Our speaker this week will be Maureen O'Toole, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, which encompasses eastern Oregon and most of Idaho. We've probably all been touched by the Girl Scouts at one time or another, either through membership or eating their cookies! Come find out how they're preparing our young women for adulthood. Visit their website here.
Work is moving at a rapid pace, or at least it seems that way. We think they will be moving the monument next week. We'll all keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't fall apart! It will be up to the city History & Art Dept to determine how much rehab it needs. On Tuesday, after our meeting, we'll take a walking tour of the project, just to make sure they're doing it right. We'll meet at the end of Americana Terrace at about 1:30. Wear appropriate shoes, it will be muddy.
Our program last week was awesome! A group of five very impressive young people from "Team Tators" brought their award winning robot. They are involved in a national competition in a program called "FIRST Robotics" (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). These kids represented the team of 20-30 kids in the 9-12 grades at different schools around the valley. Check out these two websites: FIRST and TEAMTATORS. If you'd like to support these kids with a donation, send your contribution to the Boise Schools Foundation.
And here's exciting news: Boise will host its first Regional Robotics Competition a Taco Bell Arena March 31-April 2, 2016. At last count, there were 25 teams coming from all over the West. You can learn more about that here.
Posted by Janice Fulkerson, President
on Nov 29, 2015
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT -THIS IS BIG! Rotary International has awarded Boise Metro Rotary the opportunity to host an Open World delegation in 2016. Boise Metro will be hosting a Russian delegation in October 2016.
The Open World program is managed by Rotary International and funded by the U.S. Congress. The participating clubs host five Russian civic leaders in their communities and develop a program around a particular theme. The Boise Metro theme is in Innovation/Entrepreneurship.
The Open World programs original purpose was to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Russia by introducing emerging Russian leaders to their U.S. counterparts. The program has recently been expanded to countries across the former Soviet Union, and it now also emphasizes professional development and cultural exchange. There are five delegates - 4 delegates and 1 translator - who will experience work with Rotarians in their daily work routines, participate in community and cultural activities.
Last Saturday’s Ride to End Polio NOW (part of Tour de Tucson) was a great success!!
Here are a few highlights:
I surpassed my pledge goals by raising $3206, because of your support.
Rotary, with matches from both Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, raised over $7M from that ride: INCREDIBLE!
There were over 7000 riders in the Tour de Tucson pedaling for various non-profits:
91 Rotarians rode in the event to End Polio NOW: some traveling great distances- one from India and one from the Philippines!
Boise supplied 4 Rotarian riders: Mary Reiman, Don Reiman, Jeff Larsen, and Cahill Jones: we all rode the full 104 miles in 77 degrees under sunny skies: a beautiful day!
We all crossed two dry river beds, carrying our bikes!
I can’t thank you enough for making the Ride to End Polio the success that it was. You have supported me so that others may WALK. It is estimated that with continued efforts, the wild polio virus will be erased from the face of the earth by 2018. 100% of your $26 donation is tax-deductible and will be used for ‘boots on the ground’ efforts to eradicate polio! Please use this email for your tax record receipt.
With your support and continued efforts to immunize every last child, YOU will be part of history when the planet becomes polio-free!
This holiday, give gifts that give twice…I mean three times! Dunia Marketplace, in Boise’s historic Hyde Park, is Idaho’s only Fair Trade store. They have a large inventory of goods handmade by artisans in developing countries—such as Sierra Leone and Guatemala, where we have international service connections—as well as local non-profits like Artisans For Hope and Create Common Good. Buying their handicrafts provides living wages, supports communities and cooperatives with jobs and clean water, and keeps kids in school.
But that’s not all! Do your shopping on December 2 from 5:00 to 9:00 because it’s Polio Plus Night. Fifteen percent of your purchase will be donated to the Rotary International Polio Plus fund. We are “this close” to eradicating that cruel disease. So your purchases will make a difference on many levels, in many parts of the world. Tell a friend and help spread the word! We’ll have Rotary fellowship and snacks and a fire pit blazing on the patio, too.
In addition to the crew from Team Tators, our guests last week were Hank Ebert, Rylee Bosch, Casey Clark, Ian Wallace, Marta Dinwiddie, Brian McCoy, Max, Lucas and Maria Schubin and Craig Cornwall...... they all came to see the robot........watch for a field trip for next week's meeting - to the Mexican Consulate..... we sure have lots of hunters in the group..its an Idaho thing ...............Dave Gott and Pres. Janice attended last week's Rotary Foundation Seminar about grants......congratulations to Schubins! Best wishes for many happy years in your new home...they didn't really move........We asked the kids last week what they were thankful for - Max Schubin said "my parents...because they give me food and water"....... the District bulletin came out today, too...be sure to see it.............We're at the Botanical Gardens on Dec 29th.......... this issue has a video clip in the robot article. My browser won't open it...maybe yours will? If not, follow the link to YouTube..........
This holiday, give gifts that give twice…I mean three times! 
