"Go...Where There is No Path and Leave a Trail" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Opening Welcome:
You may wonder, as I do, how President John Moffat gains such a dulcet tone with a lengthy sustain, when he strikes the bell. It has, I believe, to do with the snap of the wrist he has perfected. Anyway, he opened the meeting at 12:30pm with one of those remarkable rings.
The Rotary Brass hit us with “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”, which taught us that the proper word was “whithle”.
Guests:
George Halsell introduced speaker Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt, his wife Melanie and John Bosche from Bellingham Bay and member of the Rotary Brass
Members on Zoom: Catherine Riordan
Club Events and Committee Announcements
New Member Talk
Joseph Garcia started his talk alluding to magic, which raised hope in my little heart. That was smashed within the first sentences of his talk – NO MAGIC. He was an adopted kid, reared in Wisconsin, whose adoptive mother lived to the ripe age of 99. Sorry Joseph – no genes for you. He showed off his wife of 33 years and kids as well. He lived in rural Alaska with a dog sled team. Joseph also met Jane Goodall and flirted with chimps for a while. He learned and taught sign language to the chimps, had conversations with them, and that changed his perspective on human – animal relations. He wrote books on sign language, which have had world-wide distribution. He now is part of Whatcom Early Learning Center. He looks to be a valuable addition to the club.
Upcoming Events:
We need your help!
Bell ringing will be December 20th at Lakeway and Bakerview Fred Meyers at both doors. Rick Kaiser has taken over as Chairman for Dick Tucker in lieu of Dick's hiking accident on the Rotary hike. It will be 10:00am-6:00pm with 2 hour shifts, but you can always sign-up for more than one shift :) We currently have 14 spots that need to be filled!
CLICK HERE to register for your preferred time and location.
Holiday Fun!
December 15, 2025 Evening Meeting at 5:30 at the Holiday Inn at the Airport. Spouses, family and friends are invited. See you there! NO REGULAR NOON MEETING.
2025-2026 Major Project - Skookum Kids:
Project Purpose:
Skookum Kids is seeking funding of $140,000 to assist with the purchase of three slightly used vans. RCOB would contribute approximately $85,000 of this total with the remainder obtained from designated donors. While currently serving 200+ families each year, acquiring these vehicles will significantly improve the ability of Skookum Kids to serve a greater number of children and families throughout Whatcom County and Northwest Washington for years to come.
Your donation will enable his organization to replace aging minivans which are used to transport children to and from appointments, sometimes across the state! Eighty percent of foster children have court-mandated visitations.
Monty McAllister nagged us about getting those pledges in before the end of this calendar year.
Steve Ban, Chairman of the Nominating Committee:
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the results of the election held during today's meeting. The slate of officers for the 2026-2027 Rotary Year are:
President - Nathan Twining
President-Elect - George Halsell
VP/Program Chair - Mark Knittel
Board Members:
Fred Kaiser - 1 year remaining
Bob Kuenzel - 1 year remaining
Aaron Booker - 2 years
Justin Guillory - 2 years
Sue Parsonsannounced that there are two open slots for YAIL (Youth Adventures In Leadership) camp at Timberline Ranch in Maple Ridge B.C. on February 6 – 8. They are
scholarship slots, so no cost associated. If you know of teens who might be interested, contact Sue.
Pilot program for the 2026/2027 Rotary calendar year, specifically focused on how we manage our weekly speakers.
Currently, the designated future President (two years out) serves as the "VP of Programs." This individual carries the heavy workload of finding and managing speakers for the entire year. A group of current and former Club Presidents has reviewed this process and proposed a new committee-based approach—one that is already standard practice in many other clubs.
The New Approach Instead of one person shouldering the load for 12 months, we are forming a Program Committee.
Structure: We are looking for 3-4 members to join the committee.
Commitment: Each member will be responsible for a specific segment of the calendar (likely a 3-month block), rather than the full year.
Role: During your block, you will manage speaker selection and coordination, supported by the VP of Programs.
Why We Are Making This Change
Reduced Burnout: It lowers the barrier to entry for members interested in becoming President by removing the massive first-year workload.
Flexibility: It accommodates members who travel or have fluctuating schedules.
Diversity of Thought: A committee ensures our speaker lineup reflects a broader range of interests, ideas, and contacts.
Call for Volunteers We are looking for volunteers to launch this committee. Please note: You are only signing up for a ~3-month assignment, not a full year.
Initial planning will begin in early February, with scheduling starting in April for meetings beginning in July with the new Rotary year.
If you are interested in helping shape our programs, please let Sandee or Mark Knittel know as soon as possible.
Doug Cole gave a report on a book entitled The Gales of November. It was about the last commercial ship that sank in the Great Lakes. The sinking of this ship is memorialized by the ballad from Gordon Lightfoot, so lots of people know about it. Doug summarized the book, noting the design of the ship so as to fit the locks (long and real narrow), which may have contributed to the sinking. It was not the only factor in the sinking, but to discover the others, you will have to read the book. Doug gave the book a hardy two thumbs up.
Service Grant Presentation to Whatcom Community College Foundation - Orca Pantry
by sponsor, Larry Halgren
Former President Larry Halgren presented a service fund grant to the WCC Foundation for support of the Orca Food Pantry. He pushed the donation to gain a matching grant. Our contribution of $1,000 was matched, so the pantry gained $2,000, which will provide two weeks worth of food to the pantry. The presentation was made to Amy Riedel, Ward Naf, and President Justin Guillory of Whatcom Community College.
Weekly Payment Reminder
VENMO:
@RCOB- Bellingham.
Give Sandee a call if you need help. 360-734-5532.
CASH / CHECK:
Yes, we still take these and saving on fees is appreciated.
"Go...Where There is No Path and Leave a Trail" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
George Halsell introduced Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt who gave us a program about trail building in the natural habitat. The real problem with the presentation was that; 1) there were so many pictures that this reporter couldn’t keep up, 2) there was so much information it was difficult to condense to mere reportage, 3) it is impossible to describe the slides we saw.
Indeed, even with a rapid pace, Russ had to rush through the slide show at the end and could not narrate the bridge photos. We saw the process of trail building from surveying and planning to trail marking and construction. He got to play with explosives to clear obstructions so the trail could be built. There were before and after shots of boulders and trees removed for the trail. We did not receive a full education of proper explosive technique.
He has been building trails in parks, forests etc. for nearly fifty years. It appears that he has carved out a unique life building trails. One example that we have experience with is the Stimpson Reserve trail near Sudden Valley. He explained how he designs to show off certain views, trees, biomes and give the traveler a great experience. He writes a log of each trail to remind him what the overall experience will be at completion.
It is difficult to summarize Russ’ talk; there were so many photos and stories. You just had to be there to enjoy it.
Closing:
At the end, President John again raised the mallet and produced the dulcet tone and we were allowed back to the world, but not before he thanked those who assisted with the meeting and asked that we put the meeting room back the way we found it.
NOTE: There will be no meeting December 22 and 29. See you January 5!
Rotary Brass: John Bosche, Doug Cole, John Dunne, George Halsell & Del VandeKerk
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.
