Volume XI, Issue 8: August 26, 2011 - Final Friday

ROTARY EXCHANGE UPDATE

Our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, Noemi Schonenberger, told us what she's been doing since she arrived earlier this month. We saw photos of her wakeboarding in the sunshine. She also went to Frosh Day at Arcata High School last week, and she was excited about starting classes this week! 

Our Outbound Exchange Student, Grace Lovell, is scheduled to leave for Chile this Friday. We are looking forward to hearing from her when she settles in her new home away from home.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

There will be a meeting of the Community Services Committee this Thursday (September 1st) at the Plaza Grill beginning at 5:30 pm. 

Everyone is invited to Humboldt State's first home football game on Thursday, September 8th. The game will be nationally televised, so you could get yer mug seen across the country! (No outstanding warrants in Mobile, I trust.)

The Makeover of the Arcata Playhouse is still going on. Amy Bohner said that President Scott and Bob Johnson put in new carpet, but Scott demurred. "Bob installed the carpet," he said, "I was the glue guy."

Mark your calendars now for the "Hearts On Fire" Foundation Dinner North on October 15th. The event will take place at Blue Lake Casino. Contact Barbara Browning for more details.

RECOGNITIONS

The lucky number last week was "19" - that's the number of years that HealthSport has been in business (under that name), and every 19 minutes the club was announcing another winner. Sunriser Susan Janssen said that the anniversary celebration was taking place in all HealthSport locations. The business boasts about 270 employees, and "we're always adding new services". For example, at the Eureka location, you can now get your nails done. Recognitions Master Bob Johnson did not limit his Susan-lauding to Humboldt County or even this state! His extensive research revealed that Susan also owns three Snap Fitness franchises in Southern Oregon. The clubs, located in Talent, Medford, and Jacksonville, are open 24/7, and the Jacksonville location is conveniently located across from Gary West Meats on G Street!

Cindy Sutcliffe pre-announced her retirement last week. President Scott sent a request for a volunteer Sunriser to serve on the District Conference Planning Committee. Cindy responded, "Well I am going to be retired by then (hee hee) so I could do it". So Bob asked if she is currently retired, but Cindy said that her retirement date is December 23rd. "It's been on my mind," she said, "and I want it to be on everyone else's mind."

When Bob asked for Good News, Lori Breyer told us that her daughter Megan has returned from Guatemala. Megan was singing with a Christian musical group that toured the country. They did "at least two concerts a day" while they were there.

Karen Burgesser is back from an ill-fated trip to Portland. Unfortunately, her car broke down, but she did make it there and back safely.

It takes a lot of time and effort to see all of our country's National Parks, but that is a goal that Kathy Fraser is working toward. In honor of her upcoming birthday, she plans to scratch three more off the list by visiting Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. 

Ceva and Doug Courtemanche celebrated their 4th anniversary in Las Vegas. Ceva served as the advance person for the trip, since she was attending a trade show prior to Doug's arrival. When he got there, they did up the town, including seeing the sights by helicopter! When Ceva said it was "super hot" in Vegas, I think she was talking about the weather ... but maybe not ...

Terri Clark said that she has been married for 29 years to "a remarkably tolerant man". Although there was some miscommunication between Terri and her husband Marty Lay, there was a pink rose waiting for her at home, and the couple had a lobster dinner.

Last Friday was the 22nd anniversary for Randy and Lisa Mendosa. They have a long-standing tradition of dining at The Larrupin' Cafe in Trinidad. Randy said that they also planned to leave Sunday for a trip to Southern Oregon - the River Lodge in Grants Pass. 

August 10th was Howard Stauffer's birthday, and he went kayaking in the Yukon. But Howard's big secret was that he went to summer camp - in fact he went to several! All were musical camps in places like Louisville, Kentucky and Salem, Oregon. One was a jazz camp (he played keyboards) and at another, he got to sing with the Oakland Gospel Choir. He has time to do these things because he officially retired in May. (Take notes, Cindy!)

ROTARY FOUNDATION INFORMATION

Last Friday was Foundation Final Friday. We watched a moving video that reminded us just how close we are to eradicating polio forever. There are only four countries that we still have to fully immunize - Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nigeria. Foundation Chair Terri Clark said that the countries are easy to remember, all you have to do is remember that the first letters of the country names spell out "PAIN". Your contributions to the Rotary Foundation go a long way towards eliminating that PAIN.

Our Foundation Auction was once again a great success. For those of you who don't know how it works, a Sunriser donates a prize to be auctioned. The amount of the winning bid is donated to the Foundation, and half of the credit goes to the donor's Paul Harris Sustaining Fellowship, and the other half is credited to the winning bidder.

