2016 July Bulletin

Thank you to outgoing officers

Thank you Outgoing Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairs for 2015/2016

The words “thank you” are somehow never enough to convey how much the Butte Exchange Club members appreciate your service, guidance and leadership this past year. 2015/2016 was a year of laughter, hard work, growth and development for our club. We are one of the few clubs in the Butte area continuing to grow and strengthen. It is such a tribute to our officers, board, committees and members in general.

Special thank you to Lauren Kippen. You managed to be involved in every event. It is a tough job. You were so fun, sincere and graceful. You are a wonderful leader and we appreciate all you did for all of us.

Lauren Kippen Leading the 4th of July Parade

Looking back, our Field of Honor was spectacular. Many wonderful and deserving organizations were helped by the proceeds from this event. It takes many hands to put on the Field of Honor. Thank you to Lauren and all who helped with the 2015 Field.

Our Fall FunRaiser was so fun and successful. Again, monies raised helped many groups and organizations and allowed our club to help and support our Exchange Club mission.

The A.C.E. and Student of the Year candidates were excellent. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into this program. Coordination with the students and high schools is very time consuming. It takes so much planning and organizing for this series of programs.

Membership continues to rise. We have many new and interesting members who are excited to help with club activities and events.

The Program Committee should be commended for educational, enlightening and interesting programs  every week. Thank you Program Committee!

Congratulations to Jim Stilwell who was named District Exchangite of the Year. Congratulations to the Butte Exchange Club for being honored by the Shriners Organization for the funds raised at the Field of Honor to provide transportation and lodging for local kids.

Child Abuse prevention: excellent programs and awareness with flags at the mall.

Thank you all for a very special year. We appreciate your dedication to the club and to our community.

It was fun and rewarding and we look forward to another great year as we say thank you to our outgoing officers and congratulations to our new officers, board and committee chairpersons.

We are a special group. We have fun; we work hard; we enjoy our unique chemistry and diversity.

Here’s to all of us. Let’s get ready for another exciting year.

National Convention Summary

98th National Exchange Club Convention by Linda Corr-Mahugh

Many thanks to the Butte Exchange Club for providing the opportunity for me to attend the National Convention in Houston on July 14-16, 2016. It was educational, inspirational, and fun!

Highlights of the Convention included:

Cornerstone Award

The newly-formed Butte High School Excel Club received the Charter Club Cornerstone Award. This is awarded to new clubs that maintained a membership of 35 during their first year. Congratulations, Butte High School!

National Service Award

Local Exchange Clubs have one full year – July 1 through June 30 – to complete the requirements for the National Service Award. Few clubs earn this distinctive honor – the Butte Exchange Club received the award for 2015-16. To be named a National Service Award winner, clubs must plan and carry out a service project in each of four categories: Americanism; child abuse prevention; community service; and youth programs. Clubs are also required to add two additional service projects, for a total of six. Jim Stilwell diligently documented our activities and submitted them to the National office. Thanks, Jim, for taking on this important task!

2016 A.C.E. of the Year Award

The 2016 National A.C.E. of the Year Award goes to Nora Ismail, who is sponsored by the Exchange Club of Salt Lake City, UT, of the Rocky Mountain District. Nora is the American-born daughter of a Russian-Christian mother and Egyptian-Muslim father. When she was 11 years-old, a promising business opportunity spurred Nora’s family to move to the country of Dubai. Upon arriving in Dubai, Nora’s family found success through its business.

Despite their early success, the family faced troubles resulting from religious convictions. Because he had supported her and her mother’s Christian beliefs, often attending church with them, Nora’s father was in danger of being charged with apostasy, which is punishable by death. Additionally, Nora’s mother had taken an active role in running the business, which was yet another aspect of her family’s life that went against the beliefs of the Muslim community.

A highly radicalized Islamic group had begun watching Nora’s family, and it wasn’t long before the family was blackmailed and ultimately prevented from leaving the country. Nora was eventually kicked out of school, in the eighth grade, when the school administration was threatened. The extremists banned the family from travelling, froze its bank accounts, closed the business, and began moderating Nora’s and her parents’ everyday lives.

When she turned 16 years old, the family was informed that Nora must be married. Although Nora and her parents thought the group was only trying to frighten them, a man close to her father’s age was eventually chosen to be her husband. Knowing he had to act quickly, Nora’s father implored an acquaintance who worked at an airport in Dubai to help her escape. On September 9, 2014, Nora – an only child – escaped the country alone and frightened. She feared she would never see her parents again and she carries with her, to this day, concerns for their health; as her father suffers from diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, heart problems, and has lost both legs, while her mother battles kidney problems.

Nora currently lives with family acquaintances in Salt Lake City, UT. She has worked to make up lost time in the academic world, earning 24 credits in only two years. She plans to defy the women of the radicalized Muslim group who told her she was only good enough to be a wife who cooks and cleans – Nora dreams of becoming an international business and human rights lawyer.

2016 National Youth of the Year

The 2015 – 2016 Youth of the Year Award was given to Han Wen Zhang, who was sponsored by the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast District and the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, TX.

