September/October 2016 Bulletin

Happy Thanksgiving!

Focus on our Butte Excel Club

The Fall 2016 edition of the National Exchange Club Magazine “Exchange Today” features the Exchange Excel Club of Butte Montana. The article states that the club currently has 47 active members and was sponsored by the Exchange Club of Butte, Montana. This club was officially chartered in April of 2015. The Club Advisor is Lyza Schnabel.

The Excel Club students have undertaken several projects including its “flagship project” known as Tux Tech. The students working on this project aim to put technology in the hands of students-in-need at Butte High School. According to club members, the need is significant with more than 23% of Butte High students having inadequate computer access at home.

Club members collect donated PC’s, refurbish them with open-source software and place them with students in need. The project has faced some significant barriers but the group continues to make progress. The committee has surveyed hundreds of students to identify those in need. This fall, the first of the refurbished computers will be available to applicants for a trial run.

Club members have also provided manpower for many charitable events including the Saint James Hospital Fundraiser; Mining City Christmas program for needy families; and The Give a Kid a Flag event.

According to the magazine article, the members have a good time doing the club’s service projects and supporting their school and the community. They are looking toward the future and to participating in other projects focusing on needs at Butte High School.

Fundraising is now the group’s primary goal so the club can continue to support projects like Tux Tech. Many other ideas are being considered by this active group. (Article taken from Fall Edition of Exchange Today Magazine)  Photo is a file photo.

 

New Excel Club Members helping with "Give a Kid a Flag" program

New Excel Club Members helping with “Give a Kid a Flag” program

 UPCOMING

Speakers

November 1, 2016 – Field trip to Metro Sewer
November 8, 2016 – Butte VFW Post 1448 Mel Kenninger
November 15, 2016 – Student of the Month
November 22, 2016 – Turkey Shoot
November 29, 2016 – To Be Determined

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 group has decided to continue the highway cleanup as long as the good weather holds.

Mark your calendars for this year’s fundraiser to be held on February 24th, 2017. The theme will be Mardi Gras. Watch the weekly updates for further details.

PAST EVENTS

• National Day of Service

The Exchange Club of Butte National Day of Service project was held on Tuesday, October 25th.

Exchange Club of Butte took on a great project this year as our part of the National Day of Service. Club members helped by installing insulation on six walls of the Columbia Gardens Carousel building project and covering most of it with sheet rock. It was quite a big project and a good learning experience.

Members who helped on the project included Mike O’Neill, Bruce Graving, Steve Daniel, Jim Stilwell, Leo Prigge, Julie Crnich, Linda Corr-Mahugh, Pat Cooney, Doug Rotondi, Dale Mahugh, Tom Daniel, Brad Rixford, Ernie Richards, Bob Brooks, Elyse Lewis and John Jacobson.

Several members expressed the hope that we will do this again. A very big thanks to all that were able to help. Thank you to Tom Daniel for organizing this project. (Article provided by Tom Daniel) Photo provided by Elyse Lewis.

 

National Day of Service 2016

Butte Exchange Club Members helping on the Carousel Project 2016 National Day of Service

• The ECB will help host another Its My Flag event at Kennedy Elementary on November 2nd. Contact Brad Newman (dnewman58@yahoo.com) if you would like to attend.  Photo is a file photo.

Its My Flag Program

Its My Flag Program

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• New Exchange Club of Butte Foundation – The Exchange Club Foundation of Butte, MT was created with the following mission: To assist conducting and funding the Community Service, Youth Activities, Americanism, Child Abuse Prevention and any other charitable activities of the Exchange Club of Butte, MT. The Foundation is a public charity, under IRS Section 501(c)(3). Donations to the organization are tax deductible. Prior to the creation of the Foundation, contributions to the Exchange Club were not tax deductible as the Club is a membership organization and not a public charity.

The Board of Directors of the Foundation consists of the members of the Executive Committee of the Exchange Club, specifically including the Past-President, President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. A seventh Director, selected by the Exchange Club, serves as the Club Liaison Director. While allocating funds in accordance with the organization’s mission, the Foundation will consider donation recommendations by the Board of Directors of the Exchange Club. The Foundation will support and further many of the programs the Exchange Club of Butte, MT began years ago, including, but not limited to, the Accepting the Challenge of Excellence (ACE) Scholarship, Youth of the Year Scholarship, Give-A-Kid-A-Flag program, Spirit of Christmas program, and the Field of Honor.

With the guidance and expertise of Marie Kagie-Shuty, Angie Hasquet, Leo Prigge and Andy Durkin, by-laws were drafted that accomplish the separation by creating a foundation board that mirrors the Butte Club’s officers. This structure legally separates the foundation, while leaving the decisions in the hands of our club’s board.
(Article provided by Andy Durkin and Leo Prigge)

• If you have any ideas for speakers at our weekly meetings, please contact Holly McCamant (hollymccamant@yahoo.com) or Doug Rotondi (djrotondi44@gmail.com).

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