“My FlyBoy Father: A Tribute to the Veterans of WWII."
Opening Welcome:
President John rang the meeting to order at 12:30pm. Rick Kaiser tried, with limited success, to get members to waltz and sing along with Elvis Presley, to Amazing Grace. Teri Treat followed with a novel and universal invocation by the late Pope Francis, which involved the five fingers of a hand, each representing a different segment of our society to bless and be thankful for.
This being the first meeting of November, President John then announced the member birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and RCOB membership anniversaries for this month. He also told us that the rotary wheel had been a symbol of the organization since its inception, signifying that the meeting places of the original Rotarians rotated among the members. The current gear wheel emblem was adopted in 1922.
Guests:
George Halsell introduced the speaker Richard Bergstrom and his wife, Leona and George's wife, Melanie.
Members on Zoom: Doug Cole and Loch Trimingham
Club Events and Committee Announcements
Important Announcements:
President John asked for feedback from club members who attended last week's meeting with the local Rotaract and Interact clubs, where RCOB members described their various careers to the young adult audience. There was consensus that the meeting went very well;the young adults were impressive people who asked excellent questions. Mentoring them could be an effective way of connecting with them. Their thirst for information and connection suggested that we should hold these meetings more frequently. We all--not just the students--appreciated the excellent pizza and sparkling waters brought by our president!!!
Salvation Army Bellringing - We had selected December 13th for Bellringing at the meeting but have found out there is a problem with selecting locations so STAY TUNED!.
Paul Grey announced that we are still looking for a permanent storage home for our Memorial Day Rotary Float.
NOV 15
Shauna Naf showed an excellent trailer for this year's Mountain Film program and encouraged members to buy tickets for the MountainFilm Event on November 15, 2025. She also asked for volunteers to help with various tasks during the event and also asked us to spread the word about the event to our friends and relatives. In keeping with the outdoor nature of the program, Shauna announced that there would be two hikes the day after the event, with details to follow.
The films selected are excellent - CLICK HERE Some impressive donations have been gathered for the silent auction, including some darling Christmas stockings, Evil Bike’s rental passes, and a Community Boating Center donation. Shauna encourages members to build support for this program and spread the word about Mountain Film. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS. Remember, this is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Bellingham to support our Student Exchange and programs.
Nov 18
Whatcom County Rotary Clubs Joint Brainstorming Meeting
Hotel Bellwether 5-9pm is going forward, please attend this important meeting:
Larry Halgren reminded us of the November 18th joint Brainstorming Club meeting. This is an important meeting. All are invited and encouraged to attend. The focus will be on the reduced membership of Rotary Clubs everywhere. The agenda will include a serious discussion about recruitment and possibly the consolidation of one or more Clubs. The meeting will include members of the Clubs from Whatcom North, Bellingham Bay, Sunrise, Mt. Baker, Ferndale and RCOB. The meeting will have a question-and-answer format, with no plans to make final decisions that day. Larry urged us to sign up through Clubrunner Events. CLICK HERE FOR LINK Because only 25 people had signed up so far for this event from all six clubs, Larry was considering canceling the event. However, since eight or so RCOB members indicated that they would be registering for the event, he will proceed with the event for now.
QR Code for November 18th
Mark Knittel announced that the International Service Committee will meet next Monday after the regular club meeting. Also, the ARES newsletter has been released and here is the link:
“My FlyBoy Father: A Tribute to the Veterans of WWII."
George Halsell introduced our featured speaker, Richard Bergstrom. He recently retired after 50 years of vocational ministry as a pastor and nonprofit leader. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He and his wife Leona split their time between Bellingham and Arizona. They have two adult children and six grandchildren. In his spare time, Richard loves to e-bike around Bellingham and trek the many trails here. Richard's father, Rudy Bergstrom, was a World War II flight instructor who meticulously documented his flying history. It is that documentation that Richard draws from to share his father's story.
Richard began by recounting a so-called Honor Flight that he had participated in in 2013. 85 World War II veterans, including his father, were flown from Billings, Montana to Washington DC., where they were celebrated as heroes, culminating in a banquet.
Richard then described how Rudy grew up as the eldest of three siblings, met his future wife, Ruthie, in high school, and was introduced to flying at the local Kalispell, Montana airport. By May 1942, Rudy had developed a love for flying and also for Ruthie. In July 1942, Rudy enlisted in the Army Air Force, became a certified flight instructor in 1943, and spent the war training pilots who then flew in combat overseas. Richard mentioned that the training airfields were moved away from the West Coast in order to protect them from enemy attacks.
Rudy lost half of his right ring finger in an accident in 1942, but was able to stay in the Army Air Force despite his "incomplete" fingerprinting. Rudy was involved in three separate airplane crashes during his flying career. After he survived the third one, he decided not to tempt fate any further and retired from flying. Richard shared many interesting photographs of the 20 different planes that his father flew during his career, as well as Rudy"s frequent correspondence with his future wife, Ruthie.
Richard's presentation was truly a meaningful tribute to the veteran pilots of World War II as well as to his FlyBoy father.
Closing:
President John ended our meeting by thanking those who assisted with the meeting, and rang our meeting to adjourn promptly at 1:30 PM
Rick Kaiser - Music
Amazing Grace with Elvis
George Halsell introducing speaker Richard L. Bergstrom
RCOB apparel, including polo shirts, dress shirts, vests and hats is now available. These are items that every Club member simply must have in his/her wardrobe! Besides looking great, Club members will be contributing to branding for the RCOB as well as supporting our Club's Foundation, which will receive part of the proceeds.
Click on the button below for the the clothing catalogue, with the Order Form on the last page. Fill out the order form, turn it into Vinson Latimore at a meeting or email a scanned copy to embroidery@choicesscrubs.com.
