Soundings (11/29/11)

Posted by G. Stowe Talbot 
 
 

Flag Salute & Invocation by Gordon Plume

Visiting Rotarians: John Stewart (Burlington Club)

Guests: Charlie Sheldon (Port of Bellingham), Jill and Greg ?, parents of our Student of the Month.

Announcements:

Service opportunity:  Mark Turner says we will try again to do the Camp Black Mountain Boy Scout project (building s fence) on Saturday Dec 17th; we need 6 or 7 people. We will meet in Bellingham 7am that day and drive together to Silver Lake (where the camp is), and return early that afternoon. Invitations will be going out by Email. 

Student of the Month:  Harold Scott introduced Steve Wiley, counselor at Squalicum HS, who in turn introduced this month's student of the month Alexa ?.  Alexa has logged over 400 community service hours. Her first mission was with Northlake community church to Mexico helping an orphanage there.  Also, last year she did a mission with Hillcrest Chapel to New York City for a week helping at several soup kitchens.  Alexa also mentors younger students at Squalicum (freshman), orienting them and getting them connected and introduced to the high school community.  She takes AP classes.  Alexa also volunteered at youth dance camps during the summer.  She hopes to go to college next year, perhaps to study physical therapy.  Maybe a future Rotarian?

Bell Ringing time!  Date to be determined; stay tuned! 

Bucks in the Bay

  • Phil X Hageman very shocked and grateful at the amount $ raised last week for Bellingham Food Bank;
  • Terry Brown week in Cabo, daughter went to Fiji for Habitat for Humanity;
  • Barry $100 for G&G, and braces came off today!
  • Gordon Plume finishing a big job today and got confirmation on another;
  • Steve missed meetings while in Maui;
  • Henry Klos had KFC Thanksgiving dinner at Whistler!
  • Brent Walker $ for Foundation, 12 days in Southern CA with kids and grandkids;
  • Paul Myles helps with organization fast pitch for girls;
  • Lisa Shork was honored to be invited to attend the national estate planning council, and spent last week crossing the Everglades;
  • Ken Oplinger's wife helped give away over thousand pairs of glasses to those in county who can't afford eye care;
  • Doug Wight said son, who is an artist and involved with exotic animal rescue, was invited to Las Vegas to meet with several stars regarding animal rescue;
  • Art Runestrand went to yesterday's Rotary (Monday) club by accident, and had nice Thanksgiving with many family members;
  • Bob Becker thanked our club for support of the NWYS project (nwys.org).

 

Sergeant at Arms by Frank Chmelik

Fines for Doug Wight, Donna Edquist, WSU grads, significant knee injuries, tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy, types of turkey in order of price:  heritage / heirloom / organic / free-range / corporate. 46 million turkeys were consumed.  Other Thanksgiving trivia.

Program

Christine Palmerton introduced Marissa McGrath, of "The Good Time Girls".  She and her business partner Sara Holodnik offer historical walking tours (in the summer) of Bellingham's sinful past.  The main tour is called the Sin & Gin tour, and in October they also offer a "scary themed" tour. To help customers hark back to the turn of the 1900s, Holodnick and McGrath wear custom-made costumes of bloomers and corsets and go by stage names of Annie Jo and Magnolia Pearl. The tour starts arounds railroad avenue and goes down to Old Town.  The tour was developed around Curt Smith's book "The Brothels of Bellingham".  

Marissa talked about one incident in Bellingham's history, the arrival of the Great White Fleet in 1911.  The City (particularly it's bars and brothels) really geared up for the hundreds of arriving sailors for the three day port call, but the event ended in debauchery and even a couple accidental deaths.  

You can check out their Website at: http://goodtimegirlsbham.com/. 

Respectfully submitted,

Stowe Talbot