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March 13th NewsletterMeeting Date/Location March 6, 2016 at China City President’s Comments Some days you feel more like a Rotarian than others and this week has been one that exemplifies what we are all about. Local, national, and international projects are the backbone of Rotary and I am so proud that our little young club was able to make a difference in the lives of children in another country. We were able to send money to the Jithada School in Tanzania Arusha to help them finish the development of a kitchen so that the children can have hot meals….often the only one of the day. In 2014, we obtained a matching grant from Rotary International which made it possible to build the first toilets for the school. To hear the happiness of the teachers and the stories of how it has changed their lives brings home the joy of Rotary
Happy thoughts Happy thoughts included new chicks, a great cooking class at Orchard Kitchen, a business opening, upcoming vacations, and not least of all, tree frogs. Guests:
Topics: Lyn reminded us that it’s Water and Sanitation month, and reminded us not to take access to clean water and sanitation services for granted when so many do without. We also heard from Citizens Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault and Abuse (CADA) director Cynde Robinson. On Whidbey Island since 1979, CADA works with abuse victims in multiple ways as a liaisons for legal aid, medical, health, and employment services, housing, counseling, and more. To learn more about this invaluable organization and how you can support it, visit www.cadacanhelp.com.
We have a few deadlines coming up:
We’re also pleased to report that we have selected two young people to sponsor at this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awar (RYLA) Camp. Next Week Next week’s program is from Jim and Kathy Rogers, who will tell us about their work with children in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Please watch the short documentary Recycled Life at recycledlifedoc.com to learn more about these children and their lives. Upcoming Events
Next week’s Meeting duties
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March 3rd NewsletterMeeting Date/Location: February 29, 2016 at China City President’s Comments It is so exciting when we bring new members into our Rotary family. Most people who have ever heard of Rotary do not understand that it is an organization where an individual must be invited to join. The general understanding is that anyone can join whenever they like. The intent of Rotary is to attract individuals and leaders from the community that share common goals and are invested in service and making a difference. Our newest members Jim Rogers and Gwen Jones are great examples of what Rotary is all about and I am thrilled to welcome them to our team.
It has been a full February and we raised a little money through our flower delivery that will be put to good use. Thank you to Tracy, Ashley, Sharon, Gordy, Jim, Kathy, Karen, Alicia and Jane for volunteering your time. It was fun to participate in this event and see the joy on people’s faces when they received their bouquets. We were also excited to welcome our Youth Adventures in Leadership (YAIL) attendees Liam Henny and Janoah Spratt, who returned inspired and inspiring from the four-day event.
Happy thoughts We’ve had so many happy thoughts this month, which include spring flowers in bloom, well-deserved vacations, skiing, and gathering to listen to Cranberry Bog at Bloom’s Tasting Room. Guests:
Topics: As Lyn noted, we’re delighted to expand our Rotary family with two new members. We were also pleased to recognize George Henny for his 23 years of Rotary service. We’re fortunate as a club to have multiple members with decades of experience, and George has been a valued friend and leader as we continue to grow. Rotary also thrives by welcoming the next generation of community-leaders, and this week we heard from YAIL attendees Janoah Pratt and Liam Henny, both students at South Whidbey High School. They shared highlights of their experience, including inspirational speakers, new friendships, and group problem-solving exercises. It was our privilege to sponsor Liam and Janoah, and we look forward to hearing more from them in years ahead! And to continuing the topic of leadership, our next president Ashley Morrison recounted her experience at the Rotary President-Elect Training Seminar. In addition to attending classes and socializing with other Rotary leaders, Ashley met Rotary International’s president-elect John Germ.
Not least of all, we were delighted to donate $1,000 to Arusha School in Tanzania. We have more projects underway for 2016, so watch this space! Next Week Next week’s program is from Cynde Robinson from CADA, and there will be a Board meeting beginning at 4:30 prior to the meeting. Both are at China City. Upcoming Events
Next week’s Meeting duties
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February 1st NewsletterMeeting Date/Location: February 1, 2016 at China CityPresident’s CommentsDid you know…February is the month when Rotary focuses on Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution? Sixty million people are displaced by armed conflict or persecution, and 90 percent of armed-conflict casualties are civilians, half of them children. Through service projects, fellowships, and other Rotary-sponsored campaigns, members train adults and young leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and aid refugees who have fled dangerous areas. Members also pursue projects to address the underlying structural causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
One of the ways that Rotary addresses these issues is through Peace Fellowships. Each year, Rotary funds some of the world's most dedicated and brightest professionals to study at Rotary Peace Centers. Through training, study, and practice, Rotary Peace Fellows become leaders and catalysts for peace and conflict resolution; many go on to careers in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.
 Happy thoughtsOur happy thoughts included a sister’s birthday celebration, an anticipated vacation in the Virgin Islands, a 27-mile long bike ride, and a daughter’s acceptance into college.
Guests:We were happy to welcome incipient members Jim Rogers and Gwen Jones as guests.
Topics:Melissa and Kathy shared the benefits of attending the Rotary Leadership Institute conference, including being inspired by great speakers, learning more about Rotary Foundation, discovering your animal personality type, and affirming the importance of membership.
Drawing on her experience with Edward Jones, Melissa Cates provided an engaging and informative program about preparing fiscal strategies for retirement. We learned more about creating personalized plans for spending, saving, and investing to ensure adequate income for meeting retirement goals.
 Next WeekNote that there will be no meeting Monday in lieu of Vocational after-hours with Jane Helten at Freeland Carpet One.
Upcoming EventsFebruary 6: District Grants Seminar
February 8: No regular meeting (moved to Vocational after-hours)
February 11: Vocational after-hours at Freeland Carpet One
February 13: Area L Membership Seminar, Everett
Director reports:Jerry discussed Valentine’s Day flower deliveries; Ashley is requesting Service-Above-Self nominees and ideas for hands-on-projects. Hank needs a nominee for RYLA, and pointed out that last year there were only five U.S. participants in contrast to Canada’s 50 participants. So if anyone knows of a good candidate, please let Hank know (candidate’s age must be between 18 and 30 years).
 February 15 Meeting dutiesScribe: Alicia
Photographer: Hank
Greeter: Kathy
Setup/Takedown: Hank and Gabrielle
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Jan 24th NewsletterMeeting Date/Location January 24, 2016 at China City President’s Comments We need your help! I think that one of the things that attracted most of you to this club was your desire to do things for your community. I believe that it is more than just desire that has motivated you. All of us “need” to feel like we are making a difference. Over the past few years I have observed a renewed energy every time we complete hands-on projects. We like to get dirty, build things and be involved at a personal level. Over the past few months, you have been asked to come up with project ideas that our members can do that will fit this need as well as be meaningful. I ask that you look around your community, talk to friends, business acquaintances, other non-profits, and help identify possible projects. Please think about it and submit your rough ideas to Ashley, our Director of Club Services.
Happy thoughts Our happy thoughts included shared appreciation of a sunny and beautiful day, Saturday in the city with a daughter, a loss for the New England Patriots, and another great YAIL. Guests: Susan Torgen, guest of Sharon Edberg Robin Meehan, guest of Jane Helten Ray Green, husband of Mary Green and visitor from South Whidbey Rotary Club Bill Lewis, visitor from the South Everett/Mukilteo Rotary Club
Topics: Lyn reported that the all-island social was a great success and well attended—we look forward to more of these events and opportunities to spend time with local fellow Rotarians. We also discussed an opportunity to spend time with more distant Rotarians via the District 5050 Friendship Exchange, which provides opportunities to travel as far afield as New Zealand. For more information, see the District 5050 page on Club Runner. Speaking of which, the evening’s program included a detailed overview of Rotary resources online, ranging from our Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside website and Club Runner tools to district and international levels. For those reading this newsletter, please remember that the club website at rotary westside.com includes our club contact information, our calendar with meeting duties, events, and social activities. The website is accessible to everyone, so if anyone outside the club is curious about what we do or needs a phone number, this is the place to go. In addition, if you’re looking for project ideas, Rotary Showcase on the Rotary International website is a great place to go for inspiration. Gabrielle prepared a “cheat sheet” for using these resources. If you’d like another copy or a refresher, please let her know. You can find her contact information in Club Runner. ☺ |
January 16th, 2016 NewsletterMeeting Date/Location: January 11, 2015 at China City President’s Comments One of the highlights of our club is that we conduct classification talks. These talks give us a “peek” into our member’s lives including their accomplishments, milestones, challenges, and upbringing. Alicia not only shared her life with us on Monday but also entertained us with great humor. It was terrific getting to know her better. I had the honor this week of recognizing Hank Adolfi for his 27 years as a Rotarian. He is the longest serving Rotarian in our Club and he sets an example of the reason why we all join and stay. Hank says he joined for a reason—a desire to eradicate polio—and has stuck with it all these years. Congratulations Hank! It was also my pleasure to recognize Billy Ducharme as Rotarian of the Month for his contributions during our Christmas tree and wreath fundraiser. He made many sacrifices in donating both his time, energy and resources into making the event run smoothly and keeping us all comfortable. Thank you Billy for your volunteerism.
Happy thoughts Our happy thoughts included the finalization of a long-awaited house sale, our fun post-holiday party, and the successful launch of a new business that includes opening an office in Ireland! Guests:
Topics: We’re proud of our dedicated membership, exemplified by Hank Adolfi’s 27 years of Rotarian service, and Billy Ducharme’s tireless support during our Christmas tree fundraiser and other efforts. President Lyn Waldrop recognized Hank for his lengthy service, and declared Billy Rotarian of the Month. Thank you again, Hank and Billy. We also thanked Chet Ross for his generous donation of wire shelving for our storage space.
We’d also like to thank Richard and Jennifer Parrick once again for their partnership in the Christmas tree fundraiser, and for so generously hosting our post-holiday party! The camaraderie, fun, and food were all exceptional!
Our members are equally impressive, and Alicia Dietrich is no exception. She has been a wonderful supporter and friend since she joined Rotary in November 2014, and we got to know her a bit better in her classification talk. Born in NE Indiana to an entrepreneurial family in the automotive industry, Alicia forged a successful career in a traditionally male field. She earned an MBA and then her real-estate license, and today works for Windermere Real Estate. We’re fortunate that her path led to Whidbey Island, where she lives with her delightful partner and our frequent volunteer Karen Renz.
In other news, we’re delighted that Gwen Jones will be rejoining the club—welcome back, Gwen! Upcoming Events
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January 11th, 2016 NewsletterMeeting Date/Location: December 28, 2015 China City President’s Comments What a way to close the year! It was great to see everyone back at our regular meeting and celebrating the joys of a well done fundraising effort. I feel honored and humbled to be the President of such a dynamic club. I stand in amazement at the level of participation that our club members and volunteers devoted to the three week tree and wreath sales. With near 100% participation, we reached and exceeded our goals. I am especially excited about the outcome because it allows us to give more back to our community and international efforts. Congratulations to everyone. I want to thank Richard and Jennifer Parrick of Main Street Christmas Trees who provided the foundation for this great fundraising endeavor. Through all of our efforts we were able to donate $2500.00 to the South Whidbey Girls’ Basketball team for much-needed equipment. The money raised will also allow us to fund some other worthy projects in the near future. Way to go Rotarians!
Happy thoughts Happy thoughts included a long-awaited house sale, holiday family visits, a successful conclusion to our Christmas tree fundraiser, and a holiday spent in the sunny Dominican Republic. Guests:
Happy New Year! Our new year got off to a great start as we celebrated the successful conclusion of our second annual Christmas tree fundraiser in partnership with Mainstreet Christmas trees. The profits enable us to help support projects and causes throughout the year, kicking off right here at home with a $2,500 donation to the South Whidbey High School Girls Basketball team. We were delighted to present the check at the January 5th game. Members from the girls and boys basketball teams, their coach, the South Whidbey High School Interact Club, and parents, all pitched in to help. We’re very grateful to multiple organizations and individuals for their support, including:
We also offer a special thanks to our own Alex Bonesteel, who generously promoted our efforts on his Whidbey Island website. Last but certainly not least, we owe our biggest thanks to our local community and all of the people who bought trees, wreaths, and helped spread the word. Thank you all!
