RioSaladoRotary

District 5510 Youth Exchange needs some help.

We have three inbound students that do not have placements in homes/schools for the upcoming year.

Can you think of anyone living in the Dobson High School/Mesa, Mesquite High School/Gilbert, or Hamilton High School/Chandler school boundaries who could be a host family?

We need at least a 3-4 month committment from 3 families. The students needing placement are a boy from Peru and girls from Belgium and Argentina. The students will remain in the same high school for the entire year. If you live adjacent to these areas and are willing to provide transportation to school, then that is an alternative too. Your family members and friends are viable prospects.

We want all of our students to have a great year and need the help of district members to make this happen.

Please make an announcement at your club and come up with a few suggested names and phone numbers of prospective families. Contact Chuck Flint at 480-991-4448 or cfflint@cox.net

You may also reply to this email with prospective names.

Thank you.

June 21, 2007 Tempe Rotary Meeting

Members present: Terry Mickelson, Eileen Schioppa, Ron Freeman, Jan Snyder, Patrick DeHaan,  Geoff Pashkowski, Kent Hendricks, Jim Lemmon, Jim Dillard, Martie O’Connor, Dona Eubank

Guests:  Clarice Snyder

Visiting Rotarians:  Judge John Orr Tempe South

Call to Order:  President Terry Mickelson called the meeting to order at 7:05 am.

Invocation:      Jim Dillard    Pledge & 4-Way Test:  Eileen Schioppa

Happy Dollars:  Kent Hendricks

Announcements:
•    Charter Night is Saturday night June 23 at “The House of Tricks” in Tempe.
•    Matching Grant –Eileen reported that if we send check to the District we get Paul Harris credit that we can give to someone.  We will get  a point/dollar so we will get 1065 (a full Paul Harris).
•    District Assembly was successful.  Eileen, Dona, Martie and Corey were present.  Ben Eubanks received the “Service Above Self” award.  TRS has had two members who have received this award.  We will plan a dinner possibly in September to honor Ben.

Today’s Speakers:  Patrick DeHaan - The Christmas Tree Project

•    The project began in 1987 serving impoverished children.  The organization is a 501 C 3 not for profit.  This year they will serve 14 schools with 14 events at approximately 500 kids/day,
•    Those served are usually high poverty, minority, and second language learners. The children represent two (2) populations: impoverished children with self worth issues and military children of deployed troops with bereavement issues.  It is not uncommon to see obsessive compulsive disorders and or reversion to aggressive behavior
•    The Christmas Tree project has the children making ornaments to put on tree so they “own” the tree; it has a part of them on it.
•    Patrick met with Governor Napolitano earlier this week.  He explained how the “The Governor’s ‘Hall of Heroes” works, having the kids rotate around and meet each hero and get a pin from the hero.  The children in small groups meet their heroes and hear them tell their story and how their lives were turned around. 
•    Each child gets a gets a signed picture of the hero with the hero’s story on the Back. The message for every child is that they have value and hope.
•    At the end of the day the heroes through Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions clubs give a trophy and a child gets a trophy, for peak performance.  The trophy is awarded in front of the whole school.
•    HOW CAN WE HELP?  Tempe Rio Salado could volunteer to do a Tempe school on Tuesday December 11th for Frank Elementary (K-3RD GRADE) School 9:am to 2:pm. Location TBA. Left over toys go into schools “birthday closet”. Gifts are dollar store items and Patrick obtains gifts from companies/manufacturers.  Gift wrap is needed.  This event is off campus, and the National Gratitude project provides lunch,
•    The project has a toy storage place, so if TRS did a toy drive there would be a place to store toys. TRS could do a toy drive we need 1250 toys No stuffed animals, no more than 20.00 no guns, 10,000 kids in Phoenix.
•    The project would like a permanent site to operate year around to offer leadership classes and to build self-esteem. The plan is for two (2) story) building.

Ron Freeman drew the Ace of Diamonds, maybe good for a poker hand, but no winner here.  Better luck next time.

Adjournment: There being no further business, Terry Mickelson adjourned the meeting at 8: 10 am.

Jan Snyder - Off to Africa

I have arrived in London and am waiting for my flight to Nairobi. Since I purchased an hour of wireless time I thought I would drop a quick note to you as well.

The flight was characteristically uneventful. I like the way BA handles their flights and always enjoy the one from Phoenix to Heathrow. My departure for Nairobi will be in a couple of hours and I will need to find the gate rather soon.

Before my departure, I noted several Rotary clubs in Nairobi and hope to make at least one connection while there. I’ll be staying with a friend who is a professor at the University of Nairobi. There is much we will have to discuss and I hope to establish a connection between ASU and the University of Nairobi.

Then, on the 30th, I’ll travel to Malawi and remain there until July 24th at which time I will return.
 
As time and opportunity permit, I will make effort to write and hope to include photos if the system will allow it.

My best to you and the rest of the club members.
Take care,

Jan Snyder

Rio Salado Rotary - Tempe AZ June 7, 2007

Guests: GSE Team

Call to Order: President Terry Mickelson called the meeting to order at 7:05 am.

Invocation: Eileen Schioppa Pledge & 4-Way Test: Sue Strebe

Happy Dollars: 

Kent Hendricks

Visiting Rotarians: Bill Williams Asst Dist Governor, Win Pendleton from the Gilbert Club and John Gilha, Paradise Valley Rotary club from May 31, Inter-City Clubs meeting.

Announcements:

• Sue Strebe read a “Thank you” letter from our exchange      student Yuri Hardzeski.  Rotarian Chuck      Flint has pledged to support Yuri for four (4) years of college. Housing is needed for Yuri, an      exceptional person.
• Marty Baird’s father died, TRS Terry Mickelson will      acknowledge this loss.
• June 23, 2007 is Charter Night at the House of Tricks      more information and directions will be forthcoming.
• Jan Snyder reported that early in December a number of      engineering colleagues from all over the world would be visiting. Housing and transportation to ASU is      needed for these folks in early December.
• Steve Shearon, President of the Rotary E club, was a      rotary exchange student in

  S. Africa

  .

Today’s Speakers: GSE Exchange Team from District 4250:

GSE is an exchange to other parts of the world and a GST team consists of a Rotarian team leader and team of 4 or 5 individuals. Today’s GSE is from District 4250 consisting of

Belize

,

Guatemala

and

Honduras

. Today’s GSE group is from Honduras: Leda Martinez, next year’s Assistant District Governor and a custom broker, is the Team leader and the Team members are three (3) young professionals: Sofia Denisse Carcamo, Florencia Maria Calderon, and Arai Betancourt. Our Outbound team will be at the District Conference June 8-9, 2007. Sophia is with a rubber manufacturing company with a degree in business administration. Florencia studied architecture and worked on the design of window displays and house designs. Arai is working on an MBA and works for DHL, the shipping firm. The students return home after this weekend.

Adjournment: There being no further business, Terry Mickelson adjourned the meeting at 8: 00 am.