The Rotary Club of Kirkland held an in-person meeting at Kabab House in Kirkland, and for the first time at this location. Rick Walter acted as president for this meeting and called the meeting to order at 6:24 p.m. Before the meeting, since the Kabab House does not yet have a liquor license, about three bottles of donated wine were opened for members. There was pretty good attendance as we tried a new meeting venue.
Margie Glenn led us in the Pledge.
Attendance: David Aubry, Bob Auslander, Cody Baker, Gary Cohn, Terry Cole, Donald Dicks, Sandy Ekins*, Rashmi Garimella, Margie Glenn, Isabelle Kalisa, Kate Koslosky, Jim Meniketti, Kristin Olson, Rick Ostrander, Joanne Primavera, John Pruitt, Daniel Sada Caraveo, John Storbeck, Alice Volpe, and Rick Walter. *Attended via Zoom.
Guests: Rémy Pairault and Angela Pritchett returned for their third visit as prospective members. Daniel Pflager attended for his first visit as a prospective member, and is checking us out. Stephanie Walter is also a guest, and was introduced by Rick Walter. Alice Volpe introduced guest and former member Al Hoviland.
Rotary Moment:
Rick Walter reminded us how Rotary International has been spearheading the world-wide fight against polio for decades, with the number of cases down to a dozen or so, mostly in countries where it is difficult for vaccine teams to work. We are encouraged to contribute in order to further support this effort. We need to remember how terrifying it was before vaccines when 58,000 people became ill with polio in 1952 and about 3,000 died.
Announcements:
Foundation: John Pruitt reminded us all of the upcoming Kirkland Rotary Foundation Auction and Gala; sign-up sheets are on the tables. [Ed. Note: It is currently scheduled for October 7 but will probably be moved to October 14 for a number of reasons.] Watch your email for more information soon. We need donated items or experiences to auction.
Rummage Sale: Cody Baker reported he is still talking with staff of Lake Washington High School about club use of a gym as a venue for the soon-to-be-renamed rummage sale next summer. He needs volunteers for various tasks before the event. [Ed. Note: See the Bainbridge site for background, and the related club committee page for details.]
Youth Service: Rick Walter said that Jocelyn Ellison will hold a meeting of the Youth Service Committee on October 21. Gary Cohn noted that the student of the month applications are now open on the club’s website.
Community Service: Rick Walter announced the Community Service Committee met with John Muir Elementary staff to move ahead on Warm Coats, Thanksgiving Baskets, and Holiday Gift Shopping. The baskets will be delivered November 25. The date for the Holiday Gala and Holiday Gift-Wrapping event is Monday, December 16. [Ed. Note: This is also the date of the club’s annual meeting.] Terry Cole mentioned he is trying to find a way to be able to have the kids with us when we shop; privacy concerns are a barrier. [Ed. Note: The U.S. Dept. of Educ. prohibits the identification of families qualified for free or reduced lunch program services.]
Membership: Cody Baker reported there are six folks in various stages of the membership process. He is also looking into participating again in such events as Pumpkins in the Park.
Programs: John Storbeck announced that we are OK for speakers through October. Contact him with ideas about future speakers.
Program:
Gary Cohn introduced our speaker for the evening, Steve Horvath, who founded Homeowners of America United in 2023. He spoke about his work using a PowerPoint presentation, defining the language and structure of associations and highlighting major issues related to condominium associations and other types of HOAs. His aim is to facilitate ways in which HOA-type organizations can work effectively to advance the issues of members, comply with bylaws and regulations, and maintain the physical well-being of the grounds and buildings of the organization.
He addressed the myriad conflicts that can arise because HOA members often do not fully understand their own bylaws, the applicable laws and regulations, and how to work effectively to resolve issues. Sometimes members of HOAs have very different goals within the organization which greatly increases the difficulty of finding solutions to issues, because sometimes there is no consensus as to the goal.
He discussed that, nationwide, about 20% of the population live in such communities where there is co-ownership of structures and grounds. He walked us through how laws are mostly at a state and local level, and how those laws can impact HOA-type organizations. He noted that membership in Homeowners of America United is online and free; the organization has resources to help members understand how to be an effective property owner within a HOA-type organization. Basically – learn the issues, learn the rules, and get involved.
Rotary Raffle:
The Rotary Raffle ticket drawing produced five winners: Kate Koslosky (twice!!), Daniel Sada Caraveo, Alice Volpe, and Cody Baker.
Acting President Rick Walter thanked our speaker, and rang the bell at about 7:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
David Aubry – Acting Scribe