Highlights of May 21 Zoom Meeting

President Jim welcomed Rotarians and guests as they arrived early to the Zoom meeting Thursday, May 21.   Those who were early heard Irwin Reimann announce that fellow club-members would likely not see he and Joan again until they return to Arizona in the fall.  Their daughter has a place that she operates in the summer with cabins, etc. in the Black Hills of South Dakota about five miles from Mount Rushmore.  They will be staying in an apartment in an out-building. He said they tell people they are going to spend their summer in a garage.  Cell and internet service are not reliable in the area, so he doubted they would be able to attend our Zoom meetings.

 

After the meeting was called to order, Ray Smith offered the invocation, a duty which apparently kept him from leaving as early as he might have liked on a getaway to the mountains.

 

Shelly Romine provided the patriotic moment when she spoke about the Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loans she has been busy processing.  She has a background as a CPA, and it has felt a bit like she was reliving tax season. The loans are processed through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and US Treasury Department.  PPP is part of the relief enacted through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act which was passed into law on March 27.  The bank where Shelly works, Horizon Community Bank, had processed 601 PPP loans from April 3 to May 4.  That resulted in loans totaling over $64,000,000, with an average loan amount of $107,000, and helped businesses cover payroll for over 8,500 employees.  

 

Melissa Stuckey was welcomed as a guest at our meeting. She and her husband, Jay were our speakers on May 14.  Also welcomed to the meeting was Assistant Governor, Lee Holmes.

 

President Jim said that when he took on the role of club President and made the Rotary Vision Statement his own, he had no idea the new meaning "unite" would take on - using technology to retain groups.  He pointed out that we are united with the world in different ways, including how our decades-long focus on the eradication of polio was temporarily set aside to use our network and resources to aid in combating the coronavirus.  In our own Rotary District, the per capita death rate from the virus in the Navajo Nation is extremely high.  Dig Deep, who has partnered with Rotary to provide running water in remote homes on the reservation, has placed water trucks in locations throughout the community to minimize the necessity of too many people gathering in tight quarters to access this precious resource.

 

Rotary International will hold their first virtual International Convention June 20-26.  Rotarians throughout the world will be able to hear dynamic convention speakers without having to pay for lodging, registration and travel.  CLICK HERE to see current information about this opportunity as the plans evolve.

 

Our district is represented by leaders who are participating in a study in our Zone to come up with ways to advise clubs when and how to come back to meeting in person.  It is very likely Zoom meetings will continue through June.  Rotary will proceed very cautiously.  A great new team of Rotary leaders will take the helm on July 1 as Rotary adapts and changes leaders during these difficult times.

 

 

Jeanie Morgan has served on the Board of Directors of TRVFA since the spring of 2018.  She had heard about TRVFA as long as she has been a Rotarian, having joined in 1994.  When the State of Arizona enacted an opportunity for charitable organizations to receive donations to serve defined purposes for the public good around 1990.  The donors would receive dollar-for-dollar credit against their state income tax obligation.  Some visionary Rotarians in Phoenix Rotary 100 had a dream about how Vocational Service - one of the four (now five) avenues of service could benefit from this opportunity.  They put their dream into a plan of action and then took steps to make it come true.  They incorporated, received non-profit status from the IRS, got their program certified with the state, and received the endorsement of the Rotary International Board of Directors to be an on-going multi-district project with all three Arizona Districts at the time participating.

 

The founders had an optimistic vision.  They believed most, if not all, Rotarians would support TRVFA since it would in most cases cost them nothing.  They believed Rotarian accountants would encourage their clients to support such a worthy endeavor, and they believed Rotarians would encourage their friends, family, and associates to support TRVFA as well.  In reality, just under 10% of Arizona Rotarians support TRVFA.  Ethics prevent accountants from advocating for a charity they are close to.  If asked, most friends, family, and associates would rarely remember their Rotarian friends talking to them about TRVFA.

 

Typically, a financial aid officer at a vocational training school will suggest a student apply for a grant from TRVFA.  The student would then visit trvfa.org and learn about the program and complete the on-line application.  Next, they would send a standard format of financial information to TRVFA grant processing.  If that review demonstrates that the program of study is a program supported by TRVFA, the student meets the low-income guidelines and residency requirements, the student is then referred to a Rotary Club to consider sponsorship of the applicant.

 

The sponsoring club has no financial responsibility.  TRVFA is a small volunteer-run organization and could not possibly do a quality interview with every applicant.  They depend on the sponsoring club to ensure the student is motivated, is a good fit for their chosen vocation and has a good life-plan.  If the club representatives do not feel the student will be successful, they can and should decline to sponsor.  If approved, the club completes the sponsorship form and returns it to grant processing.

 

The opportunity for the sponsoring club is to develop a relationship with the student.  Applicants sponsored by Mesa West are added as subscribers to our weekly Messenger.  Some of them provided "Happy Thoughts" for the Messenger before the club started meeting virtually during the current pandemic.  Some students are willing to help with service projects, and some may eventually become Rotarians or encourage their children to join Interact.  

 

Limited funding sources has a cost.  In 2018, the maximum available grant was reduced from $3,000 to $2,000 in order to help more students.  That limitation still exists today.  Because the 2019-20 budget was entirely spent, applicants are currently only being processed if the program of study starts after July 1.  Demand for vocational education is growing.  A college education is no longer a guaranty of a solid financial future.  Many graduates are saddled with extremely high student debt, unable to find good-paying jobs, and are still living with parents.  Vocational education can be the door to a bright future for the working poor who qualify for TRVFA grants.

 

In order to restore a higher maximum grant and not have to turn any student away because of budget constraints, more donations are needed.  There may be some vocations that will never be the same after the pandemic, and new vocational certifications may be the key to a good recovery of our Arizona economy.

 

Mesa West can be very proud of their giving record.  In 2017-18, we were the top giving by club members in the entire state.  The only club that contributed more was a large Tucson club that donated from their foundation in addition to what their members donated.  In 2018-19 Mesa West was in fifth place in the state.  Our members gave a total of $6,583.  The clubs that surpassed us had donation totals ranging from $6,850 to $21,250.   To date in 2019-20, Mesa West donations total $6,435 with 21% of our members giving.  Three clubs in the state have surpassed our giving at this point in time.

 

Some things that Mesa West could do a better job of with a dedicated Vocational committee is maintain contact with our sponsored students and mentor them through life's inevitable challenges.  That committee could interview the applicants as individuals or as a committee.  Considering in future budget plans potentially matching member donations up to a given amount might spur more giving.  The committee could bring graduating students back as guests to keep the program in front of members.  The committee could advocate for members to spread knowledge about TRVFA and spur giving from individuals outside of Rotary.  

 

Other ways for individuals to support beyond the tax credit donations are

For anyone motivated to take action and create lasting change, CLICK HERE to donate.  It should be noted that two Rotarians did that very thing later the day of this presentation.  Thank you to President Jim Schmidt and our Sgt at Arms Greg Okanowski!

 

President Jim shared a personal vocational story.  His son, David, spent lots of time playing video games.  David was fit and active, but some of his video game playing friends were overweight and seemed lethargic.  In high school David participated in a keyboarding competition.  He typed 120 words per minute.  He beat the teacher.  David told his parents he learned to be so fast on the keyboard playing video games.