The presentation will focus on the history of the 390th Bomb Group and how the museum keeps their courage and dedication alive for future generations. The 390th Bomb Group was one of 40 B-17 Bomb Groups and who flew 301 missions against the Axis powers from England during World War 2. Stationed in Framlingham near the east shore, the group took part in many of the most famous and deadly missions flown by allied forces. The 390th lost a total of 176 aircraft, 721 men killed, and over 700 captured. They also had one of the best bombing accuracies of all the groups, and were credited with shooting down over 377 enemy aircraft. The 390th took part in one of the first missions to bomb Berlin, led the 3rd wave of bombing German positions during D-Day, flew the first missions to bomb in Germany and then land in Russia, and finally they flew Humanitarian missions to Holland dropping food at the end of the war. The presentation will highlight several interesting areas of the 390th and provide an overview of the museum.
Biography - Walter (Wally) Scales
Wally was raised in Fort Smith Arkansas, and a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Commissioned in 1982, he then attended pilot training at Vance AFB where he earned his wings. He was selected to fly the A-10 at England AFB, LA where he was a member of the A-10 Air Demonstration Team, followed by selection to come back to DM to be an A-10 instructor pilot. In 1987, he was selected to transition to the F-16 and assigned to Kunsan AB, ROK. Following that assignment, he transferred to MacDill AFB and became an instructor pilot in the F-16. During Operation Desert Storm and Shield he deployed to Riyadh Saudi Arabia and worked as Chief of Flight Safety for General Horner. Following his tour at MacDill AFB he was assigned to Osan Air Base attended Air Command and Staff College, and then was assigned to U.S. Pacific Command. Following his staff tour, he returned to the F-16 as an instructor pilot at Luke AFB. He then transferred to the Pentagon where he served as an F-16 programmer followed by his selection as the executive officer to the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. In 2003, he was assigned to HQ United States Air Forces in Europe as the executive officer to the commander. Upon promotion to Colonel he was selected as the Director of Safety and returned to flying the A-10. He flew with the A-10 squadron at Spangdalem AB for one year and then was transferred to DM where he became the Deputy Operations Group Commander. In 2005, he deployed to Bagram AB, AFG and served as the Group Commander flying over 150 combat hours in the A-10. In 2007, he was selected to serve as the Defense Attaché' to the Czech Republic, and following that assignment he retired from active duty in 2012. His awards include two Bronze Stars, two Air Medals and the Legion of Merit, and he retired with over 1600 hours in the A-10 and 1900 hours in the F-16. In 2014, he began his current job as Director of the 390th Memorial Museum. He and his wife Lorraine are the proud parents of two sons, one daughter and three grandchildren.
That’s what I wanted to know. According to Rotary International, a vibrant club engages its members, conducts meaningful projects, and tries new ideas. The vibrant club’s activities should reflect the diversity and personality of its members. There you have it.
Are we a vibrant club? To determine if we have a vibrant club, I asked members to rank the twelve items on an RI Membership chart titled Discovering Club Culture and Identifying Areas to Revitalize. This chart was distributed at two club meetings in Nov./Dec. A score of 48 means we are a fully vital club, a score of 12 means serious problems. The survey also asked what members love about our club, what improvements could be made and what turns members off. The left side of chart reads Going well because…. and the right side reads Struggling because……. Targeted areas include engaged, satisfied members, diverse membership, growing membership, positive public interest, relevant to community needs and community awareness, trying new things, awesome signature event, leadership, engaging speakers, fun meetings and fun members. Thanks to Dorinna, a chart was produced reflecting the findings.
The average score overall is 41% with a member survey return rate of 31%. You can see from results that the higher ratings in top five areas are: relevant to community needs, awesome signature event, club leadership, fun meetings and fun members.
Low ratings dragging us down in three predominant areas are: diverse membership, membership growth, trying new things.
The top three things members love about our club are: fellowship and friendship, car show, our contributions to community.
Turn-offs are: price of dues, political programs, long introductions and frequent asks for money. (food choice and quality were hardly mentioned!)
Major areas of improvement include: diverse and growing membership (younger members), more small community projects, and more social/networking mixers.
