Service Grant Presentation to Squalicum Musical Theater
Jen Lois Jennifer Dowd, Jen Lois, Paul Grey
March 13, 2023
Opening Welcome:
President Paul began the meeting at 12:30 by recognizing those with March birthdays and Club anniversaries which are listed below.
Rick Kaiser introduced a 100-year old Rotary song named, if you can imagine, R-O-T-A-R-Y! Your reporter, situated near the podium, noted Rick’s fine voice as he led a somewhat hesitant membership in singing.
VP Steve Ban offered a Spring-themed invocation. We had 8 or 9 guests in attendance and 3 members tuning in via Zoom. Wouldn’t it be nice if RCOB members went out of their way to personally greet guests to help make them feel extra welcome?
Club and Committee Announcements:
The Bellingham Bay Rotary’s “Grapes and Gourmet” event will be at the Bellwether next Saturday, March 18, beginning at 5 PM. (Click Here for more information)
Due to complications and fees, RCOB will no longer be taking credit cards for lunch payments after March. Checks, Venmo and cash, however, will still be accepted.
Applebee’s restaurant has asked several 100-year old Bellingham service clubs to submit a photo which will then be made poster-sized and put on display. We are planning an “action” photo shoot prior to or after an upcoming meeting in April.
Six RCOB members will be attending the District 5050 Assembly in Surrey, BC on March 25.
Our meal packing event is on Saturday, April 22 from 8:30 to noon at the Assumption gym. We will pack 30,000 meals, each costing only 22 cents, which will be sent to Sierra Leone in West Africa. Organizers Roland Trenouth and Marty Hainesannounced that, currently, there are 58 individuals signed up for the April 22 event to pack meals for the people of Sierra Leone. They need 100 volunteers, so club members, family and friends are urged to sign up. (Click Here to Register)
The annual Memorial Day parade is on May 27 and RCOB will be both a sponsor and participant.
John Dunne mentioned that ongoing household furniture contributions are requested by the Opportunity Council for families transitioning into permanent housing.
FelicityDyenoted the promotional literature on the tables to introduce YAIL (Youth Adventures in Leadership) to the students. YAIL is for students 15-17 and Rotarians' families can participate. It will be held March 31-April 2nd in Surrey, B.C. and the club has budgeted 3 students to send. Contact Felicity Dye if interested. Click here for information
Board of Directors Briefs – March 9, 2023
Sandee reported that effective April 3rd, Paypal app and processing machine we use to process credit card payments at luncheons will no longer be available. It costs over $100 to replace the machine and due to the limited number of members who use it we have determined that we will be only accepting Venmo, cash or checks for lunches effective April 3rd. If you need instructions on signing up for Venmo please let Sandee know. Instructions are also in the Tattler weekly.
Sandee also received a phone call from a Kiwanis Member telling us of an opportunity with Applebee’s Restaurant that a photo of the club, along with Kiwanis and Lions Club. We can submit a jpg. photo of our members which they will enlarge, print, and place in a frame to be displayed in the restaurant. All three of these clubs have been active for over 100 years in the “neighborhood” Shauna has some wonderful ideas for the photo and Doug Cole has offered to be the photographer. Stay tuned for further information.
Paul Grey reported:
Predictions raised $5,776.21 for the club.
There is a committee of Paul Grey, Doug Cole, Shauna Naf, Mark Knittel and Steve Ban to examine next steps or creating another Signature Event with other special speakers. Paul feels a “Signature Event” should consist of a Fundraiser for the Club; Publicity for the club; educational and entertaining. Please contact Paul with your comments.
Other fund raiser ideas – Nathan Twining & Vinson Latimore are still working on a Whiskey Tasting Event and selecting a date.
2023 District Assembly – March 25, 2023 - Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey BC
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM Members interested in attending, please contact Paul Grey or Sandee. The club pays for your attendance.
The Meal Packing Event will be held April 22, 2023 at Assumption Gym and members are encouraged to sign-up. President Paul has sent an email and flyer to the other Whatcom County Rotary Clubs to invite them to Donate and attend. The committee will also need 7-8 volunteers to set up Friday evening, April 21st so please contact Roland Trenouth if you can help. We need an additional 50 people to sign-up and additional donations to pack 30,000 meals.
We have perspective new members in the pipeline. We have added 5 new so far this Rotary year.
They are still working on a new Tattler format.
She needs more members on the Membership Committee
She has 103 names on the potential member list and Steve Ban will send her emails of speakers for this year to add. They receive an email monthly about what events the club is participating in.
She is prepared to have table at the Sea to Ski event, May 28th and Felicity Dye has offered to help her.
Sandee checked and Roland Trenouth confirmed that there will be a Parade May 27th 12:00 – 3:00. More information will follow.
Felicity Dye:
Felicity reported that our outgoing student, Augustus Booker, will be attending RYLA May 12th to 15th for 18-30 yr olds
YAIL “Youth Adventures in Leadership” is March 1st-April 2nd
Next High School Student Recognition Program is April 17th Award for Music & Most Inspirational/Community Service
Next Board meeting is Thursday April 13, 2023, at 4:30.
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. Here is the clothing catalogue, with the Order Form on the last page:(Click Here) Fill out the order form, turn it into Vinson Latimore at a meeting or email a scanned copy to embroidery@choicesscrubs.com.
WE MOVED TO THE SYRE STUDENT CENTER - SYRE THEATER AT WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE. HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS.
The buildings address is 235 W Kellogg Rd. But this is not where you park. There is no parking off of Kellogg Road. You must enter parking off either Eliza Ave or Cordata Parkway. You are looking for the YELLOW lot (look on light poles for Y2 or Y3).
