Meeting Opened by President Pam Cohen
Ron Thompson offered the invocation and John Pennypacker led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Introduction of Guests
- Shelly Romine introduced Kevin Poole, a visiting Rotarian who has visited previously and was invited by Sean Green.
- Shelly also introduced Becky Kuhle as a friend, former workmate, and potential member.
- Diane Ware introduced Daniella Mitchell. Diane had shared information about Mesa West Rotary with Daniella on Wednesday. Diane must have a good Rotary "elevator speech" since it inspired Daniella to attend the very next day!
- Dilworth Brinton was introduced as a visiting Rotarian from the Mesa Rotary Club. He is working on putting together a 100-year history of Rotary in Mesa.
- Polo Santiago was again introduced as a visitor noting it was his 3rd visit to Mesa West Rotary.
- Jim Erickson introduced Jaylee Alvin. Jaylee is an outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student who will be leaving September 1 to spend the 2022-23 school term in Spain. Pam presented Jaylee with a Mesa West Rotary banner to present to her host club in Spain.
Roasted Chicken Auction - Dave Brauchler
Dave Brauchler explained that - in talking to his Rotary buddy, Allan Cady, that Allan is often disappointed to learn that the main course of the day at our meetings will be chicken. At Dave's household chicken is a favorite. He roasts a chicken at least once a week on his grill using, onions, lemons, and spices to enhance the flavor. He decided to auction a chicken at our meeting, so Allan would have a chance to taste his chicken. Lucinda General carried the chicken being auctioned around the room so members and guests could get a better look and enjoy the aroma. The bidding started at $5 and was quite robust and generous until Dave realized the members were 'bidding higher and higher so Allan would have to pay a hefty price to taste the chicken. After David explained there were two chickens - one to be auctioned to benefit the club and one to be given to Allen, the bidding restarted at $5 on the extra chicken which was purchased by visiting Rotarian Kevin Poole.
Ace of Clubs Auction - Ron Thompson
Jaylee Alvin - our outbound RYE student drew the winning ticket which was held by Polly Cady, making her the automatic winner of $22.00 plus the chance to draw the Ace of Clubs which would net another $80. The card Polly drew was the Four of Diamonds.
Happy Bucks - Ron Thompson
- John Pennypacker announced the front seat of his pickup was receiving some needed attention from Top Notch Upholstery in Mesa.
- Allan Cady was glad to be at the meeting.
- Warren Williamson contributed for the privilege of sharing a joke. He told about a student looking for odd jobs who knocked on the door of a residence. The man of the house decided to take advantage of the offer to get his porch painted - a job the homeowner had been procrastinating about doing. He told the young man where to find the paint and equipment and went back to enjoy his afternoon nap while the work was being accomplished. After a while the young man rang the doorbell again and announced he was finished, adding "I didn't notice until I was nearly finished - it isn't a Porsche, it's a Tesla!"
- Wayne General was happy about reconnecting after 35 years and sharing geneology information with a long-lost cousin who now lives in Tampa.
- Shelly Romine was happy to be at the meeting and was enjoying getting acquainted with the two visitors who were seated on either side of her at her table and hoping one or both might be potential new members.
- Dave Brauchler was happy to have played a chicken joke on Allan. He was also happy for the hygiene items members have been donating for Salvation Army to distribute. He was also happy for the T-Shirts members had brought in for Ed Koeneman to deliver to the Westwood HS Interact Club for their chew-toy project.
- Colleen Coons was happy to be wearing her name tag showing shie is "First Lady." She asked "Honey (Pam)" to donate $25 on her behalf. She was happy to have enjoyed having Fanny in their home another week. She thanked John Pennypacker for taking Fanny to a golf tournament. They went to see a youth theater production of Tarzan, and Fanny enjoyed her first mani-pedi at a nail salon. Colleen brings Fanny's activity calendar to the meetings. She is looking forward to spending a day or weekend in San Diego.
- Guest Daniella Mitchell was happy to have passed her one year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer. After going through chemo and radiation, she treasures every day - saying, "Every day is a gift."
- Diane Ware said she was enjoying our wonderful club. She enjoyed volunteering recently at the Salvation Army and will be going back.
- Polly Cady was happy to have enjoyed a nice chat with Polo Santiago. She was also happy to announce Polo plans to complete our membership application. Polly also enjoyed a fun lunch with Fanny and Colleen on Wednesday. They had so much fun, lunch lasted 2.5 hours.
- Dick Myren contributed his traditional $2 for himself and Honorary Member Rod Daniels - they are both happy to be associated with the Ace of Clubs. He contributed a little more to complain about hitting red lights at every regulated intersection on the way to the meeting.
