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The Rotary Club of
Mesa West
Stories
February 15 Meeting Highlights
President Allan Cady opened the meeting with Greg Okonowski offering the invocation and Polly Cady leading the Pledge of Allegiance.  Allan introduced Alan Ramsdell.  Guest, Gloria Holler was introduced as our speaker's mother.  Penny May introduced Bob James from the Calgary Centennial Rotary Club.  Bert Millett, a former member, was with us again and many are hoping he will rejoin our membership soon.  John Pappalardo, a visitor from the Chicago area, was with us again.  It looks like, in the foreseeable future, he may be spending more time here than there.  Immanuel Beeson with the Salvation Army was introduced as a visitor.
 
After badge numbers 16, 56, and 37 were called, but their owners were not present, the $5 from the attendance drawing will roll over doubling the size of the possible winnings on February 22.
 
Pam Cohen won the weekly $36 raffle pot, but after a moment of false hope when she drew a black ace, was immediately disappointed to learn that she would not be the lucky winner of $839, since she had drawn the ace of spades rather than the ace of clubs.  
 
Alan Ramsdell had lots of happy dollars.  Many others contributed as well, but failed to measure up to his enthusiasm.  In the absence of Dick Myren, Jeanie Morgan continued the Rod Daniels tradition of paying a happy dollar for being happy to be a member of Mesa West Rotary.
 
Announcements:
  • Lucinda Rose General explained the little slips members had been given as they arrived at the meeting.  They will help increase the reliability of members meeting the "Every Rotarian Every Year" goal of giving $100 each year to The Rotary Foundation.  The slips contained each members RI membership number, an 800# to call, and the date of their last donation to the foundation, as well as their total giving to date in their Paul Harris giving account.  Members can either call or log into the RI website to sign up for Rotary Direct specifying an amount to be regularly charged to a credit or debit card.
  • Chris Krueger had earlier sent an e-mail, but wanted to remind members that if they want to receive the newsletter from Buey Ray Tut's Aqua Africa Project (which we heard about at our February 1 meeting), send her an e-mail by CLICKING HERE.
  • Pam Cohen reminded everyone about the Steak & Beans dinner coming up February 24.  We will be celebrating the success of the sponsorship campaign.
 
 
Rick DePonte introduced our speaker, Maddie Rose Holler, Miss Arizona.  Inspired by her father and brother's strong military contributions, Maddie is President of a military family support group which gathers supplies which they use to prepare and send care packages for our troops.  Maddie is a trained vocalist.  She is studying journalism and mass communications at ASU in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
 
Maddie was on her first radio show at age eleven.  Perry Damon (Vic Damon's son) mentored her.  In addition to her major in journalism and mass communications, Maddie has a declared minor in Special Events Management.  
 
She is aware of the negative stereotype many associate with beauty pageants, but stated that she has never had a negative experience with either the Miss Arizona or the Miss America pageants.  Through the Miss America pageant system, $45,000,000 in scholarships are given annually.  Maddie stated she herself has earned $18,000.  
 
At age fifteen, she was Miss Arizona Outstanding Teen.  That experience resulting in her setting a personal goal to be Miss Arizona.  At age 17, she won a local title as the second runner up in Miss North Phoenix.  Her next title was Miss Peoria.
 
The pageant organization values service.  Maddie stated their motto is "Service Above Self," to which the Rotarians in the audience  (some silently, and others muttering) responded "so is ours."   
 
There are actually four pillars of the pageant
  1. Service
  2. Scholarship
  3. Engagement
  4. Style
Maddie followed her passion for supporting military families where she invested her time to meet the service pillar for herself.  She joined an organization which has been active since 2003 sending 250-300 care packages each month to our troops.  They spend a few thousand dollars every month on the project.  When the woman who started the organization and kept it running the first few years had to step down, after no one else emerged as a leader to keep it going, Maddie asked the search committee if they would consider her.  She has been the organization president since age 18.  
 
Maddie's primary reason for getting involved in the pageant system was the scholarship dollars available.  She has no debt relating to her education as a result of the scholarship support.  This is huge for her as neither of her parents are college educated and she determined that she needed to find a path to afford the education she desired.
 
