Friday Program:
“UW Women’s & Men’s Rowing,” Bob Ernst & Mike Callahan

Our guest speakers, Bob Ernst and Mike Callahan, were introduced by Alan Forney. Bob is the UW Women’s Rowing Head Coach and Mike is the UW Men’s Rowing Head Coach.

Bob and Mike spoke about the continued excellence of UW Rowing teams. Even at a school that has won 12 men’s national rowing titles, right now might be as good as it’s ever been for the Huskies in crew.

This past season the men's varsity eight beat everybody every time, winning not only the IRA national championship but dusting Oxford and Cambridge in Moscow in September. For more than a year, the Huskies have not lost a race, and still haven't lost to a college crew since 2006. After beating back the collegians in a big regatta in Oklahoma City, they finished third in the final to the national teams of the U.S. and Canada.

The beat goes on, even though the men have a new coach — Michael Callahan — and half the rowers in the boat that won the IRA are gone.

Bob Ernst, last summer, took on the challenge of coaching the women's team, struggling a bit after amassing 11 national titles, the last in 2002.

Back are the stroke pair, Will Crothers and Heath Allen, plus No. 2 Jesse Johnson, No. 3 Steve Full, and coxswain Katelin Snyder. At the same time, Rob Gibson and Max Lang decided to take the year off to try out for the Canadian Olympic team.

But Callahan is hardly left with the dregs. And there is a chance Gibson and Lang might be back as early as January, depending on what Canada does in selecting its team for Beijing. In any event, the Huskies have a pool of talent that goes with winning three of the past four junior-varsity races at the IRA, plus a first and two thirds in the past three freshman IRA finals, all since Callahan joined the staff and headed up recruiting.

New Member Induction: Bob Crosby

Bob Crosby was introduced by sponsor Steve Lingenbrink, and he was joined by his wife Carol. Bob's classification is "Reverse Mortgage."

Welcome Bob to the BBRC.

Ethiopia & Uganda Trip — Jenny Andrews

Jenny conveyed her wonderful journey to Africa. In Ethiopia a team of 70 Rotarians visited the Cheshire Home for children who have contracted polio, AHOPE orphanage, a school built and funded by Rotary, and the fistula hospital.

Jenny shared that she has seen dramatic changes in Ethiopia in just two years time. There is much new construction, and the infrastructure is greatly improved. It gives her great hope that Ethiopia will have a brighter future.

Unlike Ethiopia, however, there is a feeling of despair in Gulu, Uganda, after the ravages of war. In Uganda the group was warmly welcomed by the Gulu Rotarians and Rotoractors. The Rotarians have committed to rehabbing 25 bore hole wells so at least the people can have clean water.

Student of the Month: Catherine Cheng

Catherine Cheng, a senior at Sammamish High School, was introduced as the Rotary Student of the Month. Catherine has a 3.92 GPA and is looking to attend Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education. Catherine has played volleyball for four years and has earned 4 varsity volleyball letters.

Proposed Member: Diane Gamache

Diane is the owner of JDI Consulting LLC, located in Redmond, which offers accounting services, including outsourced internal audit consulting for small public and pre-IPO companies. Her proposed classification is "CPA-Internal Audit." Diane worked for Expedia in the past, and her community involvement is extensive, including Camp Prime Time, serving terminally ill and disabled children, and Operation Sack Lunch, St. John Vianney Church. Diane loves to golf and travel.

Application Withdrawn: Frank Selden
Frank Selden, who was very eager to join the BBRC, needed to withdraw his application for membership for now. He personally delivered a letter to the meeting to say, “… In the short time, that I have been welcomed as a guest in your midst, I have formed an honorable opinion of Rotary. The upright values inculcated here serve our community while allowing you to have fun in the process. In the future, I would consider joining Rotary when life is more settled. For now I ask that my application for membership be allowed to be withdrawn.”

Web Fun

In Honor of Golfing With the Elves ...

Don't buy a putter until you've had a chance to throw it.

Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.

When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.

If you're afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.

The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.

No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors.

If it ain't broke, try changing your grip.

Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.

A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents' luck.

It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt ... for a 10.

Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.

It's not a gimme if you're still away.

The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.

There are two kinds of bounces: unfair bounces and bounces just the way you meant to play it.

You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two-inch branch 90% of the time.

If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.

Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.

When you look up, causing an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.

Every time a weekend golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.

If you want to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.

There are two things you can learn by stopping your back-swing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.

Hazards attract, fairways repel.

You can put a draw on the ball, you can put a fade on the ball, but no golfer can put a straight on the ball.

A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.

If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.

It's easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the yard.

Sometimes it seems as though your cup moveth over.

A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.

Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up having to pray a lot.

A good golf partner is one who's always slightly worse than you are ... that's why I get so many calls to play with friends.

That rake by the sand trap is there for golfers who feel guilty about skipping out on lawn work.

If there's a storm rolling in, you'll be having the game of your life.

Golf balls are like eggs. They're white. They're sold by the dozen. And you need to buy fresh ones each week.

A pro-shop gets its name from the fact that you must have the income of a professional golfer to buy anything there.

It's amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace divots, repair ball marks and rake traps.

If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably scored an eight (or worse).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RI Foundation - The deadline for contributions to the Rotary International Foundation has been extended to December 7. We want 100% BBRC membership investment!

Holiday Breakfast
Online sign-up is now available on the website for the Annual Holiday Breakfast. The commmittee needs to know how many guests you are bringing and how many of them are under age 13! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW! DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 17!

Elections
Elections will be held at this Friday's meeting.

BBRC GIVING TREE
Just a quick REMINDER that you can bring your BBRC Giving Tree Gifts to the meeting this Friday and next Friday, but ALL GIFTS must be brought in no later than December 14th.

Please check the BACK of your gift ornament to see whether or not you need to wrap the present. Gifts to Hopelink DO NOT need to be wrapped, but those going to the YMCA are going to specific individuals and they DO need to be festively wrapped.

Santa and his elves will see that all presents get delivered on time to make this a joyous holiday for everyone.

GOLFING WITH THE ELVES
All BBRC members and their friends and family are invited to enjoy a round of golf with the Elves as they take a much needed break after packing Santa's sleigh. Join us at 8:59 on Monday, December 24th, at the Mt. Si golf course, rain or shine — or snow! Contact Norm Johnson for more information.