President Jimmy Collins called Seattle Rotary Club #4 to order at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 09, 2022. The meeting was broadcast via Zoom only. President Jimmy reiterated the Rotary’s mission is to develop strong relationships, welcome diversity and advocate for different points of view. He updated the Rotary Club on the status of the Invictus Games coming to Seattle in 2025. President Jimmy said there is stiff competition, but he believes that our local representatives have made a very strong case for having the games in Seattle.
President Jimmy introduced Linda Rough & Jevon Powell with the song of the day: “Try a Little Kindness.” Rough & Jevon took some creative liberty by injecting Rotary into the lyrics. Trish Bostrom provided Rotarians with the Inspiration for the Day. Trish spoke of the grave concerns she has about Ukraine. She referenced the two million-plus refugees who are suddenly without a home and suggested that Rotarians do everything humanly possible to help the people of Ukraine in their time of need.
Nyasha Tunduwani, thanked Fiona Ronyai for all her work saying how effective she was in recruiting new Rotarians. Fiona will be joining her husband in expanding their business on Bainbridge Island.
President Jimmy asked Joe Phillips to introduce the newest Seattle Rotary Club member: Robert Gilmore, Wealth Manager. Robert grew up in Texas but found his way to Seattle in 2011. Welcome, Robert.
President Jimmy introduced Rear Admiral and former Rotarian president, Bill Center. Bill led a Memorial for Admiral Tom Hayward who recently passed away. Admiral Hayward joined the Navy as a fighter pilot. He flew 140 combat missions in Korea and 36 combat missions over Vietnam. He became the Chief of Naval Operations. Bill said that Admiral Hayward helped build back the Navy after neglect had set in after the two major wars. Upon his retirement, he dedicated his life to helping at-risk students. Admiral Hayward had been a member of Rotary since 1970. President Jimmy asked for a moment of silence in honor of the life of Admiral Hayward. Watch a VIDEO of Admiral Tom Haywards life.
Admiral Center was deeply involved with Ukraine when it was transitioning towards independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Many Ukrainians wanted to keep their nuclear missiles as a future bargaining chip. The response at that time was not to be concerned because western alliances would step up and help Ukrainians if future conflicts arose. Admiral Center said that he believes that disputes like we are seeing right now, will continue because we don’t learn from history. Admiral Center said he believes this conflict will be a protracted one. He shared four possible scenarios of how this occupation may turn out.
President Jimmy thanked Admiral Center for the wonderful tribute to Tom Hayward and the summary of the conflict in Ukraine. He then introduced Jerilyn Brusseau.
Jerilyn introduced the main program speakers. Uyen Nguyen and Thanh Tan fled Vietnam with their families at the conclusion of the Vietnam War. In demonstrating their appreciation for Washington’s legacy in finding homes for refugees, they formed a group called: Viets for Afghans.
Highlights:
Both Uyen and Thanh spoke about their encounters when suddenly becoming refugees. Each had a different experience but both found a passion in helping out others who were suddenly put in this situation. These life experiences led to their journey to help Afghans. They described the history of conflicts in Vietnam. Thanks to then-Secretary of State and Rotarian Ralph Munro and Governor Dan Evans, Washington was the first state in the US to put in place, comprehensive settlements for Vietnam refugees.
Viets for Afghans is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from the public. Starbucks has been an early contributor. The organization started out as a referral and resettlement service but is now helping Afghans find housing.
Rotarians can help by sponsoring Afghan families with monetary support or providing housing options. Viets for Afghans has received donations from over 400 donors and has helped 59 refugees find housing. Currently, 120,000 have been evacuated and 78,000 Afghans have been left behind.
If you want to find out more about Viets for Afghans or donate, visit www.vietsforafghans.org.
Ken Grant announced that Seattle 4 Rotary Club’s Harvest Against Hunger would donate 600 meals to Viets for Afghans.
David Fain introduced the program for next week: President-elect Beth Knox will talk about the role of women in advancing the community. The meeting will take place at the Westin Hotel Seattle and on Zoom.
President Jimmy thanked Uyen and Thanh for their enlightening presentation. He quoted from 19th Century American author Everett Hale: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” President Jimmy closed out the meeting: Act on opportunities to help others.
The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Every Rotarian will receive an e-mail outlining ways to contribute to the Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund.
After the meeting Admiral Bill Center stayed on to talk about and answer questions about the crisis in Ukraine.
Reporter Observation: In my opinion, Rear Admiral Bill Center provided the clearest understanding and options that each side faces going forward. I highly recommend watching the video of his presentation.
