Race Elevation Vising Rotarian Andy Day Book Review
WCEL Service Grant
May 5th Cinco De Mayo Social Hosted by Lynda Hinton, Thanks Lynda!!
May 9, 2022
Opening Welcome:
President Peter Theisen opened the meeting at 12:30 pm by noting that this was
the umpteenth (and almost 100 virtual) meeting of the club. He acknowledged
Mother’s Day (yesterday) and appreciation for all the “mothers in our lives”.
Book Review
Andy Day reviewed the book, I Never Look Back by John Rolfe Burroughs. It was about the life of Buddy Werner, who became one of the nation’s most famous ski jumpers. Buddy was born in Wallace, Idaho in 1936 and first skied at the age of two. With his natural abilities and instruction from world class coaches that lived in Wallace, he developed his own unique
approaches to ski jumping, including one of the first to start by running on his skies to gain momentum and using techniques to reduce drag.
In 1952, by the age of 16, Buddy was considered the greatest junior jumper the United States had ever produced. In 1954, Buddy and his sister Skeeter both qualified for the FIS Championship in Austria. En route to the event, he looked out the window of his airplane and recognized that the issues of drag and aerodynamics that affect the performance of an airplane would also affect ski jumping. The less wind resistance, the further he could jump. With this idea, he developed the first pair of stretch ski pants (precursors to today’s skin tight suits) and he invented the “tuck” position that was copied by other competitors. With his innovations, he was considered as good as the Europeans.
There were high expectations for Buddy on the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team. Unfortunately, before those Olympics, he broke a leg in training at Aspen (his binding failed to release) and, as a result, (according to Ski Magazine) the USA team lost its first real chance for an Olympic medal in ski jumping. Buddy returned, but shifted his focus to slalom events and was still a top competitor, but was eclipsed at the 1964 Olympics by the younger Billy Kidd and Jimmy Heuga. Buddy announced his retirement from competitive skiing, shortly thereafter. He was then invited to St. Moritz in Switzerland to star in a ski action film with other top skiers. On April 12, 1964, however, Buddy and other skiers were caught in an avalanche and were killed. Within a year, an act of Congress honored Buddy by renaming Storm Mountain at the new Steamboat Ski area as Mount Werner.
Support Rotary in Ukraine
Message from our District Governor for District 5050, Bev Harrington:
My Fellow Rotarians:
As the humanitarian crisis unfolds in Ukraine, we ask "what can we do from so far away?" Here is the most comprehensive information I have received to date.
Financial contributions are easily made online to The Rotary Foundation Disaster Response Fund. A link to view the projects that are already in place is also provided below.
You and I and Rotarians from around the world can make a difference.
All donations made online at Disaster Response Fund | My Rotary, including the use of available district designated funds (DDF), need to be received by April 30, 2022. Grant applications to take advantage of the funds will be available now through June 30, 2022. This will be the main avenue for Rotary Foundation support, but Rotary and Rotaract clubs are also encouraged to create their own responses to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
In addition to the support provided through the Disaster Response Fund, the Foundation is coordinating with partners and regional leaders, exploring effective solutions to the increased humanitarian needs. You will find a comprehensive list of projects at this link, with the contact details and websites.
Thank you for all that you do to promote peace
Club and Committee Announcements:
1. Teri Treat reminded us that there is a work party at Memorial Park on May 21, from 9 am to noon, to clean up the grounds in preparation for Memorial Day.
2. Doug Cole noted that their is an all Whatcom County Club Rotary Day of Service May 21st and June 4th volunteering to enhance the We Grow Garden. Click Here for the flyer and click here to for signing up. Find tab "We Grow Garden Special Events" to sign-up. Questions contact Doug Cole.
The five Whatcom County Rotary Clubs are involved with an upcoming work party which is in conjunction with the District 5050 “Day of Service.” There is a $5000 district grant to help cover expenses for the project. Along with Rotarians it will involve Rotaract and Interact members as well as students from Options High School.
The project will be installing support structures in a garden which is located across from the Food Bank benefitting WeGrow. The garden’s vision is to bring to the forefront of the minds of youth and adults the increasing importance of food security and understanding the value of sustainable crops while providing a public space for intergenerational community engagement, education, youth programs, vocational training, and public encounter. The WEGrow garden serves as an educational space for school groups, non-profit youth agencies, and the public.