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November 9th Meeting NotesHappy thoughts Happy thoughts included looking forward to family for Christmas, the end of the autumn wine tour, gratitude for veterans, getting warm after kids’ soccer games, and our upcoming fundraiser.
Topics Rotarians are generous by nature, but sometimes it’s good to know how our contributions help. Today we learned that the Shelter Boxes we purchased went to Syrian refugees. This is one of the most mission-critical causes that we support—learn more. Rotary Foundation We are fortunate to have Jane Helten, a past-president and past-district governor, in our club to provide ongoing insight into Rotary beyond the local level. With help from Alicia Dietrich, she presented a detailed overview of Rotary Foundation, beginning with the first donation that Rotary International made to the Crippled Children’s Foundation in 1929. Today, Rotary funds support initiatives worldwide from eradicating polio to providing scholarships, clean water, and peace fellowships. On a local level, we have benefitted from matching grants for our own projects. It’s important to note that anyone can donate to Rotary International, and unlike with many charities, donors can specify where they would like their contribution to go. Equally important, the entirety of the donation goes toward the cause, and not toward administrative fees. We also learned more about the Paul Harris award, which Rotarians and others received in recognition of a $1,000 donation. We’re proud that our club has multiple Paul Harris fellows. To learn more about Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation, click here.
Upcoming vocational Tracy will host a vocational after hours on November 16 at 6:15 at Flowers by the Bay in Freeland. Please note that this takes the place of the regular meeting and starts at a later time. Director reports: Doug—Treasurer. Reported on funds balance and all is well. Gabrielle—Public Relations. Discussed marketing activities on behalf of Christmas tree sales. Please remember to “like” or share Facebook posts about the fundraiser. It’s the easiest way to spread the word, and it’s free! Bill—Youth Services. Interact is eager to help promote or sell Christmas trees. Jerry—Fundraising. Thanked George for all his help in supporting the fundraiser. Gordy—Club Administration. Reminded us that the upcoming holiday party has been postponed until January. |
President's CommentsThis is an exciting time. I look around and see all the energy and enthusiasm that is brewing about our upcoming 2nd Annual Christmas Tree and Wreath fundraiser. Sometimes it is easy to throw around Four Way Test phrases about service before self, fairness and benefit to all concerned, and building goodwill and friendships, but it takes a true Rotarian to actually live those words. At tonight’s meeting I witnessed Rotarians putting the good of the club first. I witnessed them recognizing others’ efforts. Sometimes this is very difficult when as individuals we feel that we have the best plan. Frankly my heart was warmed to see the generous and giving nature of our members. I guess that is why we are Rotarians in both heart and mind. |
Meeting DutiesNo meeting duties next week (November 16th, Vocational at Flowers by the Bay) |
World Interact WeekWorld Interact Week is coming up soon Instead of reporting on projects or meetings, this week we want to highlight Interact. Did you know that November 2-8 is World Interact Week? We are proud to sponsor the Interact Club at South Whidbey High School, and urge everyone to support the next generation of Rotarians. As a club, one of our focuses is on Youth Services and empowering future leaders. It’s a great way to give back to the local and global community. We’re actively working with Interact Club to develop new projects, so stay tuned! During World Interact Week, the youth clubs are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities, including submitting videos for a chance to earn $500 toward service projects, and planning a joint-project with their sponsoring club and posting it on Rotary Showcase. To learn more about Interact activities worldwide, visit and like the Interact-Rotary International Facebook page.
Whidbey Island Arts Festival: Rotary/Interact food booth We’re back to our regular meeting time and place at China City on November 2, and look forward to a program on the history of Enso House. |
Roadside CleanupOnce again we gathered along our stretch of highway to clean up after all our local litter bugs. The rain held off and we had a decent turnout. We were able to finish in record time of just under an hour. Thanks to everyone who showed up!
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October 19th Meeting NotesWe welcomed a large group back to China City for our seemingly rare regular meeting. Happy thoughts included finding and returning a few lost dogs, wine and food, time with grandkids, the fall weather, and the upcoming holidays.
 Lyn was overjoyed to present Gordy and Sharon with "Rotarian of the Month" awards for all their hard work related to our recent run of social events.
 Ashley gave us a brief overview of the club projects for the upcoming year.
Melissa Cates gave a half-personal, half-business classification talk. Melissa was born in St Louis, Missouri and attended Sweet Briar College in West Virginia. She began working for Edward Jones Investments in her early 20's and followed a trail of promotions out here to Whidbey Island where she is currently the Financial Advisor in the Edward Jones Freeland office. Melissa enjoys equestrian activities and is a state champion hunter-jumper.
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District Govornor DinnerWe recently gathered at Marion Henny's beautiful home overlooking Useless Bay for our annual District Governor Visit. We gathered and enjoyed lively conversation over drinks and hors d'oeuvres before enjoying a wonderful meal prepared by Gordy and Sharon Edberg.
    District Governor Bill Robson gave a great speech regarding his outlook of what the role of a District Governor actually is and expressed his desire for any member of our club to contact him directly with any problem we can't handle internally. Bill spoke at length regarding the current status of Rotary's Polio eradication efforts. We are, in fact closer to eradicating polio worldwide than we ever have been before. Bill was overjoyed to present Doug Coutts with a Paul Harris Fellowship as well as his own "First Class" Rotarian award. Ed Halloran also received the First Class award.
  After Bill's speech, Lyn spoke at length regarding the positive effect our club has had on local and global communities through our club service. For such a young club, we have indeed made an amazing impact in a short time.
 Special thanks to Marion and George Henny as well and Gordy and Sharon Edberg for making this event possible.
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President's CommentsPresident’s Message October 24, 2015 It was good to be back in our normal setting for at least one week. The happy thoughts were plentiful and it is great to catch up on everyone’s travels and life events. We were honored to have DG Bill Robson visit our Club this past week. These visits are the easiest way for our members to get to know the District leaders and hear about the happenings and vision of District 5050 and Rotary International. This week we honored two members of our Club who have been consistently engaged in the success of our Club since its inception. Both Gordy and Sharon Edberg give of themselves 100% while remaining positive in everything that they do. They are both an amazing force and it was my honor to recognize them as Rotarian of the Month. |
2015-2016 Interact Board InstallationOn Monday, Sept. 28 the incoming Interact board and their families met with Rotary Club of Whidbey-Westside to socialize, install the new officers, and get fired up about the year ahead. Established in 2013, the student club is part of Interact International, a Rotary youth network created to promote leadership, international participation, and community service. With approximately 11,000 clubs and 250,000 members worldwide, Interact is one of Rotary’s fastest growing organizations. The incoming board members expressed a desire to grow the the club this year and expand the scope of club projects and service in the future. The Interact Club of South Whidbey High School is doing its part, with projects like Operations Gratitude that sent letters and packages to military personnel overseas. Other initiatives include a successful food booth at Whidbey Island Arts festival, and a landscaping project for the Whidbey Children’s Theater.
(From Left) PR Chair: Rohini Mikkelsen, Vice President: Riley Yale, Secretary: Taylor Hamilton, President: Kaitlin Ellerby-Muse
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Monday Night Football SocialWe had a huge turnout for the Seahawks' Monday night game versus the Detroit Lions. Gordy and Sharon provided hotdogs and beans, and there were plenty of libations to be enjoyed by all.
At halftime, we celebrated the "World Greatest Meal to End Polio" in our effort to raise community awareness for the fight against polio. For as little as 60 cents, a child can be vaccinated against polio for life. Donations now work even harder. From 2013 to 2018, every US dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will become three dollars, thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We are incredibly close to the final goal of complete elimination of Polio worldwide. Help the cause and learn more here: http://wgmeal.com/
 The Seahawks' defense completely stifled the Lions' offense for nearly the entire game. They never allowed the Lions an offensive touchdown. The Hawks had their own struggles on the offensive side of the ball. After a promising drive that led to a 29 yard touchdown strike from Wilson to Baldwin, our inexperienced offensive line gave up 6 sacks, 2 of which led to Russell Wilson fumbles. Russell's second fumble was returned all way to the endzone for Detroit's only touchdown of the night. It was tense finish to the game. The Seahawks led 13-10 with 6 minutes remaining. The Lions drove the length of the field and were in scoring position when Matt Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson for what looked like a touchdown strike. It was not to be for the Lions, as BAM BAM KAM made a miraculous play to knock he ball out just inches shy of the goal line. The Hawks then ran out the clock and clinched a close victory.
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Enso House ProjectOur recent Enso House project was a great success. We had a wonderful turnout and managed to get everything done a lot quicker than we had thought. Everyone worked very hard and really showed what makes Rotary so great. We weeded, pruned, mowed, and edged their gardens. On top of that, we had Billy Ducharme and his Island Concierge Services crew show up ready to do anything they could to help. They cleaned out the gutters and cut the grass around the house. Thanks to all our members who participated, and a huge thanks to Billy and his crew for doing so much work!
             Wow, what a difference we made! The vegetation of the pacific northwest can quickly overtake this great facility, but with our shared efforts, we made the landscape back into the sanctuary it is supposed to be. Learn more about Enso House at http://www.ensohouse.org/
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President's CommentsSo much has happened in the past three weeks! Talk about well rounded………we did an amazing job of volunteering our hands-on efforts to clean-up Enso House grounds and facility, we honored and celebrated our incoming Interact Board of Directors, we’ve had fellowship and fun while raising awareness about polio and the role that Rotary plays in its eradication. I’d say that makes us a pretty cool Rotary Club. I especially love the fact that we had fun while making a difference. Our District Governor, Bill Robson, will visit us next week and I look forward to having other members meet him and his wife Mona.
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September 14th Meeting NotesGuests Derek Weaver, returning guest of Ashley Morrison Jack Ng, President of South Whidbey Rotary Club Ray Green, Past President of South Whidbey Rotary Club
 Happy thoughts Happy thoughts included an anniversary celebration on the Oregon coast, a new puppy, various successful home repair projects, and cider-making. Topics Happy birthday to Kathy Rogers, Gabrielle Shearer, Gordy Edberg, and Jack Ng! Three of our members are attending the Rotary Leadership Institute. Registration closes on September 20th, so if you’re interested in attending sign up now. In another call to action, Lyn requested everyone to update their profiles on Club Runner. If you have questions about how to use Club Runner, please contact Alex Bonesteel at 360-632-2635, or alex@alexbonesteel.com/ Sharon presented two proposed bylaw changes. A vote was held and both changes received unanimous approval by the full membership.
Reminder Instead of meeting at China City for the next few weeks, we will meet in the following locations:
Program Hank Adolfi gave a talk on New Generations in Rotary, which covered the Interact Club, RYLA, and YAIL youth programs. He emphasized the need to establish a strong relationship with youth, acknowledged the exceptional work done, and the need for a long term investment in these programs. Future opportunities to support youth include vocational scholarships, vocational mentoring, and foreign student exchange programs such as the Rotary Youth Exchange and Youth Experiencing Service (YES). Read more information about District 5050 youth service programs.
Upcoming Events It’s not too late to register! On September 26th, the District 5050 Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Mount Vernon. Registration closes September 20th. Register here.
