CLICK HERE or on the image to go to the link.

 

This link will be the same every week until further notice and will be

published in the weekly Messenger as well as on the Mesa West 

website.

As members were arriving at the virtual meeting - several of them late - it became apparent that Jeanie Morgan had failed to click "send" when scheduling the Messenger's 7:00 AM distribution for Wednesday, June 17.  

 

Paige Goetzenberger, our outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student, who has spent the last several months in Austria was welcomed to the meeting.  When asked if she would like to share a bit of information about her youth exchange experience, she readily agreed.  On June 17, Paige had made her end-of-year report in her town.  Her presentation lasted twenty minutes and she did the entire presentation using the German language.  Afterward, she received compliments praising her command of the language as "better than any inbound student sponsored in the past."  

 

Paige is experiencing mixed emotions.  She has grown to love her host family and close friends in Austria and dreads having to say farewell to them, but at the same time, she is very much looking forward to coming home and spending time with her family and friends here.  She has one final trip planned before departing for the US.  She and a host aunt and sister will travel to do some sight-seeing in the east of Austria.  They also plan to cross the border and see a bit of Hungary before returning to her Austrian home.

 

When asked how difficult it had been to do such a good job of mastering the language, Paige explained, "It is definitely a process..."  She said there are levels in the language study program she is enrolled in.  You have to master each level before moving on to the next.  In order, the levels are:  A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.  Mastery of each level is demonstrated by passing a test designed for that level.  Passing of the C2 test is required for citizenship and for admission to universities.  Paige will take, and believes she will pass, the C2 test before returning home.  She went on to state that she didn't realize she was doing as well as she was because communication was often a bit of a struggle, but last December, when she was studying at the B1 level after she had been there less than six months, she discovered others in her study group had been studying German for seven years.  That revelation provided quite a boost to her self-confidence and ability to motivate herself to keep moving forward.

 

Paige said it took her about three months before she began to feel like she belonged.  Her eyes lit up when she described Sachertorte - her favorite food there.  It is a chocolate cake with apricot jam in it.  She said it is delicious with coffee.

 

Paige said that her language skills have progressed to the point that she dreams in both English and German.  The situation and surroundings in her dreams are consistent with the language spoken in each dream.

 

At the time Paige was talking, it was 12:07 PM in Arizona, but was already 9:07 PM in Austria.

 

President Jim Schmidt asked Wendell Jones to offer the invocation.

 

Jim expressed what a rich blessing it has been serving Mesa West Rotary as Club President this past year.  He repeated the Rotary Vision Statement for the last time during his term:

 

Together, we see a world where people unite and

take action to create lasting change

across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

 

 

 

You know you are old if...

Dick Myren was driving home late one evening after a very long day working on tax returns.  His daughter called.  She was worried, and said:  "Dad, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on the 60.  Please be careful."  "I know," Dick says.  "It's not just one car going the wrong way, it's hundreds of them."

 

President Jim shared some details about the Service Above Self Award, which was presented to Bob Jensen Monday, June 15, when a surprise parade of District Rotary Dignitaries, Past District Governors, professional and Rotary volunteers went to Bob's home about 5:30 in the evening:

Jim mentioned that Mesa West has one other Service Above Self award recipient - Lucinda General.  He asked her to share a bit about her award.  Lucinda said it was very much a surprise.  It was received about ten years ago.  In some ways, she feels that she should not have it.  Her efforts have not been as focused to a one-shot thing.  The District Secretary at that time nominated Lucinda, talking about a wide smattering of service in Arizona, Costa Rica, and Connecticut.  Lucinda feels like Bob really epitomizes a high level of focused commitment to an area of service and feels he is truly deserving of this high honor.

 

The planned program for the meeting had to be cancelled as Colton Cagle had to work and could not attend the meeting to share his Youth Exchange experience.

 

Pam Cohen shared two video messages that she encouraged members to watch and listen to with a fresh perspective and really hear what is being said.  She believes if we are to get through our current unrest peacefully it will be because good people do the right thing so that all people are treated with respect and allowed to reach their full potential.  CLICK HERE to view the Juneteenth video Pam shared.  CLICK HERE to watch and hear the words of Malcolm X in an interview from the 60's in Winston-Salem, NC. The interview was televised after he had changed some of his affiliations and approaches to finding solutions.   

 

Thank you so much for your surprise visit to my house, graduation goody basket, and never-ending support.  My family had an awesome movie night with all that popcorn and candy!

 

I believe my decision to join Interact during my sophomore year must have been guided by the hand of God.  The friends, connections, and support I have found through Rotary can only be described as a blessing. 

 

Thank you for standing with me in my first chapter at Yale last summer and in this upcoming chapter there as well.

 

Love, Naomi

 

 

Thank you so much for the generous senior gift and parade!  I've enjoyed my service experience in Interact so much and it means a lot to me that Rotary recognized the senior class.

 

Thank you once again

 

Sincerely, Mia Andrea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Mesa West Rotary for their generosity and kindness in putting together gift baskets for Interact seniors. 

 

I have felt the Rotary spirit through four years of high school and to see it culminate in this love at the end of my high school experience is something I will never forget.

 

All my love, Clara