Several members of the Rotary Club of La Conner visited Semiahmoo Roary club in BC, Canada.
Rotary Club of La Conner
At our May 19, 2025 Rotary Meeting,
Danya Wolf provided the inspiration for the evening. Danya shared that she had attended a memorial service this week and wanted to share with all of us a story – a true story. It is a story of Mrs. Barbara Moore, who is her favorite teacher in all the world. In her first year of teaching, she was asked by the Principal if she would take on a very challenging student, and that he would understand if she said no. He went on to explain that he was very disruptive in class, would climb out of windows, and was always getting into trouble. She explained that she was very sorry, but no, she didn’t want to take on that student in her very first year. This student’s name was Johnny, and for the remainder of his years in the school, she watched him do horrible things that extended later in life when terrible things happened to him. She vowed that she would never ever say no to another “Johnny” and for 34 years, she took under her wing every Johnny she could find. She saved so many lives, including Danya’s son. Mrs. Moore had a severe disability but she was always joyous and never complained. Once a month, she would give all her students a button that said, “Have A Super Duper Day” and wear it all day long until they went to bed. Every month she would hold a musical program, 9 months out of the year, and all her students were stars. Danya took videos of all her musicals over the 34 years, until she was forced to retire early due to her medical condition. Mrs. R.B. Moore was very inspirational.
What Danya shared with us and her learning is that if in your life, there is something you didn’t do or didn’t help someone sometime that you now regret, hey, you can turn that around and be your own “Mrs. Moore”. Danielle also shared her thoughts about Mrs. Moore and made herself as active as she possibly could. She was an amazing woman. Audrey agreed she was an amazing woman and teacher and made a huge difference in a lot of lives!
Patsy – shared that on June 21st, her Leadership Skagit group is hosting an event serving meals to under-privileged kids as a part of Waterfront Alliance Food Project. They will be preparing and serving Hamburgers and Hotdogs and if you would like to volunteer, she could use 2-3 Rotarians. In addition, Leadership Skagit will be our Program June 9th to share a little more about their project (s).
John – shared a big thank you to the eight members that worked at the Skagit Historical Museum for the EPIC day of service. Our Club was the only club in Area H that participated in the EPIC day of service. Audrey shared how much fun we had and how the museum appreciated what we did.
At our May 12, 2025 Rotary Meeting.
Pam Narron provided the inspiration for the evening. The following was written by Michael Baker of the Rotary Club of White Plains, and he shares why he is thankful for Rotary. Pam is sharing because he has captured exactly what is in her heart as well.
“I have many things to be thankful for, and one of them is being a Rotarian. I’m thankful for our Rotary leaders who unselfishly give of themselves to guide us in our goals. I am thankful for the friendships that are made as we work together. I am thankful for being among Rotarians that have different faiths, goals and genders, and who are all working for the same goals. I am thankful for our programs that inspire us with wonderful people who are dedicated to their great works. I am thankful for being reminded that our own personal good fortune should be shared by others. I am thankful for knowing that happiness shared by other Rotarians and the weekly reminder to think about what I’m happy about. I am thankful for being a Rotarian who’s reminded that our busy and sometimes self consumed lives that service above self is a wonderful model to try to live by. “
Announcements:
Our speaker/program for the evening Linda Murray, Past District Governor and member from the South Everett Mukilteo Rotary Club, and Mike Cook who is considering becoming a member at our Club and is his 2nd visit with us.
Lynette Brower and Northwest Career Technical Academy thanked us for the grant they received. Also, Skagit Valley YMCA provided an impact report to share with our Club
.
Christi shared that in our last Membership Committee meeting, Lyanne suggested that we bring back Fireside member socials. We have new members, and the socials are a wonderful way to get to know each other on a deeper level and to celebrate our club/members. Lyanne volunteered her back yard with her husband Travis hosting “Lighting The Fireside Social Sunday July 20, 4:00 p.m.
Christi also shared that she is on the Board of La Conner Thrives, and June is Pride month. There are events/activities planned for June 14th, 20th, 27th and 28th and they would LOVE the Rotary Club members to wear their shirt and provide volunteering work. There are (4) events, Drag Show, Queer Art Walk, Boat Parade, and Pride Prom.
Our 5th Monday Social June 30 will be to tour Sierra Pacific for up to 15 members.
Audrey introduced our speaker for the evening Linda Murray – Council on Legislation Representative – District 5050.
