Mar 19, 2019

March 18th 2019


President-elect Carly Robbins gave the invocation.  Brad Mettam presided.  Klark Swan shared that Mardi Gras Fundraiser had been a success.  60 people attended and they made $4500.  The biggest challenge was making gumbo for 120. 
 
County Office of Education representative Melody McGuire accepted a $5000 check for the Science Fair.  There is still time to sign up for The March 23 reforestation project in Lake County.
 
SPECIAL NOTICE; The April 1 meeting will be off-site and in the evening at Lost Coast Brewery’s Beer tasting site near Piersons.
5:30 pm
 
.  Beer will be served. Our program was our annual March Madness fund raiser.  Arny King did a great job with a sparse and penurious audience. Jack Reike bought Duke so we know he’ll have at least one winner.
 
 

Mar 15, 2019

March 11 2019


The meeting was opened by our president Brad Mettam.  Ziggy Ziggenfuss was called upon to lead the Flag Salute.  In the audience was former member and past president Laurie Lazio.  He said a few words. When he was president he fined Rotarians using a wheel of Fortune you spun to determine what your fine would be. 
 
 Klark Swan reminded us of the Mardi Gras fundraiser this Saturday .  Dr.Kim Bauriedel announced that a Tourist Trip to Russia was being offered.  Two weeks in paradise.  Bring your own snowshoes. Next Monday’s meeting is the March Madness fund raiser, so bring your wallet and a detailed knowledge of the skills of 106 college basketball teams.  This year you can buy the 11-16 seeds for $10.  Arny King will be the auctioneer. Blue Ox Millworks was awarded 3250 to build a ramp. The Four-way Fest Rotary District Assembly is being held in Reno at the Pepper Mill May 17-19th.

Our presenter was Erick of Blue Ox Millworks. The topic was the Hearse that Blue OX millworks and a group of volunteers had created for a re-enactment of Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral.  It was built from scratch using the only existing photo of the Hearse and scaling it to make blueprints.  They hand cast aluminum for the hardware and gilded it, and made an exact replica right down to the peacock plumes on the roof.  They then shipped it to Springfield Illinois for the reenactment.  It’s spectacular.  Chuck Ellsworth did the gilding on the horse drawn wagon.
Lincoln's Hearse restored

Mar 5, 2019

March 4 2019


President Brad Mettam has returned from his secret mission.  He seems unchanged, at least on the surface. Or maybe it’s unhinged.   He asked Stacy Lane to lead us in the pledge.  Everyone looked around to see if she was actually there.  A rare sighting. Arny King delivered the invocation, saying that what’s there is not all you see-or maybe he said you don’t always see what’s there.  We saw Stacy. 
Klark Swan
 
 
Klark Swan announced that Rotary’s Mardi Gras is Saturday March 16th 6-9pm at the Sequoia Conference Center.  Tickets are $30. They need more donations for a Dutch Raffle.  They could also use some more ingredients for the Gumbo:  shrimp, oysters, possums, garter snakes and anything else that swims, flies, or crawls. The Rotaract Club is celebrating 50 years.  They have a dinner at the Humboldt tap room Tuesday March 12th.Raffle tickets are available. Coincidentally March 10—16 is World Rotaract Week.  A representative from CASA talked about The Spamley Cup- a spam cookoff Sunday April 28th.  Our outgoing Exchange student Estrella is going to Brazil.  She’s making tamales 6 for 15 dollars, 12 for 20.  As a fundraiser. They will be delivered at the next meeting.
 
Our presenter was Cecilia from the Raven Project.  The non- profit serves homeless youth. They provide a place to drop in and get a hot shower and they give out survival supplies.  They are funded by a $200,000 federal grant.  They also received $16,000 from the Sign Smith Fund.  They will supply interns for local businesses and pay their wages in exchange for training.
 
For those of you that are curious, lunch consisted of turkey slices in stuffing, bratwurst, mashed potatoes, onion rings, and the ubiquitous salad bar. Martha Stewart served the same menu at her last party.   See you next week.

Feb 26, 2019

February 25, 2019


Past president Bruce Smith stood in for Brad Mettam, who was out of town. Menu was veal or spaghetti, the usual salad bar, and chocolate mousse for dessert. 
 
