April 17, 2025
Meeting Summary
Presiding: Murray Schroeder
Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Tom Mangan and Ron Van Ekeren
Inspiration: Natalie White
Professor’s Quote: Ollie Walter
Foundation Flash:
Introduction of Guests: Dave Hansen
Guests: Michelle Johnson introduced prospective member, Patti DeRosa; Justin Christenson introduced Payton Filpack; Jean Garrison introduced Greg Comco; Dan Pasman introduced his wife, Delilah Pasman; John Bard introduced Aaron Swaney.
Visiting Rotarians:
Junior Rotarians/RYLA/Young RYLA/Exchange Students: Eva, Kamrie
Rotaract/Interact Students:
Humor: Tim Sullivan
Foundation Drawing: George Gill won $10 with $469 in the jackpot.
O’Dwyers Drawing: Eva
Announcements:
- Don’t forget to volunteer to work the greeting table!
- Board elections will start in May. It is an opt in process.
- Dave Hansen told the club that three classrooms will participate in Read to Feed. The club is trying to help with $750 per classroom. Donate if you can.
- Tom Mangan announced that the MS Walks will be on May 31 in Cheyenne and June 1 in Laramie. You can sign up or donate.
- District Conference is June 12-14 in Loveland. The club can support registration and other expenses if you’re interested in attending.
- The club donated $500 to Developmental Preschool & Daycare and $250 to 4-H for fair awards.
- A list potential members was passed around. Sign up if you know a person to reach out to.
- Dave Hansen noted that there are upcoming bylaw changes. The board is proposing reducing the minimum number of board members from 6 to 5; adding a non-voting Public Image Officer to the board; and switching the election process to opt-in.
Rotarian of the Week: Dave Hansen nominated Michelle Johnson for bringing in a new member; Randi Downham nominated Murray Schroeder and Kelly Neville for their work on the volunteer fair. Murray Schroeder nominated Randi Downham for the same reason.
Rotarian of the Month: Ray McElwee
Special Presentation: Dan Pasman was inducted into the club. Welcome Dan!
Songs:
Program: International Studies, Geopolitics and population control in Eastern bloc countries in the Cold War, Lauren Howard
Introduction: Jean Garrison
Lauren Howard is preparing for her thesis defense on the topic. The 1974 Population Conference is the basis of the project. It traces how reproduction became integral to policy and public interest.
The Population Council was established in 1952 because population skyrocketed following WWII. This lead to concerns with high fertility and large families. Basically, the need for containment with population control was needed to reduce the risk of poverty, famine, housing storage, and war. These would lead to a lack of economic development and the potential for communism. In the US, policy was constructed to put controls on foreign nation populations. For example, by 1974, the UW was committed to $125 million in US AID programs.
In the Soviet Union, Stalin pushed a pro-family rhetoric and attacked the US for its policies. It also tried to appeal to developing nations. Later this changed in the Soviet Union because the elite were under producing, while Muslim citizens were over producing. They begin to see how communist countries can have population issues. They put maternity benefits in place for Slovak Russians, while focusing negative propaganda campaigns on Muslim populations.
China was also involved at the time with the 1 child policy. Indian was the first to have a specific policy involving forced and coerced sterilization to conform with parameters set by foreign nations.
Over time, population control has continued to be an integral issue, even if it is not specifically talked about. Howard did archival research to prepare for her thesis.
Response: Eric Feuerstein
‘Response: The Rotary Club of Laramie will make a donation to the public library children’s book fund in the speaker’s name.
NOTE: We Do Not Donate a Book!
Rotary 4-way test
Of the things we think, say, or do:
•Is it the Truth?
•Is it Fair?
•Will it build Good Will and
Better Friendships?
•Will it be Beneficial to All
Concerned?
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Website: laramierotaryclub.org
Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org