Linda grew up in Los Angeles where she graduated from the University of Redlands in Business Management. She started her career at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office as a human resource manager, then moved to Urban Planning for housing. In 1980, her husband Bill and herself moved to Washington to get out of SMOG and Traffic to get to clean air, temperate weather and better quality of life. Bill and Linda owned and operated Evergreen Security for 37 years. It grew from the (2) of them to 11 staff serving thousands of customers all over Western Washington. In Nov 2017, they sold the Company and retired in time for Linda to join Rotary where she is active in the local community, served on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce, local community policing board, DARE committee and appointed by the Chief of Police to serve as a team member on the Western Washington Regional Institute for Community Public Safety. Linda is a member of the South Everett Mukilteo RotaryClub since 1989, multiple Paul Harris fellow, major donor, benefactor and bequest society member. She served as her club’s president in 2000-2001 where her husband Bill was inducted into the same Rotary Club during her first month as President. During her 35 year history, she also served on the Foundation Board, Membership Chair, Treasurer, and (2) years planning the Club’s Auction. Linda served as District Administrator from 2007 to 2010, led a group study exchange team to India in 2010 and served as assistant governor for (3) years. She serves on the district visioning team and is a faculty member for the Rotary Leadership Institute. She served as District Governor 2018-2019. Linda and Bill have been married for 50 years and have (2) children. Their son Brent is married w/two daughters and their daughter Nicole and her husband live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Nicole teaches. Linda enjoys cooking, quilting, and cake decorating in her spare time and her and Bill love to travel. Welcome Linda!
Linda shared that our district has 150 members going to International Conference in Calgary, and the biggest group we have ever had. Does anyone know what the Council of Legislation does? It is a legislative body that makes changes to the constitution and by-laws. Any Rotarian can submit changes they would like to see. Members would submit their change requests to the district, who then reviews and decide what to send forward to the Council of Legislation for consideration.
The Council of Legislation was formed in 1933 and was yearly but in 1954 it changed to every (2) years. In 1974 they started meeting every (3) years and always meet in Chicago. There are 500 Districts in the world and every district has a representative on the Council. Linda shared that she just got back two weeks ago and it was in session for a week. It acts in a similar fashion as the Congress of Rotary, where we are all together in one large room. We have big screens so we can see what is being proposed and you have microphones around the room if you want to stand up and talk for or against the enactments, which if voted for become changes to the constitution and by-laws. Submittals are collected in advance to the District so they have plenty of time to review, as well as turning them in months ahead of time to the Council for time to review. In all, change requests are needed about 6 months earlier than the Council meeting.
In past years, there was a term restriction for representatives of one term/three years but now there are no restrictions. Linda shared what the difference is between resolutions and legislation. Resolutions are change requests that come in yearly from the Districts and submitted to the Council, and Legislation occurs every three years. The Council does review the resolutions yearly to decide what will be brought forward as changes in the Council each third year.
Linda shared that the Rotaractors brought forward (2) enactment requests, one dealing with age restrictions. It was decided that the topic would go back to the District to decide what to bring forward to Council and why and how restrictions would benefit Rotary/Rotaract Clubs. Linda spends a lot of time talking to members about the pro and con of each enactment and helping them see the big picture, not just an individual club benefit.
This year Linda reviewed 87 bills enactments to read, research, ask questions and decide what should be submitted to Council. Several changes will be made in the near future, such as new clubs not being limited to 15 member minimum. Another change was the percentage of honorary members a club could have. It was no more than 5% previously and now Clubs can decide what they want to do and how they utilize their honorary members. Another change will be lifting the restriction that you can only be a member of one Club. You can now be a member of two Clubs but just need to designate your primary Club. You cannot hold office in multiple Clubs but you can be a member.
Another topic was around dues paid by Rotary vs. Rotaract and ensure we are being fair to all concerned. She shared that Districts and Clubs can set their own rules for dues, so now is back in the hands of the District for discussion. Rotary International dues will be increasing $350 in the first year and $375 in years 2 and 3. Another large change being discussed and tested is the realignment of rotary zones and districts.
We are seeing a decline in membership and since districts and zones are made up with an average number, we are a bit out of alignment. They are changing the rules to go from numbers to geographic locations. All will be taken into account as they form the new zones, country by country, how it affect representation on the Council and several other factors. Each District now also decides if they host a District Conference due to the increasing costs, but can utilize other types of events and/or approach on how to share information with members. An example would be to combine District Assy and District Conference to save money. We can also consider cross-border friendship events and exchanges rather than large numbers of people having to go back and forth across the border, costing them and the District a lot of money. The next two District Conferences are scheduled to occur at Harrison Hot Springs, and as we move forward we may have it next year but not the following year.
One question for Linda was what she enjoys most about being on the council. Linda shared that the work she did at the Sheriff’s Office that she so thoroughly enjoyed is very much like what she is doing on the Council of Legislation, reading the enactments, talking to others to get additional information and helping to decide was is brought forward. She finds it so interesting. Linda shared how important it is to share this type of process information and how things work with members. She really enjoys sharing with Cubs/Members. Thank you Linda!
At our April 28, 2025 Rotary Meeting, the inspiration was provided by Christi speaking kindness and compassion.
Creating a more caring world for everyone has a ripple effect.
Creating a more caring world for everyone has a ripple effect.
“Lost as we feel, there is no better
Compass than compassion.
We find ourselves not by being
We find ourselves not by being
The most seen, but the most seeing.”
― Amanda Gorman, Call Us What We Carry
Chase the light. Look at the bright side.
Welcome, May!
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you find comfort.
May you have strength.
May you have courage.
May you find healing.
May you have peace.
May you have joy.
