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, due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again 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“
- September 21 – RCAS Board Meeting – 7-8 am
- September 25 – Rotary Blood Drive from 8 am to 3 pm
- September 25 – The District 5130 Youth Exchange Golf Tournament at Baywood Golf & Country Club
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- October 8, 2021 – The North Coast Ethics in Business Awards
- October 8-9, 2021 – The District 5130 Conference, celebrating the 2020-2021 Rotary Year
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
For Openers …
After we discussed upcoming events, former District Governor Bob Rogers, of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol, was on hand to welcome nine new members of the Polio Plus Society. (You read that right – NINE!) The following Sunrisers have pledged to donate at least $100 per year until polio is eradicated throughout the world: Cam Appleton, Charlie Jordan, Craig Newman, Rachel Sarvinski, Dustin Littlefield, Janice Newman, Bob Johnson, Jessica McKnight, and Jeff Stebbins. They join President Ian, Scott Heller, Maggie Kraft, Marty Lay, and Terri Clark, who were honored earlier this year. Thank you all for your generosity!
The Scholarship Committee
Jeff Stebbins provided a report from our Scholarships Committee, and he noted that the group has several responsibilities. Not only do they interview and determine how the scholarships budget is divvied among the deserving candidates, they also do the following:
- Organize our annual History Day presentations and awards
- Find Arcata High School students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp each summer
- Coordinate our annual breakfast honoring the academic top ten percent of seniors graduating from AHS
- Corral volunteers for the annual pancake breakfast that provides operating funds for the AHS Career and College Center
- Work with the school on Senior Night, where our scholarships are initially announced
We heard from two of the students who earned RCAS Memorial Scholarships – Cecilia Eggleston was on our Zoom call, while Hannah Henry was unable to be with us “live”, so she provided a prerecorded video Both women shared their experiences (to date) in college.
New Fundraising Ideas Wanted
President Ian took the remainder of the meeting to talk about fundraising. He noted that the Arcata Sunrise Summer Sale in August was successful, due to strong leadership and support from the members of our Club. However, we did cancel our Sunrise Scramble Golf Tournament, since several members were unwilling to commit to a public event during the COVID-19 Delta variant surge. That left a significant hole in our budget for the year.
Ian noted that we still have the Oktoberfest on our calendar, with an expected net profit of about $3,000, and the Taste of the Holidays: Home Edition is slated to bring in an additional $10k. However, we need to be looking for fresh ideas for bringing in funds to support our programs in the community and around the world.
One idea was to hold a special raffle – Maggie Kraft and Vanessa Griffin want to offer a bottle of George T. Stags Premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Other ideas included a virtual auction, a “Non-Event Fundraiser” (where Club members would pledge a specific amount in lieu of working at an event), a Taste of Spring event, and more.
President Ian’s Closing Haiku …
Who gives of themselves
shares their time and good fortune?
Rotarians do