Bergeson Supports Common Core

Today in Rotary, WCSD Superintendent Larry Bergeson shared his position on the controversy surrounding Common Core / Utah Common Core!  The superintendent understands the position of worried parents and numerous other “concerned citizens” about Utah education’s current “hot topic” but as the superintendent feels Common Core is a well-rounded, well-thought out and delivered program for educating America’s children. 

According to Superintendent Bergeson, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has a core mission of ensuring students are well prepared for their future by providing high quality instruction in every classroom, college and career ready student performance standards, and accompanying assessments to enable parents, students and teachers to provide adequate support.

Since 1984 Utah has had a set of core standards for all the academic areas taught in our K-12 public schools. The new Utah Core Standards in English language arts and mathematics, based on the Common Core State Standards, establish a framework for high quality instruction. They help Utah teachers ensure academic achievement for Utah students by defining the essential knowledge, concepts, and skills to be mastered at each grade level or within critical content areas. They define what students should know and be able to do to as they move on to post-secondary training, college, or a career.

Establishing higher standards for students, teachers, and leaders, and providing the necessary resources to achieve these standards, is fundamental to ensuring all students are prepared for today’s world.

SGR Learns to LiVe Well

Don’t know where to start with your personal goal to diet and exercise? Today’s speaker, Trevor Smith, manager of the DRMC Live Well Center, discussed the shift in our current culture, out of the disease paradigm and into a multifaceted wellness model.  

According to Trevor, to obtain true health and wellness, people need more than just medications, surgeries and doctor visits — they need to establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle. That is why Dixie Regional Medical Center and Intermountain Healthcare has developed the LiVe Well Center to give people the motivation to change behaviors and become truly well.

LiVe Well uses a whole-person approach — body, mind and spirit — to help you achieve a sustainable quality of life, along with a positive sense of wellbeing. We offer health promotion programs for people of all ages and we also serve as a gateway to a long list of services available at the hospital — streamlining your access to physicians, nurses, therapists, athletic trainers, dietitians, exercise physiologists, social workers, gerontologists and more. 

DRMC’s LiVe Well Center has what it takes to help you LiVe Well in 2014 and beyond! 

Lighting Up Rotary in 2014-15

Today's meeting was an introduction of this year's board members.  We heard last week from immediate-past-president Durant McArthur and Collin Davis who have all the info you need to support our club, our district and Rotary International through The Rotary Foundation (TRF).  This week board members Janet O’Riley, Richard Isom, Terance White, Sheldon Banks, Kolby Traveller, Stacy Britt and Linda Sappington reported on their plans for this year. In addition to oversight of the club and its membership, Janet hopes to see “more fun” this year – in particular, more parties, more service and more fundraising “so we can do more good in the world.”  Terance is enthused about outstanding programs planned for RY2014-15, including more Rotary education.  Sheldon already has the ball rolling on several service projects and hopes to have good participation from SGR’s membership.  Kolby Traveller hopes to be the impetus for increasing membership while means “more money and more service.”  Stacy’s goals for this year include 6 local high schoolers attending RYLA, strengthening Rotaract at DSU and exciting service planned for Interact at DMS, and the possibility of a new Interact club at Tuacahn HS.  Linda’s main goal is to keep SGR’s name in the local media.

The Rotary theme for RY2014-15 was also introduced.  RI President-elect Gary C.K. Huang chose Light Up Rotary as his theme for 2014-15, by inspiration of the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius who said: "It is better to light a single candle, than to sit and curse the darkness."

"There are so many problems in the world, so many people who need help.  "How you Light Up Rotary is up to you," Huang said. "You know where you are strong, you know what your community needs, and you know how you can help."

So get ready for another Rotary year of outstanding meetings, lots of "service above self" and plenty of fun activities!    

SGR's TRF Committee Reports

Today in Rotary, Durant McArthur and Collin Davis explained how simple it is for every member of SGR to become a Paul Harris Fellow immediately with matching funds from LDS Charities and how easy it is to make a significant difference in the world by supporting TRF.  And, while they had the podium, Collin and Durant also shared plans for their assigned areas in the upcoming Rotary year!  As TRF committee, these two longtime Rotarians hope to see 100% participation in EREY (Every Rotarian, Every Year), an increase of funding/per member in support of Polio Plus … and in membership because “more members means more money and more service.”   

O'Riley Takes the Reins

The installation of new officers is always the beginning of a new chapter in the history of SGR.  Janet O’Riley – our club’s 84^th president – is excited and enthusiastic about her new role and about goals and activities planned for the upcoming Rotary year.  Outgoing president Durant McArthur also took the opportunity to look back on the successes of RY2013-14 and express thanks to outgoing officers Phil Hall and Nick Lang for their service to the club and the community.  Now is the time to show support for Janet and her board who will continue to move SGR forward as we “Light Up Rotary” in the coming year.

Janet’s board members are as follows:

·               Terance White, President-elect / Programs

·               Collin Davis, President-elect Nominee

·               Richard Isom, Secretary / Treasurer

·               Kris Neal, Assistant Secretary / Treasurer

·               Durant McArthur, Immediate Past President / Foundation Chair

·               Linda Sappington, Public Image

·               Kolby Traveller, Membership

·               Sheldon Banks, Service
  Stacy Britt, Youth Programs

Merry Christmas, SGR

SGR’s traditional Christmas party was held on Thursday evening, December 5 on the 3^rd floor of the St. George Art Center.  Approximately 60 were in attendance and all enjoyed delicious food, lively conversation and outstanding entertainment provided by the Dixie Strings.  A silent auction, organized by Linda Baker, raised about $800 to be used for SGR projects.  Thanks to Cindy Loeber, who chaired the event and all those who contributed their time to set-up and clean-up, and donated items to be auctioned for fundraising.  Merry Christmas, one and all!!!

Tree Planting is Service Above Self

Members of the St. George Rotary Club went above and beyond in their efforts to provide “service above self” on a cold, rainy Saturday, November 23.   Along with several employees from the City of St. George’s parks and recreation department, SGR along with friends and family members gathered along the banks of the Virgin River for a tree planting service project – although what we planted could not technically be called “trees” – they were more like sticks in the mud!  City employees got the jump on us and had the project nearly completed by the time everyone arrived, but there was happy comradry and the reward at the end of our 20 minutes of service was another delicious outdoor breakfast prepared by our own Chef Gil Trujillo! 

Why plant this particular kind of tree?  Club president Durant McArthur shares his knowledge of the southwestern willow flycatcher ((Empidonax traillii extimus), an endangered songbird which makes its home along riparian (stream) areas.  Empidonax is Latin for “mosquito king;”  It was declared an endangered species in by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995. It prefers forested areas around rivers and streams. The species is associated with cottonwood, willow, box-elder, tamarisk, Russian olive, water birch, and alder.  Our tree planting is to provide nesting and cover habitat for this endangered species.  The southwestern willow flycatchers build nests made of shredded bark, cattail tufts, and grasses, usually in the fork of a willow growing near water. The eggs, which are buff-colored and dark on one end, are laid from early June through early July. The average breeding pair will produce about four eggs in four days. The southwestern willow flycatcher is imperiled by fires, water projects, livestock grazing, global warming, brown cowbird parasitism, and replacement of native habitats by introduced plant species. It migrates to tropical areas for the winter.

So SGR now has a service history including club, community, youth, international … and birds!  Thanks to all who came out to support the project … and thanks to Sheldon Banks for organizing it.