Opening: President Del opened the meeting by reminding us of several important events that happened on this day, perhaps the most notable was that this month will be the last month that VCRs are sold. The end of an era.
Announcements:
Tattler Sponsors
The Club is looking for 2 additional Website Sponsors for 1 year at a cost of $250.00. Go to the website at bellinghamrotary.org and check out the rotating current ads. They are all linked to your business website. Current sponsors have had a number of views. Contact Sandee if you are interested.
Golf Fun
President Del invited everyone to participate in fun golf event. This year’s event will be held August 12th at Hazelmere Golf Club (in Surrey, B.C.). The cost is $110 (including dinner and lots of prizes) for a scramble format, with dinner following the golf. If you’d like to participate, let John or Nathan Twining know. Go to the District website to find the event and register at: http://www.planmygolfevent.com/28597-RotaryDistrict50502016GolFUN/index.html
We have a 1PM Tee Time and will leave Bellingham at 11AM (hopefully in a carpool and should take about 45 minutes to get there depending on and arrive back in Bellingham around 8 PM
We already have 3 players signed up so we have room for lots more. It's a great event and you get a chance to play a course across the border and meet Rotarians that you otherwise would not.
Our club won the mixed division last year, so we're a powerhouse in the District and need to defend our title.
Catherine Riordan, on behalf of the Social Committee, thanked members for attending the Club social event held at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club last week. Also, a Club social event is planned for the August 1 Bellingham Bells baseball game. Club members will get a discount on the ticket price.
Kendall Olsen, a visitor to our meeting, announced that she has been involved with founding a Bellingham Rotaract Club, the first Rotaract Club in the area. She will be doing a presentation on her work at an Club upcoming meeting.
Guest of Rotarians:
Pam Kiesner introduced her daughter, Hilary Fisher
Dominique Zervas brought Eli Wainman, Attorney
Chuck Snyder introduced Kendall Olson, President of the newly formed Rotoract Club
Larry Halgren brought guests John D. McWilliams, Jr., Marcia McWilliams, Brittany McWilliams, Mark McWilliams, Joyce Cheney, Mark Parrish, Dennis Murry, Katrina Schwerdtsegr, Lance Calloway, Chet & Clara Lackey and his wife Sandi
Presentations:
Larry Halgren, on behalf of himself and his wife Sandi, announced presentation of a Paul Harris award to John E. McWilliams Jr.. The Halgrens supported this award in recognition of McWilliams’ passionate support for community youth, his dedication to their athletic careers and the countless hours of time he has dedicated to these efforts over the years. McWilliams, a physical therapist began his PT career in 1981 when he and his wife Marci established Bellingham Physical Therapy. Larry cited McWilliams’ many accomplishments, a long and impressive list. For example, in 1990 he began providing PT services to athletes, initially at Bellingham High and more recently at Squalicum High. He and his wife founded the “Baker Blast”, a highly successful soccer event that brings together soccer players from all over the United States and Canada. And very importantly, McWilliams has played a leading role in the training and support of other PTs, many of whom now practice all over the United States. We are honored to have John McWilliams honored with a Paul Harris Award by our Rotary Club.
Programs:
Program Chair, Sandy MeIntire introduced our speaker, Ford Carothers, the CEO of Walton Beverages. Carothers joined Walton Beverages as CEO in 2013 – previously he had been with the Pepsi company in Alaska.
Carothers’ presentation began with an overview of the history of the Walton Beverage Company, complete with many great pictures. The company was founded by Harold Walton in 1931 as the Walton Fruit Company. The family-owned business grew over the years and began selling Pepsi soda in 1934. He remarked that initially, sales were slow. In 1934, the company bought two cases and these took two years to sell. In 1940 the company became Walton Fruit and Produce, a reflection of its expanding product line. The Walton company entered the beer distribution business in 1947, discontinued sales in 1953, but reestablished beer sales in more recent years. Carothers emphasized that the 50’s were hard times for the company and it was during this time that the company changed its name to Walton Beverages. In the early years, the Walton company did its own beverage bottling, but in the late 60’s they joined a bottling cooperative which has proved to be much more efficient.
Walton Beverage is now a company of more than 130 employees, housed in a 50,000 square foot facility in Ferndale. The company remains family owned and is now run by John Walton, incidentally also well-know in the communuity as a master magician. Carothers pointed out that over the years sales of carbonated soft drinks has decreased, but the sales of other beverages has increased. The company now distributes a wide variety of products, for example: carbonated soft drinks such as Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Squirt and Mt. Dew; non-carbonated drinks Pure Leaf, Lipton, Ice One and Aquafina; beers, Boundry Bay, Red Truck, Ground Breaker and Anacortes Brewery; wines, Dynasty Cellars, Vartanyan and Dakota Creek; and a varitiey of snacks, coffees and energy drinks.
A brief Q and A session followd Carothers’ talk during which Carother reflected on the relative size and composition of Pepsi versus Coke businesses and Joe Coons shared with the group his experiences in the 50’s working for the Pepsi company.
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