Presiding: Caitlin White
Inspiration: Jim Wilkinson – Thomas Edison Quotes
Humor: Todd Pearson
Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Tom Mangan and Ron Van Ekeren
Introduction of Guests: Steve Morgan
Guests: Rollin Abernethy introduced Kaitlyn Emerson.
Foundation Drawing: Paul Greaser won $3152.50 with 2 cards left.
O’Dwyers Drawing: Paul Heimer
won a $20 gift card from O’Dwyer’s.
Announcements:
• President Caitlin announced the MS Walk will be at the Depot in Cheyenne on Saturday.
• President Caitlin also announced club happy hour at Speedgoat next Tuesday, and that the board voted to supply the Interact Club with pins and cords for graduation.
Rotarians of the Week: George Gill nominated Bill Biles, John Evans, Murray Schroeder Caitlin White, Dan Furphy, Tim Eisenhauer and Rollin Abernethy for helping out with Community Cleanup Day.
Rotarian of the Month – Murray Schroeder for organizing Cleanup Day, with special mention for George Gill.
Special Presentations: Rollin Abernethy presented Kaitlyn Emerson with a check for $2000 for a District scholarship to teach English in a remote mining community in Ecuador this simmer. Kaitlyn is a UW undergraduate and was chosen from students nominated in our 6 club region.
Songs: Jan Lawrence – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head
Upcoming Programs:
May 23 – Club Assembly
May 30 – Doug Faus - Ivinson Memorial Hospital
June 6 – Trey Sherwood – Downtown Laramie
June 13 - Anita McLaughlin – Wyoming Community Foundation
June 20 – Tentative: field meeting at the LaBonte Skate Park
June 27 - Phil Roberts
July 4 – No meeting
July 11 – Induction of new officers
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?
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!
Program: Gary Loftis General Manager and Joel Funk Managing Editor, Laramie Boomerang
Introduction of the Program: Paul Heimer
Mr. Funk reported that the classic newspaper business is facing many challenges with subscriptions and advertising sales down, in the face of many forms of competition. The Laramie Boomerang news staff currently consists or two full time reporters, one part time reporter and Joel.
Local newspapers are extremely important to our democracy. It is known that communities with local newspapers have higher voter participation, higher candidate participation, and more responsible local government spending. A very important function of the local newspaper is to be at city council, county commissioner, school board and other local governance meeting that have real consequences for the community. Also, very importantly, newspapers tell stories and become part of our history. Similarly newspapers provide an official record of births, deaths, and legal transactions.
Mr Loftis has been at the Boomerang since January. He has been with the regional Adams Publishing Group, and was the Editor at the Fence Post a popular Rocky Mountain ranch and rural living news magazine. He reports that, all things considered in the publishing business, Laramie has great readership and circulation. These are tough times for local businesses, which makes it more difficult for them to spend money advertising. Local newspapers sink or swim with local businesses; it is a very symbiotic relationship, as newspaper cannot live on subscriptions alone.
The Boomerang’s subscription base covers a very broad age range, with the web-based subscriptions tending toward a younger demographic and the hard copy tending toward older. Along with managing the business of the newspaper, Loftis must also deal with big controversies like changing the comics and puzzle offerings (!). He noted that the Boomerang has recently farmed out the copy editing and layout to a regional publisher in Bozeman and the new puzzles were part of the deal.
Loftis was asked about groups submitting their own press releases or articles and he responded that the newspaper gives space in the community briefs, but retains control of articles by favoring its own reporting.
Spoke Editor’s note: the Boomerang has been doing an excellent job in long-form reporting, with examples last week on the UW Trustees’ transparency issues and a contentious Commissioner’s meeting. Boomerang articles are also being picked up more by statewide news outlets like the Casper Star Tribune and Wyoming Public Media.
Responding for the Club: Andy Hoefer
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Website: laramierotaryclub.org
Spoke Editor: Tony Hoch, 307-760-9386 or tony.hoch@lrcd.net