District Governor Sue Archibald wanted a funny picture of our club. She wouldn’t even let us take a serious photo! Note: We have a lot of snowbirds in our club, and they had not all returned for the winter when this photo was taken!
Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke #1 in Service Projects
Barbara Barr Bengen and Wanda Bailey
District Governor Sue Archibald just made her annual visit to the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke. While visiting, she had two big announcements for our club. We were so excited to learn that our club was #1 in the district in service projects. We were also thrilled to learn that we were awarded another Presidential Citation.
The District Governor’s first announcement was music to our ears. We knew we had done over 100 service projects. However, we were astonished to learn that we had done the most service projects of all the Rotary Clubs in Southern Arizona. District 5500 is comprised of more than 50 Rotary Clubs, so being #1 in service projects means a lot. We aren’t the biggest club; we just have a lot of caring members. Our committee chairs offer us opportunities to help others based on our time and interests. Some of our service projects only require four or five people. Others might need six to ten people. And on occasion, it’s all hands on deck.
Members of our club have a lot of fun gathering together in fellowship to make a difference. We have ongoing work at the food bank, Kids’ Closet, packing food for IMPACT, and cooking meals at the Oracle Community Center. As a busy, active club, there are many events taking place each month. We offer many ways to serve. The following are some examples of opportunities between now and the end of the year. Interested? Please join us! Guests are always welcome!
Oct. 25-27: Corazon Build a House in a Day, Tecate, Mexico
Nov. 3: Paella Party for Polio Fundraiser
Nov. 9: Veterans Day Ceremony at Oracle Courthouse and Breakfast at Oracle Community Center
Nov. 16: American Avenue Roadside Clean-Up
Nov. 23: Distribute Thanksgiving Dinners to Low-Income Families with IMPACT
Nov. 23: El Tour de Tucson (Ride to End Polio)
Dec. 13: Serve Holiday Luncheon for Seniors at Oracle Community Center
Dec. 14: Wreaths Across America at Marana Veterans Memorial Cemetery and Oracle Cemetery
Dec. 14: Help at Children’s Holiday Party at Oracle Community Center
District Governor Sue’s second announcement was no surprise. The Presidential Citation recognizes Rotary Clubs that are well run. Much of the award is based on setting and reaching goals in a variety of areas. This is an award our club has historically achieved year after year. Out of over 50 Rotary Clubs, this year only 10 clubs received this award.
Come join us in a service project or for lunch! The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets on Thursdays at 11 a.m. for lunch at the Ranch House at SaddleBrooke Ranch. Then, a brief meeting in the ballroom is followed by an educational program or speaker. Rotary is open to those who live and work in SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, and the surrounding communities. For more information, check out saddlebrookerotary.com or contact Membership Chair Diane Demeroutis at [email protected].
Dave Dettmann with several of his oil paintings (photo by Joyce Wainscott)
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Member Spotlight
Joyce Wainscott
Meet Dave Dettmann, a dedicated Rotarian and a true Renaissance man.
Several days a month you will find Dave in action at the Tri-Community Food Bank in Mammoth where he helps unload and stock truckloads of food to serve our most vulnerable citizens. At 84, he tirelessly lifts and transports heavy loads, moving with the speed and agility of a man half his age. Some credit might be given to the seven-mile recumbent bike rides he takes most mornings. Or maybe it’s all in the fresh bread he bakes himself.
A Wisconsin transplant, a military veteran, a retired Wisconsin Department of Transportation civil engineer, and a SaddleBrooke resident for 19 years, Dave will leave you awestruck with his accomplishments.
He is a lifetime pianist who began playing around age nine, continues to practice 30 minutes a day, and is currently using portable keyboards to give piano lessons to four church members on Sundays. He also plays the slide trombone and considers himself a novice on the bass guitar.
Dave and his late wife were ambitious quilt makers and recently donated 33 of those quilts to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club, which is preparing to auction them for the benefit of Rotarian charities. Dave also continues to top-stitch Quilts of Valor when requested.
He developed a passion for model trains from his father, and in 1997 he and a friend formed a partnership called the Train Guyz, dedicated to building model train layouts for others. In recent years, he began making model buildings for his son’s layout, which led to a decision to build his own shelf layout along three walls of the den. His buildings draw inspiration from existing prototypes he finds online. Each is named for a friend or relative. A fascinating aspect of his layout is that track signals can be controlled remotely by his two sons, each of whom lives hundreds of miles away in two different states! Dave is a talented wood worker who builds things to meet needs (or wants) in his home: a miniature barber pole for the room in which his daughter cuts his hair, an angled laptop stand, and a “keyboard” key holder featuring true-to-size black and white piano keys.
The artistic talent showcased by his woodwork and quilts blossoms in the beautiful oil paintings that he painted to adorn the walls of his home. Dave started oil painting classes in 2006. Before he could finish many of the paintings, the next lesson and a new painting began. He plans to finish them with more detail when he has time. They are beautiful just the way they are, and that’s a good thing, because I don’t see how he’d ever find the time with the schedule he maintains.
SaddleBrooke resident, Renaissance man, and Rotarian. It’s a pleasure to know you, Dave Dettmann.
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary— Repurposing for a Purpose
Christianne Dettmann
The old adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” is often traced back to the Roman poet Lucretius and reminds us that we all have different tastes and different needs. It also encourages us to repurpose, rather than trash, those useful things we no longer need in order to benefit someone else for whom it might be the perfect fit. Desmond Tutu further tells us the only way to “eat an elephant” (metaphorically speaking) is one “bite” at a time. Much the same way, each item we repurpose represents a positive step toward conserving the finite resources of this incredible planet we are all privileged to share. The SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club takes these ideas to heart in several of its volunteer efforts throughout the year.
On the third Friday of each month, friendly club members like Roger Swett and Jennifer Willams don bright aprons and brighter smiles as they help staff the monthly Moonlight Madness sale at the Golden Goose Thrift Shop in Catalina. A few short miles south of SaddleBrooke on Oracle Road, the Golden Goose is a great way to “repurpose for a purpose.” It takes donations every Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. and has won numerous awards for its contributions to the local community. As a cause-based club, the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is proud to help further the Golden Goose’s mission. To learn more about the Golden Goose Thrift Shop, visit www.goldengooseaz.com.
Another way club members “repurpose for a purpose” is through SaddleBrooke’s annual “I Don’t Want It” sale. Drawing crowds from near and far, this extensive sale on Saturday, Oct. 12, is approaching fast! The club collects and donates items to sell at the event and distributes the proceeds to different local charities based on current needs. If you have items you wish to contribute to this worthy cause, please contact the club at [email protected].
No matter which “repurpose” suits your purpose, make sure to stop by and say hello! Our fun, friendly folks are eager to learn more about you and to share more about us! Alternatively, you can also send inquiries to the club’s email address at any time.