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“
- April 16-17 – District 5130 Training Assembly
- June 12-16 – The 2021 Rotary International Convention – Online!
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
RCAS Celebrates 29 Years of Service!
There were a lot of visitors on the screen for the RCAS Meeting on February 19, 2021. Could that have something to do with our special guest, RI President Holger Knaack? Perhaps … probably.
President Holger provided a lively and positive address, noting that despite the difficulties of the past year, our adaptation to the pandemic has made this a “perfect time to make Rotary ready for the future.” He also congratulated us on our emphasis on diversity, noting that this is half of our core values, and that it “allows us to live the Four-Way Test.
Expanding on the Four-Way Test, Holger noted that “Rotary is lived in different ways in different countries,” but the test unites us everywhere, as we ask ourselves whether we are being honest and if we are doing the right thing.
President Holger also encouraged us to hang on to the good things we have learned during the pandemic. For example, he would like to see Rotary Clubs continue to host online meetings on a regular basis.
He noted that his Presidential Theme – “Rotary Opens Opportunities” – is very apt. However, the doors of opportunity swing in both directions. As we open opportunities for others, we also open opportunities for ourselves as Rotarians.
Getting personal, President Holger said that he “joined Rotary to improve his skills”. But what he has found that he loves most is the “great people you meet through Rotary”.
He asked us to take care of our environment through our behavior – reducing the use of plastic and energy. Holger noted that global warming has become a political issue, although it shouldn’t be. He also asked us to combat misinformation about vaccines.
He noted that his Club – the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany – is engaged in projects in South Africa, where they support a local Kindergarten and help to feed the families of its students; and in Namibia, where they are helping a local Rotary Club distribute food to families in need.
What RCAS Means to Me …
Following Rotary International Holger Knaack is a tough gig, but several Sunrisers were up to the task as we continued to celebrate 29 years of Service Above Self.
Bob Johnson shared a photo from our first Charter Night celebration at Baywood in 1992. He talked about Charter President Jim Hamby and our second Club President, Harry Johnson, noting that they would both be as proud as Bob is to see where our Club is today. Bob also reminded us that RCAS pioneered the idea of Youth Service as a separate Avenue of Service from its inception. Youth Service became an official Avenue years later.
Terri Clark noted that she was a member of another great Rotary Club, but following many makeups at our meetings, she eventually joined “the Club of my heart”.
Amanda Nelson joined our Club in July 2019, sponsored by Scott Heller, and mentored by Terri Clark. She said that she grew up around Rotary, since her father was a member of a “more traditional Club”. Amanda is glad that Scott introduced her to RCAS.
President Maggie Kraft said that she was named an Honorary Member of RCAS in February 2011, shortly before she left for a Peace Corps assignment in Botswana. There, she became an official member of the Rotary Club of Lobatse, Botswana, and served as their Club Secretary from June 2011 to May 2012, when she had to return to the US. Upon her return, she transferred her membership to our Club in June 2012. As Maggie put it, Arcata Sunrise “had me at hello”.
As our President-Elect Designate, Vanessa Griffin is slated to lead our Club during the 2022-2023 Rotary Year. She told us, “I stand on the shoulders of giants.” She has enjoyed her time as a Sunriser, especially serving as our Vocational Chair, working with Crystal Perez.
Final Words
Our Charter Celebration on February 19, 2021 concluded with some words of gratitude – both from members of our Club and from Visiting Rotarians:
- Mike Pazeian told us that he is thankful for the opportunity to help others as a Rotarian.
- Lisa Hemphill is thankful for President Maggie. (As are we all!)
- President Maggie Kraft said that she had two fears before starting her term – whether she would be able to get up on time, and having to hook up to the tech required. Both fears have been conquered!
- President-Elect Ian Schatz said that he is humbled to be asked to serve as our Club President, and he gave a shout-out to Visiting Rotarian Chuck Petrusha (also his boss), who has encouraged Ian all the way. He is looking forward to serving our Club.
- Ross Rowley is a member of the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary, and he told us that he has “never seen such a vibrant Club”.
- Haider Ajina, a member of the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, thanked our Club for stepping up with an offer to host our District’s first Exchange Student from Africa, and he noted that we are still waiting to learn which location the young person will be arriving from.
- Former RCAS President Howard Stauffer said that he joined many years ago, and that he has focused on international service, especially school-based projects, all of which our Club has enthusiastically supported.
- Sunriser Rebecca Crow is grateful for the family-friendly atmosphere of our Club.
- Former Club President Dick Johnson said that he was in attendance at the 1992 Charter Night, as the first non-Charter member of RCAS. He noted that Jim Hamby had made a deliberate effort to balance genders in the membership of our Club as it was forming.
– Click here to view the complete meeting –