"2024 IN YELLOWSTONE .. a summer we will never forget"
By Harlan Kredit
Opening Welcome:
President Steve opened the meeting by greeting everyone and saying how welcome the “balmy” weather is (at least compared to what it has been).
Steve also announced the passing on February 17 of club member Mike Plenkovich. He said Monty McAllister would give a remembrance of Mike after the invocation.
The Paul Harris quote of the day is: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” By this is implied, people must actively pursue change with their actions and voices. They cannot sit back, hoping for change and just expecting it to happen.
Guests:
Doug Cole introduced Pierce Roberts
Del VandeKerk introduced his wife, Willy, Speaker Harlan Kredit and Ted Doughety
Members on Zoom: Loch Trimingham, Bill Day, Marty Haines and Tom Grinstad
Visiting Rotarians: Steve Kimberly and John Bosch (who joined our Rotary Brass) from Bellingham Bay Rotary Club
Mike Plenkovich passed away on February 17, 2025 at the age of 89. Mike was a dedicated member of the RCOB for 38 years and a Paul Harris Fellow +1His service will be on March 11, 2025, at 1:00 at Spring Creek Bible Church, 567 E. Kellogg Rd. Here is the link for the obituary:
In memorializing Mike, Monty ‘noted for his kind, compassionate and devoted participation in all he did; His steady and intense pursuit of accuracy and detail which characterized his career as a CPA [and] translated into professional, recreational, and incidental activities.' (Including a 'notebook detailing every swing, body position and result of his time on the golf course'). 'Mike contributed to the common good as a Marine, in Civil Air Patrol, as President of Toastmaster international, Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club invocation coordinator and presenter, football pool organizer and many other positions.’ Using his personal knowledge of Mike, Monty confirmed that he kept his yard on Wall street meticulously and that, despite his Croatian heritage, he never fished commercially.
What an exemplary Rotarian. What a great human being.
Board Meeting
Announcements/Reports and Presentations:
Steve announced that there will be a board meeting on Thursday, February 27, at 4:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending by Zoom should contact Sandee for the Zoom link.
Steve reminded everyone of the Challenge to End Polio (see below). Rotary International is committed to raising $25,000 this year for that. This will be matched by an anonymous donor. If that goal is reached, the Gates Foundation will match that 2 for 1. This means that if RI raises $25,000, it will actually generate $150,000. But if RI only raises $24,000, that’s all that will be raised.
Committee Announcements:
Meal Packing
Roland Trenouth announced that people should sign up to help with the food packing event 5 April in the Assumption Gymnasium, scheduled 9:15 - noon. We hope to pack 35,000 meals, which translates to $12,000 cash to raise.
About 10 members are needed to show up early at 8:00 am to help set up. Contact Roland if you can help with set-up at 360-201-1090 or rstrenouth@comcast.net
David Blair, co-chair of the Major Projects Committee, gave a status report on the major project, the 2-year effort on behalf of the medical clinic in the Lighthouse Mission’s new building. Sixty-four of 69 members have pledged support this year. Over the two-year period, the club has raised around $163,350 out of our goal of $165,000. Phone calls and arm-twisting are over. We need people to contribute to meet our goal.
Miss Vicky and Polio
February 23rd, 1954. 71 years ago today, Dr. Jonas Salk hosted the first polio vaccination clinic in Pittsburgh, PA. The effort ultimately became Rotary’s 40 year trek to eradicate polio worldwide. Imagine: ten billion vaccinations to three billion children in just the last ten years. Imagine: just three cases of Wild Polio Virus year-to-date in 2025. But when the Taliban stopped its Afghanistan 2024 vaccination program, wild polio virus jumped to 95 cases. Clearly, without vaccination programs, the virus can and will return with a vengeance.
Miss Vicky Rides Again! Locked inside our 1931 Model A Ford is a pledge to contribute $25,000.00 to PolioPlus WHEN ROTARIANS RAISE A MATCHING $25,000. Simple as that. Mr. Gates further matches each dollar with two of his own. $25 thousand becomes $50k which becomes $150,000, thanks to you, an anonymous PolioPlus donor and the Gates Foundation. Your gift to this "challenge grant" is fully tax deductible, moves you toward Major Donor status and comes with matching TRF points to use as you desire. Rise to the challenge! Contribute generously to the 2025 Miss Vicky Challenge for PolioPlus.
Nathan Twining introduced speaker Harlan Kredit, who taught science in the Lynden Christian schools for 50 years, and additionally spent 52 years as a ranger at Yellowstone National Park. In his lengthy career, Harlan has received over 20 awards for his teaching and conservation efforts. Harlan had a spectacular PowerPoint presentation with many beautiful photographs.
Harlan began his program by saying how work at Yellowstone has been so impactful for his family. Two of his daughters work or have worked at the park, and three of his grandchildren were born there. He wants to visit all the national parks. He has put a pretty good dent in that total and hopes to get to one in American Samoa before long.
In the summers, Harlan works at Yellowstone Lake. It is a huge lake (140 miles to drive around it) in the middle of the park. It is at over 7700 feet above sea level, the biggest lake at that altitude in the country. The lake flows into the Yellowstone River, which is the longest free-flowing, undammed river in the country. It flows into the Missouri, then to the Mississippi, and eventually past New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico (editor is exercising restraint here).
Volcanic activity formed much of Yellowstone, and still exists today. Harlan showed some great photos of huge walls of limonite (a type of iron ore) on the rock faces of the cliffs abutting the river that have been carved out by glaciers. He also gave a geology lesson on the types of rock in the northwestern U.S. Most of the rock underground in our area is basalt and rhyolite, two types of volcanic rock. The Yellowstone caldera has 2000 to 3000 earthquakes per year.
Harlan showed some interesting photos from last summer:
Bears and eagles fishing for cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake
Damage caused by a hydrothermal explosion
A van that had driven into a hot pool
A bull elk electrocuted by a downed power line, joined by bears that tried to eat it
A tree with the bark stripped by a grizzly bear
A mama bear and her cubs eating in fields
A car with all doors and rear hatch open, trying to recover from being doused with bear spray
Thank you, Harlan, for an interesting and informative presentation.
Closing:
Steve thanked everyone who contributed to the meeting and rang the bell, adjourning the meeting at 1:35.
Doug Cole - Invocation
Monty McAllister - Memorial for Mike Plenkovich
Rob Olson - Minister of Fun
Rotary Brass members John Bosch, Doug Cole, George and Melanie Halsell, Del VandeKerk and Pete Kirkman
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.
