March 30, 2023 Meeting Summary

Presiding: Jamie Terry

Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Tom Mangan & Team

Introduction of Guests: Dave Hansen

Guests: Jamie Terry introduced Anna Cramer

Exchange Students/Junior Rotarians/RYLA/Young RYLA: Amanda Nilsson; Kathryn McIrvin; Audrey Young

Rotaract/Interact Students:

Foundation Drawing: Terry Moss won $10 with the jackpot drawing.

O’Dwyers Drawing: Terry Moss

 

 

Rotarian of the Week: Steve Morgan nominated Jerry Gruber for taking an emergency preparedness course; Jenny Eisenhauer nominated Tim Eisenhauer and John Bard for their work on RYLA.

 

 

 

Introduction: Christina Kuzmych

 

Shawn Reese spoke to the club about why the humanities are important and how the humanities can solve problems in Wyoming. Through a legislative, bipartisan effort in 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts were established. The act starts with findings about how the humanities and arts are fundamental to a democracy. It is important to balance art and culture into federal spending.

 

T.A. Larson, a professor of history at UW, gathered groups together in the late 60s and early 70s to create the Wyoming Humanities Council. This humanities model created an independent nonprofit. It was the first state to do so. The National Endowment for the Humanities adopted the model for other states and now WYHC is an affiliate of the NEH.

 

In the 1920s, there was a focus on rural areas and bringing the humanities to rural families. These families may have had an initial lower interest in the humanities until storytelling was brought to their attention.

 

Jim Bridger was illiterate, but fascinated by Shakespeare. He hired people to read to him and bought all of Shakespeare’s volumes. Eventually he memorized all of Shakespeare.

 

Storytelling is still important. The Wyoming Humanities Councils offers several different storytelling experiences. One of these is hand talking videos on YouTube. There is also Mending the Hoop with Wyoming Public Media, as part of the Modern West podcast.

 

Our Declaration is a civic and democracy storytelling book about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. This is with constitutional scholar, Danielle Allen. Allen goes into the philosophy, history, and negotiations with the Declaration of Independence.

 

Wyoming Humanities has a constitutional scholar, David Adler, who writes weekly columns about case law from court cases, understanding democracy, and other political aspects.

 

The organization is an affiliate of the Library of Congress and Smithsonian, allowing them to bring displays to WY.

 

Last year, Wyoming Humanities had Hemingway in Wyoming. Hemingway spent significant time in Wyoming. He was married in Cheyenne and he met Owen Wister. Wyoming was inspirational to Hemingway, so the International Hemingway Conference was hosted in Sheridan. He even has a short story called “Wine of Wyoming.”

 

WYHC provides grant funds for programs, presentations, and documentaries. “Home from School” is a documentary about the Carlisle Indian School where Wind River Reservation boys were sent and ultimately died. The documentary shows the long process to have their bodies exhumed and brought home.

 

“Dear Sis” is a documentary about a Rock Springs WWII veteran. His family discovered his story after he passed away, and one member of his family traveled by bike through the internment area his grandfather was in as a POW.

 

Response: Dave Hansen

 

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?

 

Like us on Facebook!

 

Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org