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President's CommentsPresident’s comments It was great to see everyone at the meeting even though we were missing many faces. Many of you were off on exciting adventures and others just bogged down with work and family commitments. I am sure that we will have some interesting happy thoughts coming soon, especially the helicopter ride. Hum? Our Youth Services Committee is going like gangbusters and I am so excited to see the enthusiasm that they are putting behind enhancing our existing programs. We received a very thorough overview of the various Rotary Youth programs and where our club fits into these areas. Thank you for getting us up to speed. We will install the Interact officers on September 28, 2015 at WiFire. Please attend and show your support for our youth. REMEMBER! We will not be at China City for the next 4 weeks. Please check the calendar at rotarywestside.com for future meetings and events. |
August 24th Meeting NotesMeeting Date/Location: August 24, China City Guests Jane Ducharme, guest of son Billy Ducharme
Happy thoughts Happy thoughts included enjoying the Greater Freeland Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, a grandson who happened to be in the right place at the right time to deliver a motorist’s baby, fond thoughts of grandkids, and the merciful conclusion of family visits.
Topics The Joint Social for all four Whidbey Rotary clubs was a great success with 51 attendees. There will be no meeting next Monday. Instead, we're having a social event at the home of Gordy and Sharon Edberg. Cost is $10; please BYOB. Gordy will be grilling up some interesting and tasty culinary creations, and entertainment will be provided by the Cranberry Bog Bluegrass Band. RSVP via email so we can plan the grilling. Email to: sedberg@whidbey.com. Please invite friends to join us! Ed Halloran pointed out that we had 91.5% attendance in July. Pretty impressive!
Program The Membership Committee delivered an informative program on everything membership-related, including attendance, mentors, leave-of-absence, our new member directory and handbook, and much more. Thanks to the membership committee for all their hard work!
Upcoming Events The Oak Harbor Sunrise Club invited us to come up and attend their Oak Harbor Car Show and Challenge Race. Proceeds benefit the Skagit Valley College Scholarship Fund. The races start at 10AM this Saturday at SE Barrington Dr in Oak Harbor.
September 26th: District 5050 Rotary Leadership Institute will be held in Mount Vernon. Registration closes September 20th. Click here to register. |
President's CommentsPresident’s comments
August is membership month and it is a time to celebrate both who we are and all the accomplishments that Rotary has done around the world and in our own small community. For myself, it is a time to look back and remember why I became a Rotarian. For some, the answer can be very clear and you can remember the exact moment that you made that decision and remember why. For others, it may not have been as clear and your reasons may not have been so altruistic. After all, we are humans and it is natural to want something out of any life endeavor. The bottom line is that what we get back from Rotary is the knowledge that we are making a difference in others’ lives and helping our community to be a better place. I want to thank each of you for being one of those special people who believe that being a Rotarian is important and to commend you for your commitment to our Club and cause. Celebrate and appreciate yourself for making that commitment! It is a great thing to want to share with others all the good that we do. Without a continued effort to grow our membership, the power of Rotary will go away. Rotary International announced that over 2,000 Rotarians achieved the gold level in the New Member Sponsor Recognition program. This is accomplished when you have sponsored six or more new Rotary members. Those are exceptional efforts on behalf of these members who strengthen Rotary’s membership. Is there someone that you want to share the Rotary experience with? Bring them to a meeting, social, or work party. Let's get others engaged. We are a great group of folks to hang out with and we have fun while doing good things. |
4 Clubs Social EventOn Friday evening, the 4 Whidbey Island Rotary Clubs met at Useless Bay Country Club for a fun evening. It was great to meet so many other Rotarians from the other Whidbey Rotary Clubs and learn about their projects, events, and organization. Jack Ng, President of South Whidbey Rotary Club announced a new award for Rotarians who manage to attend the club meeting for all 4 Whidbey Rotary Clubs in 1 week. All the clubs meet on different days so this makes for a fun, but doable challenge. The award will include a custom designed 4-way pin, to represent all 4 Rotary Clubs on Whidbey.
  Everyone had a great time and there are plans to make these type of events a regular occurrence for our 4 clubs.
Thank you to all 4 club presidents who came together to make this event happen!
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President's CommentsWell, now you all know your president’s background and history. Hopefully after my classification talk you will all agree to come back next week. It was a humbling experience to share the story of my life with my Rotary family and I thank you so much for your kind words and support. I will admit that I was apprehensive about doing a talk after seeing other members presentations. It was much easier than I expected. Now is the time for you to get with the Program Chairs and schedule yours if you have not already done so. We had a terrific turnout and it was so good to see several new guests as well as those who returned. We were honored to gain a new Club member and also an Associate member. I would call that a fruitful meeting. Now, let’s do it again! As a reminder, this is RI Membership month and it is a time to celebrate being a Rotarian. It is truly a privilege to be a part of an organization that focuses on goals that we each embrace. |
August 17th Meeting NotesGuests: David Dennison, Lis Dennison, Little Bear Dennison: guests of Marion and George Henny Derek Weaver: guest of Ashley Morrison Jane Ducharme: guest of her son Billy Ducharme Dennis Colar: guest of George Henny Happy thoughts Happy thoughts this week mysteriously include fish fillet, families enjoying family, a wedding anniversary (congrats Jerry and Ashley!), a manly day spent fishing, crabbing, and getting a mani-pedi, a 5oth birthday, and gratitude for being safe on Whidbey Island. The fires across eastern Washington and the rest of the west have been devastating.
Topics: We are delighted to finally welcome our new member and seasoned Rotarian Dave Slepyan.
Our President, Lyn, gave a fiery Classification talk about growing up in rural Georgia. The only girl in a family that was taught early on that every member was required to participate regardless of age. At the tender age of three and four Lyn was out helping her family take care of cows, pigs, chickens and tend to the pecan trees, peanuts and the tobacca (spelling error intentional-Southern version). Her family endured hardships including losing a tobacco drying barn to fire, but her early training and dedication to hard work took her from her birthplace to college and on to many diverse careers while being a single parent to her only son Eric. Her varied jobs included driving a city bus, waitress, private detective, lifeguard, warehouse manager, swim instructor and many more that she has forgotten. She learned to hold down any job, and as many as possible to support her son. All of this lead her to other careers with the State of California as a Psychiatric Technician and to move up the ladder to hold other significant roles as a lobbyists for mental health. During her time working for the correctional facility in California she was within arms lengths of hardened criminals like Charles Manson. She has finished her career of the past 22 years as a Practice Administrator for a local vision practice. Lyn loves an adrenalin rush and still has a desire for adventures and fun. She loves working out, wine tasting, cooking, gardening and spending time with her Rotary family.
Upcoming Events August 21st, 5-7PM: Joint Social of all four Whidbey Island Rotary Clubs on Friday, Useless Bay Golf and Country Club. Time is 5-7 pm. If you haven’t already signed up, please email Lyn and let her know. You are welcome to just show up. August 31st: Whidbey Westside Social. Coming up at the end of August is a backyard BBQ “Crazy Dogs without Hotdogs” at Sharon and Gordy’s home. More details to come. Director reports: Sharon gave a brief statement that the membership committee will be meeting on Tuesday, August 18th. If anyone has any concerns or suggestions, please email them to her or anyone on the committee. We are here to make sure that everyone is served. Doug gave a brief summary of all the account balances. MEMBER BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
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President's Message |
August 10th Meeting NotesGuests: Derek Weaver, guest of Ashley Morrison. Susan Strom, guest of Bill Leeds. Lee Harman, visiting Rotarian, guest speaker.
Happy thoughts Happy thoughts include good times at the Island County Fair and Golfun, a freshly-painted chicken coop, an orca pod sighting, and a satisfying family reunion.
Topics: We sang happy birthday to Alex Bonesteel, who also received his first Paul Harris award. Congratulations Alex! This year's Golfun was as fun as ever. Our club was represented by two teams, including Doug and Sandi Coutts , Ashley Morrison, and past-presidents Jane Helten and Jerry Morrison. Guest speaker Dr. Lee Harman was up next with an enlightening and moving presentation about Rotary International's mission to eradicate polio. Dr. Harman, founder of the Harman Eye Clinic in Arlington, Washington and distinguished Rotarian, has many interests including flying planes. However, Rotary and the Polio Plus Foundation are among his top passions.
Dr. Harman pointed out that although Rotary has made great strides in the battle to eradicate the crippling disease, we can't relent if we want to reach our goal of eliminating polio entirely by 2018. With help from the Bill Gates Foundation, $4.6 billion dollars have already been pledged, but a totally of $5.5 billion is needed. So whatever we can do to support this long battle is greatly appreciated. Among statistics to consider: 2.5 billion children in 122 nations have been vaccinated and India and the entire African continent are now polio free. These successes came at considerable cost, and not just financial: 60 vaccinators have been killed in the effort.
Dr. Harman also reminded us that the disease is highly contagious. Even one infected person can cause polio to spread quickly in an unvaccinated population. So please do what you can to support this effort, and also take a moment to appreciate the role Rotary takes in making the world a better place. Key Facts from the World Health Organization
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President's CommentsAugust 10, 2015 Wow! What a jam packed meeting we had this week. The President had to get a little heavy handed in controlling the abundance of happy thoughts. Haha! It is terrific that we have so many great things embracing our individual lives and we love to share with our Rotary family. We also were honored to welcome a new member into our Paul Harris Society. Alex Bonesteel looked both surprised and almost speechless. What a special night for him.
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August 3rd Meeting NotesGuestsBrad Schultz (guest of Tracy Schultz) Jim Rogers (guest of Kathy Rogers)
  Happy thoughts Happy thoughts included a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas with winnings, pending retirement, visits with friends, and participation in the Whidbey Island Triathlon.
Topics We had an incredible turnout for last week’s July 27th roadside cleanup. Nearly the entire club helped collect trash on Highway 525, followed by a fun dinner at Mo’s Pub and Eatery in Langley. Virginia Bloom and Chet Ross were commended by President Lyn Waldrop for their willingness to co-chair the Programs Committee. They have already done much of the work in putting together programs for the entire year. That deserves their very own Program Chair pin. Lyn also presented the new banner from Rotary International with this year’s theme “Be a Gift to the World.”
And finally, Jerry and Ashley Morrison gave a potentially life-saving presentation on earthquake readiness, including sharing the contents of a “bug-out bag” and checklist for items to have on hand. Jerry also suggested checking Google Earth to find the highest elevation in your area.
Upcoming Events August 7th, 11AM to 7PM. The Annual District 5050 Golfun Tournament and Dinner kicks off this Friday. The district fundraisers will benefit the Rotary International Foundation Polio Plus Program. We are proud to be represented at this year’s event by Jerry and Ashley Morrison and Doug and Sandi Coutts. Standby for results in next week’s newsletter!
August 21st, 5-7PM. All four Whidbey Island Rotary Clubs will be having a social event at Useless Bay Golf and Country Club. The event will feature a no-host bar, and a very reasonable cost of $10 per person for plentiful appetizers. Attendees may make dinner reservations for after the event. Reservations should be made under the name of Whidbey Rotary Club. Please join us—this is a great opportunity to build a bond with other clubs. Contact Lyn Waldrop for more information. Director reports: Doug Coutts provided a brief budget overview, with plans for regular monthly updates.
Gabrielle explained that there would be a new format for scribes and the process for reviewing the notes before they are placed in the newsletter. She also laid out the schedule for photographers and scribes for 2015-16. |
President's CommentsA couple of weeks ago the amazing Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside spent their Monday afternoon removing 15 bags of garbage from the roadside on Highway 525. We had a great turnout and even had two friends of Rotary volunteer their time to help out. The Club sets aside four times a year to do the clean-up. What better way to make a difference, and as a side benefit, we all get a little exercise and fresh air.
August is Rotary International membership month. As we embark on a new year, we are examining ways to share what we do with others and have them join in on the fun, fellowship and good work. To quote our Membership Director Sharon, “everyone is on the Membership Committee”. Make an effort to invite a friend or acquaintance to attend one of our socials, work parties or a program meeting.
