Once again, we pulled it off. I often wonder how a few administrators, a bunch a business owners, a handful of bankers and mortgage brokers, a couple of English majors, a police officer (okay, we know how he does it) and various chiropractors and nurses pull off a 2-day country music festival, and I think the answer is because we like each other and we respect each other.
And everyone always wants to know how many tickets we sold and much money we made. David and Lori are furiously crunching the numbers, and if you come to Thursday's meeting you might get a hint. But here's the thing: Rotary is a service organization, and if we determine success strictly by the numbers, we will be disappointed every year. You only need to stand by the concert bowl gate and thank our fans as they leave on Saturday night to realize what an impact we make. The economic boost to Farmington businesses alone is enough to keep going. Ask the FHS video class students Lori arranged to run the Jumbotron for $10 an hour what kind of an impact we made on them. I would argue we need to judge our success not on numbers alone, but also on service to our community.
Here's something else to consider; We took a huge leap with our budget this year. I remember other years we've taken a huge leap with this event and we've always taken a step backwards in our profit. But then the event grows and the next few years are even more successful. So stay tuned. The story is only beginning.
September 21 brings one of our favorite meetings of the year. We'll spend our time together filling backpacks with all the essentials for school children at the mission of Friends of Chimbote in Peru. Poor families served by the mission are simply not able to provide their children with the required uniform, shoes and school supplies to attend school. And that's where Farmington Rotary steps in. Veronica Miller, Farmington Rotarian Steve Miller's wife is from Chimbote, so this service project is near and dear to our hearts. It's also a blast, so come to our meeting at Celt's on Sept. 21. Bring a friend and introduce him or her to Rotary. Many hands make light work!
Acronyms sometimes make me feel like I'm back in middle school and not part of the "in crowd." Those who use an acronym are obviously in the know, and it leaves the rest of us standing around feeling like everyone knows the secret code except us.
Well, feel left out no more! Come to our Sept. 28 meeting and hear Josh Solinger talk about all things FBA. That acronym could mean so many things, right? Football Boosters Association. Funny Bunny Area. Fishing Bonanza Accomplice. Fickle Butterflies Abound. I could go on and on. No really, I like words. I could spend hours with a dictionary and a thesaurus putting together interesting and nonsensical combinations of words.
But in this case, FBA stands for Farmington Business Association. Come hear what it can do for your business and how to get involved. Guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.
A wrap-up meeting for Ramble Jam will be held on Wed., Sept. 27 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall in downtown Farmington. Security Specialists will join us.
It's important that committee chairs attend this meeting with notes and feedback from your area. If you are unable to attend, please email your feedback to Lori prior to this meeting.
Also, planning has already begun for 2018. This is the time to step up and get involved if you have suggestions for improvements. We still have key committee positions that need a chair: these are jobs Lori handles from year-to-year and really shouldn't, but she does it because no one else will. It's nothing scary – it's just important to get on board now so you have the background and knowledge to be effective. Reach out to Lori to get more information.
In case you missed the announcement in last week's Source, please welcome Nicholas Rahrich and Natalie Schultz to Farmington Rotary. Both actively helped with Ramble Jam and were voted in as members at the Sept. 19 board meeting.
Nick is the business banking officer at Roundbank in Farmington, and recently moved to Lakeville from Bismarck, North Dakota with his wife Niclole. He likes to travel, golf, play frisbee golf and spend time with family. Nick was introduced to Rotary by Leshia.
Natalie is the branch sales manager at Roundbank in Farmington and was encouraged to join Rotary by Krysia. She lives in Farmington with her family and husband James, and enjoys camping, football and fishing.
If their commitment to Ramble Jam is any indication, both Nick and Natalie will make great Rotarians. Please be sure to warmly welcome them to our club.
Only four days after Ramble Jam, Farmington Rotarians were already hard at work again packing backpacks for Friends of Chimbote in Chimbote, Peru. After a week of total and utter exhaustion, this annual service project is only one reminder of why we practically kill ourselves for four days each year. Seems like a good trade off, huh?
Also, the Farmington Rotary board of directors voted to make the following donations at the Sept. 19 board meeting:
The best way to get to know your fellow Rotarians and feel a part of this club is to participate in our activities and service projects. Following are multiple opportunities this fall:
We have Dana and Rachelle to thank for being our November meeting hosts. Sara and Lori are up for December. Heidi and Leshia are up in Janujary. Meeting hosts are responsible for the following:
Scheduling speakers for their month
Arriving early to set up
Giving the meal count to the kitchen
Staying late to take down
Meeting hosts for the year are listed in The Source each week. Please review the meeting host responsibilities for complete details.
Ramble Jam committee meeting Wed., Sept. 27
8:30 a.m. at Farmington City Hall
Farmington Rotary Club board meeting Tues., Oct. 17
12 noon at Bourbon Butcher, Farmington
Meeting hosts schedule July: Anika & Janie Aug: Corey & Melissa
Sept: Shannon & Amanda
Oct: David & Lisa
Nov: Dana & Rachelle
Dec: Sara & Lori
Jan: Heidi & Leshia
Feb: Barb & Linda
Mar: Steve, Don & Jenna Pellicci
Apr: Jay & Tom
May: Annie, Cathy and Kyle
June: Jamie & Nathan L.
Once again, we pulled it off. I often wonder how a few administrators, a bunch a business owners, a handful of bankers and mortgage brokers, a couple of English majors, a police officer (okay, we know how he does it) and various chiropractors and nurses pull off a 2-day country music festival, and I think the answer is because we like each other and we respect each other. .JPG)
