Soundings (3/22/16)

Posted by G. Stowe Talbot 
on Mar 22, 2016
 
Flag Salute & Invocation by Nick Caples
 
Visiting Rotarians: Will from the Monday Club
Guests: Several
 
Announcements
 
This year’s District 5050 Conference will be held at Semiahmoo Resort, April 28 - May 1: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50004/SitePage/district-conference 
 
Mark Turner was awarded a Rotary “blue pin” for his efforts recruiting and bring in new members;
 
Student of the Month:  Mike Bates introduced Abigail Carr (parents Alice Marie and Michael Carr).  Abby is a senior with 4.0 grades, high SAT scores, a cheerleader, and has served as a mentor and volunteer Habitat for Humanity, she’s been a Math Olympiad coach, and is a world traveller.  The athletic coordinator at Sqaulicum HS (Patrick Something), praised Abby for her gentle soul, modesty, and amazing worth ethic. Then Abby herself spoke, talking about all her volunteer work, and also her participation with United We Dance (a dance troupe) which travelled to two of our Bellingham sister cities (Australia and Japan).  Also she took a trip to Honduras as volunteer with her church group. 
 
Business Bucket by Tim McEvoy: Tim talked about the Willows Inn (of which he is part owner) and its celebrity chef Blaine Wetzel.  Because of the restaurant’s success and notoriety, it’s been hard to get a reservation.  So the Willows Inn now offers patrons to opt into a mailing list which will alert customers about short-notice reservation availability.
 
Bucks in the Bay
  • Brad Cornwell for partner and for Oregon in basketball;
  • Jim Haupt missed meetings - daughter just graduated for WWU, and Jim himself just got married on March 5!
  • Michael Tilley’s proud of daughter’s success on swim team;
  • Steve Swan retiring soon!
  • Curtis Dye taking our exchange student Gio back for a week, while his current home-hosts (Kurt and Lydia) are away in South America;
  • Eddie Hansen gave Jeff Clement kudos for his computer skills, also thanks Brad Cornwell for his architectural work, and kudos to Abby Carr and her family (who are his neighbors);
  • Paul Twedt was in Texas played some golf, and proud of daughter eighth grader basketball bucks;
  • Addie Brown 63rd birthday!
Sergeant at Arms by Dannon
Fines for Eddie, Patty Leach, Glen Groenig, and misc. others.
 
Program
Bill Geyer was happy to announce our club has awarded twelve local charitable organizations a total of $18,000.  The club thanked Brad Cornwell and Aaron Lemperes for chairing this committee to vet and select the winning applications.
  1. Assistance League of Bellingham ($2,000) provides needy K-8th graders providing shoes and clothes at Target and Payless!  Another program is “Teen Team” helping homeless teen-students.  
  2. Blue Skies for Children ($2,000) provides homeless kids and foster kids shoes and socks for over 600 kids.  Encouraging kids to stay involved in schools, music and sports programs. 
  3. DVSAS ($1,250) - Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, providing shelter and counseling, this money will go to printing safety cards.
  4. Engeti Rescue Ministries - providing safe house for women who have been sexually trafficked, building a new learning center;
  5. Maple Ally Inn ($2,500) - program of Opportunity Council, which provides warm meals to the homeless each week, upgrading Lutheran church’s kitchen equipment;
  6. NWYS ($2,000) Northwest Youth Services provides at-risk and runaway kids (13-17 year olds) with emergency shelter (the PAD program), this money will do upgrades and operations to the PAD program;
  7. South Whatcom Fire Authority “Safe Kids Program” ($2,400) - provides education and information to prevent childhood accidents, especially child car passenger seat training, and how to properly use car seats and seat belts;
  8. Catholic Community Services ($1,000) recently built a 42-unit apartment building Francis Place on Cornwell for formerly homeless people and (especially people with behavior health issues) with 24-hr service. Money will go to programming there: community garden and also community meals.
  9. Whatcom YMCA ($2500) - Money will go to support a pedaling program for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
  10. Growing Veterans ($500) supporting returning military veterans connect them back into civilian society, specifically to support and grow a farming program.
  11. Max Higby Center ($1,000) provides recreation and education for teens with developmental disabilities.  The money will go to the nutrition education program, go to community farm patch, farm visits, help the kids grow and cook food!
  12. YWCA ($1,000) has a 36-bed facility for homeless women, 9 units of which are for emergency housing, the rest are considered “transitional housing units”.
Respectfully submitted, 
Stowe Talbot