Kelli Thode was busy setting up today’s lunch.  Pizza and salad from Major League Pizza

and cookies from Delite Bakery.  President-Elect Neil Angst dusted off the green lunch

coupons that had not seen service since the pandemic began on the big screen at the meeting, so he still had plenty of work.  I counted twelve wires he had running in various locations.

 

President Tammy Dunn is on the road at a conference.  Vice-President Michael Kvistad is filling in for meeting number 12 of this Rotary Year and 5,464 of the Rotary Club of Everett.

 

VP Michael led the Pledge of Allegiance and, after that, announced that our District Governor of District 5050 was to be our speaker today but had an unavoidable conflict, so we would instead have a Club Assembly.  The District Governor is now scheduled to visit on October 11.

 

VP Michael also gave the Thought of the Day on fellowship.  Michael posted a slide with a

quote from Cicero, a Roman lawyer, writer, and orator famous for his speeches on politics

and society:

 

“We are obliged to respect, defend and maintain the common bonds of union and

 fellowship that exists among all members of the human race.”

 

Also on VP Michael’s slide were two photos.  One was rap artist Pardison Fontaine, a stage

 name the rapper took in honor of Jean de La Fontaine, a 17th-century poet whose fables rank among the greatest masterpieces of French literature.  Michael noted that a person who composes or relates fables is called a fabulist.

 

The rapper learned about and was influenced by the fabulist.  VP Michael suggested that we can learn about each other here in the fellowship that is Rotary.  (Editor’s Note: Sanford Wright, Sr., a distinguished member of our Rotary Club for many years, always said about every Rotary event, “Please attend, it will be good fellowship.”

 

Like the rapper, we can learn from and become inspired by others.  VP Michael invited us to use this Club Assembly time today to visit with those at our table, have some fellowship, and maybe learn some things about the others that we may not have known.  VP Michael said, for example, that he is a pretty good juggler and an aggressively fast walker.

 

We then broke to visit with our tablemates, something this editor found to be a lot of fun. 

 

Kelli Thode reminded us about the Blood Drive on Friday, September 30, from 10:30 am

to 3:30 pm at the Everett Elks Club at 2802 Oakes Ave.

 

VP Michael reminded us that any unpaid Membership Dues should be delivered to Sandy

or paid online through Club Runner. 

 

Kari Petrasek gave an update on the club’s commitment to the Ukraine Last Mile project.

Although a significant amount of humanitarian aid was in Ukrainian warehouses inside the

Ukraine-Poland border, distribution within Ukraine was difficult due to larger trucks being hit by missile strikes.  $74,000 was raised by clubs in our District, including ours, to purchase four midsize vans to help distribute the food, medical supplies, and clothing to the more distant regions of Ukraine.

 

Brian Hollingshead reminded us of the upcoming Happy Hour on Thursday, September 22, from 5:00 pm until at least 6:00 pm at Courtyard by Marriott at 3003 Colby Ave.  Tell a friend or bring them along.

 

VP Michael said the RYLA and YES programs are looking for participants:

 

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience where one develops leadership skills while having fun and making connections.  RYLA events are organized for participants ages 14-30.

YES Program (Youth Engaged in Service) offers students during their junior year (grade 11) of high school the opportunity to experience serving others by volunteering locally and participating in an international humanitarian service project.

 

Erik Samuelson gave an update on our area Rotaract Club.  Members have been camping,

doing food drives, sponsored a 5K run, attended a ballgame, had outdoor meetings, and gone to Guatemala to work on a service project.

 

Rotaract brings together young adults ages 18-30 to take action in their communities and build leadership skills.  The Rotaract Club of Snohomish County is sponsored by six Rotary clubs:

Everett, Everett Port Gardner, South Everett / Mukilteo, Marysville, Monroe, and Lynnwood.

 

Erik also mentioned that the Interact Club at Everett High School is coming back online after a pandemic hiatus.  That brought two thumbs up from Kelly Shepherd, EHS principal. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self.

 

Ralph Quaas referred to today’s article in The Herald about Cascade High School grad Grady Sizemore who played 12 seasons in the big leagues, including three All-Star appearances. Ralph wanted it known that part of Grady’s success was due to Ralph’s wife being Grady’s kindergarten teacher.

 

Kelly Shepherd, the brand-new principal at the School of Champions, Everett High School, noted that when she moved into her office, it lacked some necessary furniture.  She said she knew just whom to call and thanked Brian Hollingshead (Everett Office Furniture) for taking care of this within 24 hours.

 

Kari Petrasek was happy about her recent annual trip to Montana and gave us a report on her fly fishing exploits.

 

Kelli Thode chose the free lunch and Almond Roca.

 

Clayton Browse decided upon the red wine.

 

Erik Samuelson won the white wine.

 

VP Michael adjourned the meeting at exactly 1:00 pm.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

PP Andy Hall (Me) was at a meeting today and my very accomplished ghost writer (PP Bob Bavasi) deserves all the credit for getting this LOG written and off to the presses in record time. Thank you, Bob.

 

Photography Submitted by,

 

Everett Rotary’s own Paul Pitre, Chancellor of Washington State University Everett, will speak on “WSU: Launching Futures!”