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Be The Inspiration
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We meet Fridays at 7:00 AM
Cottesmore Care Ctr.

2909 14th Ave NW
Mail to: PO Box 342
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
United States of America

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Last Friday (1/11/2019)

Posted by Randy Spitzer

77:30 - Call to Order – Paul Alvestad

Invocation – by Bob Lutschg; Pledge of Allegiance – Scout, Will Potter lead the pledge; Song – Hal Cline – along with Bob Ryan, Peter Stanley, & Annie Arbenz joined Hal lead singing of the Star-Spangled Banner; 4 Way Test – Dick Vandenberg led the 4-way test.

Visiting Rotarian – Joyce Taylor, Shelton Club

Guests – Paul Alvestad, Boy Scout Weblos Pack 202 (Members and leaders included: Rob Porter (Scoutmaster,) Will Potter, Douglas Woolworth, Hudson Nadal, Carrie Knievel, Kerry Hirrs, Caden Conley, and a few others who did not sign in.) They presented the colors this morning and lead the pledge. Tom Stansfield, soon to be a new member, was our only other guest.

Rotary Foundation Scott Junge announced that GH Rotary Foundation will have election of officers at our next meeting, no new nominees have come forward so the officers currently serving will continue to serve when elected.

Calendar/Important Dates – Paul Alvestad went over the Rotary calendar. Upcoming events include: Star Awards, Sip-n-Stroll, Auction, District Convention and the Courage Classic. Visit the web site for dates and times.

Rotary 101 – Rotary Wisdom #12 – Paul Alvestad – On Leveraging our Money: The International Committee was able to leverage $5,000 from the Olson Foundation with $10,000 from our club, plus contribution from the district, and Rotary International totaling another $45,000 plus a global grant of $140,000 for a total of $200,000 for their international project!

New Year’s Resolutions – Paul Alvestad New year resolutions: Bob Martin – walk without a limp; Camilla Brocker – survive the auction; Annie Arbenz – put her phone in a cabinet when she is at home; Paul Alvestad – put his credit card in the freezer.

Doodle – Paul Alvestad mentioned that Doodle is the new calendar app for the club.

Survey Monkey – Paul Alvestad thanked members who have already filled out the survey and encouraged the rest of the members to fill out the club survey. The board will use the feedback to make decisions about our future.

Sip-n-Stroll – Paul Alvestad reminded us that February 9 is the date of the next Sip-n-Stroll event; Lee (not present this morning) will be asking for volunteers to help out soon. Sip-n-Stroll events benefit our club and the Downtown Assn.

Communities in Schools – Dick Vandenberg The annual fundraiser is coming up. Stay tuned.

International – Rodney Ladd previously announced that the upcoming International Committee meeting is cancelled.

Star Awards – Sharon Shaffer asked that we sign up to attend this year’s Star Awards, Feb 1, 5:30-8:30 pm at Canterwood Golf & Country Club. 16 people have registered so far. Look for the next e-vitation in your email inbox and respond by signing up!

Henderson Bay Career Fair – Norma Whitacre announced that our club’s first career fair is coming up Feb 27. Norma is asking for 25 Rotarians to volunteer to talk about their professions. The students have chosen eight categories they’d like to hear about. This career fair will be interactive: involving the students in learning about what it is like to work in each profession.

DECA – Jack Stonestreet’s grandson announced the regional DECA competition, January 17, 2019 at the Tacoma Convention Center; he asked for two volunteers from our club to act as judges. Contact Jack if you want to volunteer.

Salmon Sales Results – Tom Borgen received a check from Don Buchanan in the amount of $1,600 from our holiday salmon sales to benefit international travel for students. Thanks Don!

Dinners for Eight – Hal Cline reported that we have 37 couples; he asked for three more couples to reach his goal of 40. He got 2 more couples today. He needs just one more couple to fill out the Dinners-for-Eight 2019 schedule. Email Hal to sign up.

Annual Fund/Polio Plus – Bob Martin reported that our club goal for the Annual Fund/Polio Plus campaign is $20,000 this year; we’re currently at just over $8,000. To that end, Rod Ladd was recognized today with his Paul Harris + 8. Way to go Rod!

