TORRINGTON – The Torrington Rotary Club held their weekly meeting on Monday, January 27 during the lunch hour at the Cottonwood County Club in Torrington. Kim Evezich called the meeting to order a little after noon.

“In the inspirational words of Mahatma Gandhi, the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” Evezich said. “This serves as a reminder to everyone of the powerful impacts of service and community. In the rotary way of service of others, it encourages selflessness and giving back.”

Next, Evezich moved on to the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the Rotarian Four-Way Test. Evezich then moved on to introductions and announcements. 

“We have a new member application for Levi Keener. He is coming to us from the hospital. He’s been pre-approved by the membership committee. We need to make an announcement this week and next and then he will be offered a membership with us,” Evezich said. “We’re excited to have him.”

“One other thing, at the city council meeting, we are going on February 3, presenting a check to the city for helping to cover their repairs or refreshment of the kids’ pool, as well as we talk about some tables and maybe a shade structure,” Evezich explained. “So, we’re going to update you on that at a later date.”

After a few Rotarian formalities, Evezich asked for a Wreaths Across America update. Jess Oaks spoke to the club, thanking them for their donations for the event which will take place December 13, 2025. The Rotary Club donated nearly $1,200 for the sponsorship of veteran’s wreaths which will be distributed in Goshen County. 

“Thank you, guys, so much for your donation with combination, the extra cash that I received last week and the check I was able to purchase, I can’t even remember the total amount, but it brings me now to 269 wreaths that we’ve been able to purchase,” Oaks said. “I did receive a few donations privately through my account directly that I have to go back through and figure out where exactly those came from. I did have some members of search and rescue step up and say they were willing to help out hand out wreaths in December this year.”

Evezich moved on to old business. 

“We had planned on having a round table meeting that I have never been to on President’s Day here but given the attendance that we anticipated for Martin Luther King Day, I’m questioning whether we’re either going to have that,” Evezich said.

Evezich opened the floor up to a discussion on what a round table discussion would look like, never having attended one previously. 

“Being the historian of the old guy, what it used to be is if you had an evening event, those that couldn’t make the evening event could keep their attendance up by attending a round table,” fellow Rotarian John Maier said. “That’s all it was. So, if you weren’t going to have Rotary, you weren’t going to have Rotary. If you were going to have an evening event, then the people that couldn’t make the evening event could show up at noon and get credit for attendance.”

Evezich further noted meeting and committee meetings for the club.

“We also have a meeting, the first March meeting, also regarding the fundraisers. That’s not to say that the individual committees may not need some planning time, but I don’t think we’re going to try to have – the thing is, we get charged for 40 meals when we have meetings and so we only have eight people show up and still get charged for 40 meals. So, we try to be judicious about that.”

Evezich further noted there were two Rotary groups in Los Angeles who are funding wildfire disaster funds and have asked for possible donations. Evezich stated she would bring the donation up to the board and she asked if any board members knew of anyone who had lost their home in the California fires, noting the world is smaller and bigger than realized. With no Rotarian speaking up, Evezich encouraged the Rotarians to talk to the board members. 

Evezich also spoke to the club on tables, layout and general plans for the upcoming fundraiser event. 

“Also, we’ll probably end up having our business meeting for Rotary, my guess is, the last week of March because we’re going to use all our other time on planning the fundraiser. In that last week of March on the business meeting we need a president-elect-elect,” Evezich said. “Rotary asked us to have that posted.”

Next, Evezich asked Nathaniel Hibben, Circuit Court of Goshen County, to speak to the club on a youth camp.

“Two quick placeholders, two of the most exciting things that we do,” Hibben began. “First, we sponsor RYLA every year, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and those applications will be opening in three weeks. There’s a young RYLA component. This is for rising eighth graders and then there’s a traditional RYLA program that is for high junior or seniors. If you know of any interested or potentially interested students, please send them my way and I will get them the application form.”

Hibben noted RYLA was a leadership camp hosted by Rotary clubs around the region with two separate sessions. Hibben noted once he had the information from RYLA, he would share it with the club.

“Then, second, the other fun thing we do each semester, we have students of the semester. We bring, of course, two students from each of the area high schools,” Hibben explained. “The tentative date for that is April 28. I look forward to celebrating those kids at that time.”

As the speakers for the meeting’s presentation were waiting, Evezich delivered her closing remarks to the club.  

“Okay, I am going to give closing remarks so I don’t have to get back up later,” Evezich said. “So, the first Monday of February and March, which is February 3 and March 3, our workshops and sessions for our ‘Shamrock Shindig.’” 

Evezich also noted the speaker for the February 3 meeting would be game warden, Mark Dexter. 

Next, Mark Williams and Byron Booth from the Wyoming Department of Transportation spoke to the club. 

“My name is Mark Williams. I work out of the Casper office. I am a district construction engineer. I kind of manage the construction program,” Williams said. “I wanted to introduce Byron Booth.”

Williams explained Booth had taken over the role since Buck Klemola retired. 

“We are fortunate to have Byron here. He’s a local kid. He has a good feel for the community and very experienced in highway engineering,” Williams explained. “[He] worked at South Dakota State DOT for a while and also here in Torrington for many years.”

Williams continued until the meeting was then adjourned.