April 25, 2016 Spokesman

Posted by John Woodbery on Apr 28, 2016
 

The April 25, 2016 Kirkland Rotary Club meeting was called to order by President Rich Bergdahl at 6:30PM

 

The Inspirational /Rotary moment consisted of testimonies from those members who participated in Miracle League last Saturday at Perrigo Park in Redmond.  The stories included those kids who have been helped by having a place where they could participate in sports activities that normal kids take for granted.  For these kids, it is a miraculous opportunity.  Elizabeth Rusnick reminded us “it truly takes a village”.  The volunteer efforts of us all makes this miracle happen.

 

President Rich thanked Dave DeBois as tonight’s greeter and Rick Walter for the winding down weeks of his invaluable efforts at the front  desk we all tend to take for granted.

 

Our guests tonight were member prospect Kara Munea who recently moved to Kirkland from Ohio with her husband.  She works at Prevail Management.  Mike Hunter introduced again our current Student of the Month Forest Malcom with his father Greg Malcom as welcome guests. Jason Overleese introduced Susan Spector who came with our speaker from the Washington Autism Alliance and Advocacy organization (WAAA)

 

Announcements included: 

  • Dave DeBois let us know that the Club Golf Tournament event will return to Mount Si Golf Course on June 20th. Dave encouraged us to get our foursomes together so we are playing with special friends, even invited guests. 
  • He also announced that on June 11, 2016 we will have a mariner Baseball night at 7:00PM, tickets to cost $37.00 plus tax on the 100 level,  first base side . 
  • Also, in a busy activity report, Dave announced that on July 11th we will have the Club Picnic at Waverly Park East under the Pavilion we donated.
  • Patti Smith announced that a check was received for an amount your scribe could not hear and for a purpose not clear.  Check with Patti.
  • We have been granted a free advertisement in The Kirkland Community Living handout that goes to 1600 homes with an advertisement for the  Duck Dash and how tickets are purchased and where.
  • Cards were circulated for signatures for our friend Patti Marsh who suffers from breast cancer, a card for GG Getz in Georgia suffering from something I couldn’t catch and a thank you card from the Lake Washington School District for our sponsorship of the CEO program for entrepreneur development attitudes among participating students.
  • President Rich called up Scott Becker for a special pin award for member recruitment for the club. 
  • The next Board meeting will be at Rich Bergdahl’ s office on May 11th although he will not be present.

Next, Forest Malcom presented his Student of the Month talk which was warmly received.  A future Rotarian was in evidence. He testified that he has been aided in his exposure in Rotary to discovering some of the true passions in his life as seen from here.

 

Our program tonight was presented by Arzu Forough of the Washington Autism Alliance and Advocacy (WAAA).  Ms. Furough has two sons with autism and she related her experience in dealing with their needs as they matured, the oldest is now 19.  Addressing these needs showed her that there were many needs of families with autistic children that needed more assistance than was available.  She found this to be true in her own family in Texas before they returned to Washington.  Her husband teaches at the University of Washington.  The insurance programs provided with his job did not include some of the needs her family experienced with autistic children.  This experience  showed her that legal, medical and psychological services were inadequate for families with autistic children motivated her to form WAAA.  Her  organization has  among other accomplishments got the state Affordable Care Act to include many of these essential but heretofore missing services to these families.  Another accomplishment is that now Special Education Teachers in Washington State are required to have special training for teaching children with autism.  The WAAA provides services to 2800 families a year in Washington.  Donations to this cause make a difference. Their fund raising auction will take place  October 1, 2016 at the Tam O Shanter Golf & Country Club.  For information as to how to participate (they need volunteers) contact on line susancwashingtonautismadvocacy.org.  There are approximately 18,800 people under age 21 afflicted with the various forms of autism in that spectrum. The WAAA is helping those afflicted with autism to learn how to function better in life.

 

President Rich made a pitch to get our club at 100% contribution before the year end of June 30th.  He also welcomed Bill Woods back from Arizona.   Our speakers were thanked with a donation in their name to Rotary First harvest.  The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:30 PM.

 

John E. Woodbery

Scribe