June 5, 2025
Meeting Summary
Presiding: Kelly Neville
Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Tom Mangan and Ron Van Ekeren
Inspiration:
Professor’s Quote: George Gill
Foundation Flash:
Introduction of Guests: Amanda Givan
Guests:
Visiting Rotarians:
Junior Rotarians/RYLA/Young RYLA/Exchange Students:
Rotaract/Interact Students:
Humor:
Foundation Drawing: Jerry Gruber won $10 with $815 in the jackpot.
O’Dwyers Drawing: Sarah Brown Mathews
Announcements:
- Don’t forget to volunteer to work the greeting table!
- District Conference is June 12-14.
- Tony Hoch announced that fellow Rotarian, Rob Jenkins, will give a talk at the Centennial Branch Library on June 12.
- Stay tuned for the results of Taste of Laradise!
Upcoming Programs:
- June 19: Summer Holmon, Rotary Global Scholarship Grant Recipient
- June 26: New officer inductions
Rotarian of the Week: Caitlin White nominated Tony Hoch for covering the Spoke for her.
Special Presentation: Michelle Johnson is now a blue badge!
Songs: I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do), I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover
Program: The Kilgoris Project, Zach Carpenter
Introduction: Tony Hoch
The Kilgoris Project educates and cares for children in rural Kenya through community partnership to build rising futures. The organization started about 20 years ago. This is education that changes lives.
In southwest Kenya, there are many cultural traditions, and it is an agriculture economy. There is limited access to employment, water, and sanitation. In the area, 60% of students do not qualify for high school and 40% of families fall below the poverty line. Girls face early marriage, FGM, and early school drop outs. There is high unemployment because of lack of opportunity and because many are illiterate. Disease and malnutrition are common.
TKP supports the education system to move these children forward and out of poverty. There are 16 schools with 2,340 students. The schools are locally led by school boards and 150 staff.
Schools are preschool to ninth grade. It includes enrichment programs, nutrition, and medical assistance. Students can participate in cultural dance, poetry team, scouts, leadership skills, or athletics for enrichment. They receive breakfast and lunch. TKP has 46 acres of farm land that provides 70% of the needed food. This employs about 20 farmers. All students have a medical checkup and receive key medications.
Now 100% of the students go on to high school and graduate high school. TKP has 633 students in enrichment programming and has mentored 441 alumni. They are ranked #1 of 33 schools in the region on exams.
TKP has zero malnutrition cases and has provided 804,750 meals in the last year. For girls, menstrual kits are incredibly important. TKP has provided 8,256 kits, managed 1,398 sick student visits, and provides 122 families with food support during breaks.
Response: Justin Christenson
‘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?
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
•FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
•SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
•THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
•FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
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Website: laramierotaryclub.org
Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org