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Roadside Cleanup on MondayReminder: Monday, July 27th will not be a normal meeting. In place of our normal meeting we will be doing our Roadside Cleanup Project.
Please call Alex at 360.632.2635 if you have any questions or concerns.
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July 20th Meeting NotesLyn Called meeting to Order at 5:25PM. It was a little early, but our agenda was quite long. We had a special guest: Kyle Waterman from the Kalispell, Montana Club was introduced and our Club banners were exchanged.
Happy Thoughts for the evening: Alicia was very happy that her files were found and she celebrated with fresh crab out on her Deck. If we find more of her files, maybe we could all celebrate the same way! Billy has been on the move, but he is almost done and glad to be back with the Club. Mary has overcome her lap top challenges and is back online. Bill gave kudos to Whidbey Telecom for fixing problems that his other company worked on for hours and could not get it done. Sharon was glad to be back from Western Washington where it was over 90 degrees! Clyde was happy to report that the project he has been working on since 1976 is finally caught up to date. Ashley was glad to be present and glad Jerry wasn’t! Tracy reported that her daughter completed three legs of the Ragnar race, was hospitalized, but is now out and recovering. George reported that he is almost ready for the triathlon, but Doug is not quite there yet. Jane described her fun weekend, but would not divulge what she meant by “fun”? Kathy reported that she is now a “permanent resident” because has successfully obtained a WA State driver’s license. Gabrielle vicariously celebrated her Dad’s 76th birthday. Ed reminded folks that the South Whidbey Yacht Club crab fest is coming up. YUMMM Lyn drove to Langley BC to attend the District Governor’s Installation. On the way back, the border agent spent more time checking out her Jeep than her credentials.
Special Honors Presentations:
Marion was honored for her outstanding support during Lyn’s Installation party including opening up her home, having special table decorations made, and even getting some new furniture.
 Directors Reports: Ashley reminded everyone that in place of next Monday's meeting, we will be doing our regular Roadside Cleanup Project. Everyone meet at the corner of HWY 525 and Honeymoon Bay Rd at 4:30PM. We will be meeting at the Bayview Taproom after the cleanup to enjoy some food(Probably Pizza) and libations. If you have question about this project, please call Alex at 360.632.2635. And please bring gloves, Everything else will be provided.
 CLUB ASSEMBLY: Lyn handed out a spreadsheet showing each of the Club Directors Committee members and the areas of responsibility. This was followed by a brief presentation by each of the director who outlined their responsibilities within that committee “job description”. During the course of the year, each Director will be asked to give a more in-depth presentation of their committee’s responsibilities and what they are working on. The goal is to have each of our current members understand to whom they can go with questions or suggestions to make the information flow within the club as smooth and effective as possible.
  Club Service Presentations by Jane:
Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside was the only club in the District to receive a Presidential Citation for “ACTIVELY WORKING TO LIGHT UP ROTARY”. Way to go WW Rotary Club!!!
 Everyone who missed out on their Rotarian of the Year Pin at the installation dinner received theirs from Jane. Congrats to Billy, George, Mary, Clyde, and Bill.
 Tracy was honored as a new member who actively contributed to the club’s successful year and Jane presented Lyn with her 3rd Paul Harris, so she is now a 3 sapphire lady.
 Sharon adjourned the meeting with a resounding sounding of the Rotary Bell.
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July 13th Meeting Notes
It was our pleasure to welcome Jim Byrd who is our Assistant Governor for District 5050 Area L to both the Board meeting and the regular meeting. We were also happy to once again have Brad Schultz as a guest. He is a part of our Rotary family and we need to have him officially join our fun loving group. Ed shared how much fun he had sailing the past weekend and another life milestone of being marry to the lovely Chris for 52 years. Traci and Brad talked about their trip to Canada for a car show event, Alicia was thrilled that the permits finally came through for the septic replacement, Chet was happy to finally be walking again and Hank had a fun bike ride but got a sore butt.
It was the first meeting of the Rotary year with our new president Lyn Waldrop, and it went as swimmingly as expected. Lyn presented Ashley with her official President Elect pin and thanked her for her commitment to the Club. Lyn thanked all the members for helping put together a fantastic and crazy “Rotating of the Wheel” on June 28th. We had a few brave souls who showed us an interesting side and made the event very fun and special. A huge thank you to all of those who participated in this busy weekend of volunteering. We had a record number of members come out to help with the Cool Bayview Night’s Car Show as well at the Choochokam Arts Festival.
We sang happy birthday to Doug Coutts who will be celebrating his birthday this coming Saturday.
Ashley did a great job of facilitating an assembly where potential projects for the coming year were presented and discussed. Following the presentation, members were given an opportunity to rate and vote on the ones they would like to see move forward.
Ashley announced that the next roadside cleanup will be on July 27th. We will meet at the corner of Honeymoon Bay Road and Hwy 525 at 4:30. The roadside cleanup will be done in place of the meeting and member’s attendance will be counted. Please let Ashley know if you can participate in the cleanup. A social will be held afterwards at the Taproom located at Bayview corner.
Lyn reminded everyone that the District 5050 Golfun tournament is coming up on August 7, and will be held at the Whidbey Golf Club in Oak Harbor. Our Club will have a team and all non-golfers are encouraged to sign up for the dinner. Have fun while supporting the Rotary International Foundation Polio Plus Program. There’s still time—Register now. |
Installation DinnerWe welcomed the new Rotary year with a lively installation celebration on the beautiful deck of Marion Henny's home overlooking Useless Bay. A special thanks to PDG Sean Hogan for helping make our installation celebration so much fun.
 Thank you to Past President Jane Helten and all the Rotarians who have put in countless hours to making our club's mission a success! Good luck to new President Lyn Waldrop and the 2015-2016 Board Of Directors.
 I guess you had to be there...
  An adequate tribute to all the sweat and tears layed down in the name of Rotary.
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President's MessageHow exciting it is for me to begin another Rotary year. I am so fortunate to be a part of the BEST Rotary Club with the BEST members. Our first meeting was a winner and clearly showcased the terrific qualities of our membership which are engagement, fellowship and team spirit. We are going to have a great time in 2015-16 and continue building on the foundation that was established when this Club was formed.
This year’s Club motto will be “Having fun while doing great things”.
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June 8th Meeting NotesHappy thoughts included rain in the long term forecast, the end of the rotary year, and a successful Interact fundraiser. George mentioned a wonderful day and a bike ride, Doug talked about his wonderful sunburn he received while white water rafting, and Tracy mentioned a trip to an auto show auction, and that they didn't come home with a car.
 We wished happy birthdays to George and Melissa, and sung together blissfully out of key.
George announced a deadline for the YES of August 31st. This is a service trip for qualified youths going into their junior year. Candidates should be motivated to raise $1,500 on their own to complete the program and should believe in the importance of making a difference in global communities through service projects.  Lyn read a letter of thanks we received from a member of the local SW Stingrays Swim Club. Our club sponsored their team for $220.
 Bill Leeds gave a entertaining and interesting classification program which featured a selection of colorful characters from his life and his ascent through the sales industry. His motto for his life is "Right people, right place right time." We learned that he descended from a line of war heroes in his paternal grandfather and dad. He handed out a letter of thanks from General MacArthur addresses to the former. Bill Served in the national guard before working for a variety of sales and consulting companies. He eventually formed Leeds Consulting, LLC which has provided consulting for a wide range of companies, including startups to Fortune 500s.
Thanks for a great program, Bill!
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Sign up for Installation Dinner by June 15th!Registration for the 2015-2016 Installation Dinner will close on June 15th. Please register online at http://rotarywestside.com/product/2015-installation-dinner-tickets/ if you plan on coming!
The event will be held on the evening of June 28th at the home of Marion Henny. Cost is $15 per person and includes dinner and beverages.
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Garage Sale ReportA huge THANK YOU, you helped to make our Saturday Garage Sale a great success. Our net was approximately $1,800.00 with a few large items remaining to be sold on Ebay or such.
Every member of our club had a piece of this one from bringing items, helping to move then at one time or another, working the day of the sale or getting items from friends or family.
You are the best!!!
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June 1st Meeting NotesGeorge led the Club in singing the American National Anthem as well as the Canadian one. Everyone welcomed Marion, Hank and Chet back from their surgeries. The happy thoughts ranged from excitement over a long delayed bathroom remodel that is finally occurring, a much needed non-working vacation, mom coming to visit, reconnection with second grade teacher, making connections with Interact members and a neighbor who graciously mowed a lawn in their absence. Jane was happy to have spent time with her grandson who took her out for her birthday. We thank Jane for spending her birthday with us in the Monday meeting.
Jane presented Chet with a “Service Above Self” pin for stepping in mid -year and doing a great job as Membership Director. She also presented a pin to Alicia as a new member who didn’t waste any time in volunteering to work on projects and fundraisers as well as step into a leadership role as Foundation Director in 2015-16.
 Jane asked for a motion to approve an amendment to the by-laws which establishes a reserve account and how it can be used. Gordy moved and Jerry seconded. The revision was approved by the membership. Gordy reported on the progress of the upcoming Copacabana Whidbey dance coming up on June 20. Virginia announced that this year’s installation will be held at Marion Henny’s home located on Bayview Road on Sunday June 28. Lyn asked if anyone was available on short notice to help with the upcoming Meals on Wheels pancake breakfast fundraiser. Hank talked about a potential Halloween party and asked members if they had an interest in attended either on Friday night or Saturday night.  Members were asked to donate a few dollars towards the Foundation Account to help replenish our funds. As a means to help with funding that account in the future the membership voted to take $10.00 from the meeting fees twice a year and move it into the account. Lyn brought the Club up to date on how the vetting process for new projects occur within the Club. We will vet new projects twice yearly in May and November. Members were asked to breakout into groups and brainstorm projects for the 2015-16 year. |
President's Message
Presidents Message 6/1/15 June is Rotary Fellowships Month month - emphasizing Rotary's ongoing commitment to various fellowships. Our club does a great job with this and it is an important part of Rotary as we work hard and fellowship helps offset that hard work and helps us to get to know each other in a social atmosphere. We had a great couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone who participated in the successful garage sale, see the pictures below. We had a joint meeting of the outgoing and incoming board members to assure a smooth transition into next year. The year is winding down and we look forward to the installation of the new board and the continued great work we do through this club. |
Interact FundraiserHere is a quick summary of the Interact Food Booth event at the Whidbey Island Festival of Arts this past weekend.
- The Interact Club, with Meaghan deWolf leading the way, did a great job of planning and running this event. The booth had at several Interact volunteers at all times. Everything went like clockwork.
- Special thanks to Meaghan's parent who ran many errands to get money for change, refills on ice, gathering up last minute items, like ice chests, etc.
- Big Thank You's to our Rotary volunteers Bill Leeds and Hank Adolfi. Hank even pulled a second shift! (Maybe someone else was there while I was away?)
- Bottom line: It was fun. The attendees were happy with our food. (We competed with ice cream and bake sale.)
- The Club made over $500 profit! This will go into the Interact coffers to start off the next academic year. This is slightly more than last year even though prices were lowered somewhat.
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May 18th Meeting Notes.jpg) Happy Thoughts, ranged from the gorgeous sunshine, gardening, and a weekend trip of relaxation and wine tasting.
Our annual garage sale will be held this Saturday at the Freeland China City parking lot. See you there!
 Lyn Waldrop handed out community project forms for members to take home and fill out with their ideas for community projects next year. If you didn't get a form, you can download one here.
Doug Coutts incoming treasurer for Rotary year 2015-16, gave a presentation on the new budget and handed out copies to the members who were in attendance.
 President Elect Lyn Waldrop talked about her vision for the upcoming year and discussed some changes in category definition for club funding and an effort to make the budget process easier for membership to understand.
