Book Review: by Del VandeKerk "Why We Sleep" by Mathew Waler
Opening Welcome
President Gary welcomed us to the 4654th and 12th Virtual meeting of the Rotary Club of Bellingham without a ringing of the bell.
Music:Rick Kaiser “Over There”
Invocation: Andy Day
Club Announcements
Board Report: The Thursday, July 9th Board meeting was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. Our next meeting will be August 13th at 4:30 on Zoom.
We are looking for Website/Tattler sponsors for the next Rotary year starting July st. It is a great opportunity to advertise your business and support Rotary. $350.00 for the year. Please check out the current sponsors on our website by going to bellinghamrotary.org on the home page. If you "click" on a sponsor it will take you to their website. It also shows up in the tattler. Contact Sandee if interested. We have 4 spots remaining.
All Rotary meetings will be held Virtually on Zoom until further notice due to Covid-19 social distancing. You can look for an email from Sandee each week prior to the Monday 12:30 meeting(you can start logging in at 12:15 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.
RCOB has now set up a Venmo account for ease in payment of 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 Goggle "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 5532. Give Sandee a call if you need help.
Major Project Proposals Needed - Deadline Extended to 7/31/20:
The virus has affected our usual process for getting our Major Project Proposals in. Hopefully this extra time has given you time to take a look around and see what needs to be done!
The Major Project selection committee would like to have all proposals submitted by 7/31/20. Major Project Criteria
Here is a tutorial on how to login for the first time. (Click here) 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 my 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.
There has been no progress on finding a new meeting location while the County is still in COVID-19 Stage II
Guests:
Former member, Dale Rings joined us
Shauna Naf and Paul Grey introduced Captain Ruairi Ward with the Salvation Army
Mike Bates, New President of Bellingham Bay visited us.
Presentations:
Service Grant PresentationSteve Hager introduced Doddie Honrud, Community Development Director of the Whatcom Pregnancy Clinic who was awarded a $1,000 service grant. In expressing her appreciation, Doddie reported that the funds will be used for maternity clothing and neo-natal supplies.
Program:
Program: Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis – Washington State Supreme Court
Justice Montoya-Lewis was a professor at Fairhaven College at Western. From 2008 to 2011 she was chief judge of the Lummi Nation. She also served as Chief Judge for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and served as a trial and appellate judge for numerous tribes around the country She served on the Whatcom County Superior Court from 2015 to 2020, after being appointed to that seat by Governor Inslee in December 2014; she retained her seat through two elections in 2015 and 2016. She assumed office on the Washington Supreme Court on January 6, 2020. She is the second Native American person to sit on a state supreme court and the first enrolled tribal member.
Justice Montoya-Lewis spoke about the changes to the court system brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. She discussed the changes that have been made to courthouse access, the widespread use of audio and video conferencing. She expressed the hope that some of these changes would remain in effect in the future.
Justice Montoya-Lewis discussed the Court’s response to racial injustice protests and police/law enforcement activity. She referred to the recent decision overturning a 1916 conviction for a fishing violation and related it to today’s issues of social justice and tribal treaty rights.
She discussed an open letter from the Supreme Court to the legal community at large relating to their individual responsibility in fighting racism and quoted this section.
“Finally, as individuals we must recognize that systemic racial injustice against black Americans is not an omnipresent specter that will inevitably persist. It is the collective product of each of our individual actions, every action, every day. It is only by carefully reflecting on our actions, taking individual responsibility for them, and constantly striving for better, that we can address the shameful legacy we inherit. We call on every member of our legal community to reflect on this moment and ask ourselves how we may work together to eradicate racism.”
Final Comments – President Gary thanked everyone for their participation and perseverance through a couple of technical glitches.
COVID-19 Report – President Gary reported more open testing access and new contact tracing were showing up in increased case reports. He emphasized that the Hospital had no COVID-19 patients in the ICU and none on ventilators. He was optimistic about this, but commented that we are not in a cyclical phase of the virus, but still in a prolonged phase I. Latest information Gary has sent (click here)
Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at roughly 1:30 pm in the afternoon, while it was still light out. (Just a slight joke from the ed.)
