President Brad opened our meeting by listing all the active participants of the day, and launched us into God Bless America accompanied by Don Anderson.
Dennis Murphy provided the invocation, beginning with the definition of an Irish Optimist: “Things can’t possibly get worse.” The Irish Pessimist? “Sure they can.”
Don Anderson offered a very thoughtful eulogy for our own Tommy Thomson, who passed away December 15, 2014. At a gathering at Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale, folks reminisced about Tommy, who was the definition of “Service Above Self”.
Evidence of our Club’s feelings for Tommy were demonstrated at an August 2014 Monday meeting when Tommy formally resigned from 16 years of being the Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Bellingham Foundation. He received a heartfelt standing ovation, which was proffered out of love and appreciation. Rotarian Ken Culver commented, “In large measure, Tommy was the glue keeping the Foundation alive.”
Tommy and his wife Sylvia and their two kids moved to Bellingham in 1968, where he was a dedicated certified public accountant, a profession to which he gave much in return. He served on numerous boards and was an active community member. After Sylvia passed away, Tommy and his children created the Sylvia S. Thomson RN Memorial Scholarship at Bellingham Technical College in the area of Nursing.
Tommy Thomson gave quietly through dedication and skill (and a wonderfully dry sense of humor!), and he made this world a better place for us all. We will miss you, Tommy.
Announcements:
National College Championship Game - January 12th(Click Here)
Board Briefs (from December 18, 2014 and January 5, 2015 meetings):
Tom Kenney resigned from the Board of Directors because of time restraints. December 8, 2014 we held our annual elections for 2015-2016 with the following results:
President: Chuck Snyder
President-Elect: Del VandeKerk
VP/Program Chairman: Teri Treat
Treasurer: John Holtzheimer
Board of Directors: Because of a tie between Scott Hume and Sandy McIntire and the resignation of Tom Kenney, the board selected Sandy McIntire to replace Tom Kenney effective immediately thru his term of 6/30/2016.
Dominique Zervas carried forward till 6/2017
Scott Hume till 6/2017
Sandy McIntire from 1/2015 to 6/2016 replacing Tom Kenney
Tom Beaumont carried forward till 6/2016
Bill Gorman, Assistant District Governor, is requesting that all 5 Whatcom County Rotary Clubs participate in contributing a total of $8,500 ($1,700 per club) for a complete upgrade of all of the Whatcom Literacy Council aging and failing computer technology. Tom Beaumont moved and Del VandeKerk seconded that we approve $1,700 from our Wacky Wickets proceeds contingent on all of the other clubs participating. The Board would also like to be assured that the project has been fully vetted by the District and that the costs are not over inflated.
The following resignations were accepted with great regret:
Tony Pechthalt – disinterest
Julie Foster – ill health
Jim Blackburn – business scheduling conflicts
Bliss Goldstein – business obligations (1/5/2015)
Also at the 1/5/2015 Board meeting the Board approved the renewal of our annual raffle license.
Major Project
Please remember your pledge or payment for this years Sun House Major project. We are trying to bring the drive to a close.
Members are reminded that using the Membership Roster for any commercial or fundraising purposes not directly connected to operation of this Rotary Club is expressly prohibited and does not pass The Four-Way Test.
Bell-Ringing Update
Jim Vos came to the podium loaded with information about an eventful day of bell-ringing for the Salvation Army. The Fred Meyer bell ringers found to their surprise that one of our sister clubs in the county (who shall remain nameless, thank you Bellingham Bay) had also showed up to bell ring at the same location at the same time. However, they didn’t have bells. Nor did they have coffee or donuts (aren’t you happy you are in the right club?). Being the “Service Above Self” kind of people we are, the BB group was given bells (donated by RCOB), and coffee and donuts (donated by RCOB). Bellingham Bay then challenged RCOB to see who would raise more money by the end of the allotted time. Was there really ever any question? Our Club raised $200 more than Bellingham Bay, and overall that Saturday our Club raised $4,888.14 for the Salvation Army. Another successful bell ringing event!
Calling All Past Presidents
There will be a Past Presidents Assembly held at the Encore Room at the Mt. Baker Theatre on January 29. If you plan to attend, please let Sandee know.
Service Fund
Chuck Snyder announced that the Service Fund Committee would be accepting requests for donations of $1000 each through January 15. These are one-time gifts to a non-profit sponsored by a Club member.
Guests of Rotarians:
Tim Farris brought his daughter Amy
John Stewart introduced Joe Pruitt
Steve Hager brought Lisa Saar with Law Office of Lisa Saar, PLLC
Teri Treat brought Bob Lafortune with Michael Business Machines
Presentations:
Tom Grinstad and Kathy Hughes were called forward to add to their already existing Paul Harris Fellowship awards. Tom now has a Paul Harris plus Two, and Kathy a Paul Harris plus Six. Very impressive! To both of you, thank you for your service!
