June 22, 2021 Meeting Notes

President Earl Crowe gaveled his last official meeting of his presidency today at 7 am! The Pledge of Allegiance was pledged (PJ) and the invocation was invoked (Chris)!

Announcements

Jim Adamson introduced his guest, Zach Pauw, who was returning for his second meeting and will now be posted! We will learn more about Zach and his wife Alison when we see them at the Change Over Dinner!

Chris McDarment introduced his brother Logan McDarment, who is a major and is getting ready for his next deployment with the US Army soon. A debate ensued as to which brother was the smartest, best looking, tallest...yadda, yadda, yadda...!

Chris and Logan's father, John McDarment, reminded the club about our Change Over Dinner next Tuesday (no meeting that day), June 29th at 6:30 pm at Ridgeline Graphics. If you didn't get on the list of attendees and want to attend, contact John at johnc@ridgelinegraphics.com. John is looking for some volunteers to help set up and clean up. Just show up early or stay late for that! Please attend and help us send Earl off to the land of POOPS (Past Order Of Presidents Society), and welcome Kathleen aboard as the incoming president!

Jackie Rector thanked Earl and Lucy, Craig and Tracey, Carol and Jim, Wayne, Robin, Chris, Jackie and Dan, Taro and Patti, Bill and friend Sylvia, Kelly and Alan for their making the "Take Over the Farmers Market" a success. Other Rotarians assisting with the Market Greeters were Alice Meyer (Wenatchee Rotary Club) and Mabel and Patrick Bodell (Wenatchee Confluence Rotary Club). A huge tub of pet foods was collected from those participating in the Pet Parade. The Humane Society will benefit from that. About 15 dogs of various shapes, colors and varieties made the parade fun. One Moody rabbit made an appearance, lead by its owner Dan Moody! The next pet parade will be October 16th so plan accordingly! Other chances to volunteer at "Take Over the Farmers Market" at Pybus will be these Saturdays: July 17th, Aug. 21st, and Sept. 18th.

Special thanks goes out to Chris McD. who went above and beyond in producing a completely separate blog entry featuring the Stage Kids pre-program event at the Holmbergs' home, the actual Stage Kids-Wizard of Oz performance, (both on Friday) and the "Take Over of the Farmers Market" on Saturday. See the blog called "Happy Father's Day-Weekend Activities". Way to go, Chris!!

Earl said enough volunteers came forth to sell parking places at Town Toyota Center the evening of the 4th of July for the fireworks display; the more the merrier! We will also plan on cleaning up the next day. Happy Independence Day!

Alan Walker, chair of the Bike Ride Committee announced that last week's committee meeting yielded a later-than-usual Apple Century Bike Ride on Saturday, September 25, 2021. We will return to our usual starting and ending point of Walla Walla Point Park. The same route will be followed from Wenatchee out through Leavenworth to Lake Wenatchee and back. The Wenatchee Confluence Rotary Club will be hosting a fundraiser with food trucks in Walla Walla Point Park from 11 am to 9 pm, so our riders will be able to get beer and food there. The Tour De Bloom Bike Race will be the same weekend, but will not interfere with our Apple Century Bike Ride. For more info, go to this link: Apple Century Bike Ride Home  Alan reminded the club that this is an ALL HANDS event. If you have something scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 25th, please change it so you can help out with the Bike Ride!! The next Bike Ride meeting will be next Monday, June 28th, 5 pm at Columbia River Brewery! Any member is invited.

The WSRC Fund Raising Committee will have its next meeting on Thurs. July 1, at 6 pm at Pybus Market. If you're interested in Fund Raising events and happenings, this is the place to be. All club members are welcome to attend. Contact Earl or Pete for more information.

Rotary Moment

Wayne quoted from the Rotary International Constitution regarding the Rule of 85: "A member's absence shall be excused if (1) the sum of the member's age and years of membership in one or more clubs is 85 years or more, (2) the member has been a Rotarian for at least 20 years, (3) the member has notified the club secretary in writing of a desire to be excused from attendance, and (4) the board has approved."

