ANNUAL RAFFLE: 2005 Raffle Preseason | About the Raffle | 2004 Raffle Winner

Vol. 17, No. 41, April 11, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:

This Reveille Home Page | The Friday Program: United Way & the Business Community ­ Partners in Community Impact | Centennial Project Gets a Boost | BBRC Adopts Highway | Painting Party Set | Friday Potpourri | Retreat Tackles Leadership Issues | Classification Talk: LeeAnn Wood | Web Fun

Retreat Tackles Leadership Issues

On a cool April weekend in the far northern reaches of Washington State, thirty-seven BBRC members gathered to consider new paths of direction for the coming Rotary Year. The 18th annual BBRC Planning Retreat convened Friday evening at Semi-ah-moo Resort on Boundary Bay. After an afternoon golf outing and a round of Retail Shopping Therapy, more aggressive participants collected trophies for their afternoon excursions.

A reception in the Pierside Room gave a glorious view of the bay, with the wind-blown waves lapping right out the northerly window. Family members in tow included Ginny Hayden and daughter Karina; Kathy Holert; Katie Owens; Phil Noble; and Frank Buty.

Dinner of grilled chicken and salmon followed the reception. During the meal, awards were given to the golfers for their afternoon efforts. Overcoming the challenges of Loomis Trails Course were the team of Cyril Faulkner, Greg Hendershott, Tim Moriarty and Ruben Ladlad copping 1st prize. The 2nd place trophy went to the team of Brian Evison, Dick Brown, Jim Zidar and Doug Cameron. Prize for 3rd place went to the team of Norm Johnson, Dean Pollock and Will Einstein. Brian Evison gave a special gift to Ruben Ladlad, who organized the golf outing.

Next, came the ladies. A squad of Rotarians, namely Jenny Andrews, Carlene Buty, Evelyn Cogswell, Sharon Edberg, Shelley Noble and Jane Kuechle, who attacked the stores in LaConner on the way north with the goal of being the most aggressive shopper. With Andrews and Edberg awarding the trophy (the “Eddy”), the winner was Carlene Buty, who, in her acceptance speech, said, “I tried hard NOT to win!!”

During dessert, the Battle of the Sexes was staged with the men moving to one side of the room, the women on the other as they were alternately posed questions to be answered by the group. Chris Ballard, new Sergeant-at-Arms-to-be, and Jenny Andrews, current Sergeant At Arms, conducted the quiz. After a nip-and-tuck battle, the women eked out a slim win and the dinner was adjourned. Serious card players headed for the annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tourney and other slight-of-hand tricks, which provided more hours of entertainment. There was no report on the outcome of the game of cards.

Friday attendance included Allen, Andrews, Ballard, Bell, Brown, Buty, Cameron, Cogswell, Edberg, Einstein, Evison, Faulkner, Hayden, Hendershott, Holert, Norm Johnson, Kuechle, Kuwahara, Ladlad, Lingenbrink, Miller, Mix, Moriarty, Noble, O’Brien, Owens, Pollock, Sheeran and Zidar.

* * *

Saturday morning dawned with the brisk spring wind still blowing. A fine continental breakfast satisfied early morning appetites. Arriving just in time for breakfast was the carpool group, which at left before 6:00 a.m. from the Kirkland Park & Ride lot. This group included David Bolson, Curt Cummings, Howard Johnson, Chuck Kimbrough, Wayne McCaulley, Bob McKorkle, Colly Radford and Peter Stadelman.

* * *

Goals & Objectives for 2005-2006

First order of business was for President-elect Steve Lingenbrink to lay out his goals and objectives for the coming year. Steve said that the BBRC should keep in mind projects prioritized by Rotary International’s President-elect Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar of Goteborg, Sweden. The new RI president has outlined continued emphasis on water projects, literacy thrust and continuity of work and projects.

For his part, Lingenbrink presented a six-point plan for his year beginning July 1:

• Have fun while we help, emphasizing hands-on projects
• Secure more matching grants for water projects and education
• More and larger scholarships
• Encourage attendance
• Look for fresh, new ideas for fundraising
• Develop a Public Relations budget and get our name
  out in the community.

Prior to participation in the Breakout Groups, Lingenbrink introduce Bill Ptacek, Assistant District Governor, who will oversee activities of the BBRC and other clubs in the Bellevue area, as well as Seattle #4. Ptacek is a past president of the Bellevue Rotary Club. He put in a pitch for the District 5030 Directory, which will be distributed to all Rotarians in the district this year. To defray costs of that project, members in each of the clubs are being solicited to purchase a business-card ad in the directory. Cost is $125. The directory will be distributed to 3300 Rotarians.

* * *

Thirty-minute breakout sessions concentrated on Community Service and Membership (Shelley Noble); Major Projects (Jane Kuechle); and Fundraising (Jim Zidar). For the next 90 minutes, each participant attended each of the three sessions, making for lively discussion of the topics.

Feedback From Breakout Groups

Session 1 ­ Shelley Noble,
Community Service/Membership

Shelley posed the question “What major projects do we want to do?”

Seeking consensus, the brainstorming session came up with the following ideas:

1) Partner with schools on projects.

2) Every member a commitment to participate in RFH Work Party at least once a year.

3) Adopt-a-Family

4) Tutoring and mentoring for youth at Middle School level.