May you be filled with love. (unknown author)
It was also National Pay It Forward Day.
Don Wolf introduced our guests this evening: our speaker Ryan Hiller with La Conner School District Technical Education, and Carol Avery, Lori's guest and nextdoor neighbor, with grandkids in La Conner schools.
Ryan is with CTE, Career & Technical Education. He helps with photography and yearbook clubs.
He has been a coder and systems analyst. He led La Conner initiatives for 1:1 device model, drones, and computers. He has facilitated underwater ROV and Aerial photography. He is a volunteer fire fighter and EMT.
Ryan gave a slide show using what he had recently presented to the La Conner school district board.
CTE provides hands-on learning in fields like engineering, business, healthcare, culinary arts, and animal sciences. The school focuses on career exploration, allowing students to sample various fields before specializing through the Northwest Career and Technical Academy (NCTA) or online courses. Programs include culinary competitions, photography, business math, and natural resources - often structured in alternating years to maintain enrollment.
The school receives CTE-specific funding, but, due to its small size, resources are limited. Compliance with state and federal requirements has enabled access to grants, such as Perkins 2, 15 ($5,000 annually), Perkins Reserve, and a $150,000 special grant supporting photography equipment, commercial drones, and culinary tools. However, as more courses are added, grant money becomes spread thin across multiple programs.
Students participate in guest speaker sessions, industry site visits, paid and unpaid internships, and school-based enterprises. The Career Choices program helps students explore career paths, complete interest inventories, and develop a High School & Beyond Plan. The school is expanding internship partnerships, including tribal programs, preschool teaching opportunities, technology support roles, and local business internships.
Staffing limitations remain a challenge. Most CTE teachers transition from industry roles but must have 6,000+ professional hours to qualify. Budget constraints led the school to move from seven periods to six, reducing elective availability. Collaboration with NCTA allows students from multiple schools to access specialized programs rather than forming a direct consortium. Tribal internships are currently limited to tribal members, but efforts are being made to open unpaid opportunities to a wider student base.
CTE instructors participated in an agriculture-focused tour of the Dominican Republic, exploring pineapple farms, cocoa production, and environmental restoration. Future plans include a Japan STEM-focused tour, covering robotics, engineering, and future city development. Service-learning trips with EF Tours emphasize local community engagement, allowing students to contribute in meaningful ways.
The school has seen five CTE directors in six years due to administrative turnover. Traditionally, principals, assistant principals, or counselors handled the role, but competing responsibilities made consistent leadership difficult. With new tech support hired, the current director can now focus more on expanding CTE programs and partnerships.
Plans include revamping shop programs, potentially partnering with NCTA to bring carpentry and woodworking back. Efforts to restore auto mechanics and American Sign Language (ASL) courses, which were lost due to budget constraints, are also being explored.
We suggested looking into connecting with the Youth Engagement Service (YES) program, where students complete community service projects that may align with CTE learning.
Rotary could help with connections with businesses - advertising the desire to have CTE internships.
We also encouraged Ryan and his students to apply for grants from our Rotary web page.
We also encouraged Ryan and his students to apply for grants from our Rotary web page.
Very enlightening and educational program! Everyone was very engaged and had some great questions.
Ollie talked about tulip sales: We purchased and sold 149 boxes.
Christi provided an update on the membership committee and ongoing efforts to expand and engage members.
The membership committee meets monthly, typically the week before the board meeting. This month, Christi, Marty, and Tate participated. As a member of the District Membership Committee, Christi brings in ideas from district-level discussions, including a recommendation to approach membership with a three-pronged strategy: public image, membership growth, and foundation support. Publicizing Rotary’s activities, especially through social media, helps attract new members, particularly younger individuals who may not be familiar with Rotary’s mission.
The committee also reviewed ideas from their April 16 meeting, where Shawn O'Donnell and David Lukoff are developing a proposal for Assistant Governors (AGs) to visit clubs and facilitate membership conversations with club leaders. A draft of this proposal will be presented at the next meeting.
Leanne suggested reviving Fireside Chats to enhance member retention by creating social opportunities for newer and long-standing members to connect. Plans include hosting a backyard social, with details forthcoming as the weather improves.
Christi joined the La Conner Thrives Board as a Rotary representative. This nonprofit group, consisting of local merchants, a farmer, and Rotary members, collaborates with the Chamber of Commerce to support community engagement. The organization was formed to address concerns about how the chamber was handling promotional activities and volunteer opportunities.
A major upcoming event is a July/August ice cream social and meet-and-greet, hosted by La Conner Thrives and La Conner Rotary. It will invite community members, merchants, and service organizations like Kiwanis and Soroptimists to showcase their work and facilitate connections between volunteers and nonprofits. We need to draw a really big crowd, and we're hoping to attract some people with passion.
Christi is finalizing a Rotary brochure, incorporating feedback from members to keep it simple and effective. This brochure, along with business cards featuring a QR code linking to the Rotary website, will serve as outreach tools to introduce prospective members to Rotary and invite them to meetings.