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President's Message 5/20/15
Presidents Message 5/25/15
This weekend is one of our big fundraisers, our garage sale at China City. If you have items to donate please price them and bring them to China City at 7:30 AM on Sat morning or contact Gordie for more details. We will be setting up tents on Friday night. Gordie will send out an email for volunteers to help set up the tents. If you are able to help Friday evening or Sat and have not signed up please let Gordie know.
There is no meeting on Monday, so your participation at the Garage Sale will count as a meeting.
Have a safe Memorial weekend.
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May 11th Meeting NotesWhat a beautiful Mother's Day Weekend! The weather was gorgeous and it was so nice to see so much love, respect, and admiration for all the Moms out there.
Happy Thoughts and Guests
We were happy to be joined by guests Ray Green and Brad Schultz.
Happy thoughts centered around Mother's Day Celebration, including whale watching, a trip to the zoo, and flower deliveries going smoothly. We were very happy to hear that Marion Henny is doing well and sends her best wishes to the club.
Nepal Earthquake Aid
The scale of destruction across the Himalayan country of Nepal since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake is immense. More than 7,500 people are reported to have been killed and at least 14,500 people have also been injured, although these figures are likely to rise. 4.2 million people are reported to be in need of emergency food and shelter. Nepal’s prime minister Sushil Koirala said his government was doing all it could, but was overwhelmed. With hundreds of thousands of people sleeping outdoors in makeshift shelters, thunderstorms forecast, mountain snows melting, and the monsoon season due, the growing risk of landslides and flash flooding will add to the challenges for rescue and relief teams.
Our club approved a $1,000 shelterbox donation to help provide emergency housing for those who currently have no shelter. You can learn more about shelterbox and keep up to date on how their organization is helping the situation in Nepal by visiting their website. http://www.shelterbox.org/
Fundraising
Gordy announced that there is still plenty of room for volunteers for the upcoming garage sale as well as space for items to sell.
Tracy announced that our team of flower delivery specialists, including Alex, Lyn, Bill, and Jerry netted $455 for our club.
  Program
Chet and Sharon presented a membership program. Topics included better exit interviews, accommodating a younger, more digitally oriented demographic, and staying relevant as a service club. The theme was "Recalibrate, Reengineer, & Reposition". As long as we address the needs of our membership, we will surely enjoy steady growth and continuing fellowship for many years to come.
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President's Message
May's Rotary Theme is to Promote The Rotary International Convention
Bem-vindo ao Brasil! Welcome to São Paulo, the site of the 106th Rotary International Convention. It is a little late to make plans to go this year. If you ever have the chance to attend an RI Convention, it is an experience you will never forget. The RI Convention will be in Atlanta in two years; you might want to consider that as a vacation and start making plans to attend. For more information go to http://www.riconvention.org/en/2015/Pages/ridefault.aspx Many of you have heard of the devastation in Nepal. Information was shared at the District Conference on out how we can help. There were two schools of thought; one to give to shelter box as the need for housing is critical, the other was for the on going help that will be needed to rebuild. Our budget has a line item for $1000.00 for emergency funding and this is what that is for. The board has approved these funds be used to purchase a Shelter Box to be sent for aid. This is just another area where Rotary shines, coming together to help in disasters such as these. Thanks to all of you who work so hard on our fundraisers so we are able to be generous with our donations. |
May 4th Meeting Notes
We were pleased to welcome guest and speaker Carrie Monforte who is the Program Supervisor at the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation Department. As always we were glad to see guest Brad Shultz who is part of our Rotary family. The happy thoughts were varied and amusing as always. Jane was thankful for another successful District Conference this past weekend. Traci was glad that five Rotarians showed up at her place to learn how to deliver Mother’s Day flowers. Alex survived a hair raising effort to shut down a hacking of the websites that he manages while being a baby daddy. Both Doug and Gordy were celebrating temporary bachelorhood while there spouses are out of town. It sounds like there might be lots of junk food and midday beer involved. Melissa Cates was officially honored and welcomed as our newest Club member. Melissa is a familiar face and has been actively engaged in Club activities and meetings for some time and everyone was pleased to finally have her join us as a full member. Jane presented a World Peace and Understanding pin of recognition to Clyde for all the work that he does with youth in our community. Doug also received a pin and recognition for his overall participation and willingness to take on challenging roles within the Club. Both individuals are engaged in the work of Rotary.
Ed was the winner of the quarterly drawing which demonstrates that he wears his Rotary pins often. As his reward, the Club will donate $50.00 on behalf of Ed to the Foundation. The money will be applied towards his Rotary International donations and a future Paul Harris. Carrie Monforte did an excellent presentation about the activities and the programs that the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation Department provides in our community. Two of their larger activities include the annual 5K Chum Run and the Whidbey Island Triathlon. They also have sports programs that provide opportunities for everyone including adult softball, summer tennis, aquatics, youth basketball. They have an extensive summer youth camp program that includes options such as flag football, British soccer, basketball, learning to row, pro baseball, earth skills, sailing and the ever popular rocket camp. They hold special events including the well-attended annual Daddy and Daughter Ball and Concerts in the Park. One of the important roles of the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation Department is to oversee the Healthy Island Youth Initiative. This program is sponsored by various entities and is geared towards helping provide sports opportunities to the underserved youth on Whidbey Island.
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Copacabana Tickets Available Online
For a fun evening of dancing to live Latin Jazz, Swing and Salsa performed by Bahia, come to Copacabana on Whidbey! The cycling studio at 5525 Freeland Ave unit 4 (behind the Windermere building) will be transformed into a Latin style nightclub with food, wine, beer and live music! Want to tango, samba, or salsa the night away? $20 entry fee is all it takes. Proceeds will benefit Whidbey Westside Rotary Club. Call 360-321-0515 for more info or Purchase tickets online here. |
President's Message.jpeg)
Presidents Message 4/29/15 This past week was a week we connected with our youth in a way that will impact their lives. April 22nd, the SciCalc (calculators) were presented to the SWHS board. This is a great project that will benefit our youth for years to come. On April 29th the 40 calculators were delivered to David Nelson, Math Chair at the high school. Each calculator will be checked out by a student who cannot afford to purchase one. They will be allowed to use it for the entire year. Clyde Monma will work closely with David Nelson to be sure the program impacts the students of SWHS to the maximum extent possible.
Thanks to Clyde for bringing the project to the club and to Jerry & Ashley Morrison, Tim and Julia DeMartini, Davio Consulting Group and Clyde and Marcia Monma who's donations rounded out the needed funds for a matching grant. District RYLA Our club sponsored a student from Canada because our candidate from Whidbey Island could not make it at the last minute. See excerpts from her letter below, we can be proud that we helped such and outstanding student. "I would still like to coordinate with you a time for me to officially present .... to the Whidbey Westside Rotary Club who sponsored my RYLA 2015 experience... " "Every opportunity one is presented with has the opportunity to change one's life, but this is a choice based on one's attitude and willingness to the opportunity. I have chosen to allow my experience at RYLA 2015 to impact me in the present and future. I am looking into joining my local Rotaract club... Team Group .... I was randomly assigned to ..... created goals and ways that we as group members can support one another....in addition to meeting together quarterly throughout the year, .... This chance encounter created a support system.... I wanted to offer a short and sweet thank you for sponsoring me at RYLA 2015. ... I look forward to organizing a time to present to the Whidbey Westside Rotary Club my experience at RYLA 2015." Melissa Epp, RYLA 2015 participant Master of Art's Student at Trinity Western University, Counselling Psychology Program |
Enso House ProjectThis past Monday, our club gathered at Enso House to help them with some improvement projects throughout the facility. One team gardened, weeded, and landscaped their outdoor garden areas while a few others worked inside putting in new flooring, painting and plumbing.
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President's Message
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE 4/20/15 A successful "fun-d-raiser" took place last Saturday at Island Concierges with Billy Ducharme donating hoses, water, cleaning materials and much more for our first car wash. Thank you Billy!
Most of our club members were able to participate. It was a beautiful day; we washed a lot of cars and the "big trucks" took advantage of our ability to put a shine on a rig. We raised money and learned a lot, which is what usually happens with something that is done for the first time. We will be offering this again next month, hopefully those who were not able to attend will be able to then. When we all pitch in, it makes for less time we have to put in. Our club members are great at participation and this was no exception. Thanks to all of you who put in your time and talent for this effort. MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT FORM Six of our members have not filled out the form, please do so now so we can have a complete representation from our club. It only takes a few minutes of your time. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015District5050MemberSurvey |
April 20th Meeting NotesGuests were Gordy and Sharon's son Kyle (from Rotary Columbia Tri-Cities) and his wife Melissa. Melissa Cates is still considered a guest, Ray Green came from morning club and Tracey’s husband Brad also joined us.
Happy Thoughts included many on the success (and hard work) of the car wash on Saturday. George gave a $20 donation to the car wash for each time he drove by, he informed the Club that his mom had taken a fall and will be in surgery on Friday. She is doing OK right now. Both Jerry and Ashley talked of their visit with family and 7 month old grandchild. Gordy simply said something about cherry pie; Lyn told us she is becoming self-sufficient and even found time to work on her Jeep; Melissa and Delling went on a whale watching cruise and survived the rouge waves from a passing cruise ship; Hank said he is recovering well from an out-patient surgery and thanked the club for the flowers; Clyde announced he took his math group from the school to the state competition and brought home a Best in State award plus others; Chet reminded us that 6 of the 7 dwarfs were not Happy. Announcements.
Ashley reported that the Car Wash raised $732 on washing cars and $115 on hot dog sales. Gordy suggested perhaps a monthly car wash during the summer months. Tracey offered to pay Rotary for deliveries done for Mother’s Day flowers by members and got sign-ups. Doug reminded us all that next Monday is at Enso House, be ready to do yard work and some will do repairs to the greenhouse floor and a bathroom sink.
Our special guest was Cary Peterson, our recipient for the honorary Paul Harris Award for “Service Above Self” for 2015. Cary is an outstanding community member who was the driving force behind the Good Cheer Community Gardens to offer healthy foods to those who need it and now at the South Whidbey Schools, providing fresh food for the cafeteria and education for the students. She is also a member of the Langley Cemetery Board and active in the affordable housing efforts on South Whidbey. Cary thanked the Rotary Club for the recognition, saying it was very meaningful to get an award for community service from an organization whose main purpose is community service and exemplifies that.
Gabrielle Shearer gave her classification talk, telling us of the influence of her ancestry, starting with Grandmother Connie and Grandfather Harry, who met because Connie began correspondence with Harry as a fan of his writing. Harry kept the correspondence going for years before meeting Connie when she and family returned to Wisconsin (where she had moved from and he still lived) for a visit. They married and moved to Idaho, where her family had previously moved to in 1914. They had four children before Harry took his life, and Connie raised them on her own in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Gabrielle talks of her grandmother and the influence she had on the family, and how important culture was to them. One strong influence was from writer James Thurber. Another important part of growing up was the interaction with local Native Americans, and accepting them as equals.
Gabrielle’s mother was both a classical and blues guitarist, her Uncle Ken was also a blues guitarist but was also CIA. The two were often at odds, and Gabrielle referred to her mom as a “hard ass”. Unfortunately her mother died of cancer, only 3 weeks after being diagnosed. It caused Gabrielle to take stock of what is really important. She had attended grad school, she got married, had three children. She decided upon free lance technical writing as her focal work.
