Announcements and Notes

Remember that there will be no meeting Tuesday, Dec. 15, because our Christmas party on Sunday, Dec. 13 will be our meeting that week.  See you all at Chateau Faire La Ponte at 6:00 for a great dinner and white elephant gift exchange.  Be prepared to have fun.

The Board approved $3500 to contract with Firefly to design and maintain our club web site and the bike ride web site.  Also, we will not be participating in the Seattle Bike Expo this year.  We have received a commitment from Confluence Health to be a $5000 sponsor for the ride, and we are trying to get another $5000 from them.

Our Challenge Scholars and their families will be at our December 22 meeting.

Wayne sent around a sign up sheet for those interested in helping pack sack lunches for the "Packing Friendship" program.  This program provides food for kids who may not have food on the weekends. Our club will help pack sacks every other Wednesday at the Assembly of God church on McKittrick. The Rotaract club will cover the other Wednesdays.

Jill Courtney was presented a blue and bronze back for her Rotary pin by President Wayne signifying having sponsored her second new member.  Erik Holmberg (1) and Lisa Tidd (2) were also recognized.

Be thinking new members.  Starting in January, we will have a competition to see which teams can bring the most prospective member guests, and the most new members.  Members from the winning team will receive a stay at Sun Mountain Lodge near Winthrop.  Jim Adamson gave a minute for membership that defined why people join Rotary, and proposed a simple message we can give people who want to know what Rotary is all about.  Try it as you share your Rotary experience.

Rotary is a leadership and service organization.  We are made up of local business people, professionals, and civic leaders.  We meet weekly, have fun, form friendships, and through these, we get a lot of good things done in our community. 

We passed the hat and collected tip money for our faithful Red Lion server, who has set up and cleaned up every Tuesday morning for us.

Congratulations to our 2016-17 officers who will take office July 1, 2016:

President - Matt McColm
Pres-elect - Erin McCool
Vice Pres - Jim Huffman
Secretary - Joanne Rosenthal
Treasurer - Lisa Tidd
Board Members - Maggie Nelson and Kathleen McNaulty

Helping a Family at Christmas

Here's an opportunity to help out a family in our community this Christmas.  Below is the list of items for the family mentioned at Rotary this morning.  At last night’s Past President’s Meeting it was suggested to share the needs, and ask people to contribute cash or bring items to the Christmas Party this Sunday.  

 

Christmas Family Gifts

• Boy, 11 (special needs) – Favorite color: RED
  • Size 7 men’s winter boots
  • Size XL long sleeve pullover shirts (he gets frustrated with buttons)
  • Size XL pajamas (loves Mario)
  • Handheld Game (like Nintendo DS models, used is okay, Mario games ONLY-others make him anxious- Check Gamestop in East Wenatchee and online)
  • Smaller gifts: anything Mario – Books, action figures, etc

• Girl, 13 (special needs) – Favorite colors: PINK, MINT GREEN
  • Size 5 women’s winter boots
  • Size XL long sleeve shirts
  • Size 16 girls elastic waistband pants (no zippers, buttons or snaps of any kind, please)
  • Crafts! Especially painting and drawing
  • Books – thicker teenage girl, fun fiction books and non-fiction books about teen girls with Cerebral Palsy (but not Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight type books)
    • Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
    • Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

• Mom – Favorite color: PURPLE
  • Size 2X winter coat
  • Size 7 ½ winter boots
  • Size 2X pullover shirts, various colors
  • Size 2X couple of red pullover (t-shirts are ok) shirts for work
  • Large countertop griddle
  • Electric pressure cooker

• Other
  • Typical Christmas dinner items (that she can prepare at home)

Program -- Mobile Meals of Wenatchee

Sandy Briggs¸ Coordinator for Mobile Meals of Wenatchee shared the history and purpose of this non-profit, community home service established in 1971. Their purpose is to assist the homebound; those recovering from an illness or surgery, the elderly and the handicapped by delivering hot meals allowing them to remain independent in their own homes. A hot meal, purchased from Central Washington Hospital, can be provided Monday through Friday for $5.00 or a contribution within the city limits of Wenatchee and parts of East Wenatchee. The meals are delivered each day between 11am and 12 noons by different individuals who volunteer one day per month (2 hour commitment). Currently, approximately 80 meals a day are being delivered by kind, thoughtful and smiling volunteers! Mobile Meals motto is “a meal and a friend at the door”. Often, these volunteers are the eyes and ears of family members who live far away. For more information or to volunteer, please call (509) 665-6254 or visit their website mobilemealsofwenatchee.org

Announcements, Brags and Confessions December 1, 2015

Congratulations Mansour Ravassipour, October Rotarian of the Month.  Mansour was applauded for his ongoing support of the Club including work on the bike ride and recent highway trash clean up.


