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Thursday, November 7, 2019 VOL. NINETY SIX, Issue 19 Chief Master Sergeant Trisha Almond Say Yes to a Vet |
Chief Master Sergeant Trisha D. Almond is the Washington State Senior Enlisted Advisor for Headquarters, Camp Murray, Washington National Guard. She represents the highest level of enlisted leadership for the Washington National Guard and is responsible for the welfare, readiness, morale, development, and care for over 7500 enlisted personnel of the Washington National Guard. Chief Almond entered the Air Force in 1988 as a Command and Control Battle Manager. Her extensive background in air defense includes serving as the NCOIC of Combat Training and then further advancing to the NCOIC of Standards and Evaluation Division at the Western Air Defense Sector. She has participated in OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE, working under 1st Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. She routinely augmented the 1st Air Force Standards and Evaluation Branch by evaluating other unit’s combat readiness and effectiveness throughout the United States. In September 1997 she joined the Washington Air National Guard as an Active Guard Reserve member and has served as a Flight Superintendent and as the Operations Superintendent at the Sector. Additionally, she spent 15 months serving as the Washington National Guard’s Joint Operations Center Senior Enlisted Leader and two and half years as the Washington Air National Guard State Command Chief. Her assignments include bases in California and Washington. We will also be joined by the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber presenting their 41st John H. Anderson Military Citizen of the Year Award to Technical Sergeant Joel Johnson.
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November 14 Thursday at 5 November 21 Gratitude - Jim Harris, John Schneider & Katrina Self December 5 Rotary 8 Invests to End Malaria in Zambia |
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Welcome Victor Mitre and Greer Todhunter Victor Mitre joined the club on 10-31. He is looking forward to being active and engaged in the Tacoma community. Victor along with his wife and high school daughter moved from California to Washington making their home in Tacoma. Victor is the Vice President of Fundraising for Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region and is working to advance philanthropic initiatives to support participants in the vocational education and job training programs. He has been in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years as he has lead strategic partnerships for organizations across the nonprofit sector including healthcare, higher education, social service and faith-based organizations.He is from San Jose, California and earned an MBA from California State University, Stanislaus and MA in Organizational Leadership and Development from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara. Please welcome Victor to the club! Greer Todhunter was also introduced on Halloween. Greer is a born and bred Washingtonian, having lived in the area her whole life. She left Pierce County for Gonzaga University, graduating in 2011, moved back afterwards, and began her career in fundraising. Greer recently joined The Salvation Army as their Donor Relations Director for the South Sound, and enjoys spending time with donors and connecting them to the organization’s mission. Greer and her husband, Brian, spend a lot of time exploring the fun things our community has to offer and fixing up their new to them 100 year home. Rotary has been something that Greer has been excited to join, and is happy that it’s finally official! |
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There is always an opportunity to get involved in a Rotary Project. Below is the upcoming schedule from the Projects Committee. For more information you can contact the Projects Committee Co-Chairs Diane Kelleher or Gil Quante, or the Project lead as noted below. Please let them know if you have an idea for a project as well. November 7-Giving Tree Is Up!-Miriam Barnett and Pat Steel November 9- Bike Build-Gil Quante November 21-In Meeting Project-Sharon Chambers-Gordon November 23-EFN Break Bags December 14-EFN Break Bags December 20-Salvation Army Bell Ringing-Ann Voves |
We have something for everyone in our list of upcoming projects. The holidays are around the corner and Miriam Barnett and Santa Pat Steel will have ornaments on our giving tree, look for it this week. We will be buying gifts for Tacoma Rescue Mission helping their family housing, CCS benefiting their foster care program, and YWCA for the kids in their shelter and housing. The Bike Build this coming Saturday morning at 8, at LeMay Hauling Service Facility, 4111 192nd St. East, Tacoma. There will be instructions on site on how to assemble the bikes, tools will be provided. Our next project happening after a meeting will be on November 21 when we will be packing 200 hygiene bags for Raising Girls. Your Projects Committee is working with the Interact Committee to see if the students from Life Christian can join us at the EFN Break Bag event on November 23. We need about 25 volunteers that Saturday, it's a great project!!
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The Giving Tree Tacoma 8 Rotary members are the most generous community members during the holidays. With your help again this year, we will provide holiday memories for 75 children and their families. Gifts this year will go to children and the YWCA domestic violence shelter, Tacoma Rescue Mission’s Adams Family Campus, and Catholic Community Services. Each agency has 25 ornaments with suggested gifts the child would appreciate. You can chose one gift or multiple gifts for your child, it is up to you. In addition, there will be ornaments to purchase a $25 gift card to Target. WalMart or Fred Meyer. How easy is that?! Ornaments will be at the Nov 7 (day time meeting) and Nov 14 (evening meeting) and gifts need to be returned on Nov 21, Dec 5, or 12 (evening meeting). You can also deliver gifts to the Rotary office. Deadline is Dec 12!!!!!!! This information will be on the back of your ornament(s) so you don't have to memorize it! Thank you for your generosity and care for others during the holidays!
