Soundings (4/22/14)

Posted by G. Stowe Talbot 
on Apr 22, 2014
 

Flag Salute & Invocation by Tim Krell

 

Visiting Rotarians:  Tim Farris, Sallye Quinn and Debbie Ahl.

 

Guests: Mike McCallum (from Dawson Construction and son of our own Jim), Bill Gorman’s guest Wade Stringfield, Tim Ely (Tonja and Terry’s brother), Erika McIntosh (his fiancé) and Mandy Bruce (Terry's daughter).  Also a visit by our own Art Runestrand!

 

Announcements

 

Bob Yost announced that District 5050 has put together an excellent, anonymous online survey (10 minutes to take) about your Rotary experience.  It will help the District and our club to improve they way we conduct our business.   Please all members take this survey.   Instructions on the table or go to www.district5050.org, do not sign in, but click “Take this Survey” (right side) and go from there.  The deadline May 15th!

 

Nick Caples introduced our Student of the Month, Milton Jimenez, a senior at Squalicum, who is a couple weeks away from graduation.  Squalicum HS Counselor Arimis Johnsonn talked with Milton about his volunteering service since middle school; Milton is an athlete, and helps out with drug abuse prevention and awareness.  Milton will probably going to community college for couple years before transferring to university. He is participates in CYAP. 

 

Andy Clay reminded us about the international committee’s fundraiser at Ciao Thyme (6-course dinner) on May 21, 6pm, $190 pp.  Mark your calendars and sign up!  The money raised at the event will go to a Pure Water for the World project in Trojes, Honduras. 

 

Sarah Rothenbuhler restarting the Rotario dinners, $75/person.  The first dinner will be Thursday May 22 at Imhoff’s (filled), then a summer dinner at the lake (pending), then a fall dinner, etc. 

 

Bucks in the Bay

  • Christine went to successful DVSAS auction last week;
  • Eddie Hanson kudos for Flo and her gang for catching his bad guy and a 46 birthday!
  • Curtis Dye missed meetings, Mark Turner thanks for photos of his house shoreside now for sale;
  • Bryant Engebretson's wife Hilary is a prof at WCC, so they took advantage of spring break to go to Costa Rica with kids on a cruise;
  • Mark Turner missed meeting, just began construction of his new studio;
  • Patti Imhof missed meetings;
  • Tim Krell, story and voice recording involving his father and seat belts;
  • Tonja’s son's show sold out last week, he (and his group) just released a CD (a cappella songs)! as for her own show, "Women of Lockerby" is till going thru this weekend;
  • Jim Johnson wintered in CA, visiting kids, also recent trip to Thailand, still fighting against slavery, going to Mauritious soon, then back in Bham for summer;
  • Glen Groenig missed meetings;
  • Bob Moles plea to everyone to take survey;
  • Kendall Olson excited for Patti’s Rotario dinner, and District 5050 conference, DVSAS auction last weekend, encourage to attend B&G club this Friday;
  • Dannon Traxler happy bucks that her home remodel is under way!

Sergeant at Arms by Lesa Boxx

Fines for tax extensions, non-survey takers, those who haven’t yet bought Brothels of Bellingham, Mariners fans, Earth Day, Easter breakfast. 

 

Program

Bill Geyer introduced Col. Richard D. Iverson USAF, Ret., long and illustrious career in Air Force.  Born in Anacortes, Iverson rose though military including final posting as Commanding Officer 380th Bomb Wing (largest B1-B nuclear capable base, after retirement has been working with Boeing.  Dick talked about the program “Wounded Warrior Flights - Veteran Airlift Command”.  He and 4 buddies run a jet owned by local fishing businessman Jeff Hendricks, “Lear 40 XR” ($50M).  VAC only has four paid staff.  They can carry seven passengers.  Many fascinating stories of the people they have carried over the years.  

 

Never before:

  1. never before has IED’s (improvised explosive devices) become the enemy’s preferred choice of weapon;
  2. never before have we sent and resent the same people so many long and consecutive tours (Iraq and Afghanistan);
  3. never before have combat medics saved so many soldiers and brought so many soldiers home alive but wounded.

As many as 600,000 soldiers suffer from PTSD. Every day, 44 attempted suicides by veterans.  Dick and his partners do what they can to give back to veterans in need. 

 

Respectfully submitted, 

Stowe Talbot