Upcoming Events
- July 21 Fish Park work party to widen existing walking path
- July 21 Days for Girls work party at West Sound Academy on Hwy 305
New Members of Poulsbo Rotary: Devyn Newcombe and Jim Gillard. Welcome!
Check Presentations:
Kessoye Project: seed packets for Ethiopia
Fishline: freezer chest
Family & Juvenile Court: lunches for mock court participants
Poulsbo Senior Community Center: replace water damaged flooring
President Michele Doyle - retrospective of this Rotary year
President Michele shared a retrospective of her Rotary year, reminding us exchange student Giacomo “Jack” Battu speaks Italian, English, French, and Smart Aleck!
Paul Harris Fellowship awarded to Mike & Barb Danford of Kitsap Physical Therapy
A Paul Harris Fellowship was awarded to Mike & Barb Danford of Kitsap Physical Therapy, a community-oriented business serving Kitsap County for 40 years. These awards, given in the name of Rotary Founder Paul Harris, represent a donation of $1000 to the Rotary Foundation, the charitable non-profit of Rotary International. In this case the club has "donated" on behalf of outstanding community members to recognize their contributions to the ideals of Rotary.Presentation by Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe
Leonard is in his fifth 3 year term as chairman. He shared some historical facts about Suquamish tribal history in the Kitsap area. Some of the tribe’s accomplishments are the 9th Circuit Court’s order to rebuild culverts to preserve water quality and salmon runs, recent water quality decisions, and resident killer whale restoral through efforts to increase salmon populations, water quality, and keeping boats away from feeding whales. Other activities include growing the Chief Kitsap Academy, and continuing the growth at the casino and golf course. A separate management runs the Enterprise businesses of the casino and golf course to keep them separate from political issues. The Suquamish run a Foundation with interests similar to Rotary’s: helping the elderly and helping the community.
Among the tribe’s priorities are protecting Treaty rights, community relations, Government to Government politics and relations, preserving the orca and salmon populations, and improving storm and waste water quality throughout the Puget Sound area.
Leonard believes that the Suquamish tribe’s biggest challenge is protecting Puget Sound water quality and habitat, not just in Kitsap County but around the Sound. He is also concerned about the new trade tariffs: the tribe has 25 to 30 clam divers harvesting clams that are shipped to China.
Incoming Club President Tim Nichols
The Rotary International slogan for 2018-2019 is “Be the Inspiration”. Tim 's slogan for Poulsbo Rotary is” Service Inspired”. His objective for the year is to start up a Rotaract Club for Poulsbo.
Force Tolar presented a check from Community Service to Tim Henderson and to brothers Dave and Jim Shields for the Poulsbo Historical Society’s Pilot House Project. 
Alexis Foster then presented a check to Debora Lascelles & Jake Ortega for their Coffee for Hope film project, which will tell the Coffee Oasis story. The money will help feed and transport youth during the project. 
Geoff Schmidt and Brett Clark shared their experience over the past year with the Our Gents program in North Kitsap, at the high school and the middle school. They both served as male mentors for students recommended by school counselors for a variety of reasons. They focused on building character, developing scholars, and preparing leaders by promoting respect for self and others, dignity, honor, and empathy. Their enthusiasm showed theirpassion for this valuable program. 
Bob Hawkinson awarded certificates and checks to many outstanding students this morning, including nine awards to recent high school graduates and eight college students. They are all continuing to higher education. Congratulations, recipients! 
On June 15th we had an auction of some of Jack Archer’s wines as well as 3 Cuban Cigars. We raised $1276 that will go to the Rotary Foundation. Thank you for all who bid and donated! Jack’s Celebration of Life is Saturday, June 16th.
Our Rotary club was able to make 2 check donations this morning: One for $200 to the Math Olympiad to pay for the registration to this year’s competition; and a 2nd to Kitsap Children's Musical Theater for $1400 to help purchase 4 new sewing machines!
Funds Development: Donna Pledger reported on the great work that Funds Development did in 2017/2018. Their goal is to have a comprehensive plan for the whole year that will honor the donors/donations as well as support the Rotary brand. They do this by setting policy, general donation oversight, investigating new revenue sources and brainstorming ideas. The 3 major events they focused on this year are the Gala, Viking Tour and the Kitsap Great Give. 
