COMING EVENTS
Saturday, October 15 - "Hearts on Fire" Foundation Dinner North at Blue Lake Casino. Registration has been extended through the day of the event. As a bonus, the dinner is on the same night as the NorCal Fight Fest. I don't think that former RI President Rick King is participating in the fisticuffs, but he plans to speak at the dinner.
Wednesday, October 26 - The Second Annual Arcata Sunrise Rotary Cross Country Run. Beginning at 3 pm, this event features runners from Rio Dell to Orick, from kindergarten through 8th grade. We need course spotters, finish line officials, award presenters, and other help. Please contact Rebecca Crow for more information.
Thursday, November 17th - It's all hands on deck for A Taste of the Holidays!! Sunrisers, we'll be looking for your help - setup to cleanup and everything in between! It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. Save the date.
ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH
President Scott announced his selection for September's Rotarian of the Month - Cam Appleton. Scott said that Cam is "a great Rotarian, a great family person, and a volunteer fireman" with the Fieldbrook Volunteer Fire Department. To us, Cam is a Charter Sunriser, but to his fellow firefighters, he's Captain Appleton!
MEET NEW MEMBER DEWEY KIEFER
Last week, we gained a new member - Dewey Kiefer, Sales Manager for Arcata Lumber. Dewey's wife's name is Kathy, and they have two children, ages 12 and 15. Dewey is a graduate of Arcata High School, and he enjoys fishing,softball, and watching professional sports. He was sponsored by long-time Sunriser Donnie Rosebrook, and we're happy to have him in the Club!
 |
| President Scott, Dewey Kiefer, and Donnie Rosebrook |
NOËMI UPDATE ...
 | |
| Noëmi on the Golden Gate Bridge |
Noëmi also attended her first American football game, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders 31 to 19. The crowd was probably more notable than the final score however. President Scott showed a photo of a Raiders "Superfan" in a silver mask, which prompted Noëmi to remark, "There were a lot of crazy people there."
... AND NOËMI'S PRESENTATION
Noëmi was also our featured speaker last Friday. She talked about her home country of Switzerland, noting that it is located in central Europe, sharing its borders with Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, and France. The country is located in the Alps, with a temperate climate that varies depending largely upon elevation.The official languages of Switzerland at German, French, and Italian, and the population is approximately 7.9 million.
Noëmi talked about some global brands that are headquartered in Switzerland, such as Nestle, Swatch, FIFA, and (of course) Swiss Army Knives. The national sport is Swiss Wrestling, or "Schwingen". Other important sports include soccer and hockey. She also pointed out that tennis star Roger Federer is Swiss.
The alphorn is an icon of Switzerland, but Noëmi says that it is very difficult to play. "I tried it myself," she said. Also symbolic of the country are its glaciers, although Noëmi says that there are only a few left today. These remaining glaciers are found high in the Swiss Alps.
What else is strongly associated with Switzerland? Must be chocolate! Noëmi's uncle owns a chocolate factory (Camille Bloch, which makes Torino and Ragusa chocolates), and she brought samples with her for us to try. This prompted President Scott to say, "This is the best speech ever!!"
Noëmi then told us about her family. Her brother, Yannic, is two years younger than Noëmi, and he is her only sibling. Her mother Daniela is a teacher, and her father Alex is a pilot for Swiss International Air Lines.
When she returns to Switzerland after her Exchange Year, Noëmi will have another two years before she finishes school. She enjoys sports - especially track, where her specialty is high jumping. (And if you've been reading the Spirit lately, you know that she's very good at tennis, as well.)
RECOGNITIONS
We had a little time at the end of last Friday's meeting, so Bob Johnson was able to squeeze in a few recognitions. He led off by showing a photo of a totem pole of Jack-O-Lanterns! This was in the yard of Karen Burgesser, and sadly, I don't have a copy of the picture. Although the carvings were the work of several people (including Sunriser Brandi Easter, whose entry placed 28th in a pumpkin carving contest), five of the Jacks featured the carving artistry of Karen herself.
Speaking of Brandi ... She was featured in Bob's Vocational Minute last week. As most of you know, Brandi is a commercial advertising photographer, who "fell into the business" as a result of her nearly lifelong love of photography. From third grade through high school on into college (UC Riverside), she continued to take pictures and improve as an artist. Today, she does photography for businesses and also for artists. Brandi said that she has many great local products and great local artists as clients. Sunriser Rina Brodhag praised Brandi for being so willing to donate her time and talent to many local community organizations, including our own Club and Community Foundation.
