Mike Wintrode, Kannon Nakamura, Domenick Smith, Carson Keegan, Bill Shaw, Christopher Foster, and TJ Juskiewicz. 

 

Positive community transformater and Chamber leader MICHAEL GUYMON then introduced the Flowing Wells / TUSD / careered and Arizona education expert Dr. John J. Pedicone to enlighten us on significant education issues not so widely discussed.  I was going to say lecture us, but the good doctor is way too down to earth for that!

 

Starting with success: we passed every bond election & override, JTED’s growth, Pima early education Program rocks!

 

What you don’t hear details about, but really should know:

Suspenseful YMCA leader and current President elect KURTIS DAWSON threw out hints about our July 2025 President Elect to follow his upcoming reign. Born in Newark, New Jersey; grew up in Phoenix; a graduate from the local crazy feline university; Masters from the University of San Francisco; married + 2 kids; two decades in our beloved Rotary; serial entrepreneur of three companies … DOT KRET !!! And best of all, DOT humbly, graciously, and funnily accepted in rhyme! And introduced her family in attendance, husband Michael Lex and sons David and Nathan Lex.  Looking forward to more of that fun with DOT!

 

Gracious local and District leader ELLIE PATTERSON bestowed Rotary International’s Major Donor Award upon two of our most generous members: past Club President, past wing commander, A-10 pilot & instructor, proud Grampa and most importantly (to him) Salpointe grad CLIFF BOWMAN; and the always helpful Minnesoooota native, Eden Prairie School leader, MN Rotary President, now enlightened Tucsonan and hugely effective Rotary Club of Tucson “doer” JEANNE ZETAH !   

 

Graduate of the greatest Arizona State University JIM WOOD presented still commuting from Denver and Tucson Airport Authority leader BRUCE GOETZ with his blue badge!  He and CLIFF share Montana High School in common, small world! 

 

Home sales guru VICKI JACOBS presented Nogales raised, Eller educated, world traveling mining explosives expert, and current Insurance expert NANCY GUNGOR with her blue badge!  NANCY encouraged our guests to jump into the fun giving back, that is our Rotary!

 

Sergeant at Arms but actually quite calm, DAN, did the raffle and for the umpteenth time I did not win!  Even worse, JOHN DUVAL took the big pot of over $2k with the King of Clubs drawn. I grumpily congratulated him.  At least we raised a boatload of money for charity, so there’s that.

 

Exceptionally talented DIANA MADARAS deservedly recognized for the addition of artistically designed wallpaper at the airport and generally for her exceptional involvement bettering our beloved club!

 

Sporty organization master KYM ADAIR deservedly recognized for building the AZ Bowl from nothing to the 7^th of 41 college bowl games with 30k tickets sold, benefiting our beloved Tucson community!

 

With Winter upon us and homelessness for our Vets and others on the rise, it's time for our giving hearts to share. We'll be having another Donation Drive at the  January 17th meeting.

 

Old Pueblo Community Services has supplied the following list of items to contribute:

                                 

Family Size: Shampoo and Conditioner                               

Family Size: Face and Body Wash                                       

Family Size: Toothpaste and Toothbrushes                            

Women's Underwear- sizes S to XL

Men's Underwear- M to XXl (boxers)

Feminine Hygiene Pads

Comb and/or Brush

Shaving Cream and Razors

Travel Size toiletries 

Protein bars

Band aid and bandages 

Individual small packets of salt

 

WINTER ITEMS:

Beanie/ Stocking

Warm Gloves

Warm Socks

 

Old Pueblo Community Services is very thankful for your support and generosity.

The next meeting of the Tucson Rotary Book Club Fellowship is on Monday, January 22, noon, at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library, 8959 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85749 (NE corner of Tanque Verde and Bear Canyon)

 

We are reading the book Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.

 

Our illustrious member, Bruce Jacobs, said the following:

"I loved the book. Great read. If you read the book and plan to attend, I would highly recommend watching the movie Air that came out last year. The movie is about Nike signing Michael Jordon, and Matt Damon plays Phil Knight. I watched it early this year and now need to go back to watch it again now that I read the book. I feel it picks up sort of where Phil concluded his biography. It will be worth your time."

 

Please RSVP, (nxstockton@gmail.com) so I can plan snacks.  There is no cost, and all guests are invited.  Each meeting is stand alone, no prior participation is needed.  

 

Thanks,

Nancy Stockton

 

Good luck and thanks for your service to Rotary!

 

Diana Madaras

We will be streaming our weekly meetings live via our YouTube Channel.  We are encouraging you all to subscribe to our Channel in order to receive notices of when the meetings are streaming live.  After the live meeting, this video will become a recording and immediately posted on our YouTube Channel.  To view live CLICK HERE.   You can also go to our Home Page of the Club website and click on the YouTube link on the right hand side of the page, or go to YouTube and search Rotary Club of Tucson.