This week's Rotary Club meeting is President Teresa Maley's last meeting of the year. She will present her Rotary Year in Review, and we'll have the Installation of Officers.
The Sage of Emporia was the subject of a very interesting program from Roger Heineken and Karen Sommers. William Allen White was born in 1868, bought the Emporia Gazette in 1895 (at age 27), and in the very next year he wrote "What's the Matter with Kansas", which launched him onto the national stage. He championed the First Amendment, which won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. Active in politics, Will ran for Governor in 1924 in an effort to fight the Ku Klux Klan in the region. With Emporia on the main line of the Santa Fe Railroad and convenient for travel, Will hosted visits from five US Presidents, including frequent visits from Herbert Hoover, who helped to dedicate his bust at Peter Pan Park. Peter Pan Park was the location of his daughter's accidental death on horseback, and was donated by the White family to the City of Emporia for a park. Red Rocks, the large family home for 100 years, has become one of 16 historic sites in Kansas, and the only one depicting 20th century history.
In an effort to share our rich heritage and educate our community on the importance of our heritage for both the past as well as future leadership lessons, the first Saturday in October has been established as William Allen White Legacy Day. Coinciding with the William Allen White Book Awards, the Red Rocks Rumble, a multiple bus tour, will feature homes and other historical landmarks of significance between 1895 through World War II. Reserve this date on your calendar!
Kent Schnakenberg and Peggy Mast are the latest new members of our club. Welcome, Kent and Peggy! Teresa Maley and Shirley Antes were their respective proposers.
Rotarian Chris Correll, who works at Glendo, arranged for Josh Hamlin and Shane Garriot from Glendo to join us for lunch at our Rotary Club meeting to explain and demonstrate for us what Glendo does. Josh is a 11-year veteran and Shane a 20-year veteran of Glendo. Both get to talk to potential customers and demonstrate how their products work.
It all started back in 1965 in Don Glaser's garage when Don developed a small hand-held engraver using an air compressor for power. Don continued to experiment and developed several similar tools. Glendo was started in 1977, making some of those same toolsdesigned for the jewelry and engraving arts, as well as equipment for industrial and business use. DJ Glaser's creativity has further developed their line of products over many years. Glendo now offers five-day training classes for people from all over the world in their training center here in Emporia. Emporia State University offers a fine arts degree in engraving with Glendo's help, which is unique in the world. The engraving studio in King Hall on the ESU campus is a start-of-the-art facility.
Ninety percent of Glendo's products are manufactured here in Emporia, and they employ dealers around the world. The cost of their engraving and stone-setting products range between $2,500 and $6,500, depending one's budget and aspirations. The United States, Europe and Asia are good markets for Glendo's products, but the value of the Dollar does affect their sales.
With the end of the Rotary fiscal year nearing, we will be sending to the Foundation Annual Fund $40 for each Rotary Club member by the end of June. If you would like to contribute at least $60, please submit to Richard Duncan a check to The Rotary Foundation by June 21st. The club will match with 100 recognition points and will keep you eligible as a Sustaining Member.
Our club had the Dirty Kanza Checkpoint 3 in Madison for the 200-mile race well-covered during the afternoon of the Dirty Kanza 200. Although the first shift started at 1:00, a strong headwind slowed the riders during their northward journey from Eureka. The lead rider, Ted King, arrived in Madison around 3:00 p.m. There was no other rider activity for about another 30 minutes. The picture here shows part of our crew in Madison that afternoon. Thanks to all those representing our club at checkpoint 3 in Madison:
Bill Hartman presented a great program of fly fishing for trout in and around the Blackfeet Nation and Glacier National Park in northwest Montana. If you like getting away from people and getting the opportunity to catch lots of trout, this is the area to go. Bill has been traveling there annually for several years.
Two out of three Little Libraries are up and in use. Rotarian Jamie Reever organized the building and painting of the Little Libraries by getting Emporia State University volunteers as part of the United Way Day of Caring. Then Rotarian Alex Mosakowski recruited Boy Scout Troop 165 of Grace United Methodist Church to set up the three little libraries for a service project. They are located at the Flint Hills Community Health Center, at C of E Park adjacent to Emporia Child Care, and the third one will be located at Las Casitas Park.
On June 7th, the winner will receive $100 in Chamber Bucks.
Each time a new member is inducted into Rotary, the sponsoring Rotarian will have his or her name entered into the drawing. The more members you bring in, the more chances of winning the drawing. First place will get $100, second place will get $50 and third place will get $25. We have a lot of great projects to accomplish and we need members. New member proposals with the breakdown of dues are available from every board member. Remember, new members get reduced meal prices for a limited time.
Benefits of membership:
Great friendships
Awesome networking
Interesting programs
A feeling of accomplishment in our community, state and the world.
Doing good feels good. Think of it like this...Yes, you pay for your meals even though you may not be able to attend every week, but that money goes toward the funding of some amazing projects!