Mission Trip to replace fencing in Ashland KS

Hello Washington Rotarians!

Member Spotlight

Dick Colby had the program and gave a little background on himself. He grew up in Minnesota, and eventually was managing a hotel in Des Moines before moving to Washington where he became the Administrator at the United Presbyterian Home. He has three grown children, all of which were taught social studies in school by Jim Cuddeback in his previous life.

Dick Colby

Mission Trip to Ashland, KS

Jim Cuddeback is a farmer and a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Washington. He related that the UP Church has sponsored an adult mission trip for 20 years. The group raises funding for the mission trip primarily by working a concession stand at Carver Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa for sporting events, and raises about $3,000 per year.

Jim Cuddeback & Club Pres. Cheryl Kurtz

Cuddeback said that the UP Church responded to terrible grassland fires in Kansas on March 6-8 by taking a group of 24 to help replace destroyed fencing around Ashland, KS. Cuddeback related that 2017 was such a bad year for fires due to unusual amounts of rain in 2015 and 2016 that resulted in exceptional grassland growth. Once the fires started, they were impossible to stop, reaching speeds of 60 mph.

The largest single fire burned 651,000 acres (Washington County is 368,000 acres).

UP Church Adult Mission Team on fire scorched ground

CALENDAR

May 18: Paul Horak - Carol Horning, Taking Hay to Ashland KS
May 25: John Moenck - TBA
June 1: Gene Driscoll - TBA
June 8: John Thorne - TBA
June 15: Emory VanGerpen - TBA
June 22: Susan Wellington - TBA
June 28: WEDNESDAY, Rotary Awards Dinner @ Marr Park, 6pm
June 29: No Club Meeting