Rotary Log August 15 2017 (Aug 15, 2017)

THE ROTARY CLUB OF EVERETT

The meeting of August 15, 2017 #6 (5214) was called to order by President Will McMahan who then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. We were greeted at the door by Eric Anderson and Mary Toews. Wick Temple told us a Basdeball in Heaven joke for the Thought of the Day.

Eric Anderson was prepared to introduce Rotarians but there were none so he allowed Ron
Thompson to introduce Michelle Schroeder from Peoples Bank.

Announcements:

Membership Committee – Lyle Ryan reminded us that the 4^th Tuesday is free for bringing in potential members and it’s on the 24^th! (next week).
Fellowship Committee – Joe Gaffney invited us to the Rotary Fellowship at Electronic Business Machine on Sept 21^st—Mark your calendars.
He said 36 people signed up for the WSU tour this week.
Happy Hour Social Update – Sean George says next event will be in September.
President Will McMahan reminded us of the Rotary Leadership Institute on Sept 23^rd.
Judi Edwards needs volunteers for the food bank on Aug 24^th, 11am to 1pm.
Judi also asked us to get our orders for the Rotary clothing by the end of this month.
Will encouraged everyone to eat at the Club because we have to pay for minimum number of meals anyway.
Tom Kozaczynski announced Compass Health’s auction and gala to send children with mental health needs to camp.

Happy Bucks/Birthday Bucks started off with Eileen Simmons acknowledging her retirement with the addition of Abby Cooley’s acceptance of her position at the library; Gary Meisner noted that the opening of WSU was a defining moment in Everett’s history;

Lance Balla is back and invited everyone to watch 21 grads who didn’t make the EHS graduation in June but are ready now;

Rich Anderson had a birthday and anniversary; PP Larry O’Donnell had a big birthday. He also talked about the irony of remembering the end of WWII and now he has children in Japan, Germany and Korea. Someone? thanked Larry for his work on Cascade’s 50^th reunion; Dick Schlosser invited everyone to his open house--free booze! Howie Bargreen was happy about WSU.

Raffle of wine, lunch, emergency kit and Boy Scout carmel corn was won by Michelle Schroder and Don Senter and someone else I missed.

PP Larry O’Donnell introduced our guest speaker which was none other than current President Will McMahan by telling us his own bicycle experiences.

Program: “Bike Across America” Will began by telling us that he had taken a different route to Raleigh, North Carolina; he averaged 65 miles a day; and that the Lord helped him in what became a walk of faith. He experienced bad weather, tornados, a day which included 52 miles and 63 hills, winds at his back, He told us of getting really hungry on one day but pushing on with only snacks and no real breaks then finding a room just as the storm crashed around him, then ordering Dominos. At 2,000 miles he was at the halfway mark, showed us a cathedral that had seating for the Pope if he ever visited. More storms, bad highways in Indiana, moved to country roads to avoid the intensity of the highways, marked 3,000 miles in Ohio, revised his route to cut part of Pennsylvania then because of heat warnings took a two day break in Pittsburg as the guest of other cyclists. He crossed the Mason-Dixon Line and took the Cumberland Trail to WA DC. It was 184 miles long with 76 locks built 200 years ago. There were no sidewalks in Virginia, tempature in the mid 90s, cooled by the wind when you’re bicycling. In spite of staying on quiet roads, he did get hit by a semi on one occasion. He says he’s not a bicycler—he just needed to make this trip. (I missed writing down a lot of things—this was an interesting presentation.)

President Will closed with a beautiful thank you letter written by one of the scholarship recipient, thanked our visitor for coming, reminded us of upcoming events, more thanks for three bell-ringers and adjourned the meeting.