According to George: “While we encountered our first penguins (Magellanic) at the Falklands, the stars of the show were the black-browed albatross that, as long as there was wind, flew around our ship almost escorting us to the islands. We spent two days sailing and stopping at several islands, mostly privately owned. On one island, we were invited to afternoon tea by the owners (how civilized, I thought). “Leaving the Falklands, a two-and-a half-day journey took us to South Georgia where we spent the next six days. South Georgia has over 450,000 pair of King Penguins, 105,000 pair of Gentoo Penguins, one million pair of Macaroni Penguins and over 225,000 various Albatross – not to mention the millions of other Petrels, Prions and other species of birds and the Antarctic Fur, Weddell, and Elephant Seal. No trip to Antarctica should by-pass South Georgia especially the Salisbury Plain King Penguin colony with a population of over 200,000. The Island also includes the old whaling station of Grytviken – the final resting place of Ernest Shackleton – the “Boss” as he was called by his crew (with all due respect to Bruce Springsteen).

“Weather (and the sea) in the Antarctic Convergence varied from rough to rougher but our three-day journey from South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula across the deep Scotia Sea was relatively calm. The calm waters and clear skies of Antarctic Sound were breathtaking. Sailing through a field of icebergs, the only sound we heard – other than our “oohs and ahhs” - was the occasional noise of a humpback whale blow. Orcas were also seen in the distance. Steaming through the Lemaire Channel, at the terminus of the Andes, there was disappointment with the light (photographically speaking) but certainly not with the landscape. Finally, our return to Ushuaia took us through the dreaded Drake Passage which, fortunately, did not quite live up to its reputation as the roughest sea in the world.

“Our leader team of nine included photographers, marine biologists, bird specialists and geologists – all with vast experience travelling (and some living) in the Antarctic. Twenty-six crew members were very attentive and helped make the trip quite enjoyable. The food was good although not exciting and the Argentine wine was - - okay.”

The board approved the budget for the 2008/09 year. Chuck Rutenberg reviewed the survey of club members for the board.

The Board granted a leave of absence to Lorraine Williams.

John first described the history of the Peace Corps concentrating on the pre-Peace Corps entities, the people who were active in its start and how Fort Collins and Colorado State University participated in its start. He gave several of his personal experiences in and with the Peace Corps. In Indonesia, one member of their internal Peace Corps type organization was a good friend and had the Americanized name of George Washington Napitupulu. Because of that name, John asked him if he had relatives from the US. His friend told him that he did have American blood in his veins because his grandfather ate the first American missionary. In another experience, John talked about Australian Rotarians working with Peace Corps Volunteers to establish libraries all over the Solomon Islands.

John then showed a short DVD about the Peace Corps. He ended his presentation describing the three day Peace Corps Celebration during the upcoming weekend, asking members to help with the opening parade of flags and finally describing his commitment to develop a Peace Corps Museum in Fort Collins in partnership with the city.

Warren and Genny Garst Wildlife Collection at CSU Click here or on the "tiger."

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Copyright © by Lannie Boyd and Alan Ashbaugh for the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Colorado, August 20, 2008