• Our first item was a little decadent - Scotch and cigars for a manly evening in the den. Well, maybe not - the winning bidder was Amy Bohner!
• Next up was one month of fresh, local, home-grown eggs donated by Kyle Visser. The healthy package was purchased by Susan Janssen.
• Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth pitched in a guided tour of the forest canopy (waaaay up there) and a day pass to the climbing gym. The item was won by President Scott Heller.
• It was back to decadence with the basket of wine and chocolates donated by Dick Johnson. Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth won that one.
• Randy Mendosa provided jars of homemade granola and spaghetti sauce. The items came with a testimonial - eating the specially-prepared granola has lowered Randy's cholesterol by 19 points. That was enough to prompt Joyce Hinrichs to place the winning bid.
• Rebecca Crow's now-famous Snickerdoodles were snapped up by Kathy Fraser.
• Orrin Plocher donated a necklace featuring an Oregon Sun Stone. Orrin claimed that the necklace "has magical powers". I don't know whether Ceva Courtemanche "bought" it, but she bought it.

In all, we made $895 for the Rotary Foundation - a great start. Be sure to bring your checkbooks to bid on more great items at our next auction late in September.

Volume XI, Issue 7: August 12, 2011 - DG Maureen Visits

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Amy Bohner reminded us that the SWOT Team (Serving With Our Talents) would be installing appliances at the Arcata Playhouse later in the morning. Installation should be completed by the end of this week.

Noemi Schonenberger is our new Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, and she attended her first Club Meeting last week. She received a welcome gift from the Club - an Arcata High "Tigers" hoodie. Summer attire here in sunny Humboldt County.

Exchange Student Noemi with President Scott

What's a lip dub? Well, Wikipedia says it's "a type of video that combines lip syncing and audio dubbing to make a music video". Before last week's meeting, President Scott showed us a sample created to promote Grand Rapids, Michigan (here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI). Our very own District 5130 plans to put together its own lip dub to promote this year's District Conference in Fortuna. There will be two meetings to coordinate the project. Both will take place at Fortuna's River Lodge - one on Monday, August 29th, and the second on Tuesday, August 30th; both meetings will begin at 6 pm. You don't have to attend both (although you can) - pick one or the other. The project sounds like it will be a lot of fun. The song we will use is "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang.

RECOGNITIONS

When Recognitions Master Bob Johnson showed us the newspaper headline that read, "Alleged Shooter Turns Himself In', you could see that George Cavinta wanted to say more than he could. George had been pursuing the case of the driver who reportedly shot a woman who had rear-ended his vehicle in Eureka, and he was working on three hours of sleep. George said that he noticed the man walking into the Sheriff's Office. Even with only three hours of sleep, George said to himself, "That guy looks familiar."

Next, we saw the world as Jessica McKnight recently saw it - from the back of her husband James's motorcycle. The couple celebrated their anniversary by hopping on the bike and heading for the Mendocino Coast. Jessica also said that her sister and family moved here a few weeks ago.

David and Shawna Neyra also celebrated their anniversary recently. The couple traveled to Las Vegas, and apparently the slogan is true ("What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"), because my notes on the subject end there. David also celebrated his birthday on August 16th. At least he was supposed to have done so. He indicated that he did nothing special for the day.

Garrett Perks did celebrate his birthday the following day, and he told us that he received a handmade pen as a gift. He showed it to us - it was wooden, turned on a lathe, and quite lovely.

Bob ended the Recognition session by noting that it had been a difficult period for our Club, with the losses we have suffered recently. However, he is "impressed with the way we came together to help one of our own". Amen to that.

DISTRICT GOVERNOR MAUREEN 
Assistant Governor Bert Campton of the Eureka Rotary introduced District Governor Maureen Merrill by noting that she is a "paragon of virtue, intellect, and accomplishment". He proceeded through a list of titles and achievements that was (I believe) mostly fictional, but quite amusing, including her reign as Miss Universe 1975, her prowess as a black belt karate champion, and the way she combined philanthropy and motherhood by donating nine of her ten children to charity.

DG Maureen Merrill and President Scott Heller

Maureen's true accomplishments are impressive enough - she is a principal in Harris Merrill Speech Coaching in Santa Rosa, she holds an MA in Psychology, and she is a Past-President of the Rotary Club of Windsor.

She perched on one of the Plaza Grill's bar stools for her talk with the club, saying, "Not every Club has a bar stool. I have one in the back of my car." At one of her official visits this year, a Rotarian was heard to remark, "There's a woman at my Rotary Club on a bar stool wearing pumps - it's a good day!"

