Under the leadership of President Bertholf, we celebrated our club’s 90th anniversary and created a 90th anniversary coin for all members. Jan also brought new life to our meetings with his PowerPoint skills, and he led the Member Directory update. We’ve each been touched by Jan, with his hearty smile, his positive attitude, and his Thank You notes and cards. Thanks Jan, for a great year.

Incoming President Melanie Chamberlain was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Georgia State University as a Journalism/Business Major while working in higher education at the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta. She spend 17 + years in Washington, D. C. , first with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and next at the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (CSU is a member). Both organizations represent higher education on national policy issues. She left Washington, D. C. and moved to Fort Collins when she married Ray Chamberlain (they have one surviving son, Tracy Chamberlain).

After moving to Colorado she earned a real estate license and managed several shopping centers while working with Mitchell & Co. Her career as a Travel Consultant began when she became Director of Corporate & Business Development for Travel Connection (now known as Frosch International Travel). Melanie joined The Rotary Club of Fort Collins on February 22, 1989. Her sponsor was Shelly Godkin. She was first elected to the Board of Directors in 1984. Ray was called back to Washington, D. C. to help with the $250 billion reauthorization of the Federal transportation funding, so Melanie resigned her Board membership and left for 4-1/2 years to once again live in Washington, D. C. When she returned to Fort Collins from Washington, she was sponsored for membership in the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, this time by John-David Sullivan. Once again she was elected to the Board of Directors, where she has served for the past three years.

In addition Melanie has also served on numerous committees in the Club and Chaired the Foundation Committee for the past several years.

Outgoing President Jan Bertholf retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, US Army before joining The Group Inc. Real Estate in Fort Collins. Jan received his BA in History/Mathematics from Texas A&M (a real ‘Aggie’), and his MS in Geography/Planning (emphasis Middle East) from South Dakota State University. Jan and wife JJ, have four children and two grandchildren.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

A club picnic sometime this summer with John Matsushima cooking the usual steaks.
A Garage Sale on September 19th at the Harmony Presbyterian Church.
The Wine Basket Raffle in December similar to what we did last year.
A fellowship event called "A Dickens Christmas" to be held on December 5th at the Country Club. Cost will be $55 per person.

Sign-up sheets will be on the tables for the next few weeks asking for volunteers and participants.

Special "Gift Card" Fundraiser Information
Dawn Davis gave a report on the "Gift Card" fundraiser. She said that she now can get "gift cards" for King Soopers due to the generosity of Dan Mackey and Bill Schaffter, who loaned the club the money to purchase the initial $5,000 worth of cards. Dawn also said that orders and payment can be done on the internet. For payment on the internet, there will be a $0.39 charge per transaction. She passed out sheets with the web address for those who choose to use the internet for orders and payment. Please join the effort and remember to bring your orders and checkbooks.

Earning a Blue Badge
Hugh Davis has completed the requirements for his blue badge. President Jan made the presentation.

July Birthdays

03	Bob Everitt	20	Ben Canda	28	Karl Stefan
04	Myra Monfort-Runyan	20	Bill Cook	29	Gary Amato
11	Dawn Davis	22	Gary McFaddin	30	Jerry Kennell
13	Bill Moellenhoff	22	Bob Powell
18	Marge Norskog	28	Kelly Kesler

Happy Birthday Rotarians, welcome guests.

Her second book, "Dancing in Combat Boots," contains characters such as a Red Cross worker on the front lines, an artist who made sketches of hundreds of wounded warriors, and many other women with whom she talked during the eight years it took her to complete the book.

Then, having discovered that young people knew hardly anything about the war but were eager to learn, she went to work on the first of her childrens' series. With stories again based on real people, Teresa is planning to do six books in all, including details of experiences in Japanese internment camps. Deciding that even this plan was not enough, Teresa created in a powerpoint display a way to bring World War II to the classroom. She showed the program, a magnificent series of photographs from the 1940's that showed marching soldiers, explosions, and how the children of the period helped by planting and harvesting crops and also by collecting scrap rubber and metals for reuse in building warships. There were pictures of Japanese/American kids sent to camps, photos of teenagers working in factories, and of Boy Scouts in uniform, all showing how the children of World War II did their part to help.

After ending by saying how important it is to preserve these and other stories, Teresa requested that anyone who had a story to tell could send it in 150 words or less to her web site where it would be kept and made available. In all, she is a brilliant writer and speaker who thoroughly impressed the entire audience.

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

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Copyright © by Lannie Boyd and Alan Ashbaugh for the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Colorado, July 8, 2009