Hi I am doing great! Christmas and the holidays were really hard but I moved families and we are getting along super well and I am feeling much more comfortable at home now.  I am playing music on my own, they asked me to perform at the 100th anniversary of this district in Prague later in the year.  I don’t have a band here but there is a jamming room at school that people go to and just play music and hang out. Slovak has been really hard.  I am working at it and watching movies in Slovak and trying to read and speak with my family but it is a really challenge for me to learn vocabulary.  I am feeling a lot better here and I am getting more independent.  Thank you for this opportunity and happy new year.

We continue to move forward preparing to move to the Armory before the end of February. Our move date is contingent upon some tenant improvements that need to be done, but thanks to great relationships with the building owner they are working hard to have them done in mid-February.  We are excited about this partnership.
In the meantime, Kirsten Willis is working with volunteers to purge and sort years of paperwork  and organize the office in anticipation of the move.  Thanks to  Carol Duris, Jeremy Fogelquist, Jim Henderson, Rusty Hersey, Debbie Regala, Sherri Stanton, Diane Tilstra and Di Trenh for coming to the office to help. You are welcome to drop by the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 11-3 to lend a hand. 

We will have surplus furniture, office supplies and some Rotary logo’d items that will be offered for sale or donation. We have heard from some of our non-profit members that they are able to use the furniture and we also have a piano and refrigerator that will be available on a first come first served basis. Please contact the office if you have an interest in seeing what we have and making an offer. 

We will also be looking for members willing to do the manual labor of moving the furniture. Members extraordinaire Stacey Ogle and Rusty Hersey are willing to help us with their trucks. Stay tuned as we firm up the actual move date and watch the Gearshift for more information.

 

Harrison Laird, and the Membership Committee announced that so far this year we have added 23 amazing new members, but they don't want us resting on our laurels. They have challenged club members to help us grow our membership by 45 new members this year. If you have a prospective member please invite them to join you for lunch, the club will host them for their first visit.  There are incentives for you as well.  Any member who proposes a new member  will be entered into a drawing for a weekend at Cedarbrook and will receive a restaurant discount coupon. Give the gift of Rotary to someone you know!

Unless written objections are submitted to the Board within 10 days of this posting, the following individual will be invited to membership: 

 

FINANCIAL SERVICES - Community Bank

Columbia Bank

Sponsor: Angie Martin

The Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 on January 24 was officially called to order by President Linda Kaye Briggs at 12:02 pm. President Linda Kaye reminded us that it is “always sunny in Tacoma at the Yacht Club!”. Bryan Flint, Metro Parks Foundation, provided the perfect  invocation to remind us that nothing gets solved on Twitter and shared a portion of a sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Loving Your Enemies” delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church November 1957 in Montgomery, Alabama:
“Let us move from the practical “how” to the theoretical “why.” It’s not only necessary to know how to go about loving your enemies, but also to go down into the question of why we should love our enemies. I think the first reason why we should love our enemies, and I think this is at the very center of Jesus’ thinking, is this: that hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hot me back and go on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum. It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that’s the strong person. The strong person is the  person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil. And that is the tragedy of hate, that it doesn’t cut it off. It only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. Somebody must have religion enough and morality enough to cut if off, and inject within the very structure of the universe that strong and powerful element of love.”

Jan Brazzell, Advancement Consulting, provided the National Anthem acapella – a beautiful job indeed! We followed with the 4-Way Test. Visiting Rotarians and guests were introduced next by Jacki Farrar, Moss Adams and Katrina Self, Eisenhower Carlson who carried the microphones around the room.

Our meeting was sponsored by Past President Ray Schuler, Kidder Mathews – he gave his time to President Linda Kaye. Thanks to Ray and Kidder Mathews!

Linda Kaye provided a brief introduction of Kierra Phifer, from Puget Sound Energy.  She grew up in California, but calls Washington home now after graduating from Gonzaga and working for Senator Patty Murray for several years. She is looking forward to being a member.  

