3rd From Sol

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Daily Archives: March 26, 2010

Rotary@105: Our 1st Rotary Dropout

26 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Rotary, Rotary@105

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Dissatisfiers, Hiram Shorey, History of Rotary, Membership, Membership Retention, Paul Harris, Rotary International

Few Rotarians know that we marked a 105th anniversary milestone last week.  On March 23, one month after the historic first meeting, Rotary marked the 105th anniversary of its name.  It was not until the third meeting in 1905 that the original club members decided that the name would be ‘Rotary’ because the meetings were going to be ‘rotated’ among the member’s offices.  There were 15 people at that meeting including the original four.

The Original Four of Rotary

Those original four were Silvester Schiele (age 34), Paul Harris (age 36), Gustavus Loehr (age 40), and Hiram Shorey (age 42). Of the four, the oldest, Hiram Shorey would attend only two more meetings .  He did come back for a few meetings in 1906, but after the fifth meeting Hiram became the first Rotary Dropout.

Hiram Shorey: Rotary's first dropout

Why did Hiram dropout?  To me it is an interesting question.  According to an account of the first meeting all of the men were enthusiastic about the new club and he continued to attend for the next four meetings, so what changed between the first meeting and the fifth?

I don’t buy the reasons given when a Rotarian drops out.  According to Paul Harris, Hiram left Rotary, “due to circumstances beyond his control.”  Almost always the reason given is a ‘politically correct’ reason that ignores the fact that people do not normally make changes in their life based on one or two factors, but rather have multiple experiences or dissatisfiers that lead up to the change of mind.

(See my blog on Dissatisfiers: Why John Quit)

There could have been many issues that dissatisfied Hiram. The first meeting was held at Gus Loehr’s office. The second at Paul Harris’s office, and the third at Silvester Schiele’s office. According to the idea of ‘rotating’ the meetings it would have seemed likely that the fourth meeting would have been held at Hiram’s shop. Rotary history seems to skip over the fourth meeting. What we do know is that the fifth meeting (Hiram’s last) was held at a hotel and dinner was served.   Is it possible that the issue of the location of the meeting caused Hiram to rethink his enthusiasm about the club?   Did something happen at the fourth meeting that caused him to become disillusioned with Rotary? By the third meeting the club had grown to 15 members.   Did that cause Hiram to feel like Rotary wasn’t going to be small group of friends?

We will never know what dissatisfiers led to Hiram becoming Rotary’s first dropout, but there is a lesson we can take from 105 years ago.   Even people who have a strong vested interest in the club and it’s success can become disillusioned in a matter of a few meetings.   It takes extraordinary sensitivity and awareness to address dissatisfiers that may cause a member to leave the club, but it is the only way to help close the back door that members use to slip away from the club.

Ironically, Hiram’s short involvement with the club would follow him through the rest of his life.  His hometown of Litchfield, Maine has a plaque that notes he was “a Founder of Rotary.”  That is the way we all will remember him.

Rotary related blogs by Paul Kiser

Rotary Public Relations and Membership: Eight Steps to a Team Win


Rotary: All Public Relations is Local

Best Practices:  Become a Target!

Fear of Public Relations



Reno’s Secret Extreme Disc Golf Course

26 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Passionate People, Public Relations, Recreation

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Tags

Disc Golf, Nevada, Recreation, Reno, Reno Adventure Park

by Paul Kiser

“The Pebble Beach of Disc Golf” (Player comment)

Thomas Hill Frost at Hole 10 on the Green Course

This week I spent a morning with a magnificent view of the Reno and in the background was the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range. It was a location that few know about and fewer know how to get to; however, my guide, landowner Thomas Hill Frost, knows this area well.

I didn’t visit the site for the view, but because Tom has built two 18-hole Disc Golf courses on 40 acres of land that are at best, challenging and for most, extreme. I haven’t played Disc Golf for years but after running into Tom at a Reno Starbucks he peaked my interest enough to see what he has been working on for ten years.

Tom points out the work on the hole structure

Located above the Virginia Foothills area, southwest of Reno, Reno Adventure Park overlooks the southern suburbs.

Green Course hole with next tee pad in background

Tom and I walked the Green Course which is 18 holes on ‘kinder and gentler’ terrain, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for the flat grass-covered courses in a city park or on a college campus.  This is a hill course with an occasional juniper or pinion pine tree that obscures the hole from the tee pad. The course can be played in tennis shoes; however, boots that protect the shins are recommended. I walked the course in street shoes and in the end had to dump dirt and sand out of my shoes and socks.

View from the Tee Pad of the 1st Hole of the Red Course

The Red Course is for the adventurous player. There is 600 feet of elevation change between the top of the course and the bottom with many holes dropping or rising 10 stories or more between the tee pad and the hole. There may be a more challenging permanent disc golf course in the world, but I can’t imagine where or why. Anyone who logs time on the Red Course will have earned her or his beer once they return to civilization.

One of the most challenging holes on the Green course is the 13th (of course, it had to be ‘13′.) The course is downhill with a few trees blocking the view of a hole that is set a few feet from a granite cliff. Overshoot the hole and you’re going to go for a hike. When we were there a red fox was at the bottom of the cliff. To my knowledge she won’t retrieve a lost disc for players, so don’t plan for help if you screw up.

The Cliff behind Lucky 13

Lucky 13 on the Green Course

Green Course Hole 17 Tee Pad

It is important to note that this is a private course on private land.  People must contact Tom (775.750.0776) to reserve a tee time, gain permission to access the course, and get directions.  Tom will typically be willing to meet parties and guide them to the property, but please don’t cancel as Tom arranges his schedule to accommodate guests.  Because of wildlife, no dogs are allowed.


Tom is a landscape artist and he is the great-great-grandson of the famous Yosemite landscape painter Thomas Hill (1829-1908).  Tom is aware of the artistic value of his land and he wants to preserve the beauty for all.  He has spent ten years working with Washoe County for easement access and use permits, and then he began installing the course piece by piece.  His current project is to complete concrete tee pads on all 36 holes.  Eventually he would like to have the property serve as a place for people to come and play, paint, relax, and enjoy.

Up to now the course has been a secret to Reno and the Disc Golf world; however, that is changing as more people become aware of this Reno treasure.  Now that I’ve been there I could tell you how to find it…but then I have to…sorry, I’ve been watching ‘Chuck‘ too much.  Call Tom at 775.750. 0776 or go to www.RenoAdventurePark.com for more information.

Other Pages of This Blog

  • About Paul Kiser
  • Common Core: Are You a Good Switch or a Bad Switch?
  • Familius Interruptus: Lessons of a DNA Shocker
  • Moffat County, Colorado: The Story of Two Families
  • Rules on Comments
  • Six Things The United States Must Do
  • Why We Are Here: A 65-Year Historical Perspective of the United States

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