Another set of awards was next. In a push to bring new members into Rotary, Rotary International now gives current Club members an award for membership recruitment. Dominique Zervas has brought in two new members, and Margaret Curtis has brought in one, earning each of them an addition to their regular Rotary pin. Congratulations!
Program:
Today’s speaker was John Bower, WWU Professor and Ornithologist. Professor Bower’s topic was Raptors of Whatcom County – their Ecology, Behaviors, and Environmental Needs.
Bird watching is a very popular past time nationally. In 2011 there were 47 million known birdwatchers, 18 million that actually take trips to find or follow particular birds. These travelers spend $14.9 billion annually on their excursions, so bird watching has definite value for the economy. Our state comes in 24th out of the 50 states in the number of birdwatchers we boast, just above the average.
Raptors are birds of prey, the ones that “actively kill big things” like other birds, fish, or small mammals. There are a number of raptors that live or visit Whatcom County, so there are many to view, mostly in the Fall and Winter. Following is the list of those described by Professor Bower.
Bald Eagles
These birds of prey are very common in our area, although in the 1970s they were an endangered species due to pesticides and bounty hunting. They have since recovered in number and now have become problematic as they feed on other native birds, creating the possibility of new birds to be considered as endangered species.
The Nooksack River is a good place to view the birds in January, with over 300 sighted along a 14-mile stretch of the river. You might even be treated to the somewhat unusual sight of two eagles locking talons and tumbling through the air in some sort of courtship ritual. Those crazy, thrill-seeking teenagers.
Falcons
There are three species of falcons in our area:
Kestrels locate in the north county and are smallish in size – much the same as a robin. The interesting thing about them is that they see in Ultra Violet light, which gives them the distinct advantage of spotting mice, not because they see the little varmints but, because the mouse urine lights up in UV light and indicates to the kestrel the travel patterns of the mice. Think of these trails as a mini I-5 for mice. And the kestrel as a Washington State Patrol plane.
Merlins eat birds, and you can often see them making off with pigeons from the Herald Building. Bellingham has the distinct notation of being one of the first cities in the country that merlins moved to twenty years ago, and they now nest in neighborhood trees.
Peregrine falcons aren’t seen often in Bellingham; they prefer skyscrapers and so spend most their time in cities that have buildings higher than we have here. Their entre du jour consists of ducks and seagulls, which they catch by “stooping”. This is a posture by which the falcon rushes headlong into their prey at 600 miles per hour, if not killing the prey instantly, then definitely knocking them senseless. As the prey falls to the ground, the peregrine swoops underneath it and grabs it with its talons, taking them away to…well, there are feathers just everywhere.
Buteos
Two species of Buteos, or large hawks, are found in our region:
Red Tail Hawks don’t flap their wings as much as they employ thermal updrafts to fly. These are the birds we see along I-5 in the winter, as well as Skagit Valley and the Lummi flats.
Northern Harriers use rhythmic flapping to cruise low above the ground in marshes and fields, searching for edible tidbits.
Accipiter
The Cooper’s Hawk is an example of an Accipiter found in our area. Cooper’s hawks are very intelligent. And sly. They eat only smaller birds, and find their prey through shrewdly studying birdfeeders or grain on the ground where small birds congregate. They use their mighty bird brains to strategize an air offensive that may occur the following day, when they come back to the location they’ve studied, and at 60 mph they attempt to ambush the unwitting little chickadees, catching them off guard and…well, you get the picture. These hawks can be found in Whatcom Falls Park.
Owls
Four owl species can be found in Whatcom County:
Snowy Owls typically live in the Arctic and feed on non-suicidal lemmings when the lemming population is teeming. Lemming populations are cyclical, however, necessitating snowy owls to venture south, often to Boundary Bay or Sandy Point. There must be lemmings here – I don’t know. The reporter didn’t catch that part of the story. You can always Google it.
Spotted Owls live in … repeat after me … “old growth forest”. We all remember that. They are still in danger despite the protections that have been put in place to protect them from becoming the main dish at neighborhood BBQs in Forks.
Barred Owls and Great Hooded Owls can be found all over Bellingham.
Short Eared Owls hunt only at dawn or at dusk, unlike most owls that hunt at night and during the day.
If you are interested in getting started with some bird watching of your own,
Professor Bower provided two options to pursue here in Bellingham. The North Cascades Audubon Society does slide shows and field trips, and the Whatcom Birds email listserve currently serving 300 bird enthusiasts in Whatcom County. For more information on either, you may email john.bower@wwu.edu.
Top Five Fun Facts About Birds That You Did Not Know:
Ravens do barrel roles.
Birds show off to each other by jumping up and down to see who can jump highest.
A turkey vulture who has just “eaten” can projectile vomit up to ten feet if you bother him while he is digesting.
There is no real bird called the Seahawk. There are eagles or ospreys, but no bona fide “Seahawk”. At least that is a bird.
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