Monthly Bulletin of the Lander Rotary Club
April 2024
Service Above Self Since 1936
Board Considers Various Changes; Membership Business Meeting May 22
In recent months, the club’s Board of Directors has been considering various tweaks to our membership dues and other budgetary items.  The following items will be presented to the membership for open discussion at the May 22 meeting: 
  • Starting July 1, waivers or dues reductions for meal costs will no longer be available, except for serious medical conditions. (In recent years, some members have asked for a dues reduction if they do not eat at the meetings. Dues are not meant to be a one-for-one cover of our meal costs, and these reductions create quite a bit of pressure on the club’s balanced budget. Accordingly, there will no longer be an option for dues reductions for members with a no-eat preference. Members with severe medical reasons or dietary restrictions can connect with the board about an exception.) 
  • Weekly program speakers will be offered two tokens for free meals at future meetings.  (Speakers often are good potential candidates for membership, especially if members contact them and invite them to return!)
  • Previously approved by the Board: Starting July 1, guests’ meals will be free for their first visit and $10/meeting thereafter.
If you have other issues you’d like to discuss on May 22, please bring them and let’s all talk!!
 
Rwanda Global Grant Project Submitted for Approval
The club’s Global Grant project to train front-line, village nurses in Rwanda to diagnose and treat strep throat and prevent often-fatal rheumatic heart disease in children has been submitted for final approval to The Rotary Foundation’s Global Grant staff!  The final budget came in at $123,000, and that amount has been fully subscribed by various individuals, Rotary clubs and Districts and with TRF matching funds (~$30,000).  Kudos once again to Maria Kidner, m2kidner2@gmail.com, and Cassy Venters, cdventers@me.com, for putting this project together and doing the fundraising and Grant work to achieve this goal!! This is the club’s first Global Grant project and its largest ever project in dollar amount!!
 
Next Whiskey-tasting Event: May 4
Our club’s next off-the-books whiskey-tasting event will be Saturday, May 4, at Sam and Liz Lightner’s place, 1690 Hillcrest.  Will it be bourbon, or will it be single-malt scotch?  Or something else?  Come and find out...and have a wee dram or two!  Watch for emails with more details.  Bring a friend and introduce them to another fun side of Rotarians!!
 
Updates: Jackalope Jump, Scholarship, RYLA, Dictionaries
  • Cale Case, Mike Lilygren and Sam Lightner took the leap for the club in the annual Jackalope Jump to raise funds for Wyoming Special Olympics on March 23.  Our club donates $500 to Wyoming Special Olympics.
  • Twelve applications were received for the club’s $1,500, first-year college scholarship, which places special emphasis on a student’s volunteer service work.  Carol Chidsey, Renee Kniola, Jim Kniola, Mile Lilygren and John Tonkowich are reviewing the applications to select a single recipient.
  • Shelby Rohrbacher, Lisa Dawson and Renee Kniola have been busy reviewing applications for 2024 RYLA and Junior RYLA, slated for June and July in Estes Park. 
  • Cale Case, George Case, Ron Fossen and Maria Kidner handed out 108 dictionaries/thesauruses to third graders at Gannett Peak on Monday to kick off the club’s annual Dictionary Project.  More news to come next month!
Gavel Exchange – June 26 – Hold the Date!
Mark your calendars for June 26 for the annual Gavel Exchange, when President Mandy Fabel will hand over the presidential gavel to our 2024-25 President, Shelby Rohrbacher.  As in past years, we will share this event with the Riverton Rotary Club -- in Riverton this year.  Watch for details in the coming weeks.  Let’s have a big turnout for this special Rotary Club event!!
 
World Immunization Week, April 24-30
The World Health Organization recognizes 24-30 April each year as World Immunization Week, when Rotary and our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) highlight the critical importance of polio vaccinations in protecting children from the debilitating effects of polio. Vaccines have reduced polio cases by more than 99.9% since the GPEI was established in 1988!  Only 4 wild poliovirus cases reported so far this year!
 
2024-2025 Rotary Theme 
2023-24 Rotary
Theme
Rotary International
 
 
 
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