The Lamplighter 
Rotary Club of Parker
September 4, 2021
Check Out the Website
Don't forget to check out the club's website at parkerrotary.org for the latest news and updates to our club calendar.
Invitation September 9 -- Zoom Webinar with Open World Delegation from Ukraine

Dear Rotarian & Friends,

I am very excited to announce that the Open World Congressional Office in Washington is organizing a "reunion" with our 2018 great Delegation we had as guests from Ukraine. As you remember, we organized a high-level one week program for these Delegates from the country of Ukraine and the topic was Fire & Rescue. They were guests in some of our Rotarians' homes and thanks to many of you and to the South Metro Fire & Rescue Department, we were able to create a very successful, dynamic, intensive, useful and educational program for these Fire & Rescue Delegates from Ukraine.

In attendance will be Officers from Open World and the American Council in Washington, from Rotary International in Evanston, IL, the Hosting Families, the Delegates from Ukraine, the Presenters like Chiefs Bob Baker and Jerry Rhodes from SMFR Department, the Chief of Parker Police or someone appointed by him and myself will welcome and discuss some hot topics of interest like "How Climate Natural Disasters and the Pandemic Emergencies are handled in the USA and in Ukraine."

Therefore, YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND to this ZOOM WEBINAR, but you must REGISTER IN ADVANCE at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E1tS1zvIQT62ly1JLMzwDw

After you register you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Zoom Webinar:

When: September 9, 2021 09:00 - 11:00 a.m. Denver Time

TOPIC: Open World Parker, CO -- Ukraine Virtual Alumni Program

I personally invite you to Register and Attend this important Webinar. Thank you!

Alvaro

Final Gardening of the Season at Praying Hands Ranch -- Saturday, September 18

We have one last gardening morning for the season planned at Praying Hands Ranch on Saturday, September 18 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.  We'll make one last assault on the weeds and put down mulch.   

Dress to get dirty, and please bring

  • Work gloves

  • A weeding tool if you have one

  • A kneeling pad

  • A collection bucket, such as a 5-gallon Home Depot bucket

Don’t worry if you can’t tell a weed from a flower – there are plenty of locations we can place you to keep you out of trouble!

Here is the gardening crew from August 28:

The ranch is located at 11892 Hilltop Rd, Parker, CO 80134.  The green arrow points to the location of the gardens on the property; the blue arrow points to the area you can park.  If by chance the front gate is closed, continue to S. Delbert Road and use the side access road shown on the map.  Also, if you come in the front gate and past the indoor arena, you can ignore the No Cars sign to access the gardens.

 
 

You do not need to RSVP.  Feel free to bring along family members! If you have any questions, please contact Ron Sorlien (rssorlien@msn.com) or Susan Gustin (sjgustin@comcast.net).

Service Opportunty -- Parker's September Wine Walk

We are still looking for a few volunteers to help with the downtown Parker Wine Walk on Friday, September 24 from 4:30-7:30 p.m.  You can sign up online:

  • Go to the online club Calendar

  • Click on the Wine Walk on September 24

  • Click on the Members online registration link

We will meet at the new Chamber of Commerce offices in the courtyard of the Parker Station building (Suite R16) in downtown Parker.  Wear your Rotary regalia; Dan will bring our vibrant yellow Rotary vests!

Questions?  Contact Dan O’Neill (Odie2450@Comcast.net)

Thank You -- Shelter Boxes for Haiti
Thank you to all who contributed to purchase Shelter Boxes for Haiti in response to the August 14 earthquake.  Your contributions will enable us to send FOUR Shelter Boxes!
Sign Up on the Duty Roster

We need your help!  There are a variety of tasks that need doing for EVERY one of our meetings.  These tasks range from picking up the coffee or providing food to leading the Pledge of Allegiance or providing a Rotary minute.

In the old days we signed up for Duty Roster tasks on a clipboard passed around at meetings -- and then had to remember to note that we had signed up so we didn't forget.  Now we have an online Duty Roster sign-up system.  Just go to our club website at parkerrotary.org and click on Duty Roster at the top of the screen. Choose the date/task, and you'll get a reminder email!  Easy-peasy.

Peach/Pear Sale Summary

Thank you to all who helped create a successful peach sale, whether you handed out peaches on August 28 or advertised the sale to your friends and neighbors.  We sold a total of 230 boxes of peaches and 51 boxes of pears and will net about $2500 in support of our club’s service projects.

A Social Evening

Rotarians and guests were able to gather at Pradera Country Club for an evening social on August 28.  A terrific time was had by all!  To view a slide show of the event, click here.

Inspiration – Poems to Counteract Ageism

For the Inspiration at the September 2 meeting, Deann Olson presented two poems written in response to a challenge by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County on Changing the Narrative: Ending Ageism Together.  The poems, written by Rotarian Ron Saatjian and Deann’s daughter Susan Fikany, appear below.

If you feel inspired by the poems that Deann presented, you can still write and enter a poem yourself through September 15.   For more information, see https://changingthenarrativeco.org/every-age-counts-poetry/

 

The Wrinkle of my Skin, by Ron Saatjian

Judge me not by the wrinkle of my skin,

 But by the vast experience residing within;

Come to me when you don’t know,

  For I have likely seen it before;

Ask me how we handled it,

 And how we would do it better this time;

Ask me what is important because I have learned,

 That service to others is what really matters;

How can I help?  You may be surprised;

 Value my age, my wrinkles are prized!

 

Too Young to Be Old, by Susan Fikany

Take this moment

So opportune

Now is the time

To learn a new tune.

Hobbies abundant

More time to give

Encouraging others

To get up and live.

Playing a game

Still able to win

So much activity

Will make a head spin.

A beautiful person

A radiant soul

Lives by the motto

“I’m too young to be old.”

Youth Protection 2021-2022

We all have the responsibility as Rotarians to protect the youth and other at-risk populations we come in contact with from harassment or abuse.  Club President Jim Muir outlined some of those procedures in our August 19 meeting; the policies, training and procedures are also available on our website.  All club members should review these policies; club members who have more extensive contact with youth or at-risk populations may have to fulfill more specific requirements such as trainings and background checks.

Please visit our website at https://parkerrotary.org/page/youth-services-welcome-page for more information on the training requirements and links to training/resources from District 5450 and Rotary International.  We all have the responsibility to protect as we serve.

If You Miss a Meeting...

Just a reminder that if you miss a meeting, you can go to the club Calendar online, click on the meeting date, and get more information about the program.  We are working to provide information such as the speaker's bio, links to websites, and links to the PowerPoint presentation where possible. 

So, for example, if you missed the fascinating presentation on November 4 about the Crisis Center and their work to end domestic violence through advocacy, education, and prevention, 

  • Go to the club Calendar online

  • Click on November 4

  • Get links to the website for the Crisis Center and the PowerPoint presentation by Jennifer Walker, Executive Director. 

 

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