Don’t forget – the Foster Youth Dinner will take place the
evening of Thursday, December 8th. It all happens at Bethel Church,
which is located at 2734 Hubbard Lane.
December 8th is also the day that the Arcata
Invitational Basketball Tournament (AIBT) begins. The tournament continues
through Saturday, and we need Sunrisers to staff the t-shirt sales tables and
to provide security for the hospitality room. You’re also invited to the Plaza
Grill for the Coaches’ Party at 9:30 Friday evening.
But the next morning (sometime between 8 and 11), you’re
expected at the Benefit Breakfast at Arcata High. The proceeds from the
breakfast will support the AHS College and Career Center, which receives about half of its funding from this event.
Jim Ritter, who coordinates "Jacoby Creek Live" and "Sunny Brae Live" programs at those two middle schools, visited to let us know about upcoming career exploration events. The groups will hold a Job Shadow Days on Wednesday, March 24th and April 23rd. If you would like to be "shadowed" for a day, contact Jim at 822-4896.
The Arcata Playhouse showed their appreciation for our recent "Makeover" by providing some free tickets to their show, "A Playhouse Recessionary Christmas". The play will continue this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. For more information, click this link: PLAYHOUSE
FORMER SUNRISER BOB WALLACE TALKS AIBT
Bob Wallace returned to our Club, if only for a meeting, to discuss the Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament. Bob is the Arcata High School Basketball Coach, and he reminded us how we became involved with the AIBT.
When Bob Johnson was Club President, we were approached by Jerry Paul and other members of the AHS Athletic Department to discuss the future of the AIBT. Although it was the longest running basketball tournament on the North Coast, it needed a sponsor to continue. Bob Wallace remembers the enthusiasm of the Sunrisers at the meeting, especially that of Charter Member Stacey Douglas. We agreed to step in, and we've been there ever since.
Bob talked about two individuals who worked long and hard to make the AIBT the premier event it is today. First is Jerry Paul himself. Jerry taught and coached at Arcata High School from 1961 through 1993. In 1993, he was named to the California Coaches Hall of Fame. In addition to coaching boys' and girls' basketball, Jerry also coached track and field, golf, and cross country. The AIBT is also known as the "Jerry Paul Classic" in honor of his service to Arcata High.
Coach Robbie (sometimes known as Bob Robertson) was the Tournament Director for many years, and Bob said that when he stepped down, it took an entire committee to replace him. We always looked forward to Coach Robbie's annual visit to our Club to talk up the AIBT.
Bob also noted that the AIBT has its own legacy, providing memories for many community members. In years past, it has generated enough funds to support other programs at the school. Bob would like to see the tournament get back to that level. Current Tigers Tom Witzel and Tommy Grubb encouraged us to attend this year's tournament, and they thanked us for being so involved over the years.
RECOGNITIONS
Former Sunriser (and Past President) Wendy Madsen joined us at Friday's meeting, along with her beau Robert Nelson. Before she was President, Wendy served as our Sergeant-At-Arms, and her "theme" was helping Sunrisers who weren't wearing a Rotary pin purchase one. She did it again last week! (Show Rotary!)
Chief Recognitionist Bob Johnson called upon Howard Stauffer, who is recently returned from Sri Lanka. Howard had been on a bicycle trip there, and he said that on his second night of the tour, he was lying in bed asking, "What was I thinking???" Howard didn't say much about the trip, though (it will be the subject of a future discussion). What he did want to say was that his son recently bought a pickup truck. "It's the first pickup truck the Stauffer family has ever had!" he exclaimed. Howard then said that he and his wife Rebecca are considering a relatively sedate trip to Europe in the next year or so.
Last Friday was Your Editor's anniversary. Shelley and I have been married for 16 years, and we celebrated by going "on tour" the week before. We visited family in Concord, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Pollock Pines over the week of Thanksgiving. We also planned (and carried out) an anniversary dinner that night.
Orrin Plocher recently spent 21 days in the Midwest, and he said, "I don't recommend it." He was visiting his ailing father, and he encouraged all of us "Men of a Certain Age" to undergo a prostate exam.
Bob J then caught up with Wendy Madsen, whom he called a "de facto Honorary Member" of our Club. Wendy is a member of the Inglewood Rotary in Colorado, in which the average age is 70. She called Inglewood a "little tiny, really weird community". Her Rotary Club is involved in several wonderful projects, and many of the members in their 80's travel to the project sites to participate. She also said that her daughter Hayley plans to wed soon. More was said, but in the battle of Freedom of the Press vs.the Wrath of Wendy, Your Editor has chosen ... discretion.