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November is Rotary Foundation Month. The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation awarded $86,677,399 in funding to 1,306 grants during fiscal year 2018. Here is a breakdown of causes the grants supported: preventing disease, providing clean water, supporting education, growing local economies, saving mothers and children and promoting peace. Remember to donate to the Rotary Foundation….Every Rotarian….Every Year.
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The PGG/Foundations Committee enjoyed a great celebration of World Polio Day on October 24. Thanks to all of our members who purchased raffle tickets we raised $810 for Polio Plus! We have also had 26 members sign up to be part of the Polio Plus Society. If you are giving $100 a year to Polio through Project Greater Good, you have taken the first step, now you just need to commit to staying at $100 annually until we can declare our world Polio Free! You can pick up the pledge form at a meeting or contact the office and one will be emailed to you. What an amazingly generous club we have!!
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ROTARY 8 LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD We will be presenting our 2nd Annual Lifetime Achievement award to coincide with the celebration of our 110 year anniversary. Criteria for selection Commitment to the club through service activities as well as financial support. It is important to recognize the quality and quantity of service to the club. Additional factors that could be considered is service to the local and global community Qualification of nominees - Must have been a Rotarian for a minimum of twenty (20) years. Here is a link of 20 year members. Service in other clubs will be considered as well
- Must be a Rotarian of Tacoma Rotary 8 in good standing.
- Past Presidents are eligible having been out of office three full Rotary years
- A member may be nominated more than once.
- Deceased members may be nominated provided they were alive during part of the award year
Please take the time to thoughtfully consider a worthy recipient. Fill out the form completely (including your name as the nominator) They need to be returned to the office by December 5, for distribution to the selection committee. Forms will be at the meeting or use this link to download one. |
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MEETING VOLUNTEERS Reflection-Donna Haynes Board Greeter-Daryl Hembry Board Greeter/Roving Mic-Gil Quante Greeter/Roving Mic-Elaine Chan National Anthem & 4 Way Test-Mark Anderson Piano-Barbara Mead Birthday Announcer-Linda Kaye Briggs Fine Counter-Di Trenh Storywriter-Jim Henderson Meeting Sponsor-Jon Murray AV Assistant-Don Sheppard WANT TO HELP AT A MEETING? Please contact Kathi to volunteer --Leading the National Anthem & Four Way Test --Giving the Moment of Reflection --Assisting with Audio/Visual --Greeter and Roving Mic --Sponsoring a meeting --Check in Assistant Birthdays This Week Greg Rolsma - Nov 01 Sabrina Ahrens - Nov 02 John B. Dimmer - Nov 04 Bob Swanson - Nov 05 Jamie Will - Nov 05 Lisa Mansfield - Nov 07 Carlyn Roy - Nov 07 Maddie Merton - Nov 08 Diane Tilstra - Nov 09 Anniversaries to Celebrate Stephen Deal – 3 Years Larry Ghilarducci - 57 years
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Social at The Table May 16 |
Upcoming Socials The Fellowship/Relationship Building Committee invites all members of Tacoma #8 to join them on Thursdays at 5 pm. These socials are a great way to meet some new Rotarians or catch up with old friends. Pandakas, these meetings will fulfill your "social" requirement prior to graduation and, for all members, it’s fun. Tuesday November 5 – 5:30 Rotarian Ladies Night Out La Bella Nail Spa 2616 N Proctor Street Unit A Tacoma, WA Pedicures for 19 Rotarians, cost starts at $30.00 Bring a bottle of wine or champagne and an appetizer to share November 7 The Fish Peddler 1199 Dock Street Tacoma, WA November 21 Katie Downs 3211 Ruston Way Tacoma, WA November 28 No Social Happy Thanksgiving
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Reflections from the meeting of October 31 from Barry Benson |
President Carol rang the bell to open the meeting while looking out at a collection of Rotarians dressed in their favorite trick or treat costumes. Rusty Hersey, of Superior Linen, offered an invocation. Past President Barry Benson led the National Anthem and the 4 way test accompanied by Jack Warnick. Alecia Cunningham of the Girl Scouts and Jace Dwinnell of Heritage Bank carried the roving mics to introduce guests and visiting Rotarians. Two notable visiting Rotarians were Chris Kimball, former member of Tacoma #8 and past president of the Lakewood Rotary. We also said hello to Bob Rezba of Tacoma Sunrise Rotary. Bob praised our club’s enthusiastic singing of the National Anthem! It had to be the today’s leader of the National Anthem! New member introductions were next. Don Sheppard, Corp Officer at the Salvation Army, introduced Greer Todhunter. Greer has lived in the area all her life and graduated from Gonzaga. Entering college, she had hoped to become an oral surgeon, but