The 13th Annual Bike for Shelter to support kids at Watson Children's Shelter is May 18th.  Here is the link to register for the event.   http://www.bikeforshelter.com/   This is a great fellowship and family time.

Pictured are Rotaract end of year barbecue on May 2nd.   About 9 of the group will be doing one last end of the year activity that Martha set up for them.   Grizzly Hackle is donating fly fishing lessons for the group on Saturday May 11th from 1-4 pm at Dunrovin Ranch in Lolo.   If anyone loves to fly fish and help teach these novice students how to fly fish, don't hesitate to contact Martha.    This year we recruited 3 new members that are young professionals in various businesses in Missoula.   If you have young under 30 employees that wish to join Rotaract, please contact Martha Ripley.

Welcome to three new board members for the 2013-14 year.

Leslie Wustrack - Leslie heads up marketing and PR for the Missoula Airport. She's been a two time Rotarian of the year in Omaha, traveled to India to immunize children against polio and helped found and develop a pre-school for the deaf in Leon, Nicaruagu through Rotary. In addition to her many professional accomplishments she is a proud Mom of an aerospace engineer and attorney.

Bob Homer - Long time controller at Bitterroot Motors and currently the United Way of Missoula Director of Operations. Bob has given a tremoundous amount to community institutions including but not limited to: YMCA, Missoula Chamber, the Fairgrounds, College of Visual and Performing Arts (UM), Camp Make A Dream, Urban Transportation Board, Missoula Symphony and the Missoula Art Museum. Whew! Oh and Rotary!

Sten Sohlberg - President of Jones Brother Trucking - a former Rotary board member and honored to serve a second time. Like Bob, Sten has served on numerous boards and wanted to get back to Rotary due to the impact our club has had and will continue to have locally and internationally.

John Talbot has been involved with Rotary since 1963.  Both he and his wife Susan have done so much for the Missoula Community throughout the years.   He and his wife are being honored with a honory doctorate.   Here is the story from the Missoulian if you missed reading about it.   Congratulations John for your continued service above self.

Two of our Rotaract members received Paul Harris awards from the Hamilton Club for their participation with the Interact Club in Corvallis.   They did a presentation on table manners.   They are both great representatives of service above self.

Two Paul Harris Awards were given out at the March 27th meeting to a couple of our distinguished retired members.   Repeat Paul Harris Fellows are Lyle Grimes (6) and David Diggs (5).   Lyle is a retired banker and has been in Rotary since 1983.   David is a retired orthodontist and joined Rotary in 1953.   His son Briar is also a long time Rotary member.  

Our Rotaract club is doing such a great job with activities out in the Community.   Last weekend they spent time with caring for cats at the Human Society on Saturday and on Sunday they did shifts at the International Food Festival.   Here are some pictures of them at Children's World.

Dr. Patrick Robins joined Rotary in July 1976 and for 37 years served Rotary with dignity and grace.   He will be remembered fondly by all.   Here is the obituary from the Missoulian which outlines his life.   Connor shared a story about his sister remembering a fishing trip with Pat and Jean shared some thoughts at the meeting March 20th.   Pat was always positive and lived his life serving others in his medical field, church, family and life.  

Pictured is our new member Kevin Bateman an expert in Wealth Management.  Before he was a member he helped hand out dictionaries to 3rd graders.    

Dolores Bandow, Lewis Matelich and Ron Bender each  received their second Paul Harris on January 30th.  Thanks for your generous donation to the Rotary Foundation.   

LISA CORRIGAN – ROTARY BIO

Lisa Corrigan joined First Montana Bank in May 2011 as Senior Vice President of Operations and Information Technology.  She relocated to Missoula from Jackson Hole Wyoming with her husband, Rick Nelson, who is an attorney in private practice.  Previously, she lived in Juneau, Alaska for many years and raised two sons there.  She is a cum laude graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.  Personal interests include music (Lisa is a classically trained mezzo soprano), hiking and skiing. Lisa’s Rotary life began in 1987, not long after women were first allowed into Rotary.  She is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and has served Rotary in many capacities over the years, including President of the Juneau Rotary Club in 2002-2003.  Active membership in the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole included chairing the Wine Fest Silent Auction Committee.  Highlights of her Rotary experience include attending a Rotary International Conference in Barcelona, Spain and District Conference in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories.  She looks forward to Rotary fellowship and service in Missoula.

Welcome to our new member Beth Hammock from the University of Montana Foundation.   She was introduced by Doug Klein on January 23rd.   Below is information about Beth from their website.   

What does the Rotary Foundation mean to me?  The Rotary Foundation – like Rotary – allows me to be part of something larger than myself.  Through the Rotary Foundation I can help people as close as my own town or as far away as the other side of the world.  While it might be difficult to make a difference with an individual contribution standing alone, the Rotary Foundation allows individuals to combine their efforts to make an enormous impact for good.  

Julie Sirrs

My favorite volunteer activity with Rotary is distributing dictionaries to 3rd graders each year.   Pictured are Scott, Kurt, Martha, Kevin and Betty who went to Hellgate Elementary.   Everyone was smiling and the kids all said "thank you".   Many thanks to Bruce Whitehead the school principal who gave us his own tour of his artwork and presented us with hand designed note cards.   Also a big thanks to Wayne for organizing the delivery of over 400 dictionaries to 16 schools and all the Rotarians who helped out.    

The sustaining membership is by far the best way to gain a Paul Harris Fellow. It is very simple and very painless. I am so supportive of the work that Rotary does around the world and Our community. I can Trust my investment in Rotary knowing that my contribution will be well used and serve the most people possible. People I do not know and probably never will. But The calling of Rotary transcends that Need to know for me because the organization is bonded under the banner of the 4 way test and the peace in the world that is so desperately needed. Service above self, is a part of why I give even though I may not know where it goes. All I know is the more we can help people to sustain themselves the better our world will be. So many of Rotary’s program are designed for just that, helping people to learn how to help themselves to  be able to provide for their families and the communities in which they reside. It lifts not only the individual, but the masses as well. I assure you this world has been well served by Rotary in many ways ,and it has truly made a difference where absents of help would have perpetuated miserable circumstances. IT is well worth the effort to be a sustaining member and support the Rotary Foundation. 

Past President Kevin Miltko was awarded his 5th Paul Harris on January 9th.  Thanks Kevin for your continued service to Rotary.

This is the 4th Paul Harris Award for David Mihalic.   Thanks for all you do for Rotary.

 Wow this is Dudley's 7th Paul Harris Award.   Thanks Dudley for your service and giving spirit.

On December 5th Connor did a presentation regarding the Tom Roy Youth Homes project.    The club voted on this as our local fundraising project for the year.    Our club is charged with raising $7,500 in order to get a matching grant from Rotary.   Make checks payable to the Rotary Foundation and make sure you note it is for the Youth Homes.    Here is a picture of the current home and some information from the Youth Home website about the current home.  What made this day even more special was having Tom Roy come and sing with Paul a Beatles tune!   For more information about the project don't hesitate to talk to fellow Rotarian Geoff Birnbaum.