The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a virtual meeting via Zoom on March 11, 2024.
President Gary Cohn called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
Attending were Pete Anderson, David Aubry, Rich Bergdahl, Daniel Sada Caraveo, Michelle Cazeau, Gary Cohn, Terry Cole, Donald Dicks, Sandy Ekins (Honorary), Jocelyn Ellison, Monica Fratita, Rashmi Garimella, Isabelle Kalisa, Amy Mutal, Peter Peaquin, Patti Smith, John Storbeck, and Alice Volpe.
Don Dicks led us in the pledge.
Announcements:
We welcomed Daniel Sada as a new member. He will be inducted at our next in-person meeting on March 18.
There will be a short Rummage Sale Teams meeting at 5:30 p.m. on March 21 via Zoom – it will occur the first half-hour of the board meeting. Watch for a link via email or find the link in the board meeting calendar item for that day.
Rotary International dues will be increasing about $5, and the District 503 dues are proposed to increase by $4. The Rotarian magazine, from Rotary International, subscription went up $6 a year sometime last year. It appears the total increase in the dues will be about $15 due to these international, district, and magazine increase. The club dues are not expected to increase for 2024-2025.
We will welcome two more Students of the Month this Rotary year, one in April and one in May. The Outstanding Educator Award event is coming up in May, and Congresswoman Susan DelBene may speak at the May 20 Outstanding Educator Award dinner meeting.
Both Scholarship Night (June 3) and our 2024 Leadership Transition Dinner (June 17) meetings are currently scheduled to be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on State St. in Kirkland. Prices for hotel and restaurant dinners appear to be pushing $100 per person, which seems high for our events.
Bob Auslander and Margie Glenn have again offered to host the Salmon Bake at their home on Monday, August 26.
Rich Bergdahl reminded us to donate to the Rotary International Foundation before the Rotary Year is out. Be sure to inquire as to whether your employer will match your gift.
President Gary did a short round of Happy Dollars. There were several happy Rotarians to the tune of $65. Thank you!
Pete Anderson reminded us all to sign up for one or more Rummage Sale committees. Everyone must participate in order for the event to be a success.
Daniel Sada volunteered to develop signage and posters to promote the Rummage Sale. President Gary will work with him [Daniel joined the technology and marketing team].
President Gary introduced our speaker, Olga Yarmoshik of the Hero House NW Bellevue Clubhouse. Ms, Yarmoshik then introduced one of her colleagues, Shauna, of the Bellevue Clubhouse.
The Bellevue Clubhouse is part of a world-wide network of organizations providing support and services to people living with mental illness. The services are designed to support members as they work toward becoming self-supporting, independent people, playing a contributing part in society. All Clubhouse members are expected to fully participate and contribute to the smooth functioning of the organization. The idea is that members are both being helped by their activities and helping the organization serve all members.
There are 350 Clubhouses in 32 countries, including 200 in the U.S. The organization is structured around 37 international standards. Each Clubhouse around the world goes through an accreditation process, with regular updates and audits of their performance to ensure that the operation meets the designated standards.
Clubhouse members acquire skills in a “safe, friendly, structured environment”. The program is described as offering “work-ordered days” in which Clubhouse members participate. In this way the club functions smoothly and the members operate in an ordered environment that both helps the individual function in a way that prepares them for independent living, and ensures that the club itself works for everyone. The focus is on each person’s strengths and talents.
The Clubhouse provides Hope, Empowerment, Relationships, and Opportunities [HERO] for those in need. Once members leave and become employed, they can still receive support from the Clubhouse. It is important that people are not isolated.
Rotarians were invited to tour the facility and to learn more about the organization.
There were a number of questions from Rotarians.
President Gary thanked both Olga and Shauna for helping us learn about Hero House and the Bellevue Clubhouse.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
David Aubry
Acting Scribe