Finemaster – Mac Pinch – Annie was fined for texting during the meeting and for guessing wrong on Mac’s quick “do monkeys eat bananas in the wild?” quiz (they don’t.) Richard Pifer was fined by John Winslow for taunting him on Facebook and for posting a picture of his cucumber facial; Richard was fined another buck for looking well-rested. Keith Harris was fined for having 100% score on the “Montana Survey;” Mac pointed out that Montana is known for the invention of the “tooth brush,” whereas everywhere else, the oral instrument is known as “teeth brush.” (groan) Marti Anderson, who recently served as the scribe, was fined for calling out Mac for having missed his turn as fine master the day she took notes. Pat Schmidt was fined for her New Year’s Eve posts of herself holding an oversized champagne bottle. John Ciccarelli & Sherlyn Iverson were fined for having not been fined in a while. Hal Cline was fined …well just because. Corey Coryell was fined for not coming up with a reason for not being fined fast enough. Chief Kelly Busey was fined for sending eight cops to a burger joint to make an arrest; Mac wondered if it might have had something to do with the half-price burgers being offered that day. Bob Martin and Camilla Brocker were fined for needing mechanical assistance (a cane and crutches respectively) to ambulate. Rod Ladd put in a happy buck for getting an application for a Rotary grant in early. Betty Felker put in a happy buck as she and her husband Bob are celebrating their 52^nd anniversary; she put in another buck for anticipating the upcoming elementary kids dance competition. Peter Stanley put in a happy buck for the birth of his 5^th grandchild. Bob Martin put in a happy buck for his wife, Jan, allowing him to drive again. Paul Alvestad put in a happy buck for having had his tree farm certified again.

7:59 - Raffle- Larry Olson Winning 10-Free was John Winslow; Gary Glein had the winning ticket, but drew a white chip – $15 is not such a bad consolation.

8:00 - Program – Camilla Brocker – Auction Kickoff

Camilla Brocker, our auction chair, showed up this morning on crutches, having recently fractured her foot skiing. She was unable to get her PowerPoint connected to the system; but soldiered on none-the-less with her presentation about our upcoming 2019 auction goals. The auction will be at the Point Fosdick Antique Airport Hanger. Our theme this year: The Sky’s the Limit. Camilla laid out five main goals: 1) Restaurants: Peter Stanley reported their goal to be 10-12 restaurants, 6 establishments have said yes so far, 2) Procurement: Peter Glein is still doing the back end data entry, he announced that the procurement deadline is February! Randy Spitzer and Sophie Perkins are coordinating and assisting the procurement team captains: Camilla offered the winning team an invitation to a barbeque at her home. 3) Sponsorships: John Mitchell reported that Timberland Bank is our Premier Sponsor this year, we’re about 1/3 of the way to our goal of $20,000. John asked us to let him know if you have a prospective sponsor he can approach, 4) Ticket Sales: Rod Ladd reported that we’re shooting to sell 420 tickets. Ticket prices are $75 for early bird and $85 late purchases. Our best sales have come from Table Sponsors (who buy a table and bring guests) and Table Captains (who take responsibility for selling tickets for one table.) 5) Auction Experience: The committee is looking to add an “auction experience” like we did with “First Tee” last year. Next Auction Committee Meeting: Jan 22^nd at Cutters Point. Camilla closed her presentation with a personal plea asking every member to put forward their best efforts to help make the event a real success. Thanks for your leadership Camilla!

Randy Spitzer, Scribe

Friday (1/4/2019)

Posted by Chuck Cuzzetto

There was no slide show prior to the opening of the meeting.

Opening Bell: By President Paul at 7:30 am. Invocation: by Peter Glein. Pledge of Allegiance: by Marti Anderson. Song: God Bless America, led by Hal Cline. Four Way Test: by Chuck Cuzzetto.Greeters: None noted.

Visiting Rotarians: According to Coach there were no visiting Rotarians. Guests: Jeff Harris introduced John Doherty, a future speaker. Dick Vanberg introduced his wife (he thinks), Jean. Mark Hoppen welcomed Steve O’Donnell. John Duppenthaler introduced Bill Every, a hearing specialist (which brought a round of “what’s” and “huh’s”). Marcia Harris introduced School Board President Deb Krishnadasan and kept her second guest a secret. John Guardia reintroduced his son Nick.

Opening Comments: President Alvestad was stumped as there was no one working the AV (I guess it’s AVD now – audio visual digital) until Peter Glein stepped in to help. President Paul mentioned the technology committee and finance committee and told everyone to be looking for a mid year survey. He really wants your comments.

