SGR welcomes 2011-12 club leadership

The St George Rotary Club is pleased to welcome our 2011-12 President Linda Baker and our Board Members Phil Hall, Durant McArthur, Grant Carter(Past President), Jenny McDowell, Janet O'Riley, Lowry Snow, Richard Isom, Ken Seefeld.

This year promises to be an enriching year filled with service, to include community and international projects, youth activities and our continued support of Rotary International. 

The St. George Rotary Club was established and chartered in 1931 to further the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. Our St. George Rotary Club continues to attract an amazing group of people who give their time and talents to benefit those less fortunate.

Service Above Self is the Rotary Motto.  If you would like more information about the St. George Rotary Club, please visit our website at http://www.stgeorgerotary.org    meetings are held every Monday at 12 noon at the Lexington Hotel.

(as published in St. George Area Chamber Business News 7/19/2011)

Letter from PDG Penny Atkinson

I just wanted to thank everyone for the honor of being your District Governor this year. WOW! You have all been the most incredible Rotarians in the entire world and you can be so proud of the accomplishments you have made to make this world a better place. Thank you for all your support! I know I have just been the "cheerleader" and you've made it all happen, but I felt your commitment and support and I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.

Just to let you know some of the things you have accomplished:

• You paid off our Polio commitment a full year ahead of schedule (that was about $175,000) and you did it with community and youth involvement so all the money did not have to come out of YOUR pockets!!! (thanks to all those who did the Torch Run and Pinkies for Polio which helped bring in a significant portion of the $175,000)
• You accomplished getting the EREY per capita for the entire District above $100, even with all the Polio $$$ you raised. (RI is saying some of the monies won't be accounted for until mid-July so we will be well above the $100 mark)
• This means in DGNN, Steve Skinner's year as District Governor our District will have money for District and Global Grants available.
• You turned around our membership downward trend over the past 5 years. Not only was our base membership UP but two new clubs chartered (Northern Wasatch Front and Pleasant Grove) which will put us above the 1800 mark for the first time in 3 years!!!!! WAY TO GO.....keep that going for Rick's year.
• You added 13 new Interact Clubs and one new Rotaract Club. Everyone one of those Interact Clubs were formed by last year's RYLA participants. WOW can't you just feel the energy!!!!
• You helped send over 90 Interactors and Rotaractors along with their leaders to Mexico to do an International Project. They all came back ready to do more humanitarian work to make this wold a better place!!! Thanks to Mike Wells and the Youth Committee....they created miracles. Visit thier Facebook to see what they accomplished. www.facebook.com/utahinteract
• You supported Trent Colvin and PDG Gil Trujillo's idea of the "License Plate Program" to support Youth Rotary Programs. This will be a huge help to fund our Rotary Youth many years into the future. Make sure you order yours now if you haven't already!!!
• I COULD GO ON FOREVER.....

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for enriching my life and being such an inspiration to me. You have made miracles happen and I know there will be even more to come after tomorrow when District Governor Rick Cambra takes the helm! I know you will give him the same support and commitment you gave me and as a result will continue to make Rotary

BIGGER, BETTER AND BOLDER

YIRS

Penny Atkinson, DG 5420

100 Years of Service in Utah

Update from Georgetown - Linda Sappington finds a Rotary Club

In December, I left the warmth and friendship of RI Club #1079 / District 5420 - the Rotary Club of St. George (the original Washington County club chartered January 1931 with a current membership of 66). In July, in the usual spirit of this international service club, I found the same warmth and friendship in Club #6810 / District 7030 - the Rotary Club of Georgetown (the original club in Guyana chartered May 1959 with a current membership of 68)!


Read Linda's full post on her blog. Congratulations Linda on finding a club to join while you are away from us. We look forward to your return.

New Club Facebook Page

First, my apologies. I (Richard) have never been a great blogger. I have always been much better at social media like Facebook. I will do better though to keep this up-to-date for those who rely on it with posts about our weekly meetings.

