Program for June 11, 2012: Iowa@Work Program Information by Johnna Forbes

Invocation by: Jim Sturms

Guests today: Bill Tubbs, Judy Ward, Shelley Sides of Sunnybrook replacing Sara Ingstad.

Your Rotary Board: Mike Ruby, President, Kelly Garvin,incoming President Keith Porter, Caren Luke, Secretary, Brooke Mehaffey,Treasurer Tom Ward, Tony Joseph,Scott Ingstad, Steve Jameson and Mary Odell.

Rotary News: Mike mentioned the Thank You notes on our tables from the Bishop Hayes students who received Dictionaries. He also showed us the new plaque that will be hung at the Button Factory Woodfire Grill indicating that Rotary meets here. We are still looking for host families for our student from Brazil. Mike reminded us of the Lobsterfest in Bettendorf sponsored by the Bettendorf Rotary Club. The Fest is on June 16, 2012 and the cost per person is $70.

Happy News: Bill Tubbs in 38 years has not missed a Rotary Meeting, He and Scott Natvig are fraternity brothers. Keith Porter is happy about the China Old Friends Exchange. Judi Holdorf is pleased with an article in the Muscatine Journal talking about the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, that she joined Rotary at North Scott because of Bill Tubbs and she had a wonderful time in New York at her nephew's beautiful wedding. Nathan Mather proudly told he and Jill will be having a son in the Fall. Caren Luke told us she has sold her house and is moving to Kansas City. Bill Tubbs also mentioned the monumental moment in February when we proclaimed India polio free. Tim Nelson enjoyed a great fishing trip at which he and his buddies caught over 200 Walleyes!!

Program for Today: Tom Ward shared great memories of the Rotary Friendship Exchange that he and Judy experienced with other District 6000 Rotarians to New Zealand. There are 4 kinds of exchange programs with Rotary: Visitor, Team,Univocational and Service. The Friendship Exchange is a cultural exchange where the inbound club organizes the visit, and Rotarians stay in homes of Rotarians.

New Zealand has a significant number of Rotary Clubs for it's landmass. There are 250 clubs in the country. Tom and Judy visited the Epsom Club in Auckland, the Kaikoe area, which is the area where New Zealand was founded and has a Mauri population of 95%, the Whangarei countryside with beautiful scenery and homestay gardens. The most moving experience, however, was at the Rotary Club of Kauri who sang their National Anthem in Mauri and then in English. Tom still has goose bumps from the experience. He and Judy continued the journey beyond the Friendship Exchange by renting a car and visiting other areas including the mountain range where Sir Edmund Hillary practiced before climbing Mt. Everest.

Tom encouraged us to venture ourselves and when asked told that the airfare and meals eaten in restaurants were the only significant expenses.

Tom is organizing our Friendship Exchange for September 8,9 and 10 with Rotarians from British Columbia.