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:
We have returned to hybrid meetings.
Please join us, either on-site or online!
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 RCAS Calendar
RISE: “Rotary Involvement Strengthens Everyone“
- March 27 – Home Away From Home – Food and Necessities Distribution
- April 1 & 2 – District 5130 Training Assembly in Ukiah
- April 8 – 10 – Redwood Poetry Festival
- May 2 – Fireside Meetings (no Friday meeting)
- May 7 – RCAS Charter Celebration at Redwood Park – Thirty years of Service Above Self!
- May 13 – The Stupendous Sunrise Scramble Golf Tournament
- May 20 & 21 – District 5130 Conference at the River Lodge in Fortuna
- June 4-8 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
Click Here to access the current period’s sign up for Backpacks for Kids!
For Openers …
After welcoming our guests, President Ian announced our Club’s donation to the Rotary Disaster Relief Fund to support relief efforts in Ukraine. Our World Community Service Committee provided $2,000, an $500 came from Presidential Discretionary Funds, and an additional $965 was donated by individual Sunrisers, for a total contribution of $3,465. It’s not too late to help – visit my.rotary.org/en/disaster-relief-fund to make your contribution. All contributions received by April 30th will qualify for use helping refugees and other victims of the crisis.
We discussed all of the upcoming events on our busy spring calendar, emphasizing the weekend at hand, with Adopt-a-Highway, the Arcata House Partnership temporary shelter, and assisting CUNA in cleaning up Carlson Park. Whew!
Although he was not in attendance, we talked about Tom Tellez becoming a new grandfather! More to follow on that, I’m sure. And during Angela Robershotte’s recent trip to Ireland, she did a makeup at a Rotary Club in Dublin, where she did a banner exchange. She presented the Irish Club’s banner to President Ian.
APD’s Juvenile Diversion Program
Our Featured Speaker was Sunriser Crystal Perez, who discussed Arcata Police Department’s Juvenile Diversion Program. The program’s goal is to reduce the number of young people who become involved in the justice system. Another goal is to decrease truancy and lower suspension and expulsion rates. This in turn leads to a reduction in dropout rates and involvement in court and community schools.
Crystal provided a heartfelt reason for her involvement, noting that she strongly identifies with these youths, seeing echoes of her past in many of their situations. The target population is first-time offenders who have committed misdemeanors, students with repeated acts of misconduct, those whose frequent absences are affecting their academic progress, and youths who have experienced a shift in their peer group.
She explained that the diversion process begins with a referral from the school or with the youth receiving a citation. The next step is an assessment with the young person and their parent or other guardian, followed by a one-on-one discussion with the youth, which leads to a contract between the program and the youth. This is monitored through case management, support, and (if needed) interventions. The young person’s progress leads to successful completion of the program or an incomplete result. The contract is terminated if the youth commits another offense.
The program partners with several local agencies and businesses, and one of its core elements is the Parent Project, which gives parents tools to help them deal with difficult situations – before they occur, when possible.
President Ian’s Closing Haiku
So many options
How do you choose who to help
Just follow your heart