Maureen began by noting that of all the components that make Rotary an extraordinary organization, the Rotary Foundation stands out. She took the opportunity to present President Scott with his second level Paul Harris Fellowship, saying, "His generosity is an example to all of us." Another great example is Former Club President Joyce Hinrichs, who received recognition for achieving her fourth level Fellowship. Joyce said that our Final Friday Foundation Auctions are a great way to contribute to the Foundation.

It's an exciting moment for Rotary, Maureen told us. We are responding to immediate needs as we prepare for the future. We rely on our traditions, and "one of the traditions we rely upon is change".

"What will keep your club vibrant and alive?" Maureen asked.

Bob Johnson responded  that we are accommodating to our members. If a Sunriser's circumstances require him or her to take some time away from Rotary, we are flexible in that regard.

Mark Bruce mentioned that our Club is open and welcoming,

Terri Clark said that she appreciates that we celebrate our Charter Night each year. This allow long-time Sunrisers to reminisce and gives newer members a sense of our Club's history.

Rebecca Crow said that she likes the fact that our Club encourages our members to bring their kids to our meetings.

John Wesa noted that our Club has the "flavor of post-modernism".

Maureen noted that Rotary, unlike many other organizations, has a structure that allows us to put the talents of its members to work. She also said that new initiatives, such as the New Generations Rotary Club in Santa Rosa are intended to appeal to younger people. She did say that the young people in that club "don't realize how soon they'll be forty!"

The last word came from last year's Club President Bob Goodman, who said, "This Club doesn't just tolerate each other, we engage each other.

Volume XI, Issue 6: August 12, 2011 Meeting

ANNOUNCEMENTS

President Scott started the meeting with a moment of silence for the Babich family, who lost their son Eli a week earlier. We then discussed how our Club would be helping with the next day's memorial service. We are all thinking of Matt, Liz, Tasha, and the entire Babich family.

We also received the news that Honorary Sunriser Maggie Kraft's father passed away last week. She returned to California from her Peace Corps assignment in Botswana and she was able to spend some time with him before he died. Our thoughts are with Maggie and her family also.

District Governor Maureen Merrill will be our guest speaker this Friday. Please be there, and "Show Rotary" by wearing a pin or other Rotary attire.

Lori Breyer announced that our new Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger arrived last Wednesday, and has taken up residence with her first host family - Donnie and Jennifer Rosebrook. Noëmi is from Switzerland, and she you will be able to meet her at this Friday's meeting.

THE RETURN OF CHRIS ZAZUETA

Last year's Outbound Exchange Student, Chris Zazueta, was our guest speaker last week. Chris recently returned to Arcata after spending a year in Béthune, France.

Chris left on August 25th of last year, and he said, "When I got there, I was so scared." However, his host families (there were three in all) were very supportive, and his counselor, Gerard, took Chris under his wing. "Everyone was friendly," he noted.
 
Chris showed us a series of photos from his adventure, starting with the city of Lille, which was the nearest large city. He is an experienced snowboarder, and he found an ersatz practice hill. He had a good time, although "...snowboarding in summer is unusual."
 
Another trip took him to the edge of the English Channel, where on a clear day, you can see England. Unfortunately ... However, Chris did see a treat - mussels with French fries. He also visited Boulogne-sur-Mer, where he visited and photographed France's largest cathedral.
 
Chris's time in France often brought him together with other Rotary Exchange Students. Many times they would share "Exotic Meals" - where one or more of the students would prepare a traditional dish from their homeland. He also was able to take in some professional football (soccer) games.
  
High school is quite different in France, according to Chris. "The students are not allowed to talk," he noted. Instead, they sit at their desks and take notes as the teacher lectures. Chris made several friends at the school.
  
In the winter, his host Rotary Club took him on a skiing trip in the Alps. The weather was quite balmy - in the 70's - while they were there, and Chris took a lot of beautiful photos.
 
Other places that Chris traveled to included Paris, where he visited the Louvre,Espace Dalí (a Salvador Dali museum), and went up in the Eiffel Tower; Versailles, where he toured the castle where many international treaties were signed; Brussels, where he toured the European Parliament and Mini-Europe, which contains "everything from Europe, only smaller". He was able to visit the French RIviera, and he found that France has many vineyards, especially in the south.

Chris had photos of the fireworks set off to celebrate Bastille Day, but he noted that when he visited the Riviera, he saw fireworks every day. "In Monaco," he said, "they just have fireworks because they're rich and they can."

