banner
President's Message
Shellie Peterson
Click to send email.
(970) 507-0500
member photo
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is a diverse group of engaged individuals participating through friendship and camaraderie in opportunities to serve our community and other communities around the world.
Stories
News & Happenings
 
The meeting began with a prayer by Kim Moore, asking blessings for Lassie Olin following the sad and sudden loss of husband Larry, and reminding us all to be thankful for the lives we enjoy.
 
Visitors were welcomed.  Aside from the omnipresent Kenny Rogers (we need to start changing the man dues – just kidding Kenny, you and your hat always bring good cheer to  Thursday meetings), included were Arizonan Frank Wylie, from Sun Lakes.
 
Announcements ensued.  Jo Bridges circulated a card for Lassie, and announced a Celebration of Larry’s life to be held January 19.  Jo reported Lassie will be spending the Holidays in California with family, and suggested donations in Larry’s memory to the Veterans Memorial.
 
Kim reminded all of the annual Festival of Trees, and encouraged Rotarians to vote on Thursday for featured trees to be included in the live auction the next evening (Friday, December 7).  Fired-up by the glory of Holiday celebrations, Kim added the suggestion that Rotary should enter a tree in the Festival next year.  After a moment to absorb the idea, Jeff Switzer observed how much he liked the fact that Kim would make such a wonderful Chairperson.
 
Carrie Weiss, then asked for a few more volunteer bell-ringers to man the Salvation Army pot outside City Market.  Just a few openings remained in the Rotary commitment, she said, and who doesn’t enjoy an hour of non-stop smiling and exchanging Christmas wishes with friend and stranger alike!
 
President Shellie Peterson then reminded of key upcoming events for Rotary, both occurring before our next meeting on January 3: the Loaves and Fishes lunch service on Thursday, December 13, and the Rotary Holiday Party on Friday evening, December 14.
 
For the Holiday Party, Shellie circulated a registration sheet to get a good head count for attendees, and a sign-up sheet for party crew volunteers.  She reported that the party will cost $20/person, which will be collected at the door.  More information will be circulated by email in advance of the party, she added.
 
Diane Bower reminded all to bring a gift, either gag or serious, for the drawing during the party.
 
Exchange student Theo Bonlokke reported he had spent the prior weekend in Grand Junction, where current exchange students from overseas gathered to give presentations on their home countries to prospective future outbound exchangers.  Theo no doubt pitched his homeland to great effect – demand for Denmark next year will surely be at fever pitch.  (Cata, alas, was feeling poorly at meeting time, and did not speak.)
 
Betty Switzer then took the floor, but didn’t only take it – she commanded it, dominated it and subjugated it, with the unanticipated aid of one notable accomplice.
 
To astonishment of one and all, Betty began with a mock strip-tease that had to be seen to be believed.  Life is a feast of opportunities with Betty, all seized.  ‘Nuff said.
 
 
Next, a single birthday was celebrated, Meg Wempe’s.  Little did we know, Meg is Betty’s kindred spirit.  The Happy Birthday song triggered what may have been some ancient tribal rite, or perhaps only an explosion of repressed memories of youthful exuberance, but in either case, again, your reporter’s mere words cannot capture Meg’s heartfelt embrace of the moment.  I already want to jump ahead to next year for a reprise.
 
Then, a semblance of orderly conduct was restored with the announcement of anniversaries, celebrated by your reporter and wife Melanie (47 years), and Lisa Scott and Bob (25 years).
 
 
Finally Jo Bridges’ ninth anniversary as a Rotarian was celebrated (excluding the years of Jo’s earlier stint as a Rotary member who strayed from the fold, those years being apparently banished to oblivion, as if Orwellian non-years.  Hmm . . . come to think of it, I have some years that could happily be treated as non-years.)  Also reported by Betty were first year anniversaries for Marianne DeVooght and Ronnie Doctor.
 
 
Moving on, Betty donned her Rudolph sunglasses, and with red nose dangling precariously like a Christmas ornament in a stiff breeze, especially when she gave it a vigorous puff of breath, called for Sunshine/Showers.  Contributors were Kim Moore (wonderful Community Choir performance), Bill Darling (harrowing life-flite evacuation to Denver for pneumonia recovery), Neal Johnson (good memories of the late President George H.W. Bush), Meg Wempe (whose remarks were missed by your reporter), Shellie Peterson (news of a new grandchild), Diane Bower (fire in and, alarmingly, out of the fireplace), and Dave Cammack (reports of two vehicle accidents, and a dead horse; don’t worry Dave, bad luck comes in threes).
 
Next, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Annual Meeting was called to order by Madame President Shellie.  Business was swiftly dispatched and the meeting adjourned after the election of three board members for next year, Melanie Garrett, Sharon Crump and Alan Roth.  More’s the pity, parades around the convention hall and brass bands were dispensed with.  But gratitude was expressed for the efforts of departing board members, Linda Verrips, Dave Campbell and Kim Moore.
 
The meeting was not graced with a formal speaker.  Instead, Shellie took a few minutes to demonstrate our Clubrunner site, pagosaspringsrotary.org.  What I got out of the demonstration was: the site is easy to use, and there’s lots of value that can be accessed both on the public side and members only side (requiring your password for entry). 
 
Any effort by this reporter, however, to recount the details of the presentation beyond these key principles would be useless, and probably even counterproductive.  So the best I can advise is just get on the site and explore.  It’s non-toxic. 
 
Happy Holidays!
 
 
 
 
 
Bulletin Editor
Shellie Peterson
Speakers
Dec 13, 2018
Rotary Serves the Community
Dec 20, 2018
Merry Christmas
Dec 27, 2018
Happy Holiday
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Rotary Holiday Party
Dec 14, 2018
5:30 PM – 11:00 PM
 
Be Sure To Thank Our Sponsors
Jack & Katie Threet

Abracadabra

Hair by Kandi
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner

Pagosa Springs Rotary meets every Thursday at 11:45 !          

Pagosa Brewing & Grill    
118 N. Pagosa Blvd.
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147