after passing out at the sight of blood in biology class, she switched her career aspirations and went into fund raising and honed her skills at Bellarmine Prep under the tutelage of Dean Hanks. She is impressed with Tacoma 8’s caring attitude. Past President Linda Kaye Briggs, founder and president of the Briggs Group, then introduced new member Victor Mitre. (pronounced Mee-tre), vice president of Goodwill fundraising. In the 1950’s his grandparents immigrated from Mexico. From his grandfather, Victor learned the value of hard work and dignity. He has been an educator, including teaching kids with autism. Lori Harnick, Executive Director of Goodwill is Victor’s sponsor. Anniversaries were celebrated next. Here they are….Dan Bogart 5 years, Kathryn Nelson 21 years, James Shoemake 23 years, Ed Danz 37 years, Jeff Lovely 48 years. President Carol is looking for 3 club members with at least 15 years in the club to join the committee to select our Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Gil Quante, Past President Mark Anderson, and Past President Ray Schuler volunteered. This award will be presented at Tacoma 8’s 110-year anniversary celebration. President Carol encouraged club members to make nominations. From offstage came the booming voice of radio announcer, Chris Serface, telling of a dark time in 1910 when 13 super hero Rotarians formed Tacoma #8 Rotary club to defeat the evil powers of “Me-me-me”. Auction chair, “Super Woman” (Super Sharon Benson) made on stage cell phone calls to 5 Tacoma #8 heroes calling on them to come to the aid of our May 2nd superhero auction . Barry Benson will host at least 2 tables. Gil Quante will recruit friends both Rotarian and non-Rotarian to attend. Rusty Hersey will drive the procurement effort; Jan Brazzell will enter the auction festivities dressed in costume. Stephen Deal and Past President Brien Elvins will once again host a dinner (which raised nearly $5000 last year). Brien says that he is planning on digging a hole in his yard and roasting a pig. So, Rotarians, add May 2 to your calendars! The theme this year is Calling all Heroes! Super hero costumes are encouraged! CALLING ALL HEROES to be “People of Action!” An unknown specter (actually, Kim Bedier, Director, Tacoma Venues and Events) introduced speaker Chris Staudinger of Pretty Gritty Tours to tell the dark stories of Tacoma’s haunted past and the hidden, little known caverns of Tacoma’s underground. We heard the story of Alexander Pantages and how he convinced his mistress Kathryn Rockefeller to loan him the money from her questionably earned Yukon gold rush fortune to build the Pantages theater-- and then jilted her. Then we learned of Jack the bear (who could grasp a tankard of ale… and then drink it) and his untimely end. The stories of the ghosts in Stadium High School created chills. We then learned of the incarceration and execution of self-confessed axe murderer, Jake Bird, who is purported to have killed 46 women. Miriam Barnett (YWCA executive director) announced that our annual Giving Tree would start next week. This year’s giving tree will focus on agencies that have club member Involvement or leadership-- Tacoma Rescue Mission for Adams Square, Catholic Community Services, and the YWCA. We will provide 25 gifts per agency. This drive starts next week. Michelle Roberts, Lemay Mobile Shredding, made an announcement about a Pedicure Social planned for Tuesday, Nov 5, at La Bella in the Proctor area. There are currently 5 spots available. Bring wine and some snacks. And yes, a couple of men have signed up! Gil Quante, N2 Publishing, costumed as Mr. Conehead, announced an EFN “break bag” pack scheduled for Nov 23. He also told us of the Bike Build, planned for Nov 9. Those participating will assemble brand new carton-delivered bicycles destined for children in need in Pierce County. Kids are invited, and we will have the fun showing how to use some simple tools for this exercise. Each bike can be assembled in 10 to 15 minutes. For true confessions Cynthia Darland led off telling us how much she enjoyed program. Linn Larsen auctioned 2 tickets for Saturday’s Husky game against Utah. Peter Darling celebrated a memorable event 20 years ago when he met his future wife Ann while sitting next to her on a bus. Past President Ray Schuler won another golf championship in Tacoma. Bill Baarsma who lived 4 years in Washington, DC., finally got to see the Nationals win the world series. Noah Baskett raised $35,000 for the Tacoma Rescue Mission and announced that he was changing jobs. Cathy Hall, VP for Ben Bridge, celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary with 3 weeks in Italy. Stacey Ogle, Rotarian Malaria Partners board member and owner of Cole Graphic Solutions spent 2 weeks in the Zambia and Zimbabwe bush learning about malaria which kills 450,000 each year. She carried greetings from Rotarians from Zambia and Zimbabwe. Tonight’s happy hour will be at The spar, and next week’s meeting will include a Veterans’ Day celebration. President Carol rang the bell at 1 pm to adjourn.
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Thought for the Week |
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