When Gabrielle’s marriage came apart she needed to find a place to call home, and chose Greenbank. Whidbey Island had not been one of the options she ever considered, but she was drawn here. She loves the community, the sense of family and the will stay. She recently purchased a home in Greenbank. What a great experience to learn so many interesting things about one of our fellow Rotarians. The Meeting ended with Jane’s words of the day: Never miss a good opportunity to shut up. |
Whidbey Island Website LaunchedA new Whidbey Island Website was launched by a member of our club. Alex Bonesteel recently launched the non-profit website whidbeyisland.us as a way for himself and other people who love Whidbey island to share their favorite things about this special place. Example articles include the 5 best beaches on Whidbey Island, the best restaurants on Whidbey, a lodging directory, event calendars and more. This is a great place for people active in the community to add resources that are useful for full-time and weekend Whidbey Islanders alike.
Visit the website at http://whidbeyisland.us
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President's Message
Presidents Message One of the great things about Rotary is our ability to do business with other Rotarians. To my knowledge Whidbey Westside is the only Rotary club in the District that has "Vocational After Hours". At these events we learn what our fellow Rotarians do in their vocation and can support each other in our businesses. Last Monday Billy Ducharme shared his vocation with us at Island Concierges with a tour of his facility and fabulous food. Thanks Billy. We have retired members in our club who have moved on to a different vocation and work out of their homes. You too can host a VAH and share with us your second vocation.
The District supports members vocations with a great tool to advertise their business. Go to http://rotarynetworkingplus.com and register. Lets get our Whidbey Westide businesses on the map. Thank you for filling out the membership survey, there are still six who need to do this. Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015District5050MemberSurvey Let's get our 100% participation in. Second call for Melissa Cates for membership, proposed by Lyn Waldrop. |
Vocational After Hours Meeting Notes - April 13th, 2015We were thrilled to have our vocational after hours held at Billy Ducharme's Island Concierge Services. Billy treated us to an open bar, and some delicious food as we learned more about his business and enjoyed fellowship with one another.
Since first established in January 2007, Island Concierge Services has provided a full spectrum of personal services tailored to meet the needs of Whidbey Island clients – from landscaping to bartending; they're always at your service. From window washing, fixing doorknobs and light bulbs – even cleaning your house in a pinch if you have out of town guests coming over – they will get it done. Our dedicated and talented staff members each bring their own unique skills and work together to provide high quality lawn maintenance services, transportation, auto detailing, moss control – even gutter cleaning.
At Island Concierge Services, their motto has always been: “There is no traffic on the extra mile.” They strive to provide only the best service to their clients – and – They take pride in doing any job. Big or small, they do them all!
there ended up being a lot of leftover food at the event, so Billy graciously donated it to The Hub after school program in Langley. Thanks for this donation Billy, and for putting on such a fun event.
Our vocational after hours are meant to give our club members a chance to show the club their place of business and explain what they do. It also is a great chance to simply have a good time and enjoy some Rotary fellowship. If you are interested in hosting a Vocational After Hours, contact Virginia Bloom.
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Car Wash Fundraiser This Saturday 4/18Remember, this Saturday, April 18th is our Car Wash Fundraiser. This will be held at Island Concierge Services, on the North end of Freeland, right off the highway. Look for the signs. We will be running the car wash from 9AM to 3PM, so if you can spare the time, please stop by at either 9AM, or Noon and help us wash some cars. Bring your own car and have it washed too! Make sure to tell your friends, neighbors, and business associates. A big thanks to Billy Ducharme for volunteering his washer equipment and location for this fundraiser and thank you to everyone who is planning to participate!
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President's MessageInsert PM Here.
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April 6th, 2015 Meeting Notes
It was great to welcome visiting Rotarian Alice Collingwood from the La Connor Club. She brought a box full of gorgeous tulips from the fields of Skagit County. What a treat!
There were many happy thoughts including appreciation of time spent with a son, discovering that the new house is within walking distance to the beach, Huskies Rowing Team in all their glory, progress in working on a new house, two bluebird days of skiing at Whistler and a week without rain. Everyone was so pleased to see Alicia back and healthy. Jane reminded everyone of the importance of completing the District Membership survey. This is a great way to determine where the Club is in measuring its success in meeting the needs of the members. She encouraged everyone to go online and take a few moments to complete the survey.
Jane thanked both Virginia and Gabrielle for their invaluable assistance and participation during the Christmas tree and wreath fundraiser this past December. She presented them each with a World Understanding and Peace lapel pin. Treasurer Ashley reported on the current financial state of the Club. Club Services Director Lyn announced that the Club will participate in a project on April 27 which will be held at Enso House. She also confirmed attendance in the upcoming District Training Assembly on Saturday April 11. Our fundraising guru Gordy talked about the car wash which is happening on April 18. He distributed a signup sheet for all Club members. Gordy also asked that members think about what items they can donate to the Garage Sale which is being held on May 23 on the lawn of China City. We also have a great Latin based dance called Copacabana on June 20. The featured musician is Bahia which is a great ensemble. A reminder to invite friends, family so that we can max out the 100 person capacity for this importance fundraiser.
Foundation Director Jerry showed an amazing historical film about the early days and formation of Rotary by the “Boys of 1905” including the founding member Paul Harris. The Chicago Club was Club number One. Rotary was founded on the idea that people with a vision could work together and make a difference in the world. Jerry followed the presentation with discussion about the various ways that members can donate to the Rotary Foundation and the importance of those donations to the Rotary and its direct impact on our ability as a Club to give back to our local and international community. He has set a goal that each member of our Club donate at least $100.00 a year.
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Roadside Cleanup a Big SuccessWe had great participation in our Roadside Cleanup Project last Saturday. We met around 9:30 and finished in just under two hours, which may in fact be an all-time record. This is one of those projects that asks you to get your hands dirty with no reward to be had, except of course knowing that you made a positive impact in the community. Thank you everyone who participated in or supported this project. Can you imagine what the roads would look like in a few years if folks like us didn't pick up the garbage?
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President's Message.JPG) PRESIDENTS MESSAGE 4/06/15 April is Rotary Magazine Month
“Being a Rotarian is a shared experience and like attending a Rotary club meeting, reading our Rotary magazine is an essential part of that shared experience" Ron Burton, RI President 2013-14 Last month, we celebrated Literacy Month and this month, we reflect on how through reading we can improve our knowledge of Rotary. Everything in our lives depends on consistent, accurate and constant communication. We receive Rotary communications regularly through our club bulletins, emails from various sources, our Club & District websites. Being informed is up to each of us, there is so much available to us on line and through printed materials; please make use of these tools. Since we did not have a meeting on March 30th there are no meeting notes. However the roadside cleanup counted as your meeting attendance. Many hands made a quick job of the cleanup and the great fellowship after for lunch was well attended. Thanks to all who helped keep our roadside clean. Thank you Alex, for getting all the materials to us and organizing the cleanup, glad we could get it done before Delling's birthday celebration. MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT FORM Please fill out the form on membership engagement for the District. To date only three of our members have done so. It is a quick easy thing to do, so please get it in as soon as possible. It would be great to have 100% participation again this year. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015District5050MemberSurvey Our next meeting, April 6th, Jerry Morrison, Director of Foundation will present the program. This will to be interesting as well as educational.
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March 23rd 2015 Meeting NotesGuests and Happy Thoughts
We were happy to be joined by Sieb and Cary Jurriaans, Melissa Cates and Jack Ng.
   Happy thoughts centered around our Jose and Jack fundraiser and recounted recent memories of spam carving and fellowship. Other bright spots included tulips in bloom, completed projects, and spam and more spam.
 Ed Halloran gave a great presentation on the Port of South Whidbey. He gave an overview of all the projects the port is currently working on, including improving public beach access, properly managing the fairgrounds and working with AT&T to build a new cell tower in Clinton. Who knew that this organization had such a positive impact here on South Whidbey?
You can learn more about the Port of South Whidbey at http://www.portofsouthwhidbey.com/
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Pancake Breakfast ProjectWe had great participation for this great project: The pancake breakfast held at the South Whidbey Senior Center benefits the Meals on Wheels program. You can learn more about Meals on Wheels and the Senior Center at http://www.islandseniorservices.org/
   Thanks to everyone who participated!
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March 16th 2015 Meeting NotesRotary Meeting March 16th at China City Guests include Billy Ducharme’s mom Jane back for a second visit, Debora Valis came back from her travels and Steve Shapiro joined her, and Tracy Schultz brought her hubby Brad.
Lots of Happy Thoughts, including Ashley who commented on how nice it was to see how many Rotarians helped at the pancake breakfast; Jerry was happy to be well enough to return, and shared the news that he will be giving a presentation to the morning club on March 24th – for which Ashley charged him $5. Debora was glad to be back and that WOW series was done. Marion (who participated in WOW series) was happy to have gotten through it; Doug was happy with week 6 and his son is still gone and his daughter has decided to do Running Start and many folks were happy about the return of the sun after the weekend rains.
Gordy gave a review of the upcoming Jose and Jack party. Twenty plus tickets are sold, with room for about 10 more.
Lyn reported that we got the $2500 grant money from Rotary for the calculator program, so Clyde gave an overview of the need for the calculators and how they will be used.
Jerry commented on the generosity of many people in the community and the club who gave money as well.
Virginia announced all those going on the Lake Chelan trip need to call Wapato Point with their credit card info to hold the reservations,the front desk has all the names of those going. It is only the weekend of May 15-17th.
Jane gave first call for Dave Slepyan from the Anacortes Club.
Lyn reminded everyone of roadside clean up on March 28th and no meeting March 30th. Jane called George Henny and Bill Leeds to come up and thanked them both for outstanding contributions not only to the Christmas tree lot but also to stepping in whenever called on – George and his kids helping at Whidbey Childrens Theater yard day and Bill at the pancake breakfast among other endeavors. They were both awarded pins.
Debora Valis gave an overview on what the WOW (Women on Whidbey) series was about. This was it’s fourth year, and our own Marion Henny was one of the presenters, so today she gave us her presentation as a classification talk.
Marion’s father was born in Seattle but moved east for further education. There he met and married Marion’s mother, and Marion was #3 of 4 girls born to them. Her father was a well know and accomplished neurologic doctor and surgeon in Philadelphia, and he started his own clinic for cerebral palsy. He raised his girls to be independent and self sufficient. Marion worked as his secretary at the clinic for awhile. She told us how she was challenged without spell check – and how important it is to know risk from risqué! She began working for Bell telephone, and worked doing presentations and lectures to groups.
Her father had a physician friend (Dr. Henny) with a son who was raising four small children on his own. They set Marion up on a blind date, and when she heard David Henny owned a small independent phone coming in Washington she thought she could teach him a thing or two about the telephone business. She was impressed with his knowledge, and they ended up getting married in 1965. Marion helped raise the four children and had three more of her own, along with working with David growing and improving on the phone company. Although David has been gone for some time, Marion has been active in the company and still feels your employees can help customers best when they are happy.
She has been able to fulfill her longtime dream of going to China, and has made six visits there now. She has been active in supporting and sponsoring many youth from China. She told how proud her father had been when he joined Rotary, and said she too felt very proud to have been invited to join along with her son George.
Jane gave announcements for next week duties: greeter: Bill Leeds, scribe: Gabrielle, photos: Jerry and set up take down is still Ashley and Jerry Please put a Save the Date for our big dance on June 20th! |
Welcome to New Member Tracy ShultzTracy Schultz was inducted at one of our recent meetings. Welcome Tracy! We look forward to many fun days ahead!
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President's Message It's time to register for the District Conference which takes place at the Tulalip Casino in Everett WA April 30th to May 3rd.
The Conference is a celebration of all of our Clubs accomplishments this past year. It is a time for fellowship, education, celebration and making new Rotary friends. District 5050 is 50% Canadian 50% American but 100% Rotarian. There are approximately 2700 members in our District.
Speakers for the conference are Amanda Wirtz along with International President's Rep, Jerry Hardy, International Director Mary Beth Growney Selene, and Director Elect, our own Dean Rhors.
