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.
Usually, we meet on most Fridays at 7 am in the Plaza View Room
at Arcata’s historic Jacoby Storehouse,
however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are meeting online.
Please visit the RCAS Website for the meeting links.
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“
- June 12 – Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup – be at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center at 10 am
- June 12-16 – The 2021 Rotary International Convention – Online!
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- October 8, 2021 – The North Coast Ethics in Business Awards
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
Gratitude and Recognitions
President Maggie welcomed our guests and Visiting Rotarians, including our Featured Speaker, Virgil Moorehead; Mike Pazeian’s fiancee Neira from Colombia; and Allan Lowry from the Arcata Noon Club. We also spoke with Lila Cohen, who is a member of the Interact Club at Arcata High. Lila reported that her Club hasn’t been able to be as active as usual, due to the pandemic, but they do have a movie night/hang-out meeting coming up, and they held elections for their 2021-2022 officers. Also, since May is Older Americans Month, President Maggie shared some of the things “My Mother Taught Me”.
Claire Ajina had a good-sized list of things for which she is grateful. These included Rotary – President Maggie, our Board, and “all of you Rotary friends”. The is happy for the support she receives, and she is grateful to have a supportive life partner, as well as her children, and all of her friends, teachers, and mentors. Claire also appreciates the opportunities she has to mentor others. She is grateful to see such grace among people in these difficult times, and she gave a shout-out to first responders. She said that science gives us all hope, and she is happy that so many of us are adaptable, curious, and willing to learn.
Jeff Stebbins also told us what he is grateful for, starting with his parents, then on to his family and friends. He appreciates the time they are able to spend together. He is also grateful for his animal companions. Jeff is also happy that he works at Humboldt State, and he feels that he is surrounded by a great community, including all of his friends in Rotary.
We had some “Parental Braggin'”, when President Maggie showed a photo of a couple of Rotary Kids all growed up! Kate Breyer and Riley Foster started coming to our Club Meetings when they were very young. Now, both have received teaching credentials! Congratulations to both of you!! (And to your parents – Lori Breyer and Gregg Foster.)
Serving the Community and Beyond
Big thanks to Lisa Hemphill, John Gullam, and others who helped pack Backpacks for Kids last week. Don’t forget to sign up for your slot before the school year ends!
Amanda Nelson reported that our Board has committed $5,000 in seed money to fund a scholarship supporting diversity and equity in athletics.
At our next meeting, we will hear more about a hands-on project – building a greenhouse – that took place at Peninsula School on Saturday.
President Maggie asked whether your Rotary Elevator Speech is rusty. It’s a good idea to have a short list of reasons why you joined Rotary and why you’ve stayed. That way you can be ready if someone asks you about the organization, and especially about our Club. She reminded us to invite others to join our meetings, fundraisers, and projects.
Two Feathers Family Services
Dr. Virgil Moorehead is the Executive Director of Two Feathers Native American Family Services, and he was the Featured Speaker at the RCAS Meeting on May 21, 2021. He is a clinical psychologist with deep roots in the North Coast. He grew up on a local ranch, then attended UC Davis and California State University, Sacramento. He received his doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, with additional doctoral studies at the University of Michigan and Stanford. He taught at Humboldt State before being taking his current position at Two Feathers.
Dr. Moorehead has presided over a period of dramatic growth in his organization. Since 2018, the number of youth served by Two Feathers has increased from 45 to over 300, and the staff grew from 4 to 28. They also expanded their services to reach even the most rural parts of Humboldt County.
He discussed some of the organization’s key programs, including ACORN Youth Wellness, the Two Feathers Mentorship Academy, and the Ambassador Program.
The group seeks to foster a sense of identity and cultural resilience in its programs, and it helps its clientele maintain their mental health and wellness.
To learn more about Two Feathers Family Services and its programs, click on the logo below:
– Click here to view the complete meeting –