Fire Trucks and Baby Care Themes for SGR Meeting

OPENING: Don Pendleton managed his post as Sergeant-at-Arms meeting and greeting members and visitors to the 3777th meeting of SGR. Ray Robinson led the SGR Choir in a spirited rendition of "Oh, Canada!" in honor of 13 visiting members from Swan City, Edson and Grande Prairie, Canada Rotary Clubs. Members and visitor also followed Ray’s lead in singing "Home on the Range." Nancy Neff invited members to follow her in the Pledge of Allegiance and Sam McArthur asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal. Bob Bramlage conducted Horseplay while Dan Strobell collected fines on behalf of the Rotary District Conference golf tournament.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: President Ken Sizemore reminded members of the All Clubs meeting on Thursday, March 25 at the Abbey Inn. The meeting, hosted by Dixie Sunrise Rotary, begins at 7:30 a.m. (7 a.m. for breakfast).

SGR will move the meeting next week offsite to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Watch e-mail for more information and directions.

PROGRAM: Rotarians from Canada shared the details of their 6-year service project. In a town with an approximate population of 55,000 residents, members of three Rotary clubs have worked to secure and renovate used fire trucks, ambulances, school buses, wheelchairs and other equipment for transport more than 1500 miles from Canada to Mazatlan, Mexico. "It’s amazing what four Rotarians will do to get out of the office!" joked Allen Giersch from Grande Prairie Rotary Club. "We are stopped frequently driving to our destination in Mexico, but a stop in Las Vegas is always mandatory."

Debbie Justice, Executive Director from The Learning Center for Families, took a portion of the meeting to share information about her organization. The Learning Center for Families, is located at 1192 W. Sunset Blvd. "in the back where no one can find us! It’s so bad, we’ve had new staff people tell us they can’t find their way back after lunch." TLC, which began in 1993 with 18 infants and toddlers, is a private, non-profit agency contracted by the Utah Department of Health for families who reside in Washington County and Colorado City/Centennial Park/Cane Beds, Arizona. TLC has provided care for more than 8000 children in its 17-year history through two programs: Early Intervention, serving families of children birth-to-three years of age who are showing any kind of developmental delay; and Early Head Start, for low-income pregnant women and families of children birth-to-three. "How can you help us in our efforts? We always need diapers (sizes 1-4) and pull-ups. We need volunteers, such as handymen and clerical support. We need you to support legislation to help this population, we need your help to build a new building and you can also take part in the 10th annual Run4Kids Sake on April 10."