The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a meeting on June 17, 2024 at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Kirkland.
President Gary Cohn called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. after refreshments and appetizers, a catered dinner, and dessert were served.
Rick Ostrander led us in the flag salute. Jocelyn Ellison recited the Four-Way Test.
Attending: Pete Anderson*, Bob Auslander, Cody Baker, Rich Bergdahl, Michelle Cazeau, Gary Cohn, Sue Cohn, Terry Cole, Donald Dicks, Sandy Ekins (Honorary), Jocelyn Ellison, Doug Evanson, Monica Fratita, Rashmi Garimella, Brandon Honcoop, Kate Koslosky, Nancy Khoury-Zuanich, Jim Meniketti, Amy Mutal, Rick Ostrander, Joanne Primavera, John Pruitt, Patti Smith, John Storbeck, Alice Volpe, and Rick Walter. *Attended via Zoom.
Our greeters this evening were Michelle Cazeau and Kate Koslosky.
Visiting Rotarians:
Our visiting Rotarian this evening was Manassey Tetteh, who was a member of Rotary Club of Accra-Osu Oxford Street in Ghana, and who has accepted the club’s offer of membership to begin on July 1 with the new Rotary year.
Guests:
This evening the club hosted its annual Leadership Transition Ceremony. Past presidents who are no longer active members in attendance were James Nevers, Dwight Olson, and John Woodbery. Guests of the club were prospective Rotarian Brandon Baucom attending his first meeting; Nanette Bergdahl, spouse of Rich Bergdahl; Michelle Cole, spouse of Terry Cole; Deborah Nemko and Elena Sellers, guests of Jocelyn Ellison; Peggy Ostrander, spouse of Rick Ostrander; Janet Pruitt, spouse of John Pruitt; and Stephanie Walter, spouse of Rick Walter.
Rotary Minute:
Membership chair Rick Walter presented a Rotary Minute to the members and guests.
Membership chair Rick Walter conducted an induction of new Rotarian Nancy Khoury-Zuanich, the club’s first corporate-alternate member. Nancy is an employee of Banner Baank and also serves on the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Announcements:
President Gary shared several announcements. Committee sign-ups were distributed to members tonight. Rotarians were asked to make volunteer choices for both a club committee (for 2024-2025) and a rummage sale team (for 2025) and turn in today. In addition, the committee forms have speaker and event suggestion boxes to provide John Storbeck and Rick Walter ideas for their committees next year.
The next in-person club meeting is July 1, and will be held at the Kirkland Eagles on Central Way. Meals that evening will be individually purchased from the Eagles staff at the time of the meeting.
On July 22 the club plans to meet at L’Experience Paris on Lake Washington Boulevard, and on August 5 at Sparrow in Juanita Bay. For those venues, the meals must be purchased in advance to meet the restaurants’ requirements.
Programs have been confirmed through the month of September, and may be viewed on the club’s website. John Storbeck is taking over the programs and speakers leadership.
A Bylaws revision vote is being conducted online; please vote by June 24.
Dues invoices for 2024-2025 were issued June 1 and are due by June 30 in order to maintain membership. One more reminder will be sent on June 25.
Due to President-elect Pete’s absence for several months, the club needs several active member past-presidents to sign-up for meeting leadership. An email was sent to all active past-presidents, a form is available on the badge table, and Mr. Walter will follow up to gather commitments to fill dates through at least the first half of the year.
The Great Kirkland Rotary Rummage Sale is July 13, and the remaining yard signs are available from President Gary.
Happy Bucks:
There was not a round of Happy Bucks at this meeting.
Program:
President Gary summarized the purpose of Rotary and the five Avenues of Service: Community, Club, International, Youth, and Vocational, and described the accomplishments of most of the committees during the past year.
Youth Service
Committee members are Sandy Ekins, Jocelyn Ellison (chair), Brandon Honcoop, Kristin Olson, Rick Ostrander, Peter Peaquin, Joanne Primavera, Josephine Shi, Patti Smith.
In the fall students at Lake Washington High School were invited to submit applications for our Student of the Month Award. The students completed an on-line application, and were interviewed by a committee of Kirkland Rotarians. This procedure was facilitated by Nichole Swanger, the college and career specialist at Lake Washington High School. For seven months, students, along with members of the student’s family, were celebrated at club meetings, and also were presented with a commemorative certificate.