Marty and Christi discussed three key ways to support La Conner School: providing snacks for students, ensuring access to clothing essentials, and addressing personal care needs.
The snack program, which started four years ago, remains ongoing. Christi recently delivered snacks to the elementary school, where staff expressed appreciation and regularly communicate their needs due to limited storage space.
Leanne has been actively assisting with clothing support, ensuring young students have access to extra clothing, socks, and underwear for emergencies.
Personal care needs also play a role in this initiative. Marty and Christi aim to better integrate these three aspects, ensuring resources are tailored appropriately to different age groups, and that students have access to essential items. The most recent meeting focused on refining how these efforts are coordinated.
At this point, we have met 13 of 15 club goals, so we're doing very well.
We are shy on membership. We have 28 members. We added members this year. But our goal was 29. If you have a friend that's thinking about joining, get them in here.
The auction committee selected "Community Service Heroes" as the theme. The plan includes bright-colored hero imagery, potentially featuring Rotary symbols, displayed throughout La Conner.
The committee is considering potential honorees for a Paul Harris award using a twofold approach - recognizing a community leader while also attracting new attendees to the upcoming auction.
Several nominees have been suggested:
- Susan Masic, a former club member who led efforts for library construction funding
- Jeanette Degoti, former owner of Tulip Town, a well-known figure in the community
- Founders and publishers of La Conner Community News, recognized for their ongoing contributions to local journalism and community engagement
These nominees represent individuals who have made a lasting impact and selecting one could help bring in new community members who may not typically attend the event.
Audrey’s closing remarks:
Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.
Dorothy Height - African American civil rights and Women's rights activist.
Our Guests included our Speaker for the evening, Julia Dean, Skagit County Prosecutor, Rich Weyrich, Susan Gutterberg and Jan Vigre of the Fidalgo Rotary Club. Also in attendance were Mike Cook, who is interested in learning more about Rotary and former La Conner, now Burlington Rotary member, Tara Pasternak
Danielle spoke about Karen Ryan, who passed away suddenly on April 18th of this year. Her heartfelt message was meaningful to all. She will be missed by so many family, friends and Rotarians. Danielle noted that she received a kind message and $100.00 donation to the IPA, in memory of Karen, from friends made years ago when Danielle and Karen were on a trip to Eastern Europe.
Audrey introduced Julia Dean: Julia was born and raised in Skagit County on a dairy farm located on Beavermarsh Road, midway between Mount Vernon and La Conner. She graduated from Mount Vernon High School where she was heavily involved in sports and FFA. She attended Washington State University and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology. While in college she also competed as an athlete on the Women’s NCAA Division 1 Rowing team as both a rower and a coxen. Following graduation, and after two years of working on a large wheat farm, Julia enrolled at Willamette University Law School. While there she clerked for a judge and worked for the local District Attorney's Office. During that time, her passion for public service and criminal justice solidified.
Mr. Weyrich added several kind words about Julia before she came to the podium.
Julia’s focus currently is on Retail theft (as opposed to organized criminal theft). She stressed that Retail Theft is a major problem for retailers, law enforcement and the community. It is rampant in Skagit County. It is difficult to prosecute for several reasons, first the laws in Washington State, according to Julia, tend to favor the perpetrators. Secondly, Store management, at the corporate level, are more worried about injury to employees and liability if the thieves are chased. She sited several incidents where a thief just walked out of the store with tags still on the stolen items. Many of the thieves have addiction issues and are solicited by their suppliers to trade the items they take for drugs. Those items are then sold online (FaceBook Market Place, for example).
Julia spoke briefly about “organized theft rings”, pointing out that they often work as groups, stealing big ticket items that are then “fenced”. One incident, a raid in Skagit County, resulted in nearly $200,000 worth of stolen goods.
Her presentation was well-received and many questions were asked.
Following Ms. Dean’s presentation announcements from club members included:Ollie, who shared that preliminary Tulip sales show a gross amount of $40,000, without all of the merchant money yet collected. Ollie added his thanks to ever club member who participated and especially John and Marty who staffed the Stands repeatedly throughout the month.
Dennis also complimented Audrey on the outstanding job she has done this year…as she nears the end of her commitment.
Other announcements:
Danielle advised the Club that Karen left $10,000 to La Conner Rotary.
President Audrey Gravley, who quoted Anonymous:
“I wear the badge of volunteer proudly. It is the role that defines me, empowers me, and gives me a purpose beyond myself”.
The inspiration was provided by Don Wolf:
Volunteers are just ordinary people with extraordinary hearts.
- They offer the gift of their time to teach, to listen, to help, to inspire, to build, to grow, to learn.
- They expect no pay, yet the value of their work knows no limit.
- They've known the unexpected joy of a simple hug.
- They've planted tiny seeds of love to countless lives.
- Volunteers are just ordinary people who reach out and take a hand and together make a difference that lasts a lifetime.
Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals.
Rick introduced our guests this evening: Jessica Pedrosa from Skagit Passage, local students Katie Cayou-Lockrem and Jonathan Gonzalez, and Rotarians previously from La Conner: John (President 2008-2009) and Ginny (President 2006-2007) Dugaw.
