Once again, we pulled it off. I often wonder how a few administrators, a bunch a business owners, a handful of bankers and mortgage brokers, a couple of English majors, a police officer (okay, we know how he does it) and various chiropractors and nurses pull off a 2-day country music festival, and I think the answer is because we like each other and we respect each other.
And everyone always wants to know how many tickets we sold and much money we made. David and Lori are furiously crunching the numbers, and if you come to Thursday's meeting you might get a hint. But here's the thing: Rotary is a service organization, and if we determine success strictly by the numbers, we will be disappointed every year. You only need to stand by the concert bowl gate and thank our fans as they leave on Saturday night to realize what an impact we make. The economic boost to Farmington businesses alone is enough to keep going. Ask the FHS video class students Lori arranged to run the Jumbotron for $10 an hour what kind of an impact we made on them. I would argue we need to judge our success not on numbers alone, but also on service to our community.
Here's something else to consider; We took a huge leap with our budget this year. I remember other years we've taken a huge leap with this event and we've always taken a step backwards in our profit. But then the event grows and the next few years are even more successful. So stay tuned. The story is only beginning.
September 21 brings one of our favorite meetings of the year. We'll spend our time together filling backpacks with all the essentials for school children at the mission of Friends of Chimbote in Peru. Poor families served by the mission are simply not able to provide their children with the required uniform, shoes and school supplies to attend school. And that's where Farmington Rotary steps in. Veronica Miller, Farmington Rotarian Steve Miller's wife is from Chimbote, so this service project is near and dear to our hearts. It's also a blast, so come to our meeting at Celt's on Sept. 21. Bring a friend and introduce him or her to Rotary. Many hands make light work!
We have Dana and Rachelle to thank for being our November meeting hosts. Sara and Lori are up for December. Heidi and Leshia are up in Janujary. Meeting hosts are responsible for the following:
Scheduling speakers for their month
Arriving early to set up
Giving the meal count to the kitchen
Staying late to take down
Meeting hosts for the year are listed in The Source each week. Please review the meeting host responsibilities for complete details.
The best way to get to know your fellow Rotarians and feel a part of this club is to participate in our activities and service projects. Following are multiple opportunities this fall:
Weekly club meetings Thursdays, 12 noon, Celt's Pub, Farmington Sept. 14 - Ramble Jam @ Dakota County Fairgrounds
Sept. 21 - Backpacks for Peru
Sept. 28 - Josh Solinger, Farmington Business Assoc.
Oct. 5 - Students of the Month
Oct. 12 - Commander John Grant, TRIAD program
Oct. 19 - District Governor Kyle Haugen
Ramble Jam committee meeting Wed., Aug. 30
8:30 a.m. at Farmington City Hall
Farmington Rotary Club board meeting Tues., Sept. 19
12 noon at Bourbon Butcher, Farmington
Meeting hosts schedule July: Anika & Janie Aug: Corey & Melissa
Sept: Shannon & Amanda
Oct: David & Lisa
Nov: Dana & Rachelle
Dec: Sara & Lori
Jan: Heidi & Leshia
Feb: Barb & Linda
Mar: Steve, Don & Jenna Pellicci
Apr: Jay & Tom
May: Annie, Cathy and Kyle
June: Jamie & Nathan L.