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| Alex the Eagle! |
Exchange Student Alex Rialet switched host families recently. On the first weekend of 2014, he moved from Angelo Baciagaluppi's household to that of Craig Reed. The transition was celebrated with dinner at a Mexican restaurant. President Jessica asked whether there are Mexican restaurants in France. Alex said that there are not as many, but there are some. Once Alex was ensconced at Craig's house, they watched the NFL playoffs, rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. Alex is also starting to play baseball - taking on American pastimes one by one!
Announcements
Last Friday, President Jessica re-reminded us that the second dues installment are past dues for those who opted to pay their Club dues in two easy payments. Please get the money to Treasurer Bryan "Guido" Reeser soon!
District 5130's Youth Exchange Winter Get-Together is scheduled for January 24th through the 26th. The venue for the meeting, once known as the "Ski Trip", has changed due to the lack of snow in the Northern Hemisphere. The Exchangers will now convene in Samoa, where next year's Outbounders will learn their host country assignments. They will then pair with the appropriate Inbounder to play "Teach Me About Your Country". Other activities include a service project with the Lost Coast Rotaract, roller skating at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium, and breakfast at the Samoa Cookhouse.
Jessica also re-reminded us that pirates will take over the Arcata Community Center on Saturday, March 8th. Our Spring Fundraiser will take place then and there, so be sure that it's on your calendar!
Recognitions
Ceva Courtemanche led the Recognitions segment of last week's meeting. She called upon the crowd to try to determine whether the statements she made were about Joyce Hinrichs or about Julie Vaissade-Elcock. Each team was provided a photo of each woman ... on a stick, to be used to signify which Sunriser each statement referred to. I don't think I got all the facts, but here goes (the answers can be found at the bottom of the page):
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| Julie with Joyce, and Joyce with Julie! |
- I was the first female Student Body President of my high school.
- I sold lambs at the Humboldt County Fair.
- I rollerskated in competitions when I was younger.
- I've been on the board of HCAR for over 10 years.
- I've moved 12 times in the last 33 years.
- I had 50th and 50th surprise birthday parties, both at the Humboldt Viewing (?) Room
- I have a niece whose father is in the Club.
Rebecca Crow said that she and her husband Ben were on vacation when their anniversary cropped up on January 2nd, so "we're going to have a make-up". They were busy with their kids visiting family and friends in Portland.
Lynda Moore's birthday was Saturday, January 4th, but she didn't go to a party - "The holidays were pretty demanding, so I just wanted it to be quiet. Some friends didn't want to hear that, so they brought the party to our house." They brought food, flowers, and other party necessities. " All I had to do was sit there, which was kind of odd, in my own house."
About the Spring Fundraiser
The remainder of last week's meeting was devoted to the Spring Fundraiser. President Jessica started by telling us how she feels about the event:
In the spirit of full disclosure, I will tell everyone that I really care about this event. I joined the Club in its inaugural year, and I've enjoyed serving on the Committee since then. I've personally learned how to enjoy the art of fundraising through this event; something I never thought I would develop an interest in. My goal with the presentation today is to help everyone here to start to build enthusiasm for the experience. The event asks for and expects a lot from Club members. And I recognize and appreciate that.
But it is also what gives us the ability to go out and do all of the Community Service work that we are able to do in our community. It allows us to put dictionaries in the hands of third graders in Arcata schools, it allows us to do events like Every 15 Minutes at the high school, to give $9,000 to every year in scholarships to graduating high school students, do a makeover at the Boys & Girls Club as we did earlier this year, feed a holiday dinner to the foster youth families. All those amazing things we do in the community. We create our fundraiser events to take in community donations and turn those donations into good service in our own backyard and around the world. And that's something all of us need to not take lightly.Jessica also talked about the history of the event, how it began with a five-year commitment to the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) to help fund the construction of a new fire station. The event was an enormous success, all created through the efforts of volunteers from both entities. The construction of the firehouse proved to be a moving target, and the partnership has continued for 12 years and counting.
Susan Jansson said that she and Barbara Browning had been asked by our Board to look at the Spring Fundraiser to help us plan its future. What they determined was that the AVFD's contribution is critical - a point reiterated by Event Chair Dan Johnson later in the meeting. They recommend that we continue to work with the Fire Department, looking at the possibility of adding a third partner to the event, in large part to bring in new attendees.
Dan reminded us that the AVFD has a unique service area. It is a nonprofit group that affects about 30,000 residents of Humboldt County. He told us that the Fire Department is passionate about the partnership, and their part is substantial - preparing the dinner, serving the guests, and being fully engaged in the planning for the event. If we had to pay a caterer to handle the tasks taken on by the AVFD, the net proceeds would drop considerably.
Dan wants each Sunriser to sell a table for the event. Invitations have been sent to about 300 people so far, but we would like to bring in people who have not attended before. He said that we are not just looking to fill the room - we want to attract people who will spend additional money on raffle and auction items.
Dan also reminded us that the event is a FUN-raiser, not just a FUND-raiser - people have a great time each year. When he sells tickets to the event, he emphasizes the fun that people will have. He's ready if they ask how we use the money, but folks will keep coming back if they have a great time.
So watch for the Raffle/Auction group lists, and start looking for businesses and groups to purchase tables. Let's have some fun!
Answers - Julie or Joyce???
- Joyce
- Joyce: "I was in 4-H ... [from] fifth grade to high school", raising and selling lambs.
- Julie: The rollerskating took place "when I was really little" - 2nd or 3rd grade.
- Julie: HCAR stands for Humboldt Community Access and Resource Center, and the organization helps adults with developmental disabilities. "They help with housing, getting them jobs, helping them keep their jobs, taking them to the doctor - helping [their clients] with whatever they need."
- Julie: "My husband [Stan] worked for CalTrans," she said, so they moved all over, mostly in California, during the early years of their marriage. Her favorite place, other than Humboldt County, was Seattle.
- Joyce: She was more surprised at the 50th birthday party. At the 40th birthday, her children were younger and were a little too excited for Mommy to get up for a "meeting". However, ten years passed, and Joyce was adamant that there should be no party for this landmark date. It still happened.
- Joyce: "My brother's son married Mark [Burtchett's] daughter, and they have three beautiful children."