Thank you to all members who took the time to complete the surveys and with everyone’s support let’s work on the following goals: 12 new members reflecting our Tucson community, increased retention and continued engagement of members, small community projects on a monthly basis, and implementing innovative ideas from members which intrinsically involve more social opportunities. Together, we can realize these goals as we continue to be a vibrant club.
At January’s Board meeting, a few highlights to share:
The Board approved the selection of 2017-2018 Tucson Classics Car Show Chair and recommended Bruce Jacobs to our Club Foundation for confirmation.
The motion to contribute $5000.00 to support the Global Grant, a 3-year international project, headed by PP Phil Silvers that will support Rotary Family Health Days in Uganda with a Vocational Training Team dedicated to Empowering Women in Rural Ugandan villages was passed and recommended to our Club Foundation for approval. There was also discussion to try to find an international project in Mexico since we are so close to the border and there are many needs in that country.
Our club’s banking needs will be serviced by Commerce Bank of Arizona, formerly serviced by Bank of Tucson.
Club expenses are down by almost $10,000.
A letter will go out to former UA Athletic Director Greg Byrnes thanking him for his participation as an honorary member of our club and suggesting Tuscaloosa Rotary clubs for continued association with Rotary International.
Pima County Sheriff, Napier, and Tucson Police Chief, Magnus, will be asked to join our club.
A business roundtable is being discussed for our club to offer any members wanting to meet on a monthly basis to discuss topics such as how to improve business, how to address business challenges, etc.
The Annual Large Club Conference was hosted this year by the Rotary Club of Nashville, January 22nd through the 24th. Large Clubs from across the country send their Executive Directors, President Elects and President Nominees to learn and share their club’s best practices. This year’s topic was “Team Building/Leadership: Awareness, Insight, and Action.
Executive Director Dorinna York shares a couple takes from the conference:
It is and has been very educational to be with EDs from large clubs across the country at these annual Large Club Conferences. I have learned that all the clubs, no matter how large or small, are facing the same challenges: membership growth, membership retention, member engagement and attracting younger members. Social Media is the up and coming way to communicate and networking is on the rise; no longer considered taboo for Rotary Clubs. I found that our club is on the right path in tackling most of these issues and we need to continue to move forward in the implementation of these new ideas.
President-Elect Cliff Bowman had this to say:
Every time I go to these conferences or training it is reaffirming to be reminded that our club is awesome. Due to the hard work of our members and past leadership, our club does most things right in our goals, in our priorities, in our leadership training, and in our club administration. The large club conference did help provide focus for what I feel is important for our club to continue and to improve where possible - building diversity, strengthening connections, and making Tucson better.
President-Elect Nominee Chuck Sawyer brought back these insights:
We have a very talented and dedicated membership in the RCOT, and the programs that we have initiated and continue to work on hold up very well compared to other large Clubs across the country. In particular, our Car Show and the work we have done to raise funds to End Polio, along with the District, on El Tour de Tucson are exactly the type of programs that other Clubs are looking to start, let alone successfully run for 10 years. Many Clubs are really looking for not only fund raising opportunities but also for significant projects that can build camaraderie in their Clubs, something we have found in both the TCCS and El Tour programs. Some of the other Large Clubs are doing a better job of bringing in both younger members and more diverse members. We talked to a number of Clubs and I hope we can implement some of the best practices they shared to help our Club grow. Rotary, particularly in the Unites States, is in a state of change. Change that has everything to do with demographic shifts. Change is always a challenge, but where we can meet and talk with other Rotary Clubs that share our challenges, we can more successfully work on ways to continue our Club's future growth and success.
James Johnston, Jr. has lived in Tucson for two years now and is General Manager of seven Performance Footwear stores throughout Arizona and Nevada. He trains his staff how to understand and work with all of the different foot types that they may encounter. In 1993, he moved from Queens, NY to open The Athlete’s Foot stores in Las Vegas which he sold in 2011. Through The Athlete’s Foot, he became a Master Fit Technician, which enhanced his knowledge of the human foot and common foot conditions associated with it, which enables him to work with medical professionals. He trained under Mr. Tom Brunick, editor of “Runner’s World” and “Walking” magazines.
