Jim Buchanan, who is in his 33rd year as the Performers Chair, shared with our club some of the highlights we can expect from this year's 35th Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, being held August 10-12 at the Yavapai College Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center. In addition, he filled us in on the historical background of this unique event, emphasizing the fact that all of the Cowboy Poets and Musicians they invite to perform have had personal experiencing working in ranching and actually living the cowboy life. The Cowboy Poets Gathering started in 1988. Today, in addition to sponsoring these annual 3 days of performances, the organization also reaches out to schools, retirement centers, nursing homes and the VA, as part of their community service. This past year they visited 8 schools and 17 classrooms. In addition, The AZ Cowboy Poets sponsor a cowboy poetry contest for 4th graders. This year they had more than 300 entries, from which 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winning cowboy poems were selected, and awards were given. Visit their AZCowboyPoets.org website for more information, videos, schedules and to purchase tickets for the performances of some of the best in authentic cowboy poetry, music and storytelling.. Tickets donated to the club were auctioned off at the meeting, with A.J. Sheridan and Stella Ortiz having the winning bids.
Bill Williams, one of the featured musicians at this year's AZ Cowboy Poets Gathering, entertained us with a sampling of his wide variety of songs about the cowboy lifestyle.
It was a musical day, from beginning to end, at last week's club meeting, with the Harrington Brothers, Art & Tom, helping to lead us in our club singing and offering an additional song. We also had great attendance at this meeting, which is always encouraging.
Every Rotary Foundation Global Grant project must fit into one or more of these 7 Areas of Focus.
CLUB SERVICE
It was with much sadness that President Laura shared with us this past week that Jerry Fohrman had passed away in Phoenix in the hospital where he was being treated. 
The memorial service for Jerry will be held Tuesday, August 1 at 11 am at Heritage Memory Mortuary, located at 131 Grove Avenue in Prescott.
Jerry has been one of our club's most faithful and hardest working members for many years, including capably serving as our Club President. His magic with cards was phenomenal, and he was always a hit with his card tricks at our Prescott Rotary Clubs' hospitality suites each year at the District Conference. His wisdom, humor, encouragement and wonderful smile will be greatly missed!
Please keep Janet and Jerry's family in your prayers during this challenging time.
Jerry Fohrman is pictured here in this photo taken on the Prescott Resort patio, overlooking Prescott, with John Stewart and Joe Wieland, who so realistically portrayed President Teddy Roosevelt at one of our Prescott Sunup Rotary Club meetings.
In Tribute to PDG Roger O. Bonngard
We have also been saddened by the recent loss of PDG Roger Bonngard, who served as District Governor during the 1992-1993 Rotary year. He was a charter member of the Chandler Horizon Rotary Club, and over the years served as a Club President four times for three different Rotary clubs. Roger will perhaps be best remembered for the many years he chaired The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona. Had it not been for his tenacity in keeping this unique Arizona-Tax-Credit-qualified Rotary vocational scholarship fund going during so many difficult years, we would not have this amazing organization still doing its life-changing work here in Arizona today.
A celebration of Roger's life will be held on Monday, July 31, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie Street, in Chandler. Our sympathy is extended to Roger's wife Nancy, his family and to his Rotary club, as we share in their loss of this humble and committed Rotary leader, who powerfully impacted so many of our lives during his years of faithful service.
VOCATIONAL SERVICE
Bob Keys, our club's Vocational Service Director, is calling our attention to this appeal from Tabitha Fedina at Yavapai College:
Hello! My name is Tabitha Fedina, and I am the Internship Coordinator for Division 3 at Yavapai College. I wanted to reach out and introduce myself as well as Yavapai College’s NEW Bachelor of Science Business Degree. With this degree students will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and professional skills through the power of internships.
We are currently looking to partner with local businesses in order to provide experiential learning opportunities for our students for the Spring 2024 semester. Areas we are seeking internship opportunities in include Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Business Organizational Management and Leadership, Paralegal Studies, Administration of Justice, Visual, Fine, and Preforming Arts. We are also seeking to add local mentors to our Mentorship Partnership Program for the Spring semester. In this program a business professional will be paired with 1-3 students to mentor in their specific area of study: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, or Business Organizational Management and Leadership. They will be able to connect with the incoming workforce, build exposure for their business, as well as help guide and shape students’ career goals.
I would love to share the flyers we have for the Internship and Mentorship Programs. Is there someone I should send them to specifically via email? Looking forward to hearing from you!
Tabitha's email address is: tabitha.fedina@yc.edu
One day Sven & Ollie, local pastors, were seen pounding a sign into the ground, that said: "DA END ISS NEAR! TURN YERSELF AROUND NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"
As a car sped past them, the driver leaned out his window and yelled, "Leave us alone, you religious nuts!"
From the curve we heard screeching tires and a big splash...
Rev. Ollie turns to Pastor Sven and asks, "Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say 'Bridge Out'?"
___
The elderly priest, speaking to the younger priest, said, "You had a good idea to replace the first four pews with plush bucket theater seats. It worked like a charm. The front of the church always fills first now."
The young priest nodded, and the old priest continued, "And you told me adding a little more beat to the music would bring young people back to church, so I supported you when you brought in that rock 'n' roll gospel choir. Now our services are consistently packed to the balcony."
"Thank you, Father," answered the young priest. "I am pleased that you are open to the new ideas of youth."
"All of these ideas have been well and good," said the elderly priest, "But I'm afraid you've gone too far with the drive-thru confessional."
"But, Father," protested the young priest, "My confessions have nearly doubled since I began that!"
"Yes," replied the elderly priest, "And I appreciate that. But the flashing neon sign, 'Toot 'n Tell or Go to Hell' canNOT stay on the church roof."
The young priest nodded, and the old priest continued, "And you told me adding a little more beat to the music would bring young people back to church, so I supported you when you brought in that rock 'n' roll gospel choir. Now our services are consistently packed to the balcony."
"Thank you, Father," answered the young priest. "I am pleased that you are open to the new ideas of youth."
"All of these ideas have been well and good," said the elderly priest, "But I'm afraid you've gone too far with the drive-thru confessional."
"But, Father," protested the young priest, "My confessions have nearly doubled since I began that!"
"Yes," replied the elderly priest, "And I appreciate that. But the flashing neon sign, 'Toot 'n Tell or Go to Hell' canNOT stay on the church roof."
YOUTH SERVICE
Introducing our 2023-24 Interact District Governor, Kassandra Macias
DG Kassandra Macias is a Senior at Westwood High School in Mesa. She is leading a 25-member Interact District Council this year. In addition to her 4-member Executive Team, she has 21 Assistant Governors, each with 3-6 Interact clubs assigned to them to assist and support this year. She was a member of this year's Interact Ambassadors to Kenya Team. Also this summer. Kassandra participated in a 3-week outdoor leadership training program, kayaking in the Alaskan wilderness.
We are proud to have two of our Prescott High Interact Club leaders on the Interact District Council this year.
AG Areli Martinez-Aviles, who was on last summer's Interact Ambassadors to Kenya Team, is now also this year's Club President of the Prescott High School Interact Club.
AG Jenna Fox served as a member of this year's Interact Ambassadors to Kenya Team.