The Rotary Club of Kirkland held an in-person meeting on July 17, 2023 at the Madison House Independent and Assisted Living Community in Kirkland’s Totem Lake. We are evaluating Madison House as a possible meeting venue. Members gathered beforehand to socialize and have some refreshments. Thank you to Scott Becker for providing the drinks.
John Storbeck and Jim Meniketti greeted members.
President Gary Cohn called the meeting to order at 6:25 p.m.
Doug Evanson led us in the pledge. Attending were Pete Anderson*, Dave Aubry, Bob Auslander, Scott Becker, Gary Cohn, Terry Cole, Don Dicks, Jocelyn Ellison, Sandy Ekins, Doug Evanson, Margie Glenn, Jim Meniketti, Kristin Olson, Rick Ostrander, Joanne Primavera, John Pruitt, Patti Smith*, John Storbeck, and Rick Walter. *Attended via Zoom.
On Monday, July 24, the club will hold an "all teams" debrief of the first Great Kirkland Rotary Rummage Sale. All club members are invited to attend the debrief, which will include a team by team carousel session, preference voting, a general session on the priorities identified by team, and another opportunity to join a team for the 2024 rummage sale. CLICK HERE to register for the special meeting, which is necessary for a food and beverage count.
The meeting will be held at Brezza Condominium, and will begin at 6 p.m. Food and refreshments will be provided for the meeting, and an invitation to attend --principally to gauge attendance for meal preparation-- was distributed earlier this month. Rotarians may find a description of each team on the Rummage Sale Committee page of the club's website. This page may be accessed on the drop-down "Committees" menu on the club's website home page.
The Rotary Club of Kirkland will hold three trial meetings at the Madison House facility in Totem Lake. The Rotary board decided to hold in-person meetings on July 17, August 7, andAugust 21 to develop a better sense of the venue and the menu options. The additional meeting provides more members another opportunity to sample the menu variety, and the staff will include refreshments in the next two meetings. The dinner price is adjusted to $30 to accommodate the addition of beverages. Club members will be surveyed for opinions on the meeting venue after the August 7 meeting.
The Kirkland Downtown Association's Classic Waterfront Car Show will provide club members an opportunity to promote the work of Rotary in the Kirkland community on Sunday, August 13, 2023. The car show brings in around 10,000 visitors annually, and is touted as one of the best in the region with over 300 cars on display and over 30 vendors. Rick Walter is the club lead on this Rotary promotion activity, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members helping at the Rotary Booth can promote Rotary while spending the afternoon browsing, eating, and talking to owners and restorers, connecting with participants, getting up close to a wide display of classic, antique, muscle, and new high-performance vehicles, and sharing the Rotary story with local businesses involved in the show. CLICK HERE to sign up to join Rick in the booth on August 13.
Makenzie Reynolds has lived in Kirkland her entire life. Throughout high school she has been able to balance having a job, playing year-round softball, and giving back to her community through volunteer work. During her high school career, Makenzie played two years of soccer, earning the coaches award at the end of her first season. She also played four years of varsity softball, earning first team catcher and the captains award at the end of her junior year. During her senior year, Makenzie earned her gold chord for national honors society and her fourth varsity letter for softball, and captained the softball team for the second year in a row. Makenzie's future plans include attending and playing softball on the east coast and earning a degree in business. She hopes to find a job that allows her to travel, possibly in international relations or running a nonprofit abroad. Makenzie is a recipient of a $2,500 Rotary Club of Kirkland Scholarship.
Lucas De Blieck a senior at Lake Washington High School, and is a very committed student, having taken 11 Advanced Placement courses over the years and earned a 3.9 grade point average. Lucas also enjoys tutoring other students in mathematics to help them get the results they would like to see as a student. He is a captain of the Kangaroo’s football team, where he’s played on the varsity squad for three years. Lucas enjoys track and field events as well, and has competed for three years at the varsity level. He enjoys lifting weights and serving as a volunteer coach for children in Kirkland in both flag and tackle football over the years. Lucas plans to go to a four-year university and earn a degree in either engineering or physics, and is exploring playing football in college depending on where he enrolls. Lucas is a recipient of a $1,500 Rotary Club of Kirkland Step Scholarship sponsored by Russ & Tricia Stromberg.
The month of August is higher education month! On August 7, the club will host Dr. Amy Morrison of Lake Washington Institute of Technology for an update on the institute. During her tenure, Dr. Morrison has seen the college through post-Great Recession budgetary challenges, while growing college programs and partnerships. The college has grown program offerings with a focus on equity, completion, and empathy.
