SGR Bids Farewell to Eldon McArthur

On April 6, 2012, members of the Rotary Club of St. George bid farewell to a dear friend and sterling example as Eldon McArthur, age 91, passed away at home from causes incident to age. It will be noted that Eldon lived life fully to the very end. He had attended the club's meeting just 4 days earlier, regaling club members with tales from his varied experiences and participating in the day’s tour of the Dinosaur Museum. No one could suspect that this would be the last meeting of the club we would be privileged to enjoy with Eldon.

Ask members what they remember of Eldon, and the responses will be as varied as the experiences of this giant among men that lived in humble service to all he could touch. He was known not just in the community, but around the world for his love and kindness and his generosity. Each Saturday, he baked bread and delivered it to neighbors and friends, annually to guests in the VIP tent at the St. George Marathon, and to others. A favorite horseplay auction was when Eldon offered a loaf or three of bread at club meetings. He was as generous with the pomegranates that grew in his yard, making sure anyone he knew would have sufficient for their Dixie salad.

Eldon’s Big Adventure

This is an account as told by Eldon McArthur and recorded by Logan Hebner as part of a project about Seniors in the Workforce. Eldon was 78 at the time and Mr. Hebner noted his incredible recall.

I always had a yearning to look the place over, so I rowed down the Canyon, once, from July 1st to the 22nd, 1957. I understand it was pretty high water, 100,000 cfs or more the day we put in. 

I met a man here in St. George who had crewed for Norm Nevills, Wayne McConkie. Wayne lived in Moab until he came to Dixie. This is way after the war and things had smoothed down a bit. Wayne was hard to get acquainted with; it took me three years. He was a great man, a good man, cousin to the McConkie who was an apostle for the (lds) Church. He'd been a sheepherder before he came to teach school. He said, “I'd rather herd sheep than kids; you can throw rocks at sheep.” 

SGR Celebrates Milestone in Polio Eradication

St. George Rotary Club President, Linda Baker, is shown next to a poster used to track funding toward the club's PolioPlus assessment following the Club Assembly on Monday, January 30. The club surpassed their assessment raising $10,483.95.

St. George, Utah — During their quarterly Club Assembly, members of the St. George Rotary Club celebrated local and international milestones in the fight to eradicate polio. Locally, the club marked fulfillment of their obligation to raise $200 million in funds as part of two challenge grants totaling $355 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Rotary International.

The club raised $10,483.95 toward the effort since 2008 and surpassed their assessment of $10,036.05 well before the June 30 deadline.

St. George Rotary Club presents awards for distinguished service to youth

Dr. Allen Hilton (left) and Eldon McArthur (right) receive their Cliff Dochterman Award medals and certificates while Linda Baker (right), club president reads the letter of citation honoring them for their service.

St. George, Utah — Dr. Allen Hilton and Eldon McArthur, members of the St. George Rotary Club, were presented with the Cliff Dochterman Award on Monday, January 30 in a ceremony conducted at the quarterly Club Assembly of the St. George Rotary Club.

The Cliff Dochterman Award is Rotary’s highest award for service to youth through the Boy Scouts of America. The presentation is made by local Rotary clubs to recognize members who perform outstanding service to youth as volunteer scouting leaders.

The award was presented by Linda Baker, president, who cited Mr. McArthur’s decades of distinguished service to youth in numerous positions and Dr. Hilton’s numerous years serving youth in unit, district and sector volunteer positions.

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.