We have had a Facebook presence as a club for some time now. It was a group and Facebook is changing things. I have put together a Facebook Page that will provide a fun place for us to connect and share on Facebook. You can connect by clicking "Like" when you visit our Facebook Page. I have posted photos there from our GSE BBQ last Wednesday.

I will regularly post photos on this Facebook page and will also post our club events there as well as on our club website.

SGR tours AllConnect with Rotary friends from Canada

It was an exciting week for SGR as we gathered with our Rotary friends from Canada at the Five County Association of Governments offices for lunch before our tour of AllConnect. We had with us members of the Lethbridge, Lethbridge Sunrise, Grand Prairie, Grand Prairie Sunrise, and Grand Prairie Swan City clubs. It was a packed room with 46 in attendance. In honor of our guests, we sang three songs to open the meeting including "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "O Canada," and to properly welcome them, we finished with "Are You From Dixie?" to provide a proper St. George welcome.

After finishing our opening and enjoying some socialization over boxed lunches, we headed across the parking lot for our vocational tour of AllConnect.

We gathered outside their front entrance where we received an overview of the company before being divided into two more manageable groups for the facility tour.

AllConnect provides consultative services to help customers have a one-stop shop for setting up their utilities including phone, internet, and TV. There is no cost to the customer as the utilities pay a commission to AllConnect.

AllConnect focuses on helping the customer choose the right service for their needs. Power companies sign-up with AllConnect to work with their customers because they have found it increases customer satisfaction by providing convenience and knowledge about the various options for TV, phone, and internet.

Our Rotary friends from Canada were passing through on their way to Mexico to deliver fire and rescue vehicles and busses. This is their annual humanitarian international project. This is the second year we have enjoyed having them join us during their journey and we look forward to many more.

As they prepare to leave, we get a look at the vehicles they are delivering.

Highlights of Club Assembly Reports

SGR started out the Monday, March 7 meeting, a Club Assembly, in the usual manner, with Ray Robinson leading the singing of "I'm looking over a 4 leaf clover," Sam McArthur leading the reciting of the 4-way Test, Kip Bowler leading the club in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Kurt Johnson providing the invocation.

President Grant Carter read a thank you card sent from Taylor Seegmiller expressing thanks for the YouthLinc sponsorship. Ray Robinson announced that on March 24-27 that all the Youth Exchange students in the district would be in town and requested a couple of hosts, but Dan Strobell quickly resolved the need by offering to host all the students. Continuing and incoming board members were reminded of the District Assembly being held in St. George on March 26. The District Conference is May 12-14 in Cedar City and the Rotary International Convention is May 21-25 in New Orleans. Dan Strobell announced the Guatemala project trip is scheduled for May 20-27.


Phil Hall kicked of the board member reports talking about the Foundation. He noted the importance of EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) contributions of $25.00 per quarter that help fund the work of Rotary through the Foundation. He noted the opportunity with a matching grant of up to $1000 by May from the LDS church and $15.00 quarterly contributions from each club member that our club could get back on track to fulfill our obligation for PolioPlus of $10,000. We currently have contributed about $4500. Currently 33 of 65 members of our club are Paul Harris Fellows ($1000 or more of lifetime giving to the foundation). Club and District are willing to match points on a 50/50 split to help members reach the next PHF level for donations by May 1.

Ken Sizemore reported about upcoming club activities including a yet to be scheduled spring planting project at the St. George Sk8 park, a planned family picnic at Dean Terry's Enterprise ranch sometime in June, All Clubs meeting with Fred Berthrong on April 14, the announced District Conference and Stove Project trips, and the AllConnect tour for next week's meeting. He also provided an update of the club's 501(c)3 foundation transition from the former Rotary Bowl organization.

Ken Seefeld first filled in for Quinn Hadley who is seeking club members to take 1 month each to help schedule programs for the club's meetings. He also told club members to submit program ideas to Quinn. Kris Neal then explained the quarterly billings. Ken noted that shortly they would have each member complete a pledge card showing their willingness to participate in EREY and PolioPlus. Ken finished by noting the improved financial health of the club over last couple of years.