For 15 years, James worked with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, conducting their equipment presentations and readying runners for marathons. He has organized many running and walking clinics designed to educate the public on healthy training habits. James was frequently invited to Nellis Air Force Base (NAFB) to speak about proper footwear at Commander’s Calls, at NAFB’s annual health fairs and at the health and Wellness Center (H.A.W.C.) at NAFB.
James has been married for 11 years to his wife, Poppy, and has a son, Matthew and a daughter, Madelynne. James has won the Community Citizen award for volunteering his time and resources to help ensure that local residents and youth have opportunities to be physically active in safe and supportive environments. James has been runner up for “The Man of the Year” award through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. James has helped train and prepare over 1,000 people for marathons and half marathons through his non-profit company called Rockin Runners, which is an educational fitness training program designed for beginning athletes. Thank you Sid Hirsh for sponsoring James into the club. By the way, James gives a 10% discount at his store on all shoes and clothing for Rotarians.
Cindy Dhuey is a new member of Tucson Rotary and in the Corporate member category of The Temp Connection. Her partner, Ellie Patterson, continues membership as the active member. They started The Temp Connection almost 24 years ago and are continually ranked as one of the top women-owned businesses in Tucson by a local business journal.
Cindy hails from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in Education. She and her husband, Joe, moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 before settling in Tucson in 1987 where Joe joined the insurance company of Lovitt and Touche and holds the position as Senior Vice-President. Cindy went to work for a national brokerage firm as a Branch Manager of the Tucson office prior to The Temp Connection. Her responsibilities included interviewing, hiring, training and supervising the support staff – a perfect entree into the employment industry.
Cindy’s responsibilities include the overall internal operations of the Temp Connection. Cindy is the past President of Key Group, one of the top networking organizations for women executives. She is also the Social Chair for AZCREW and is on the board. Cindy is the first lady of The Centurions since her husband is the current President this year. They are also loyal supporters of Casa de Los Ninos and the YMCA.
Cindy and Joe keep busy with their two daughters and their family activities. Their eldest daughter just graduated from high school; the younger daughter is a senior at Catalina Foothills. How time flies! When their schedule permits, they enjoy traveling to San Carlos and spending time on the beach. They never miss a Badgers game or a Packers game and are avid fans of both great teams.
NESDAYS, 12:00 PM-1:20 PM
The presentation will focus on the history of the 390th Bomb Group and how the museum keeps their courage and dedication alive for future generations. The 390th Bomb Group was one of 40 B-17 Bomb Groups and who flew 301 missions against the Axis powers from England during World War 2. Stationed in Framlingham near the east shore, the group took part in many of the most famous and deadly missions flown by allied forces. The 390th lost a total of 176 aircraft, 721 men killed, and over 700 captured. They also had one of the best bombing accuracies of all the groups, and were credited with shooting down over 377 enemy aircraft. The 390th took part in one of the first missions to bomb Berlin, led the 3rd wave of bombing German positions during D-Day, flew the first missions to bomb in Germany and then land in Russia, and finally they flew Humanitarian missions to Holland dropping food at the end of the war. The presentation will highlight several interesting areas of the 390th and provide an overview of the museum. 
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The Annual Large Club Conference was hosted this year by the Rotary Club of Nashville, January 22nd through the 24th. Large Clubs from across the country send their Executive Directors, President Elects and President Nominees to learn and share their club’s best practices. This year’s topic was “Team Building/Leadership: Awareness, Insight, and Action.
James Johnston, Jr. has lived in Tucson for two years now and is General Manager of seven Performance Footwear stores throughout Arizona and Nevada. He trains his staff how to understand and work with all of the different foot types that they may encounter. In 1993, he moved from Queens, NY to open The Athlete’s Foot stores in Las Vegas which he sold in 2011. Through The Athlete’s Foot, he became a Master Fit Technician, which enhanced his knowledge of the human foot and common foot conditions associated with it, which enables him to work with medical professionals. He trained under Mr. Tom Brunick, editor of “Runner’s World” and “Walking” magazines.
Cindy Dhuey is a new member of Tucson Rotary and in the Corporate member category of The Temp Connection. Her partner, Ellie Patterson, continues membership as the active member. They started The Temp Connection almost 24 years ago and are continually ranked as one of the top women-owned businesses in Tucson by a local business journal. 
