October 14, 2022

Welcome to the Sunrise Spirit –
the Weekly Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise

 


Luke Scown

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.

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

  • October 19 – Women of Rotary meeting at the Griffin
  • November 17 – The return of in-person Taste of the Holidays! All hands on deck at the Arcata Community Center!
  • March 31 & April 1 – District Training Assembly
  • May 4-7 – District Conference at Konocti Harbor Resort
  • May 27-31 – Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia

For Openers

After greeting our guests, we learned that we earned a Rotary Citation for our efforts during the 2021-2022 Rotary Year. We were also reminded that the Blood Bank is planting a tree for every donation this month, and we heard updates on the Taste of the Holidays and Backpacks for Kids. Jennifer Coriell discussed preparations for this week’s Homecoming Parade and Celebration.

A discussion about Rotary Youth Exchange followed. Craig Newman talked about his and Janice’s experiences hosting 13 Exchange Students over the years. Claire Ajina noted that the recent RYE information night netted 11 potential Outbound Exchangers, but we can’t send anyone unless we are willing to host someone in return. Our current Inbound Exchange Student Lazo gave a brief talk.

Luke Scown’s Craft Talk

Our Club loves Craft Talks – where new Sunrisers give us the lowdown of their life, and what brought them to Rotary.  At this meeting, it was Luke Scown’s turn.

Luke told us that his family has lived in Humboldt County for six generations, arriving in the Bear River Valley in 1852. Luke grew up in Eureka, Dean Creek, and Southern Humboldt. This was followed by service in the Air Force, earning a BA in Business Management at Humboldt State University (yes, that’s what it used to be called), and then attending the Police Academy. He has served with the Arcata Police Department for over 10 years. His many roles have included Patrol Officer, Downtown Bicycle Patrol, Field Training Officer, Detective, and Community Outreach Sergeant. He also teaches at the Police Academy.

He met his wife Caitlin when they were kids growing up next door to each other. They have been together for 20 years, and they recently celebrated their 15th anniversary. They have two children; Jacob arrived in 2015, and Claire followed in 2017. The family likes to travel and enjoys many outdoor activities.

What’s New at Arcata House Partnership?

Our Featured Speaker was Darlene Spoor, the Executive Director of Arcata House Partnership. She has been with the organization for 16 years, serving as Executive Director since 2016.

AHP provides critical services to people who are homeless in Arcata and Humboldt County. These services include maintaining shelters for adults and for families, providing meals and gleaning for the homeless, offering case management, rehousing families and individuals, and providing permanent supportive housing. The goal is to help folks through the difficult process of returning to an independent living situation.

Darlene noted that the two fastest growing sectors of those experiencing homelessness are families with young children and seniors. She said that many times, our encounters with “the homeless” are difficult, when these people are angry or difficult to engage with. But she reminded us that these people are not representative of the greater population of unhoused people – people who are trying to rise above their current circumstances, with the help of important organizations such as the Arcata House Partnership.

In Closing

In honor of President Vanessa’s birthday two days earlier, we were invited to snack on cupcakes!

Rebecca Crow also reminded us that she will need assistance with the Cross Country Championships on Thursday, October 20th.

 

 

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