Fabulous Foundation (Fourth) Friday!
Announcements
We learned a few things about our District's Rotary Wheel, courtesy of a flurry of e-mails last week. We know that Past-President Scott has been storing it for us, we know that it needed a new home, we know that it is 8 feet 9 inches tall by 8 feet wide, and we know that Don Rosebrook stepped up with an offer to house the Big Symbol. Thanks, Donnie!
We also learned last week that we have a few shy members in our Club. Karen Burgesser still needs some photos to complete the Club Directory. If you haven't provided her a picture, I may have to break out my Crayolas and work up a stick-figure likeness.
Cindy Sutcliffe gave us an update on her "furniture" e-mails, which have requested donations of furniture and household items for members of our local Foster Youth community that are transitioning to independent living arrangements. "It's really benefiting a lot of folks," she said. President George (aka "Kahuna Kavinta") said that he had a sleeper sofa available. It had recently made a round trip to the Bay Area. (The return trip became necessary when it didn't fit in the stairwell of his daughter's apartment.)
Although he was probably preaching to the choir, President George brought up the issue of attendance. "As of last week, we were below 60%," he noted, which is well below our goals. We need to be above 65%, and we should shoot for much higher. So ... if you have missed a meeting, please be sure to attend a make-up meeting. Remember, even an online make-up counts.
Speaking of online make-ups, Kyle Visser noted that he will be doing a lot of those again for a while. With school starting up again, he will be unable to attend most of our regular meetings. (Kyle teaches a before-school class for his church every morning.) Nonetheless, he will be leading a group of Sunrisers for another Adopt-A-Highway effort on Saturday, September 15th. The group will meet at Jacoby Storehouse that morning at 9:45 am before heading for Samoa Boulevard. The project will be part of the 28th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. Contact Kyle for more details.
Maggie Kraft provided an update on her friend Erto, who was born with clubfoot (talipes). Erto has undergone several casting sessions, and he recently had surgery (all part of the standard treatment). Maggie said that Erto is "on the road to recovery", and she hopes that when she visits Botswana in December, that he will be dancing around with his siblings.
 |
| Craig, Colin, and The Kahuna |
The Kahuna said, "Italy - we have Fa, and you get Colin!" With that, we bid arrivederci to our Outbound Exchange Student, Colin Swenson. He will be leaving for Trieste, Italy on September 1st. President George, the would-be language teacher, taught Colin (and the rest of us) a few important Italian phrases. These included "Buon Giorno", which you must not say after 2 pm (I think). There are a few choice phrases that George missed, however. "Dove รจ il mio ipod?", for example means "Where is my iPod?" Or how 'bout "Sono stanco di pasta, dove posso trovare un grande hamburger venduto nei negozi McDonald's
?" ("I'm tired of pasta, where can I get a Big Mac?")
 |
| President George, Cindy, and Fa |
Yes, we have Fa, or at least Cindy Sutcliffe did the other day, and she took our Exchange Student from Thailand to the Humboldt County Fair, and they had a great time. Cindy also gave Fa a welcoming present from the Club - an Arcata High School sweatshirt!
Special Days
We had no birthdays to celebrate, but Terri Clark's anniversary took place on Tuesday, August 21st. Thirty years ago, she married "The Most Tolerant Man in the Universe," Marty Lay. She said, "That makes me the Luckiest Woman in the Universe." On the Sunday before the event, the Tolerant and the Lucky hosted some friends at their McKinleyville home. Eight of those guests were also present at the wedding!
The Return of Brother Bob's Recognitions
Bob Johnson has been absent from the Recognitions Podium for a while, so it was good to see him querying the crowd last Friday. He started by warning, "Watch It, Craig O!" This was a reference to a photo from Craig (O.) Reed's recent trip to Mexico, in which he seems to be a victim of Margarita Malaise. Bob said, "It's great to have you in the Club, but I have some reservations." Bob indicated that he is worried that his reputation as the Club's Official Carouser may be in jeopardy. But he is up for the challenge.
 |
| Glamping in White ... and Black! |
At an earlier meeting, we heard about the "glamping trip" that Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth and Jessica McKnight were on recently, but Bob noticed something in the photo that was previously overlooked. Click on the picture to see what James Hitchcock (Jessica's husband) was wearing.
 |
| Paul Shaffer |
Bob noticed something else - in his semi-regular "How Did I Miss That?" feature, he saw a similarity between Late Show Bandleader Paul Shaffer and Past-President Scott Heller. Scott will be out of the country for a while, earning his dive certification in Roatan, Honduras. To follow his adventures, click on the link to his blog under "Links".
 |
| Past-President Scott |
Matt Babich was in London during Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee. He waited in the rain for a glimpse at Her Majesty and endured a security check. Always health-conscious, Matt hydrated ... with champagne.
We also heard that Julie Vaissade-Elcock has an adorable granddaughter (and she certainly does) - see for yourself in the photo to your right!
Fabulous Foundation Friday Part I - The New Fellow
One of our guests last Friday was Karen Burgesser's husband Steve. He was taken completely by surprise when Foundation Chair Terri Clark asked him to come up with Karen. She then presented Steve with his Paul Harris Fellowship, courtesy of Karen. Congratulations, Steve (and Karen)!Fabulous Foundation Friday Part II - The Auction
The August Foundation Auction featured some fabulous finds, such as our first item. This was a Beach Bucket Special donated by Matt Babich. The bucket contained essential items for a seaside visit, such as a copy of the Rotarian Magazine, cigars, and Scotch whiskey. Rob McBeth purchased the item. (We'll watch for him at the beach.)
Karen Burgesser donated a beverage cozy with the logo of Mad River Gardens, along with some impressive beverages contained within. Our winner this time was Joyce Hinrichs.
We were able to sample Craig Newman's spectacular Salmon Dip, which was part of an overall Salmon Extravaganza. In addition to the dip, Craig provided or will provide 3 salmon steaks, smoked salmon, and crackers. That sounded pretty yummy to top bidder Rina Brodhag.
Brandi Easter kept us in the seafood business, since she was offering a package of five whole cooked crabs, freshly caught. When both Cindy Sutcliffe and Amy Bohner bid the package up, Brandi offered to make both of them happy by adding a second set of crabs to the mix.
Having fresh veggies delivered to your door each week sounds like a great way to stay healthy. That's what Susan Jansson thinks, and so she donated a 10-week "subscription". It sounded like a good deal to Ron Sharp, who gave us the top bid.
Maggie Kraft donated a wooden bowl filled with goodies, including wine and chocolate. Joyce Hinrichs once again prevailed in the bidding.
Finally, five water bottles emblazoned with the RCAS logo were offered for quick sale (and a quick Rotary Foundation donation). These were purchased by Craig Newman, Ian Schatz, Howard Stauffer, and Brandi Easter (who snapped up two).
Thank you to all who donated auction items, and those who bid. Thanks to you, we raised a total of $775 for the great programs of the Rotary Foundation!