Jenny McDowell reported on the February attendance statistics noting there are 65 members of the club, 50% attendance at the weekly meetings, and 33% of members that didn't attend one meeting in February. She noted our Challenge of 80 goal to have 80 club members by the end of 2011.

Richard Isom, club secretary, then quickly shared a few membership statistics he had put together before taking club members on a quick tour of the new club website. He finished by showing the new club trading flags scheduled to arrive shortly. You can view Richard's Slides here.

SGR has a new website!

Come check out the new SGR Website. We got it launched today. It includes a public side with lots of fantastic Rotary information and a private Members Only section. All club members should have received an e-mail detailing how to log-in. Let me know what you think of the new site.

SGR learns about Education and Domestic Violence

OPENING: On the last day of February, Don Pendleton welcomed Rotarians and Guests from his usual post. Ray Robinson led the singing of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and Sheldon Banks started off the recitation of Rotary’s 4-way Test. Jack Peterson led the pledge and Durant McArthur invoked the blessings of Heaven upon the meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Former member, Lee Phillips, visited to return the original President’s pin that he had found amongst some positions. This pin is traditionally passed down from President to President each year. President Grant Carter announced the change in regular meeting time for the board to the first Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. to be held at the WCF building. This Wednesday is the first time for the new schedule. If Rotarians have lost their Rotary lapel pin, replacements are available for $5.00. See club secretary, Richard Isom, to get a replacement.

TRIP: Dan Strobell is working to nail down the final travel dates for the Guatemala Stove Project trip. Interested club members should contact Dan and provide their feedback for the best dates in May for them. Dan estimates a cost of about $2000.00 per person.

PROGRAM: The program was a combined presentation from Dixie State College and the Dove Center. DSC is working with the Dove Center to host a benefit fundraising event featuring author and humanitarian Greg Mortensen. Mortensen has built 120 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan with the requirement that the schools educate the women as well as the men. It was noted that the people strongly desire this to strengthen their society.

Del Beatty, dean of students at DSC, kicked off the program talking about the college’s philosophy of providing both an academic and a social education. He attributes the growth at DSC to this because today’s students are struggling with communication skills and this dual focus helps them learn to socialize in society. DSC is committed to getting students involved in service and invited the club to involve students as partners on projects.

DSC homecoming queen, Jessica, presented about the recent Women’s Conference she put together and was put forward as an example of the quality of student DSC has.

Katy Peterson from the Dove Center finished the presentation and talked about the prevalence of domestic violence in the community. She expressed a belief that it is important for the community to help by making it more acceptable to seek help.

Rotarians invited to support Art Museum

The Annual Soup N' Bowl Fundraiser supports the permanent collection at the St. George Art Museum. This year's event will be held March 4th at the Social Hall. Cost is $20.00 which includes a handmade pottery bowl. Shar Heitkotter has tickets for anyone who is interested and you can learn more by visiting this link: http://www.ci.st-george.ut.us/artmuseum/events.php

DHS Madrigals provide SGR with a Valentines treat

OPENING: Don Pendleton offered Valentine's day greetings to Rotarians, their spouses, and guests as they arrived. A special Valentine's musical presentation by the Dixie High School Madrigal Choir directed by Sheryl Snow (Lowry) provided enjoyment to start the meeting. Following their performance, Eldon McArthur led members in a recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test. Reed Noble invited members to follow him in the Pledge of Allegiance and Lee Sheets asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: For members who have lost their Rotary pin, replacements are available for $5.00. See Richard Isom to get your replacement. George Whitehead from Dixie State made presentation about the 24th Annual Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show and Sale to be held starting February18 through March 27 with Gala dinner on Friday Feb. 18. Two lucky Rotarians, Steve Radmall and Richard Isom, won Giclee prints of past purchase prize winners. [More Information]

CLUB BUSINESS: Two new members were inducted. Welcome to Greggory Zemp and Clayton Denos.

