ROTARY CLUB OF MARANA
MEETING MINUTES 5-23-17
Submitted by Randy Brooks, Secretary
Meeting opened by President Mary Straus with the pledge and a thoughtful moment by President Elect Jo Holt. I am adding more titles today for new members that may be trying to figure out who is who in the club. 
We had 76% of our members attend today.  Guests included Amber Mathewson, Director of the Pima County Libraries, our potential new member Bob Bishop s and Fred Fox of the Presidio Club of Tucson.
REMINDER: WE ARE DARK NEXT WEEK. INSTEAD OF A MEETING WE WILL BE HOLDING A CLUB SOCIAL AT THE THUNDER MOUNTAIN BREWERY IN THE FOOTHILLS MALL AT 5:30 PM THAT EVENING.  PLEASE LET JO HOLT KNOW IF YOU ARE NOT ATTENDING.
Reminder President Elect Jo will be having her installation 27 June 2017 at our regular club meeting. Please invite your family, friends and business friends to this important event.
The 20th of June, President Mary Straus, will be conducting her last meeting and plans to find ways to thank the club for service to our community and for supporting her this past year.  Congratulations to both of these fine leaders.
This past weekend, President Mary, Secretary Elect John Dooling, Don Jorgensen President Nominee Designate Eric Miller  and PDG Randy Brooks attended the district assembly.  We encourage all of you to attend these district level training opportunities whenever possible.  It makes us a more effective club and we find ourselves engaged at new levels. 
Bob Bishop informed the club that he is marrying his fiancé, July 22, in Sedona, AZ.  Congratulations Bob.
 
President Mary inducted the following new members:
            Richie Benner, (John is his mentor) and promptly assigned him to the task of social media for the club. Richie is a lifelong Tucsonan, graduated from Marana High School and is Director of the Boy Scouts in this region.  Welcome Richie.
            Lori  Malagone (Mentor is Tony Hunter), M.Ed., is Executive Director of Arizona Youth Partnership.  This organization works statewide. Lori is also a lifelong resident of Tucson and graduated from Mountain View High School. She is a wonderful young lady that will benefit our club for years to come. I said young because both of these new members are millennials. She will be assigned to community service.
Bob Bishop will be voted on today for membership by the board of directors. He is  CEO and President of Aerial Productions, Inc. He is a former Rotarian from Oregon. Bob will be voted on today by the board and members will have a week to respond with any concerns.  He has attended three meetings and based on approval is eligible to join.  Don’t forget we will have our meeting June 6 at his place of business at 7 AM. The address is 3865 N Business Center Drive., Suite 101, Tucson, AZ. Phone number is 520-682-1281.  He has promised to allow Mary and Jo fly the aircraft that he designs and builds at his facility.
We are dark because of the social next week but a few of us are meeting at 8 AM at the site of last year’s El Tour de Tucson aide station to discuss with Perimeter Cycling where we might be placed next year.
The raffle was promptly won and lost by Denise.  We all felt terrible for her lack of luck.
Tonight is the MCAT High School graduation. Several of us are attending and having dinner first at Nana’s Kitchen.  It will be fun and is always moving. The ceremony is at 7 PM and dinner at 5:30.
We learned today that our club is eligible for the presidential citation after two members and the two new members made a donation to the annual programs fund of Rotary International Foundation.  Congratulations to the club and thank you Mary for your leadership this past year.
OK….. Finally to our guest speaker:
 
Amber Matheewson, Director, Pima County Libraries can be reached at 520-594-5650 or write her at amber.mathewson@pima.gov.   Amber raised from being a customer service clerk to being the director of 26 libraries.  She fell in love with books when she was 8 years old and foraging through the books at the bookmobile in her community. Libraries are “America’s great equalizer.” Any ethnicity, age, sex culture can enter and obtain a free library card and obtain educational and entertainment material. She has an “Impact Plan” that included Education, connected learning, and community outreach.
Education: Improve early literacy, career study HS diploma as opposed to GED.  She expressed concern that graduation rates are diminishing in Arizona.  Connected learning: learn about business, and economic development. Connect to compete: Computer education.  25% of households do not have a computer but they can use one at the library and the library donated 50 computers last year to needy families.
Community: you can check out plan and vegetable seeds (you don’t have to return them).  They hold arts and cultural events.  You may rent a space for your community meeting for no charge.  There is a library nurse program.  The nurse give educational presentations and refers people to treatment providers.  They hold ESL classes, summer reading program and give books to kids that work throughout the summer.
I am very impressed with our library and of Amber.  Thank you so much for this presentation. 
 
Meeting adjourned.