Lake Report (Dec 21, 2021)

Merry Christmas

From the Rotary Club of Lake Stevens, wishing everyone a safe Holiday Season with family and friends.

Posted by James Monroe on Dec 21, 2021

Mele Kalikimaka!

For the next two weeks the Club is not holding meetings so we can enjoy the holidays with family and friends. However, on December 31st, there is an informal gathering at The Buzz Inn in downtown Lake Stevens.

Please review the articles in this bulletin for recaps of recent meetings and event. Also, we look forward to seeing you either in a boat or along the shore during this week's Boat Parade.

The link to our YouTube Channel is now available on our website and our weekly bulletins. You can view recent online meetings. If you watch any of them, you can count it as a makeup. Just let our Secretary, Gary O'Rielly know.

PHOTO CONTEST: You are encouraged to participate in this. The photo has been updated-AGAIN. Can you guess the location now? Be the first person to correctly identify from where the photo at the top of our website and at the top of this bulletin was taken from by 7:30 am Friday, December 24th. Send your guess to the Editor.

Rotary Sponsors Holiday Boat Parade on Lake Stevens

Posted by Don Iverson on Dec 15, 2021

It's a GO!

The first annual ROTARY CLUB HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE will be THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23rd from 5:00PM to 6:30PM starting from North Cove.

We have 15 boat owners joining us and hope to have many more!

As of now, winds are forecast to be very light with a minimal chance of rain. About the best we can hope for this time of the year.

Here are our plans for those who can join us:

Decorate your boat with lights and holiday decorations if you can
Gather before 5 pm in North Cove floating near the park and getting “warmed up”
Sound boat horns, form a line and depart at 5pm heading west
Travel counterclockwise, heading along the north shoreline
Let’s try to cruise at 5 MPH when heading into wind, up to 8 MPH with wind from behind (slow down where there are many viewers)
Tune stereo to 105.7 FM if you want synchronized Christmas music (Rotary boat has transmitter.) If enough boats do this, it might be an easy way to be noticed from shore.
Loop the entire lake and end at North Cove at approximately 6:30

If you or a friend have a boat and want to participate, let us know. All aboard for a fun night on the Lake.

Lake Stevens School District Replacement Levies

Posted by Gary O'Rielly on Dec 21, 2021

Dr. Ken Collins, Superintendent of the Lake Stevens School District and Past President of our Club, shared key facts with the Club on Friday, December 17th about the Lake Stevens School District Replacement Levies. Ken commented that we have a great school district. Both of his parents and many of his cousins are in education. If your community is strong so is your school district. Schools cannot survive without a strong school system. We have been fortunate to pass all our past levies. If people don’t vote, things don’t get done.

The Lake Stevens School District will ask voters to consider renewing two replacement levies-an Educational Program and Operations Levy and a Capital Technology Levy. The current levies, which voters approved in 2018, expire in 2022.

The replacement levies will provide funding for schools through 2026. Important to remember these are not new taxes.

The vote on the Lake Stevens School District Replacement Levies will occur on February 8, 2022. Lake Stevens has thrived on the reputation of the School District and the reason "why" many young couples with school age children have decided to move to Lake Stevens. Good time to get out and VOTE.

Interact Visit Ashley Point

The Interact Club has been working with Ashley Pointe once a month to do various activities with the residents. The Club plans the activities with Natalie's (Ashley Pointe's activity manager) help. We usually do season-oriented activities. In October we decorated pumpkins with the residents, using paint pens, stickers, fuzzy mustaches and googly eyes to make them into cheerful decorations. In November, we made "I am thankful for" leaves where the residents shared what they were thankful for. In December we helped some residents wrap their Christmas presents and made bead ornaments to hang on the Ashley Pointe Christmas tree. With the Club going every month, we are starting to form relationships with the residents. The residents look forward to our visits and asked if we could come every week. It's nice for us to be able to make a positive impact, especially since it is such a fun thing to do.

Rotary Club of Lake Stevens Charitable Foundation Update

Posted by Gary O'Rielly on Dec 08, 2021

Jim Haugen, our esteemed Board member, and Chair of the Rotary Club of Lake Stevens Charitable Foundation gave his annual update on the Club's Foundation and Rotary International Foundation on Friday, December 3rd. Ever since Jim transferred to our Club in 2011, his emphasis has been to grow the RCLS Charitable Foundation, and he has done an amazing job accomplishing that task.

The growth of the Foundation is evidenced in the Loren Hole Endowment fund established n 2007 and it has grown beyond our wildest dreams, allowing our Club Foundation to accomplish our goals of service to the community.

We are able to enhance our activities by applying for District 5050 Grants such as the Highland Elementary School all-inclusive park and we still aren't finished. This was a good update so if you want more information on Jim's presentation, check out our YouTube recording of the meeting.

Taking Control of Your Life

Posted by Gary O'Rielly on Dec 13, 2021

Our guest speaker on Friday, December 10th was Nick Salmon. His topic was Taking Control of Your Life. The goal he offers is to simplify your life. Nick's three areas of focus were on Success, Focus, Serve and Sustain. Achieving goals beyond our wildest dreams was a message he talked about in his presentation. Prior to joining us, Nick studied Rotary's Four Way Test. Talked about the size and scope of Rotary International.

Nick is from the UK and was working for Boeing. A Boeing manager referred to the slow season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He started his presentation with his first theme:

Success: What's a good definition of success? No universal rule because it depends on everyone's individual personality. Earl Nightingale offered the progressive realization of a worthy goal which was offered by Nick. It's the realization of a worthy goal. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. An example of success mentioned by Nick was Michael Phelps and his enormous training sessions that brought him 28 Olympic medals.

Focus: Reshal responded by talking about her White Board establishing her daily, weekly, and annual goals. Nick suggested that we get up every morning and establish our goals. What should you be focusing on during the holiday season?

Serve: Covid put a damper on businesses, especially restaurants, so goals may have been compromised only to be changed under different rules. Some focused on serving as the best alternative while being open during this critical period.

Sustain: Whatever you offer as a level of service you will get back what you reap you sow. If you do not provide the service, you will not sustain your business relationship with your customers. You must sustain what you are doing.

Free workbook: www.nick-salmon.com/success. Books offered for sale were Unscramble Your Life - Success Journal and Unscramble Your Life.

Amy Lewandowski recommended Nick as a potential speaker. He was delightful and full of energy with strong points for each of us to focus on daily.

Lake Stevens Rotary Club Holiday Party

Posted on Dec 13, 2021

Tis the season to be jolly

Pictures can say one thousand words without offering any explanation other than self-explanatory. Fun filled evening on Friday, December 10th at Meatheads BBQ. Our Club works hard and enjoys a bit of playful holiday times together.

Enjoyed the company, the food and white elephant exchange and the merriment.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inspirational Breakfast

On January 17th, in lieu of our regular meeting, the Club has decided to forgo the meeting and many of us will be attending the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inspirational Breakfast. If you are interested in attending, please let President Reshal Ploeger know as soon as possible. Tickets to the breakfast are $30.

Quote of the Week - Who Said It?

"Remember that those who we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day."