There will be two work parties: May 21 at 9:30 and June 4 - More details will be in a forthcoming email.
3. Jack Westford reminded us that the club was thinking about starting a book club and that a meeting would be held, after this meeting, for those interested in joining it.
4. Ward Naf informed us that there would a work party on June 16 at Base Camp to do some clean up work and perhaps serve dinner.
5. Linda Hinton provided a teaser on an upcoming book review by Dominique Zervas involving a recipe.
6. It is that time again to nominate our very deserving members for 1 of 4 of our RCOB Major Awards that will be presented at our Changing of the Guard on June 20th:
The Will J. Griswold Club Service Award
The David C. Morse Sr. Community Service Award
The Michael K. Mischaikow International Service Award
Please send your nominations to either President Peter, President-Elect Paul Grey, Vice-President Doug Cole, Treasurer Steve Gray or Past President Gary Goldfogel who are our Executive Committee. You can also send to Sandee, who will forward them.
Important Date Announcements:
May 21st - Sunnyland Memorial Park Clean-up
May 21st - Rotary Day of Service all Whatcom County Club work party at We Grow Gardens
May 28th – Whatcom Memorial Day Parade – The Club will be participating in the Memorial Day Parade, hopefully with walkers/marchers and a float. This is the 100th anniversary of the parade. Sign-up to march on the website at bellinghamrotary.org.
May 29 - Ski to Sea Parade – The Club will be a sponsor of the 2022 Ski to Sea Parade. We will also be staffing a Rotary booth in Fairhaven on race day.
June 4th - Rotary Day of Service all Whatcom County Club work party at We Grow Gardens
June 20th - Changing of the Guard
June 27th Rotary Cruise to Eliza Island
Marty Haines reported that this year’s cruise will return to Dick Tucker’s home on Eliza Island. Marty is recruiting members’ boats for the cruise.
You will still receive an email from Sandee each week prior to the Monday 12:30 meeting if you are unable to attend in person (you can start logging in at 12:00 for short socializing) with the link for that privacy-protected meeting. If you have not done so, please download the Zoom app on your computer (you need a camera and microphone on it), iPad or phone. There is no cost to you. If you do not have either, you can also call in. On the invitation, there are US phone numbers you can call and enter the meeting ID number also indicated on the invitation. HERE ARE ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS.
Four Points is now requiring a Contract thru March 2022. We will continue to evaluate other locations for a permanent location. Lunch will be $22 for a sit-down meal. We must notify them by Wednesday at 4:00 pm each week prior to the Monday meeting as to the number of members attending. We are sending out meeting “Invite's” weekly and members are asked to sign-up ASAP. You can also sign-up by going to the event section of our website at bellinghamrotary.org. If you sign up for a meal at the meeting, you will need to pay the $22 even if you don't wind up attending the meeting after numbers are turned in. If you plan to attend but not eat, PLEASE indicate that on your sign-up so we don't overorder meals and still make sure there is enough seating.
Four Points also will not collect the payment weekly, so the Club will collect payments prior to the meeting or at the door.
We urge members of the RCOB to set up a Venmo account for ease in payment of Meeting lunches, Happy Bucks, Minister of Fun, Dues or donations to the club. Our account is @RCOB-Bellingham. If you do not have a Venmo account you can set up an account with your computer then download the app. on your phone (just Google "Venmo" and you will find all the information you need) You then attach it to a debit or credit card (a fee on your end) or attach to your checking account at no cost. Payment will be sent directly to the RCOB checking account. When you use it for the first time it may ask you the last 4 digits of the RCOB phone number which is 0282. Give Sandee a call if you need help. 360-734-5532
Other payment options are to bring a check in the correct amount to the meeting made out to RCOB or cash in the exact amount to speed up the payment process. There is also the PayPal option as usual and we are set to take payments at the meeting. We have a QR Code that you can simply click on to pay thru paypal also.
Website and Phone App instructions:
Here is a tutorial on how to login for the first time. (Click here) Go to bellinghamrotary.org first. In order to login you need to know your user name and password in your Clubrunner account. The user name is Yourfirstname.Lastname.264 unless you have changed it. Example: Sandra.Lindhout.264 The password is initially set by Clubrunner at 264 unless you have changed it. Sandee can see your Username from her computer but not the password. She can also change your password for you from her computer at your request if you run into problems.