Joan Wright was announced at the November Rotarian of the Month.  Joan was acknowledged for her long time Club membership, past service as Club president and her strong support of our scholarship program.  Thanks Joan for all you do!


United Way Holiday Open House.  Jingle, Jingle, Jingle. It's time to mix and mingle!  Please join United Way on Tuesday December 8th, 4:00PM to 7:00PM for a multi-business Open House.   Food, beverages, music and prizes await as you end your work day.  Five business from 101 South Mission to 111 South Mission (Wenatchee) are opening their doors to celebrate:  Evergreen Home Loans, American Family Insurance, United Way of Chelan and Douglas Counties, Holbens Barbershop, and Edward Jones.

Mateo, our youth exchange student joined us for breakfast.  Please remember to invite Mateo to your family and community activities. We want him to feel welcome in our community.

Holiday Party December 13th, 6 pm.  Location is Chateau Faire le Pont in Olds Station.  Please sign up at our next Club meeting.  Call Bill McDowell if you will not be able to sign up but plan to attend.  This is a white elephant gift exchange.  If you are naughty you can rummage through your treasures and find just the right offensive item to share.  If you are nice you can find an item truly worth treasuring for under $25.  Please wrap your gift.


Board of Director Nominations.  Let Carol Adamson know if you have any nominees.  Voting is during our next Club meeting, December 8.

Len Noss Update.  Carol and Jim delivered a card to Len at his home.  Joan and Rani visited and got an organ concert.  He LOVED the company.  Club member are encouraged to visit.  Len's surgery is this Friday.  Keep in him in your thoughts and prayers.

The Importance of Signing (In).  Where would our country be if the team to the right had not signed?  Please sign in to our meetings as you arrive.  It's an important and patriotic duty (okay, that's a big stretch, but it does help Joanne Rosenthal).


Brags & Confessions

• Mansour house is not finished (darn) but he is heading to Arizona in a few weeks to enjoy some warm weather.  He will work on his house when he returns.
• Jill Courtney celebrated an anniversary (number of years unspecified!)
• Erik Holmberg has lost 25 pounds since the beginning of November.  Looking good!
• Earl Crowe warned agains snow shoveling for those not in top shape.  He is our only Club member who heavily discourages a visit to his office. 

Program - Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Rich Brickman, sociology instructor at WVC and past Leavenworth City Administrator, showed pictures of his Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trip last summer.  He hiked the 2658 miles that stretches from Mexico to Canada in 150 days.  He talked about the 29 resupply points along the route, and the magic of the "trail angels" who provided hospitality to the trail hikers.  Some of the hardships and dangers included rattlesnakes, bears, poison plants, water shortages, broken gear, blisters and scrapes from falls, snow, trees, rocks, and slides on the trail, and water crossings.

Announcements

Remember the club Christmas Party at Chateau Faire La Ponte at 6:00 on Sunday, December 13.  Cost is $39 per person, and sign ups will be going around each week.

The District Governor will be honoring an "Unsung Hero" in each club at the district conference in Yakima (May 12-14).  President Wayne would like members to email him a name of the person you would nominate for this award in our club.

Last chance to give Carol Adamson the name of a member you would like to nominate (with their permission) for next year's Board and/or for vice-president.  Elections will be held on Dec. 8.

Paint a bowl for the 2016 Empty Bowl event to raise money for the Central Washington Food Distribution Center.  The bowls are free to paint, and times are Dec. 11 from 3-8, Dec. 12 from 9-2, and Jan. 15 from 3-8 at the Wenatchee Community Center (504 S. Chelan).  You can purchase tickets for the Empty Bowl dinner later in January for $15 and reserve your bowl to use.  Fun for the whole family.

Have you done anything with our exchange student, Mateo?  Taro and family are hosting this quarter, but it is up to all of us to provide hospitality and experiences that will help make his year here one to remember.  Call Taro to schedule a time to take Mateo to coffee, dinner, an out-of-town trip, etc.

Challenge Scholar - Mentor Party

Four of our challenge scholars and their family showed up at Godfathers with several of our club mentors and committee people.  The scholars can really put away the pizza.  Along with the pizza, Joan Wright had some great activities, and explained the mentor program to the families. Joan, Erin McCool, Maggie Nelson, Rani Sampson, and Jim & Carol Adamson participated.  We got lots of good ideas for future activities with our scholars.