Pam presented the big check for the group that's here from Skagit Passage; Skagit Passage provided us with a video. Jessica’s husband Taylor put together a little trailer of their play. This was a teaser for the play that Skagit Passage just finished up this year.
Jessica Pedrosa, from Skagit Passage, summary.
Jessica expressed her gratitude for the support received during previous theater productions, emphasizing how vital such contributions have been to the program's success. She noted that the momentum gained has allowed them to move forward with new endeavors, including a spring play and a late spring one-act festival, featuring both student and community productions. She highlighted upcoming performance dates in May, and invited anyone interested in participating on stage to reach out to her. Jessica concluded by introducing two remarkable students who were set to share their experiences with the program. Her remarks reflected excitement, appreciation, and a commitment to nurturing the theater community.
Katie spoke:
This is my first year ever doing drama, except for a brief experience with "Jungle Book" in fourth grade, though I don't really count that. I feel that trying new things has been incredibly important for me, especially since I've struggled with pushing myself in the past. Without Jess, Taylor, and Alicia, I wouldn’t have challenged myself as much as I needed to. We all have so much respect for each other, and that’s what made the experience so special for me. I was able to build friendships and relationships while becoming part of something bigger than myself. I also want to thank the Rotary Club for all of your support; it truly means so much to us.
This is my first year ever doing drama, except for a brief experience with "Jungle Book" in fourth grade, though I don't really count that. I feel that trying new things has been incredibly important for me, especially since I've struggled with pushing myself in the past. Without Jess, Taylor, and Alicia, I wouldn’t have challenged myself as much as I needed to. We all have so much respect for each other, and that’s what made the experience so special for me. I was able to build friendships and relationships while becoming part of something bigger than myself. I also want to thank the Rotary Club for all of your support; it truly means so much to us.
Jonathan spoke:
I’ve been part of the Drama Club for three years, starting in my sophomore year. I joined because I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and these experiences have truly been among the best of my life. I love being involved, much like Katie, who shared her own fun and meaningful history with the program. It’s been an incredible journey of growth and connection—a double experience in every sense. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. It means the world to us.
Audrey’s closing remark was from Pope Francis: “Always be a gift to others.”
We also received a big thank your for our sponsorship of high school aquarium trip.
At the District 5050 conference last weekend, La Conner Rotary was well represented
And our honorary member, David Rapella, was acknowledged for his Miss Vicky End Polio contribution.
On April 30, many Rotarians and family related to Karen Ryan gathered for an Irish wake at Shawn O'Donnell's restaurant. Several La Conner Rotary club members spoke about their memories with Karen. Danielle Mullen provided a slide show retrospective of Karen. Her brother spoke as well.
At our April 14 Rotary Meeting, 
The inspiration was provided by Keith describing Earth Month.
April is Rotary Environmental Month which aligns with Rotary's 7th Area of Focus on supporting the environment, which was added in 2020.
Earth Day, held on April 22nd, is a key part of Environmental Month, serving as a day to mobilize for action to protect the planet.
Visit a state park for free.
Go to the Mount Vernon Co-op on Tuesday, April 22, to get a free tree to plant for Earth Day!
Part of what I do for Earth Month is scotch broom removal. I get a small weed wrench from the Swinomish environmental office and a large weed wrench from the district noxious weed board. I then remove scotch broom from my property and the neighboring park, called simply view park.
I learned about scotch broom removal from doing Nature Conservancy projects.
What will you do this month to improve the environment?
Our guest speaker for the evening, Steve Ban from the Bellingham Rotary Club. is a retired pediatrician. He was born in Hungary. His parents were holocaust survivors. His family escaped during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, and he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved out to the northwest with his wife in 1976 and raised 3 daughters. He enjoys road biking, CrossFit, Rotary, community volunteering, and spending time with his 5 wonderful grandchildren.
Many of the pictures and videos Steve shared come from:
Below is a summary. A more complete version of the talk is at the Read More
Noemi’s story is one of resilience, courage, and a lifelong dedication to combating hatred and ignorance. Born into a Jewish family in Hungary, her life was profoundly affected by anti-Semitism, even before World War II began. Race laws restricted Jewish opportunities, and Noemi's father, although fully qualified, was barred from attending medical school simply because he was Jewish. Their family’s struggles escalated when the Nazis invaded Hungary, leading to Noemi's imprisonment in Auschwitz.
In Auschwitz, Noemi’s designation as a seamstress proved to be her salvation. She was transferred to a munitions factory at Allendorf, part of the Buchenwald concentration camp, where she and other Hungarian women cleverly sabotaged Nazi bombs by mismatching their components. Years later, a World War II veteran credited her actions with saving his life when Nazi bombs landed nearby but failed to detonate.
In April 1945, with the Allies advancing, Noemi and 11 friends escaped during a forced death march by dashing into a nearby forest. Their terror turned to relief when an American soldier informed them that they were free, as that part of Germany had been liberated. However, they were in poor physical condition after years of deprivation. They spent a month in a field hospital recovering and regaining their strength.
