Rotary Wheel November 7

Notes from November 7 Meeting

 

 

Mike Ruby District 6000 Governor and his wife Jo Anne visited our club today.  Mike's home club is the Muscatine Club.  For the first 20 years Mike was a member of Rotary he spent it as a spectator.  It was not until 1999 that he began to get active in his club and also started to attend district Rotary events.  Mike served as District Membership Chair for several years and also as an Assistant Governor for 5 years.  He has been a volunteer for RYLA, is a member of the International Skiing Fellowship of Rotarians and has traveled to Haiti to meet residents benefitting from water wells funded by Rotary.  In 2014 Mike and Jo Anne participated in a 5 week Rotary Friendship Exchange in New Zealand and Australia.  Mike and Jo Anne have been married for 48 years and have 2 children and 1 grandchild.  Mike readily agrees that Jo Anne has truly been the wind beneath his wings their entire married life, and especially during these years where both of them are totally immersed in Rotary.

 

Mike shared his three goals as District 6000 Governor. 

 

1) All Rotary members in 6000 receive the bi-monthly newsletter in their mailbox so that they can read at their leisure, share with family or the community at large.  If you are done reading yours bring into the club so that it can be provided to our guest speakers as a take away. 

 

2) District Conference to be available for more members to attend.  There will be several stops for the meetings this year starting in Davenport and ending in West Des Moines.  It will not be called a conference but instead Toast to District 6,000.  More to come in the bi-monthly newsletter that is to be issued later this year. 

 

3) Clubs to be involved with supporting the World Bike Relief efforts that allow bikes to be delivered to Africa for $147/bike.  These bikes have been found to help transport 5 people in a family from one bike.  People can go 4x the distance in the same amount of time as someone walking.  For every 10 miles traveled a bicycle saves 3 hours of time.  It was noted that there have been over 600 bikes purchased from the World Bicycle Relief and they have just started the match again until the end of the year.  Consider giving this as gifts for family this year with the above post card information.

 

 

November 14 our program will be presented by the Pinky Swear Foundation with Mary Mendenhall-Core as a guest speaker.

 

 

Linda Leave announced that for the social this month we will be joining the metro Rotary Club Open house this Thursday November 9th from 5-7 p.m. at the Rush Hall at Wilkins - old Younkers Building - George Stout Fellowships for Art in the Public Sphere.  5:15 p.m. will be Tea Room and condo tours and 5:45 p.m. artists remarks by Katherine Knight.

 

 

Mike brought a banner that our club received last year.  We were one of 4,136 clubs worldwide to become a 100% Foundation Giving Club.  Club must have achieved an average giving of $25 or more to the Rotary Foundation during the Rotary year.  Congratulations to our members for supporting the Foundation!

 

 

President Brad reminded us that the Rotary International President has established an initiative to plant a tree for each and every member of Rotary International.  A member can receive credit for planting a tree in her or his own yard, or planting a tree elsewhere.   It is our understanding that the Iowa DNR will have some trees available for this purpose.  So, if you plant a tree, let Brad know so that the club will receive appropriate credit.

 

 

Fred Maharry reports that we have 12 readers at this time and if you are still interested in helping contact Fred.  The time commitment is about 30 minutes.  If you have an interest, or questions, please contact Fred, Kris Anne or Bill Fry.

 

 

Zoe-Ella Anderson (RYLA Exchange Student 2017) was in attendance and updated the club on the group.  They have over 20 members now and are getting ready to kick of some of their events.  One of which is WDM Human Services Adopt a Family.  More to come as they fully establish the Club.

 

 

Russ announced there would be a work event this coming weekend.  The goal is to get at least four bikes ready for two children in need.  If interested let Russ know you can help.