From Peppermint Crunch to Chocolate Cashew Dirty Pie, the pie auction on December 18 was a delicious success!!   Six Rotarians donated pies – Chris Dailey (2), Jayme Blackburn (2), John Burrows, Helen Higby, Marit Sawyer, and Maria Kidner – and President Shelby Rohrbacher auctioned them for more than $600.  With our $8,000 goal in sight for The Rotary Foundation this year, President Shelby wheedled and pleaded to raise another $400 or so to put us over our $8,000 goal for 2024-25!  All of those who donated pies will receive 100 Rotary Foundation Recognition Points for their efforts!!

 

While the pie auction took center stage on Dec. 18, there was some business to be taken care of in the Annual Meeting.  John Brown, who served as club president in 2020-21, volunteered to serve a second term as President in 2025-26.  George Case, last year’s Rotarian of the Year, was elected President-elect, meaning he will be president in 2026-27, and Marit Snow Sawyer was elected Secretary, succeeding Ken Schreuder.  Anne Even, who works for the City, where she develops and promotes numerous service projects, among other things, was elected as our Community Member for 2025.  Congratulations, all!

 

Lander Rotarians Maria Kidner and Cassy Venters have left this week for Rwanda to finish up our $123,000 Global Grant project there, developing programs to train front-line (village) nurses to diagnose and treat strep throat, which if not can lead to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which in turn can be (and often is) fatal.  RHD is a major health issue in Rwanda. This follows six weeks in Rwanda in July and August on the project. 

 

Setting up a MyRotary account on the Rotary International Website, www.rotary.org, is as easy as pie!  On the Home page, just click on “My Rotary” at the top, and on the next page click on “Register.”  Put in name, address, and email and you’re in!  Having an account will enable you to track your Foundation giving, record Rotary offices held, awards received, etc.  Be sure to complete the profile after you’ve registered. 

 

Be sure to welcome our newest member, Alan Lockyear, who has transferred here from the Brazos River Rotary Club in Fulshear, Texas, west of Houston. He has been a Rotarian for about six years. Alan earned degrees from Wake Forest and Georgetown and a diploma in European fiscal studies from Erasmus University in Rotterdam (Netherlands).  He’s worked more than 40 years as a tax lawyer for the U.S. Treasury (8 years) and Royal Dutch Shell (32 years).  He and his wife Laura have four adult children and eight grandchildren.  Welcome, Alan!

 

February is Peanut Butter Month!  Bring a jar or two to any meeting in February to help us supply the Little Food Pantries in March.  Janet Seeley and Gail Duba will collect every jar you bring!  Questions: Janet Seeley, j_seeley@ymail.com.