Returning to Budapest, Noemi found her apartment still intact, and began rebuilding her life. Shortly after, a man named Ernest, who had admired her before the war, sought her out. Although she had initially rejected his advances due to their age difference, her perspective shifted after the war. Ernest was persistent, and within a week, they were engaged, and they subsequently married in October 1945. They built a family together, with their first child born in 1947 and their second two years later.
For the last 25 years of her life, Noemi dedicated herself to Holocaust education, inspired in part by Elie Wiesel’s encouragement and her own encounter with Holocaust deniers. She traveled widely, sharing her story with audiences from students to adults, even going as far as Taiwan. Her mission was to ensure that the horrors of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance were never forgotten, and she left a lasting legacy as a powerful voice for awareness and understanding.
Steve, David Lukoff, and Danielle were on a Rotary team that went to Hungary. Shawn O’Donnell's is where a group had many planning meetings before they went to Hungary for a Rotary friendship exchange last fall.
Dave Duskoff was happy because this was the first time he heard Steve’s mom’s story.
Audrey presented Christy with her Paul Harris Fellow, plus 5 pin.John mentioned a customer gave $14 in cash after Square only charged her for 1 bunch of tulips the previous day when she bought three.
Audrey’s closing remark was a Helen Keller quote: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. “
At our April 7, 2025, Rotary Meeting, Keith introduced our guests this evening: Whitney Meissner, our speaker; Bill McCann from Sedro-Woolley Rotary; Bill Winger, uncle of Whitney; and Kim Streitz.
The inspiration was provided by Connie who first discussed Golden Rule Day celebrated on April 5, then read the Charter for Compassion, first created in 2009. She finished with the Mexican proverb: They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds.
Karen introduced our guest speaker for the evening.
Dr. Whitney Meissner is a seasoned professional in public education, speaking, and facilitation, boasting over 30 years of experience. She has played a vital role in the State of Washington's teacher and principal evaluation project since its inception, and possesses expertise in feedback, professional conversations, and fostering employee performance and growth. Her career spans diverse school districts ranging from 600 to 31,000 in size.
A lifelong Washington resident and proud Seattle native, Whitney cherishes her roots in King County and pays homage to the Coast Salish people's traditional lands. She holds a BA in English from the University of Washington, a master's in education from Central Washington University, and a doctorate in education from Seattle Pacific University. Currently, she is pursuing her coaching certification through the Proactive Training Institute.
Whitney is also the proud mother of two adult children and embraces her cherished role as auntie.
Whitney shared her incredible experience visiting Tanzania last summer. She was glad her family joined her at our meeting. She recounted adventures, including an 8-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, a safari through five national parks, meeting Dr. Jane Goodall, and exploring Zanzibar.
The summit of Kilimanjaro reaches an elevation of nearly 20,000 feet. Whitney connected the "Zan" in Tanzania to Zanzibar. In the village tour in Marangu led by her host Larick, the group visited Larick's home village, meeting his family and learning about composting practices and coffee farming.
She described an impressive support crew of 13 people helping during the climb, and shared insights into life on the mountain—well-maintained trails, delicious locally-sourced meals, and spectacular views such as the Milky Way at night. On summit day starting at 12:30 a.m. from a high elevation, the climb was slow due to altitude challenges. Reaching Stella Point, she paused briefly before continuing to Kilimanjaro's summit. Whitney reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro by noon, and described challenges descending due to lightheadedness, which the guides helped with by quickly assisting her down to base camp. The following day involved a long descent, highlighting the need for a gradual acclimatization to elevation when climbing.
After descending, Whitney enjoyed a safari. She emphasized the transformative experience of seeing Africa’s wildlife in their natural habitat, including lions, giraffes, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, and black rhinos, some of which are included in the "Big Five" animals. She shared the extraordinary sightings of lions lounging in trees and a leopard on video. Accommodations on safari were luxurious tents, and she highlighted unique moments such as a breakfast hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti, including a historical anecdote about champagne traditions related to balloon landings.
The journey continued to Zanzibar, where she observed the Indian Ocean's tidal changes, and she mentioned Freddie Mercury's birthplace. Whitney expressed admiration for the tour company, Dirty Freedom Adventures, emphasizing their ethical practices of hiring locals and paying fair wages.
Whitney also discussed preparing for Kilimanjaro by walking stairs, practicing specific hiking steps, and maintaining general fitness. Overall, she described her adventure as life-changing and encouraged others to visit Africa if possible.
Whitney described her meeting with Jane Goodall as an unforgettable experience. She brought one of Goodall's books to donate and attended an event held in a garden area that included a restaurant and bar. Having arrived early after a safari, Whitney enjoyed the serene surroundings with a drink, possibly Kilimanjaro beer. Approximately 50-60 people were in attendance, and Goodall's grandchildren, who manage her foundation, introduced her.
