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“
- October 6 – Guided Meditation with Charli Murphy – 6:30 pm
- October 8 – The North Coast Ethics in Business Awards
- October 8-9 – The District 5130 Conference, celebrating the 2020-2021 Rotary Year
- October 17 – RCAS Oktoberfest – pick up your package at the Griffin!
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- 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 …
We welcomed our guests and Visiting Rotarians, including Arcata High School Interactors Seri and Ian. Our very own President Ian was also on hand, and he reminded us of the fellowship event scheduled for Wednesday, October 6th. It will be a group compassion meditation session, led online by Sunriser Charli Murphy. The following night, there is a Pints for Nonprofits at the Humboldt Cider Company, and a portion of all proceeds for the day will go to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Members of our Club will be gathering at Humboldt Cider from 5 to 8 pm, with a raffle and more! The actual walk will take place on Saturday, October 9th, so get your donations in!
Thank you, Jeff Stebbins for agreeing to co-chair the Taste of the Holidays @ Home fundraiser. Lisa Hemphill will appreciate the help, and I know the two of you will be unstoppable in our preparations for the event.
Before that happens, however, we have another fundraiser coming soon – Oktoberfest! We will need help with prep on Saturday, October 16th, and bag-stuffing and distribution on Sunday, October 17th. Until then, please be sure to promote the event on social media and through your personal networks. You are also encouraged to sign on as an event sponsor. Contact Claire Ajina for details.
Anniversaries, Birthdays, and More – Recognitions!
President Ian spoke with some Sunrisers who celebrated anniversaries in September, including Charlie Jordan, JOYC (the Justice Of Your Club), and Bob Johnson. Ian also told us about his birthday – is he the only Sunriser born in September? The jury is still out.
We also heard the disturbing news that the Bayside Community Hall has been seized by the California State Grange, which also emptied the organization’s bank accounts. You can learn more at the Bayside Community Hall website (baysidecommunityhall.org).
President Ian also told us that the new Track and Field Stadium at Arcata High School will be named for a true Arcata icon – James Washington. James has served for many as the school’s Cross-Country and Track Coach, and he is very deserving of the honor.
The aforementioned JOYC [did I say that she is the Justice Of Your Club?] then provided some Recognitions, starting with Bob Johnson. Bob and his wife Susan recently took their “retirement machine” (a new camper van) on a trip down the coast to Fort Bragg for their anniversary.
Jeff Stebbins headed up an RCAS foursome at the recent Rotary Youth Exchange Golf Tournament at Baywood. Also in the group was Sunriser Chris Hemphill. They agreed that if anyone asks, they “came in second”.
Who has a new granddaughter? Lori Breyer does! Little Oma came into the world in early September, and she’s been lighting up Facebook ever since!
Finally, Terri Clark and Marty Lay recently returned from an exciting 10-day trip to New York City. While they were there, they saw several plays, including Waitress. Unfortunately, Eureka’s Sara Barielles was not heading the cast that night, but it was still a delight.
Who jumps out of a plane in mid-flight? Charli Murphy did.
And JOYC told us that she too is a grandmother. Her daughter Lacey has a new son, Bennett. JOYC also said that Lacey is now working as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Redwood Memorial Hospital.
AHS Interact Club Update
The Featured Speaker for the October 1, 2021 RCAS Meeting was Seri Walsh, the President of the Interact Club at Arcata High School. Seri said that she served as the Club Secretary last year, and worked on her Club’s Coats for the Cold program. In addition, she is the goalkeeper for the AHS Girl’s Soccer Team, and she is the co-editor of the school newspaper – the Pepperbox.
Seri told us that the AHS Interact Club started on November 5, 1962, and it has been part of the school for the past 12 years. It is one of 14,911 Interact Clubs in 145 countries. There are 342,953 total members at last count.
Her Club meets every other Friday, and (as she told us at a previous meeting), there has been a great deal of interest this year. Seri said that last year, the group was forced to scale down its efforts, due to the pandemic. This year, they are using tools such as Zoom and Google Classroom to keep in touch and keep organized.
The AHS Interact Club works on many projects and with many organizations, including Food for People, the End Polio Now campaign, and Toys for Tots. Their events include a spaghetti dinner and fundraising runs. Their Coats for the Cold project distributed about 2,800 coats last year, to help needy people stay warm.
For more information about the Club and its activities, please visit their website at arcatainteract.weebly.com.
President Ian’s Closing Haiku …
Participation
When we all work together
It’s a lot more fun