Northwind 4/3/08

Posted by Winton Smith 
 

Whatcom CountyNorth Rotary

Northwind

April 3, 2008

 

MEETING TO ORDER:  President Greg called the meeting to order at 12:35 and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Mel Hollinger gave the invocation thanking God for Rotary Magazine Month.

 

VISITING ROTARIANS:     Paul Grey and Fred Sexton from Bellingham Rotary Club and George Tsakumis from Vancouver.

 

GUESTS:  Hillary Baumstarck, past member, visiting from Anchorage.  Also Sue and Thomas, but missed info-sorry.

 

RETURNING ROTARIANS:  Marlene Sexton returns from Cherry Blossom Country.  Laurie Lloyd returns from Los Angeles.

 

BIRTHDAYS:  Winton Smith celebrated his birthday April 1st.  No fooling.  Comes every year, if he wants one or not.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:        

 

1.         President Greg presented Ray George with his Blue Badge.  Ray has checked off all the duties of a new member in short order and jumped right in as an active Rotarian.  Way to go Ray!

2.         The District Assembly is Saturday April 12th at Q College.  The club has paid for 5 spots and they are not all spoken for yet.

3.         Remember the District Conference is April 15-18 in Everett.  Call Greg for registration information.

4.         There is a county wide rotary project coming up and Mike from Hospice House will be here next week to explain.

5.         Brian Finnegan tested our math and calendar skills in figuring out when two weeks before the upcoming Auction will be.  That would be April 24th when auction items and ticket sales are due.  We invested in a computer program and Brian needs time to figure it out.  We hope to fill 15 tables and raise $20,000.  Deliver your auction items to Brian as he has unfilled commercial space available for storage (imagine that?).

 

HAPPY BUCKS:  Greg Thulin was $5 happy for a very successful Career Fair and very thankful for a great team of enthusiastic Rotary volunteers that made it possible.  Marlene Sexton paid to plug the upcoming RYLA conference June 12th and 13th.  Maureen McCarthy gave $2 for a trip to San Diego.  Bill Grace gave some money because he enjoyed the career fair.  Jerry Landcastle also gave $2 for the career fair.  Tim Carpenter gave $5 for missing a meeting.  I'm sure he did a make-up.  Ken Richardson $50 contribution for an anniversary and other things (sorry, a gap in notes, it's hard to get good help).  Mel Hollinger gave $2 because he could actually hear what Finnegan had to say.  Stan Brunner gave $5 for a trip to Spokane.  Bob Bowman $5 for something.  Brian Finnegan $5 for a new condo in Whistler and a sun tan that looked like raccoon eyes.  Hillary Baumstarck $2, Chuck Tull $1 and Rich Jacobson $2 for a trip to L.A. (was this a sad or happy buck Rich?).  Jack Curnow gave money for a pilot son and Maureen McCarthy gave a buck for "Take Back the Trails Run".  Eric Nelson was happy for baseball season and some time off.  Tim Villhauer for a Mariner's win!  Greg Thulin gave $5 for an early leave on beautiful day and finally Ray George was happy about his blue badge.

 

FINEMASTER:   Scott Wallace had the duties of making all our wallets lighter.  First, the banners.  There were none!  April fool.  Brian Finnegan's raccoon eyes got fined some more.  Hillary Baumstarck $2 for sporting a tie for no good reason.  Extra cookies cost you $1.  Skiers $1 for good snow.  $2 for those who did not go to the Career Fair.  Ferndale residents $1.  Randy Carr was fined $5 for missing Finemaster duty.  Max Legg was fined $5 for not telling a VW story.  Gary Tomsic fined for a show in Blaine and Rick Staeb for cancelling a show.  Ken Richardson was quizzed about Joe Walsh, the James Gang and Don Henley.  Rich Jacobson was fined for being in the paper about buying property.  Jake Smith was fined $5 for a new record at being late.  Sharon Robinson was fined for a land trust picture.  All those living in Bellingham and the Lake Whatcom Watershed were fined.  Josh Wilund was fined for promoting his wife's Sugar Shack Mobile Skin Care business.  Finally, Maureen McCarthy was fined for being fined too much????

 

BANNERS:    None today.

 

PROGRAM:   Dan Parsons introduced today's speaker, Paul Grey.  Paul is the Executive Director of Whatcom Farm Friends (WFM).  WFM promotes agriculture in WhatcomCounty.  Their mission is to educate, promote and preserve agriculture in our county.  They are about growing healthy food and protecting our natural resources.  The objective is to preserve 100,000 acres of farmland.  Without agriculture we would be naked and hungry.  The average age of a farmer is 55 years old.  So, one of the objectives is also succession planning.  Ag is a 300 million dollar industry and with a multiplier effect one billion dollars.  This makes it the county's largest business.  Dairy is 55% of Ag in the county and raspberries are 14%.  Our dairy in the county is number 2 in the state and 15th in the country.  We produce 84% of all raspberries.  No place has better processing.  Having a shorter distance from production to plate is the eco goal.  Projects to their credit include: Bertrand Creek Water Improvement District, Ten Mile Creek project and Farmer's Growing Trees for Salmon.  Very informative program.  I feel smarter about agriculture now.

 

DRAWING:   No winner again.

 

Editor this week:  Winton Smith