Flag Salute & Invocation by Mark Turner
 
Visiting Rotarians:  None
 
Guests:  None
 
Announcements
  • June 24th here will be no lunch meeting, only the evening event at Northwood Hall at 5:30pm!  Bring friends and family.
  • Board meeting delayed one week;
  • Good to see everyone so many people at Dennis Archer’s service last week.  Ellen and Charlotte will be attending our installation dinner on the 24th to receive his Paul Harris award;
  • Brewers tickets on sale now!
Bucks in the Bay
  • Mimi Ferlin in honor of Dennis, he was really a part of the Ferlin/Brooks family, one of Mimi’s favotite all time people.  Also Hospital Gala last Saturday was an amazing success, it was a think you to the community who have cultivated the hospital.
  • Phil XI Hageman, eleventh wedding anniversary, went to casino to celebrate;
  • Tonja Myers plug for son’s a cappella group’s upcoming performance (benefiting BHS choir) on Friday June 13 at 7pm at Bellingham High School, $10/ea, please come!
  • Curtis Dye for several missed meetings, house adventure continues!
  • Gordon Plume is back, health much better, bragging about grandkids and kids;
  • Art Runestrand's back! Kicked out of hospice, really appreciative of his Rotary community and its encouragement and kindness, hopes to be around a while longer! 
  • Jim Johnson been away, was recently in Africa and Mauritius, update on his work on the slavery issue.  See http://www.themekongclub.org 
  • Doug Wight for Art Runestrand’s influence, hospital has raised $30M in last 13 years!  Annual Hospice golf tourney on Aug 7-8 please sponsor and sign up, recognized Bill Gorman for his memorial of Dennis, and granddaughter attends SPU.
  • Bill Geyer said he will be celebrating his wedding anniversary date on the 24th, so please make a point say hi to Ruth there!
  • Barry Kramer for Art Runestrand;
  • Margarita missed meetings, feels lucky to be a part of Bellingham;
  • Dannon Traxler's son Henry graduated from 8th grade, thanks to Tonja and Ian for supporting Henry to do drama and choir at BHS.
 
Sergeant at Arms by Bryant Engebretson
Fines for Bill Geyer, son got top academic a wad at SPA, daughter drivers license, attendees to the Hospital gala, a buck for every one of Art’s grandkids, and Eddie of course.
 
Program
Bill Geyer introduced John (Westie) Westerfield of Yeager’s, a Bellingham institution.  John said fishing has always been his passion.  Yeagers has been 93 years in business.  In 1921 Ira Yeager was in furniture business, but was avid outdoorsman, so he contacted Evinrude Motors to sell their engines, later his daughter Marianne convinced him to open full sporting goods store 1958 on Northwest Ave.  Family business.  John came to work there in 1973.  Then, took a leave of absence (30 years) “on the road” repping for various sporting goods companies.  Then John came back to Yeagers.  Travails of retail in today’s economy.  Building a management team there to take over for him.  The dangers of a retail store growing too fast (GAP, Sears, etc.) and forgetting who your customers are.  John tries to run the business with compassion and love.  Talked about the dangers of spending too much focus and attention on advertising.  John tries to appreciate his employees, but impress upon them the importance of customer satisfaction and loyalty.   John recently assigned a young man the title of “communications manager” to get Yeagers onto the internet and social media.  Also, for the last three years John has been doing the outdoor reports on the radio. 
 
Raffle won by Shannon!
 
Respectfully submitted, 
Stowe Talbot