Brags and Confessions

Wayne bragged about taking his wife Karen to Spokane for a couple days to celebrate her birthday. They dined at Anthony's at the Falls for a seafood dinner. It was the first long trip with their new car! A good time was had by all. (A forgotten public brag: During a casino visit in Spokane, Wayne doubled his money; Karen didn't!)

Robin was able to use her nursing skills on Saturday at the Pybus Farmers Market after a woman fell. Mabel Bodell, a Wenatchee Confluence Rotarian and MD, also assisted!

John Schapman missed the Pybus event because of a camping and off-road event at Pot Holes State Park, near Moses Lake. 

PJ confessed to having shown up yesterday (Monday) for the Bike Ride Committee meeting scheduled for NEXT Monday, June 28th. 

Mansour used some mathematical equation, citing Founding Member status, for his Rule of 85 status. He said he submitted his Rule of 85 request during the Nixon administration, so he still travels from Lyons, Oregon, to Wenatchee to attend meetings! What a guy!!

Jackie and Dan have a road trip today. They're headed to Cle Elum, then on to Shelton....oh, with a stop off for a hike on Mt. St. Helens' Harry's Ridge. Will this count toward the 100 unique hikes in a year?!

Program

Earl introduced his wife Joy's Father, David Hardwick, Vocational Manager, at Mission Vista. David is from the Columbus, Ohio area and moved to Wenatchee when his son-in-law Earl was hired as the Deputy Coroner for Chelan County. David attended computer tech classes at Wenatchee Valley College hoping to find a career in computers. His work was interrupted by his starting work at Mission Vista as the Vocational Manager.

Mission Vista was found in Wenatchee in 1972. They are a non-profit organization with a mission to serve Wenatchee area adults with developmental disabilities to achieve fully-lived lives.

Vocational services provides an emphasis on individualized plans, with a goal of bridging the gap between participants looking for employment and the specific needs of individual employers. Participant referrals are made to the vocational department through Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services, Developmental Disabilities Administration and Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation.

David introduced Emilio Velah, Executive Director of Mission Vista. Emilio is a former Rotarian from the Bellingham area. He defined his clients at Mission Vista as those with disabilities who are just looking to fit it and make a living and a life! They should be treated with dignity and respect, and we should focus on what they CAN do, not what they CAN'T do. Communications with his clients are critical.  His focus is to fit the right person to the right job. 

David and Emilio took questions.

Q1: Is Mission Vista at full capacity as far as staff members?

A1: They currently have 60 employees and could expand to even more. They have 150 school-aged children with disabilities.

Q2: Where do the student waivers or referrals come from?

A2: Students are given IEPs (Individualized Education Program), a legal document developed for each student who needs special education. The student can also receive a referral from a school or doctor.

David and Emilio also said many of their clients are living in independent living situations. Mission Vista staff may come in to assist with meal preparation, shopping, going to a movie, etc.

Earl said that the Wenatchee Sunrise Rotary Club would donate a children's book to the Regional Libraries dedicated to them.

Raffle

John Schapman drew Milt Herman's "winning" ticket.

Wayne shows Milt the special, silver marble that would make him the WINNER of $74. But Milt's fingers could not find it in the bag! Better luck next month when the prize will be $74+!

Closing

Earl closed his last meeting at 7:51 am. His closing quote was from Jack Canfield: "Don't worry about failures. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try!".

Happy Father's Day! - Weekend Activities

Happy Father's Day to everyone!

What a fun weekend! Following the great Stage Kids presentation last month, 20+ of us bought tickets to their current show, Wizard of Oz, for Friday night (6/18). Kristen and Erik graciously offered to host a pre-function at their house where it was a lot of fun to socialize beforehand.

John, Betsy, and the rest of us enjoyed heavy appetizers and fellowship on a beautiful evening. It was just what the Doctor ordered. 

Speaking of which, did we mention he and Kristen also sponsored the show? Way to go, it's amazing to see the youth development and to see them grow!

It's hard to believe how well these kids performed in each of their roles. You'd have thought they'd been playing the roles for years they were so polished.

