While Fort Collins might seem like a ground breaker, in fact we were following a trend started by the Rotary Club of Duarte, California, when in 1987 they invited 3 women to become members. Subsequently the RI board withdrew Duarte’s charter for violation of the RI constitution. The Duarte club brought suit against RI claiming violation of a state civil rights law that prevents discrimination of any form in business establishments or public accommodations. The California Supreme Court supported the Duarte position saying Rotary could not remove the club’s charter merely for inducting women. In 1987 the US Supreme Court upheld the California courts decision, ruling that Rotary Clubs do have a “business purpose” and are ‘public-type’ organizations. That 1987 Supreme Court ruling allowed women to become Rotarians in any jurisdiction having similar “public accommodation” statutes, leading to Fort Collins decision. The “male only” provision of the RI constitution was eliminated two years later, in 1989.

Shelly Godkin was president of the Rotary Club of Fort Collins during the 1987-88 year.

Please consider inviting a prospective member as a guest to our meeting on March 12 and share in the fellowship of Rotary! .

Paul Polak — founder of Colorado-based non-profit International Development enterprises (IDE)— is dedicated to developing practical solutions that attack poverty at its roots. For the past 25 years, Paul has worked with thousands of farmers in countries around the world.

Chuck Rutenberg urged members to sign up for the potluck fellowship suppers on March 14 and 28. These potluck suppers are a great way to meet and get acquainted with your fellow members and spouses.

Chuck also announced that the Board of Directors approved a policy that new Paul Harris Sustaining members would have the first $250 paid by the Club. Ask Chuck or a Board member about Sustaining Membership and the Paul Harris Fellowships.

Becky is the daughter of Susan and Daniel Hutchens, a senior at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins and holds a grade point average of 3.874. She has been involved in many of her high school clubs and organizations, like band and DECA, including leadership positions. Last fall she was selected as Homecomming Queen. She is active in community activities and service and has completed almost 20 projects as an 8-year member of the Harmony Hustlers 4-H Club. Her goal is to attend CSU majoring in Zoology and then become a veterinarian. She said that she was originally a very shy person, but that by giving demonstrations, 4-H has changed her life.

Eighty employees of the Mountain Plains Farm Credit Services serve some 2,000 customers in rural Colorado, who borrow nearly $1 billion, from offices in Greeley, Grand Junction, Montrose and Durango.

Mountain Plains belongs to a nationwide cooperative network called the Farm Credit System, consisting of five System banks and 95 affiliated associations. The system’s 10,000 employees serve nearly half a million customers who borrow some $135 billion.

Besides ensuring that agricultural producers, rural businesses and rural homebuyers have a knowledgeable, stable and reliable lender, Mountain Plains helps grow the next generation of rural entrepreneurs by supporting organizations like the Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and the Colorado Young Farmers Association with scholarships to the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.

M & M Farms was formed in 1979 as a father and son operation of Willard and Bill Markham. Bill’s great-grandfather began raising sugar beets for the Great Western Sugar Company in 1901. The Markhams currently raise sugar beets, malting barley for Coors Brewing Company, corn, alfalfa and wheat. They run 125 commercial cows on a 6,000 acre ranch in Elbert County. The cows are calved out on cornstalks in the winter.

Today M & M Farms is operated by Bill and his wife, Elizabeth. Their two children, Brett and his wife, Christina, and Jennifer Schlagel and her husband, Bruce, along with their daughters, Anna and Cate, are the future of M & M Farms.

Next Kirvin Knox introduced our honored guests of the day, including past Master Agriculturalists, followed by Milan reviewing the Colorado Department of Agriculture material on each table. This was followed by the awards, the details of which are listed elsewhere in this bulletin. Lynne Baker then awarded Paul Harris Fellowships to Bill Markham and Terry Andrews.

Milan then introduced the Key Note Speaker for this year’s program, John Stulp, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture. Commissioner Stulp started his address by describing all of his interests, experiences, and friendships with Fort Collins and CSU and even his involvement with Mountain Plains Farm Credit Services.

The purpose of his presentation was to give us a quick overview of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Basically he talked about the what, why, how, and where of the department and he showed some data about budgets and divisions. He started with the mission and budget of the department. The mission is:

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Warren and Genny Garst Wildlife Collection at CSU Click here or on the "tiger."

Rotary District 5440 Home Page - We recommend browsing this page particularly the links to other Clubs in District 5440 as your time permits.

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Copyright © by Warren Garst, Lannie Boyd and Alan Ashbaugh for the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Colorado, February 20, 2008