The club was greeted by Rtns. Nancy Quellhorst, Mike Carberry, and Ed Cranston.
Our Meeting was called to order by President-Elect Jim Conard.
Announcements:
Rtn. Christina Kimerle, co-chair of the Rotarians Supporting Women Committee, accounced that the $1,000 scholarship has been fully funded. Please contact Christina or Tara Minetos if you know of any woman in the community who wishes to apply. Preference will be given to a non-traditional student, such as a tradeschool or cosmetology student.
President-Elect Jim Conard let the group know that he will be going to President-Elect training in March in Ames. He is looking for ideas for goals or other input. Please call Jim or send him an email with any input.
PROGRAM:
Rtn. Mike Carberry introduced today’s speaker. As County Supervisor, Mike said the best thing that he can do is hire good people and get out of their way. Mike didn’t have the pleasure of hiring Gary Boseneiler, but defintitely stays out of his way. Gary is an Air Force retiree and has been on the job as Director of the Commission of Veterans Affairs for Johnson County since 2012. He has been named the best VA coordinator in the state of Iowa. Gary is a Hawkeye and Cubs fan and is simply known at Sgt. Bo.
Bo was a communications specialist in the Air Force, laying phone lines, then crosstrained as a flight mechanic, working on a variety of aircraft. Bo then had the opportunity to teach ROTC at the University of Iowa, and move back to the Midwest.
Iowa in rare in that it has a Veterans Coordinator in all 99 counties. Bo’s job is to connect all honorably discharged veterans and their family members to the benefits they have earned. These benefits can include healthcare, disability payments, GI Bill education, cemetary plots, and assistance obtaining military records. The County Commission of Veterans Affairs does not work for the VA, but they work with the VA.
Not all veterans are eligible for VA hospital benefits. Only veterans with service-connected disabilities and those with low incomes are eligible. Bo’s office connects veterans with temporary financial assistance and also has a homeless veteran outreach worker who engages with Shelter House and the VA hospital to help veterans obtain special vouchers for housing.
More than half of the veterans that Bo helps are Vietnam vets, who have cancer, diabetes, and Parkinsons disease as a result of Agent Orange exposure. For Vietnam combat vets with particular disorders, there is a presumption of a 100% disability, which entitles them to a $3,000/month tax-free benefit. Last week, the Court of Appeals announced a decision to expand this presumption of disability to Bluewater Navy veterans, who served offshore in Vietnam. As of 2014, veterans who are 100% disabled are expempt from paying property taxes in Iowa.
According to last year’s census, there are 6,400 veterans in Johnson County (reduced from 7,200 the prior year). The Commission of Veterans Affairs brings $23 million per year into Johnson County, largely through 100% disability claims and the GI Bill.
The meeting ended at 12:50 pm as President-Elect Jim Conard led the assembly in reciting The Four Way Test.
MEETING:
Singing: America the Beautiful was led by Rtn. Jim Conard with Rtn. Devin van Holsteijn on piano.
Rtn. Ed Cranston announced that there were no visiting Rotarians.
Guests of Rotarians: Gary Boseneiler (Mike Carberry); Dr. Aaron Hildbreth (Ryan Bell); Don Rhodes (Andrea Rhodes).
Program: Tom Cilek; Attendance: Nancy Droll
Please forward any newsworthy items and/or photos to Jon Brown or Janice Baldes to include in the weekly slide decks emailed to members prior to each meeting and shown just before Rotary meetings at the Club. You can send information to: Janice Baldes janicebaldes@gmail.com or Jon Brown at mjonBrown@taxesplusiowacity.com
It is our policy to have all members silence their cell phones before the meeting and refrain from answering their cell phones during the meeting out of respect to the speaker and fellow members.