Thurs starts with a round of golf if you like, with the Conference beginning on Friday and ending Sunday morning. Take advantage of the location as it is a short drive from Whidbey Island.
Registration deadline is March 31st, please consider attending, you will learn more here than at any other Rotary event you will attend. It is a fantastic experience. I would love to see our club get the award for the largest number attending. It is open to members, friends and spouses. Log on to www.clubrunner.ca/portal/home.aspx?did=5050 for more information about the conference and register today. You will be guided to make your hotel reservations also.
If you have any questions please contact me. More to come next week.
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March 9th 2015 Meeting NotesHappy thoughts centered around our beautiful weather, early spring, filing taxes, and the completion of the Whidbey Children's Theater Landscape project. Clyde spoke for several minutes regarding this project, detailing the amount of work completed by our club. A huge thanks to Clyde Monma, Billy Ducharme, and Ed Halloran who made this project possible.
Billy and Ed were presented with Rotary Peace and Understanding Pins for their efforts on this project as well the work they did for the Christmas tree fundraiser and their unending donation of time and talent for all they do for the club.
  Lynn Waldrop spoke about our upcoming Pancake Breakfast project. Held at the South Whidbey Senior Center, this pancake breakfast supports Meals on Wheels. Thank you to everyone who is donating their time this Saturday.
 Lyn also talked about the upcoming District Assembly. This is an educational summit for Rotarians to learn more about Rotary. Please contact Lyn if you would like to attend, as the club will pay for this expense.
Gordy gave us an update on Jose and Jack, who are traveling to Hawaii this year. You can buy ticket's for this even online at http://rotarywestside.com
 Reminder: The roadside cleanup project is scheduled for March 28th at 9:30 A.M. We'll meet for lunch at Greenbank Grill after.
Lynn Waldrop spoke at length about her recent experience at PETS (President Elect Training Seminar). It was a great experience, with many wonderful and moving speakers and a plethora of educational opportunities. Remember, all of you can have this same great experience, you just need to sign up to be our next President!
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March 2nd Meeting NotesWe were pleased to welcome visiting Rotarians Alice Collingwood from the LaConnor Club and returning Rotarian, Dave Slepyan from the Anacortes Club. Other guests were Karen Renz, Brad Schultz, Tracy Schultz, Pat and Dave Thompson. Our special four legged fur guest “Sailor”, the golden retriever, showed us his belly and demanded pets and scratches.
There were many happy thoughts including experiencing a “bluebird” day at Whistler, dining on outstanding lasagna, winning silver medals in wine competition and becoming a new exporter of wine to Japan, biking 27 miles, surviving a vacation with grandkids while learning how to cope with a flying Winnie the Poo…….we didn’t ask for clarification on that one but there were no apparent injuries.
Virginia discussed the upcoming social trip to Lake Chelan. Many members are looking forward to doing a mini vacation with fellow Rotarians. There are two dates being discussed and Virginia will let us know which one has the most votes.
Gordy talked about the upcoming fundraiser where Jose is going to meet up with Jack Frost in Maui this year. Jerry and Ashley Morrison have graciously offered their home for the event. Billy has offered his location for three car washes that will start on April 18.
The date has been set for the Latin Swing Dance to be held June 20th at the Island Athletic Cycle Center. These are all great fundraisers. Let’s get the word out, sign up and start raising MONEY for our community projects! Lyn reported on the upcoming Meals on Wheels project scheduled for March 14. It will be a busy month for projects as Clyde will be leading a team of volunteers, including Interact members, this coming weekend to help rework the landscaping at the Whidbey Children’s Theater site in Langley. If you have any spare time stop by and lend a hand.
Jane presented a special recognition award to Ashley Morrison, Sharon Edberg and Lyn Waldrop for their contributions to the Christmas tree sales this past December. Each were presented with a World Understanding and Peace through Rotary pin.
Alice Collingwood from Summit Assistance Dogs did an outstanding presentation about a program that trains and provides assistance dogs to individuals with disabilities. The program is dependent upon volunteers to train dogs and much of that is accomplished by partnering with Monroe inmates who are an integral part of providing the intensive 9 week training program. They have graduated 79 in the program to date where only 3 out of 10 make it to service dogs. There are currently 30 individuals with disabilities on the wait list. Pat Thompson and Sailor demonstrated how dogs dress themselves (jacket and leash), help remove gloves from an individual and several commands to lay down and sit and stand. One of our Rotarians in particular (we won’t name names) became quite eager to become a foster home parent volunteer for the dogs. We had to watch to make sure she didn’t leave with one of the dogs.
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President's Message
President's Message
For most of us, reading and writing are as natural as breathing. But nearly 800 million adults worldwide lack the literacy skills needed to complete a job application, understand a child’s report card, or read a prescription. Rotary International and the International Reading Association know that literacy is an essential ingredient for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, and promoting peace. Since 2002, RI and the IRA have combined their resources and skills to advance literacy in communities worldwide by:
• Providing books and educational materials
• Building and supporting schools
• Mentoring students
• Training teachers
• Establishing literacy programs for children and adults
Whether through volunteering our time and expertise, providing financial support or building awareness, we can empower people and communities through literacy. Our club supplied books for pre school children last year and will complete that project during the month of March.
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February 16th Meeting NotesWe we're happy to welcome Hank Adolfi as a new member of our club. Hank is not new to Rotary, having served several different clubs over the last 20 or so years. Welcome Hank!
 Jerry Morrison and Gordy Edberg received special service awards for their hard work and planning of our Christmas Tree fundraiser. Both were quick to point out the fact that everyone in our club participated in and worked very hard for this fundraiser. We appreciate all the work that went into this successful fundraiser.
 George Henny read letters from Grace Hough and Charles Patterson, our YAIL attendees. Both our club, and the morning club were able to send these lucky kids up to Canada to participate in this great event. The letters spoke of inspiring speeches, and gratitude for the chance to attend. Our upcoming program will feature our sponsored attendees speaking of their experiences at YAIL.
 Our program featured the classification talk of Alex Bonesteel, the club's youngest member. He spoke at length regarding his work as a Web Developer, Graphic Designer and Online Marketing Guru, and shared a few fun facts about himself. Alex enjoyed a brief Hockey career with the Portland Winterhawks before it was ended prematurely due to injury and shared that his true passion is fitness and nutrition. You can learn more about Alex at http://alexbonesteel.com.
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Pancake BreakfastThis past Saturday, several volunteers from our club pitched in for the monthly Pancake Breakfast held at the South Whidbey Senior Center. A big thanks to everyone who showed up!
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Presidents Message
President's Message "Thank You" Ashley Morrison, Ed Halloran, and Bill Leeds for helping us move wire wreaths to the Henny Building on Sat. A big "Thank You" to Don MacDonald for his donation of the wreath and swag machines along with a multitude of wire wreath's in all sizes, his donation has helped immensely with the cost of getting this off the ground. Thank you to Marion Henny for the use of the building where the work will be done, and Matt Armstrong for the donation of a pod at our selling location next to Sebo's in Bayview. The work begins next Monday Oct 27th at 5:00PM at the Henny Building.
Remember to download the application for the Pres Nominee interview from the front page of the bulletin, fill it out and get it to Past President Jerry Morrison, prior to November 1st. MEMBERSHIP Congratulations to our newest member Bill Leeds, welcome to our Rotary family. We are delighted to have you join us and look forward to getting to know you and your wife Karen as we move forward with projects, socials and the work of Rotary.
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Upcoming Activities and EventsChristmas Tree Fundraiser Work parties for our upcoming Christmas Tree Fundraiser will begin on December 27th. Most of these work parties/meetings will be held at the Henny building on SR525 across from the Goose at Bayview. Tasks will involve wreath making, swags, bows, tagging trees and various other projects related to the fundraiser. Matt Armstrong will provide a storage pod to house tables, and supplies used at the sell site on the Hi-way next to Sebo's. Five committees have been set up, so be prepared to volunteer on one or more of these. The project is expected to reap at least $15,000. To meet our goals, we’ll need active participation from everyone so watch for that signup sheet. Christmas Party Our annual Christmas party will be held on December 15th at 6:00 pm. We are grateful to George and Tonya Henny who have volunteered the use of their home for this event. More information to come as we get closer to the date. Pancake Breakfast Volunteers are needed and appreciated to help serve at the Pancake breakfast for Meals on Wheels. Contact Lyn Gaustad if you would like to volunteer your time. 8:00-11:30 AM,Saturday, October 25th at Bayview Senior Center. Whidbey Children's Theater The school district and the Whidbey Island Garden Tour have partnered for a landscaping project and mini-park at the Whidbey Children’s Theater at Langley Middle School. The proposal, which include an eye-catching, 60-foot dragon sculpture, has been approved by the Langley Planning board. We will provide many |
Debora Valis ClassificationDebora Valis delighted us with her classification talk. She was one of four children and was very fortunate to live in Germany as a young girl, then her family moved to Colorado where she spent the rest of her growing up years. After she moved to Seattle, she found she could get a degree in the thing she loved most. She loved being a physical therapist and in true Debora form she told us how she sweet talked (no she just expected it) the Dean into allowing her to take classes she was told she could not take in order to get her PT degree. She met Steve Shaprio and as a "girlfriend" of two months he talked her into moving to Whidbey Island where they set up his practice as a family Doctor. Debora worked for him in the business and also was taught many things in the area of practitioner for his patients. Debora and Steve have two girls Joey and Katie and three grandchildren. After their retirement from the medical profession, they broke ground for Island Athletic Club, which they still own. |
Oct 13 Guests and Happy ThoughtsWe were pleased to welcome guests Alicia Dietrich and Bill Leeds. Happy thoughts included a Ballard pub crawl, visit from grandkids, a new play opening, and a glorious drive over the North Cascades. |
Project Assembly is October 20thIt's time to talk about the projects our club is going to focus on over the next year. Please attend this important meeting and plan ahead with ideas of projects you may want to present to the club. |
Paul Harris AwardedWhen $1000 is contributed to The Rotary Foundation, a request can be made for an individual to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow; that person can be a Rotarian or a member of the community who is not a Rotarian. When a person is recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow, they are presented with a Certificate signed by the Rotary International President and the Chairman of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, and a lapel pin and medallion. Last Monday, Ken Bloom was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. The award was given to Ken by Jerry and Ashley Morrison in recognition of his service. Congratulations, Ken!
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ROTARY NETWORKING PLUSOctober is Rotary's Vocational Service Month
 - Register and promote our new networking website: Visit the website: http://www. Click here for instructions on how to list your business! ROTARY NETWORKING PLUS - REGISTERED USER INFORMATION If you are a member of a Rotary club in Rotary District 5050, you are authorized friends and supporters of the club but in this initial phase we are enabling registration for Rotarians only. The main page for the website is: http://rotarynetworkingplus. We encourage you to list this site on your club’s website and Facebook page as well as on your business and personal websites and social media sites. |
Croquet Tournament Postponed
RCWW announces that this year's Croquet Tournament has been postponed until next Spring. A new date will be decided on in early 2015. RCWW would like to thank Steve Hunnell, Kathy Rogers and all of the many volunteers that have put in so many hours to plan what proves to be a wonderful event. Spring 2015 will surely be worth the wait! |
President's Message
​ SEPTEMBER IS YOUTH SERVICE MONTH Past Rotary International President John Kenny observes that our youth programs “are some of the most important programs of Rotary.” Through these programs, we impact the lives of young people in so many ways – students in schools and communities who belong to Interact Clubs, Rotaractors in one of 7,500 Clubs around the world, as a participant in a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), and YAIL (Youth Adventures In Leadership) or as a youth exchange students in any given year. Lifelong connections and enduring relationships are formed, many of them cross-cultural, through participation in these programs that, in turn, have a lasting impact on peace and harmony between the nations of the world and their people. Rotary has thirteen official programs and four of them are youth focused. But each of them should not be viewed in isolation. The four youth programs cover an age range of 14 to 30, the years of adolescence and young adulthood, and each is linked with the other in so many ways. Interactors can become Rotaractors as well as being youth exchange students or be a member of a youth exchange host family. Some RYLA programs around the world automatically include youth exchange students in their program whilst we hope that all our youth alumni will become Rotarians. They are our Rotarians of the future. We are fortunate to have an active Interact Club with strong leadership. It is up to us to mentor and educate them about the ideals of Rotary. They are our leaders of tomorrow and a good background with Service Above Self will help to set a solid foundation.
