Our meeting was opened by Past-President Chuck Barnes while Margie Burnett recited her invocation land let the pledge of allegiance to our flag.  President Desiree Yuzawa introduced guest and visiting Rotarians. There was an excellent turnout of many past Presidents and long-term members including Phil Salvatori, Bob Maloney, Dick Brown and Ted Ederer. Also visiting was past member Rourke O’Brien who is now a member of the Boise Rotary Club and exchanged flags with our club!

Jason Cherney and Adam Mihlstin scheduled the Issaquah Food Bank to display their delivery truck at the front entrance at Glendale this morning so our members could see how our donations are making a difference. The Issaquah Food Bank received funding assistance of $8895 for the delivery truck and accessories from BBRC.

Kit Bowerman, Sergeant of Arms, shared his pet peeve – cell phone use at meetings – rinds, scrolling etc. He reported he will fine members more interested in their cell phone then the meeting!

Adam Mihlstin announced tomorrow would be Rotary First Harvest – the second Saturday of the Month and you can sign up online. It was also announced the BBRC Foundation meeting will be Tuesday, August 13 at Rick Klobucher’s office. Speed croquet with the Sunrise Club is Wednesday, August 14. Anyone interested. Also, the BBRC Board Meeting is Tuesday, August 13 at 730 AM and this year’s BBRC Adoption party is October 5, the first Saturday of October!

Our speaker today, Colin Radford, long-time member of BBRC shared “A Tahitian Love Story”, how he and his wife Manio met almost 60 years ago after he made a decision to join 3 families planning to cruise around the world. Colly had been brought along to teach their 5 teenage kids during the journey. When they reached Tahiti, he met Manio who helped her older sister act as a tour guide for their time there. They soon realized that their relationship was serious and talked with Manio’s family. Their advice was they had a year to determine whether their relationship was real. After a year, they still were deeply in love, were wed and the rest is history!

And that around the world cruise rally did not get any further than Tahiti as fuel costs had quadrupled from Hawaii to Tahiti and it was decided not to continue. But based on Colly’s choice to leave his teaching job in Massachusetts to teach 5 teenagers on a yacht, he got a tremendous reward – an almost 60 year “Tahitian Love Story”!

“Glory Days” President Chuck Barnes then presented Colin with a card thanking him for his presentation and denoting a donation of 1000 pounds of produce to Rotary First Harvest by Kaj Pedersen.

About the Speaker