Volume XI, Issue 5: August 5, 2011

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mark Bruce told us that he would be taking his son Adam to UC Berkeley this week. Adam will be majoring in physics. Mark is proud, but he will miss the lad.

Marty Lay of the Southwest Eureka Rotary Club (also a Sunriser Spouse) let us know that his club's annual Fish Feed is coming soon. The event will take place at the Eureka Elks' Club on September 11th, and the proceeds will help finance their support for Socks for Soldiers and Backpacks for Kids.

It's time to look into your future and consider hosting a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. That was the message from Cam Appleton on Friday. Although we have Host Families lined up for this year's Exchange Student Noemi, the YE Committee is looking forward to the 2012-2013 Rotary Year. Let Cam or one of the other committee members know if you would like more information.

Nicole Gribi of Food for People was a special guest last week. Nicole was on hand to offer thanks on behalf of her organization for our past and continuing support of the Backpacks for Kids program.  The program provides non-perishable nutritious food to disadvantaged students and their families.

CRAFT TALK: CINDY SUTCLIFFE

Cindy Sutcliffe is and experienced "craft talker", having presented her life's story to Rotarians two times previously. But the third time was certainly a charm - at least Cindy charmed the Sunrisers in attendance last Friday.

Cindy was born in Sacramento, and graduated from Humboldt State University in 1976. Upon her graduation, she worked for the Employment Development Department until 1981. She then moved to Yreka, where she embarked on a "starter marriage". Cindy said that there were few complications - "No property, no kids, just in and out".

Cindy remarried, and that union produced her daughter Sara, who is now almost 29. Cindy returned to Humboldt County and was hired by a small geology firm, where she worked for about five years. In that time, she became involved with Campfire Boys and Girls as a volunteer. Eventually, she was named the agency's executive director. It was during this period that she joined the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, and underwent a second divorce.

A return to school as a graduate student while working full time left little time for other activities, so Cindy left Rotary for a while. Once she received her degree, however, she rejoined the Southwesterners. Cindy has also remarried, and has "two beautiful stepdaughters". 

RECOGNITIONS

Garrett Perks was recognized for the first time since he became a Sunriser. Garrett recently returned from a trip to Idaho that didn't begin well. He got food poisoning the morning before he left, and did not sleep well that night. Bob Johnson asked Garrett, "Where in the great state of Idaho were you?" Garrett said that he didn't know - he knew that he drove for an hour to reach Mountain Home, then another three hours to reach ... somewhere. But the pictures showed that it was a lovely, restful location, apparently with untainted food. Garrett said that he has a trip to the desert on the horizon.

 If you saw the Tri-City Weekly last week, you probably noticed John Wesa's print of Fernbridge on the cover. The piece mimics the style of WPA posters of the nineteen-thirties. The image features a biplane prominently, and John helpfully provided quite a bit of information about such craft. Bob noted that several of John's works include the "Queen of Bridges", either as a focal point or as background.

Terri Clark is following the leads of her fellow Sunrisers in celebrating a birthmonth - all of August. The festivities began even before the month began with Terri meeting her sister in San Francisco. Her brother then sent flowers, and she'll be on the road soon. We should hear about that soon ...

Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth's birthmonth also started early - she and her sister-in-law went Glamping - camping in high style. Romi said that usually campers want to leave no trace behind after camping. Her group decided to "leave no trace at home". They crammed a trailer and van with all of the necessities for life in the semi-wilderness and headed for Trinity Lake. On the actual day of her birthday, Romi attended a Chamber of Commerce mixer, where they sang "Happy Birthday" to her. So did we.

SPECIAL GUESTS: GSE TEAM MEMBERS
Jillian Yerby and Craig Reed participated in last year's Group Study Exchange. The exchange was between our own District 5130 and Japan's District 2620, and it took place last fall.

The team's first stop was in Shizouka, which was Craig's favorite city of the trip. The highlights were touring a model robot factory, checking out the local pottery, and visiting a simulated marsh.

Next was Yamanashi, best known as the home of "Hello Kitty" - the Sanrio company is headquartered there. In addition to Kitties, the area is noted for its wineries, which produce very large wine grapes.

The most northern city they toured, Mishima, is close to Mt. Fuji, and the water that flows from the mountain is filtered through porous lava rocks. Nearby is Lake Ashi, which was formed in a caldera, much like Oregon's Crater Lake.

In Hanamatsu, they stayed on the 43rd floor of the city's tallest structure. They toured an aviation museum and a snack factory (keep your hairnets on!), and they received a calligraphy lesson from one of the country's premier calligraphers.

