Dragonfly Village is state of the art transitional housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families. Sponsored by Amity Foundation, Dragonfly Village includes 39 fully furnished housing units that are studio, one, two, three or four bedrooms. Utilities are also included.

 

Dragonfly Village is located on a separate campus at Amity, which is in the Tanque Verde School District. The Ranch is situated between the majestic Catalina and Rincon Mountain ranges, in the lush and peaceful Sonoran Desert. Built in 1929, the property was originally the winter home of the Westinghouse family. The property subsequently served as a private boarding school for many years.

 

Dragonfly Village tenants have the opportunity to participate in activities that will facilitate their transition to permanent housing, such as maintaining a household and its finances; performing the tasks of daily living; upholding the terms of a lease; and building a sense of community among the tenants.

 

Helping individuals and families transition out of dependency ensures that society will spend less on child protective services, welfare, foster care, medical care, incarceration, and other services that drain local, state and federal budgets.

 

 

Mr. Clarke has also been involved with strategic non-partisan initiatives that use sports and other social enterprises to help support children, education, civil and human rights.  He continues to work on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised for Amity Foundation’s Dragonfly Village “state of the art” transitional housing for homeless individuals and families; and Corporate Officer with Epidaurus, Inc. of Arizona, California and New Mexico.  He also serves on the Pima County Housing Commission and Linkages Arizona.

Our hump day meeting began with PRESIDENT ELLIE presiding over a head table filled with honored guests: PP JONI CONDIT, PP JIM MURPHY, Richard DeBernardis – famous worldwide bicyclist, PP CHARLOTTE HARRIS and ADG Ann Huber.

 

Pledge and Song were played and sung by GARY HIRSCH – Leaders Edge and MATT BLAIR – Cirrus Visual Communications.

 

Our Inspiration was given by KANDIE VACTOR and EL PRESIDENTE ELLIE PATTERSON explained and honored Women – 30 Years in Rotary.  Our Club’s first women were:  (1) Helen Middleton – the Club’s Executive Secretary, (2) KATIE DUSENBERRY – the Club’s first woman President, and (3) NINA TRASOFF.

 

JERRY HARRIS introduced and welcomed all the guests and JIM MURPHY, along with JONI CONDIT introduced the program.  However, before all of that, MARGARET HIGGINS introduced the 4 Way Test winner, Richard DeBernardis.  Richard, a UofA and UCLA professor told us about his adventure of bicycling around the world and his El Tour sponsorship.  He also thanked Mike Harris, and RALPH PHILLIPS for helping him achieve his philanthropic and bicycling goals.  He also thanked Casino del Sol and GARY HIRSCH.

 

Now, back to the program.  The Final Four Classics Car Show charities were:  JTED, Caregiver Training Institute, GAP Ministries and the YWCA Impact Fund.  Two of the winners will receive 20% of the net proceeds and the other two will receive 5% each.  And the winners are??  We will find out next week!

 

After the program we resumed our meeting:

 

CLIFF BOWMAN presented LIZ BAKER with her blue badge.  LIZ also earned her black belt 1^st degree in Tae Kwon Do.  PRESIDENT ELLIE gave us a Happy Jackson for the Temp Connection celebrating 24 years in business.  If you need good temporary help, ELLIE’S team can find you the right qualified and most excellent help..  ELLIE also announced the Trident II monthly social mixer the last Thursday of this month.  There is also an 8:45 a.m. start time for the Community Food Bank service project on Saturday, May 20th, see ELLIE.

 

Our Happy Birthday boys and girls went to CHARLIE MEAKER – head of the Rowdy Table, JO DECHATELET and BILL MOORE, both born the same day in the same year – Wow, that’s cool!

 

Our meeting was brought to a close with the President toasting the original female members, the non-profit organizations and Richard DeBernardis.

 

 

 

 

 

In Tucson, 58 Rotarians are registered. There are a lot of great classes you will be able to choose from at the Assemblies.  The Assemblies are open to ALL Rotarians, not just club officers.  I promise you that the training sessions will be worth your time and will be interesting.  More information about the Assemblies and the breakout sessions is included in the District newsletter article. Join us for informative and updated material that will help YOU prepare for your coming year.  This is the best orientation program out there for all Rotarians, not just new ones and Club Leaders.  I hope I have a chance to meet with you and learn along with you at the Yuma or Tucson Club Leadership Assemblies.  Register today.  You will be glad you did! The registration link is included on the District website and in the May Newsletter. (rotaryd5500.org). 

 

If you have any questions, please contact me. The $25.00 fee will be reimbursed.

 

Ellie

We celebrated many things this past Wednesday at our Club Luncheon and one of the celebrations held a special meaning for our Rotarian women members. 30 years ago women were allowed to join Rotary and be able to experience the many opportunities to serve others by being in Rotary. It’s an honor and a privilege. Thanks to Irene Decker for providing each woman member a flower in honor of our 30-year anniversary. May we women members continue to add strength, vitality and fun to our fabulous Rotary Club of Tucson. Cheers!

 

 

The Community Food Bank is welcoming us Rotarians to come in and work together at sorting food, packing food boxes, food distribution, and more.  It will be fun to get together, work hard and make a difference in the fight to end hunger.  3003 S. Country Club Road.  Wear your Rotary shirt! 

Our next hike is on May 21st to Seven Falls in Sabino Canyon, come join us for our last “lowland” hike before we start hiking in the Mountains this summer.

 

The RCOT hiking fellowship has had a couple of great hikes in the last month.  Fifteen Rotarians, family and friends joined us on hikes to Picacho Peak and Hutch’s Pools.  We had both younger and “more experienced” hikers join us.  Picacho Peak hike is a great hike with a terrific view and for these two guys it was a “peak” experience:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or maybe you say you want to hike to some water…besides Rose Canyon Lake what other “big” water is there in the Catalinas…how about Hutch’s Pools?

 

Bruce and Martha Richardson joined us on this hike as well as Bruce Jacobs, new member Kevin Marshall and his 10-year-old son.  There were a few other hikers diving off the cliffs at Hutch’s Pools…but no Rotarians (at least this time!).

 

So….join us May 21st for our Seven Falls hike, especially if you have never been there before.  It will be our last hike in the lowlands before we head up to hike in the mountains in the summer.  Email Chuck Sawyer at csawyer2004@comcast.net or call him at 780-2828 to get on more details Seven Falls or to get on the hiking email list.