The third pillar of Engagement requires Maddie to have a presence in the community and promote giving to the Ms Arizona 501(c)3 Charity.  Her many public appearances as well as her pageant experience have honed her presentation skills and confidence which will definitely give her an advantage when she finishes her education and pursues her goal of being a professional journalist.
 
It was obvious that the fourth pillar, Style, of the Pageant platform was the least important to Maddie, as she had to be asked what it was before she even mentioned it.  She didn't need to discuss it.  It was obvious that for her, style is a way of life.
Read more...
President's Korner by Allan Cady
$40,000 – We Made It!
 
As you recall, our initial goal for  donations with the Sponsor’s Program was $30,000, and we reached that several months ago.  Well, I’m happy to announce we just exceeded our secondary goal of $40,000.  Thanks to all Mesa West Rotarians for your support of this program.  Please, join us in celebration this coming Saturday evening at Chuck Flint’s home at 6:00 pm.  Everyone welcome including spouses and companions.  Shortly, we will announce our exciting plans for a Sponsor Appreciation event tentatively scheduled in April.  Mesa West is truly a giving club.  These funds will allow us to continue our outreach in the community and internationally as well.  Thanks again!
Steak and Beans Dinner - February 24
Click on the image to download the entire flyer.  
 
The rules for who eats steak changed, and the flyer will explain exactly how as well as provide RSVP information.
 
Club socials give us an opportunity to get to know each other better and for our spouses and significant others to meet and get to know the faces of the people we talk about after our meetings and activities.  
 
 
Know Your Fellow Rotarian - Wendell Jones
Wendell Jones was born in Safford, Arizona.  He was the oldest of eight children.  Even though he was born in Safford, he grew up just over the state line, in Virden, New Mexico.  Virden was a small community of about 350 people.  He went through the 8th grade there.  Since they didn't have a high school in Virden, he and other Virdenites attended high school in Duncan, Arizona.  As a teenager, Wendell dreamed of becoming a veterinarian.  After high school graduation, he studied for a year at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher.  
 
After spending a couple of years on a church mission in Guatemala/El Salvador, Wendell finished college at BYU in Provo, Utah.  While there, he met and married his first wife.  After graduating from BYU, he became a CPA and worked for three years in Los Angeles for Arthur Andersen, and then transferred with them to Arizona. 
 
A few months later, Wendell left Arthur Andersen and joined Henry & Horne, now the largest local CPA firm in Arizona with approximately 160 employees.  He was the managing partner with Henry & Horne for several years.  After twelve years of marriage and six children, Wendell's first marriage ended in divorce.  After the divorce, he had shared custody of his children.  He met Carolyn, who also worked for Henry and Horne.  She was a single divorcee who had custody of her three children.  After a courtship of several months, they married.  They have now been married over thirty-five years.  Since both of their first spouses have been deceased for some time, they both claim all nine children, 41 grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren. 
 
Although he is now officially retired from Henry and Horne after 47 years as a CPA, Wendell still stays busy each year during tax season, setting his own schedule.  
 
Although Wendell technically has been an Arizona resident for only forty-four years, because his growing up years were so close to Arizona, and because he was born in-state, he feels like a true Arizona native.  During his lifetime, he has traveled to twenty-five foreign countries.  In addition to English, he is fluent in Spanish.
 
Wendell joined Rotary in 1980.  He has served in most club capacities including being Mesa Baseline Club President and two-time Paul Harris Fellow.  He played a big part in organizing the Club's Help Me to Hear Project in Guaymas, having gone to Guaymas with the group ten or so times.  In the community, Wendell has served on several boards including the Mesa United Way, the Mesa Art Center Foundation, the BYU Management Society and currently serves on the Mesa Community College Development Board of Directors.
 
