Northwind September 20, 2012
September 20, 2012
WHATCOM COUNTY NORTH ROTARY CLUB
NORTHWIND
MEETING TO ORDER: Presidentess Laurie called the meeting to order. We then “sang” O Canada and The Star-Spangled Banner. Quick on his feet, Jim B. provided the invocation. Greg T. was thanked for his competent service as official Greeter.
GUESTS: Included our distinguished District Governor Sean Hogan and his wife Carol, as well as pseudo-member Hillary Baumstarck. There was some disagreement about whose guest he was, but prior member Rick Cornelius was in attendance, having relocated again from Spokane and accepting a position with Business Bank.
VISITING ROTARIANS: George Tsakumis from Vancouver; Orphalee Smith from Bellingham Bay and DG Sean Hogan from North Delta.
RETURNING ROTARIANS: Alena from school.
BIRTHDAYS and ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES: None and none.
INDUCTION: DG Sean inducted Tom Lallas as our newest member. He was sponsored by Ray George, who was actually in attendance, and the paraphernalia was provided by Bill Grace in his shortest ever proceeding. There are other members – no names, please – who could take note of the beauty of brevity.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1) If you weren’t there, you missed it, but there was a short board meeting following the club meeting; 2) Julie handed out a flyer about the exchange visit with Graham Harris’s club in New Zealand, scheduled for next April; 3) There was an Area meeting of the Whatcom Count rotary club presidents a day ago. The subject was the joint club effort on behalf of homeless families under the direction of the Whatcom Opportunity Council. The clubs raised $10,000, prop rata to membership. This was matched by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, together with $6,000 from the Opportunity Council, and then HUD for a total of $127,000; 4) on the public relations front, Rick has negotiated a public service announcement with the Cascade Radio Group. Once a month for the next year, a Whatcom County club will have the opportunity to announce a fundraiser or project. First up, in October, is the Bellingham Bay club with a spot about its Grapes and Gourmet fundraiser; 5) Gary T. provided us with some official literature with the guidelines for proposing a new member; 6) Gary T. also announced that October is Vocational Service Month and that some of us will be called upon to do classification talks; and 7) don’t forget the wine tasting next month.
HAPPY BUCKS: Greg T. for putting on his auctioned off barbeque; Ray for something; Rollo for being able to leave the top down on his convertible for over a month; Several gave HB’s for our newest member and Mr. and Mrs. DG; Norm explained he wasn’t able to go to the Surrey/Fraser club with the Traveling Peace Arch trophy because his passport expired; Bill for Hillary and Rick; George for other visiting Canadian Rotarians; Dale for O Canada; Elena for something about a horse?; Jake for an upcoming knee replacement, and having his concern allayed about having made a wrong turn since he came in during the singing of the Canadian national anthem; Rick for returning after seven years; Stan for the capture of the mouse and it having no brethren or sistren.
FINEMASTER: Greg T. did the honors, and began by welcoming Tom to the club with the usual new member sting, and a warning to stay away from Ray as a bad influence; Jake for fulfilling his role as last one in; Hillary for wearing a badge even though he is a guest; Bill for presenting Tom with a certificate that will not fit into the frame; Tim C. for showing him up by gifting his assistant before Greg did; Norm for dissing Greg by not acknowledging his presence at Avenue Bread; Rollo for guilt by association with the insurance industry; Gay for something poorly enunciated; Scott for having served as his first mate at the Duck Race, but not sharing the iPad prize Scott won; Julie for not being happy about the corporate tax return extension filing date passing on Monday; Group fines: Not having gone on a hike; for saying they hoped it would rain and they were tired of the weather (should have included my least favorite – “We needed the rain.); not picking wild berries; not attending an outdoor sporting event; not have bid on or attended his barbeque.
PROGRAM: Orphalee introduced Sean, who gave us the annual district governor’s speech. Sean gave us a power point presentation starting with the quip: “I’m from the Rotary government and I’m here to help you.”
The theme was iRotary. iGeneration members are technologically attuned and we need to change the way we approach potential new members. Sean then spoke about important iRotary individuals: Paul Harris who started the movement; Arch Klumpf who was instrumental in the creation of The Rotary Foundation;
and Herb Taylor who took over a business to keep it from failing, and as a consequence came up with the 4-Way Test.
iRotary International – many of us are making contributions and doing work for people we will never know but who are having their aspirations come to fruition as the result of Rotarian efforts.
iRotary Inspire: One person had a dream and through his or her efforts the idea came true. Become a Rotarian rather than a member of a Rotary Club – emphasize “Service Above Self.”
Sean related a heart-warming story about a former teacher of his who was in a wheelchair after having been afflicted with polio as a child, and what effect that had on the teacher’s family and, ultimately, upon him. The 52 cents for two drops of polio vaccine not only saves the child from a lifetime of misery, but frees up the family because resources don’t have to be directed to the child. When the Polio Plus program started there was 500,000 cases of polio each year. Last year there were 128 limited to just three countries. India has been polio free for over a year.
RI President Sakuji Takaka’s theme for this year is “Peace Through Service.” Helping people with needs such as clean water, nutrition and education makes them self-sufficient, and builds peace.
The district’s goals for this year are: 1) increase membership by 10%; 2) emphasize the New Generation; 3) invest in The Rotary Foundation/Polio Plus. Our district is probably fifth in the world and first in North America in giving to Polio Plus. The district was given a goal of raising $300,000 over three years. That sum was raised in one year and over one million dollars has been raised by the district; 4) enhance our image. Rotary is one of the ten most-recognized symbols, but its image is of old white men; and 5) take part in the annual district convention to be held in Vancouver, recognizing the district’s twenty-fifth anniversary after having been a part of a larger district that included that city. Sean outlined the exciting events to be held at the convention, details of which are available on the district’s website.
Finally, is iRecognitions. President Laurie was allowed to honor two members for service to Rotary and the club. Julie was honored for her daily commitment to Rotary and exemplary service above self. Among her many contributions is her communication skills, (based on Laurie’s emphasis it would seem Julie is entitled to be named an Emailer of the First Order). Derek was honored in recognition of New Generations. While perhaps not yet fully cognizant of all Rotary does, he can be counted on to contribute or help in any way necessary. He is always willing to jump in and never say no. Congratulations to both award recipients. I am sure the club members join with Laurie in the sentiments expressed. On a personal note, I believe this is what Sean meant when he said we should become Rotarians, not just members of a Rotary club.
BANNERS: Stan had two themes for us: banners representative of District 5050; and the vernal equinox – one-half of the banners being light and the other half being dark.
DRAWING: I bet you can guess, but for those of you not paying attention, it was Pete R., who drew the nine of hearts.
Scribe this week: Tim Carpenter.