President Alvestad then asked for Rotarians to share their New Year’s resolutions. He said that the club would evaluate how members were doing at the half way point and at year end (that brought a lot of volunteers). President Paul called on Mel Santos to offer a resolution. Mel shared that he has already started cleaning his garage. The President said he planned to shed ten pounds. Peter Glein seconded the garage idea and Rod Ladd added a pound to President Paul’s offering. On a serious note, Annmarie Huppert stated she is going to start a drug and alcohol center; and on an even more serious note, Scott Junge resolved to start smoking (and probably be Annmarie’s first client).

Announcements: President Paul reminded everyone of the upcoming District Conference and then shared Wisdom #11, Rotary 101 – Leverage: Financial Leverage – using money wisely, Organizational Leverage – helping other organizations in the community, Rotarian Leverage – building future Rotarians, and Internal Leverage – meeting members’ needs.

Birthdays: Walt Paulsen introduced members with January birthdays: Derek Kilmer, Tim Williams, John Eddy, Scott McVay, Randy Barcalow, Paul Willett, Tom Borgen, Dave Freeman, Richard Pifer, and David Olson’s wife; and then led the group in Happy Birthday.
Gig Harbor Rotary Foundation: Dave Gordon shared that elections for three seats will be held at the end of January. Incumbents Ed Lindstrom, Dorothy Wimberly, and Bob Draggoo, are all expected to run again. If you are interested in running let Dave or Scott Junge know by next Friday.
Star Awards: Sharon Shaffer informed the group that Star Awards’ Celebration is Friday, February 1, at Canterwood, and that tickets ($40) are available online now.
Dinners for Eight: Hal Cline is recruiting more participation in this program. There are currently 29 couples signed up, with 40 needed to make this work. Let him know if you are interested.
Henderson Bay Career Fair: Richard Schmalz thanked Norma Whitaker for her working getting this event started. This pilot career fair will be held February 27. There are 80 students signed up and Richard is looking for 20 volunteers to share stories and successes of their careers. There will be a meeting next Friday, after the morning meeting to discuss.
Rotary After Hours: John Eddy reminded everyone about Rotary After Hours, next Wednesday, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at Hop n Drops (formerly Hop Jacks).

Fines and Happy Bucks: David Cathers was the Finemaster. He secured bucks from Dave Gordon for his ineffective microphone use, many members for not using the Y, Hal Cline for a new song (not), Marcia Harris for her secret guest, and Bob Martin for his hip (Bob couldn’t reach his wallet to pay the fine because of his hip), Happy Bucks: Sophie Perkins for her engagement and getting a new puppy (she gave the same amount for each), Chuck Perry for his family moving back, Al Weaver for his new heart valve (the President wanted to know if it was a cow valve as he has a special deal), Howard Mackert for not being able to hear while sitting next to a hearing specialist, and Peter Glein donated cash that Coach dropped in his car and suggested Rotarians short on cash consider giving Coach a ride.

Drawing: Donna Lormor ran the raffle. The pot is $347 and we are down to seven chips. Dave Gordon won the ten free tickets for next week and Marti Anderson won the right to draw from the chips for the chance at the pot. She drew the Blue chip and won!

Program: Marcia Harris introduced Dr. Art Jarvis, Interim School Superintendent, Peninsula Schools, to address the “State of Peninsula Schools.” Dr. Jarvis has over 50 years of experience in education and over 30 years as a Superintendent. He has been a Rotarian as far back as 1985 and has been a member in several clubs including South Whidbey, Tacoma, and Renton. He also noted that January was a School Board Appreciation month and thanked the Board for their volunteer efforts, singling out Marcia Harris and Deb Krishnadasan, who were present. As the Superintendent of the areas’ largest employer, Dr. Jarvis provided his perspective of the District from his “outsider’s eye.” He reported that he sees a beautiful school district with a wonderful staff. He found a well-run school system that was financially sound. He reported that he learned of quality kids, teachers, principals and staff. He stated that the staff may be too good, working around things that should be fixed. He saw working partnerships with the community. He reflected that good schools make good communities and that good communities make good schools. He noted that the one thing that did not make sense for this district and community was the inadequate facilities. He noted that 1,000 elementary students are in portables, and that nearly one-third of students and teachers, system-wide, are in temporary facilities. With the largest kindergarten class in 25 years this year, and no room for anymore portables, facility overcrowding, especially at the elementary level, is the biggest concern. He reiterated that this was so inconsistent with the rest of the District and Community, with nearly all of the School buildings in need of renovation or replacement. He stated that he recommended to the Board that they focus on unhoused elementary students first and proposed a Capital Bond to build two new elementary schools and replace two existing schools (Evergreen and Artondale), adding 50% more classrooms. He also talked about next steps, visioning for future schools. He posed a few questions: What should a school library look like? Should it have books? How do we build the classroom for the future? Dr. Jarvis then answered questions about the CenturyTel site, property the District owns, bonds versus levies, the 60% Capital Bond threshold, growth projections, previous elections, the no campaign, and academic results.

