Chartered in 1963, the Mountain Empire Rotary club is a small group of individuals who serve the communities of Sonoita, Elgin and Patagonia in Southern Arizona. The club works locally to promote projects that effect residents as well as those that focus on international needs.

In September, Rotary distributed 43 dictionaries/resource books to the 3^rd Grade classes at Patagonia Elementary, the Patagonia Montessori and Elgin Schools. Members of Rotary spend a half hour with each class, interacting with the kids and showing them all the amazing resources within the book, which is so much more than a dictionary.

Mountain Empire Rotary donates dozens of high quality hardcover books to the schools as part of their Birthday Books program. Through the program, every student is gifted a beautiful book, compliments of The Mountain Empire Rotary Club, on their birthday.

Each month the organization honors and awards a student at Patagonia Union High School with $100 as the Student of the Month. Students must either demonstrate the following Six Pillars of Characters criteria on an ongoing basis or they must have achieved an award-worthy accomplishment that falls into the criteria:

• Trustworthiness (Integrity, Honesty, Reliability, Loyalty)
• Respect (Golden Rule, Tolerance & Acceptance, Nonviolence, Courtesy)
• Responsibility (Duty, Accountability, Pursue Excellence, Self Control)
• Fairness (Fairness & Justice, Openness)
• Caring (Concern for others, Charity)
• Citizenship (Do Your Share, Respect Authority and Law)

The Mountain Empire Rotary club emphasizes the values of leadership and activism in the community’s youth while providing opportunities that encourage students to grow and demonstrate leadership.

Odell Borg founded High Spirits Flutes in 1990 in the then quaint town of Solana Beach, Southern California. These Native Flutes are crafted from a solid piece of the finest cedar, walnut, birch and other fine domestic plantation-grown woods or recycled lumber. They’re finished with a specially formulated non-toxic oil that protects and seals each flute giving it a warm, clear voice.

According to Odell, “From day one I have taken great pride in upholding the MADE IN THE USA tradition of craftsmanship. We are committed to being green-minded and using non-toxic materials.

The Native Flute came into Odell Borg’s life when he received one as a Christmas gift in 1988. He had never played an instrument before, and as he soon discovered that he enjoyed playing the flute. He says, “It quickly became my close and comforting friend.”

The inspiration to create a flute came in 1990 while he was going through a very difficult time in his life. A good friend reminded Odell that he had always been a craftsman and encouraged him to explore making the flute, since the instrument brought him so peace and comfort. This idea struck a chord with him.

Every High Spirit Flutes’ flute comes with a How-To-Play Instructional DVD and Booklet to help people of all musical skill levels learn how to successfully play. High Spirit Flutes also sells a variety of Native Flute accessories including flute bags, cases, stands, song books, Native Flute CD projects, as well as more advanced Native Flute instructional materials.

Odell Borg, owner of High Spirit Flutes

Today, High Spirit Flutes is located in Patagonia, Arizona and sends flutes throughout the US as well as Europe and Asia.

High Spirit Flutes is a 2018-2019 Mat Bevel Company educational sponsor. Odell says, “We are excited that The Universe Within world-building course is part of our local public school’s curriculum. It’s so important that young people learn techniques to help them solve problems with much greater imagination.”

Thank you High Spirit Flutes for supporting educational curriculum that helps students learn how to think more creatively!

Learn more about High Spirit Flutes.

William (Bill) H. Taft Jr. is a retired biologist for the State of Michigan. He was employed by the state for 25 years where most recently he served as a senior aquatic biologist in the Water Bureau.

He actively collects clear-wing moths throughout North America and publishes on the subject. A collector since 1968, he’s known for identifying rare and unknown Sesiidae (clear wing) moths throughout North America.

Bill has followed and supported Ned Schaper and the Mat Bevel enterprise for the last 20 years. He explains, “I support Mat Bevel Company because the organization promotes Ned’s artwork which is unique. The theater, museum, school and video production involve a lot of science, and as a scientist I believe people need to know about physics, they need to know how to work with materials and make things. Plus, I think the work is clever. There isn’t that much stuff out there that is clever.”

Mat Bevel Company Educational Sponsor William (Bill) H. Taft Jr. is an entomogologist who’s known for identifying rare and unknown Sesiidae (clear wing) moths in North America. The moth image above is Carmenta wildishorum (Taft & Cognato).

Bill believes that Mat Bevel Company can help young people learn about science in a subtle way. The physical science of the museum is blended with theater and inspiring characters to make learning engaging and entertaining. Students get exposed to science, technology and engineering in a way they haven’t been before.

Bill says, “Whether it Bevelvision video footage, the Museum Of Kinetic Art or classes and workshops from the School of Intuition that teach people how to put things together, it only takes one exposure to change someone’s life.”

Bill had a powerful experience himself when he was young. He connected with a professional biologist who worked for the State of Michigan whose passion was for Michigan butterflies and moths. This gentleman became Bill’s mentor and it changed everything for him.

The Universe Within world-building course holds particular promise for Bill. Classes provide hands-on learning and participation where students design and create elements of their world in two-, three and four-dimensions—using a scientific sketchbook to capture their unique ideas, while making sculptural helmets and kinetic replicas from their worlds.

Bill lives in Michigan with his wife Barbara Kennedy and their English lab Luna.

Bill is certain that this type of problem-solving and discovery which integrates science, technology, theater and storytelling provides something that students will not get elsewhere. Exposure to new ways of thinking is how businesses and organizations succeed. The Universe Within has the potential to prepare students for careers as well as connect them to the physical world, something that’s especially important in the digital age we live in.

Bill’s hope is that the Mat Bevel Company enterprise will continue to become more successful. “Let’s face it. We don’t know where things will lead until you get there, but you can’t get there until you do something. In this case, interacting with students in school, is a great next step. The Universe Within is worthwhile because it’s both educational and inspirational. You don’t get that often in a class.”

Bill believes that the more people who are exposed to Mat Bevel Company’s kinesthetic approach to learning, the more likely they are to be successful and find something they enjoy in life. Bill says, “This is how people find their first career or get second careers….they discover something more interesting. They get their hands on it. They’re not just reading about the subject, the great people are doing it!”

With all the distractions today, from social media and video games, many young people do not find the time to think more deeply. As Bill says, “The greatest scientists thought about a problem they were going to solve. They understood that if they didn’t do it, who else was going to do it?”

Bill understands that the people who are unique and have novel ideas take the time to think about the world, and to solve problems.