Welcome New Member, Dick Baker

Welcome our newest member, Dick Baker.  Dick is sponsored by Norm Sturm.

Dick was born in Billings, Montana but spent his youth and college days in Spokane attending Gonzaga prep and Gonzaga University (go Bulldogs!).

Dick's career has spanned Boeing, ABC, and Chevy and GMC auto dealerships.  He has been a national operations manager and a heavy hitter in vehicle sales in Seattle and Tacoma.

Dick married his sweetheart, Andrea, in 2003.  They moved to Wenatchee in 2006.  Together they operate a Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) in the Wenatchee area.  Andrea travels back to Tacoma once a week to manage her salon business there.  Dick was retired until very recently when he accepted a position as a sales manager with Mobile Fleet Services, a locally owned heavy truck dealership.

Check out the VRBO https://www.vrbo.com/506149

Welcome Dick!

March 22 ABCs -- Announcements, Brags & Confessions

Our Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) winner is Theresa Mada, an officer with our Wenatchee Valley College Rotaract Club.  Congratulations Theresa.  Well done!

Earl Crowe's oldest daughter is engaged with a wedding date of June 2017.

Craig Robertson reported a tennis star and a straight A student among his brood.  Perhaps a predisposition to Mandy's genetic makeup?  Congratulations!

Bill McDowell reminded us there is a caucus for Presidential elections this Saturday, March 26th at 10 am.

Kathy Hamilton just returned from a trip to New Zealand and Australia. She shared samples of Vegemite with lucky(?) Club members.  Yum.

Heidi Black spent a day in sunny southern California attending a training session sponsored by Brighton Jewelry.  She was wined and dined and even educated.  A great time!  And we all know the best place to buy Brighton Jewelry is ..... Collins Fashions.

Mateo attended a Sounders game.  Another check mark on his See America Bucket List.

Tom Utigard celebrated his musically inclined granddaughter who was accepted to the Youth Symphony and his grandson who is getting As in very difficult subjects.

Jerry and Kathy Karney travelled 1200 miles through Oregon, seeing every form of precipitation and taking in Ashland, McMinnville's Spruce Goose, and Bend.

Highway Cleanup April 9th.  Please sign up with Wayne at out next meeting.

Claudio (Mateo) Presents Ecuador!!

Our Youth Exchange student, Mateo, told us all about his home country of Ecuador.  Ecuador has varied geography with a coastal area, mountains, and the Amazon River.  Quito is the capital.

Mateo is from Cuenca, a city in Southern Ecuador's Andes Mountains. About 500,000 people live in Cuenca.

Mateo thought it was cold in Cuenca until he moved to Wenatchee where it is really cold.
Mateo has a brother, 11 years old, and a sister 9, plus Bassett Hound, Roseo. He had a German exchange student living at his home when he left for America.

Soccer is Mateo's favorite sport.  He also likes tennis because he can play year round.

Mateo saw snow for the first time in Wenatchee.  Taro and his family took him to Mission Ridge and he is a natural skier. He loves it!  (PJ, we need you for some expert lessons for this talented youth. Hurry home!)

Mateo hopes to study economics in college.  He will attend college in his home country.

Mateo's favorite America restaurant so far is Red Robin.

Mateo has been stay with the Masuda family, Taro, Patti, Reagan, Veronica and Lourdes. He will join Patty and Heath Rush soon.

Program - North Central Regional Library

Jenny Napier introduced Luke Ellington, Teen Services Manager and supervisor of the NCRL book library.  Luke gave a great picture of what NCRL does.  There are 30 libraries in the 5 counties, which covers the largest geographical area in the state.  They also send bookmobiles to many public schools in rural areas not served by the libraries.  They provide books, audio books, movies, e-books, and many other resources.

Some of the programs offered include the summer reading program, juvenile detention center reading and creative writing program, and a job fair for teens coming this spring.  The summer reading program kids logged aver 73,300 hours of reading last summer.  They have many activities and events such as a green screen work, photo editing, Rosetta Stone, games, STEM skills, robotics, and more.  You can visit the NCRL in person to check out books, or online to have books mailed to you.  You can also check out e-books.  Got your library card?

Youth Exchange -- Richard DeRock

Richard DeRock

Rotary Youth Exchange.  Richard DeRock, the "rock" of Rotary Youth Exchange, spoke to Club members about the history and future of YE.

• Rotary YE is the largest two way exchange in the world
• District 5060 is the largest YE program in the country, relative to our population proportion.
• YE started in 1927 with an exchange between Copenhagen and Berlin.
• Goal is building world peace one person at a time

Students participate 10-11 months and range in age from 15-19. Three host families typically participate for each student.  Twenty five different countries participate.

Mateo

We are lucky to have Claudio (Mateo) as our exchange student this year.  Mateo's country, Ecuador, no longer participates as a host county due to safety concerns.  Mateo had been chosen before the end of Ecuador's participation and was not told of the problem.  He learned very near to his departure date that his trip was off.  Our Club stepped in and agreed to take him on very short notice so his trip was back on.  Thanks to Taro, PJ, Maggie, Wayne and others who worked hard to make this once in a lifetime experience possible for Mateo.

