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?
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.”
Service Above Self
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
United States of America