Posted by G. Stowe Talbot on Dec 10, 2019
Flag Salute & Invocation by Carlye Gillespie
 
Guests:  Spencer Palmer
 
Announcements by President Brad
 
Bill Geyer introduced Spencer Palmer from PowerTek Electric Inc. Spencer is a UW grad in 2003 electrical degree then worked in the family business. They have over 100 employees, engineering consulting and surveying, mostly for industrial projects. Spencer and his parents have pledged $100,000 to the Docks for Kids project! 
 
Next Tuesday we will be hosting the Squalicum HS Singers! Stan and Carrie will also try to make it to the meeting.
 
Brad thanked Tresha for all her help 
 
Jeff Hill health update.
 
Rotary youth exchange please reach out to Brad.
 
Board meeting this week 4:30pm at RMC.
 
Bucks in the Bay
  • Brad for U of Oregon in the Rose Bowl;
  • Lance’s 11-yo son’s coach is Kyle (and Brad) Jackson, proud that his son donated $30 of his own money!
  • Aaron Lemperes says the charitable giving committee is accepting applications until the end of the year;
  • John Templeton with sobering socio-economic statics;
  • Tonja Myers missed meetings, excited daughter will be a Squalicum singer next week here at lunch, her son the college grad just got the lead in a Tennessee Williams play;
Sergeant at Arms by John Purdie 
Fines for misc. sins, and four questions.
 
Program: “ID to Work” program
Lance introduced Rud Browne, current Chair of the Whatcom County Council. He is a native of Australia who later founded The Ryzex Group, a global technology services company based here in the Pacific NW. Rud is a member of the Bellingham Rotary Club and a former member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary (Aircrew). In 2007 Rud was recognized as a winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. His passions are his family, friends, flying light aircraft and public service.
 
Rud grew up in poverty with a very difficult childhood, dropped out of school to work in a factory at age 16. It was then that he first noticed that employment is predicated on having up to date identification, and that most homeless people do not have ID and often have real difficulty securing ID.
 
Run recalls in 2017 a call went out to help find employment opportunities for homeless youth in Bellingham. They found a lot of good people willing to work, but half those seeking work were unable to accept a job offer because they lacked the ID required to prove they could be legally employed. Worse still, many simply could not provide the evidence necessary to qualify for ID even though they were US citizens. Without official ID, homeless are cut off from not only employment but often other services as well; leading to a cycle of hopelessness, panhandling, welfare and crime. Often becomes intergenerational. The return on investment on getting someone an ID is astounding. 
 
Run decided to set up a program called ID to Work (wwww.IDtoWork.org) to ensure everyone is able to get ID. Rud is now building the technology platform using WWU student-programmers, then he will coordinate with local clinics to set up accessID locations there. In WA it costs $54/ID card - untenable to many homeless people. Rud is setting up a 501c3 and will be building this idea and the organization.
 
Raffle won by Tonja!
 
Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot