Be sure to fill out a square on the Participation Grid when you (1) attend a RISE Fellowship Event, (2) attend a Committee Meeting, (3) roll up your sleeves for a Service Project, (4) attend a Rotaract Meeting/Event, or (5) make a "Date" with our Youth Exchange Student, Mozara Abdalla. Remember, once the Grid fills up, we'll cut it up and draw one of the squares to select the winner of a Paul Harris Fellowship. The more times your name hits the grid, the better your chances!
Speaking of Mozara ... she is this year's Inbound Exchanger from Brazil, and she is scheduled to arrive on August 11th at 1:21 pm. Mozara is from Florianopolis, which is the capital of the island state of Santa Catarina off the southern coast of Brazil. She turned 16 last month, and she loves to travel - she has been to Cuba, Chile, Argentina, France, Germany, and Holland. She also enjoys sports, including handball, tennis, and volleyball.
We had the opportunity last week to purchase the brand-new Sunrise Rotary Club of Arcata pin, hot off the presses! Thank you, Scott Heller, for making that happen!!
On The Calendar
- August 11 - Mozara arrives
- August 21 - Board and Chairs meet with DG Kevin
- August 22 - Club Meeting with DG Kevin
- August 24 - Kevin Ebbert Memorial Run sponsored by HealthSport. All proceeds will benefit the "Climb for the Fallen" program. For more information CLICK HERE
RYLA Camp Attendees Visit
Julia Sloan, Olivia Reynolds, and Georgia Kramer all attended RYLA Camp earlier this summer, and they told us about their experience last Friday.
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| Olivia, Georgia, and Julia |
The three young women told us that the group discussed several topics, such as the impact of social media, and how Rotary could use this communication path to increase support for programs such as PolioPlus. Other areas included countering bullying, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, making good first impressions, exploring post-high school options, and setting goals.
They enjoyed the free time that was included in each day, which allowed them time for sports and other activities. There was always plenty to do, throughout the week, and they were grateful for the opportunity to attend. We were happy to help them get there, as well - in recent years, the Camp has taken place during Finals Week at Arcata and McKinleyville High Schools, so we haven't been able to send representatives.
We Welcome New Sunriser Ray!
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| Julie, Ray, Barbara, and Angelo |
Rotarian of the Month
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| Rotarian of the Month - Selfie in Progress |
Special Daze
Dan Johnson was in Vegas for his 50th birthday on July 27th. It was more wholesome than it might sound. He was with "fourteen teenage girls and boys". It was but one stop on a "two-week, 30-game basketball journey", which included tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The girls team made it to the championship rounds in both events, while "the boys saw what the competition can be like at that level".
Recognitions
Rotary Selfies were the topic last week for Ceva Courtemanche's Recognitions session. Ceva noted, "I wanted to make sure our Club was not only fun, but hip." So she wants us to send her our selfies, which will be shown on the screen before each meeting. To demonstrate, she brought Matt Babich, Dan Johnson, George Cavinta, and Jessica McKnight up to take selfies. Hopefully, we will see the results at a future meeting.
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| Sunriser Selfies! |
- 35% - to help us remember a happy moment
- 13% - we feel confident
- 14% - we're having a good hair day
- 34% - to capture a funny moment
- 15% - we're wearing a nice outfit
Ready For The Journey
Sylvie Leppig will be leaving for Belgium on August 19th to serve as our representative. Our Club selected Sylvie to be our Outbound Youth Exchange Student for the coming year, and we are looking forward to hearing from her throughout her Exchange Year. But last week, we got the chance to hear from her in person as she told us about her preparations for the adventure.
Sunriser Cam Appleton told us that Sylvie was born in Humboldt County, and she has lived in McKinleyville all of her life. She began playing violin when she was four years old, and she has been a member of the ARMACK Orchestra, which allowed her to travel to London and New York City. Sylvie is also a gymnast. and she began coaching last year. Another of her passions is photography, and she is looking forward to chronicling her year in Belgium in photos.
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| Sylvie Neander |
Sylvie has made friends with many exchange students over the past few years. She appreciates talking with them, as it gives her a better understanding of what she can expect when she goes abroad, and it has been inspiring.
She said that she likes the fact that her Exchange destination was chosen for her. "It's really, really exciting," she said. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
Sylvie has been doing her research on her host country. "The bordering countries of Belgium are Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, and Germany." She said that the country is very small, "about the size of Maryland". She will be in Rotary District 1620, and her first host family lives near the city of Ménage, which is about 90 kilometers (or about 56 miles) south-southeast of Brussels, in the province of Hainaut. She will be living with three different host families during her year, and she has been in contact with all of them.
The high school she will attend, the Athenee Morlanwelz, has about 2,000 students, and Sylvie said that "it's highly academic - very rigorous". Belgium has four languages - Flemish, German, French, and Dutch, and Sylvie will be in a region that speaks French primarily. She said that since the instruction will be in that language, "there will be a lot of nodding and trying to figure it out at first".
Sylvie said that she is looking forward to seeing the architecture of her host country, but she may be more excited at the prospect of enjoying the Belgian cuisine. "Belgium is known for its chocolate," she said, "and I love chocolate (who doesn't?)." She said that Belgian waffles are not native to the country, but there will be plenty of other things available.
Sylvie has applied for the Rotary Exchange program in the past, because she has always loved traveling, and she enjoys experiencing other cultures. "I like to think of myself as outgoing and adventuresome," she told us, "This is the perfect opportunity to really jump right in and go see a different part of the world." She wanted to be part of the Youth Exchange program because she believes in what Rotary stands for.
After her Exchange Year, Sylvie plans to attend college. She has been offered a scholarship to attend the University of Victoria in British Columbia, but she has not committed to them. She plans to keep her options open for now.
She reminded us that she is still selling coffee to fund side trips she hopes to make during her Exchange Year. She closed by thanking our Club for the opportunity. "I'm so grateful," she said, "and so excited."
