Wake-Up Call
McMinnville Sunrise Rotary Club
August 27th Issue, 2014
REMINDER: Next Meeting: Aug 27 – President’s Pal –Kevin Gebhartt – Program: Executive Chef – Spirit Mountain Chef Burr, Programmer: Toby O’Brien
Upcoming President’s Pals and Programs:
Sept 3 – President’s Pal – Marie Gwilliam – Program: “Just say No” – creating healthy boundaries, Gary Langenwalter and Greg Seivers of Portland Consulting Group, Programmer: Kevin Gebhart
Sept 10 – President’s Pal – Dottie Holt – Program: Club Assembly and Foundation Report, Programmer: Walt Haight
IMPORTANT: If you cannot attend on the day you are slated to be President’s Pal, please arrange to have a substitute assigned to this important duty!
MEETING NOTES FOR August 20, 2014:
The meeting was called to order by Sir Walter at 7:05 and he introduced Dudley Frost as this week’s President’s Pal and Greeter. Dudley, shared a short definition on the meaning of friendship. 23 members and 4 guests were in attendance.
GUESTS: Jeff Sargent from Noon Rotary, Dyneka (sp?) Klaus (Dean’s daughter), Michael Eichman and Jerry Halverson
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Larry provided the club with an update on the Bocce Ball Tournament. Larry currently has a soft 28 teams that have indicated an interest in playing and sponsorships are in at a little over $2,000.00. Denise announced there are flyers available on the Master Recycling Class where you can learn everything you want to know about garbage. Jeff reminded everyone that this week is the last chance to get in your orders for planters. Dawn introduced Homeward Bound’s first 5K Ruff Ruff Run and 1 Mile Wag Walk to be held September 13th at Joe Dancer Park. This will be the perfect warmup for the bocce ball tournament the next day. Marie announced that the Mid-Valley Golf Tournament will be this Friday at Michelbook Golf Course. There are currently 22 entries and they are holding a raffle with a first prize of $1,000.00. Tom announced that the Eola-Amity AVA is having an event Labor Day weekend and that Calamity Hill will be open on Labor Day. Walt chastised the club for a less than wonderful turnout for the MSFF social on Tuesday night. The event was attended by 7 Rotarians, 9 MSFF judges, one roundtable leader and Nancy and Dan Morrow. Jeff Sargent will be the emcee for the event. The MSFF currently has 17 entries with a month to go. That is one more than all of last year. Walt also announced that the next Club board meeting will be held an August 28th at 7 am at MAC Water and Light.
HAPPY DOLLARS/FINES:
Walt waived the happy dollar requirement for the 7 Rotarians that attended the MSFF event. Bill paid a fine and announced his 49th anniversary. Janet contributed to the fact that Linfield students have returned and that she might not for a while. Janet also contributed on her own that she was featured in the Parade Magazine article about the Best Main Street in America and she didn’t have to go to Tennessee. Tom gave a check for his 37th year in Rotary with perfect attendance. A lot of dollars were contributed based on the Club’s excitement on having Michael Eichman return for a visit.
FEATURED SPEAKER: MICHAEL EICHMAN:
Michael was introduced by Dean Klaus. Michael started his 30 minute talk with a thank you to Rotary and how Rotary changed his life. He talked about how the Rotary 4-Way Test was a guiding principle for carrying out his life and how those principles resonated in all aspects of his life going forward. He is proud of his Rotarian roots. The Rotary principles continue to guide his life as he faces his current challenge. Michae’s 2 kids have been Rotary Exchange students.
Michael lives in Salem. He came out to Oregon in 1970 to go to college. He spent 17 years as Executive Director at Head Start. Michael called out Sunrise Rotary as significantly contributing to community and mentioned Kellie, Dottie, Brad and Dudley as being great Rotarians. The early days of Head Start in the community were characterized by decaying and soon-to-be-condemned buildings in Sheridan and Dayton. He was instrumental in the commitment to build better facilities that were energy efficient and healthy for kids both physically and educationally. Costs for building these new and better facilities have skyrocketed with the newest facility costing around $2 million.
Michael then shifted his talk from Head Start to his current challenge. Everything was fine until a backpacking trip in 2010 where he was falling down a lot. Doctors attributed this to a spinal cord problem. Finally a second opinion confirmed the spinal cord problem but identified another problem. Then in 2011 it was confirmed as ALS. ALS is a degenerative disease of muscle content. Typically one lives 3-5 years with ALS. Because of alternative medicine and daily exercise, Michael is doing better than the average. Michael: “Life has unexpected turns but one can still learn and experience life.” ALS is the least funded disease with only 30,000 people with the disease. The longest living is Stephen Hawking but that is probably because he can afford a staff of 12. Michael married a woman ten years his senior and has been married for 25 years. He never thought that she would end up taking care of him. ALS strikes men at an average age of 50. Recent studies have shown that ALS is twice as likely to affect those in the military. His blog can be found on at www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaeleichman.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Aug 22: Mid Valley Charity Golf Tournament
Sept 14: First Annual Bocce Ball tournament at Cana’s Feast
Sept 29: Barium Cup – Golf, dinner, auction Michael called out Sunrise Rotary Willamette Valley Cancer Foundation
October 11: McMinnville Short Film Festival at McMinnville Cinema
Important websites:
The short film festival website: http://mcminnvillefilmfest.org/ShortFilm/Default.aspx
2nd Saturday Market website https://www.facebook.com/2ndSaturdayMarketVendorFaire
NOTE: If you want to stay current with future programs and President’s Pals, please click on the link below to get the latest information.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aho2zPBLp8DGdE1vMWM4bHR0dHdvVmd6NkJhZ3piS1E#gid=0
NOTE: If you know of any member who is sick, or has a sick family member, contact Anita Thomas (Sunshine Chair) and she will get a card to that person!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.” – Anon
SOME NEARBY ROTARY CLUBS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE UP A MISSED MEETING: Monday – West Salem, noon, Roth’s Salem West. Tuesday – South Salem, noon at Rudy’s. Salem Sunset, 5:50 p.m. at La Margarita Express. Forest Grove Daybreak 7:00 am at the Forest Grove Senior Center Wednesday – Forest Grove at 12:10 at Univ. Commons, Pacific Univ.. Newberg at 12:00 at the Cap and Gown Room at Geo. Fox Univ.. Sheridan, noon, at the Green Frog Restaurant, Gresham at noon at 4th Street Brewing Company 77 NE 4th St. Thursday – Keizer , 12:00 noon at McNary Golf Restaurant, Newberg Early Birds, 7:00 a.m. at Providence Newberg Hospital Friday – McMinnville, Noon at the Grand Ballroom on Third. Salem Creekside at 12:15, at Creekside Golf Club 24/7 – eMake-up available at many eClubs – see Tom for more information.
CLUB Board 2013-2014
President— Walter Haight
Past President— Jill Poyer
President Elect— Kellie Menke
Vice President—Larry Strober
Treasurer—Susan Escure
Secretary—Debbie Finn
McMinnville Sunrise Rotary 