The meeting was opened by President Chuck, who informed us that on February 1, 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court held its first session. On the same date in 1884 the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published. He noted that he had reviewed the attendance rosters that were placed on the tables last week and was somewhat concerned at the low level of attendance by some members. He encouraged the present members to contact and encourage attendance from those who have missed a number of meetings.
Peter and John announced that the selection process for the 2016 major project is underway. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2016 and the selected project will be announced May 10, 2016. Members are encouraged to suggest worthy projects, based on the following criteria:
1.The recipient organization must have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
2.The project must be a capital project.
3.Preference is given to projects benefiting Whatcom County and more specifically, Bellingham and the greater Bellingham area.
4.Public recognition of RCOB is a significant factor.
5.Preference will be given to projects that offer the opportunity for members to participate in construction and fundraising.
Wine Tasting Social Event - Nathan Twining
Nathan reminded us of the Wine Tasting and Social to be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016 in the Encore Room of the Mount Baker Theatre. Following the social hour, attendees may stay for the comedy play, “The Nerd.” Discounted tickets for the play may be obtained at the box office (734-6080) or online at http://www.mountbakertheatre.com/shows/the-nerd-mbt-repertory-theatre. The code word is “rotary” for a 20% discount. Members are encouraged to bring guests and may, but are not required to, bring wine to taste or an appetizer.
Stop Hunger Now - Lisa Saar
Lisa reminded us of the Stop Hunger Now event to be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at St. Luke’s Community Health Education Center beginning at 9:00 a.m. At the event, participants will package food for distribution to the world’s most vulnerable people on a world-wide basis. Members are directed to the website – stophungernow.org – where they can register for the event and/or donate to the program. Only $0.29 cents is needed for each meal we package. Members who attend are encouraged to bring family members, neighbors and friends to participate in the packing process.
Ski Trip - Cathy Buckley
Cathy announced that the annual ski trip will take place beginning on Monday, February 8, 2015. There is still plenty of room on the bus if Club members wish to participate. The bus will leave from the harbor at 10:30 a.m.
Guest of Rotarians:
​Paula McCandlis introduced Bethany Allen and Jennifer Peterson, LLT, with Shepherd & Abbott Law Firm.
Ron Jepson brought Rob Janicki and his daughter Molly.
Teri Treat introduced our speaker Chris Fine with Viper Bats.
Presentations:
PAUL HARRIS FELLOW AWARDS were presented to the following Club Members:
Mark Knittel – 1st award
Steve Hager – 1st award
Brad Burdick – 2nd award
Program:
Teri Treat introduced Chris Fine of Viper Bats in Sedro Woolley. Viper Bats is a manufacturer of precision-quality wood bats for athletes of all ages and abilities. It began when Chris was playing for a Skagit Valley baseball team, The Vipers, in 2003 when he was still in high school. The team lost its supplier of bats and began making its own with a single wood lathe. By 2006 the company acquired the manufacturing equipment from another local bat-maker, and had established a name for itself. Soon, Viper Bats was selling its bats world-wide, primarily over the internet, to everyone from youth players to professional Major League Baseball players.
Several states have banned aluminum bats for safety reasons at the high school and younger levels, so there is an increasing market for reliable and relatively-safer wooden bats.
Viper Bats constructs its bats from four different varieties of hardwood: maple (50%); ash (40%); and birch (10%), with a small number made from beech. The wood that Viper uses comes from a small area on the East Coast, and the supply seems to be sustainable.
Each bat is projected to last only 10-15 at-bats, although the actual usage is generally higher. Major league players generally use about 18 dozen bats per year!
The company has four employees: Chris, his two brothers, and his father. It currently manufactures between 5,000 and 10,000 bats per month. The most common bat length is 33.5 inches, with a weight of 31.5 ounces. The company’s competitive edge arises from its selection of premium hardwoods which are hand-split. Hand-splitting involves splitting raw logs split into triangle wedges which are then turned into rounds. The hand-splitting makes a better, stronger bat because a split billet follows the face grain as well as the edge grain of the wood.
Chris’ very informative talk was followed by an extensive question-and-answer period reflecting the Club members’ interest in the subject matter.
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