During her 45-minute speech, Goodall shared captivating stories, including her unconventional academic journey—earning a doctorate without first obtaining an undergraduate or master's degree—and her fieldwork in Tanzania, where societal norms required her mother to accompany her as a chaperone. She recounted her efforts to integrate into a chimpanzee colony, a process requiring her to establish her position within the group's hierarchy.
Whitney noted Goodall's remarkable charisma, describing her as articulate, strong, and witty despite being nearly 90 years old. The event concluded with an auction to raise funds for Goodall's foundation, which promotes youth education and environmental awareness. Among the auction items was a bottle of whiskey, tied to a story of how whiskey soothed Goodall's throat before a show, a tradition she continued.
Whitney expressed admiration for Goodall and her foundation's initiatives, encouraging others to explore its opportunities. The serendipity of crossing paths with Goodall made the encounter even more extraordinary for Whitney.
A very enlightening and educational program! Everyone was very engaged and had some great questions.
Announcements:
Ollie announced an upcoming program hosted by Edward Jones at the Civic Garden Club on Tuesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. The event is titled "How to Outsmart the Scammers".
Five members of the club attended the District Assembly on Saturday, April 5.
Marty shared: What do the younger people see as valid means of service or ways? How do we interest younger people in service? It may be that that word service is being redefined. How do we find that? We may need to restructure how we think of what we do to make people aware, or for people to receive what we're doing as far as it may be a redefinition of the word service.
Connie shared: They linked the global foundation membership and public image.
We talk about those together; they're not separate entities, but all part of the same thing.
Audrey shared: What I took away from it was that all of us, as we're reaching out to others who might like to join us, need to look for what's your passion? What's going to light your bulb when it comes to service in your community?
On the cover of Rotarian Magazine a couple of months ago, the club in Seattle said their only focus is human trafficking. They can't stop people from wanting to join. It's such a meaningful cause. That's something that we all need to be thinking about. Recognizing that we need to be asking those who we are serving: Are we doing what you need us to do?
- Children of the Valley Annual Art Auction is April 25.
- Camp Korey Spring Volunteer Day is April 26 and registration is required.
- The MoNA Art Auction will be June 7.
- Mount Vernon Kiwanis Salmon Barbeque at Hillcrest Park Lodge, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays April 5 to May 4. Time: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Daily
- The District 5050 Conference at Tulalip Casino Resort is May 2-4; plan to attend if you can.
Saturday, May 17 is the Rotary Epic Day of Service, where every club in the world will be doing a service project. We'll be working with the Skagit Valley Historical Society. We're going to do a photography/labeling project, and account cataloging of their costumes from various time periods.
Patsy's team Bridge Builders has partnered with water alliance to put on a waterfront activity, an educational activity with STEM components to it. They've invited underserved youth and those youth that may not have an opportunity to be exposed to STEM. It's from 10 to 2. on June 21. Bridge Builders is going to do a barbecue and it would be wonderful to have 2 volunteers from our group. Patsy is working with Nikki, Adam's wife, to also procure a couple of volunteers from her resources.
Audrey’s closing remarks:
Craig Groeschel says: “We don't recruit volunteers; we release leaders. Volunteers do good things, but leaders change the world.”
Tulip booths are OPEN!
We opened April 1, and today we have 4 different colors.
Come get your bunch of 10 tulips for just $7/bunch, cash or credit card from 11AM - 5PM every day.
We have booths at
Shawn O'Donnell's Farmhouse Restaurant, 11376 LaConner-Whitney Rd and at
La Conner roundabout between La Conner fire station and Hedlin's produce stand.
At our March 24, 2025 Rotary Meeting, President Audrey Gravley, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-Way test.
Our guests for the evening: Mel Damski from La Conner Community News with a couple extra copies of the inaugural issue, and our program guest speaker for this evening Marcus Roskamp from Camp Fire Samish.
Danielle Mullen shared the inspiration for the evening. Danielle shared that she does not recall if Jonas Salk was a Rotarian or not, but if he wasn’t he should be. Salk refused to patent the polio vaccine in 1995 so that the medication would be available to children all round the world, thus losing 7 billion dollars. Due to his actions and development, the incidence of disease decreased by 96%. I felt this was an appropriate inspiration since that is still our primary goal to eradicate polio.
Marcus Roskamp is the Executive Director of Camp Fire Samish, which includes Camp Kirby. He has been in this role for almost two years. Prior, Marcus was the lead pastor in the Reformed Church in America for over 13 years. Marcus is passionate about youth development and in providing young people with positive childhood experiences. He lives in Lynden with his wife Amy and their three children who are 14, 9 and 8.
Thank you for having me and if I look familiar to you, I was here a couple months ago, receiving a generous donation from La Conner Rotary which we appreciate so much!
Camp Kirby is entering it’s 100th year which is something we are very proud of. We are an affiliate of Camp Fire, a national organization. You might have heard of Camp Fire girls back in the day which was quite large. Camp Fire Samish is much smaller, even though we are still a part of the national organization. We operate with eight that comprise a year round staff and our office is based out of Bellingham. Not much has changed at Camp Kirby, even if you have not been there for years. It is still a beautiful spot with 47 acres of forested land, a mile and a half of shoreline along Padilla Bay. Our activities include a 40 foot climbing wall, archery, waterfront activities, and miles of hiking trails. We are very proud to say that Camp Kirby is technology free, meaning that no phones, smart watches or tablets are allowed. We want the young adults to experience the program, nature, and building relationships connecting with each other.
