The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a meeting online on January 4, 2021.
Attending were James Nevers, Dave Aubry, Dave DeBois, George Anderson, Joanne Primavera, Russ & Tricia Stromberg, Margie Glenn, Mike Hunter, Steve Shinstrom, John Pruitt, Rich Bergdahl, Rick Ostrander, John Woodbery, Brandon Honcoop, Dan Bartel, Don Dicks, Terry Cole, Brian Tucker, Rick Walter, Bella Chaffey, Amy Mutal, Jim Meniketti, Elizabeth Rusnak, and Monica Fratita. Let me know if I missed anyone.
We convened in breakout rooms before the meeting started, giving everyone a chance to catch up socially with fellow Club members.
President James Nevers rang the bell at 6:17 p.m. George Anderson recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Announcements:
Dave Aubry announced that the new Rotary Central Station Pavilion is complete.
Dave DeBois thanked everyone again for their efforts on the Club Christmas present drive. He reported on some of the expressions of gratitude from the recipients.
Dan Bartel reported that his normal Santa portrayals this year have had to be virtual.
The Club thanked Rick Walter for his efforts at organizing and hosting a virtual ‘Happy Hour’ last Monday. It was a great success.
Student of the Month:
Mike Hunter introduced our Student of the Month, Galen Heuer, a senior at Lake Washington High School. She and her family came here from San Diego when she was in the 6th grade. She loves the area; she is president of her chapter of the National Honor Society, and chapter of DECA.
She has begun to study the concept of Happiness. She has discovered that genetics and mindset are the biggest determinants of happiness. Very little is due to outside circumstances. She feels that Rotary illustrates this concept well. We all need to focus on what helps us be happy. All of us were impressed by her balance and happiness.
Program:
Our speakers for the evening were Officer Tiffany Trombley and Corporal John Ness of the Kirkland Police Department. Officer Trombley is a Neighborhood Resource Officer. Cpl. Ness talked about School Resource Officers and the recent controversy about the concept of the presence of police in schools.
Both positions have specific training for their roles. Cpl. Ness explained the roles played by these positions. The School Resource Officers act as mentors and are there to speak in certain classroom situations about the role of police under the law. They also will speak on how the law works and how the law defines the role of law enforcement in society. The police have no role in normal school discipline. Most interactions with students are informal and casual.
Officer Trombley spoke about Neighborhood Resource Officers. She related how much she likes Kirkland because it is family-oriented. She discussed the KPD’s role in connecting homeless folks to resources that could help them.
There were many informed questions from Rotarians.
President James rang the bell and we adjourned at about 7:09 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
David Aubry - Acting Scribe