Welcome, Fa! (And Other Announcements)
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| The Kahuna with Fa |
Last Friday, we met our new Exchange Student from Thailand, Punyanuch ("Fa") Sillapajarn from Thailand. President George led us in welcoming Fa in the Thai language. This year's Outbound Youth Exchange Counselor Cindy Sutcliffe's status report was brief - "Fa's here!"
We will officially welcome Fa at Merryman's Beach House at Moonstone Beach. The event will be our initial Fellowship Fifth Friday event, and it will take place Wednesday, August 29th at 6 pm. This year, the Arcata Noon Club will join us, as they welcome their own Inbound Exchange Student.
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| Maggie and George with Banners |
Dewey Keifer told us that Arcata Lumber is expanding. He said that the project should be completed by November. The larger facility will allow the business to better serve the community, and it will bring additional jobs. Kahuna George encouraged Dewey to contribute $20 to the Rotary Foundation as a small advertising fee.
Maggie Kraft presented the Kahuna with a banner from the Rotary Club of Gaborone Botswana (Maggie became a member while she was serving with the Peace Corps there), and a second from the Rotary Club of Wiesbaden, Germany, a club she visited during her Peace Corps stint.
Special Days
The fact that Terri Clark's birthday was August 4th did not stop her from starting the celebrations back on July 25th. The festivities included a visit to a cabin on the Russian River, then dinner with special guests. All this while traveling to Alaska, among other locales. Somewhere, Terri squeezed in a jaunt to Trader Joe's for provisions.
Recognitions with Laura Montagna
Laura asked Bob Moore about his recent travels, and Bob said that he had been in Juneau shortly before Terri Clark. He was there to tool about in a small boat with six other adventurers. He spent about a week in Alaska.
Craig Reed's induction as a Sunriser was delayed for a week. He heard the "beach in Mexico that was calling [his] name". His vacation was a tale of two Cabos - he spent most of his time in Cabo San Lucas, but he also went to San Jose del Cabo. It was also a tale of jellyfish, and either Craig ate the jellyfish, or vice versa, but I didn't catch all the details from Craig, and the jellyfish ain't talkin'.
Rob McBeth shared the good news that his son and daughter-in-law recently made him a first-time grandfather. The newcomer arrived on 7/11, so they refer to him as the "Slurpee Baby". However, his real name is one of my personal favorites - Brody.
Working Together to Help Humboldt County Youth
Our Guest Speakers last week were from the Humboldt County Transition Age Youth Collaboration (HCTAYC), which brings together representatives from various agencies that are working to empower young people in the County to act for themselves. Our visitors were Rochelle Trochtenberg, who is the Youth Organizer for HCTAYC; Qaiel Peltier, a partner for the County Department of Health and Human Services' Transition Age Youth Division; and three members of the HCTAYC Youth Advisory Board - Estelle Mitchell, Kirk Lathrop, and Hilary Salas.
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| Rochelle, Qaiel, Estelle, Kirk, and Hilary |
The program's main goal is to develop youth and give them the tools to make lasting
improvements to the systems of care for transition age youth in Humboldt
County. HCTAYC brings policy recommendations to various
organizations in the County. One set of recommendations is aimed at
improving the juvenile justice system.
The program has worked to bring together young leaders with whom the clients can identify. They work to provide consistent emotional support
and connections. For more information about the Collaboration, please click the link to visit the HCTAYC website. Check the Resources page for information about the program's policy recommendations.