Pybus Takeover

So what is a Pybus Takeover?

This is a great opportunity for Rotary volunteers to get out in the community and collaborate with Pybus Market and the Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market to help them set up, help market-goers get their items to their vehicles, and spend time with each other!

This summer we are hosting a takeover the third Saturday of each month through the end of the Farmers Market. This month, we did a pet parade and handed out frisbees with the Rotary logo. 

There was no charge or registration for the parade, but we did collect donated pet foods and supplies to be given to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. We gathered at 10:15 am on the steps and grassy area south of the market, just below the walkway ramp and then paraded through the market.

Jackie was the grand marshal of our parade and was a great sport; even adding face paint (at least I think it was - or was it her true colors?).  She was purr-fect for the role of Pleasant Pet Parade Principal Pacesetter! Fun fact, did you know you can download a thesaurus app for your phone?

 

All kinds of pets showed up, even a bunny rabbit, and it's not even Easter!

In the end, we collected quite a nice little donation for our local humane society!

Today's bonus quote is from Muhammad Ali (or Cassius Clay for those of you who remember sitting next to him in your high school algebra class):

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."

Have a great finish to the weekend and see you all Tuesday!

June 15, 2021 Meeting Notes

President Earl opened the meeting at 7 am, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Craig followed by Carol leading the members in the invocation.

Guests

Shanley Crane (East Wenatchee Rotarian) brought John Carey who is looking at different clubs. Zach Pauw was also a guest again and if you haven't had the opportunity to get to know him, be sure to spend some time with him at the changeover dinner!

Announcements

Alan announced a Bike Ride Committee meeting “tonight” (6/15) at Columbia Valley Brewing to discuss options such as a shortened version of our famous Apple Century Bike Ride in late September or early October. If you couldn't make it, but are interested in providing input, contact Alan to pass along any ideas. (alanw@cdcac.org) Matt and Joel were planning to be there; we hope you were too!

Carol reminded people of the Stage Kids Wizard of Oz this Friday (June 18) at 7 pm and the pre-function at Holmbergs at 5 pm. If you can make it to Holmbergs, bring a heavy app and BYOB; Holmbergs will provide red wine.

Holmbergs: 2017 Broadview North (Wenatchee)

Stage Kids performance: Grace City - 277 Melody Lane (North on Easy Street from highway 2; take the first left).

Kathleen reminded club members about the "Take-Over of the Farmers Market at PybusMarket". Saturday, June 19 from 7:30 am to 1 pm. Rotary volunteers will collaborate with Pybus Market, the Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market and Firehouse Pet Shop to host a pet parade at the market at 10:30 am. There is no charge or registration, but we are collecting donated pet foods and supplies to be given to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. Gather at 10:15 am on the steps/grassy area south of the market. Remember, it's just a grassy area, not a grassy knoll so everyone should be safe.

John McD reported that Saturday's parking for the parade netted $275. 

John also reminded everyone that the Wenatchee Sunrise Change-Over Dinner is Tuesday, June 29th, at 6:30 pm, at Ridgeline Graphics. $5 per person or $10 for a family; guests are free. Contact John McD for your choice of BBQ meats (johnc@ridgelinegraphics.com). We have about 40 people attending to see Earl off and welcome Kathleen aboard as Club President.

Earl reminded members of our selling parking spots on 4th of July at Town Toyota Center, and the following day's cleanup on July 5th. This is an easy, fun fund-raiser for us! It's fun and fellowship; funlowship! (I may or may not have just made up a word. All I know is that I will never say it out loud!) Plus you'll have a great view of the fireworks if you stick around! Many hands make light work so be sure to be there the next morning to help out with clean up. No highway nearby so it's got that going for it too. 😉

John S. gave an update of the Board minutes. In addition to a lot of what was already discussed:

• Still exploring ways to improve the service club sign at the north end. Robin is following up with the city.
• Went over our club goals for the coming year.
• Discussed 11 Challenge Scholar applicants (all from WestSide High School.)

Rotary Moment

Kevin highlighted this month on the Rotary Calendar - Fellowships month, not to be confused with Funlowship Month! This might just catch on! (Or not, who knows! Ok, we probably all know, sheesh.)

Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a Fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world (especially if you don't call them Funlowships, which let's admit, they really are), explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience. See https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships for more information.

Brags and Confessions

Kelly claimed to be 60, but no one knows how that could be. Probably just trying to make Alan feel better. Go Kelly!

Kathleen is heading out of town to Delaware to see her mom and sisters. Then off she's off to see the Wizard in Orlando or at least to meet up with Steve and go to Disneyworld!

Ruth performed live in front of a real audience; it's great to start getting back to normal! A treat for them to hear her play the piano for sure.

Erik shot a personal best 74 at the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club and that included a double-bogey on a par 5. What could have been; but actually was. Congratulations on quite the score! He also took their pontoon boat with Kristen and two other couples from Chief Joe dam to Grand Coulee and (barely) back. They started with a full tank, but the trip was over 50 miles and they turned around with only 37% gas left in the tank. Fortunately it was all downstream on the way back, but they coasted in at zero percent! He also purchased the BSA Scout office in town when they downsized their expenses during the past year. There was a lot of office furniture included so if anyone needs office furniture, please let him know.

John Schapman's daughter had two pictures in the latest Foothills magazine as a St. Joe's student. If you've never seen what she looks like, well, this isn't a good time either. It was back when they had to wear masks, but she's famous now and we're counting it!

Jackie and Dan have committed to do 100 unique hikes.

They added two more to the list this week (Ancient Lakes and Iron Bear) and now are in the 80's.

And why didn't they stay together on the trail; haven't they heard of the buddy system?!

Robin's brother arrives today with their mom's stuff. She went to bed after 1 am because she'd been cleaning (which is why she was on Zoom today). She keeps a spray bottle by her bed for when her throat is dry, but mixed up her lavender pillow spray (and all-purposetonic) on accident, gross! That Richard is a prankster, isn't he?

Rebecca connected through Zoom with many of the other Rotary Exchange students from her year in Germany (1979-1980). They are all over the world now and it was really fun to catch up with all of them. Her parents are going to be coming on Thursday so she won't be able to go to the Wizard of Oz and offered her tickets to anyone to use, but wouldn't say no to someone donating the cost to the club.

Program

Our very own Craig Reese spoke about Sister Connection in Burundi. In Burundi, and much of Africa,
daughters are the property of their father. When they get married, they become the property of their husband and if their husband dies, the widow is discarded property; the husband's family gets all of their possessions and home.

Sister Connection provides four pathways to self-sufficiency for widows:

• Homebuilding - provides shelter, safety, and stability; and it only costs $750!
• Sponsorship - $35/month provides enough for food, clothing, medicine, and more.
• Vocation Training - jobs require skills; goal is to develop Burundians to be the trainers.
• Microenterprise - ability must be met with opportunity. Loans average $150 and to date the over 2400 loans have been paid back at a 98% rate.

One of the key programs is “in3”. 3 years, 3 steps to financial independence. $1,500 pays for her needs including a home, as well as vocational training and Microenterprise funding.

When they build a home, it's not about building and leaving. The widow uses the program to hire local Burundis and source local materials which reconnects the widow to the community and returns a sense of worth to the widow not only in herself but in the eyes of her community. The homes belong to the widow and they can sell them to move or leave to their children. They build about 125 homes per year and have built almost 2400 brick homes to date.

Helping a widow typically helps three children as well. There are between 2200 and 2300 widows helped, but also around 8000 children. Sponsoring a widow makes the difference for children to be able to stay in school rather than work for survival.

Lake Tanganyika has swelled over its banks and flooded towns and due to changes in weather is not expected to return to previous levels. This has displaced thousands of people in this densely populated country. Many have left, many have stayed. People risk both disease and crocodiles; people have nowhere to go. There are some relief camps, but disease runs rampant. There are no real government resources in this poor country.

Craig hasn't seen Shelter Boxes there yet, but has seen UNICEF. His ask was to support relocating widows at a cost of $770 each. John McDarment offered to pay the first $500 for a sponsorship if the club would cover the rest and the board said they'd review it. Good luck Craig!

