The Kirkland Rotary meeting on October 14, 2013 commenced with Scott Rethke presiding. Pat Dye led the Club in the Pledge of Allegiance
Introduction of Guests: Kija Stearn our Student of the Month was here. Kija is active in the Cambridge Program at her school. Karl Behke from Seattle 4 was here also a member of the Board of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Rick Walter's wife Stefanie was a guest. Tony and Cecile Duss, parents of Tina Duss a former Rotary Exchange student were present as guests and announced that Tina is married and will soon have twins. Scott Becker that perennial bringer of potential new members, introduced Craig Beatty, a local mortgage broker.

Announcements:

  • Pat Swenson made a Reading Buddies and Math Buddies reminder for the first week of November. More volunteers needed.
  • Anne Hamilton reported that a crew from the Club made Rotary First harvest a success on October 12th and the need for sign ups for a table at Lake Horizons (sounded like, anyway) on October 22nd and scribes and greeters needed as well.
  • Steve Shinstrom reminded everyone that this Saturday 10/19 is Bunko Night.
  • Bill Taylor wanted donations to Rotary International Foundation that will help remove the last vestiges of polio in the world. A few countries like the Horn of Africa, Nigeria and Pakistan are still reporting cases of polio. Matching points are available from the first dollar contributed so don't wait.
  • Pat Dye needs two more members to volunteer for the warm coats program this Friday, 10/18.
  • Joker Pool will start anew because Alice Volpe found the lucky joker card last week.
 

Happy dollars:

Uncle Rick Walters commanded the field for a veritable harvest of happiness from Bill Taylor's grandsons 3 football victories, Bill Woods celebrating his absence for warmer climes in months ahead, Pat Swenson's grandkid escapades, Alice Volpe contributing all her joker pool winnings (over $400),Alan Hoviland's gift cigars enjoyed, Scott Rethke's vicarious grandparent sleep over for his son, Tim Kehrli's new teaching career (worth $20) and violin opportunities for son Jack, Rick Ostrander's fantastic vacation trip, Stephanie Walter just happy to supplement Rick's contributions from his Vegas winnings, we think, Rick Walter happily enjoying a WSU graduation weekend, and Bob Webb, his wife Marian and daughter headed to Palm Desert for a week. How's that for the run on sentence of the year?

Program:

Our speaker was Pat Purcell on behalf of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance with his program on overcoming cancer. He had a personal story to tell and the Old Norse saga spinners had nothing on him. The highlights were that Seattle has joined 10 other center across the land providing proton therapy to destroy cancer cells without damage to healthy tissues. He had prostate cancer as 29% of American men do and got the treatment at Loma Linda University in California and even took a break during the nine week treatment protocol to run an iron man triathlon endurance race and win his age division . I call that resilience. Proton therapy treats cancer with positive energy (two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom combine to, in effect, treat cancer with water). The beauty is the beam focused on the tumor does not go beyond the cancer cells. Cancer risks are everywhere from inherited DNA to diet and unknown causes. His prostate cancer journey went from temporary shock, challenge of his faith to diagnosis, research and treatment with proton therapy that succeeded marvelously. There are many options for treatment with the decision being difficult to make as to which treatment protocol to use. The problem with prostate cancer is that there are no symptoms until it is discovered by PSA tests. Caught early, success can be yours.

Respectfully submitted
John E. Woodbery