This young achiever speaks three languages – her native tongue, Chinese, as well as English and French. Appreciating that language is not only a form of communication, but also the lens into other cultures, Han Wen embraces a passion for using her unique perspective to make a positive impact on the world.

Han Wen writes eloquently, in English, about her experiences with language and her joys of sharing it with school-aged children. These children came into her world as part of a pilot project to bring a French language class to students at low-performing schools. Without many resources at her disposal, Han Wen was challenged to find creative methods for developing and teaching the curriculum. The program was a great success and she writes of great pride in her students.

Han Wen is the recipient of a DELF Junior Diploma issued by the French Ministry of National Education, which has certified her proficiency in the French language. She placed second locally and fifth nationally in the National French Exam, and placed first (earning more than half of her school’s team points) in the Texas State French Symposium Advanced Division State Competition. Han Wen has also been a member of her school’s French National Honor Society, serving as president her senior year, and the French Club, serving as president her senior and junior years, and has worked as a private French language instructor.

Throughout her junior and senior years of high school, Han Wen has had numerous works of art displayed in exhibits, art shows, and magazines, with one being valued at $15,000 and another reaching a readership of more than 46,000. Han Wen has taught pastel painting classes at a local senior recreation center and mural painting at a rehabilitation facility for state orphans. She was the logo designer for Advocates of Healthy Minds, a newly founded nonprofit, and served as an events artist for a local library.

This active young woman has spent two years as a research intern for the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, and one year as a medical assistant and physician shadow at a primary care clinic.

Han Wen carries a weighted 5.81 grade point average (4.0 unweighted) and was a PSAT National Merit Semifinalist. She has participated in DECA, placing as an International Finalist her sophomore year, as well as in the Model United Nations and the Global to Political Boot Camp.

Han Wen will attend Columbia University with a French language major and a special business concentration, on the pre-medical track.

Keynote Speakers

• Mike Jones has helped millions of people over the past 30 years to create a better vision o themselves. He is an accomplished author, keynote speaker, Master Trainer, and Human Behavior Expert. Mike served his country for six years in the U.S. Coast Guard and was a police officer for the Houston Police Department for 14 years.

• Don Piper is the author of 90 Minutes in Heaven which has sold over 7 million copies in 46 languages; the book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly four years after its release.

• Associate Judge Peter Sakai was appointed to the Children’s Court bench in Bexar County, Texas. He was assigned to hear cases that involve child abuse and neglect cases and the adoption cases that involve foster children. Through his leadership, adoption of foster children in Bexar County has increased nearly one thousand percent from 1995 to 2005. Judge Sakai is widely recognized in the community as being a leader who works hard to bring new ideas and solutions to help resolve issues of child abuse and neglect and family violence and to constantly challenge all involved in the child welfare system to more effectively serve the families that come into his courtroom.

UPCOMING

Speakers

August – Burt Todd – Montana Tech Petroleum Engineering.
August 16th – Dick Tschetter & Mick Delaney – Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Events

The “Garbage Guys” (Highway Cleanup Committee) will be holding cleanups every Friday morning at 8:30. Meet at Perkins. If you have questions, contact Pat Cooney (patrick0049@charter.net).

The annual Philipsburg excursion is set for August 25th. Members can attend for $20 ($40 for guests). The event includes dinner, beverages, transportation, and ice cream. Further details will follow. Please RSVP to Steve Daniel (steve@danielfinancial.com) or sign up at one of our weekly meetings.

Leo and Lauren ( New Social Committee Chairs) are planning a family outing at the Butte Country Club. More to come on this…

PAST EVENTS

• Flag rolling in preparation for our Fourth of July Parade Give-a-Kid-a-Flag event was held at The Springs (300 Mt. Highland Dr.) on Wednesday, June 29th at 5:30 pm. Lauren Kippen arranged the meeting room and food. Burgers and beverages were provided! Many Exchange Club members and helpers volunteered and folded the flags in record time. The food was exceptional and the club and helpers enjoyed laughs and great meal. Special thank you to those club members who hauled flags, did the cooking and made this work party a great success.

• Give a Kid a Flag to Wave. The Butte Exchange Club led the 4th of July Parade down Harrison Avenue to a large crowd of folks on a beautiful July day. A group of enthusiastic Exchange Club members, helpers and Excel members gathered to put final touches on our float, lead the parade and hand out flags.

Exchange club has been leading the parade and handing out flags for a number of years as part of our Americanism and Community Service “Programs of Service”. The crowd along the parade route was so appreciative of our continued efforts to provide flags to all.

Special thank you to club members, Excel students, family and friends who helped with our “Give a Kid a Flag” project. Your time and enthusiasm was greatly appreciated.

• The annual Steak Fry was a huge success. It was held on July 12th at the Berkley Pit Viewing Platform during our normal meeting time. The cooking crew outdid themselves. There was a large group of hungry Exchangites and guests in attendance. The weather was perfect and the food was outstanding. Thank you so much to our Steak Fry chairmen and crew. I hope you know how much your efforts are appreciated. Everyone had a great time. Special thank you to the cookie lady, Janet Ralph.