March 8, 2016 Announcement, Brags & Confessions

Alice Thompson name Rotarian of the Month.  Alice was recognized by Club President Wayne Massing for her efforts on the Bike Ride.  Alice joined the Club in 2003, nominated by Bill McDowell.  She is doing a bang up job as Bike Ride co-chair, identifying a marketing sponsor and acquiring business sponsors for the Ride.  Her enthusiasm is infectious.  Thank you Alice!

Matt Eastman, Joan Wright and Jim Adamson were interviewed last week on Cherry Creek Radio.  They spoke about our scholarship program, the  Bike Ride, and value of being a Rotary member.  Thanks to Wayne for donating the radio spot.


REMINDER:  Next Tuesday we meet downstairs at Red Lion!!!

Shelley Miller has resigned from the Club. She is moving to Spokane with her husband.  We will miss her (especially me as she helped with the Blog).

Brags & Confessions

• Alice Thompson just returned from Beaver Creek where she skied with friends and spent lots of money on lift tickets but avoided the $2000 cashmere sweater.  Any regrets??
• Tom Utigard celebrated his 58th wedding anniversary with a tequila-laced trip to Mexico.
• Jenny Napier offered a special tribute to her dad who joined her in Spokane to shop for her for a wedding dress.  Very special!
• Kevin Love announced that Wenatchee Valley Appleaires hold their annual fundraising concerts on April 16 at 2 and 7 pm at the PAC
• April 17 is the Senior Dinner
• Bryan Thorpe's wife's niece achieved great modeling gigs in Iceland, France and Turkey.  Look for her in Confidence Magazine.  

Out With the New and In With Old

Earle Crowe officially relinquished his "new member" status at our Club meeting on February 29th.  Paul Harris (aka Jim Adamson) performed the honors.  Congratulations Earl!

YWCA

 Jenny Pratt and Alyssa Garcia from YWCA provided an overview of the work of our local YWCA.  The Y provides shelter, training, clothing and food for homeless women and children.  They run a 10-bed emergency shelter where one can stay for up to 90 days.  The also operate 13-bed transitional housing where women can live for up to one year.  The have 16 beds for permanent supportive housing which includes case management.   The Y provided housing for 118 women last year and has operated in Wenatchee for 60 years.

The Y is also an advocacy group, influencing decision-makers to provider more housing for the homeless.

You have probably noticed their thrift store on Wenatchee Avenue.  The store provides discount goods but is also a training environment for the women.

Jenny is looking for an individual from our Club to serve as a liaison to the YWCA's Community Access Committee. Contact Jenny directly at this email address if you are interested: info@ywcancw.org

More information on the Y is at this link.
http://www.ywcawen.com/

J

Family of Rotary/Brags and Confessions/Announcements

March Birthdays:  Wayne Massing, Annie LaCroix, Joanne Rosenthal, Alan Walker, Nima Duncan, & Joan Wright

March Anniversaries:  none

Brags & Confessions

Brags & Confessions Gauntlet

• Earl Crowe's daughters rock.  One was selected to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC, and another is going to the state math competition.
• Ron Griffith second book is published, and is about the life of a long haul trucker.
• Stacy Speer is taking her daughters to Great Wolfe Lodge (need chaperons?).
• Milt Herman's 50 year-old daughter ran a marathon in 4 hr/20 minutes.

Announcements:

Check your junk e-mail!  Look for a Rotary Membership Matters survey, probably from Ron Hooper.  Please complete the online survey by Saturday.  Jim Adamson sent a link on Tuesday if you can't find the one from Ron.  

Packing Friendship participants this week are Shelley Miller and Jill Courtney.

Kevin is organizing a spring spruce up for Rotary Park.  Come and get your hands dirty on April 2 from 9-1.  Families welcome. Contact Kevin for details.  Lunch is provided.

March is Rotary Literacy Month.  57 million children worldwide are not in school.  Make a difference by joining our local Literacy Council of Chelan and Douglas Counties and help our youth succeed.  More info at http://www.literacycouncilcd.org/

Mark you calendars for April 17, 2016 about 5 pm for our Senior Dinner to be held at Bonaventure.  Bonaventure is donating and cooking the food.  We need all Club members to volunteer in support of this event.  

Matt McColm attended President- Elect training and says it was a blast.  He has a tip for a fundraiser, a tasting contest.  Not sure what is being tasted but if you want to learn more and go on a road trip, see Matt about attending a Rotary meeting in Hidden Lake, Idaho. The Club in Hidden Lake is planning its annual tasting contest fundraiser.

Bike Ride Update. Cycle Central has signed on as a major sponsor.  We will hold our Friday night registration at Cycle Central.  Steve Maher will help us with social media and advertising.  Steve was with Wenatchee World and is founder of Adventure Wenatchee.  Next bike ride meeting is March 30 6 pm at Kathleen's house.  Cascade High School may not be available for us to use as a pit stop.  Norm Sturm is checking on other options.  Rotaract Club has agreed to volunteer at the Ride and will help with Lake Wenatchee pit stop.