TORRINGTON – The Torrington Rotary Club met for their weekly meeting on Monday afternoon. The meeting was called to order by Cristen Braddy, who opened the meeting with a moment of inspiration. 

“’What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?’ John Steinbeck,” Braddy read. “As we gather today, let’s reflect on those things. Not just on the ones marked by weather, but the same of service, growth and change. We’ve journeyed through challenges and successes through every year,” Braddy opened. “Each moment prepared for you for the warmth and energy that is to come in the summer. Just as the earth renews itself with the turning of the season, may we find our own renewal in purpose, in passion and in the service we give to others. Let the coming months be a time of reflection, reconnection and readiness for the impact we will make. We will continue to live.”

Braddy then led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotarian Four-Way Test. With no guests to introduce, Braddy moved on to announcements for the club where she noted there will be a monthly board meeting. It was stated the meeting had been rescheduled and someone would let the club know the date it was moved to. In further announcements, the changing of the gavel is scheduled for Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m. at the Cottonwood County Club.

“Please make arraignments to spend the evening in fellowship with us. Then, a reminder, that the Rotary District Conferences will be June 12 through the 14,” Braddy said noting those interested should contact the board.

The club moved on to the Queen of Spades game and the Happy Basket where members noted they were thankful for the nice weekend. Lisa Johnson, Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Executive Director, invited the club members to attend the alumni reception on Thursday, May 8 at the CTECH building. Johnson further explained EWC’s graduation would be Friday, May 9 and there would be “all kinds of festivities and graduation”. Johnson also explained the graduation keynote speaker would be Charles Hoskinson, a visionary entrepreneur and pioneer in blockchain technology. EWC President Dr. Jeffry Hawes also donated money to the Happy Basket and he invited the club to attend the EWC’s ceremonies. He noted the event would be livestreamed as well. Hawes further noted the college golf team won the Region 9 West Championship, advancing to the next level. He also mentioned the esports team had won their first national title. 

Under old business, Todd Peterson, club treasurer, gave a report on the March fundraiser. 

Peterson stressed the importance of ticket sales for future events noting the club was down funds. 

“The bottom line is, we got to get out and sell tickets. We all have friends. We all have family,” Peterson said. 

Peterson continued by saying those in attendance at the March fundraiser had a good time but in order to get more revenue, the club needed to sell more tickets. After a brief discussion on auctions, Braddy mentioned the fundraiser would be planned sooner in the year and she welcomed suggestions via email from club members. Braddy reminded the club they still needed to find a president-elect nominee. Braddy also mentioned the club bylaws were being rewritten too. Monday’s speaker, the Honorable Judge Nathaniel Hibben was introduced to the club. 

Hibben open his presentation with an acknowledgement of the parents of graduating seniors in the club. He stated he was filling in as the presenter for the afternoon and he was happy to open the floor to questions from the club members. 

“A week from today, I will be starting down in Cheyenne,” Hibben said. “I want to say just how much I’ve appreciate group and appreciate being part of this organization.”

Hibben explained he saw lots of friends looking around the meeting room and he hoped those would call him a friend too. 

“I’m excited to start that work. So, Saturday morning, May 10, I will take my oath,” Hibben explained. “The way that this works is there’s not really supposed to be a vacancy, if you can help it anyway, there’s not supposed to be a vacancy in the office. So, Friday, May 9 will be my last day here in Goshen County and then Saturday I’ll go down to Cheyenne and Chief Justice will swear me in and we’ll have a cup of coffee.”

“I’m also happy and thrilled that Karen Speckner is going to be our staff attorney down in Cheyenne. She’ll be working in our chambers there and she’ll be in Cheyenne from time to time, I’m sure, but she’ll also be here in Goshen County,” Hibben explained.

Hibben explained the process to find a new circuit court judge. 

“Let’s talk about judicial selection,” Hibben said. “A week from today, there will be a nominating commission will meet, probably a week from today or a week from tomorrow. There will be three names. The governor has 30 days to select from one of those candidates and there will be interviews with the governor, chance for public feedback, chance for other input as well,” Hibben said. “That person probably won’t take their seat or their oath until the first of July. So, there is almost a two-month gap in time there where there’s no circuit judge.”

Hibben noted other judges will be filling in until the seat was filled. 

“It’s been kind of a scramble in the last month to make sure that we take everything we can from June and July and put it into May -April,” Hibben said. 

Hibben then explained how judges were appointed in the “old days,” noting judges were elected just like legislators in elections in Wyoming. After discovering elections were not the best way to find judges, judges are now appointed by a judicial nominating commission which is composed of seven lawyers, three lay members and chaired by the Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court. Hibben also discussed the amount of time judge’s server at different levels. 

Members of the club chatted about projects Hibben had worked on. Hibben reflected on a project noting it was a “fun” project to work on as a lawyer. He noted that project turned into the next project and the next project. He also explained he had worked on projects throughout the city. 

“I thought that I would just touch for a bit about something that’s been on my mind, here’s kind of the thesis of this, I touched on this in an interview that I gave with Jess with the Telegram a couple of weeks ago, the idea that I touched on and that I want people to remember is that the law is a virtue. The law is a virtue and here’s what I mean by that when we usually think of virtues we think of things like courage, justice, temperance, fairness. We may also think about other virtues like joy, peace, patience. Those are all virtues. Personal characteristics. When it comes to the law in our tradition, in our political order, the law itself is a virtue as well,” Hibben explained. “I think that the law is an ideal that we can aspire to – se it to guide our conduct. That we can use it as a foundation for public life. We can use it as a guide for how we’re going to live life together and that the law requires participation by all of us. It’s not just for lawyers. It’s not just for judges. It’s for all citizens to take part.”

“Now, I worry, to the extent I worry about anything, I worry that we have lost that ideal and that idea has become diminished,” Hibben continued. “What I mean is that I worry that we have begun to see the law instead of as an ideal, that we have seen the law as a tool. We’ve the law as a way to receive an outcome.”

The meeting continued with a brief discussion on the due process of law and Hibben’s request for the public to be informed with the judicial system in the community. 

In honor of Judge Hibben, who placed service above self with the Torrington Rotary members for many years, the club rose to their feet in gratitude and fellowship, thanking him for his dedication and friendship. The meeting was then adjourned.