Jillian and Craig said that Rotary in Japan is very different. They saw no women members, the meetings are formal affairs, and there is no fining. They found that the evening meetings tended to be the most fun, and they cited the "Dance, Monkey, Dance Show" as evidence. The GSE team members were given masks with pinholes to look through, and asked to dance. Months later, they're still laughing ... and dancing!

Volume XI, Issue 4: July 31, 2011 - Final Friday

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Karen Burgesser said that she is getting ready to publish this year's edition of the Club Directory. Check your e-mail for a message containing your current information and photo. If you want to change anything, please get the new data to Karen by Friday, August 5th.

President Scott noted that Rebecca Crow and her daughter Mary are faster than the Postal Service. We received a card that they mailed from their recent trip to Maine.

Don't forget that the Country Cabarette is happening this Saturday at 7 pm. The fundraiser will take place at the Arcata Playhouse at 1251 9th Street in Arcata, and it will feature live music, chili, and lots of fun!

RECOGNITIONS

Our own "Justice of Your Club" was recently featured in a national publication on family and juvenile law. Her professional and personal roles were discussed. We are justifiably proud of the "JOYC", as she is a long-time Sunriser, and a former Club President.

Finemaster Bob Johnson had Barbara Browning get up to be recognized again ... then he said, "I'm just kidding - sit down."

Craig Newman thought it was Good News that the City of Arcata was helpful in converting acres of pasture into ... er ... something. (Forest? Housing? A multi-level parking structure?) At any rate, the City Staff did a good job.

Jim and Joni Maher celebrated "20 on 20" recently. Their 20th anniversary took place on the 20th of July. They went to Healdsburg for a couple of nights. The days involved wine tasting and bicycling.

Wine tasting was also on the 14th anniversary agenda for Donnie Rosebrook and his wife Jennifer. They stayed at the Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast where they did some ocean kayaking.

Bryan Plumley said that he and his wife Kim Floyd "happened to be in Maui" for their 22nd anniversary. Fortunately, Kim's mother also "happened" to be there, so she was able to help babysit. Bryan said that the return trip took 21 hours from departure to arrival.

Last Friday was Kyle Visser's birthday, and he started the celebration with "two rounds of Eggs Benedict". Sushi was on the menu for later in the day. Maybe we'll hear more at our next meeting.

FINAL FRIDAY - IT'S ABOUT THE FOUNDATION!!

Final Fridays have become a tradition for our Club. It's a time we have set aside to discuss the things we have done and plan to accomplish in the future, But it's also a time to look at the big picture of Rotary International, and especially our relationship (as a Club and as individuals) with the Rotary Foundation.

Last week, President Scott presented a video that showed many of the ways that the Foundation supports and augments the work of local clubs around the world. The programs highlighted included:

• Group Study Exchange
• Rotary Centers for International Justice
• Rotary World Peace Scholarships
• Humanitarian Grants
• District Simplified Grants
• Matching Grants
• PolioPlus

The video noted that in recent years, contributions have not kept pace with the needs filled by the Foundation. We are encouraged to give to the Annual Programs Fund each year to help the Foundation continue to strive to achieve its mission - "to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty".

For more information, please visit the Rotary Foundation website.

SPECIAL UPDATE FROM BOTSWANA!

Sunriser Maggie Kraft is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Botswana. She just sent this update:

I am busier here than I ever thought I would be the first few months in. My nonprofit is well established and works with children and young adults with disabilities providing primary and secondary school education then training to adults in fields of horticulture, pottery, knitting, milling, and candlemaking. 

I am working with four fledging disability support groups in surrounding villages, trying to help them build their capacity to improve their lives. They are developing community gardens. Two have the land but need to deal with water rights and developing and cleaning out their wells. I hope to help them find grants to move forward. It is difficult for them to develop income sources due to  lack of transportation, living in small villages and simply being so busy caring for themselves or others. 

My Rotary Club here is small and I am hopefully helping them breathe new life into their activities. We are distributing children's books we got from Books for Africa and are starting a clothing drive that may eventually turn into an income producing venture if we can supply enough clothes and one of the groups can take on sorting, cleaning and selling them. They will have to purchase a washing machine and other equipment to make that happen, so that is a problem.  

There are so many things to do here. I really like my coworkers but we are all too busy. I do manage relaxing weekends, studying Setswana, washing my laundry by hand and hanging out with two teenage girls who only like me for the fruit, popcorn and M&Ms I give them and for the card games we play. But I make them teach me some sentences from time to time. I am eager for some Rotarian visits, so please book early! Hope you are all well.  

Maggie Kraft