 Ted Loring was awarded Rotarian of the Week.  He wasn’t there to accept the award.   Klark Swan reminded us that Rotary’s Mardi Gras fundraiser will be held on March 16th at the Redwood Conference Center. She would like to have everyone let her know if they are attending so she can get an idea of how much food to get. There’s a Rotary District Conference happening in Reno May 7-19th. They are calling it The Four Way Fest” Very clever. 
 
Our presenter was Scott Adair, new director of Economic development for Humboldt County.  He looks to expand local businesses by connecting them to sources of funding like the Headwaters Fund.  He’s also looking to bring new industries to the county.  He mentioned the new fish farm planned for Samoa.  They have a theme Prosperity 2018 and are poised for growth.  They organized a trip to a trade show for 21 local businesses which was very successful.  He’s been on the job four months, and his last position was in Salt Lake City Utah. 
 
Klark Swan
 It’s been raining all week. So carry an umbrella.

Feb 5, 2019

February 4 2019


Brad Mettam had taken the day off.  Carly Robbins, our president-elect, filled in.  Burt Campton gave the invocation.  He quoted the lyrics from “Such a Wonderful world” most notably sung by Louie Armstrong. Rotarian of the week was Rick Littlefield. 
 
There’s a memorial for J. Warren Hockaday on February 23  at 2:30pm.  Dennis Hunter was recognized for being in the TS .  He was involved in the Wednesday dinners planned to fund raise for the Coast Guard during the government shutdown. Klark Swan reminded us of the Rotary fundraiser Mardi Gras on March 15th,  There won’t be a drawing but there will be a Dutch auction.


Eureka Rotary celebrates 95th Birthday
 
Our outbound Exchange student was assigned to Brazil. She’s selling tamales for $20 a dozen as a fundraiser for her trip.  Keith Crossley introduced our newest Paul Harris Fellow Jim Zessa.  He contributed $4,000 to RI. 
 
Our presenter was John O’Connor.  He works for Papa & Barkley a manufacturer of hemp based products.  P& B got its name from the founder’s father who had terminal cancer.  After trying many ineffective salves, he mixed marijuana with coconut oil and came up with an ointment that reduced pain and increased appetite.  He lived another 4 years due to the ointment. Barkley was his dog.  The company has leased the K-Mart building in Eureka and will have 200 employees.  He also makes Epidiolex, a prescription product that reduces seizures in epilepsy patients.

In case you’re hungry the lunch menu was tri-tip or ham slices, mashed potatoes, salad bar and cake.

Jan 29, 2019

January 28th, 2019

ROTARY CLUB OF EUREKA IS 95 YEARS OLD

Remarks by Dr. Kim Bauriedel originally delivered January 21, 2019

For over 30 years our past President and past District Governor, Charlie Strope, would
periodically present to our club a short statement about some aspect of the history of our club.
Frequently, during the month of October he would speak longer, telling us about how our club
began. Charlie used October as our anniversary month because that was when the club was
organized (10 Oct 1923)
However, in Rotary and in particular our club, there is no precise definition as to when our
anniversary should be. The formation of a new Rotary Club does not occur at a precise time, but
results from a series of meetings which are held over a long time period. Even Rotary
International, which uses 23 Feb 1905 as its birthday, may not be entirely correct. There is no
dispute that Paul Harris, our founder, gathered 3 other businessmen to meet with him for the
purpose of exploring the idea of having a frequent gathering of some business people for the
purpose of fellowship.
It was only later that the idea of weekly meetings, business ethics and promotion,as
constitutions, bylaws, policies and regulations, not to mention the idea of service For over 30 years our past President and past District Governor, Charlie Strope, would
periodically present to our club a short statement about some aspect of the history of our club.
Frequently, during the month of October he would speak longer, telling us about how our club
began
. Charlie used October as our anniversary month because that was when the club was
organized (10 Oct 1923)
However, in Rotary and in particular our club, there is no precise definition as to when our
anniversary should be. The formation of a new Rotary Club does not occur at a precise time, but
results from a series of meetings which are held over a long time period. Even Rotary
International, which uses 23 Feb 1905 as its birthday, may not be entirely correct. There is no
dispute that Paul Harris, our founder, gathered 3 other businessmen to meet with him for the
purpose of exploring the idea of having a frequent gathering of some business people for the
purpose of fellowship.
It was only later that the idea of weekly meetings, business ethics and promotion, as
to mankind,
entered into the world of Rotary. Even the Name Rotary was not selected immediately. So
which of all of these possible dates should the anniversary of Rotary really be dated from? 23
Feb has become the tradition.
Everything is just as confused with the Rotary Club of Eureka. We have the organizational date
of 10 October 1923, but there is also the date that application to Rotary International for
membership was signed, which was 18 Oct 1923. Then there was the date that RI signed the
charter for the Rotary Club of Eureka, which was 9 November 1923. Finally, the charter was
presented to the club by the district governor at the Charter Night Dinner which was held on 12
January 1924. Like Rotary International exploratory meetings were conducted for more than 6
months prior to the organizational date. Should one of those dates be the anniversary? Charlie
Strope chose the 10 of October for his talks. This year, for our 95 th anniversary, we have placed
it closer to 12 January.
How did this all come about? Charlie usually indicated that Henry J. “Bru” Brunnier, who was a
member, and past President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco and who was a past District
Governor and who would become RI President in 1952-53, was the main organizer. Although
Bru was at the organizational meeting on 10 October, it is unlikely that he was doing the earlier
work of finding the charter members and educating them.
RC SF had been, since its founding, expanding Rotary along the west coast, particularly on the
peninsula and East Bay areas. By 1919 they were pushing into Marine County looking
northward. Within our current District 5130, clubs in Napa, Santa Rosa and Petaluma were