On August 14, will host virtually Dr. Kristin Esterberg, the University of Washington Bothell's fourth chancellor since its founding in 1989. While it primarily serves residents in North King and Snohomish counties, UW Bothell's student body comprises diverse people from the state, nation, and the world, and is home to over 6,000 students enrolled in over 55 undergraduate programs and graduate degrees.
Finally, on August 21, club members will meet Cascadia College's president, Dr. Eric Murray, and Cascadia College Foundation's new executive director, Brittany Caldwell. They will discuss Cascadia’s latest programs, current students, STEM education growth, and opportunities for the community engagement. Dr. Eric Murray joined Cascadia as president in 2010. Brittany Caldwell joined Cascadia as the Cascadia College Foundation's executive director in November 2022 after 15 years as executive director of the Bothell Kenmore Chamber of Commerce. For more information on club programs, visit the Speakers page of the club website.
Rotary dues payments were due by Friday, June 30, 2022. As of this edition of The Spokesman, 100% of 32 active club members have paid dues. The club inducted one honorary member whose membership is effective July 1, so the roster shows 33 members. Dues policy and procedure approved by the membership last year, and implemented by the board of directors, resulted in more timely dues payments than the club has experienced in several years. Thanks to all of the members who brought their dues accounts current for the new year.
The club’s board of directors met on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the Prevail Wealth Management office. Highlights included approving an initial budget for the 2023-2024 Rotary Year in support of moving July 1 to QuickBooks online; confirming significant club event dates for the year; and adopting the Rotary District 5030 Youth Protection Policy for 2023-2024.
On Monday, July 24, the club will hold an "all teams" debrief of the first Great Kirkland Rotary Rummage Sale. All club members are invited to attend the debrief, which will include a team by team carousel session, preference voting, a general session on the priorities identified by team, and another opportunity to join a team for the 2024 rummage sale. 
The Rotary Club of Kirkland will hold three trial meetings at the 
The car show brings in around 10,000 visitors annually, and is touted as one of the best in the region with over 300 cars on display and over 30 vendors. Rick Walter is the club lead on this Rotary promotion activity, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members helping at the Rotary Booth can promote Rotary while spending the afternoon browsing, eating, and talking to owners and restorers, connecting with participants, getting up close to a wide display of classic, antique, muscle, and new high-performance vehicles, and sharing the Rotary story with local businesses involved in the show. 
Makenzie Reynolds has lived in Kirkland her entire life. Throughout high school she has been able to balance having a job, playing year-round softball, and giving back to her community through volunteer work. During her high school career, Makenzie played two years of soccer, earning the coaches award at the end of her first season. She also played four years of varsity softball, earning first team catcher and the captains award at the end of her junior year. During her senior year, Makenzie earned her gold chord for national honors society and her fourth varsity letter for softball, and captained the softball team for the second year in a row. Makenzie's future plans include attending and playing softball on the east coast and earning a degree in business. She hopes to find a job that allows her to travel, possibly in international relations or running a nonprofit abroad. Makenzie is a recipient of a $2,500 Rotary Club of Kirkland Scholarship.
Lucas De Blieck a senior at Lake Washington High School, and is a very committed student, having taken 11 Advanced Placement courses over the years and earned a 3.9 grade point average. Lucas also enjoys tutoring other students in mathematics to help them get the results they would like to see as a student. He is a captain of the Kangaroo’s football team, where he’s played on the varsity squad for three years. Lucas enjoys track and field events as well, and has competed for three years at the varsity level. He enjoys lifting weights and serving as a volunteer coach for children in Kirkland in both flag and tackle football over the years. Lucas plans to go to a four-year university and earn a degree in either engineering or physics, and is exploring playing football in college depending on where he enrolls. Lucas is a recipient of a $1,500 Rotary Club of Kirkland Step Scholarship sponsored by Russ & Tricia Stromberg.
The month of August is higher education month! On August 7, the club will host 
Rotary dues payments were due by Friday, June 30, 2022. As of this edition of The Spokesman, 100% of 32 active club members have paid dues. The club inducted one honorary member whose membership is effective July 1, so the roster shows 33 members. Dues policy and procedure approved by the membership last year, and implemented by the board of directors, resulted in more timely dues payments than the club has experienced in several years. Thanks to all of the members who brought their dues accounts current for the new year.
The club’s board of directors met on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the Prevail Wealth Management office. Highlights included approving an 
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