Northwind May 5, 2011
May 5, 2011
WHATCOM COUNTY NORTH ROTARY CLUB
NORTHWIND
Hola, mis Rotarios colegas. Historical note: This date is the penultimate post-eve of the eighth anniversary of the renowned Cinco de Tres. Thank you for that gem, B.F.
MEETING TO ORDER: President Marlene called the meeting to order at 12:30p.m., and gave the emergency invocation. The scheduled invocator was apparently detained at an Indian ashram.
GUESTS: Marlene’s guest was Nick Furnari (pronounced “Furnari”) from Banner Bank.
VISITING ROTARIANS: The sole visiting Rotarian was Harte (pronounced “Hearty”) Bresler, from Metcalf, Hodges, CPA’s.
RETURNING ROTARIANS: [I missed that. Sorry]
BIRTHDAYS: Michelle Sands, Jim’s niece and one of our speakers, turned twenty-one today. So why was she here?
ANNOUNCMENTS: (1) Marlene is off to Sedro-Woolley for an auction, and follows up with a trip to Harrison Hot Springs for the District 5050 Convention where, no doubt, she will see many of our club members. She also announced a potential Rotary emphasis on child slavery. Unrelenting, she also announced the FFA plant sale which will be over by the time you receive this; (2) Your Mumble Correspondent announced the upcoming Golfun tournament, scheduled for August 19th at Homestead Golf Club in Lynden; and, (3) Greg I. reminded us of the Youth Services Awards to be presented at our meeting of May 19th. He listed the table captains, and you very likely are one, so you better check with Greg. Plan to be there no later than 12:00, the ceremony starts at 12:30.
HAPPY BUCKS: Marlene for Gary’s foresight in providing an emergency invocation; Bill, for his car being older than Mel Holliger, and having owned it for fifty years; Gary T. for the strategic planning session attended by about twenty of us, under Sue Sharp’s very able direction; Jim S. for his niece; Rome for what I heard was his 53rd high school reunion. [That peculiarly numbered anniversary struck me as very odd, until I recollected that Rome is from Wisconsin]; Maureen for her vacation (vacation?) to the Czech Republic where she hiked, rode buses (no comment) and fumbled with the language; YMC for our new members; Scott for going to White Rock for something; Chuck for missing the planning session due to having to work (no comment), and for the Navy; Randy for his upcoming dental mission in the far mountains east of Mazatlan; Laurie for the SPS; and Dan P. for something (blame the waxy build-up).
FINEMASTER: Ken performed the honors with his usual lack of charity: (1) Board members for the immense email string precipitated by Dan P. (certainly wasn’t me!) which, in any event, was none of his business; Gary performed admirably when explaining the genesis of the Cinco de Mayo holiday observed in Mexico. Mexico prevailed over France in a war/battle in Puebla in 1862; Bill for being the first one to the meeting (probably to rehearse his Happy Bucks); Gary T. for complaining about a good thing; the members of the ElderTable for all having gray hair; Julie for a tough baby (?); Rollo for a mass mailing; and Jim S. for having been known to Ken longer than any other member of the club.
BANNERS: Norm got it – April showers bring May flowers. Stan explained it differently, but he was obviously wrong.
PROGRAM: Our speakers today were Michelle Sands and Carly Blade, who attended RYLA for four days last week-end at the Mt. Baker Bible Camp. They were motivated by several speakers who advised them to learn about themselves, how to work with others, taking risks, how to be a good leader, and the significance and meaning of the 4-Way Test. They participated in goal setting and team dynamics. They described the personal qualities which serve as an acronym for LEADERSHIP. They did a group hug thingy at the outset in order to break down barriers to communication and get warm & fuzzy. They mentioned how young people look up to Rotarians.
The participants were aged 15 to 26 this year, the majority of whom were young women. They purposefully were not informed about what they would be doing from day to day so as to promote spontaneity. They would encourage others to attend RYLA, even though they had to suffer cellphone withdrawal.
Sometimes we forget that there are wonderful young people among us, like Michelle and Carly. It may have been my imagination, but I seem to recall they tied for first place among the participants.
Personal to MoMac: Thanks for trading months with me while I was gone to where the weather suits my clothes.* And by the way, shouldn’t the proper plural form for “bus” be “bi”?
DRAWING: Winning number was 352107, prompting the drawing of the three of diamonds.
Correspondent this week: Tim Carpenter who, given his listening/scrivening/multitasking deficiencies enlisted the aid of Associate Correspondents Norm Vigre, Dale Holt and Maureen McCarthy. Thanks to you all.
*Adapted from a lyric by Robert J. Zimmerman: poet, troubadour, and conscience of a generation now composed of grandparents living in suburbia.