Sounding (11/18/08)

Bucks in the Bay
John Templeton enjoyed a couple weeks in Cabo San Lucas with ToiAnn;
Stephanie Sadler thanks to the club for any wine that will be left for the St. Paul Academy auction;
Scotty is thankful he beat a case of melanoma on his scalp:
Mike Kirkland says the Hospice Auction was a great success last week - $202K!
Dave Loeppky had a great weekend with his son;
Bob Yost had a great trip to central California to see the grandkids;
Anna says the Hospice Auction was very inspiring with many generous individuals;
Stew Ellison for a birthday and a trip to Arizona to see grandparents;

Sergeant at Arms by Matt Rose

Using the Patti Imhof method of "shock and awe", Matt issued a massive string of fines for just about everyone, plus additional fines for Anna, Alan, Dennis... Canadian political trivia and inspirational quotes were also used to coax out even more $.

Program
Tim McEvoy and Dave Loeppke talked about a recent 8-day trip to Lesotho, Africa with an organization called World Vision and their program "Action for Africa". World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. The organization works all over the world, but in Africa, they have "area development programs" (ADP) in places like Lesotho. Each ADP tries to cover about 10,000 people with a staff of 15 people, usually locals. Each ADP provides help in the following areas: Water, food, healthcare education and economic development. Each ADP is closed down within 12-15 years if all these goals are reached. Currently, ten ADP's are operating in Lesotho.

Action for Africa has initiated a "Whatcom-Lesotho Partnership", which will be an ongoing relationship between our communities. The group made contact with several Rotary clubs in Lesotho.

Lesotho is a small African country completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Although only about 10 percent of Lesotho's land is suitable for agriculture, 86 percent of adults are engaged in subsistence farming. For decades a large number of adult males found jobs in the mines of South Africa and would send earnings home to support their families. While that industry has decreased, 35 percent of males still work in South Africa. HIV and AIDS are wreaking havoc throughout the country, with Lesotho holding one of the highest infection rates in the world. Approximately 320,000 people, or 28.9 percent of the population, in Lesotho lives with HIV / AIDS.

Country Statistics
Population 1.8 million
Life Expectancy 34 years
Infant Mortality Rate 102 / 1,000
Literacy Rate 82%
Access to Safe Water 79%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita) US$960

Furthermore, 27,000 youths have contracted AIDS, and another 100,000 children under the age of 18 have been orphaned due to HIV and AIDS-related deaths of their parents. It is estimated that one in five children will be orphaned due to AIDS by 2010. With fewer healthy adults, food production has decreased significantly. Coupled with seasons of drought, severe weather, and poor harvests, Lesotho families are suffering widespread, life-threatening food shortages and malnutrition.

Action for Africa is putting on an exhibit next week at WWU: "Step into Africa". It will take place at Wade King Recreational Center from November 20 - 24. Reservations recommended.

Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels"
G. Marx