5) Reading program for young kids and elderly (literacy)

6) District Service Day

7) Financial literacy for students ­ basic elements of handling money.

8) Free hot meal(s) for needy

9) Blanket and jacket drive, Operation Warm

10) Extreme Home makeover ­ Big project ... corporate sponsor, over several weekends, partnering.

Action items coming from all three sessions include:

1) Make list of current projects to survey club on which to keep.

2) Give more advance notice to publicize dates of projects.

3) Encourage board to consider tighter attendance policies for new members.

4) Encouraging retention and attendance.

5) Reinforce welcome efforts to new members.

6) Committees should coordinate their activities.

A suggestion from one participant was to include in the initiation process a requirement to become involved in a project, and perfect attendance for the first 6 months for blue badge requirements (would include make-ups).

RI is suggesting smaller boards with overlapping responsibilities.

* * *

Session 2 ­ Jim Zidar, Fundraising

Jim Zidar asked Sayoko Kuwahara to give a brief report on the upcoming 20th Anniversary Dinner in November, 2005. “This is a Milestone Event and the Fellowship Committee is seeking guidance from the club as to how we should mark this milestone.” Sayoko listed a couple dozen places that had been suggested as sites for the event. The committee is also seeking info from members regarding cost to the membership.

Zidar, President-elect come July 1, has proposed forming a committee to research alternative ideas for fundraising during the next year to determine any changes the way we raise funds.

A compilation of the ideas brought up at the sessions:

1) Giant Community Garage Sale

2) Silent Auction & Golf Tourney

3) Change Raffle Item

4) More time devoted to planning

5) Sponsor a Concert, a Car Race, a Walk

Whatever might happen, Zidar pointed out it would necessitate a gradual change to another form of fundraising. He pointed out that it’s hard to not recognize the successful components of our current fundraising activity, combining such items as Corporate Sponsors, Golf Outing, Auctions and the Raffle to produce the net results each year.

It was generally agreed that membership involvement should continue geared toward visibility to community. A proposal to increase the raffle ticket price to $5.00 and partnering with other area Rotary clubs was suggested.

The newly-formed committee took flight with several retreat participants volunteering to serve. As of Retreat Weekend, here are the names of volunteers to serve on the Fundraising Research Committee.

Jim Zidar, Sayoko Kuwahara, Steve Lingenbrink, Tim Moriarty, Mary Bell, Chuck Kimbrough, Jim Owens, Jim Allen, John Sheeran, Dick Brown, Rourke O’Brien, Chris Ballard, Jenny Andrews, and Bob McKorkle. Other club members will have an opportunity to volunteer beginning this Friday.

Zidar closed the sessions with an observation that whatever form our future fundraising may take, it may be appropriate to make the work of the fundraising committee a permanent fixture of the BBRC.

* * *

Session 3 ­ Jane Kuechle, Major Projects

Jane posed three questions to session participants:

1) Do we want to support one or two large projects, offering a major gift to a selected recipient, or should we select 4-6 smaller recipients?

2) How do we gauge member participation in the process?

3) Should our gifts be restricted to local agencies only?

Recommendations, gleaned from each session:

• At least one major gift or perhaps 2, or 2-3 smaller
• Involvement optional
• Locally focused only
• Program/Capital fundingÉ.not operating funding only.
• Have RFP list other funding sources in their request.
• Seek out District matching
• Pass along worthy smaller projects to other committees
• How will project be sustained once BBRC bucks go away?
• Require outcomes report back to club to raise awareness.

A Minority Report was submitted:

• Funding of operating projects OK
• Giving preference to Rotary theme ­ i.e. water or literacy
• Cast net as wide as possible ­ perhaps impact a 5-year project.
• Multi-year gift has to be pretty unique.
• Do not restrict to local projects
• Multi-year gift requires full club concurrence.

* * *

Retreat Wrap-up

Once the sessions ended, a 20-minute break allowed members to return their luggage to their cars and check out of the resort. Chairman Lingenbrink thanked those who chaired the breakout sessions: Shelley, Jane, Jim and Sayoko

Steve reports that he’s received 52 replies to his email request to those who couldn’t attend the retreat. He will be compiling that information to be folded into the final retreat report. Jim Zidar, who will chair the Raffle effort by virtue of his President-elect status next year, said announcement of the specifics of the theme will come later, but he hinted it might be something that is covered in cowhide, has stitches on it and is knocked out of Safeco Field by the Texas Rangers.

President Norm Johnson was asked to give a Centennial project report. “There have been a lot of different issues regarding the project. It was two years in the planning and just now is that hard work bearing fruit. The water spray park has involved a $1 million capital campaign. The BBRC has contributed $50,000 to the project. Jane Koehler’s major grants committee has about $500,000 under consideration, while Colly Radford is working independently for a $100,000 commitment.

Bill Ptacek, Assistant District Governor, closed his visit by saying that Rotary is at its best when the power of clubs working together manifests itself. “Our business is to keep conversations going between clubs and presidents of clubs. I’d urge all of you to resolve to help the Sunrise and Overlake clubs by planning a make-up. If you do that, you’ll help these clubs to improve and excel.”

Lingenbrink had the last word, which was to announce the District Leadership Assembly is scheduled for Bellevue Community College on Saturday, May 14. The BBRC board will attend. The absolute last words were, “Thank you. We’re ADJOURNED.”          

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