When recalling the best vacation Wendell can remember, it was in June of 2014.  His father and he rented a 50 passenger bus to take the entire family of siblings, kids and grandkids from Mesa to Nauvoo, Illinois.  Fifty-one rode the bus and an additional 42 family members travelled on their own.  They saw all the sights along the way and in Nauvoo and surrounding areas and stayed at the Tievoli Hills Resort in Missouri for several nights before returning to Mesa.  The trip was ten days in all.
 
His says his most rewarding volunteer service was the two years he spent as a young man on a church mission in Guatemala and El Salvador.
This Week's Chuckle
 If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have placed them on my knees.

 
Mesa West Rotarians Support Peoria North Red Carpet Fundraiser
Mesa West Rotarians - The Cady's and the Goetzenbergers - enjoyed good food and fabulous friends while supporting a February 17 red carpet fundraising event at The Arizona Broadway Theater. The event was hosted by Peoria North Rotary Club (a fellow club in District 5495). Donna Goetzenberger said, "I had to remind myself we were there for a purpose - doing good comes easy when you are in the company of friends." 
Know Your Fellow Rotarian - Please Submit Your Profile!
Many members have commented on how much they have enjoyed this series.  We have now finished publishing profiles of all the leadership team.  It is time to move on to the general membership.  To keep the profiles somewhat consistent, we have had everyone respond to the same questions.  If you would be willing to let your fellow members know a little more about you, please CLICK HERE to download the list of questions.
 
You can send your answers to JEANIE MORGAN along with a head and shoulders photo of yourself.  Selfies from smart phones work and can be texted to 928 486 4328.  Please provide your name when texting so she can add you to her contact list.
 
If she receives multiple profiles, she will publish them in the order received.  If she receives these at the same meeting, she will publish them in the order of time in Rotary - longest to shortest.
 
This article will reappear in the Messenger anytime there is not a waiting list of profiles to be published.  
February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of our peace centers.

Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.

In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,000 fellows for careers in peacebuilding. Many of them are serving as leaders at international organizations or have started their own foundations.

Upcoming Events
Rotary International's 113th Anniversary
Feb 23, 2018
 
Rotary District 5495 Interact Conference
Perry High School in Gilbert
Feb 24, 2018
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
 
Steak and Beans Celebration
Home of Chuck Flint
Feb 24, 2018 6:00 PM
 
Mesa West Rotary Board Meeting
Mesa Hilton - Room TBD
Mar 21, 2018
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
 
RYLA Camp Ponderosa
Payson, Arizona
Apr 06, 2018 – Apr 08, 2018
 
Mesa West Rotary Board Meeting
Mesa Hilton - Room TBD
Apr 18, 2018
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
 
Club Leadership Academy
Black Canyon Conference Center
Apr 21, 2018
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
 
Speakers
Feb 22, 2018
Author of "Angel's Truck Stop" discussing love, laughter and loss during the Vietnam War
Mar 01, 2018
Salvation Army
Mar 08, 2018
Motivational Message
Mar 15, 2018
Youth Day
Mar 22, 2018
Club Assembly
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Jeanie Morgan
February 10
 
Melodie O. Jackson
February 17
 
Kurt Klingenberg
February 27
 
Anniversaries
Kurt Klingenberg
Randi
February 24
 
Join Date
Alan Ramsdell
February 1, 1985
33 years
 
James Schmidt
February 1, 1984
34 years
 
Dick Myren
February 4, 2010
8 years
 
Christine Krueger
February 13, 2006
12 years
 
Julie Duty
February 23, 2017
1 year
 
Executives & Directors
President
 
Immediate Past President
 
President Elect
 
Presidential Advisor
 
Secretary
 
Treasurer
 
Club Service Chair
 
Community Service Co-Chair
 
Community Service Co-Chair
 
Foundation Chair
 
Fundraising Chair
 
International Service Director
 
Membership Chair
 
Public Image Chair
 
Vocational Service Director
 
Youth Services, Interact/Rotaract Chair
 
Youth Services, YE Co-Chair
 
Youth Services, YE Co-Chair
 
Sargeant at Arms
 
Speaker Coordinator
 
Speaker Coordinator
 
Newsletter Editor
 
Executive Secretary
 
Bulletin Editor
Jeanie Morgan
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