This morning’s speaker was our own Jennifer Rollins, DGN. She shared with us pictures and stories of her trip to Agra India to administer Polio vaccines. The trip was put together by Rotary networking. They used Polio Immunization in Agra Travel Co. the accommodations and security were excellent and they were escorted by Rotarians. The time Jennifer spent in Agra administering vaccines really impacted her and showed her the why of the trip. Fellow participant Dawn Depriest joined us from Spokane, WA by Zoom and shared the trust and meaningful relationships they had with the families. They also toured a Rotary school in Agra, Vishal Bhakti Public School where they passed along donated t-shirts they brought and spent time with the students. They also toured many cultural sights and enjoyed time with the local people. Jennifer did note that although India is polio free, they so find some wild polio in water supplies so continue to vaccinate to stay polio free.
At the June 9, 2026, meeting, Membership Chair Jeff Kingsbury presented Kevin Dorsman and Denise Webster their official blue badges. Members initially receive a yellow badge before completing their checklist to become official members.
Rushmore Rotary President Roger Heacock presented Todd Hyronimus his Paul Harris +1 pin. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Each additional $1,000 is designated by a +.
The Club also discussed ongoing work on the Storybook Island Rotary Gazebo and learned that of the $500,000 that the Club pledged to the Children's Home Society of South Dakota for its new facility in Rapid City, just $199,500 remains to be raised.
Our meeting today was a field trip to the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks outdoor campus. Clint Whitley, a Naturalist, works there teaching lots of wildlife classes. They also have biologists for the various habitats in the Black Hills. The outdoor campus does a lot of work with kids, but focuses on young adults that can then introduce their kids to outdoor activities. The newest part is the outdoor shooting range. It is a fantastic facility where gun owners can practice in a safe environment. The majority of shooters are recreational shooters (competitive shooting), the rest are hunters. There are many free classes available at the campus. You can get all the information at www.gfp.sd.gov.
Thank you to Jennifer Utter and Lorrie Roberts Knight, who spoke to our club about their work with the Rapid City Sister City Partnership Association. The association was started in 1994 and has facilitated many exchanges between Rapid City sister cities Apolda, Germany, and Nikko, Japan. Five Rapid City area youth will be participating in an exchange with Nikko this summer through the program.
Jennifer, who is president of the association, says the goal is a continued connection between Rapid City and its sister cities, and to "remind us that we are at peace."
At the meeting, club members Amber Berry and Jill Kjerstad also received their blue badges after completing their introduction tasks. We are glad to have Amber and Jill as members of our club.
Our speaker today was Mark Vargo, Asst. Attorney General for SD. He talked about his recent time living in Thailand while he helped establish a prosecution system, a bill of rights, prison reform and re-establish equal citizenship in The country f Myanmar. Since British rule ended in 1948 there have been several military take overs. There had not been a jury trial in Myanmar since 1948. Thank you for this very interesting and informative talk.