Public image: Cindy Tveit shared the activities of the Public Image committee. Our goal is to bring more awareness of the great work Rotary does in the North Kitsap area and beyond. Some ways we make that happen are: increase use of Facebook; increasing a presence in the print media (including letters to the editor and 3 articles to date in the Herald); as well as an increase in internal engagement, including changes to the website, weekly What’s Coming Up and Meeting Highlights, a new sign at Snider Field, great visibility thru apparel (hats, fleece jackets, etc.), and snapshots of dollars and hours donated to the community.
Born in 1982 from the mind of a single Rotarian – proving that it one takes one of us to make a change for good in our work – Rotary First Harvest is a group which collects food that might go wasted and unused and helps to get it into the hands of those who need it. With a staff of only 4, David and his team from District 5030 have collected over 418 million healthy servings of produce to aid the 1.14 million needy people in Washington state. Did you know that 60% of the 1.14 million are children and seniors? Did you also know that 40% of food in this state is “wasted”? Food is collected directly from farms large and small in our state, they get help harvesting and gleaning from area clubs and Americorp volunteers. Food is then picked up by trucking company and trucking school's partners to be delivered to groups like NW Harvest – who in turn help to distribute to other food banks in the state. 
Chad Solvie, chair of our Club’s DV Committee, updated our membership on the work that has been done thus far, including a recap of the history of Ardis Morrow and her mission, a result of the loss of her great grand-nephew Eli who died in 1986 at the hands of his father. Her desire for change has not lessened in the decades since, and Morrow Manor, 8 units of supportive housing being built in Poulsbo with Ardis’ inspiration and Rotary’s help , is now almost a reality, a torch carried through 5 Poulsbo Rotary President terms! So far, 730 donors have given $2.9 million, likely more than enough to complete the project. Well done, Poulsbo Rotary! 
Each new member to our club gives a "classification talk" to tell other members something about his or her life and work. Cheryl knew she had a love of singing when, as a child growing up on a dairy ranch, she would talk and sing to the cows. Her love of singing came to a temporary end when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 21, a treatment for which silenced her voice for 6 months. Though her voice eventually returned, and the cancer was vanquished, a new challenge arose—a disabling fear of public speaking. Cheryl faced this fear head-on as well, taking a class to learn how to give persuasive speeches that changed her life. Her happy interracial marriage presented other challenges that she has overcome as well. Her experiences have taught her well and allowed her to live her life with joy and courage— and have left her with an empowering wisdom. “By getting through my fears, I could help others get through theirs.”
As the Housing and Homelessness Program Coordinator for Kitsap County’s Department of Human Services, Kirsten Jewell painted a sobering picture of the housing crisis in Kitsap County. A lover of data, she cited a number of statistics that helped identify the contributing factors in local homelessness, including an accelerating cost of rentals and home purchases, the increasing number of people moving to the area in search of work and a better life, and the lack of affordable housing inventory or projects in the offing. Add to that mental illness, addictions and a lack of living wage jobs, and we begin to see the magnitude of the challenge. While some progress is being made, especially for veterans in the area, we have much work ahead. Ideas like the use of tiny homes and shared home programs like the HomeShare program at Fishline continue to be some of our most promising options for the near term. Kirsten encourages us to consider county-wide solutions approaches to creation and maintenance of affordable options, an increase in permanent supportive housing for vulnerable populations, and continued coordinated entry through agencies like the Housing Solutions Center of Kitsap Community Resources. Her advice on how you and I can help? “Talk about this with each other, with your community leaders, in your neighborhoods.” Kirsten has given us plenty to talk about, and think about, and we’re grateful for her unflinching view of a difficult problem for many communities.
Alexis Foster became our newest Paul Harris Fellow! Rotarians who contribute a total of $1000 to The Rotary Foundation, the foundation of Rotary International, receive a commemorative pin called the Paul Harris Award, named after the founder of Rotary. 
Alexis Foster shared the committee’s belief statement and some of this year’s projects and grants: Nelson House (with Community Service), Distinguished Students of Service, OurGEMS and Gents, Suquamish Elementary’s Islandwood trip, 3 projects for NK Schools Foundation, and the Miss Poulsbo/Miss Kitsap/Miss Silverdale Scholarship fund, to name just a few.