 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please note the following changes to our committee chair positions:

• You will notice that Jane Baker has “resigned” from both the Adopt-A-Highway and Steak Fry. The Garbage Guys/Gals are assuming the Adopt-A-Highway duties.

• Chad Boothe is the new Steak Fry chair and Tom D will help this year with the transition.

• John Chioutsis is the new chair of Give A Kid A Flag

• Nominating Committee is chaired by outgoing president Lauren Kippen with Tom Daniel.

• A new committee is the Social Committee. It is chaired by Leo Prigge and Lauren Kippen. They will work on offering the members at least four social events per year; thus there is no need for an “Annual Social” committee.

• Julie Crnich is replacing Lynn Sullivan as the Student of the Year chair. John McBride will serve as chair one last year and a new chair (possibly Chris Rosa) will take over.

• A new designation is Excel Club Liaison. Lyza Schnabel’s son is the vice president and she is happy to serve as their liaison.

• Although it is not listed on the table, Doug, Marie and Linda will organize and offer new membership orientation 3-4 times a year.

If you are interested in working on a committee or chairing a committee, please send an email to info@butteexchange.com.

The program Committee continues to look for speakers. If you have an idea or topic you would like to hear about, please contact Holly McCamant at hollymccamant@yahoo.com or Doug Rotondi@djrotondi@gmail.com or any of the members of the Program Committee.

Please remember to review your information on the Club Roster and also review the proposed By-Laws.

It’s a new fiscal year for our club so take a minute to look at an updated list of our 2016-2017 Club Officers, Board Members, and Committee Chairmen on the Club Website. 

Message from our President:

Dear Butte Exchange Members,

It is an honor to serve as the 2016-2017 President of the Butte Exchange Club and further the Exchange Club Mission of working to make our community a better place to live. Since 1924 the Butte Exchange Club has made a difference in the Butte/Silver Bow community through our Programs of Service– Americanism, Youth Programs and Community Service – as well as the National Project, the prevention of child abuse.

With a membership of 90 diversified and dedicated members, the Officer Team and Board of Directors are committed to continue the proud tradition and legacy of our predecessors.

At the 2016-2017 Program Development Meeting, the following program goals were agreed upon:

Americanism

1. Field of Honor committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors by December 15 about whether or not to we will have a Field of Honor in 2018.
2. Provide a Freedom Shrine at a new site. Suggestions included Butte High School and Montana Tech. Chairman Brad Newman will research and make a recommendation to the Board.
3. John Chioutsis, who is replacing Lauren Kippen as chair of the GiveAKidAFlagToWave, will research the logistics of adding an Exchange Club float to the July 4th parade and make a recommendation to the Board.

Youth Programs

1. Support the Butte High School Excel Club by paying their national dues, inviting them to activities, and providing a liaison. Lyza Schnabel will serve as the liaison.
2. Explore the possibility of offering a new scholarship for an Outstanding Excel Club member and submit to Board for approval.
3. Smoothly transition the Youth of the Year scholarship program from the leadership of Lynn Sullivan to Julianne Crnich.
4. Begin the transition for the ACE scholarship program from John McBride to the new 2017-2018 chair.
5. Evaluate the budget for the Awards Banquet.

Community Service

1. Civic Improvement and Beautify Butte efforts will continue to be lead by Tom Daniel. The National Day of Service will be held in October.
2. The FunRaiser will raise $16,000 for local non-profit grants to further the mission of Exchange. Doug Rotondi, President-Elect, is the chair.

Child Abuse Prevention

1. The 2017 Rock/Roll/Stroll fun run will be held on Easter weekend (April 15). The event will be co-sponsored by Big Brothers/Sisters.
2. During the month of April, awareness and prevention displays will be set up at the Butte mall.

Other

1. Increase members’ social and networking opportunities.  The Social Committee is chaired by Leo Prigge and Lauren Kippen.
2. Offer quarterly New Member Orientation events.  Doug Rotondi, Marie Kagie-Shutey, and I will co-chair.

3. Submit nominations for District/National awards in time for consideration.

4.Increase suggestions for luncheon programs by providing a suggestion box and forms in the meeting room.

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact me at Lmcorr@hotmail.com.
In Exchange,

Linda Corr-Mahugh

COMMUNICATIONS

Update and Reminder

The Communications Committee would like to remind you that we rely on committee chairmen and all club members to send us meeting announcements, stories and photos since we cannot be present at Club events.

Please use your cell phones and capture some fun photos to send us.

Please send all details on upcoming events & speakers to: info@butteexchangeclub.org

If you have taken photos at Club events that you want to share, please send them to:info@butteexchangeclub.org (cell phone shots are OK)

Need help? Call: Elyse Lewis –Public Relations Chairman – 565-0801

Bulletin Editor – Penny McElroy
Mobile: (406) 490-1946 Home: (406) 494-2731
E-mail: pamcelroy7@gmail.com