The Rotary Club of Kirkland held an in-person meeting on April 15, 2024, at Madison House in Kirkland.  Past President Rich Bergdahl presided and called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m.

 

Members attending were:  Cody Baker, Rich Bergdahl, Michelle Cazeau, Gary Cohn*, Sue Cohn*, Terry Cole, Donald Dicks, Jocelyn Ellison, Monica Fratita*, Rashmi Garimella*, Isabelle Kalisa*, Jim Meniketti, Rick Ostrander, Peter Peaquin, Joanne Primavera, Daniel Sada Caraveo, Steve Shinstrom, John Storbeck, and Rick Walter*. *Attended via Zoom.

 

Rick Ostrander and Michelle Cazeau served as greeters for the evening.

 

John Pruitt led us in the pledge.

Rotary Club of Kirkland's Student of the Month for May will visit with membership the evening of the May 6 meeting. Rachel Chu's priorities are to succeed academically and to uplift her community through service opportunities that make her a better person as well. Rachel has already accomplished major benchmarks in her high school career, some of which include being HOSA's secretary and the Symphony Club's conductor, playing in Honors Orchestra, earning the Presidential Service Award in FASCA, and improving Lake Washington High School's environment through clubs such as Green Team and Multicultural Club. Learn more about Rachel during the May 6 in-person meeting!

At the invitation of Rich Bergdahl, renowned real estate economist Matthew Gardner will be speaking to the club's membership during the June 10 virtual meeting. Formerly the chief economist with Windermere Real Estate, Matthew travels the world addressing real estate economics issues with groups for whom the information makes a difference in their business pursuits. Two components of recent posts on Matthew's site will introduce a flavor of the analysis and clear thinking that Matthew delivers to audiences.

 

In appreciation for Kirkland Rotary Club's generous and longstanding support to reduce hunger in our community, Harvest Against Hunger recognized our club as a member of the newly created Harvest Against Hunger Lifetime Giving Society. Members of the Lifetime Giving Society have cumulatively contributed at least $10,000. They are individuals and organizations that have played a pivotal role in sustaining our mission and enabled us to continue innovating as we find new ways to increase access to nutritious produce by people in need. They are passionate about building healthier communities and more equitable food systems. Kirkland Rotary Club has contributed a total of $18,725.

During this Rotary year, there have been a few in-person meetings at Madison House during which the Square payment system has not been operational. Some Rotarians paid in cash, some with checks, and some committed to follow up with payments later. If you were one of the members who intended to make payment at a later date, but have not yet done so, please use the "Rotary Club Dinner" option on the Donations page to clear your account. Just look for the dinner image you see in this article. Many thanks for helping keep the club's dinner program on a positive footing.

Have a fun outing with fellow Rotarians to share with the club? By all means, send in to The Spokesman editor a short description of the Rotary Fun you've had and a be sure to include a photo. Thank you to Rich Bergdahl for the photo of Golf Rotary Style, and it's indisputable that Rick Walter, Don Dicks, Dave DeBois, and Rich Bergdahl are having a great time together on the links. Sadly, we do not yet have verification of the scores and how many Happy Bucks were generated by the round. More is sure to come!