Welcome to the Sunrise Spirit –
the Weekly Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise
We hope that you will attend one of our lively Friday meetings,
whether or not you are interested in joining Rotary.
We meet (almost) every Friday at 7 am in the Plaza View Room
of Arcata’s historic Jacoby Storehouse,
Please note: Our meetings will take place online through the month of January 2022, and possibly beyond.
For more information and for the meeting links, please visit the RCAS Website.
Rotary Vision
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create
lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
The Calendar …
RISE: “Rotary Involvement Strengthens Everyone“
- February 1-6, 2022 – District 5130 Environmental Tour in Mexico
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
Club Assembly – Committee/Treasurer Reports
Our first meeting of the New Year was a Club Assembly – a meeting to review and assess our Club’s efforts to date. The discussion started with reports from each Avenue of Service.
First up was Terri Clark, who talked about Club Service. She lauded the efforts of the Program Committee in bringing us diverse and interesting presenters each week. The Membership and Mentorship Committees work together to bring in new members and ensure that they remain engaged in the Club and its activities. The new-ish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has been working with all of our committees to keep a focus on putting new ideas and people in our sights. And the Fellowship Committee is working to bring us together, despite the difficulties imposed by the pandemic. Terri reminded us that 2022 is our 30th Anniversary as a Rotary Club, and we’re going to celebrate! Although it might not happen in February.
AJ Gonzalez and Amanda Nelson head up our Community Service Avenue. AJ said that it’s been a fun year. The biggest project is coming soon – water catchment systems that will be installed at two schools. The group will also soon seek your help in developing about ten “mini-gardens” in partnership with Cooperation Humboldt. The Finance Committee has spent its annual allotment, helping a number of organizations in the process. Our International Service group has been busy, as Tom Tellez informed us. The Foundation Committee is what Terri Clark calls, “the heart of our organization”, and once again, RCAS members have proven to be very generous in their support of the Rotary Foundation. Tom said that the World Community Service Committee has been working on projects around the world, including one in the Southwest United States – the Navajo Water Project. We are also assisting with projects in Nepal, Pakistan, and Cambodia.
Charli Murphy (who sometimes performs under the stage name “Crystal Perez”) said that the Vocational Committee encompasses our work with Transitional Age Youth (TAY) – young people who are aging out of the foster care system. The committee is helping TAY with vocational and “adulting” skills.
The New Generations Avenue of Service was represented by Nick Torres. He said that the Youth Activities Committee is seeking a chairperson. The Arcata High Interact Club is working its way through the pandemic, with the Coats for the Cold project underway. The local Rotaract Club is taking a pause, but once the health situation clears up, they will resume recruiting. Our Youth Exchange Committee is likely to have an Inbound Exchange Student from Uganda or Tanzania this summer, and they are seeking additional host families. The Scholarship Committee will start meeting soon to review applications. Jen Coriell said that the group is encouraging Sunrisers to sit in on the scholarship interviews.
Treasurer Sophie Saucedo reported on the financial situation for the Club and for the RCAS Foundation. Things are a little short right now, but we hope to have some ideas for upcoming fundraising.
Club Assembly – “Presidentian” Stuff
President-Elect Vanessa Griffin reported on the recent survey of Club members regarding potential changes in our Club’s by-laws. She said that 60% of Sunrisers do not support an attendance mandate, but 51% feel that participation in Club activities is important. We will be voting on the issue later this year.
Speaking of voting … it was Election Time!! We affirmed that John Gullam will serve as our Club President for the Rotary Year 2023-2024, and we also elected Jeff Stebbins and Nick Torres as Directors for 2022-2025. Congratulations to all three, and thank you for your willingness to serve our Club! Finally,
President Ian proposed a “Presidentian” Challenge. (Yes, he made up that term.) He wants us to bring new ideas for fundraising in the second half of his term. He is hoping for proposals with “low overhead and high return”. Put on your thinking caps and let’s figure something out!
President Ian’s Closing Haiku …
Twenty Twenty-Two?
We’ve got this, Rotarians
Show ’em what we do