Rotary Club of Marana Meeting; December 22, 2020
 
Announcements:
  • Richie had his birthday while battling Covid.  We all wish him speedy recovery.
  • Our club is dedicated to supporting 2 RYLA students this year. Deadline December 28th         
  • Christmas Family Update:  Mary’s bought gifts, Dan’s buying food tomorrow.  Club voted to use full amount of budget, unused money to go directly to the family.
  • Arizona Rotary Vocational Fund.  Harold spoke with us of the clubs successful relationship with the fund and recipients and encouraged us to contribute.  Contributions are deductible dollar for dollar by Arizona Dept of Revenue.
 
 
Happy Bucks:
 
  • Peter did a happy dance because he went to Kit Peak to witness the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
  • Carl enjoyed the sunset and planets at gates pass.  He was also emitting Christmas Cheer.
  • Beckie set up kitchen with table and chairs for little June.  She continues to be awed and delight in her granddaughter.
  • Lynne didn’t disappoint, telling us a clever joke.  Lynne was exposed to Covid in her office but gratefully has tested negative.  She also informed us of some exciting news; on January  1st her firm is merging with another, Goodman and Goodman.
  • Randy was relieved to discover that the stalker peering in his window last night was John.  Randy was feeling Christmas Cheer and grateful that his household is Covid-free.
  • Laura was delighted by a Holiday visit with her sister on  Sunday.  Despite living only as far as Phoenix, the two hadn’t spent time together since March.  They picnicked and visited in Casa Grande in a Culver’s parking lot.  Laura was also thrilled about Jupiter and Saturn and the Moon and pleased that many seemed to be full of wonder about our skies. 
  • Don was relieved to learn that a close cousin who is a nurse has been vaccinated. 
  • Mary was full Christmas Cheer and enchanted with the skies.
  • Bob’s family is recovering from Covid, with only the tiredness holding on.  He also admitted to succumbing to the Netflix fever; he recommended the series 24 with Keifer Sutherland.
  • Harold was pleased that his son and his wife are recovering from Covid and beginning to return to work. 
  • John was, like Don,  grateful that a family member, his daughter-in-law, a TMC nurse, received the vaccine.  He also posed a question to Carl, our optometric physicist; why do stars dances around while planets appear still?  I couldn’t follow the answer, but believe it has something to do with the density and spread of the matter.  Planets have a wider spread that averages something out that affects our vision and the apparent stability of the planet.  (apologies) 
  • Andy noticed on his drive to southern Utah that roadside Navajo stores are reopening.  He was pleased that their economy might be getting back on track.  Before leaving for Utah, Andy had a ton of fun celebrating Christmas with his grandkids.
Program:
 
Laura Introduced us to our very newest member, Andy Swarthout.  Andy carries a degree in Economic Geology from the U of A;  a degree in “prospecting”, as he puts it.  He has participated in an/or led Minerals Exploration from the tip of South America to northern points of Alaska and across the world.  In 1990 Andy accepted a 3 year assignment in Lima, Peru and ended up working and living there for 15 years.  In the Andes Highlands he discovered the largest undeveloped silver deposit in the world.  In 2000, Andy founded his company, Bear Creek Mining Corporation, from which he retired in 2017 but continues on the board.
 
Andy has had many adventures and discovered quite a number of mineral and metal deposits in his tenure.  He describes his business as high risk; with intrepid scientists, engineers, and field workers hazarding into very remote places.  His means of transportation have spanned from planes to helicopter to cars to busses to burros.  He has even survived a helicopter crash. 
 
Andy delighted in talking with us, however, not about his mining adventures, but about  the culture of his company.  Mining has a horrible legacy of indifference toward the people and environment where surface rights have been purchased.  Mining regulations have begun to move toward more responsible approaches to mining.  However, Andy’s company has led the charge with a model that stresses the company’s relationship with the public and the environment.  This model has at times put him at odds with other mining companies.  Andy illustrated this for us with, Bear Creek Mining’s relationship with the indigenous, Quechua people who live in the Andes Highlands where the company’s silver deposit is.   
 
There are approximately 25,000 Quechaus living in a 30 mile area at 18,000 feet in the Andes Highlands.  Their language predates the Incans.  They are a communal oriented, agrarian  people whose livestock mainly consists of llamas.  Their economy is based on their crops, their livestock, and wool of the llamas.  They suffer poverty, malnutrition, poor education, and high mortality rates.
 
Bear Creek Mining, Andy in particular, forged a trusting relationship with the Quechua community, listening to and coming to understand theer culture.  Over time, he had conversations with all communities members and leaders about their ways, their strengths, their wishes and  their needs.  Together the Quechuas and Andy developed a plan to bring the community out of poverty through improved health, education, and commerce.  
 
With Bear Creek Mining support, the Quechuas transformed themselves into a healthy, economically autonomous community. Bear Creek put effort and money into its success; it built green houses, schools, and bathrooms for the community at large. It also supported the development and implementation of a nutrition program in the schools and offers college scholarships.  Bear Creek even brought in a geneticist to evaluate and implement a plan for improved fiber from the Alpaca.  Subsequently, it provided business micro loans, mostly to women who have the creativity and know how to produce textiles, weavings, and clothing for sale. 
 
Quechua fiber went from bringing in $7/kilogram to $25/kilogram.  With their improved wool, business practices education provided by the Bear Creek, and microloans, Quechua women have become completely autonomous selling textiles known for being of the best quality in the region.  They even have Italian importers in their customer base. 
 
With their greenhouses and bathrooms and education about nutrition and sanitation, health has greatly improved in the Quechua community.    The mortality rate has decreased by 50%, respiratory infections by 25%, and acute infections in digestive tracts by 50%.
 
There has also been a 6-fold increase in school attendance with corresponding improved literacy rates.  There are even student who have been able to take advantage of college scholarships.
 
Andy shared beautiful pictures with us of the Quechua people and their lives.  In them it was apparent that the delight Andy exhibited in talking with us about the Quechuas was a mutual experience for them regarding Andy.  Andy, a relatively new Rotarian, is someone who built a business based on the principles of the Rotary 4-Way Test.  We are appreciative of the work he has done and proud to have him as a member. 
 
 
Submitted by Mary Straus, January 4, 2021