Beware of Past Presidents ...
... bearing "gifts"! In this case, the Past President was Wendy Madsen, visiting from Englewood, Colorado. And the gifts were Rotary Pins, presented (for a five dollar shipping and handling charge) to Sunrisers who were in need of said accouterments to complete their Rotarian ensembles.
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| The Kahuna and Wendy |
Also from Sunrises past ...
... we saw Philipp Lammers, who was an Inbound Rotary Exchange Student about ten years ago. Philipp is very close to completing the bar exam, with an illustrious career in the law to follow. Congratulations, Philipp!
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| Philipp and President George |
Other Announcements
If you have an extra laptop (or an iPad you aren't using), please let Cindy Sutcliffe know. There is an 11-year old foster youth who could put it to good use.
Maggie Kraft has completed all of the requirements to graduate from Red Badge status to earn her Blue Badge. So last week, Kahuna Kavinta gave her the new one! Good job, Maggie!
Ian Schatz told us that in October or November, Advanced Security Systems will be moving to a new, more spacious location in Old Town Eureka. President George suggested that Ian contribute $20 to his Paul Harris Fellowship for the discreet advertisement.
President George Teaches Us Thai
The Mighty Kahuna exhorted us once again last week to greet our Exchange Student, Fa, in her native language. "SA-WAD-DEE KA" means "Hello". (I checked, and Thai words are not usually written in all capital letters. I'll let President George know.) The KA at the end means that you are talking to a female. When addressing a male, you should say "SA-WAD-DEE KRUP". For more on speaking some basic Thai, check this website: Learn How to Speak Thai. (You can learn how to ask for a Heineken.)
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| Scholarship Chair Jason White with Gabe and George |
Ian Schatz reported on Fa's week, saying that we are still looking for Sunrisers to sign up for an activity with Fa. He said that she had joined his family in Maple Creek for an outing recently. She was "a good sport", trying the rabbit stew.
Sunrise Scholar Gabe Lewis, who graduated from Arcata High School in 2009, returned to provide an update on his academic adventures. He has used our Memorial Perpetual Scholarship to help defray the cost of attending Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Gabe said that his junior year just flew by. He is pursuing a double major in Physics and Geosciences, but he also participates in a wide range of activities such as Ultimate Frisbee and backpacking outdoors, and tutoring. Last winter, he "escaped Massachusetts" to spend time in New Zealand.
For Your Calendar ...
The Annual Rafting Trip for the District 5130 Rotary Youth Exchange Program will take place this weekend (August 24 & 25). It's the orientation for the Inbound Exchangers, and a debriefing for returning Outbounders. Oh yeah - it's a lot of fun, too.
Our first "Fifth Friday Fellowship" event will take place next Wednesday (August 29th). It's a beach barbeque to welcome our Inbound Exchange Student, Fa. The Club will provide hot dogs and burgers, but the rest is pot luck. This year's event will feature the Big Salmon Contest - whoever has caught the biggest wins something (I don't know what). However, the salmon will be eaten at 7 pm, says the Big Kahuna.
Next month, District Governor Michael Juric will make his official visit to our club on September 20 and 21. He will meet with the board of directors and committee chairs on Thursday evening (the 20th), and then he will be our featured speaker at our meeting the following morning.
Special Days ...
Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth's recent birthday was preceded by an emotional week. The family was preparing for her daughter Zöe’s departure as an Outbound Rotary Exchange Student. There was a "stream of people through the house", followed by a stay in a hotel in Santa Rosa.
Howard Stauffer spent his birthday as a National Park Service volunteer in the Desolation Wilderness. He said that he arrived home on August 12th, and although Rebecca (Howard's wife) was on her way to an out-of-town workshop, she left homemade ice cream for him, and they were able to text back and forth.
Dave Neyra had a pleasant birthday at home with his family and friends. He said that he took the opportunity to thank his mother for bringing him into the world.
Tomas Chavez is not a Sunriser (not yet, anyway), but we celebrated his recent birthday anyway. He and four of his friends and their wives traveled to Portland, and dined at the restaurant where Tomas's brother-in-law is the Executive Chef.
Jessica McKnight and James Hitchcock have been married for two years now, and to celebrate, they went to Jessica's favorite restaurant - Kyoto in Eureka. Congratulations!
Rob's Recognitions!
Rob McBeth presided over the Recognitions segment of last Friday's show, and he started with Brandi Easter. Brandi recently competed in the U.S. Spearfishing Nationals with 46 other competitors at Albion Cove, California. Although the conditions were turbulent, Brandi came home with four awards, including the NorCal Skin Diver Club's "Cowboy Up" award for Brandi's work on the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group, which advised the California Department of Fish and Game regarding implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA).
Jessica McKnight and Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth were jointly recognized for their couture (man, I hope I'm using that word correctly) on a recent "glamping" trip. Both wore white gowns as they posed before a backdrop of coolers, tents, and campfires.
All About the Mad River Brewery
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| Tera Spohr |
The brewery was founded in 1989 by brewmaster Bob Smith, and the first beer produced was Steelhead Pale Ale, still the company's signature brew. In the early 1990's, they developed their Jamaica brand, which was originally created for Reggae on the River. The brewery produces several limited edition beers and ales, some of which are only sold on site, in their Tasting Room and Beer Garden.
Mad River Brewery employs about 31 people, who Tera tells us, are like a family. They work very hard all day, hand-stirring each batch of ale. And their efforts are paying off -- demand and recognition have been growing, and the brand is now known throughout the country.
Tera said that the brewery has a commitment to its community, as well. The first Wednesday of each month is "Pints for Nonprofits". A portion of the proceeds from all sales on that day go to a worthy local nonprofit, and the day is often capped off with a performance in the Beer Garden. The nonprofit du jour selects the next group to be honored, to preserve the Brewery's independence.
Our Club will be touring the Brewery in the near future, but until then, you can check out their website at www.madriverbrewing.com for more information.