Next, the Pandaka Graduation was presented by Cindy Neimi, Mary Bridge Children's Foundation, Kirsten Willis, Office Move Volunteer, and Amanda Weidman, Eye Med . Each graduate told us what they love most about Rotary so far – all have been inspired and shared personally what impact Rotary is having in their lives! In attendance: Dean Carrell, Director at Pierce County Library. He joined July 12, 2018 and was sponsored by President Linda Kaye Briggs, The Briggs Group. John Douville, Real Estate Broker at Windermere Professional Partners. He joined October 4, 2018 and was sponsored by Past President Barry Benson, Windermere Professional Partners. Brenda Gasper, Patient Relationship/Insurance Coordinator at Brooks Dental Studio. She joined June 21, 2018 and was sponsored by Dr. Jamie Brooks, Brooks Dental Studio. Karena Kirkendoll, Pierce County Superior Court Judge. She joined August 3, 2017 and was sponsored by Kathryn Nelson, Pierce County Superior Court. Sally Leighton, Community Volunteer. She joined July 12 2018, and was sponsored by President Linda Kaye Briggs, The Briggs Group. Geoff Oakley, Food and Beverage. He joined March 15, 2018 and was sponsored by President Elect Carol Duris, Timberland Bank. Annie Ramirez, Donor Relations Director at the Salvation Army. She joined December 14, 2017 and was sponsored by Don Sheppard, the Salvation Army.
Also graduating but not able to attend:  Tony Belot, Schnitzer Steel, Govt and Public Affairs Manager. He joined March 1, 2018 and was sponsored by Melissa Malott, Citizens for a Healthy Bay. Sharon Benson, Managing Broker at Windermere Professionals Partners, she joined September 6, 2018 and was sponsored by Past President Barry Benson, Windermere Professional Partners. Angela Connelly, Community Volunteer. She joined June 14, 2018 and was sponsored by Missy Zenczak, United Way of Pierce County. Sally Glover, Executive Director at South Sound Care. Joined  May 31 2018 and sponsored by Maria Harlow, Names Family  Foundation. Cosette Pfaff Group Leader at Excell Puget Sound Joined Sept 21 2017, sponsored by John Pfaff, Bathfitters. It was really inspiring to hear from the new members and each one got one of our club’s Centennial wine glasses.

Speaking of new members, chair of the Membership Committee, Harrison Laird, CBRE, announced the details of the membership drive. The goal is 45 new members and we need 25 more perspective members this year. We already have 22 new members introduced during President Linda Kaye’s year and seven are in the pipeline. If you know someone to propose bring them for a free Rotary lunch. If you sponsor a new member to join you will be entered to win a weekend in Cedarbrook.
It was time for program and the audience was treated to a great introduction by Carol Webster, Community Volunteer, of Dick Dorsett and Foldscopes. First watch this video if you have time: Amazing Foldscopes Video! About three years ago, Dick Dorsett was smitten by an idea he saw on a TED talk. Stanford’s Manu Prakash was discussing what he calls a Foldscope, an origami-based paper microscope that cost less than a dollar to manufacture. Just over a year ago Foldscopes became available. Dorsett, using a $300 gift from Rotary 8, purchased a hundred to take along to Laos and Thailand, with the idea of planting the seeds of science among students who otherwise would have little access to science education and microscopes. Two obstacles that Dick has had to overcome include political and language barriers. Because Dick is not a doctor he really could not teach about the diseases, like malaria, giardia, that the Foldscopes can help detect in water. Also since English is not the language spoken it was helpful that most of the learning needed to assemble the mini-microscopes is done visually. Plus people can take pictures of what they are observing with their Foldscopes allowing sharing across the globe! Since then he has added Cambodia and has given away close to 900 and continues to plant the seeds of science around the world.

After presenting Dick with his speakers gift from Hilltop Artists President Linda Kaye acknowledged the following anniversaries: Libby Catalinich, Pierce County Government, 4 years, Shanna LaMar, College Success Foundation, 5 years cumulative, Amanda Weidman, Eye Med, 5 years cumulative, Mark Lindquist,11 years Brian Haynes, Rainier Connect, 14 years, Brett Thomas, MultiCare Centers of Occupational Medicine, 14 years, Jeff Albers, Wilson Albers, 20 years, Mary Lynn Pannen, Sound Options, Inc. 24 years, Stacey Ogle, Cole Graphic Solutions, 29 years, George Howe, Howe Investment Partnership, 33 years.

Next, President-Elect Carol Duris, Timberland Bank, invited everyone to help with the upcoming Mission Possible Auction on March 30^th by signing up to sponsor the event or by filling out a procurement form and donating an excellent item! We also heard from Projects Committee Chair, Gil Quante, GreenHaven Interactive about the Habitat build and EFN repack.

President Linda Kaye asked members to sign-up for a couple more things:  Register for upcoming meetings using the tickets on the table. Consider a nominating a non-Rotarian for our upcoming Community Service Award by using the nomination  forms on the table. This special award will be given on April 4^th.
With a couple minutes to spare Auction Raffle Chair, Christina Turner, MultiCare Health System, asked everyone to buy a $50 raffle ticket for your chance to win a $1,000 cash prize!

At 1:01pm President Linda Kaye rang the bell and we were invited to Re-Ingite your Rotary!