President Linda Kaye Briggs brought the crowd to order right on time at 12 noon. Debbie Regala began the meeting with a moving tribute to Dick Moe who died December 28th at the age of 90 at his retirement home in Arizona. Moe was born May 7, 1928, in Fargo, N. D., the son of a Lutheran pastor. His parents grew up on adjoining farms in Minnesota. After graduation from high school in Fargo, Moe walked across a bridge on the Red River to attend Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. Moe’s time at Concordia was interrupted by World War II. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served two years in the Pacific. In1965, Moe and his family moved to Tacoma for his job as an education professor at PLU leading to a 40-year career at the University. Moe was elected in 1991 as a Metropolitan Park District (Metro Parks Tacoma) commissioner. He was a community leader who was heavily involved in the community and a part of countless boards and foundations. He will be missed and remembered as someone who lived the rotary ideal of service above self. Along with his wife Marcia, Moe is survived by his 4 children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held on the PLU campus at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9. Rusty Hersey, Superior Linen, gave the invocation reminding us of the importance of fairness in all we do. Carlyn Roy, Tapco, led us in the National Anthem (and the 4-way test) with her incredibly beautiful, resonant voice, hitting notes unattainable by most all of us. Visiting Rotarians and guests were introduced with the help of Jan Anderson, Flagship Maritime and Di Trenh, Bank of America, who ran mics around the room. It was good to see so many guests in the room with at least a dozen friends joining us including our exchange students Renata and Jacob. Jim Henderson with the assistance of Kirsten Willis recognized the latest crop of Paul Harris Fellows. If anyone doubts the commitment and generosity of the members of Rotary 8, they need look no further than to the list of over 150 Paul Harris fellows among our ranks. Linda Kaye Briggs and Harrison Laird next held a membership moment encouraging members to bring prospective new members to future meetings. We have a goal of 45 new members for the 2018-2019 year. There are currently 22 new members so far this year with another 7 prospects in the pipeline. Incentives of free lunches, gift certificates and entry into a drawing for a night away are being offered to encourage and reward members who help grow our club. Mark Pagano of UW Tacoma introduced our speaker Ana Mari Cauce. Ana Mari Cauce is leading the University of Washington in advancing its mission in four key areas: providing a leading-edge student experience, conducting research and scholarship that has a global impact, upholding the UW’s dedication to its public mission and infusing the entire university with a commitment to innovation. The UW Board of Regents selected her to become the UW’s 33rd president at a special meeting Oct. 13, 2015. Raised in Miami after emigrating with her family from Cuba, Cauce earned a B.A. in English and psychology from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in psychology, with a concentration in child clinical and community psychology, from Yale University. Cauce is a professor of Psychology and American Ethnic Studies, with secondary appointments in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies and the College of Education. She maintains an active research program, focusing on adolescent development, with a special emphasis on at-risk youth. She is also a strong advocate for women and underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Cauce remains active in the classroom and continues to teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. Cauce spoke about her goals, belief and desires for the University of Washington. With a nod to her eastern neighbors, Cauce reminded us all that “you can’t make purple without red.” Her goal is simple, “to make the University of Washington one of the greatest public Universities in the world as measured by its Impact.” Cauce eloquently stated that “we are all better off when we’re all better off.” It was fascinating to hear Cauce outline the impact that institutions of higher learning have on their respective communities. We learned that the University is researching and working on the frontlines of one of the most daunting challenges facing our well-being, homelessness. With programs such as the “Husky promise” and the “Population Health Initiative” the University of Washington is a true partner with the community. We are fortunate to have such strong leaders working as public servants to make our state a better place for everyone. Following Dr Cauce’s presentation, President Linda Kaye acknowledged the anniversaries from last week and this week. It is always inspirational to hear about club members who have been with our club for many years including Barbara Tankersley - 3 years, Doug Page - 6 years, Michelle Roberts - 16 years, Steve Smith - 23 years, Arvind Phukan - 29 years, Andy Laycock - 35 years, Kirk Hull - 59 years and Buck Thompson - 65 years President Linda Kaye and Monique Nadeau presented the auction story, encouraging club members to participate by volunteering, filling a table and donating an item. Members were reminded to sign up for the Fireside next Tuesday and for an EFN Repack, on February 2nd Even though the meeting ended right on time at 1:00 PM, it often takes quite a while for the room to clear as members catch up with friends and plan their next adventures. Another informative, inspirational and life affirming Rotary 8 Meeting.
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