Northwind February 26, 2015
Posted by Rick Staeb
on Feb 26, 2015
Northwind February 26, 2015
President Rocky called the meeting to Order at 4:30pm and led us in the Pledge Allegiance.
Your Editor provided the Invocation.
Visiting Rotarians: Michelle Wyhee
Guests: Ken’s wife Sue, Rocky’s wife Sylvia, Deb Wiggs and her business partner Michelle.
Birthdays: Greg Iwasaki
Announcements: Jackpot is up over $400.
The District Conference is March 31st at the Tulalip Casino; you can sign up on line at the District Website.
Next week’s meeting is at the Emergency Management Office, 3888 Airport Way.
Reminder that the final meeting of each month will be a Fellowship/Fundraiser meeting. This format begins March 26.
New Member Induction: Dr. Linda Quinn, Ferndale School District Superintendent was inducted into the club by Dale Holt along with her sponsor Greg Iwasaki. Linda has previously been a member of the Puyallup Rotary Club as well as the Rotary Club of Nevada County South in California. Welcome Linda to Whatcom County North.
Happy Bucks: Bill Grace was $5 happy to have Linda join the club and a new member coming in next week. Ken was happy to see all our guests and welcomed Linda to the club. Julie was happy to see the fresh faces as well. Greg was happy to have sponsored Linda into the club. Sharon was happy to see new members coming into the club but sad that she will miss the next two meetings because of high quality quilting conference conveniently converging in the confines of Colorado? Jim Blaney was happy his wife is coming home from convalescing from a recent fall. Stan and Laurie were happy to have Linda joining the club and Laurie was glad Rick had progressed to a cane and was getting around. Jake was happy to see Deb Wiggs and have Linda join the club.
Fine Master: Marlene enthusiastically stepped to the podium to inflict financial punishment on the membership. Rocky was dinged for requiring an emergency invocation from your editor. Normally we don’t fine guests but Marlene showed no mercy as she fined Rocky’s wife Sylvia for her grandson’s precocious nature on a recent ferry ride. All spouses were fined because we didn’t have as great a story as Stan and Margaret’s 75th First Date Anniversary on February 14th. Ken was fined $2 for his “vague” recollection of his first date with Sue. Rollo distinctly remembered his first date with his wife which concluded with Rebecca telling Rollo to go fly a kite. Jake was fined a buck for being at the meeting prior to the Fine Master. Marlene was happy to fine our new member Linda but then required Greg to pay her $2 fine. Jim Blaney got the Jake Smith award. Marlene recently enjoyed a business dinner with her husband and therefore fined any members who had not had the pleasure of attending their spouse’s business meeting. Even Stan was fined by Marlene for not having any banners for this week.
Program: Shivani Chouhand from the Pardada Pardadi School for Girls at Anupshahr, in Utter Pradesh, India was our speaker. She is currently a student at Whatcom County Community College where she is studying Hospitality Management. The school that she attended in India prior to coming to Bellingham is a Global Grant project that our club is currently working on with District 5050 and Rotary International. What area of the school operation that the grant monies would be put towards is still to be determined but the approval of the grant is very likely.
The organization which runs the school is the Pardada Pardadi Education Society which is a non-profit organization whose goal is to raise the cultural value of young women in the Indian society. The following video which Shivani tried to present during her program is very informative.
While attending the school, the girls are provided with supplies, uniforms, three meals a day, bus transportation and if they work in the school facilities, they earn 10 Rupees a day which is about $.16 US.
Shivani feels the school gives girls the ability for them to stand on their own two feet and be self sufficient and to see the world in a different way from what they were raised in.
While studying at Whatcom, she is also completing an internship with the Bellwether Hotel. A very promising young women and a great program.
Drawing: Deb Wiggs won the door prize
Rocky drew the Jack of Hearts in the Jackpot. As they say around the state, the pot continues to grow.