Soundings (8/25/15)

Posted by G. Stowe Talbot 
on Aug 25, 2015
 
Flag Salute & Invocation by Tim Krell
 
Visiting Rotarians: None
 
Guests:  Robbie Robinson, Giovanni (Joe)
 
Glen with the Business Bucket:  40$ from Donna Edquist.
 
New member application:  The BBRC board has approved the application of former member Allan Stockbridge.  Allan is a broker with Kulshan Commercial Investment Real Estate, and his sponsor is Stan Dyer.  Any comments or concerns can be addressed to Scotty or Bill Geyer.
 
Bucks in the Bay
  • Bill Geyer for an interesting exchange with an attorney;
  • Terry Myers welcome donations (at Highland Center) for the E. WA fire relief;
  • Bill Boyd for the 3 firefighters who lost their lives last week;
  • Dannon Traxler North Bend hike, and big thank you to Bryant for his G&G effort!
  • Alan Artman reports on Skookum Kids, Oct 3 there will be benefit concert at BMT;
  • Paul Twedt week off from kids;
  • John Templeton said Windermere also has foundation 501c3 for donations to fire relief;
  • Stan Dyer $300 for three IOU’s for the foundation.
Sergeant at Arms by Flo
Fines for YMCA trivia.
 
Program
Curtis Dye introduced Bill Ziels, the CEO and Executive Director of Whatcom Family YMCA.  Bill born and raised in Bellingham, worked long time in the grocery business, served on the YMCA board for ten years before offering to heard the local chapter.  2014 awarded best gym in Bellingham, but they want to be know as enhance the community with programs for the spirit mind and body, by strengthening the ties of the community.  The Whatcom YMCA was founded in 1903. Current location in 194 in an old hotel building.
 
Four program centers: In Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and Sudden Valley)
The organization is financially stable ($5.5M in annual revenue, mostly from membership and program fees, also some fundraising, almost no government support).
No one is turned away for lack of funds!
Core Values: Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.
 
Three avenues of development:
  • Youth Development
  • Healthy Livening
  • Social Responsibilities
Youth Development: Girls on the Run program.
Youth Development: Childcare, the largest provider in Whatcom County, over 600 kids per day.
Youth Development: Closing the achievement gap in childhood reading skills for lower income kids.
Healthy Living: Pedaling for Parkinson’s program and support group (YMCA looking for money for bikes to start programs in Ferndale and Lynden).
Healthy Living: Excursive and Survive program for cancer survivors.
Healthy Living: Active Older Adults.
Social Responsibility: Community Shower Pass program.
Social Responsibility: Supporting other non-profits, by providing subsidized assistance.
Social Responsibility: Kendall and Peaceful Valley.
 
Every Y is an independent locally-owned identity. The national org, "the YMCA of the USA" is a national resource office, over more than 2,700 local YMCAs with approximately 19,000 fulltime staff and 600,000 volunteers in 10,000 communities across the country.
 
Opportunities for kids and adults to volunteer.
 
Respectfully submitted, 
Stowe Talbot