Ecuador visit

The inspiration was provided by Lyanne on “What I’ve Learned” by author unknown.
See the Read More at end for Lyanne’s full version.
 
Marty introduced our guest speakers for the evening - Youth Engaged in Service (YES) students Marlin Bralens and Hadden Zimmerman.
They described their trip to Ecuador last summer with Spanish 2 & 3 high school students.
They approached many clubs to fund their trip.  Rotary donated the most of the clubs they visited.
For the YES program, they are going to Honduras June 20-30 with 9 other kids, and need to raise money. Attend Luck of the Irish on 3/1 at Shawn O’Donnell’s - $65/ticket. The tickets are to raise money for materials to paint a school, build a playground, and install a water tank.
They showed pictures from their trip to Ecuador. The first day was in Quito visiting Cuidad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City) at Latitude 0°. They then visited Tena where they tried beetle larva worms grilled as shish kabob-like Jalapeno poppers, and saw wild monkeys.  They took boats to islands, and played basketball with local kids.
Hadden made a pottery bowl. Everyone tried a blow gun, and Hadden hit a bullseye.
They went whitewater rafting on the river. In a hot springs town (baños) they tried street food such as pig stomach. They hiked at altitude in Cotopaxi National Park.  They enjoyed a dance party.
 
They signed a Spanish book which goes to our mobile library in Honduras.
 
Lori recommended signing up for:
La Conner High School Blood Drive, Landy-James High School Gym
502 N 6th St., La Conner, WA
Friday, February 21st, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Call Bloodworks NW at 800-398-7888, or click bloodworksnw.org/giveblood
 
Susan Guterbock noted that next year our Assistant Governor will be our wonderful current President, Audrey Gravely, and wished us a Happy New Year. She then spoke as follows:
Be a champion for End Polio Now. And of course, have fun.
You can go to the district website for a schedule of speakers and events for the District Conference.   They are going to have a murder mystery game over the weekend, with clues given throughout the conference. They'll have great music from the Dueling Pianos. They are amazing and will be at the gala dinner.
I won't go over the food, but I'm going for the Dueling Pianos. You get a discount for the nearby outlet mall, and can visit the House of Magic. See the projects and opportunities, and meet Rotarians from both Canada and the US in the district. You get some ideas for really good projects.
The conference is just down the road, the first weekend of May, from the 2nd to the 4th. Join because it's interactive and includes a morning 5K walk or run on Sunday. There are three guest speakers. The first is Jennifer Jones, a Canadian who was our President last year. She was the first female president in Rotary's history. She's been in many leadership positions in Rotary, does a lot with peace projects, and is the co-chair of the End Polio Now countdown. She's important.
The second speaker is Ramesh Ferris, also a Canadian and a polio survivor. In 2008, he hand-cycled 7,140 kilometers (about 4,500 miles) from BC to Cape Spear in Newfoundland. He had a program called Cycle to Walk to raise funds and awareness for polio eradication. There's a picture of him on the website.
The third speaker is Gwen Jones, the creator and producer of the "I Am a Rotarian" podcast. She also has a program called "Greetings from America" on Rotary Rodeo UK. The goal of her podcast is to introduce the extraordinary people of Rotary, and share their incredible work. Her podcast can be heard on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Lastly, I encourage you to read the January Rotary Magazine. There's a story about the woman on the cover who was kidnapped in Nigeria, and how they got her out. It's an incredible story. My favorite story is about a mama duck and the artist she inspired. Baby ducks can do everything except fly, and she put them in a nest that was too high, so they would fall out. This artist did some drawings. Read it; it's fun.
Thank you.
A final third recommendation for new member applicant Tate Ohl was made without objections.  The board has approved her membership.  Therefore, she and her sponsor Christi came up, and Tate was pinned as a new member of La Conner Rotary.
 
Lyanne’s Inspiration:
  • I learned that you cannot hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk at age 6.
  • I learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing “Silent Night” at age 7.
  • I learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing, no matter what they are doing, and they wave back at age 9.
  • I learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, my mom makes me clean it up.
  • I learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try to cheer someone else up.
  • At age 13, I learned that, although it's hard to admit it, I secretly am glad that my parents are strict with me.
  • When I was 15, I learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.
  • At age 24, I learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's greatest pleasures.
  • At age 25, I learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers follow me there.
  • At age 29, I learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that those words will never be believed by anyone.
  • At age 39, I learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.
  • When I was age 41, I learned that you can make someone’s day by simply sending them a little card.
  • I learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater their need to cast blame on others.
  • At age 45, I learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
  • At age 46, I learned that singing “Amazing Grace” can lift my spirits for hours.
  • At age 49, I learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. I like that one, except for now we can't test it out because hotels don't have phones.
  • I learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles 3 things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas lights.
  • At age 52, I learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly when they're gone.
  • At age 53, I learned that making a living is not the same as making a life.
  • At age 58, I learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, try improving your marriage.
  • At age 61, I learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
  • At age 62, I learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.
  • At age 64, I learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. However, if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the best you can, happiness will find you.
  • At age 65, I learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
  • At age 66, I learned that everyone can use a prayer.
  • At age 72, I learned that it pays to believe in miracles, and, to tell the truth, I've seen several.
  • At 73, I learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
  • At age 82, I learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
  • At age 85, I learned that I still have a lot to learn.