established in the 1920-23 period before our club was chartered. We know that some
exploratory meetings were held as early as April 1923. Some of those present never joined
Rotary and the eventual Charter Members were not necessarily involved early on.

Likely what happened is that after the NWPRR was opened in 1914, the numbers of travelers
and business persons coming to Eureka increased. Eureka citizens became aware of the need for
developing a first class hotel to accommodate the visitors. Committees were formed, a board of
directors was selected, money was raised and the Eureka Inn was opened for business in Oct
1922. To manage the Inn, the directors found Leo Lebenbaum to fulfill this role. Leo owned the
Wiltshire Hotel on Stockton St in SF. The hotel still functions, but it is now called Compton
Place Hotel. Leo began traveling frequently to Eureka, probably in 1919 or 20 to help organize
the future operations of the Inn. As it turned out Leo was also a member of the Rotary Club of
San Francisco.
To further add to the mix, the incoming District Governor for 1923-24, a Paul Reiger, was also a
member of RC San Francisco. It is likely that Paul and Leo discussed the idea of creating a club
in Eureka. Both Paul and RC SF gave Leo permission to carry out an exploratory attempt to
form a club in Eureka.
Given the situation of Leo regarding the Inn, it was natural that he would seek out people who
were helping to supply the Inn or who had businesses close to the Inn. Many of the early
stockholders (13) in the Inn became charter members of RCE or later became members. There
were 7 of the 16 board of directors who became Charter Members. It is likely that the
exploratory meetings were held at the Inn. During these early meetings, Leo would educate the
potential new members in the ways of Rotary. Some liked the idea and others chose not to
become involved.
Early on, Hugh Graham of Mercer Frasier was selected to be chairman of this exploratory group.
Bill Vietor became the Secretary. By October, Leo had decided that there was a sufficient core
group of 21 individuals who would become the charter members of the club. Arrangements were
made for a delegation of Rotarians from RC SF headed by Bru Brunnier, with the help of Leo,
for the purpose of providing further instruction and to help the new club to complete the
application for membership, to come to Eureka. Other members of RCSF who helped at the Oct
23 1923 noontime meeting at the Eureka Inn were R. R. Rogers, William Larkin, Mike
Savannah, Milton Anderson, Earl Curtis, Oscar Bolderman, Carina griffin, Sam Ackerley,
Charles Waters ad George Beaudreaux of RC Santa Rosa.
This was no simple task, as the group also had to prepare a constitution and bylaws for the club,
as well as elect a president, secretary and treasurer. The group selected Ritchie Woods, a
pharmacist, to be the President and Warren Innes had the job of Secretary until his death in 1934.
Hugh Graham served as Treasurer until July 1924, when the club decided that the Secretary
could also do the Treasurer’s job. There was no club Treasurer again until 1939. These
agreements between the Charter Members occurred on 10 Oct 1923. The actual application was
prepared on 18 October 1923. This was sent to RI headquarters in Chicago by train.
The application was reviewed and approved rather quickly given that it would have taken several
days for the application to get to RI by train. The charter was signed by RI on 9 November 1923,
which our bylaws used as the date for the club’s annual general meeting for many years. The
charter number was 1552, indicating that 1551 clubs had become part of Rotary before our club.
Many decades later a new club number was assigned to us as 376. At that time Rotary existed in
27 countries.
The charter, in those days, was then transmitted to the District Governor for formal presentation
to the club. These presentations typically took place at a dinner gathering of charter members,
guests and usually a delegation from the sponsoring club. Our dinner was arranged for 12 Jan
1924, a Saturday, at the Eureka Inn. About 12 Rotarians from SF came up on the train and by
cars for this dinner. The group included DG Paul Reiger and Howell Ware President of RC San
Francisco. Unfortunately, PDG Bru Brunnier was not able to attend the dinner. They stayed
overnight at the Eureka Inn. After touring the Pacific Lumber Company property near
Pepperwood on Sunday and having a meal hosted by the timber company, they returned to San
Francisco.
In later years, sponsoring and other helping clubs would provide the new club with a bell, US
Flag, various Rotary Banners. It is unknown what gifts RC SF might have provided to our club.
It was the rule in Rotary at that time that a club had to wait 3 months before they could bring in a
new member. This would give the club time to further organize themselves and to settle into
some kind of routine for their meetings. The first new member to RC Eureka was William J
Quinn, MD, who was admitted on 3 March 1924.
Leo Lebenbaum continued to oversee the workings of the Inn. The onsite manager, Emile
Iversen, became Charter Member representing the Eureka Inn. He left this position in 1928. Leo
Lebenbaum eventually sold his hotel in SF and moved to Eureka full time. He then personally
managed the Inn from 1930 to 1943. It was during this period that Leo became a member of the
Rotary Club of Eureka, which he had helped to start and in fact he was likely the guide and
teacher for the whole process. A debit of gratitude is owed to the Rotarians from San Francisco
and to our Charter Members, who demonstrated Service above Self in establishing the Rotary
Club of Eureka, from which so many good things have happened in Eureka, Humboldt County
and the larger world.
Please join us at the back of the room where PE Carly Robbins and  Brad Mettam have cut the
95 th Anniversary cake to enjoy a piece of our history.

