Flag Salute & Invocation by Gordon Plume
 
Visiting Rotarians:  Fred Sexton (The Big Club), 
 
Guests: None
 
Announcements
  • Donna said our next Fellowship event will be March 1st at MBT - 20 tix available to see “Tao - Phoenix Rising” and dinner at the Table.
  • Bill Gorman update on Foundation, this year we grew by over $55K, to a new total of $245K.  
  • Debbie K will be organizing the greeter assignments.
  • President Christine gave an update on the major capital gifts (donations greater than $2500), we will be accepting ideas until the end of this month.  She outlined some of the criteria by which we will choose the proposal(s) to accept.
  • New Members:  Phil X inducted (re-inducted) two former members: George Bowen and Bob Yost.  Welcome back, gentlemen!
 
Bucks in the Bay
  • Eddie Hansen glad to see Bob and George, he was away for 5 weeks in a motorhome, Australia, with family traveling around.
  • Lance Calloway $44 for a birthday, great weekend with family, his 5-year old is playing hockey;
  • Curtis Dye nice Christmas, daughter away for a semester at Exeter Academy (UK);
  • Kendall Olson's husband received employment offer from Fluke Corp!
  • Jill Reid heading to Lake Chelan with lots of her friends, also invite everyone Jan 27th at Ferndale Club 5:30pm winner of youth of the year award will be announced;
  • Scotty daughter and granddaughter visited over holiday, and a 70 year birthday;
  • Dr. Curt Smith, glad to have Bob and George back, some comments about polio plus and the difficulties killing that virus;
  • Mike Werner's son turned 16 and getting his driver’s license!
  • Frank C back from college tour with son;
Sergeant at Arms by Frank Chmelik
Fines for Eddie, George, Steve Swan, Seahawks game, Harte, Lance, Denise, Donna, trivia on pot varietals and ski runs.
 
New Member Talk
Pete Charron has really been enjoying his time in Rotary, especially the new member activities.  Pete moved to Bellingham in 2010 to be closer to his new wife in Vancouver, BC.
He was born raised in a small town in Maine.  Parents still there.  Growing up, he spent a lot of time outside, basketball was main interest.  Also payed a lot of music.  While in college in Delaware, he worked part time for optometrist, who helped him become acquainted with "vision therapy".  Pete met his wife Gina there in Rhode Island (at a classical music concert).  This romance eventually prompted his move to Bellingham in 2010 to be closer to Gina's hometown of Vancouver.  They married this past August.  Pete has a private optometry clinic here in Bellingham, specializing in vision therapy.
 
Next week’s program is Dave McEachran, Whatcom County Prosecuting attorney at Whatcom County.
 
Respectfully submitted, 
Stowe Talbot