Enter from Eliza Ave: the driveway between Kellogg Rd and Westerly Rd has a driveway into the campus, follow that about 200 yards until it slopes down, park in the area between the three buildings.
Enter from Cordata Parkway: Just north of the WTA station and Cruisin Coffee before the round about is Orca Lane, take Orca Lane around the first two buildings until you find a large parking lot between three buildings.
You will still receive an email from Sandee each week prior to the Monday 12:30 meeting if you are unable to attend in person (you can start logging in at 12:00 for short socializing) with the link for that privacy-protected meeting. If you have n 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 cannot do 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.
Lunch will be $22 for a buffet meal. We must notify them by Monday at NOON the week prior to the Monday meeting as to the number of members attending. We are sending out meeting "Invites" weekly and members are asked to sign-up ASAP. You can also sign-up by going to the event section of our website at bellinghamrotary.org. If you sign up for a meal at the meeting, you will need to pay the $22 even if you don't wind up attending the meeting after the numbers are turned in. If you plan to attend but not eat, PLEASE indicate that on your sign-up so we don't overorder meals and still make sure there is enough seating.
The Club will collect payments prior to the meeting or at the door.
We urge members of the RCOB to set up a Venmo account for ease in payment of Meeting lunches, 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 Google "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 di ctly 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 0282. Give Sandee a call if you need help. 360-734-5532
Other payment options are to bring a check in the correct amount to the meeting made out to RCOB or cash in the exact amount to speed up the payment process. There is also the PayPal option as usual and we are set to take payments at the meeting. We have a QR Code that you scan and simply click to pay thru paypal also.
Website and Phone App instructions:
Here is a tutorial on how to login for the first time. (Click here) Go to belling mrotary.org first. In order to login you need t know your user name and password in your Clubrunner account. The user name is Your first name.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 her 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:
Steve Ban introduced today’s featured speaker, Dr. Henry Levine
Del VandeKerk introduced Jeremy Loween
Jennifer Dowd introduced Jen Lois with Squalicum Musical Theater
Shauna Naf introduced Janel Black
Zoom attendee visitors:Michael Mallory, Peter Theisen, Dick Tucker and Fred Kaiser
Presentations:
Service Fund Grant: Jennifer Dowd introduced Jen Lois, who accepted a Service Fund grant for the Squalicum Musical Theatre. The Theatre has been going for the past 3 Summers and will be performing Legally Blonde over a three-week period this Summer. Website: SqualicumMusicalTheatre.org
Minister of Fun: Larry Halgren asked D.C. Morse and Jan Marchbanks how happy they were to no longer own their boat. They were very happy, especially since they gave it to a close relative. Steve Gray was $20 happy for Peoples Bank to receive several “best of” awards in a recent Cascadian Daily poll. Bob Diehl was asked to recall a bit of his grandfather’s history, starting in Pennsylvania, coming to Bellingham to sell bicycles and then opening a Ford dealership in 1908. Doug Cole was asked that, given the recent pay increases at Delta Airlines, if he were tempted to return to flying. He replied yes, but that he had to decline due to his upcoming responsibility to RCOB as its President Elect.
Program:
Steve Ban introduced our speaker, Dr. Henry Levine, Assistant Clinical Professor at the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and Co-Director of Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology at WWU. His topic was CBD: Great Promise, Great Fantasy.
CBD is a cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating and non-addictive constituent of cannabis, better known as marijuana. CBD generated $2 billion in US sales in 2018 as compared to an estimated $22 billion in 2022. An estimated 10% of the US population used CBD in 2018. CBD has been legal – when hemp-derived – in all 50 US states since 2018. It’s available at pharmacies, gas stations, pot shops, supermarkets and even at some Seattle classical music venues.
CBD is a plant chemical, one of more than 400 found in cannabis. Despite being studied extensively, it is still poorly understood. Unlike THC, CBD does not make you high. CBD is thought to oppose the action of THC on the brain in key areas of emotional control. The most prevalent uses of CBD are for psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, sleep loss, depression and PTSD. A purified and very expensive form of CBD is used to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy. CBD should not be used during pregnancy, because it crosses the placenta into the fetal circulation and can cause birth defects, including in the brain.
There are three sources of CBD: Pharmaceutical grade Epidiolex, a controlled substance and very expensive; hemp, grown legally in the US and marketed OTC; and the marijuana plant, legal in some states. It’s extracted from flowers and leaves, not stalks or seeds. The safest extraction is by CO2 and alcohol, although there are a variety of other chemical methods, such as naphtha, which are toxic. Hemp is a cannabis plant containing less than 0.3% THC. However, some of the CBD sold as hemp-derived is laced with some marijuana, having a much higher THC content. In all states, CBD from hemp is available OTC. The FDA is concerned about unsubstantiated claims of CBD benefits, deceptive labeling and impurities in production.
Why do so many persons use CBD when there is little or no true scientific evidence of efficacy? For some, it provides a sense of self-control over health and illness, as a result of advertising and website hype; another words, any benefit is obtained mainly as a placebo effect. There is little government oversight.
What CBD products can a patient find? Gummy candy, oil, tincture, tablets, lozenges, vape fluids, cigarettes, gum, pizza, cheeseburgers, soda, water, tea, wine, hand cream, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, pet food, skin patches and even CBD-emitting pillow cases!
In closing, Dr. Levine emphasized that CBD, although harmless except for your wallet, derives most of its benefit from the placebo effect due to aggressive marketing and social media. His goal is to educate both the medical community and the public.
Closing:
President Paul thanked those members who assisted with today's meeting and rang us to adjournment at 1:30PM.