Raffle

Somehow Robin's ticket was drawn and she wasn't even present; see how easy it is! Alas, she picked up the lavender marble. She didn't win, but I bet she has wonderful smelling breath!

Closing

Earl quoted Napoleon, no not that one, the other one - Hill. "Do not wait: the time will never be 'just right'."

Earl adjourned just after 8 am. See you all tonight or Friday night!

Or Saturday morning or next Tuesday! Or maybe I'm watching you right now and you just don't know it! Ok, got a little creepy there, apologies. Have a great week and remember, Service Above Self.

June 8, 2021 Meeting Notes

President Earl opened the meeting at 7 am, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag followed and Jim lead the members in the invocation.

John McDarment welcomed guest Tom Welch, former member of the Wenatchee Rotary Club.

Announcements

Kathleen reminded club members about the "Take-Over of the Farmers Market at Pybus

Market". Saturday, June 19 from 8 am to 1 pm. Rotary volunteers will collaborate with Pybus Market, the Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market and Firehouse Pet Shop to host a pet parade at the market at 10:30 am. There is no charge or registration, but we are collecting donated pet foods and supplies to be given to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. Gather at 10:15 am on the grassy area south of the market, just below the walkway ramp.

Earl reminded members of our selling parking spots on 4th of July at Town Toyota Center, and the following day's cleanup on July 5th. This is an easy, fun fund-raiser for us! Times and sign up sheet next week at the Tuesday meeting.

Craig said club invoices have been sent out for Jan. through March. They include any brags, confessions and raffle tickets. Meals were not included in this invoice because they did not start until 2nd quarter.

This Saturday, June 12th, John McDarment is asking for 3 volunteers to sell parking spots in his various parking lots prior to the Apple Blossom Festival Parade. Show up at Ridgeline Graphics about 8:30 am on Saturday. This will probably only be a 3 hours volunteer session. 

John McD. talked with Lorraine Church, who was recently injured in a fall while trying to trim her hedge. She was asking if the club could help out. Plans are in the works. Stand by for time/date. Lorraine gave John a $96 check for the club in memory of her late husband Bob.

Not to hog the microphone, John McD reminded everyone that the Wenatchee Sunrise
Change-Over Dinner is Tuesday, June 29th, at 6:30 pm, at Ridgeline Graphics. $5 per person or $10 for a family. Contact John McD for your choice of BBQ meats (johnc@ridgelinegraphics.com). We have about 40 people attending to see Earl off and welcome Kathleen aboard as Club President.

The Bike Ride Committee is having a meeting to discuss a possibility of having a shortened version of our famous Apple Century Bike Ride in late September or early October. The meeting is Tuesday, June 15th, 5 pm, at Columbia Valley Brewing/Riverside Pub. If you're interested in providing an input or just want to have some munchies and a beer, show up! Contact Alan for more details or to pass along any ideas if you can't attend. (alanw@cdcac.org)

Sargent at Arms

Wayne thanked Robin for purchasing a new Four Way Test banner. An auction was held for the purple banner that has graced our meeting FOREVER! PJ parted ways with $30 to hang said banner....somewhere!

John S. forgot he was a greeter this month, and missed two greeting sessions. He'll also miss the $5 he was fined.

Rotary Moment

Kevin read from the Rotary magazine about various organizations that have been spawned from Rotary International:

• Easter Seals (Paul Harris and E. Allen)
• Shelter Box
• Aqua Box (water purification kits. 100,000 have already been distributed)
• Little Free Library boxes
• Roto-Plast (1992. 21,000 patients)
• Alliance for Smiles
• And others.

Brags and Confessions

Chris' wife Holly's cousin and husband from Oregon were in Chelan on Friday.

Taro found a bank money bag in his garage from his pre-CoVId Presidential reign. It increased the present treasury by $11.

Kelly pad $14 to brag about her granddaughter's birthday.

Robin reported damage to her home's interior from her mother's terror of a dog. This dog is up for adoption! See Robin if you're interested!