President Alvestad ended the meeting at 8:32 am

Notes by Chuck Cuzzetto

Friday (12/28/2018)

Posted by Chuck Perry

Slide show prior to the opening bell. 21 pictures from a global grant on a Guatemalan water project. If you have photos of any Rotary functions, please share them with Paul and he will share them with the club during the opening slide show.

Opening Bell: By President Paul Alvestad at 7:31 am. Invocation: by David Gordon, who had forgotten he was on the schedule. So Rod Ladd pulled out a standby invocation which David read to the appreciation of the club. Pledge of Allegiance: by Scribe missed the assigned lead; Song: God Bless America, led by Hal Cline and assisted by Randy Spitzer. Four Way Test: by Ron Roberts. Visiting Rotarians: Introduced by “Coach” Jack Stonestreet; Howard Svigals, Dan Rioux and Kristy Rioux. Guests: Former Club President, Jerry Gibbs, Nick Guardia, and Terry Brown’s wife of 50 years, Lynn Brown.

Opening Comments: It was announced that Kathy Davis-Hayfield, a former member has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; stage four.

Paul announced that the club is putting together two temporary committees for finance and technology to address club management issues. These committees will be formed in January and they hope to be completed with their charged tasks within a month. Paul announced that the next Rotary After Hours (RAH) will be January 9^th. No other details available.

Announcements:

District Conference: Will be held May 9-12^th in Victoria. Marti Anderson spoke on things to do in Victoria, as well as ways to get there. With the Canadian dollar @.73 of the US dollar, some bargains are to be had in transportation, lodging and entertainment. More to follow.
Fish sales: Don announced that today was the final day for fish sales.
Henderson Career Fair: to be held Feb. 27^th.More information to follow.
Gig Harbor Rotary Foundation: Dave Gordon announced that the foundation will have two board positions up for election in a few weeks. Bob Dragoo and Ed Lindstrom have both announced that they will be running for reelection.

Fines and Happy Bucks: Paul Willett was the Finemaster. Bob Ryan and Marc Jorgensen were fined for sending out tax packets rather than a Christmas card, Gary Glein was fined for his Tesla, and questions if Duane Fister had to do any work on the car, since he was an electrician. Paul, while in San Louise Obispo, met someone who knew Bob Dragoo and Betty Felker, so they were both fined. Then Paul had a joke about the Huskies riding a roller coaster at Disney Land, why not just ride the band bus in Eastern Washington? Happy Bucks: Terry Brown $50 for their 50^th anniversary, Gary Glein for 47 years of marital bliss, Bob Martin for a new hip, Dan Rioux for this being the best Rotary club he has found. Tom Borgen and Cindy Reed had a few more happy bucks.

Drawing: Donna Lormor ran the raffle. The pot is $311and we are down to 8 chips. Cindy Reed won the 10 free tickets for next week and Marcia Harris won the right to draw from the chips for the chance at the pot. She drew the white chip for $15.

Program: Howard Svigals introduced Jacques Colon from the Pierce County Department of Health. Pierce County Rotary is looking for a new county wide project to work on since the ending of the Courage Classic. PC Rotary wants to partner with the Department of health to come up with projects to serve this community. Jacques explained that there is a difference between health equality and health equity. Longevity is directly tied to social economic areas. The area of higher land values tends to have higher life expediencies. So they are looking for solutions to get health equities. This was a very interesting program. For more information, go to www.tpchd.org/healthequity . You can also get a copy of the slide show with all the maps, etc. by requesting from Aerin at rotaryalvestad@gmail.com .

Happy New Year!!!!!!

President Paul ended the meeting at 8:35

Notes by Chuck Perry

Youth Exchange 2019

Posted by Robert J Martin on Dec 05, 2018

YOUTH EXCHANGE 2018-19 (Thanks to Cindy for the pictures and update)

This is Anina and Eliza Liebner. Anina spent 2017-18 in Italy and now her sister Eliza is headed for Spain. We have two students out this next year, but I think we are only hosting one.

This is Noah Flick, whose father is in the GH Midday club and Eliza. Noah is headed for Hungary and again, Eliza to Spain. Oh, to be young again. My Granddaughter is loving Chile.

Executive Directors

Our club is managed by AMI Association Management Inc.