April 4, 2022

Club President Klark Swan presided over the meeting.

Thought of the day: Tom Schallert shared a quote from Rotary founder Paul Harris: “It has been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in disagreement.”

Remembering Rotarians: Kim Bauriedel thanked the club for exceeding their $3500 fundraising goal to honor the memory of club member Dave Dillon by making him a Major Donor.  Dave’s family invites his fellow Rotarians to his memorial service, which will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday April 23, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church, 819 15th Street, Eureka.

“Why I joined Rotary” Rick Littlefield shared his Rotary story, which included a hair-raising story about the hazards of river rafting.  Rick describes our club as “like family”, and appreciates watching the group’s transition to include a youthful and diverse membership. Thank you Rick for sharing your story.

Rotary Exchange: Outbound exchange student Naomi brought cookies, which club members were happy to purchase, ostensibly in support of her fundraising goal (but really because they were absolutely delicious).

District Assembly: Klark recounted her experience at the district assembly, which was held in Ukiah on April 2nd.  One topic of the assembly was how Rotary is evolving and changing, and discussions were had around how Rotary can be an organization that is accessible to a wider group of people.  Four members represented our club at the assembly – thank you Jerry, Nancy, Annalise and Klark.

Local Events: A number of exciting local events were announced, too many for this slow scribe to note down.  A few include:

  • A compost giveaway hosted by Food For People and Recology will be held on April 23rd at Recology, 555 Vance Ave, Samoa. Linda Wise assured us that this would be “the most incredible event we had ever attended!” and we believe her!
  • Phillip Nicklas announced that Swing dancing is back at the Arcata Veterans Hall, the last Friday of every month.

Small Grants: Stephanie Carter, Executive Director of the Redwood Discovery Museum, spoke about the programs our Small Grant funds will support.  The museum offers hands-on exhibits, thematic programs, and a summer camp that has been in operation for 71 years.  Our grant funds will be used to offer free and discounted access to the museum and events for underserved children and families in Humboldt County.  Stephanie invited all of us to join her at their fun annual fundraising event, the Perilous Plunge on April 16th.