Our main programs are overnight camp and day camp. There are seven weeks during the summer, for grades two through twelve (2-12). We have the second graders around the camp some weeks, and all the way up through seniors in high school. They receive a very traditional camp experience, whether it is day or overnight camp. They do arts and crafts, archery, climbing wall, waterfront activities (kayaking and swimming) and all things you associate with summer camp. In 2024 our overnight camp hosted 696 campers, where we host 100 campers per week. That is full capacity with cabins and beds and campers come from across Northwest Washington mainly Skagit, Whatcom, and Island county. Day camp runs along side overnight camp in the same weeks. We hosted 156 campers which again is full capacity, 30-40 campers per week.
For summer camp 2025, we are already over 95% capacity with registered campers and have waiting lists with over 100 campers waiting. Some parents are uncomfortable with technology free, since many parents are helicoptering wth their children to stay in touch. Most get used to the program after talking with the staff on how important it is to allow the campers to focus on relationships. We spend a lot of time talking with parents to they understand the rules and importance of the campers experience. Marcus explained that he too has trouble at time not being able to contact his children, but the benefit far outweighs what the parent needs.
Most parents find out about the camp through word of mouth, where campers can start in 2nd grade and continue through their Senior year of High School. For the younger campers, we do have an overnight camp in the middle of summer that is four days instead of the normal six.
Another program out at Camp Kirby is the Outdoor School program. It takes place in the spring and fall and typically is fifth grade students from local elementary schools. It is a three day, two night experience where we provide education, teaching outdoor education and provide all food. We work with the schools to develop the curriculum catalog and hire seasonal staff who are experts in outdoor areas. We focus on tide pool exploration, forest ecosystems, beach ecosystems, bird identification, and traditional camp activities.
This is a chance for student who might not be able to afford summer camp or who might however have the opportunity to come to summer camp and have a camp experience. It has really opened up a lot of doors for us to get children out to Camp Kirby. It is our fastest growing program, which started in 2023 so two years now. We have three school groups with just under 200 students. In 2024 the program grew to 20 school groups with over 1500 students. The growth was mainly due to a bill that was passed in Washington “The Outdoor School” Housebill 2078. We are waiting with baited breath for the legislative budget to see if our Outdoor School will still be included. It falls under the Office of the Superintendent and appears the funding is pretty safe, but we really don’t know.
Spring is the busiest time for our Outdoor School, where we had our outdoor staff arrive this week, going through their training. The first class starts next Monday, March 31st. Most schools do a combination of staff, teachers and parents as chaperones, because part of the program is that schools do need to provide chaperones, especially in the cabins overnights and it really just depends on the school.
I would also like to share why I believe our programs are so important. These Programs are something that young people don’t get a lot of access to, since they are hard to find. Programs that are technology free, that are getting kids outside, teaching the about different environmental issues, introducing them to trees and birds and tide pools and all this amazing stuff we have here. There’s a lot of research done around youth development over the years, and reflected in a book named the anxious generation where the author talks about what is going on with youth and trends. Depression in teens has increased 150% since 2010, and although some blame COVID, others also blame technology and social media. Outdoor programs offer an antidote to some of this which is a multi layered problem. One recommendation is to give parents solutions such as overnight camps with no devices, playing outside, exploring and developing relationships with other kids. Another good book is “Last Child In The Woods” written in 2007. We want to create a positive childhood experience because we believe it can have a lifelong impact, especially a greater sense of self-worth.
We are always looking at ways to fund improvements to the buildings and programs and can use your help. You have already done so much. Other ways to serve is to join the Board of Directors, work parties, volunteering with the program and our annual auction April 19 of this year. Thank you Marcus for the excellent program!
- Adam shared a thank you from Olympia Zuniga at Eagle’s Nest Club at La Conner High School for our support of the aquarium trip this year. She invited our members to a lunch where she will make tamales for everyone!
- Adam received an email from Sarah from the Library Foundation with an update on the summer reading program. They have selected a theme using library spaces for education and enjoyment. There will be (2) events, Harmonica Pocket on June 18 and Pegasus puppet theater on August 6. They are also collaborating with other libraries in the county such as Burlington, central Skagit and upper Skagit. This year, La Conner Rotary has budgeted to support the summer reading program to the tune of $1500 already. Sarah expressed their gratitude.
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We are a hands-on service club dedicated to improving lives locally and around the world. We do this by promoting and investing in literacy, public health and community service. We are the club people want to join, because we have fun while making a difference. Our La Conner Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Our tax ID# is 26-2730981. Learn More About Our Club
Please note that we meet most Mondays at The Farmhouse starting at 5:45pm. Please check the speaker list and/or event schedule for changes to the venue for the Monday meeting.
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Service Above Self
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
United States of America