The prayer was led by Art Harrington, the pledge by A. J. Sheridan and the 4 way test by Linda Mast.Lisa Deleo was a greeter and registration by Laura Vanderberg and Jack LaDuke.
Visitors were Scott (almost our newest member) sponsored by Richard Hernandez. Dr. Whitney James was inducted by Laura Vanderberg and Linda Mast. Whitney grew up in Flagstaff, went to College in Maine and graduated from Medical school at Yale. She has to boys, John 5 and Elliott4.
Three scholarship recipients were introduction. Emery Rock, Arley Tucker and Jacob Mull.
Art Harrington announced that the clulb raised $131.00 at the Chipotle event and someone (I didn’t get their name) matched it.
Jane Anne and Matt were the SGTS. They spun the wheel and fined everyone for Jerry Hulms fine job as meeting coordinator. Richard was fined for not knowing who the SGT was and John Stewart was fined for his looooonnnnnnngggggggggg announcements.
B
rad Newman was our speaker. He is celebrating his 47
th year at Yavapai Exceptional Industries. YEI has 4 locations serving the cities and towns of the Central Highlands.
Besides the main multibuilding facility on North Washington Avenue in Prescott, Newman and his staff supervise two other sites — Antelope Point at Eastridge in Prescott Valley and Ruger Airpark Industries north of Prescott near the airport. They are where YEI workers learn on-the-job skills and produce products either for sale or for local merchants who employ them.
He explained that about 70 people are located at the main Washington Avenue Industries facilities, while 65 work At Antelope Point and 40 at Ruger.
“Sheesh. More numbers?” Brad then explained that ages range from 17 and 18 all the way up to a few in their 70s.
Many employees live in the residence homes YEI owns. The men’s home is in Washington Hills and the women’s in Rusing Hills.
Newman carefully explains that both homes offer nurturing family-style environments that feature security and independence.
Newman enthusiastically tells me what employees do, “We’re proud to say our jobs give developmentally challenged adults opportunities for learning mechanical assembly, packaging and kit-building, mail management, bench assembly, fabrication, warehousing and shipping and fulfillment and drop-shipping.”
Other functions employees handle includes blending and packing bird seed for local owner Eric Moore, proprietor of the well-known Jay’s Bird Barn. “Some employees blend and bag about a half-million pounds annually of bird seed for Eric’s stores,” Newman says.