Seth described some of the innovative “science-under-sail” programs for students that allow the students to take the scientific process from the classroom all the way to a symposium. Students design a project, conduct a meaningful experiment that they do in 1-5 days on a boat, a 65 foot yawl. Salish Sea Expeditions has use of the boat for 1/3 of the year, and they typically operate out of state parks because the boat only sleeps 14, and the class size is larger than that. About 40% of the students receive scholarships, 75% come from public schools, and 25% are low income. Seth reports with pride, “Our students become research science school mariners aboard a floating classroom. It’s hands on.” He said they build a rigorous project, collect the data, and form a conclusion. 
Friday’s meeting was filled with birthday surprises for Ardis Morrow. Members responded to President Michele’s secret request to “bury Ardis with flowers” with lush bouquets and fragrant lilacs. A sweet cake with a trick candle, and a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday, made her birthday celebration complete.
As his year in the US winds down, Jack is feeling the melancholy of his “lasts” he shared that he attended his last exchange student meeting and will miss the many friends he made during his Poulsbo Rotary year. His playful exchanges with Michele are a highlight of our meetings, and Friday’s meeting was no exception. We are sure going to miss you, Jack! 
As featured speaker, colorist Melissa Bolt, explained, color is more than about beauty—there is also a psychological aspect, a tangible reaction that comes about when seeing various colors. For instance, did you know that blue is used in bank branding because it represents stability and dependability? Sharing these examples, along with an update on current color technology and trends and how color is used in professional settings, Melissa captivated our members with her strikingly beautiful slides and deep connection to color. This year’s Pantone color of the year? Ultra Violet! We can all learn more about Melissa’s services by contacting her at melissaboltcolor@gmail.com.
Each new member to our club gives a "classification talk" to tell other members something about his or her life and work. Med's dad was in the Navy so he grew up at many Navy bases. Med joined the Marine Corps out of high school. He was slated for OCS but instead headed for the Navy. His assignments include Iraq, Guam, the Pentagon, and a stint in Joint Special Ops. After his twin daughters joined the family he went back to Guam, where as the Logistics lead he was responsible for servicing 115 ships. He is currently assigned as Director of Weapons Systems Support at Keyport. He recently bought a 9 acre property in Seabeck and plans retirement from the Navy in about a year.
Debbie Broughton (sponsored by Margene Smaaladen) was inducted into the club! Welcome, Red Badge Debbie! 
Brenda Wall shared how the ISC spent $22k on worthy causes worldwide, including a hydrotherapy pool in Ethiopia, Guatemala Safe Stoves project, schools in Burkina Faso, Etta projects (dry composting toilets in Bolivia), Disaster Aid Canada, Side by Side, Days for Girls for Syrian Refugees in Jordan, and more! ISC had a very successful fundraiser this year, raising $53k for Side by Side for projects in S. Africa. 
Brenda Wall presented a $4k check to Shirley Wilder for Poulsbo’s Days for Girls to send 400 hygiene kits to Syrian Refugees in Jordan.
Wendell began by thanking the club for ISC’s fundraiser that raised $53K for Side by Side’s Game-changer for Girls program, which provides hygiene kits, education, and micro-enterprise opportunities for women and girls in South Africa. Wendell then introduced Kim, an expert in working with start-ups and micro-enterprises, who went to South Africa with Side by Side earlier in the month. He showed a short video and a power point which showed how they were able to create jobs for eight people — empowering women with sewing kits to make the hygiene kits to sell in country. At this time it remains heavily subsidized, but the goal is for selfinitiating and self-sustaining sewing centers in country that can maintain an income stream by selling the kits to churches, school districts, and non-profits. He stressed how it was important to not impose a Western business model. Days for Girls trained the sewists, and offered product support, while Side by Side offered financial resources, along with a strong education component.
At a time when fossil fuels often get a bad rap, Roger Gallington brought a whole new way of seeing these sources of energy to our Friday meeting. Frequently referring to the book on the subject by Alex Epstein, the proposition is that the use of fossil fuels has improved the quality of life and life expectancy throughout the world. They are cheaper to implement vs. sustainable options due to the reduced capital costs, and their production is more consistent. Wind, for instance, is cyclical and sometimes unpredictable.
