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“
- July 24 – Rotary Day at the Arcata Ballpark!
- August 13-14 – RCAS Sunrise Summer Sale
For Openers …
President Vanessa reminded us to save the dates and save our stuff … for the Sunrise Summer Sale, that will take place the weekend of August 13th and 14th. Let Rebecca Crow know what treasures you will be donating to the cause!
Past President Ian Schatz spoke with us about the online vetting process for Rotarians who will be working with Exchange Students (or other minors, such as Interact Club members). The process is mostly online, and you only need to do it once every three years. Ian said the goal is to have all Sunrisers vetted before the end of August.
The Justice Of Your Club – better known as JOYC – is seeking donations of teddy bears and other stuffies for kids who are in court. The stuffed animals help keep the youngsters calm in a potentially scary environment. If you have some that you’re ready to part with, please bring them to an RCAS meeting.
Rebecca Crow talked about a group of Women in Rotary, and President Vanessa thanked her and Romi Hitchcock Tinseth for their many contributions to our Club! Speaking of thankfulness, JOYC has established a “Thank You Box” to help us recognize the great accomplishments of our fellow Sunrisers. Just fill out a sheet or card and drop it in the box to say “Thank you” to someone who deserves it!
Dining Facility Facelift
Former President Howard Stauffer took some time to discuss the Cambodia Academy’s project to upgrade and repair its dining facility, which was recently badly damaged by a tornado. As Howard noted, our Club has a long history of support for the school, which is located in northwest Cambodia, in the Mongkol Borei District. Cambodia Academy teaches students in grades 1 through 9, in a rural area where educational opportunities are scarce.
RCAS is working on a Matching Grant from the District to provide furniture and equipment for the dining facility. (Matching Grants are not allowed to be used for construction purposes.) Our Club will contribute $2,200 to the project, and we hope that District 5130 will match that amount.
In Closing
President Vanessa began to wind down the meeting by noting that District Governor Jennifer Strong told the District leaders that she wants Rotarians to make a distinction between when they joined Rotary and when they became Rotarians. DG Jennifer will be making her official visit during the first week of August, so please be thinking of an “Aha” moment from your Rotary life that you would be willing to share. A couple of Sunrisers came up right then to tell us their Rotarian Moment, including JOYC and Charli Murphy (AKA Crystal Perez).
Rebecca Crow had a final DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Moment to share with us. She noted that the previous day had been International Non-Binary Persons Day.
JOYC closed out the meeting by reading some of the thank you notes that have already shown up in the Thank You Box!.