PROGRAM: Barbara and Gary Kermott from the Silver Spur Therapuetic Riding Center opening in April in New Harmony educated Rotarians about the center and how it provides help to people with disabilities. They pointed to the unique motions of horseback riding that help participants develop core body strength. Their center is the only NARHA certified facility in southern Utah and one of only four in Utah. It is a non-profit facility and one of their needs is for volunteers. They noted that it usually takes three trained volunteers per horse. They keep the cost to participants low but do have a small fee to promote the participants valuing the experience. Sessions are 6 or 8 weeks each for 1 hour per week.

Ogie Shaw shares secrets to being fit

OPENING: Rotarians and guests were greeted at the door by Don Pendleton. To start the meeting, Ray Robinson led members in a rousing “A Grand Ole Flag” before Ken Seefeld led members in a recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test. Kris Neal invited members to follow her in the Pledge of Allegiance and Lowry Snow asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal.

CLUB BUSINESS: President Grant Carter read the name of Clayton Denos for proposed membership in the club. Jon Pike was then inducted to membership in the club.

PROGRAM: Ogie Shaw, with 35-years experience as a fitness consultant, shared insightful information about the fitness problems in our country. He noted only 10% of adults are actually fit while 40% proudly avoid exercise. He predicts we are raising the first generation that will die younger than their parents and grandparents. This is because kids fitness patterns are influenced by the key adults in their lives.

An interesting tidbit, $80 billion was lost last year due to lower back pain. This is generally due to excessively tight back muscles (not weak back muscles) due to our office jobs. They cause weak abdominal muscles which result in the back problems. The key to fixing low back pain is to strengthen the abdominals.

He also noted it is easier to exercise everyday than it is to exercise only 3 days a week. 3 days creates a decision. "When you start negotiating it's over."

The following video is his demonstration following the meeting. It was so interesting I recorded it to share here. Enjoy! (Oh, and if you want to buy one of these devices for your exercise program, let me [Richard] know so I can share the discount information. 8 orders from our club meeting will get the school of our choice a donation of this equipment)

USA Today Article Highlight Bill Gates Commitment to Wiping Out Polio

Bill Gates has partnered with Rotary and other organizations committed to wiping out polio. Today, an article appeared in "USA Today" highlighting the effort.

"We are on the threshold of eliminating polio once and for all," the Microsoft billionaire and philanthropist says in his 2011 annual letter, given in advance to USA TODAY and slated for public release in New York on Monday. In an interview, Gates warns, however, that outbreaks in Nigeria, Tajikistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo provide a "scary" reminder that decades of progress will be lost without sustained action.

You can read the full article on USA Today

Helping Haiti - Challenges and Successes

OPENING: Don Pendleton provided a friendly greeting while noting the attendance of Rotarians and guests. Ray Robinson led members in “America the Beautiful” in honor of Human Rights Day. Quinn Hadley led members in a recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test of the things we think, say and do. Gil Trujillo invited members to follow him in the Pledge of Allegiance and Sam McArthur asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal.

PROGRAM: Allen Hilton, his daughter Julia, and Dr. Scott Bulloch reported on their recent trip to Haiti to provide dental care. Julia was struck by the lack of infrastructure. She noted there was no power, no water, and no waste disposal. Dr. Bulloch mentioned on one trip how he had been horrified to watch a child simply drop a wrapper on the ground. He went to pick it up and then noted there was no trash receptacles, and even if there had been, there was no infrastructure to collect and dispose of it. He noted that helping Haiti can be frustrating, a lot like "trying to eat an elephant." It feels like little changes from year-to-year. He has been making trips for 8 years. He noted that he was pleased to see some progress this past year with building of new roads and he noted the introduction of heavy equipment which he had not seen before. He directly attributed the lack of infrastructure and the government for the poor living conditions. He noted the resilience and hard work ethic of the people. Allen Hilton provided several photos which give a feel for the conditions taken during their recent trip and a selection of those photos are shown above.