Ann Pyles donated 3 Cuban cigars that were auctioned at our Friday meeting for Polio Plus. Thank you, Danny Fritz, for your $125 donation and thank you, Ann, for your donation!
Polio Plus is a special funding category at Rotary International to support Rotary's fight to end polio. Poulsbo Rotary’s commitment to end Polio in our lifetime is succeeding! We gathered more than $5500 – exceeding our pledge goal. But the fight continues, so your donations to this effort are still needed. We are SOOOOOO close that the next reported case of Polio could be the last!!!
The club presented 
This extremely serious problem was presented to the club by Jacob Maxwell, Brenda Wall, and Dan Weedin. Did you know that the Equifax breach exposed over 100 million records… keep in mind that the US population is estimated to be 326 million. Cybercrimes are on the rise and your business insurance policy MIGHT NOT COVER IT! Here are a few of the ideas shared with us to help keep you safe: Review your credit report and Social Security Earned Income Statement annually, use a miro or cross-cut paper shedder, DO NOT carry your Social Security card, and avoid public Wifi… just to name a few. Need more info or help? Ask Dan, Brenda or Jacob 
For Emily Cartham, Poulsbo Rotary’s Outbound Exchange Student in Croatia this year, the experience has been a broadening experience she will never forget. Emily was a featured guest at Friday’s meeting through the miracle of Skype. Through her many friendships, and thanks to great host families, she has travelled and experienced a culture different from ours but one which Emily has very much enjoyed. “I’m in love with Croatia! I am going to really miss it when it’s time to return to the U.S.!” Her advice for anyone wondering about Youth Exchange? “Definitely do it—it is so beneficial, and brings about really good changes and personal development.” 
Community Services presented a check to the NK Athletic Medicine group to help pay for an upcoming skills symposium, where students will learn important medical treatments.
Nick Johnson updated the Club on the latest Viking Tour news, including a record-setting 129 preregistrations, many more than last year. The preTour registration party the night before at Western Red Brewery looks to be almost as fun as the Tour itself, with beer, music and discounts galore.
Giacomo Battu, affectionately called “Jack” by family and friends, is our Poulsbo Rotary’s incoming Exchange Student this year, bringing cheeky humor and a swag to our Club when he shares his adventures each week. For last Friday’s meeting, he took the podium to tell us more about his native Biella, Italy and the life he lives when he isn’t in the US. He told us about how different high schools are in Italy, where students can choose to attend one of many high school choices based upon the curriculum focus. He shared that classes are different throughout the week, vs. our high schools where schedules are repeated daily. Jack loves sports, especially soccer. His family’s love of travel has taken Jack to many, many countries throughout the world. Each year, they choose a different place to visit that they haven’t visited before. Jack, whose mastery of English is impressive, told us that he has learned English from when he was in elementary school and loves that he can practice all the time while with us. Thank you, Jack, for a fascinating opportunity to learn of your life and your world.
Meredith Green inducted Dominick Ferrara as a new member of Poulsbo Rotary. He is a 21 year submarine veteran and recently purchased the Green Light Diner. Steve Garfein is shown congratulating Dominick. Welcome, Dominick! 
Paul has taken his significant talent for photography and combined it with is compassion for children who are literally fighting for their lives. His message: run TOWARDS these kids and embrace them rather than shy away from them. They have so much love, joy and courage to share with us and this was evident in his passion to tell their stories. The video he shared of one such warrior was of Katie, who lost her life to cancer 3 years ago at the age of 18. It showed that she may have lost her life, but not the fight. Katie was an inspiration and fighter to the end... cancer couldn't take that from her.
There’s a reason why they call it the Chilly Hilly. Like Viking Tour Viking Steve Hogg explained, “it’s really chilly and very hilly.” On Sunday, February 25, hearty bike riders from throughout the region will ride a course on Bainbridge Island, dodging the elements but enjoying the beautiful scenery. Poulsbo Rotary volunteers were enlisted to help promote our Viking Tour in May to a group of bikers always ready for the next ride. Please let Steve know if you want to help out on Sunday.
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