This is the newsletter for the Iowa City AM Rotary for the meeting held Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

 

In the interests of being international and youth oriented President Patton quoted from a quotes from 1st grade teacher in So. Africa who asked her students to finish the sentences with whatever came to mind:

Don’t change course… while running.

It is always dark… before daylight savings time.

Don’t bite the hand… that looks dirty.

An idle mind… is the best way to relax.

A penny saved is… not much.

Two’s company… three’s the Musketeers.

If at first you don’t succeed… get new batteries.

When the blind lead the blind… get out of the way.

Better late than… pregnant.

It was French Breakfast day again, thanks to our member Valerie.

Rotarians in the News: Dave Parsons had another great article in the Press Citizen, this one about a high functioning hoarder.

We will be trying out a new sharing activity of each member picking a country that is little known to us and talking about what Rotary is doing in that country.  Pick from the list that is going around or check with Myrene Hoover.  Brad Langguth started this activity with Malta.  There are 3 Rotary clubs and 181 members in Malta, a small country south of Sicily.  Malta is 122 sq. miles, and is one of the smallest and most densely populated countries in the world. Malta is a member of the EU but was a British Colony for many years.  It is a popular tourist destination. 

Karin Franklin informed us how to become a downtown ambassador.  Volunteers take turns a couple hours per shift around some event where people are in town from elsewhere in large numbers, such as freshman orientation, just to help newcomers get oriented around downtown.  Volunteers from Rotary wear a vest with the Rotary wheel so it is good advertising for Rotary as well.  Talk to Karin about being put on a list.

Get Moving for Healthy Kids that AM Rotary helped to sponsor is coming up Sunday, Aug 24.

Pat Schnack read a text from her granddaughter who at the time was attending RYLA.  She called it life-changing.

Liz Loeb presented our speaker, Carrie Watson, with an award to recognize her many years of service as the Interact Advisor at City High.  She also directed 21 teens at Xicotepec this past Spring Break, easily the largest number of high school students who have attended a Xicotepec work trip to date.  Taking over as Advisor will be Lora Lalla, a City High Spanish teacher and Phil Lalla who is a science teacher.  They have been coming to meetings and have met with the executive council of Interact.

Carrie Watson talked about Xicotepec.  She attended with her son on Spring Break 2014.  The first day gave a great cultural exposure to the community as they got to wander around town freely and visit the market. The students got piñatas to give to kids at two or three orphanages.  The interaction between the teens from Iowa and the kids from Xiotepec was fun to see. In addition, the Iowa kids got to work alongside Interact/Rotaract students from Xiotepec and neighboring communities. The students from the school being painted also came out to help as a way of gaining ownership to the improvements to their school.

The students helped with numerous projects.  They helped to deworm over 3000 kids.  The kids helped the dental students with fluoride treatments.  They painted seven classrooms and the outside of both buildings, and they worked on a bathroom and water purification system for one of the schools. 

There was lots of interacting.  They played games with kids from Xiotepec, and drew lots of pictures with chalk. This was a combined group from City High and West High, a good opportunity for students from the two schools to work together.  The students collected kids’ shoes and donated two pairs to every member of one orphanage.  They also donated a lot of books and toys and also donated beds and dog food for a dog living with the sisters who staff the school who were living in primitive conditions.  The students also noticed that one of the orphanages was cramped and very hot, so they bought some fans in town and brought them to the school.

This was last year of a scholarship program for one teacher to go to Xicotepec with expenses paid by the committee.  Carrie gave a plug for it to continue because it is so important for someone who understands kids to take a leadership role in supervising the students who come on the trip. 

Liz Nichols

Scribe