A New Member, a new Paul Harris Fellow, and the Second Ammendment

OPENING: Don Pendleton was at his post, providing a friendly greeting while noting the attendance of Rotarians and guests. Ray Robinson led members in “Let There Be Peace.” Kent Dallmeyer led members in a recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test of the things we think, say and do. Ken Sizemore invited members to follow him in the Pledge of Allegiance and Jenny McDowell asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Ray Robinson introduced David Moore and Robin Jones from the American Cancer Society who shared a request for Rotarians to participate in the upcoming Relay for Life by putting together teams or other avenues. The relay is to be held the last weekend of April. New club secretary, Richard Isom, shared announcements related to the coming weekend's All Clubs meeting including a final plea for RSVPs and a request for help Pat Trujillo make table centerpieces reflecting the spirit of our club. Mayor McArthur reminded members of the grand opening of the new airport Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and also invited all to attend the city's birthday celebration on Saturday including free root beer floats at the Opera House, free swimming at the Aquatics Center a free rides on SunTran.

CLUB BUSINESS: Phil Hall honored the club's latest Paul Harris Fellow, Les Stoker, for his contributions to the Rotary Foundation. Jenny Lee was inducted as the newest member of the club by board member, Jenny McDowell.

PROGRAM: Allen Hilton introduced Brent Jensen, whom, he joked, "had forgotten more members names than he had ever known." Brent shared about the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park which provides a facilities for safe training and practice with firearms for sport and for protection. He highlighted the importance of our Second Amendment right to bear arms in preserving freedom, quoting from several founding fathers on the subject. He cited statistics that also show that a citizenry with unrestricted access to guns reduces violent crime. He noted that 38 states have an agreement to honor each other's concealed carry permits. He debated the benefits of requirements for proper training and permits balanced with the need to not infringe on the right to bear arms. He noted that since hunter education was instituted in Utah in 1957 that hunting related deaths dramatically decreased. Last year their were no hunting related deaths in Utah. Education is also a key in teaching kids to be safe around guns and Brent pointed to the Eddy Eagle program which teaches kids to "Stop. Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Go Tell and Adult." He shared a story where this training had protected a little girl and her younger siblings.

All About the New Airport

OPENING: Don Pendleton was at his position as Sergeant-at-Arms, noting the presence (or absence) of members attending SGR’s first weekly meeting of 2011. Ray Robinson led members in “Jingle Bells.” Kyle Case led members in a recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test of the things we think, say and do. Durant McArthur invited members to follow her in the Pledge of Allegiance and Terrance White asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: President Grant Carter read a letter of resignation from Dean Terry thanking the club for their friendship and inviting members to visit individually or as a group at his ranch. It was also announced that the change of the former Rotary Bowl organization to a St. George Rotary Club foundation was nearly completed. PDG Gil Trujillo made an announcement regarding the All Clubs meeting January 15th to be held at the University of Utah. DG Penny Atkinson would like all who can attend from our club to join them and has shared a video at http://www.youtube.com/user/UtahRotary. Nancy Neff shared thanks to all those who helped as bell ringers for the annual Salvation Army drive.

PROGRAM: Our own, Mayor Dan, began with a poem encouraging us to step out and do what others say can't be done and then related that to the long journey that will culminate with the opening of the new St. George airport on January 12. He noted that there are a lot of rumors about the airport and that one of his goals was to help dispel the rumors with truth. A copy of the latest issue of "Inside St. George" was displayed and it was noted that most members had likely already received a copy which highlighted the history of the airport project.

The site for the new airport was also the site of a former airstrip built in the 1940's. It was selected because it was the most ideal spot due to lack of surrounding building, proximity to the industrial parks, and that a large chunk of the needed land was already owned by the city, in addition to geographic and geologic factors. The bulk of the funding for the new airport came from the FAA from funds they receive on ticket purchases and other fees. As a requirement to receive the funds for the new airport, the city must close the existing airport site. This is due to limitations at the existing site that create violations to FAA safety rules.

The airport was built with an eye to accommodating future needs including jet service and air freight service. The city is currently actively marketing to get flights to other locations. SkyWest will continue to provide daily flights to Salt Lake City and recently announced flights to Los Angeles.

The airport will open January 12th with a dedication ceremony to be held at 2:30 p.m. It was announced that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints First Presidency will give the dedicatory prayer. He was an aviator prior to his church call.