Once you have originally created your User Name and Password you can download the ClubRunner Mobile app on your phone:
Please contact Sandee at 360-734-5532 or rcob@comcast.net if you run into any trouble.
Guests
Paul Grey introduced Mike Tausen and Christopher Lopez with North Star Tax and Accounting who purchased Susie Thomson's accounting firm.
He also introduced Erin Malone with Whatcom Center for Early Learning (WCEL)
Paula McCandlis introduced visiting Rotarian Stan Sochi from Brunswick, Ohio
Members attending on Zoom: Vinson Latimore, Steve Hager, Bob Morse, Loch Trimingham, Corey Chaplin, Gary Goldfogel, Del VandeKerk, John Moffat, Nancy Jordan, Dick Tucker and Catherine Riordan.
Service Grant Presentation:
Paul Grey presented a $1,000 check from our Club to the Whatcom Center for Early Learning. Receiving the check for WCEL was Erin Malone, who described the work of the Center. It provides therapy services for children with disabilities, from birth to three years of age, including occupational and speech therapy. The program has three centers, one in Cordata, one in the Lettered Street area and one in Ferndale. It also provides in-home services. Erin thanked the Club and informed us that the money would go to provide services, replace equipment damaged in the flood in Ferndale and provide diapers, gas cards and books for low income families.
Program:
Program director Doug Cole introduced our speaker, Bob Marvel, as a snowboarder, musician, dirt biker, Harley rider, scholar, teacher, tour guide, pastor and long distance runner. Born to parents who were pastors, Bob is the pastor of Cornwall Church on Northwest Ave. Bob told us that when he took up running around 1998, he weighed 210 pounds and entered the “Clydesdale” division of a race. Since then, he has lost a lot of that weight while runing forty (40) marathons (including Boston three times) and four (4) ultra-marathons. His fastest marathon time was 3 hours and 19 minutes. An ultra-marathon is any distance longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles.
Bob’s talk focused on the Comrades ultra-marathon run each year in South Africa. Started in 1921, it is the oldest and largest ultra-marathon in the world. To enter, you must have run a marathon in less than 4 hours and 50 minutes It is 90 kilometers or 56 miles. That’s only half the problem: One year, the race is run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and it is “uphill” for a good portion of it. The highest point of the race is at 2,850 feet (870 m) above sea level. The next year, the race is run in the other direction, or downhill. For experienced runners, there is a surprising preference: Run the course “uphill” because running “downhill” is
very hard on the knees. The motto of the race is “It Will Humble You.”
Each year, the number of runners is limited to 25,000, which is reached within a week of opening registration! Runners must finish the course in 12 hours or less. At exactly 12 hours
from the starting gun, the South African Rugby team blocks off the finish line and the course is closed It does not matter whether runners are 1 foot or 1 mile from the finish; they are considered to have not run the race at all!
Bob soon learned that there was a difference between running a marathon and an ultra-marathon. He explained that it involved “LSD”; not the drug type but the “long slow distance” runner type. With 56 miles to run, speed is not a good idea. He had to learn how to fuel himself over the long hours, distance and effort. To inspire himself and others, Bob created a new non-profit called Beyond Our Borders (BOB, get it?) in connection with his 2015 Comrades run. With a Board of Directors, he raised over $130,000 to support a local poor community in South Africa. Bob was told that you really haven’t completed the Comrades Ultra Marathon unless you have run it in both directions. So, in 2016, he ran the course in the “downhill” direction. The non-profit he started raised another $50,000 to support the same cause. Bob’s motto for running is, “When I cross the finish line, I want to know that I could not have run one step further.”
Toward the end of his talk, Bob turned to the ethics of marathon running. Unfortunately, he used one of our own members, Steve Ban, as an example. He noted that when Steve ran the Boston Marathon, he was arrested, indicted and sentenced to 45 days in jail for doping. An investigation revealed that Steve had never really ever run at all, had lied about his running experience, and just used illicit drugs on race day to get him through the course. Bob pointed out that Steve is well known in running circles for cheating and other unethical behavior. When asked what he personally thought of Steve, Bob said that he had never met him because Steve was always late to every race. (Editor's note: I kept this paragraph in the report for educational purposes as a textbook example of Fake News. The reporter, who used to be a respected attorney in this community, has been long retired and apparently has forgotten about the statutes prohibiting libel.)
Final Announcement:
President Peter thanked everyone who made this meeting possible and adjourned us with the ringing of the bell at 1:30 PM.
