November 21, 2024 Meeting Summary

November 21, 2024
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: Nathan and Addison
Rotaract/Interact Students:
Humor:
Foundation Drawing: Tim Eisenhauer won $10 with $79 in the jackpot!
O’Dwyers Drawing: Keith Rittle
Announcements:
  • Don’t forget to volunteer to work the greeting table!
  • Do you know a family that would be willing to host Olafur? Let Caitlin White or Todd Pearson know.
  • There will be no meeting December 26 or January 2. On Jan. 2, Terry Moss will host an unofficial meeting at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the cafeteria.
  • United Way of Albany County pledge envelopes are on the table.
  • Murray Schroeder passed the can for our Christmas family. We need three shoppers for 3 kids and one adult.
  • Murray Schroeder announced that the holiday party will be Jan. 9 or Jan. 23, hopefully at the Library.
  • Keith Rittle noted that the Taste of Laramie committee is working on letters to businesses soon. ICC has pledged $3,500 to be the title sponsor on June 7, 2025.
  • Kelly Neville noted that there are new services projects coming up.
 
Rotarian of the Week: Kelly Neville nominated Jerry Devin for 52 years in the club! Tom Mangan nominated Todd Pearson for 20 years as an official for high school sports.
 
Songs: American the Beautiful
 
Program: Albany County Advisory Council on Trafficking, Justin Scott
 
Introduction: Pam Dunnuck
 
The advisory council helps train law enforcement and works to educate children about trafficking. Often the way we may think of human trafficking is different than what actually happens in Wyoming.
 
In Wyoming, human trafficking is the illegal trade of humans for purposes of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and sexual activities through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. A few examples of trafficking that happen in Wyoming are pimps, gangs, familial, and online experiences.
Pimps are demand driven. It is often seen at large events, online, or in the trucking industry. One study noted that 84% of the people in South Asia that purchase sex are white males who live in the United States.
 
There are 22 identified gangs in Wyoming. These crimes often intersect with other types of trafficking because of the “family” mentality.
 
Familial trafficking is the most reported in Wyoming where commonly children are trafficked out of their home. Online trafficking happens on social media and sex sites. There are hundreds of sex sites similar to Craigslist. These sites use their own language to avoid getting caught.
 
Illicit massage is one of the fastest growing areas of trafficking. Often people come to America from Asian thinking it will be positive and end up at such a location.
 
Anyone can be trafficked and anyone can be a trafficker. This makes it hard to identify people. In Wyoming, most trafficking is prosecuted on the federal level.
 
The advisory council has five teams that work on prevention, identification, rest, reform, and exiting trafficking. It is almost 100% volunteer -run by 30 Laramie volunteers.
 
Response: Tom Mangan
 
‘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!
 
November Rotary Anniversaries:
  • Rob Jenkins (1 year), Christina Kuzmych (11 years), George Gill (33 years), Don Prehoda (35 years), Keith Downey (48 years), Jerry Devin (52 years).
 
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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Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org