Rotary Club of Eureka, California

July 25, 2011
Meeting of the Rotary Club of Eureka

The Big Boss is in Town!

Lunch: Chicken Breast, rice pilaf, asparagus

Weather: 57 degrees and overcast

S&P 1338.37

President Pierson called the meeting to order.

Pledge Star Spangled Banner: Jamie Carol, sung beautifully, following a quick commercial for the Rotaract Garage sale and Car Wash.

Invocation: Ron Pierre

Visiting Rotarians, announced by John Bartholomew:

Michael Rhodes & Helen Edwards of Mad River Rotary, Helene and Zoran Sajovic of Lafayette, LA, Patrick McCarthy & Lori Breyer of Arcata Sunrise, and District Governor Maureen Merrill of Windsor.

No student guests.

Dick Storre brought his wife Debbie.

PP Bauriedel brought Harriet Pecquot from Food For People.

Mike Cunningham brought Leslie Brough, & prospective member Nielsen.

PP Nielsen brought Yancy Bissinet.

Ted Loring brought his son Scott.

Birthdays and Anniversaries are in the book, congrats to all. There was an open seat at the head table but President Pierson let the crowd slide on a technicality.

FUN FACT: The Rotary Club of Eureka is the largest club in our district.

PP Dick Nash has been a member of our club since 1954 and this is the 50^th anniversary of his club presidency. A plaque was presented, to great applause. Dick joined Rotary two years before my FATHER was born.

Extra rosters are available….for a $20 donation to Backpacks for Kids.
 

PP Nielsen came up to discuss the 1st Annual "Smokin' In The Redwoods Backyard Bar-B-Q Challenge" event that our club is coordinating as a benefit for Backpacks for Kids.  September 24^th at Redwood Acres. Car Racing? Barbeque? Rotary? Yes please!  Team, Judge and Vendor packets are available in .pdf format on the upper, right hand margin of this blog.  More information can be found on the California BBQ Association's webpage at:  www.cbbqa.org.

Competitive Bar-B-Q'er Jason Eads chimed in. This will be an unsanctioned, non-tested, full-contact, open weight class event. Sign up and come support Rotary at Redwood Acres Fairground.  The name of the event? “Smokin' in the Redwoods.” The jokes just write themselves.

Carol Riche presented two small grants:

Jerry Simone accepted on behalf of the Humboldt Bay Rowing Association. Our grant will help the junior program. Scott Gibson, coach of the rowing team, thanked Eureka Rotary for our $800 donation. President Pierson’s daughter went to nationals at one point, which cost him $10 today. And my phone rang, costing me $10.

REMINDER: Turn off your phone!

Ed Wilson and Kay Houghton of EPD thanked the club for our $1,500 donation to help with their training for drug dog, Maggie.

Obligatory pot joke.

RECOGNITIONS

Hank Pierson. A photo of Sarah Palin? A photo of the Trinity Alps Alaska? Ah…a TRIP to Alaska. That, and missing your son’s first Rotary meeting as president, is $145.

ADG Bert Campton introduced District Governor Maureen Merrill, in his usual exciting style.

PROGRAM

DG Merrill is a Rotary rock star. Founding club member, serial entrepreneur, past president, Assistant District Governor, painter, party-thrower, reformed politician, Rotarian of the year, and all around impressive lady. Standing Ovation.

DG Merrill, wearing an unbelievably stylish pair of Icon boots with a Klimt print, is impressed with our Rotary club. DG Merrill’s theme is “The Heart of Rotary,” and she believes that our club embodies that ideal.

Our district has a website!  And our President Pierson is featured prominently. (www.rotary5130.org)  DG Merrill says that Rotary is built on a tradition…of change. Partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on polio eradication, feeding children, and helping our communities. Rotarians, it seems, are superheroes. I want to be Wolverine.

PP Charlie Strope was a visionary in starting a second club in Eureka. PDG Dillon got youth exchange going in our district and hundreds of exchange students have enjoyed the program he started. PP Schallert returned from Africa, working on our Safe Blood Africa project. PP Bauriedel has done a myriad of valuable projects.

DG Merrill encourages you to fund the Foundation, the greatest humanitarian organization there is.  DG Merrill encourages you not to be cynical and to make the world a better place through Rotary.

FUN FACT: There are 46 clubs in District 5150. In Humboldt, 4.1 citizens per 1000 are Rotarians, highest in the district.

Diane Cipperley read a quote from Rotary Founder Paul Harris: “It is unconscionable that there should be destitution in this land of plenty…we must outlaw destitution within our borders.”

PP Schallert read another Harris quote on putting politics aside.  Rotary needs to update perceptions so that the public is aware of who we are and what we do in the community.  Busier schedules mean we need to find a way to keep Rotary a priority.  Rotary needs to maintain urgency to change the world.

DG Merrill pointed out our diversity in age, with president’s in our district from 29 to 70 years of age. She reminds us not to forget our older members, while still recruiting younger members into the fold.

Rotary is poised to grow in our district, eradicate polio worldwide, and we are at a pivotal moment. We just might change the world.

Touch hearts, invest in infrastructure, and have fun meetings! Standing Ovation.

GAMBLING INTERLUDE

$10 W.W. $10 J.A.

The DG was thanked, the library book was signed, and the meeting ended 1 minute early.

Respectfully submitted,

John Harper