The Wheel for November 27, 2019

by Nov 27, 2019The Wheel0 comments

The Wheel


Mark Hall-Patton – Kiwanis Club

Mark Hall-Patton is the Museums Administrator for the Clark County museum system, where he oversees the Clark County Museum, the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, and the Searchlight History Museum. He has been with Clark County for twenty-three years, and was previously the Director of the San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum in California. He has worked for both public and private non-profit museums, and has consulted with numerous start-up and established museums and museum boards.

He is a MAP surveyor for the American Alliance of Museums, and the author of four books, over 450 published articles, and has written and produced 48 local history videos. In 2009, he hosted a live interview program on CCTV television in the Vegas valley, and is regularly seen on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars as a visiting expert. He has also appeared on American Restoration, United Stuff of America, America Facts and Fallacies, 10 Things You Don’t Know About American History, Vegas PBS, TMZ Sports, CSPAN 3, Mysteries at the Museum, Hoarders, ABC’s 20/20, PBS, and the BBC Radio World Service.

In addition to 14 years as a Board member of the Nevada Museums Association, where he served as President from 2000-2002 and 2008-2010, he has served on the California Association of Museums and Western Museums Association boards. He is a member of the board of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, and the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame. He has been in the museum field for over 40 years, having also worked with museums in California and South Dakota. He holds a BA in History from the University of California at Irvine, and did graduate work in Museum Studies at the University of Delaware.

He is married to Dr. Colleen Hall-Patton, professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at UNLV, and they are the parents of Joseph Hall-Patton and Ellen Messenger-Patton.

Message From The President

Dear Rotarians,

As we get closer to the Holiday Season and year end, it is time to reflect on the things that have gone well in our lives and the things that have not gone so well. Even though it is oftentimes easier said than done, we should view the “not gone well” as learning experiences. For me, my many friends and family members, Thanksgiving is the time to reflect on both. Thanksgiving is one of only two or three times each year that most extended families come together. Despite all the deafening noise that surrounds us each day, this day we can tune it out and focus on the good that also surrounds us.

This is my favorite time of the year. I find myself counting the blessings of our Rotary club membership, our local service and social events, the kids whose lives we effected, our international projects, active duty and veterans support and more. I look so forward to the remaining biggest event of our Rotary year, Santa Clothes.

Today, we will happily give the funds our club has raised, along with our partner service club, Kiwanis, to the Salvation Army to help refill their food bank. The food bank provides needed assistance for our city’s homeless and less fortunate. This is the 65th year our clubs have joined in this effort!

Tomorrow, many of our city’s residents will volunteer in shelters, outreach centers, and charitable kitchens to make sure that as many people as possible will be celebrating the holiday in some way.

How did all this get started? Were the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock the actual first Thanksgiving? This story is what most of us learned in school. Even though it was not known as Thanksgiving at the time, it truly was a three-day feast shared with the local Native American tribe and the remaining colonists at the time. Subsequently, various versions were celebrated by the states, and the end of the American Revolution as designated by George Washington. Abraham Lincoln finally in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November. It was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression.

Thanksgiving is not without controversy either. I will let those of you who care, look that up. I prefer to wish the Rotary Club of Las Vegas, the happiest of Thanksgiving holidays complete with all the wonderful food, fellowship and family memories. See all of you at the JC Penney’s of your choice for Santa Clothes and our Holiday Party that evening.

Jackie Thornhill
President
Las Vegas Rotary Club

Member Highlights

Scribe – November 21, 2019

Las Vegas Rotary Club Meeting:  November 21, 2019

  • President Jackie Thornhill called the meeting to order.
  • Marie Walsh gave the invocation, reminding us all of how grateful we are.
  • Tina Bishop led us in song, “God Bless America”.
  • The Sergeant at Arms was Deb Granda.
  • There were (1) International Rotarians, (1) visiting Rotarians and (9) Guests of Rotarians introduced.
  • PP Jim Kohl presented a check for $5,500 to the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow that has been serving the community for 22 years.
  • PP Jim Hunt thanked everyone for their quick response to volunteer for Santa Clothes and mentioned that we still need help at the Meadows Mall. He encouraged Rotarians to contact him to help serve.  After the meeting a check for $56,700 will be presented at the Galleria Mall to J.C. Penney.
  • Jimmelle Trijo announced that the final week of the canned food drive is upon us. Francesca Gilbert presented a check for $1,500 for the canned food drive.
  • Brock Fraser, with a heavy heart, informed us that Ty Hilbrecht passed early Tuesday morning. Ty’s celebration of life is on December 3rd @ 2pm at the Palm Southwest Mortuary.
  • Deb Granda invited all members to attend the Holiday Party on December 5th at the Dragon Ridge Country Club.
  • Jaime Goldsmith announced that if all members would donate $50, we would meet our canned food drive fundraising goal.
  • Kim Nyoni announced that $2,050 was raised for a family’s water system in Cambodia during the most recent Wine to Water event.
  • President Jackie Thornhill reminded us that the highway clean-up is coming up on December 14th. Same time, with breakfast after the event.
  • Michael Williams recognized all attendees of the Peace Conference on November 16th at Treasure Island. There were about 275 attendees.
  • Michael Williams also encouraged us to attend Magical Forest on December 12th.
  • PP Karen Whisenhunt discussed the upcoming Mayor’s Cup. We are looking for host families for 21 boys.  Our German youngsters will be here from Feb 14th-18th.
  • Bill Houghton discussed Teen Leadership Camp. 300 8th graders are attending, including 15 students sponsored by our club.  It is taking place on December 6th-8th in Running Springs, CA.
  • PE Richard Jost volunteered to be fined in order to request the donation of a Tractor Trailer for the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow.
  • Kathy Mahon announced that District 5300 is the last district left as a beta site for the Gates’ $500M American Literacy Program.
  • The weekly drawing began at $2,849 plus this week’s donations. The ticket winner who received $10 was Jordan Micev; the Lawry’s Bucks went to Barbara Billitzer.
  • Jerry Engel introduced our speaker. Donna Foley Mabry has written Maude, the best-selling non-fiction book on Amazon.com. She’s written 27 books total and many take place Las Vegas.
  • President Jackie presented our speaker with a “Share What You Can” award to benefit the local USO.
  • President Jackie announced our new Board of Directors members Captain Kirk Holmes, Bill Houghton, Toni Kern, Stu Lipoff, and Kim Nyoni and adjourned the meeting.

 


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