Invocation and Pledge

Former President John Dewater provided and inspiring invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Director of Club Administration Paul Chapman introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. One notable guest was returning former BBRC member Manfred Markevitch, back for a very short visit before returning to Europe.

Fellowship Opportunity: Wine Party

The Fellowship Committee announced that there will be a Pinot Noir wine party on January 27th, at 6:00 p.m., at the home of Robin and Gretchen Callan, 3221 Evergreen Point Road, Medina. We will taste five pinot noirs that represent different pinot producing regions of the world. (We have a clever system worked out for rating them.) There will also be some white wine on hand for the non-pinot noir group.

Dress is casual, and heavy appetizers will be served. Cost is yet to be determined, but it will be reasonable. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Paul Chapman.

2012 and 2013 District Conferences

Christine Rose and Lee Smith reminded us that the District 5030 Conference will be April 20th through 22nd at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As always, there will be great speakers, fellowship, great learning opportunities, and chances to learn more about Rotary.

Lee Smith pointed out that last year, Wendi Fischer was voted as the best speaker at the conference, and that everywhere she went, Lee discovered that BBRC has a great reputation for our energy and impact in the District.

Wendi emphasized that we need to go both this year and next to support Steve Lingenbrink as incoming, then outgoing, District Governor.

Rotarian of the Month: Dustin Walling

Dustin Walling was chosen as Rotarian of the Month for November for his leadership in the New Member Committee’s hands on project in Kirkland this fall.

Return of Manfred

Manfred Markevitch was recognized by Sergeant At Arms Wendi for his membership in the BBRC before he relocated to Europe for professional reasons. He was then fined because he belongs to a club with zero female members. Our SAA then summarized the top ten New Year’s resolutions, David Letterman style:

Top ten New Year’s resolutions:

10. Get organized.

9. Help others.

8. Learn something new.

7. Get out of debt.

6. Quit drinking.

5. Enjoy life more.

4. Quit smoking.

3. Lose weight.

2. Exercise more.

1. Spend more time with family and friends.

But what is the resolution we should all aspire to? “Every Rotarian every year.” It’s the best resolution: give to the Rotary Foundation so we can meet our goal of helping others around the world.

Adoption Program

Chuck Kimbrough spoke to us about the progress of our BBRC adoption party program, and how the model created here has spread rapidly through other clubs in the state. In 2008, we started with just 15 children, and now, in 2011, our party included 43, and almost all are adopted out within one year.

Rotary First Harvest

HoJo announced that BBRC broke our all time record on December 10th: we had 56 people at the work party. The next work party is the 14th from 9 to 12. Car pools will be leaving from SE 8th park and ride — contact HoJo for details and maps.

Computers for the World

President John announced that Friday, 265 computers and a computer teleconference system were being crated and shipped off to Antigua in anticipation of our upcoming trip there.

Click photos for larger images.

Jim Lambright, Former Husky Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the Don James Era

Bill Prather introduced our speaker, Jim Lambright, who originated in Everett. Jim is a member of the Marysville Rotary and considers is very fun to go to Rotary clubs and speak and meet like-minded Rotarians. When he started, Coach Lambright’s first question was: “Are there any Ducks here?” A couple around the room made inaudible remarks in jest. He responded, “Well, you don’t have one of these!” He held up his national championship ring. Later, he passed it around the room: a large hunk of solid gold, engraved with “National Champions” and encrusted with a huge numeral one in diamonds. No, the Ducks don’t have any of those.

The theme he grew up with, and the theme of his talk, was “always strive to have a better year.” That’s what Rotary is about. None of us can plan our lives. We live by a flip of the coin. Time is important: if you come to the meeting late, then the door is not only closed, it might be locked.

The Coach Grew up with a fisherman father and a stay-at-home mom. Some of the characteristics he picked up from his dad weren’t necessarily good for his first marriage. However, he quickly turned to the positive, asking, “How many times in your lives do you have an opportunity to make a difference?” The school system of Everett taught him one thing: when you join an organization, when you are done, not everybody will still be there. Not all succeed. That was demonstrated in his first day of practice in football: the coach said not everybody would be there when they were done. That was true when he went to the UW later, and it is also true in business. That is our system: winners survive; losers don’t.

When he left Everett to go to the UW, he entered the Jim Owens system of football as an undersized linebacker. Of the 140 who started with him, 11 were there in their senior year at the end. They ran off the ones who didn’t succeed. When he saw that happening, he realized the value of school and the criticality of making the team. Two years into UW, he was failing in engineering, so he switched from engineering to teaching and coaching. Along the way, he discovered that life is all about sales and teaching. Later, at the UW, he was head coach for six years, and they were in a bowl every year, and one year they were national champions. However, at the end, he received a call on the way home from the bowl game from the UW athletic director saying he and his entire staff were fired. He had no idea what to do next.

Two weeks later he came home from a Rotary meeting and everything purple was stacked up in the dining room. The order from his wife? If you want it take it now; otherwise, I’m burning it.

Shortly after that, Lou Tice gave him a call on The Power of Positive Thinking. He stayed with them for three years. Afterward, he left to do consulting on his own.

At that time, he learned that his two sons had a progressive terminal disease. He had already lost his oldest son to a heart attack. Shortly after that, he was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of cancer. He fought that disease just as aggressively, and after it went into regression, his wife was also diagnosed with bladder cancer. It hit her harder, and they moved to different houses to accommodate her medical needs and the needs of their ailing son living with them. After several intermediate stops, they have now landed in Clearview.

In retrospect, he concluded that after football, you have the rest of your life. Enjoy today, and plan for tomorrow. Always strive to have a better day.

In closing, the coach informed us he is now consulting for Turner Construction. Part of his job is helping to tear down and rebuild Husky Stadium. As in his other jobs, he doesn’t want to get older, he wants to get smarter. Coach Jim Lambright wasn’t just a football coach in his speech on Friday — for the lucky attendees, he was also a life coach.