Carol and Jim graciously stepped up to be candidates for Vice Presidents and were elected to the position. Now they are asking for someone else to step up and actually be the VP. They feel that we have many club members who could fill the position.

Alan bragged about Kelly's birthday this week. His oldest son and girl friend from the Tri-Cities visited them and enjoyed a BBQ dinner.

Dave F. announced having a birthday (67 he says!) and his grand daughter turned 3, so all totaled it's 70 years!

Program

President Elect Kathleen McNalty presented her goals for the club for her Rotary Presidential year 2021-2022.

Most member agree that the club is a special place where you can meet your Rotary friends, but it's also a place to bring your non-Rotary friends! Introduce them to the club and its members and encourage them to join!

Opinions of others are tolerated. Volunteerism leads to service and fellowship. With CoVid rules being relaxed, more service projects can be planned and completed. This results in a stronger club and community while having FUN!

While membership has declined in the past few years, our goal is to increase our membership by 5. We look to having more members participate in club meeting, service project, and club committees.

Our service goals is to have a minimum of 30 participants attending at least 12 service projects during the year!

The goal of District Training is to have at least 4 club members attend training events within District 5060. Four leadership development event attendance is the goal for 2021-2022.

The goals for Financial giving goals are to have all members contribute to the matching funds of Every Rotarian Every Year, and to have at least 3 members plan to contribute $10,000 to the Bequest Society.

General Goals were discussed.

• The Strategic Planning Team will continue to plan for the club's future. The next meeting is Sat., June 26th. All club members are welcome to attend.
• Fundraisers have not happened during the past 2 years. We are hoping to work with the WA Gambling Commission to get permission to start the Road Apple Roulette fundraiser. Our Bike Ride may be modified or replaced (Meeting to plan that on June 15th.)
• Grants, both international and district, are there for application. Focus on both.
• ClubRunner app for mobile phones is a valuable tool. See Kathleen if you want help loading it on your phone. All club members in the District are listed, as well as their contact information. We can also store on ClubRunner important documents or frequently used materials.
• Programs continue to be a focus for our weekly meeting. The Board has been task with getting speakers for the meetings. Contact Dave Freimuth if you have a speaker for a future meeting. (dfreimuth@nwi.net).

John McD reminded the club that these are the club members' goals as well!

Committee Chairs have been polled and chosen for our club's committees. If you have a request to join a certain committee, please contact Kathleen and the committee chair(s). Various committee chairs and members contributed to the discussion:

• Youth Exchange: Chair Joel Banken reminded the club that we need to be thinking of an outbound student by Sept. 2021 for their August 2022 departure. It's approaching fast and much prep work has to be done prior to that for the students acceptance into the program. Also, hosting families are need (90 days per family per YE student) for the next group of incoming YE students. Again, the families must be vetted prior to the student's arrival and this takes some time!
• Program Chair Dave F. reminded the club members to get program speakers contact info to him.
• Fundraising Committee: Craig said there is a $10K budget placeholder for the Bike Ride or replacement fundraiser, when it happens.
• Fellowship Committee: Co-Chair Rebecca reminded the club that this committee seeks FUN! The club also takes care of members who are "hurting" in one manner or another.
• Challenge Scholar Committee: Co-Chair Craig opened a discussion regarding our scholarship goals, as written, about "finishing high school on time". This will be looked into and possible amended.
• Public Image Committee: Co-Chair Chris asked the club if anyone would like to assist in the weekly compilation of the club's blog! Another set of eyes and different writing style would be appreciated by Chris and Wayne, our club's duty bloggers! HELP!

Kathleen closed her presentation by asking for questions. Thanks to Kathleen for providing a lively presentation by using her Toast Master presentation skills!

Raffle

Kevin drew his own ticket (?!), then failed to find that illusive winning marble. Next week's potential prize will be North of $54. You can still win next week!

Closing

Earl ended the meeting with this thought: "Life is like a camera! 

Just focus on what's important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don't turn out, just take another shot.” Ziad Abdelnour

Earl adjourned the meeting at 8 am.