January 28th meeting of the Rotary Club of Eureka.

Brad Mettam presided. Pat Folkins said that there would be a service for J. Warren Hockaday
on March 22nd.  Our Mardi Gras fundraiser  is March 15th 5:30-730 pm at the Sequoia Conference Center.  Dennis Hunter recently celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary.  Nancy Dean has exchange students going to Egypt. Carton Nielsen reminded the club that the District Conference is coming soon.   Our presenter was Melody McGuire of the Humboldt County Offic Of Education.  She is in charge of the Science Fair.  Several students brought their exhibits to the club.  Rotary's contribution of $5,000 allows winners from our science fair to go to Los Angeles and compete on a statewide level..

Jan 15, 2019

January 14 2019

           95 YEARS OF EUREKA ROTARY
 We all know that the first Rotary Club was organized in Chicago in1905. We may not be aware that club number two was organized in San Francisco  by Manuel Munoz, a salesman by trade, and his friend Homer Wood, a lawyer. Clubs were then organized in Oakland, Seattle and Los Angeles before a rotary club was ever organized on the east coast.

Prior to 1923 there was no club on the North Coast.  The district governor at the time was enthusiastic about starting a club in Eureka.  Our local response was not exactly overwhelming. 
The District governor was not to denied, however, and San Francisco Rotarian Leo Lebenbaum came to Eureka in 1922 to manage the brand new Eureka Inn and assisted by past governor Bru Brunier, helped set up an organizational meeting of the 21 charter members on October 10, 1923.

More to come...

Sad day for our local club.  J Warren Hockaday, long time Rotarian, passed away.  He was loved and respected by all.

 

Brad Mettam opened the meeting.  Nathan Nilsen gave the invocation.  The menu included the traditional combination of fried cod and spaghetti.  Dr. Kim made an announcement of the club’s 95th anniversary coming up.  March 15 is the date for the club’s fund raiser Mardi Gras. There will be no cash prize this year.  There will be another party later in the year including a raffle. Edward Jones financial adviser Leslie Wilhelm gave her craft talk. She started her career as a bank teller  in 2015 and moved swiftly to loan officer and then to financial adviser.  She is a native of Port Angeles Washington and has a horse.

 

Our presenter was Heidi Benzonelli-Burden head of the Jefferson Project.   The former elementary school has been converted to a family resource center, clothing closet, playground, and distributor of free produce.  They are developing a neighborhood network that acts together to clean up the eyesores in the area and reduces crime and raises property values.