Susie Thomson reviewed the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. According to the author, these love languages describe the ways a person in a romantic relationship can feel loved and appreciated by his/her partner. They are: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. Depending on individual personality, one of these languages is usually most effective in fulfilling a person's expectations and needs. Therefore, it is important for romantic partners to know the right love language to use with each other.
Opening Welcome
President Gary Goldfogel opened the 4661th meeting (and 18th successive virtual meeting) of the RCOB at 12:30 PM, after Sandee rang the bell. He welcomed the members and guests. A video clip of the combined military academy choirs provided the opening music. Jennifer Moehl gave an invocation invoking St. Camillus de Lellis as a way of offering our support for former RCOB member Dale Rings, who is recovering from heart surgery.
Club Announcements
Felicity Dye, from the Student Exchange and Youth Mentoring Committee, announced that our second exchange student this year, Aramis Melgarejo, made it safely home to Peru after long delays obtaining an exit visa and arranging flights. She also noted that the 2020-21 student exchange has been cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
URGENT: We are looking for Website/Tattler sponsors for the next Rotary year starting July 1st. It is a great opportunity to advertise your business and support Rotary. $350.00 for the year. Please check out the current sponsors on our website by going to www.bellinghamrotary.org on the home page. If you "click" on a sponsor it will take you to their website. It also shows up in the Tattler. Contact Sandee if interested. We have 3 spots remaining.
All Rotary meetings will be held Virtually on Zoom until at least January 1, 2021 due to Covid-19 social distancing. You can look for an email from Sandee each week prior to the Monday 12:30 meeting(you can start logging in at 12:15 for short socializing) with the link for that privacy protected meeting. If you have not done so, please download the Zoom app on your computer (you need a camera and microphone on it), ipad or phone. There is no cost to you. If you do not have either, you can also call in. On the invitation there are US phone numbers you can call and enter the meeting ID number also indicated on the invitation.
RCOB has now set up a Venmo account for ease in payment of Happy Bucks, Minister of Fun, Dues or donations to the club. Our account is @RCOB-Bellingham. If you do not have a Venmo account you can set up an account with your computer then download the app. on your phone (just Goggle "Venmo" and you will find all the information you need) You then attach it to a debit or credit card (a fee on your end) or attach to your checking account at no cost. Payment will be sent directly to the RCOB checking account. When you use it for the first time it may ask you the last 4 digits of the RCOB phone number which is 5532. Give Sandee a call if you need help.
Here is a tutorial on how to login for the first time. (Click here) In order to login you need to know your user name and password in your Clubrunner account. The user name is Yourfirstname.Lastname.264 unless you have changed it. Example: Sandra.Lindhout.264 The password is initially set by clubrunner at 264 unless you have changed it. Sandee can see your Username from my computer but not the password. She can also change your password for you from her computer at your request if you run into problems.
Once you have originally created your User Name and Password you can download the ClubRunner Mobile app on your phone:
Please contact Sandee at 360-734-5532 or rcob@comcast.net if you run into any trouble.
Guests:
Paul Grey introduced speaker Satpal Sidhu, Whatcom County Executive
James Pyles introduced Dr. Michael Mallory
Shauna Naf introduced her husband, Ward Naf
Former member, Lori Leavitt joined us
Other guests: Pete Kremen, former Whatcom County Executive and Rotarian
Presentations:
Steve Hettick was awarded his first Paul Harris Fellowship and received a large round of applause from Club members.
Captain Ruairi Ward gave his new member talk. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, he met and fell in love with an American woman, Sarah, at a summer Salvation Army program in the U.S. That has led them on a career with the Salvation Army, helping the neediest. They have four sons, including a pair of 3-year-old twins. Please refer to last week's Tattler Newsletter for further details.
Program:
Paul Grey introduced our speaker, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu, and described his impressive educational background and diverse professional experience. Mr. Sidhu noted that his first introduction to Rotary had been as a Rotary international exchange student in Wisconsin from his native India in the 1970’s.
He summarized his vision for Whatcom County, grounded in the belief that we will be better able to solve problems working together, even if we don't agree on everything. He outlined his five areas of focus:
reopening and rebuilding our economy in the face of simultaneous threats to our health wellbeing, economic wellbeing and social wellbeing, all of which must be addressed
developing solutions to the housing crisis
creating a long term, ecologically responsible wetlands mitigation strategy
ensuring water security for fish, farms and forestry
improving the County’s working relationship with the Lummi andNooksack Nations.
He detailed the various ways Whatcom County government policies and initiatives could foster progress in these areas. The pandemic has put much of this on hold but not before Mr. Sidhu was able to begin a dialog with the Lummi Nation's leaders. Although achieving these goals will take many years, he was confident that significant progress can and will be made over the next four years.
Program Recordings: We are now recording the speaker portion of out meetings:
8/31 Satpal Sidhu, Whatcom County Executive "Vision for Whatcom County 2020-2023 (Click Here)
8/24 Hart Hodges & James McCafferty with WWU "Zombies, Gamblers & Mostly Employed" (Click Here)
COVID-19 Report – President Gary
President Gary gave the weekly update on the COVID-19 status in Whatcom County. The number of new positive cases continue to decline, such that we would qualify for advancement to Phase 3 once such progression is unfrozen by the Governor. Gary noted that some of his information did not match the information from the State Department of Health.
