President Carol rang the bell at 12:05. She acknowledged the great attendance at the 110
th Celebration for our club and congratulated
Jim Harris on his lifetime achievement award.
Miriam Barnett provided the invocation followed by
Chris Serface who led us in the National Anthem followed by the 4 Way Test; he was accompanied by
Jack Warnick on the piano.
Greer Todhunter from the Salvation Army sponsored the meeting. She is in Vendor Relations and announced that
Don Sheppard will be moving to California with his wife to continue the work of the Salvation Army.
Don has been in the club for 6 years and has been an invaluable asset, chairing the Vocational Services Committee for 2 years and assisting us with our Audiovisual needs, as well as providing opportunities for us to volunteer. Many thanks to
Don!
Greer shared with us the Shield 253 Goals: to provide shelter, healthy habits, independent living, encouraging relationships, leadership development and developmental assets that encourage stable families. A card was passed around for
Stephen Deal whose mother passed away this week. Visiting Rotarians and Guests introduced themselves as
Linda Kaye Briggs and
Victor Mitre from the Goodwill brought mics around. Visitors and guests included: Julie Anderson from Tacoma Sunrise, Lon Williamsom from Anchorage,
Jim Whitacare brought his wife Kathryn, Brian Heaven from Tacoma North,
Greg Rolsma introduced Justine and Christophe from the Silver Cloud at Point Ruston and
Katherine Nelson introduced Sara Allen from Bates Vocational who is in the pipeline to become a new member. Gabriel from Sweden also introduced himself along with Nico from France who enjoyed his 17
th birthday yesterday.
President Carol acknowledged the following anniversaries:
Lin Zhou-1 year,
Heather Faverman-6 years,
Mike Wark-10 years,
Mary Lynn Pannen-25 years, and
John West who was with us to celebrate, 54 years.
President Carol called on
Linda Kaye Briggs to introduce our new member.
Linda Kaye shared how
Dorothy Lewis is a trailblazing female entrepreneur who loves to ask questions and is philanthropic with a caring heart.
Dorothy Lewis is actually a returning member. She first joined the club in August of 1987 at which time she was the 3
rd woman to join. World service is important to her. She has taught in South Africa and was a high school Business teacher and coach in Tacoma. From 1979 to 81 she was opening her business Financial Insights. She loves sports. She climbed Mt. Rainier in ’89, has riden the Courage Classic and in 2000 pedaled around the world. She has had to cut back on activity due to orthopedic challenges but loves to walk Ali’s dog Miss Dixie.
Maria Harlow made a fireside announcement for February 11
th at 6:00 pm. We have the hosts but need attendees. There is also a Saturday Sort at the Salvation Army on February 8
th from 10 – 1.
Elaine Chan announced a new fellowship opportunity for a ski trip on March 14
th.
Ali Criss announced the Science Olympiad on March 7
th @ Curtis Junior High School. If interested contact
Whit.
President Carol invited
Debbie Regala forward to introduce our speaker Lorraine Ralston from the Census Bureau. The 2020 census will take place on 4/1/20. It will be the 24
th time our country has had a census and the impact will last for 10 years. The census counts every person in the US, once and in the right place. The US constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The first census was in 1790. Every 10 years, the results are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets. The distribution of $675 billion in federal funds, grants, support to states, countries and communities are based on census data. The money is spent on schools, hospitals, public works and other vital programs. Data is also used for redistricting to account for population shifts. Taking part is a civic duty and mandatory. Census data is used by residents to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality of life and consumer advocacy. Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness. Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores that create jobs. Real estate developers use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods. Title 13 is the law that protects info and privacy protection is taken very seriously. Census data is released after 72 years. In 2020 we will be able to respond the census online. The internet is the preferable and most affordable way for people to participate. The portal opens on March 12
th. Paper will be the last option. The census is 10 simple questions. The goal of the census offices is to Educate, Encourage and Engage. Some of the hardest populations to count are: immigrants, seniors, renters, the homeless, those with low internet access, children under 5 and migrant workers. 95% of the population will receive a census invitation by mail. After 4/1/20 three reminder attempts will go out. Then in April-June a non-response follow-up will begin. By 12/31/20 the results will be provided to President Trump and in March 2021 the results will be provided to the states. WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP: self-respond, build awareness, activate social media, apply for a job or let others know about the jobs. This hiring campaign is the largest peacetime mobilization. There are five area census offices. You can get information at
www.2020census.gov/jobs or
www.usajobs.gov or 1-855-JOB-2020.
President Carol called for true confessions:
Jim Henderson paid a fine for forgetting
Brien Elvins in his presentation at the 110
th celebration.
Ali Criss invited fellow Rotarians to the TCC Foundation Luncheon next week.
Pete Norman welcomed Dorothy back and presented her with a sweatshirt he had saved from her bike trip years ago.
Kelly Lane shared that she and her husband traveled to Japan to watch Sumo wrestling.
Fred Matthaei is excited to be going to the Super Bowl and then to San Diego for Valentines Day with his wife.
Dan Bogart just came back from Cabo with his wife and got to see baby turtles released into the ocean while there.
President Carol reminded everyone of the social at Katie Downs as another wonderful way to connect with fellow Rotarians. Next week’s meeting will feature
Lyle Quasim and
T’wina Nobles, who will be talking about Black History in Tacoma.
President Carol encouraged everyone to go out and be People of Action and rang the bell at 1:00.