Enervate - lacking in energy or vitality. NOT Tucson Rotary.

 

JAIMIE MUDD, 6-month member who had the mic for her first birthday celebration with Rotary, shared this word with us, which is new to me so I thought I’d share. Our other birthday celebrant was MONTE CLAUSEN, who shared a story regarding his HS basketball experience playing against our very own TOM STRASBURG. A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout-out to both of you!

 

We celebrated a new member, or in this case re-member. ED PARKER joined the club for a second time. ED was the Club President 24-years ago and first joined RCOT in 1979. Welcome back ED!

We also celebrated two new Rotarians as Rookies of the Year. CHUCK SAWYER, standing in for STEVE PICKERING, recognized FONDA INSLEY and LES SILBERMAN for all their efforts as first-year Rotarians. Great job you two, we’ll be sure to get you more involved with the Car Show next year!

 

I think it is appropriate to recognize a few RCOT members for a job well done during President PHIL GUTT’s tenure. Of course, first on that list is PHIL for his many hours hosting our Wednesday meetings. I’d also like to recognize TED KIRACOFE and KEN TUCKER for doing a great job chairing the presentation committee. And also ROBERT O’BRIEN and IRENE DECKER for the great job they both did as Sargent-at-Arms. THANKS to all of you for your dedication and service!

 

As for the program, we had Jeff Tannler from the AZ Dept of Water Resources share a presentation covering some of the water issues facing our desert state. A couple of interesting facts: In 1957, the state consumed 7.1 million acre feet of water compared to only 7.0 MAF in 2014. During this time the state population grew by 493%! Clearly the state and citizens of AZ understand the need to conserve water, unlike some other states in this arid Southwest.

 

Finally, I’d like to say thanks for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you as Mystery Editor occasionally during the course of the last year. I hope some of you received as much enjoyment reading as I did writing the articles. Have a great weekend and a wonderful 4^th of July Holiday!

 

 

There is no club meeting this week, so no speaking for a while by the soon-to-be-former master of ceremonies. That means there better be something important to say somewhere below!

 

The opportunity for our club is a new President – Ellie Patterson – and a Board of Directors with several new faces. Each Board has its strengths to contribute; each President has a style and a unique set of priorities. I, for one, am looking forward not only to the priorities Ellie emphasizes, but also to not writing scripts for each week’s meeting. There is an apprehension, however, that the 2015-16 Presidency will be remembered as mundane, when ultimately compared to 2016-17. (On the other hand, no one staged a coup during this past year, which indicates how coveted this role is as well as demonstrates that our club can endure quite a lot!)

 

In addition to eager anticipation of the Patterson administration, there is a second important message this week. I am very fortunate to have so many friends and acquaintances in this club. Many of those closest to me are a part of the Rotary Club of Tucson family. I always tell people that it is the satisfaction of helping make the world a better place that most compels my continued membership. But, in reality, I am more selfish than magnanimous – the strongest reason to remain a Rotarian for so many years is the wonderful experience of getting to know, and enjoy relationships with so many fascinating and generous people. Maybe I should apologize for that selfishness? In any case, I certainly want to thank all of you for the opportunity.

 

How did we make it through the last 12 months? We, this little pocket of humanity, just one portion of an enormous world that suffered some unspeakable terrors, but endured and persevered. We maintained a supportive outlook, celebrating life’s highlights, maintaining our efforts to help wherever needed. Because we can overcome the negative, we can eclipse evil. The contributions and hard work of our members and over a million other Rotarians around the globe has an enormous, positive effect, creating a better life for those we serve…and for ourselves.

 

I salute you…my friends and fellow Rotarians.

 

New Active Member:  James Wood, Jr.

 

Classification:  Finance:  Financial Advisor

 

Sponsor:  Scott Vaughan

Please welcome the following new family members into the Rotary Club of Tucson.  They will be introduced to the club at a meeting in the near future.

 

New Family Member:  Josh Ewing

 

Classification:  Retailing:  Office Supplies & Furniture

 

Sponsor:  Glenn Ewing

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