In February, senior students at Lake Washington High School were invited to apply for college scholarships. The students completed the on-line application and, as well, submitted other required documents. Committee members held in-person interviews, and awarded $22,000 in scholarships: six $3,000 scholarships funded by the club from Duck Dash and Rummage Sale proceeds (5 Rotary, 1 Charles Morgan Comm.); one scholarship of $1,000 for a student intending to major in accounting (totaled $4,000 when combined with Rotary scholarship) funded by Rick Walter and Hutchinson & Walter. One scholarship of $1,500 for a student planning to attend Lake Washington Institute of Technology funded by Joanne Primavera. The five year total of scholarships awarded by the club is $94,000.
Community Service
Community Service Committee members are Dave Aubry, Bob Auslander, Terry Cole, Doug Evanson, Rashmi Garimella, Laura Loomis, Jim Meniketti (chair), Joanne Primavera, John Pruitt, and Patti Smith.
The Community Service Committee donated $13,440 to the local community against an initial budget of $10,000 plus $3,450 in supplemental contributions. Most of the donations where for holiday gifts, including toys and other gifts for 12 John Muir Elementary School families at Christmas and $25 gift cards for 50 quests at the Hero House NW annual Christmas dinner.
A special thanks is offered to Nan Bergdahl who helped in a last-minute pinch to buy gifts for one the families. Committee members and other KR members also donated dozens of totes full of Thanksgiving groceries to families at John Muir Elementary.
The committee also purchased and delivered 39 children’s warm coats to John Muir Elementary for distribution to any child in need.
When Camp United We Stand relocated their homeless camp from Kirkland to Shoreline in November 2023, the committee donated $400 to help cover the cost of moving their portable kitchen.
Rick Walter put together a $500 wine basket to present to Harvest Against Hunger in recognition of their efforts on behalf of the local community.
The committee also donated $500 to the John Muir Book Fair.
The committee organized a visit to Kirkland Hopelink on Feb 29 of this year, and sorted donated food items. Dave and Anna Aubry, Rick Walter, Daniel Sada Caraveo and his wife, Patti Smith, John Pruitt, and Rick Ostrander helped out.
The Central Station Ribbon cutting was held in September after completion of the station.
The Kirkland Downtown Association Clean Sweep was attended by Kate Koslosky representing the club.
The committee bought $800 (15 yards) of compost mulch from Pacific Topsoil delivered to Hero House NW Bellevue Clubhouse for spreading to improve the landscaping around the parking areas. On June 13, several members came to the site for a few hours with wheelbarrows to help cover most of the remaining areas.
Club Service
This committee is Bob Auslander, Doug Evanson (chair), Margie Glenn, Brandon Honcoop, Steve Shinstrom, Pat Swenson, Alice Volpe. During this year club service members and others in the club organized participation in a Rotary Wine Tasting Event at Carillon Point, the annual Salmon Bake, the annual Holiday Party, the Valentine Dinner, and Bunco Night at Shinstrom’s.
Vocational Service
This committee is Scott Becker (chair), Brandon Honcoop, Kristin Olson, and John Pruitt.
The committee organizes the outstanding educator awards, and this year five outstanding educator awards were conferred in May; four to middle school educators and one to a high school educator.
Membership Committee
The membership committee is Scott Becker, Pat Swenson, and Rick Walter (chair).
The committee was responsible for booths at the Kirkland Waterfront Car Show and Pumpkins in the Park.
This year the club welcomed 11 new members, plus added the corporate and spouse/partner categories.
Gary also noted that the club held its first rummage sale this year, conducted its first hybrid-remote meeting series with presidents and past presidents presiding at meetings throughout the year, and implemented several new web-based services to support club activities.
SPECIAL AWARDS
President Gary presented Above and Beyond Awards to Michelle Cazeau, assistant treasurer, for her significant contribution to the club’s accounting operations and for taking on the volunteer coordination role for the rummage sale. He presented a second Above an Beyond Award to Rick Walter for his work in membership development, meeting coverage, and always helping with club business when called upon … essentially never saying no.
President Gary presented the Rotarian of the Year Award to Rick Ostrander for his exceptional effort in support of the club’s transition to QuickBooks Online and laying the groundwork for producing monthly and annual income statements.
Passing the Gavel
All of the past presidents lined up in chronological order of service to the club, and passed the gavel from most senior to least senior past presidents, to the current president, and to the vice president standing in for the president-elect who was able to observe and offer comments via a Zoom link.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:14 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
Gary Cohn
Acting, Acting Scribe for Dave Aubry, Acting Scribe