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Rotary Holiday Party PT3: Santa's Visit, and Gift ExchangeNo great Holiday party is complete without a white elephant gift exchange. Thanks Jane for keeping the fun going even with all of our shenanigans--the funny gifts, swaps, and laughter, made it a gift exchange to be remembered for sure. Who finally ended up with the beer anyway? There was even a visit from Santa with a bit a holiday singing too. Thanks to Jerry and Gwen for bringing a little Santa Baby to the party. See you next year, Merry Christmas to all… and to all a good night!           
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Rotary Holiday Party PT2: Special PresentationA community service award was presented to Jim Porter for his thirty years of "Service Above Self" by the Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside."
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Treasurer
Ashley Morrison presented invoices to all club members for second annual dues. Please pay your dues by December 15th.
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Foundation
Lyn Gaustad shared that November is Rotary Foundation month and that there are many easy ways to donate. You can make donations every month by setting up automatic deductions online and you can even donate your United Airlines air miles.
Lyn reminded us that our club donates $10 every year in your name on your birthday. You can become a Rotary Foundation Benefactor by designating a $1000 of your personal estate in your will to the Rotary Foundation.
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Club Administration
Jerry Morrison has appointed Gordy Edberg to be our new Club Administrator. In his new role Gordy announced that the next tailgate party will be Monday, December 2nd at Whidbey Telecom Community room. The cost $15 per person, pizza, beer, wine and sodas will be provided. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to contribute to the potluck.
Lyn Gaustad is coordinating the Winter Social trip to Leavenworth, Washington. All Rotary members are invited to attend. Lyn has arranged for a shuttle service to transport our group to and from Leavenworth with lodging reserved at the Bavarian Lodge in the heart of Leavenworth. http://www.bavarianlodge.com/ Our group will depart Whidbey on Friday morning, January 10th and return on Sunday, January 12th. The estimated cost is $260 per person for lodging and transportation. Plan for dinner at a Bavarian restaurant on Saturday night as well as, wine tasting and beer tasting during the trip. Our shuttle service will be available for excursions to local area attractions. We can enjoy the Timbrrr Winter Music Festival during our stay. Check out http://www.timbermusicfest.com/ for music lineup and more information. Please contact Lyn Gaustad to reserve your place for our Winter Social at: eyesonwhidbey@gmail.com
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District News
Jane Helten reported that Scott Dudley is our new 50 50 District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND) for 2016-17. At the Foundation dinner last weekend, our club was awarded the prestigious Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) award. Jane presented the EREY banner to past president, George Henny in honor of our club’s distinguished accomplishment. Jane reminded club members that $10 is donated by the club in honor of their birthday every year.
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Community Service Ed Halloran Reported on the HUB project. We are repainting and refurbishing the kitchen at the HUB and it is all going very well. Gordy has been helping to determine the best techniques for sanding and painting cabinet doors. Jane has been advising on colors. Rotarians will be invited to participate once the project is further along.
Saturday, November 23 from 10am-12pm will be our next road clean up. November 30 is the backup date in case of bad weather. We will meet at the corner of Highway 525 and Honeymoon Bay Road in Freeland, WA.
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Fundraising UPDATE: The Monopoly Tournament scheduled for Saturday, November 16th has been cancelled.
Lyn Gaustad announced for Debra Valis that we will now hold our first official Westside Rotary Raffle to help fund service projects. The raffle prizes are a large 64 gb iPad and a 32gb iPad Mini. Tickets are $5.00. All Rotary members are encouraged to please check out and sell 20 tickets. The drawing will take place on December 17th at 7:30pm at China City (you need not be present to win). |
Special Presentations
Social Media November 4th
Thank you to Gwen Jones for giving us a primer on Social Media for the Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Rotarywestside.com. Gwen encouraged every Rotarian to LIKE our club Facebook page, to follow up on Twitter and how to add Rotary International to personal LinkedIn resumes. Gwen pointed out the importance of everyone’s participation in the club’s social media outlets and its significant role in the club’s public relations endeavors.
Monopoly Primer November 11th. Thank you to Jackson Taylor, reigning Monopoly champion for the state of Illinois, for sharing the tips and tricks of successful Monopoly play. Jackson went over the rules and common misconceptions, statistics, when to buy and not buy property as well as advanced tactics. The Monopoly tournament has been postponed to a future date TBD.
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President’s CornerGeorge Henny: Advertisement: If anyone would like to come see Kiana in the WCT production of Cinderella, please see George for tickets.
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Happy Thoughts
George Henny was happy to be back on this side of the mountains and so happy for the sunshine. Likewise, Marion Henny was also happy for the sunshine and delighted by everyone’s happy faces. Debbie Torget was happy that the North Cascades Pass is open again. Lyn Gaustad was happy to have Roy Gordon in her practice and Roy Gordon was happy to have run the Whidbey Island Half Marathon and Seattle 5K this past weekend. Steve Shapiro was happy that his baby girl, Katie had her 30th birthday and just bought a new house, Debora Valis is thrilled with her new glasses from Roy Gordon and Lynn Gaustad’s optometry practice saying, “it was professional and wonderful.” Peggy Zafarana was happy to report on her international project for toilets in Arusha, Tanzania. Sharon Edberg read a thank you note from the South Whidbey Children’s Center; they especially loved Gordy’s painted birds. Virginia Bloom was happy to have been on vacation last week and that her husband Ken’s sister is in remission from cancer.
Chet Ross was happy to celebrate his youngest child’s 50th birthday, Ashley Morrison was happy that the sun came out and Jerry Morrison was happy to see everyone. Collin Curtis was happy that RYLA candidate, Dillon Merit would be able to attend RYLA with the generous support of our club members who spontaneously donated the balance needed for Dillon’s tuition. Jonathan Sage was happy to be well this week after a bout with food poisoning. Marissa Skar was happy to complete her real estate license training, Jackson was happy that he gets to take Tuesday off after a busy Earth Day. Gordy Edberg was happy to announce that Sharon will be going taking him on a two-week art tour of the Oregon Coast. Ed Halloran was a happy that his daughter passed her California boards to become a licensed nurse, Jane Helten is happy that folks are using her forms and Gwen Jones was happy that the ‘Full Monty’ theater production has closed and Celia Black was happy to have Gwen back. Eli Edwards was happy to come to Whidbey Island and Liz Chaffin was happy to watch the Full Monty and motor-cross and to learn PowerPoint for her classification talk. Scott Dulany was happy that all 3 of his children are living with he and Liz and happier that 2 are moving out.
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Fundraising
Jane Helten: Get Fit donations are coming in and she will have a full report by mid-May
Virginia Bloom: Reminder that May 19th will be the liquor handling/training and permits.
May 25th – Freeland Chamber of Commerce is coordinating a yard sale at China City; Jack Ang has generously donated the space. People from our club donate the for sale items. Lyn Guastad will coordinate the event with leadership support from Peggy Zafarana and Sharon Edberg, the “Three Beauties.”
June 7-8 – South Whidbey Art Show will feature art and music from kids K-12 at the High School. WWR will manage the food and beverage concessions at the event from 5pm-8pm on Friday (4:30 set up) and from 11am-5pm Saturday. Gordy will coordinate all the details and Jerry and Ashley Morrison have volunteered to help. After expenses, the proceeds will be split 50/50 with Island Arts Council to support the Artists in the Classroom program and Rotary projects.
June 15 – Monopoly Tournament – Jackson Taylor will have more details to come.
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Special Presentation Classification Talk by Liz Chaffin
Liz Chaffin shared highlights of her life from growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado with skiing, horseback riding, and camping to the high-speed thrill of doing Motor cross sports and being a Boy Scout Den leader with her son. Liz gave a memorable and heartfelt classification talk about her life’s journey which recently lead her to Whidbey Island and the love her of her life, Scott Dulany. We are delighted to have Liz as a member of Whidbey Westside Rotary where she serves as our Treasurer.
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Rotary Calendar
Sharon Edberg: Please send Ed Halloran your makeups as she will be out of town from April 23rd-May7th. Lyn Gaustad: Please let Lyn know about cards that need to be sent out for birthdays, thank you or get well.
April District Events: 4/27 Rotarians at Work Day
CLUB EVENTS May:
By acclimation, there has been an overwhelming request to have a fireside chat at George Henny’s house to get all the ideas for community service projects. Next Wednesday, May 1st, beginning at 6:00pm is proposed date. Bring a bottle of wine and/or an appetizer. We will talk about club projects. The address is: Useless Bay Country Club, 2330 Soundview Drive, Langley, 98260. If you can’t make the meeting please send your ideas to Jane Helten.
5/6 PDG Dean Rhors-Program Encourage all to attend-she is a great speaker
5/13 Interact Installation Wi-fire details to follow
5/19 Liquor License training 5/20 Swanson - speaker
Wi-fire details later
5/27 Memorial Day NO MEETING 5/30 Membership Committee Meeting
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Opening
President George Henny opened the meeting by leading everyone in the pledge of allegiance and welcomed guests Marissa Skar (sp?), Eli Edwards from the North Seattle Rotary Club, and Scott Dulany.
George asked that everyone please hold good thoughts for those impacted by Boston bombings.
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President's Message
Getting Dirty Ideas
I was struck today -- Not by an object, but rather by the power of an idea in the right hands. And a good idea in the hands of a Rotarian can turn into a lasting difference in the world. Sometimes the ideas that matter are not pretty, and are in fact kind of, uh, “poopy”… But hold on, this dirty subject is important.
As I read the May 2013 issue of The Rotarian, I read a story about the dirty, smelly subject of sanitation, or the lack of it. Imagine more than a billion people worldwide who don’t use toilets – they defecate in the open -- not because they are not provided toilets by well-intentioned organizations. Rather, because these people have not learned the value of proper sanitation, and the connection between poor sanitation, contaminated food and water, and deadly diseases like cholera.
Now enter Kamal Kar, a Rotarian agricultural scientist from India. He had an idea to help, but not as you might expect. Instead of doing what most Westerners might do to “help” by sending money, buying toilets and telling affected villagers to use better sanitation, he helped them discover the “a-ha!” for themselves. He helped guide them to analyze their situation, and develop the answer organically. The results have been amazing in thousands of villages, and for millions of people. What’s more, he did it without spending any real money! (Read all about it for yourself!)
How does this relate to Rotary?
One of Rotary’s global initiatives is health through sanitation. “Remember sanitation and hygiene: Very few people die from thirst; millions die from preventable waterborne diseases. 6,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by lack of sanitation and unsafe water.”
Rotary believes that solving a billion people’s sanitation problems requires new thinking, new ideas, not just Western ideas. By thinking differently, like a local, Kamal Kar discovered how lasting change in sanitation can be achieved. And it came from a simple idea – a “dirty” idea – and a Rotarian who believed he could make lasting change happen.
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Community Events
For a listing of all events, meetings, and exciting goings on, please visit our club calendar.
January 19th Rotary Leadership Institute in Mount Vernon 5:00pm, Museo’s Big Winter Show. Our resident graphics artist, Jacob Bloom will be exhibiting four one of a kind prints. January 21st February 19th |
man hours that involve reworking flower beds, planting, etc.
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