Highlights of November 4 Meeting

After introducing himself and welcoming all to the meeting, President Dan recited the Rotary International 2021-22 theme - Serve to Change Lives.  He then recited the Rotary Vision Statement:

 

 

He then asked Wendell Jones to offer the invocation and Ray Smith to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.  He thanked Jim Crutcher for serving as greeter and making everyone feel welcome.

 

 

 

Predation - a word sometimes, but not often, used to describe the actions of a predator.  Ray Smith's behaviors might be a great example.

 

 

As Membership Chair for Rotary District 5495, attracting new members is a big part of her responsibility.  Internationally, to drive home the point that all Rotarians should be eagerly inviting others to join them in life in Rotary, there is a theme of "each one bring one."  A very important part of membership growth is member retention.  When talking about that at a club meeting, she realized she was "preaching to the choir."  At Mesa West, we do a good job of making members and visitors feel welcome and valued. 

 

A big part of retention relates to opportunities to do meaningful service.  Our Community Service Chair, Shelly Romine, and her committee do a great job of making a variety of service opportunities available to our members.  Club Service Chair Pam Cohen does a great job coordinating regularly scheduled social activities.  Statistics show that if members are not engaged, they tend to leave.  Most join to give back in meaningful and fulfilling ways.  Few join because they want to be part of a lunch bunch which meets regularly.  Chris thanked Shelly and Pam for being invaluable in keeping Mesa West members engaged.  

 

 

Chuck began by explaining that a neatly folded twenty dollar bill had been found on the floor in front of the table where he had been selling raffle tickets.  He said that if anyone could give him the serial number, the bill would be theirs.  There was no taker, but one of the last ticket buyers said that they keep their bills neatly folded, and suggested the $20 simply be added to the big pot.  The person holding the ticket drawn would automatically win $50 and a chance of winning $740 should they be successful in drawing the Ace of Clubs from the dwindling deck.  Any other card drawn would be immediately destroyed.  Chuck asked Tom Yuzer to draw the winning ticket, which was held by Don LaBarge.  Don's attempt to draw the Ace of Clubs was unsuccessful.  He drew the three of Clubs.

 

 

President Dan noted that Logan Harper, Shenaaz Sheik, Allan Cady, Kayla Mudge and Bob Jensen were all attending via Zoom.

 

 

Rotarians who complete a form committing to donate $100 or more a year to Polio Plus qualify to be members of the Polio Plus Society.  Jim Erickson, who serves as Polio Plus Chair on the District 5495 Foundation Committee presented Polio Plus Certificates and Pins to John Pennypacker and Dan Coons.  If you would like to follow John and Dan's example, CLICK HERE to download the commitment form.

 

 

 

Pam Cohen introduced our speaker.  Randy is the Partnership and Development Director for Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation which has hosted the Solid Rock Teen Center in Phoenix for many years and has recently opened The Rock teen center located at 122 North Country Club in Mesa.  A few members of Mesa West were on hand for the open house held at the center on September 3.  Randy has been associated with The Solid Rock Foundation for over twenty-four years, The Rock center in Phoenix for nine years and now, the new center in Mesa.

 

The focus at the centers is to serve youth aged 12-20.  Kids are struggling now.  They need safe space.  Alice Cooper wants to do something deeper in his home community.

 

Kids twelve and over have lots of idle time.  At the centers, music, art and dance lessons are free.  At the centers, one will find a very diverse group who want to express themselves.  The goal is to inspire them and guide them to better decisions.

 

The center in Phoenix has 28,000 square feet.  It contains recording studios.  They have open mic once a month.  Music, dance and games are all available.

 

The new Mesa Center has a basketball court in its back yard.  There are some opportunities for the young musicians to perform.  November 5, some were scheduled to perform at Lu Malmati's Pizzeria in Mesa.  Last week, they had a photo class.  Workshops are scheduled where kids can learn from different people - many of them celebrities.  Kids work directly with renowned artists to learn skills.

 

There is a lot of community involvement.  Youth from the centers have performed at Phoenix Suns Games and other community events.  Often these are paid performances - the funds go to the foundation and are passed on to the participating youth.  In many cases, it is their first pay check.

 

The are proactive about encouraging youth to further their education.  

 

Randy spoke about an incentive at a correction facility, where teens submitted recipes.  Two won and were given scholarships.  They were released six months ago and are starting college.

 

Randy spoke about a project called Art Heals.  youth prepared 2500 pieces of art which were donated to senior citizens, first responders, and caregivers and were displayed.

 

Some creative partnerships have been formed to raise funds to support the centers.  One of them is the Alice Cooper Orange Scream Milk Bottle.  $25,000 has been raised with that partnership.  Try some -  you might like it, and you'll help the centers!

 

Jordin Sparks is one celebrity whose path to fame began at a Solid Rock teen center.

 

November 10 at the Mesa Arts Center - a finals competition will be held - and attendance will be free.

 

December 4 at Celebrity Theater will be another performance.

 

There are many stories.  There is diversity in the music learned at the centers.  Lives are changed and for many they feel like they are seeing a chance for themselves for the first time.  For others it truly has provided a like saving space.

 

During Q&A, Pam commented that she had the opportunity to caddy for Alice Cooper at a fundraising golf tournament, and found him to be someone who genuinely cares.

 

Randy told about taking care of very real needs for some of the youth.  One boy showed up wearing glasses that were literally taped together.  When asked, he confessed it had been over four years since his last exam and he knew his vision had changed.  Shortly thereafter, he had a new prescription and new glasses.  They keep gift cards in a drawer for grocery stores and discreetly give them out when they learn that kids are going home to a house with no groceries on hand.

 

The Coopers do fund a lot, but a lot of their sources of funding are golf tournaments, concerts, dinners, auctions,  Those kinds of events were cancelled during height of COVID pandemic.  They have lots of partnerships with businesses who contribute.  It truly takes a village...

 

Alice Cooper has a big heart.  It gives him and many other artists a good feeling when they can use their celebrity to do good.

 

Randy told about one painting that was donated which they chose not to auction.  It had a $1.5 million price tag.

 

Bob Jensen told about Dr. Jeff McKenna who has participated with our hearing project in Mexico knew Alice very well.

 

Before the program ended, Bob Jensen said he owned a base guitar and amplifier he would be donating to the center.

 

He said 80% of the youth served live within a five mile radius, but he also said that there is a lot of collaborating between both centers with some traveling back and forth.  Foster groups visit the centers from all over the state.  

 

CLICK HERE to view a YouTube video about The Rock in Mesa.