- Don Boucher was happy to have transitioned his dental work to Ron Thompson's practice. He also bragged about how fantastic it is to enjoy his first grandson who was born about nine months ago.
- Lucinda General took over the job of District Treasurer July 1. She was happy Jim Schmidt spent some time helping her make financial reporting look straighter and nicer. She thanked him for his dedication and for going above and beyond.
- Dan Coons contributed thanking the club for the support Fanny has received from a variety of members.
- President Pam contributed - thankful to have so many guests with some of them considering becoming members.
Announcements
- Dave Brauchler reminded members that we will be continuing to need individuals to volunteer with our Salvation Army chef assistance project on Wednesday mornings from 8-10 AM. We will be doing this through the last Wednesday in October. CLICK HERE to register. We also have a scheduled decorative rock-moving project at the Y on Saturday, September 24. Volunteers should bring wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes if possible. CLICK HERE to register for the project at the Y.
- Logan Harper announced there would be a soft rollout of the Visioning results and discussion of our plan moving forward. We can adapt and change as we all have a say. If you have any comments, Logan invites you to send them to him.
- Colleen Coons announced there would be a statewide university-based Rotaract Retreat September 24. There will be a social from 4-6 (or 8). All Rotaract Officers are invited to attend.. Members of sponsoring Rotary Clubs are also welcome.
- Polly Cady reminded members the next Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Flagstaff Saturday, September 24. Sessions I, II, and III will run concurrently. The club board of directors has authorized the club to pay for registration for members whose dues are current who wish to attend. If you wish to take advantage of this offer to learn more about Rotary beyond the club, EMAIL Jeanie specifying which session (I, II, or III) you wish to attend. She will complete your registration and send you a confirmation.
Program - Dr. Sean Drake - Conquering Your Peak Performance in Life
Jay Stuckey introduced the speaker, Dr. Sean Drake
Dr. Drake received his BA at Florida State University. He received his Masters in Sports Health Science with an emphasis in Sports Injury Management as well as his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University in Atlanta.
Dr. Drake holds numerous professional certifications including Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) from the American Academy of Chiropractic Sports Physicians, Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and specializes in human performance.
Dr. Drake has extensive experience in treating active individuals as well as professional athletes in addition to consulting for fire, police, military, professional teams, and athletes. He is an international speaker on numerous categories relating to improving performance in life. He founded Athlete Chiropractic and Athlete Empowered in Scottsdale Arizona where he continues to work with amateur and professional athletes in the area of sport specialization using the best technology and electricity for improved performance.
Dr. Drake indicated he grew up as a military kid, relocating every few years. He was in Interact during his high school years, serving as his Interact Club President during his final year of high school. He was in Rotaract while in college.
(Editorial Note - I had difficulty hearing the audio while attending via Zoom once Dr. Drake started using his prepared PowerPoint presentation. I asked John Pennypacker to provide a summary of his "takeaways" from the program which he found very powerful.) Following are John's comments:
Conquering Mount Kilimanjaro was his focus, but from his previous training experience with professional athletes, he knew that he and his wife could not do it without the right team.
He talked about four major goals we have had in our lives. How did we do? Did we do it alone or did we do it with a team? My goals were coming home from Vietnam, learning to fly a helicopter, getting married and having children. I think I did accomplish them quite well, but I would have to acknowledge that in retrospect, I now know I did not do it alone - I had a great team and the right team around me.
To me, his focus was "How do you know if you have the right team?" We all have goals, we think we know how to get there, but do we realize that it takes a team to accomplish everything.
He also noted that there are times when one must go slowly, ever so slowly, and observe what is around us to fully comprehend the makings of the right team. It is also just as important for those team members to also be focused on what is important to help us reach our goals.
The driver - the one with the goal - must also stay focused on what makes the team cohesion work and acknowledge the contributions of each member of the team. This is a continuous process, not just a thank you at the end of the journey.
This focus on a team effort can be applied to simple everyday tasks: cleaning the house, making dinner, driving to a destination, and perhaps even conducting a Rotary meeting.
---Some of my own thinking may be in here, but it is how I envisioned his presentation
After the PowerPoint was no longer being used, I could again hear some of what Dr. Drake was saying. I remember him sharing how grateful they were
to get back to where they could have hot water at the end of the day, and reminded those present that we need to remind ourselves to appreciate what we have here in America. He also said that riding in a land rover over bumpy roads in Africa is referred to in America as an African massage. Experiencing the success of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro with the help of the right team changes your soul.
CLICK HERE to see the slides used in Dr. Drake's presentation.