The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a meeting online on March 15, 2021.
Attending were Dave Aubry, Dave DeBois, Ken Hollingsworth, Joanne Primavera, John Pruitt, Rick Ostrander, Rick Walter, Mike Hunter, Scott Becker, Jim Meniketti, John Woodbery, Brandon Honcoop, George Anderson, Kristin Olson, Don Dicks, Monica Fratita, Gary Cohn, and Steve Shinstrom.
President-Elect Dave DeBois, subbing for vacationing President James Nevers, rang the bell at 6:16 p.m.
Rick Walter recited the Pledge.
Guests:
Several guests were in attendance, and were introduced later in the agenda. Long-time member Ken Hollingsworth attended. He now lives in Seattle, so Zoom meetings are certainly easier.
Announcements:
Gary Cohn said we have 24 applicants to date for our scholarships, from local high schools and colleges. Deadline to apply is this Friday. Still need a few more interviewers.
Joanne Primavera thanked folks who designated the Kirkland Rotary Foundation as beneficiary through Amazon Smiles. She gave a brief explanation of what the Foundation is and what it does.
John Woodbery asked when we might return to the Woodmark for meetings. Dave DeBois will inquire.
Dave DeBois reported good news regarding Rotary International’s efforts to combat Malaria in Zambia. Goal is to reduce it by 90% - 1/3 funding from RI, 2/3 from the Gates Foundation.
Program:
Joanne Primavera introduced Natalie Sarabosiny, Isabelle Wang, Shawdi Mehrvanzan, and Henry Rodgers, local students, who informed us about the Pacific Northwest Model United Nations Project. The Club contributed financially to the program last year, to assist Juanita HS students to attend. We viewed a short PowerPoint illustrating the local group’s activities. The goal is to spread awareness of the UN and to motivate students to change the world. A virtual conference was held, with delegates from across North America. Thanks to the Club’s support, 100% of requests for funding were granted and they were able to reduce costs for attendees.
Monica Fratita introduced Marcel Popa, president of the Rotary Club of Galati. Galati is also Monica’s hometown. This club, with support from Kirkland Rotary, has purchased incubators so that infants with post-natal problems will have a better chance of surviving. Mr. Popa showed us a short program about Galati in the southeast of Romania. It is a port on the Danube River, with access to the Black Sea, and is the eighth largest city in Romania. The club was chartered in 2007 and currently has 25 members. Mr. Popa also spoke about some of the projects his club has been able to complete. He would like to continue the partnership with the Rotary Club of Kirkland. It should be noted that where he is, the time was 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. We were all glad we did not have to be presentable at such an hour.
We adjourned at about 7:02 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
David Aubry - Acting Scribe