In this edition of the Hubcap: Vera's View, It Happened Last Meeting, Zoom Video Recording, Club Announcements and News
Thursday at the Rotary Club of Arlington, Texas:
Rick Barnes
Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector
Vera's View
Rotary International has four structured programs for Youth Service: Interact for youth ages twelve to eighteen, Rotaract for young people eighteen to thirty, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) for high school students and Youth Exchange for students ages fifteen to nineteen. Since Youth Service is the focus for Rotary in the month of May, let us educate ourselves and follow up on any ways we can support our youth to become global citizens.
While our club is fairly familiar with Rotaract since we are connected with UTA’s club, we send students to RYLA each summer, and we are sponsoring a new community Interact club, Rotary Youth Exchange is an area that is not as well known. Let’s look at the benefits of participating in Youth Exchange.
Rotary Youth Exchange presents an opportunity to build peace one young person at a time. Students who enter this program are exposed to the potential to learn a new language, discover another culture, develop lifelong leadership skills, and to become a global citizen.
Long-tern exchanges last a full academic year, and the students attend local schools and live with multiple host families. Short-term exchanges last from several days to three months, sometimes structured as camps, tours, or homestays that take place when schools are not in session.
Steve Trine serves as the Rotary Chair to help facilitate these exchanges for District 5790. Last year he made an appeal for clubs to host students from Spain, Germany, Taiwan and Brazil. While our club was not in a position to host those students, let us do our homework to make room for future exchange students and to seek out students in our community who could appreciate this opportunity.
Rotarian Fred Cook passed away peacefully on April 28, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Lubbock, Texas, Fred moved to Arlington at a young age and proudly called it home for the rest of his life. He lived with a sense of joy, humility, and an unwavering love for his family, friends, and community.
A proud graduate of Arlington High School, Fred was a natural athlete and leader. He served as captain of the 1951 State Championship football team and went on to play college football at Arlington State College. His competitive spirit and dedication to teamwork left a lasting impact on those who played alongside him.
Fred met the love of his life, Sandra, in grade school. Their story blossomed into a lifelong partnership, beginning when Sandra was a senior at Arlington High and Fred was attending college. They were married on November 30, 1955, and shared a remarkable love story spanning nearly 70 years.Obituary and service schedule.
Miss last week's meeting? Click HERE to view the presentation in a web browser.
Susie McAlister, Jill Regina, Speaker Sign-Ups
Steve Brooks, Sally Hopper
Kurt Bartley, Tom Ware
Hal Thurow, Don Mebus
Valerie Landry, Lunch Line
Derrick Kinney, Al Clark
President Vera McKissic Opens Our Meeting
Melody Fowler, Prayer & Pledge
Stacy Bridger, Greeter
Joyce Stanton, Guest Jennifer Pruitt Pitts
Randy Hendricks, Guest & Spouse Jolanda
Guest Matt Baltensperger, Mia Russo
Theresa Crouch, Timeless Concerts
Clete McAlister
Laurie Bianco
Maggie Campbell, Downtown Arlington
Jill Regina, Gaduation Speech Sign-Ups
Andy Bowne, Neurodivergent Children
Don Mebus, My Grandfather's Clock
Sally Hopper, Birthdays and Anniversaries
Happy Birthday Andy!
Randy Hendricks, Speaker Introduction
Professor Chris McMurrough, UTA Robotics
UTA Patent With Chris Named as Inventor
Donna Mack, Q&A
Ignacio Nunez, Q&A
Dan Blumberg, Q&A
President Vera Presents Webb Elementary Library Book
Kris Landrith, Last Laugh
Four Way Test
"There is one difference between a tax collector and
a taxidermist—the taxidermist leaves the hide."
