The Rotary Club of Kirkland held a meeting on November 8, 2021 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.

President Dave DeBois rang the bell at 6:30 p.m., calling the club meeting to order.  This is the Club’s second in-person meeting at the Marriott Courtyard hotel! It is the first in-person meeting for new member Christine Bell.

Shellie Gehring led the membership in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending were Dave DeBois, Dave Aubry, Shellie Gehring, Brandon Honcoop, Kristin Olson, Rick Ostrander, Rick Walter, Mike Hunter, Steve Shinstrom, Joanne Primavera, Don Dicks, Matt Colpitts, Al Hoviland, Alice Volpe, Pete Anderson, Brian Tucker, Christine Bell, George Anderson, Monica Fratita.

Guests:

John Storbeck was back again checking out our Club, and told us a bit about himself. He is a Vietnam vet and marathoner. Katrina Loos, mother of Monique Loos, our Student of the Month (SOM) was introduced.

Greeter:

Our greeter this evening was Rick Ostrander.

Announcements & Club Business:
Monica reminded us of the combined Holiday Party and holiday gift wrapping party at 5 p.m. on December 20 at the Kirkland Women’s Club.  Food and drink will be provided.  Cost is $50 per person, and members should sign up on the Club’s website.  For the holiday gift shopping, people will be assigned 1-2 families to shop for – gift lists will be provided.  Also, we could use more money, so make a donation and designate it for “Holiday Gift”.

 

The Holiday Gift Wrapping Party will be Monday, December 20, 2021, will begin at 5:00 p.m. with gift wrapping, and will constitute the club's meeting that Monday. The club will meet at the Kirkland Woman's Club at 407 First Street in Kirkland. Registrations are now open, and club members may register using the club's Calendar. The fee is $50 per attendee, which covers venue, food, and drink costs, and must be paid at the time of registration.

 

Holiday gifting supports John Muir Elementary School families. The John Muir staff identified 150 families whose circumstances make them eligible for holiday gift donations.

 

Community Service Committee Chair Bella Chaffey announced the kick-off for the Rotary Club of Kirkland's Operation Warm|Coats for Kids project.

 

This year club members are supplying coats for 89 students at John Muir Elementary. There is a greater need this year for warm coats than prior years, and the school’s staff is extremely appreciative of the club's donations of warm coats. Staff wants club members to know that the kids are all very excited for their coats to arrive.

 

To make your warm coats donation, go to the DONATE page on the website. You can find the link on the home page, at the top in the gold banner. On the donation page, where it says “Please Select Your Donation Designation”, be sure to choose the “Operation Warm” option from the drop-down menu. The donation page offers pre-set amounts from which to choose, and the option to fill in your own amount has been re-established on the page. (Please note that the minimum amount for this page is $10 due to bank fraud prevention rules.)