Volume XI, Issue 18: November 4, 2011

NOËMI NËWS
Noëmi Schönenberger, our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, said that she had spent 8½ hours on the tennis court the previous weekend. The occasion was the Humboldt-Del Norte Prep Girls' Tennis Singles Championships. 

After her labors on the court, Noëmi said that she went to HSU to watch the 'Jacks defeat the Simon Fraser University Clan. She extended her weekend on Halloween Monday, going trick-or-treating with a friend. No word on how many treats she received or whether she had to play any tricks ...

ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH: REBECCA CROW!
Rebecca Crow
President Scott announced that the Sunrise Rotarian of the Month for October is Rebecca Crow. Rebecca chairs our Community Service Committee. Even by that busy Committee's standards, there was a lot going on in October. Most notably, the Committee led our efforts to host the Second Annual Arcata Sunrise Rotary Cross-Country Championships and the repair and upgrade to Cheveret-Vaissade Park. AND ... she contributes cookies galore for our Final Friday Foundation Auctions!

FOUNDATION NEWS (Also Featuring Rebecca!)
Foundation Chair Terri Clark announced that Your Editor has reached his second Paul Harris Fellowship. (It came as a surprise to me!) She also moved some of her own PHF credits to help complete the honor for Rebecca Crow. Congratulations, Rebecca!


ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Scott reminded us that we are closing in on A Taste of the Holidays. The event will take place Thursday, November 17th, from 5 to 8 pm at the Arcata Community Center. Remember, it's an "all hands on deck" affair. If you need additional tickets, contact Jim Maher.


Kyle Visser had some bittersweet news for us. He has been called by his church to serve as a teacher. Unfortunately, his class will be meeting Monday through Friday before school, which means that he will be unable to attend most of our Club Meetings. He plans to join us whenever school is not in session.


Travis Schneider reminded us that the Jerry Paul Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament will take place December 8th, 9th, and 10th (Thursday through Saturday). He is corralling ads for the event program. Please contact him soon - the ads need to be finalized by November 30th. 


George Cavinta noted that there is a bit of a conflict for Sunrisers. The first night of the AIBT coincides with our annual commitment to prepare and serve a holiday dinner for local foster youth. He said that he is working with the folks at Arcata High to cover our slots that Thursday night. Be sure to watch for updates!


Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth reminded us that there's more going on that busy weekend. The annual breakfast benefiting the AHS College and Career Center will take place (as always) the Saturday morning of the AIBT. Romi told us that we have another sponsorship opportunity here. Please contact her if you would like to help out and have your name and/or the name of your business appear prominently at the event.


With A Taste of the Holidays and Thanksgiving approaching, President Scott reminded us that we will not meet on November 18th and 25th. Hey - we're also dark on December 23rd and 30th. Four sleep-in Fridays!


RECOGNITIONS
Chief Recognizer Bob Johnson asked Rotary Kids Mary and Max Crow whether they had a good Halloween. Yes they did! Mary dressed as a butterfly, while Max was the Amazing Spiderman. 


The week's Vocational Minute featured the Amazing Chuck Giannini and his business Schir Auto Parts. The company is better known as NAPA, for the brand of parts they carry. Sir Charles attended Humboldt State University, where he earned his teaching credential. He taught in the Salinas Valley for a while, but returned to HSU to serve as the football team's line coach. He said that he then worked in the woods for a while, but he eventually purchased his current business. Chuck told us that a little over half of their business is wholesale, with about 45% of his revenue coming from retail sales. NAPA is a buying group, not a franchise, and it boasts the third most recognizable name in the auto parts industry. 


Rebecca Crow celebrated her birthday on October 23rd. She received flowers and the family went out to dinner. 


There was some confusion surrounding Julie Schaefer's birthday. We all thought it was November 2nd, but that is actually her husband's birthday. She said that they celebrated anyway. It was a football weekend that led to a great Mexican dinner.


Patrick McCarthy's birthday was scheduled for the day after our meeting, however Patrick got an early start. On Thursday, he was the guest of honor at a surprise dinner. His weekend plans included a big breakfast (his favorite meal), having portraits done, and attending the KidCo presentation of Alice In Wonderland, Jr.


Bob then played "What's Up With...", where he asks Sunrisers simple questions that often elicit complex answers. Last Friday must have been the Lightning Round, 'cause I had a difficult time keeping up in my notebook. But I think I got most of them:

  • Orrin Plocher - Creamy or Chunky? Chunky
  • Bryan Reeser - Creamy or Chunky: Creamy [He didn't want to copy Orrin's answer.]
  • Cindy Sutcliffe - Leno or Letterman? Leno   Leno or Fallon? Fallon
  • Brandi Easter - [I don't know what the question was. All I have is the answer.] Vanguard [And that may be wildly inaccurate.]

Bryan Reeser won $65 in the Ping-Pong Ball Raffle, which he donated to the Rotary Foundation, to be credited to his Paul Harris Fellowship account.


GUEST SPEAKER: JOHN GULLAM OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY BLOOD BANK
John Gullam has been the Director of Donor Services for the Northern California Community Blood Bank since 2005. John has also been a stay at home dad, and he worked for many years (with Your Editor) at Redwoods United.


John Gullam
The Blood Bank is a local nonprofit that is not affiliated with the Red Cross nor with the local hospitals. The organization employs 52 people, and its mission is "to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood to the patients we serve."


For most nonprofits, salaries are by far the largest expense in the budget. However, the Blood Bank's expenses are almost evenly split between salaries and operating expenses. This is primarily due to the cost of fuel for the Bloodmobiles and the costs associated with transporting and testing the blood collected.


John said that the blood collected is sent to Sacramento where it is tested for 13 disease markers. It is difficult and expensive to ship the tubes for testing, and while the samples are transported and tested, the clock is ticking. 


The three primary blood products extracted from whole blood have different "shelf lives". Red cells, if frozen, can last up to 12 months; plasma is good for about one month; platelets must be placed into service within about 7 days. This makes fast transportation to the testing facility critical.


Only about 3% of the population has O-negative blood, but it is the most used, as it can be given to nearly anyone in need. This is why those with O-negative blood are called "universal donors". John said that the O-negative donors on their list get called quite frequently.


There is more than one way to donate. Most donors contribute whole blood, but the process known as aphoresis allows the Blood Bank to extract the blood product needed, as it returns the unused products to the donor. The process takes about 2 hours. Those who donate platelets can donate up to once each week, but they are limited to 24 donations per year.


John said that the Blood Bank needs everyone who is eligible to help by making regular donations. For more information about whether any restrictions apply to you, please call 443-8004, or visit online at nccbb.org.