Soundings (3/22/05)

Flag Salute and Invocation by Dave Harding

Visitors â¿¢ Jim and Jamie Voss, Major Dave Sholin, Rob Lemon, Doug Thomas, and Patty Karcher of the GRADS program.

Auction â¿¢ We need to sell more tickets! The dinner is this Saturday March 26th 6-9pm at Best Western Lakeway Inn. Carol has raffle tickets for the "Best of Live". Carol Can't be there the day of and needs someone to coordinate set up.

Proposed new members for our review:
1. Donna Edquist (Applied Digital Inc.)
2. Christin Palmerton (Marine Charters)
3. Mark Larsen (Bellingham Technical College Foundation)
Induction of new members will take place at our meeting Tuesday April 26th.

District Assembly on Saturday, April 9th, at Kwantlen University College 12666 - 72nd Ave, Surrey,

BC. Please consider attending. Our club will cover the cost. See Ron or Orphalee. Details on the assembly and maps, see Website at www.district5050.org.

Grapes & Gourmet planning meeting coming up at the Lakeway Inn. See Barry Kramer for more information.

Scholarship Interviews for Squalicum High School Students are soon. If you are interested in being on the interview panel contact Bill Gorman.

September 22 will be a Rotary fundraiser golf tournament. Todd Ramsey will be lead, and he needs committee members.

Patty Karcher spoke about the GRADS program: GRADS is an in-school program for pregnant teens and young parents. They are enrolled in Options High School and are working toward an academic goal of high school graduation. The GRADS program offers high school credit for classwork and individual activities related to healthy pregnancy, positive parenting, gaining economic independence and developing a positive self. Currently they serve 18 students with a big waiting list. The GRAD program takes place in portables at Alderwood Elementary School. This is a very worthwhile program. Our club has committed a modest $325 to go to their literacy classes.

Bill Unrein - for District Assembly, plea for more participation at our auction this Saturday!
Bob Jones - First grandson;
Tonja Meyers - Missed meetings;
Denise Bosman - A kiss with Bob Tull;
Dan Wilkerson - Squalicum Interact Club will be doing a food (can) drive this Saturday 12-6pm at Barkley Haggens;
Patti Imhof - birthday in Seattle with one daughter, and trip to Tulsa to see other daughter in Rodeo!
Herold Scott - Trip to San Francisco and road-trip to help father move from NC to Maine;
Jim Olson - Wife's successful surgery, and new respect for Bellingham's Surgery Center!

by Cy Lindberg:
Byron CD-player repair for Denise's new Audi;
$3 limit on fines?
Dave Harding;
misspelling of Robin Schmidt's name by Stowe the scribe;
Pete Dawson's AGC award for safety despite broken leg;
NCAA wrestling but no Navy representation;
Oklahoma?

Program on Honduras Trip by Bob Moles and Glendine Barley

Bob didn't focus his talk on the Pure Water project per se, but mentioned that there will be a fundraiser brunch soon, and that we are the lead club among about 20 other clubs for the grant. Cy send out the grant application some time ago.

Honduras about 2/3 size of WA State. Pure Water is preparing to add about 7 more projects in Honduras. The bio-sand filter manufacturing facility in Danli is running very well, good organization. In fact, the Pure Water project was recognized as one of the most successful examples of an NGO in Central America. "Aqua Pura del Mundo" in Spanish. Typical family lives in one or two room house with 4-8 people. However, they usually keep their houses very clean and tidy.

The delegation of Rotarians flew from Donli to North Coast (La Ceiba), then Eastward on bus to Trujillo. Nice resort on beach in Trujillo. The next phase is a facility to make filters for the North Coast area like San Antonio. One of the main population groups in this area of the country is the Garífuna; an ethnic minority group with African lineage. In Trujillo there is now a young American couple from Seattle who are hydrologists by training and have volunteered one or two years to our Pure Water project. We have good contact with them by Email.

Visit to La Ceiba: agricultural area (pineapple etc.), and a rain forest preserve called Pico Bonito.

Adelante Foundation: Loans of $33-$240 to establish cottage industries, a big impact on the lives of women, gaining independence which allows them to send their kids to school and break cycle of poverty.

Copan Mountain area where there are Mayan Ruins and coffee growing. Copan Ruinas is a beautiful little town.

There is now a proptype plastic filter which weighs 35lbs instead of the $150 lbs for the concrete versions. Will be a big improvement in accessing remote sites.