In Guatemala, where club members helped build a Habitat for Humanity house and the epicenter for the Dengue Fever projects, Christmas is celebrated with an elaborate procession that includes several religious statues ending with an image representing God as a white-bearded man. Nacimientos or manger scenes, are displayed in churches and public arenas with the Christ child added Christmas Eve. Festivities end at midnight with a Misa de Gallo or the Mass of the Rooster.

Christians in India, where our own P.K. Vendanthan centers many of his world health projects, decorate banana or mango trees. They also light small oil-burning lamps as Christmas decorations and fill their churches with poinsettias. Presents are given to family members and baksheesh, or charity, to the poor. In South India, Christians put small clay lamps on the rooftops and walls of their houses, just as the Hindus do during their festival called Diwali.

Regardless of traditions, our club will celebrate Christmas with fellowship in the Rotary spirit of the holidays.

2008-09 Officer Nominees
Jan Bertholf President, elected last year	President Elect Designate Melanie Chamberlain for 2009/2010	Donal Johnson Secretary	Bart Kingham Treasurer

2008-2011 Directors Elected for three year terms
Garth McCann	Tanis Roeder

New Web Site

Mark thanked Rotary for their recognition for something he is passonate about but also humbled to reqresent the staff at Rocky. When asked why he teaches, he says it is because it gives him the opportunity to, "make a difference." He and his wife have two children and he said that he is lucky that they all like football and support him when the team wins or looses.

He indicated that his challenge is influencing and guiding students when they are dealing with conflict or when adversity strikes. That is when the opportunity to make a difference is greatest and the most needed.

Barbara Jones

Barbara Jones' classification is psychology. She grew up in Missouri and obtained a degree in education from the University of Missouri. While at the university she met a medical student, Bill Jones who is also a member of our club. They were married after graduation. She taught briefly, but after moving to Fort Collins and getting their two sons to school age she started to work for her psychology degrees at CSU. Bob Titley was her mentor at CSU.

While she has clients of wide ranging needs, her strong interest is in the integration of Christianity, spirituality and psychology. Her disertation was titled, "Anger Psychology and Biblical Perspective." She has published a book titled, "Mary, The Mother of Jesus."

One interesting adventure in Barbara's and Bill's lives was a six month tour around Europe in a Volkswagon bus many years ago.

Michael Stradt

1. Merit Badge University occurs on the first two Saturdays of January, 8:00 to 12:00 am.
2. Rotarians volunteer to teach or assist in a class room setting in one of 20-24 merit badges being offered. The list of badges is distributed in November along with a merit badge book and computer codes to help the instructors plan their presentation.
3. Other Rotarians may volunteer to work the second Saturday by reviewing and checking off homework boys need to do for some badge requirements.
4. Rotarians may determine if the boys may follow up with the Rotarian to complete any remaining requirements after the two one hour sessions or just continue through Boy Scout channels.

Members can find information about all committees by visiting the online list of all of the club's committees on the web at: FC Rotary Club Committees

The Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform was created to study and establish health care reform models for expanding coverage, especially for the underinsured and uninsured, and to decrease health care costs for Colorado residents. The Commission is charged with:

• Examining health coverage and reform models 'designed to ensure access to affordable coverage for all Colorado residents;
• Soliciting comprehensive reform proposals from interested parties;
• Selecting between three and five proposals for in-depth technical assessment by an independent contractor;
• Holding meetings around the state to solicit public input; and
• Completing a final report with recommendations to the General Assembly by January 31, 2008.

The Commission's goal is to increase coverage and reduce cost and has adopted the following principles to guide its work:

• Protect and improve the health status of all Coloradans.
• Expand coverage of essential health care services for all Coloradans, with an emphasis on the uninsured and underinsured.
• Align incentives to provide high-quality, cost-effective and coordinated care.
• Support a system that is financially viable, sustainable and fair.
• Provide opportunities for meaningful choice and encourage personal responsibility.
• Emphasize wellness, prevention, health education and consumer empowerment.

The Commission received 31 proposals to meet the goals set by the General Assembly and reduced that number to four that they will recommend to the Assembly. The four selected were intentionally picked to provide different schemes to meet the goals. Since the presentation was filled with lots of information that cannot be effectively summarized here, I will include some web pages for club members to get more information about this important subject.

Links for more information:

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.

Return to top of this Rotogear page

Return/Go to Rotary Club of Fort Collins page

Copyright © by Warren Garst, Lannie Boyd and Alan Ashbaugh for the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Colorado, December 12, 2007