Northwind October 20, 2011
WHATCOM COUNTY NORTH ROTARY CLUB
NORTHWIND
MEETING TO ORDER: President Gary called the meeting to order at 2100 Zulu. Jim B. delivered the Invocation and Maureen led us in the recitation of the 4-Way Test of the things we think, say and do.
GUESTS: None.
VISITING ROTARIANS: George T. from Vancouver; Jeanne McGee from Malaque and Shannon Terrill from B’ham Bay.
RETURNING ROTARIANS: None noted, but the scribe was recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction the previous day, and did more spectating than note-taking.
BIRTHDAYS: None.
ANNIVERSARIES: Randy, nine years.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Derek received his Blue Badge after completing his initiation tasks; Julie reminded us of our attendance requirements; Ken discussed the upcoming club Foundation luncheon set for November 17th, and the modified Black-tie District Foundation Dinner scheduled for the 19th; The Rotary Foundation has a two-for-one special for the month of October for on-line donations of at least $50 to Polio Plus.
HAPPY BUCKS: Sharon for travails with the roster, gladly shouldered by her. Do not rant about roster inaccuracies in the club’s website. It is admittedly out of date and needs to be revised, but it first had to be posted; George T. for happenings in B.C.; Tim C. for his sexism catch; Rome for a broken tooth corrected by Randy; Ken thanking the board and officers for their work; Jim S. for his birthday; Julie rubbed it in about her upcoming three week sailing cruise to the British Virgin Islands; Randy for the Dawgs and Rome’s tooth; Winton for the switch to semi-electric buses so that the diesel fumage is reduced; Norm reminding us about the Food Bank fund-raising drive; Brian the Parrot-Head for his upcoming trip to Vegas to see Jimmy B.
FINEMASTER: Tim V. presided and was roundly abused: Dan P. for his Dance of Shame (?); Maureen: unjustly accused again about things that your scribe will not repeat; Norm for heckling; followed by massive, arbitrary, ill-willed group fines that went unrecorded during a period when your scribe forgot he was doing the Northwind.
PROGRAM: Julie introduced Dr. Kathi Hiyane-Brown, president of Whatcom Community College. Dr. H-B discussed WWC, its mission, programs and accomplishments. WCC’s main goals are: to educate students to accomplish academic transfers to four-year institutions; professional technical education; and life-long learning. The primary goal is to create a skilled work force.
WCC was established forty-four years ago in a storefront next to the liquor store in Ferndale. Today, it provides education to twelve thousand students, seven thousand of whom are enrolled in certificate or degree programs. Fifty-five percent of the students are women and forty-five percent men. Seventy-one percent are between the ages of 16 and 24; and forty-two percent are fulltime students. Although not emphasized, WCC does have significant on-line resources for student learning
Well regarded programs include a registered nursing curriculum, law enforcement, paralegal and physical therapy. WCC’s nursing graduates have a 100% pass rate for certification.
Tuition for a full-time student is $3700 per academic year, and about $5,000 including books, materials and supplies. However, WCC’s financial resources are diminishing in the wake of budget cut-backs from the state. There has been a thirty percent increase in student growth in the last two years, now leveling off, but there has been a thirty percent increase in financial aid requests. WCC has been meeting the reductions by creating work-study programs, partnering with other institutions, and reducing programs not critical to the community college mission.
BANNERS: W.C.C. times three.
DRAWING: No winner.
Scribe this week:
Tim “Damnit, I’m Not Grouchy” Carpenter