Soundings (7/8/08)
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Visiting Rotarians: Sonja from Aberdeen Club
Guests: Karen Hagen (from Hospice), Sue Sharp (new director of the St. Luke's Foundation), Rita Spitzer, Remy Talbot
Announcements:
July 31st is the Bellingham Food Bank Ribbon cutting ceremony, everyone is encouraged to attend. No Tuesday meeting on the 29th!
Upcoming board meeting this Thursday, 7:30am at IHOP on Samish!
Eddie Hanson reported a crab feed is scheduled for next Thursday July 17th!
Tim McEvoy 29th wedding anniversary;
Barry Kramer for six years on Rotary board and working through the officer ranks - thank you Barry!
Tonja Myers in memory of Katie Walker, who had worked for Hospice many years;
Steve Kimberly 36th wedding anniversary!
Bryant Engebretson for 39th birthday!
Donna Edquist for ? and a Billy Idol concert!
Bob Moles support for St. Luke's Foundation;
Stowe Talbot grateful for birth of his second and third (and last!) children, Victoria and Isabella Talbot (baby pictures available at http://web.mac.com/stowetalbot/Site/Twins-June11-2008.html)
Patti grateful that daughter's jewelry line was featured in Bride's magazine!
Sergeant at Arms by Patti Imhof
Non-wearers of Rotary pins, non-purchases Brewers-by-Bay tickets, Todd Ramsay for not being in the news recently, Mike Hammas for road construction, Steve Spitzer didn't introduce his wife, Matt Groenig, high-profile divorces, Wimbledon tennis, Yahoo-Microsoft, and miscellaneous People Magazine trivia.
Program
Our club will be helping with three major projects this year:
1. Bellingham Food Bank - now open and serving ever greater numbers of needy individuals. Phil X and Bill Geyer thanked our club and all the Rotarians that played a role in building the new facility. $2.2 million project. Three clubs worked together.
2. Hospice House - Barry explained that our club will be supporting the Hospice House building project. Silent portion of fundraising is currently being conducted ($800K raised so far - $2.5 to 3 million needed). All five Whatcom Rotary clubs are participating.
3. Pure Water - Bob Moles said it is often more difficult to raise money for international projects. Our club is the international host for two projects in Honduras: Trujillo and Copan. Each got delayed about a year - not easy to work there.
a) Trujillo: 1,500 water filters installed at cost of $87,000, and about $90,000 is left;
b) Copan: 800 units installed, $53,000 spent, and about $47,000 left.
Almost 11,000 Hondurans being served by these units!
Other important club fundraising events this coming year:
Steve Brummel talked about Brewers by the Bay. Last year we raised $20,000, and we hope to raise $30,000 this year. July 27th, 2-5pm. Everyone wear your B-by-B tee-shirt.
Tonja Myers and Christine Palmerton are directing this year'sGrape and Gourmet 2008 November 2 at Lakeway Inn. we still need an auction chair and a marketing chair!
Sarah Rothenbuhler talked about Rotario Dinners. These dinners raise up to $5,000 / year for us. The host takes on all the costs for the dinner. Average ticket is $75/person. Seeking hosts for Aug, Sept, Oct. Then January '09 at Imhoff's for16-person "hunter-gatherer meal", March '09 at McEvoys for a St. Pat's theme dinner, and finally Templeton/Kramer will host a steak and wine dinner in May '09.
Brent Walker talked about our club's Foundation. This is an endowment fund; we invest the funds and only spend the earnings. From where? Some from Bucks in Bay, 10% from our major fundraisers, etc. Currently we have about $71,000, so spending will only begin when we reach $100,000.
This year's Rotary International theme is "Make Dreams Real", with a focus on children. Rotary has made a huge difference in the world, fighting polio, AIDS, poverty, among other blights.
Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot