Opener

President John Martinka called the meeting to order at 7:30am, and Dick Brown gave the following invocation:

Heavenly Father, we are so very grateful to you for this opportunity to be together this morning with our best friends. We share a commonality … certainly a fellowship, but we also share a common belief of “service above self.”

 

We are grateful to you for the opportunity to make a difference both locally, as well as internationally. As a result of this gift it is clear that we are better people as a result of this privilege.

 

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

 

Working for God on Earth doesn’t pay much, but his retirement plan is out of this world. Please keep Peter Powell and family in your thoughts and prayers. We pray in Jesus’ name.

 

Amen.

Girish Bhatia introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. In honor of Oktoberfest, Girish asked each of them, “What is your favorite beer?”

Ivan Komashinsky – Classification Talk

Ivan is a dual citizen of the United States and Russia. He grew up near Vladivostok. His father is a school principal in Russia. Ivan’s classification is International Entrepreneur. He manages mobile applications for Microsoft and owns a consulting business, Asia Strategy Consulting.

Ivan received his MBA from UCLA and has been in Seattle since 1995. He has been married for 14 years to Tatiana and has a 1 1/2-year-old daughter who is very cute. Ivan enjoys sailing and playing hockey.

Fellowship Activities

Paul Chapman and Michel Carter encouraged us to attend the BBRC Oktoberfest celebration at the Lawrence the Florist Rathskeller, 224 105th Avenue NE in downtown Bellevue, on Saturday, October 15, at 5:30pm. He presented the five biggest excuses for not attending and then debunked all of them:

5. I’m sick and tired of $200 rubber chicken black tie dinners. No worries. Authentic German food will be served and a mere $5 donation is requested.

 

4. I don’t deserve to have fun. Yes, you do!

 

3. I don’t speak German. You don’t need to speak German as long as you can pour your own beer.

 

Elena Howell aka Heidi Fleiss

2. I don’t like German beer. That’s probably a good thing because the “bier” being served at the Lawrence the Florist Rathskeller doesn’t taste much like German beer as we know it, but you will like it.

 

1. I don’t know what to wear. Paul then introduced Heidi Fleiss, aka Elena Howell, who came waltzing out in a genuine German bar maid outfit.

Other upcoming fellowship activities: Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 29 and the Anniversary Dinner on November 11.

BBRC Adoption Party

Chuck Kimbrough spoke about the Adoption Party on Saturday, October 1 and the need for volunteers and board games. [Editor note: Since I was one of the volunteers, I can report that the Adoption Party was a very successful, organized and rewarding event.]

Chuck Kimbrough reported later that the “4th Annual Family Fest Adoption Party was highly successful and a ton of fun!” Of the approximately 180 persons in attendance, 43 were children, along with 35 prospective couples. The party was a very busy affair, and all children were smiling, laughing, and looked liked they were having a great time.

Chuck thanked co-chair Madeline Gauthier and the leaders of the subcommittees for their outstanding team coordination and individual work:

• Girish Bhatia, driver organization
• Lennie and Ann Lutes, balloons and photo table
• Paul and Shannon Chapman, set-up and pizza runner
• Lee Smith, food
• Roger Allington and Steve White, set-up and entrance tables
• Wendi Fischer and Michel Carter, video and still photos, publicity
• Mitch and Caryn Freedman, Nancy and Chuck Kimbrough, prize procurement and prize table
• Spencer and Jared Freedman, basketball managers
• Ann Norman, greeting each child, explaining the scavenger hunt
• Katie Chott, face painting, entrance table
• Joellen and John Monson, pumpkin painting
• Colleen Turner, games
• Susan Amini, nail polish table
• Margie Burnett, decorating cupcakes
• Martin and Martha Clavijo and son Juan, set-up, photo table
• Jeff and Judy Cashman, set-up
• Madeline Gauthier, gift bags

Chuck said, “This Adoption Party was a real TEAM home run — game winner! We truly demonstrated BBRC lived up to our self motivational motto of: “The Best Darn Rotary Club in the World.”

The Rotary Emblem

Our Sergeant at Arms, Wendi Fischer, was in a good mood this morning, because she was wearing boots. Wendi asked us if anybody knew when the first Rotary emblem was created. After a few guesses, one of our members came up with the correct answer: 1905.

The present day Rotary emblem was created in 1924; the wheel symbolizes civilization and forward movement. RI Past President Bob Barth said, “A Rotary pin should say this about the wearer: You can rely on me, I am dependable, I am reliable, I give more than I take, and I am available to help.”

We should all wear our pins proudly; and if we don’t, we will probably be fined next week.

Rotary First Harvest Fundraiser: The Cabernet Classic

Tom Smith announced The Cabernet Classic, an event that benefits Rotary First Harvest. It will be held at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle on October 26, from 6:00PM-9:00PM. At The Cabernet Classic, you will be able to experience the range and diversity of Cabernet, featuring an amazing array of Cabernets and Cab-based blends. The Rotary Club within District 5030 with the greatest number of attendees at The Cabernet Classic will win a winery-sponsored fellowship event for their Club.

Tickets are $50 each, and can be obtained on the Rotary First Harvest website.

Last Minute Announcements

John Martinka announced that Jim Zidar will be filling in as President next week. John will be out of town next week for his daughter’s wedding.

Ruben Ladlad announced the Rotary First Harvest work party on Saturday, October 8.

More Al McGuire Quotes

“I don’t know why people question the academic training of an athlete. Fifty percent of the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their classes.”

“I think the world is run by ‘C’ students.”

“The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.”

“When a guy takes off his coat, he’s not going to fight. When a guy takes off his wristwatch, watch out!”

“When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.”

“Winning is overrated. The only time it is really important is in surgery and war.”

From ESPN:

Al McGuire had a way with words. In fact, it seemed like he had his own personal language. The New York Times called Al McGuire “the James Joyce of the airwaves” before the 1995 NCAA basketball tournament. His almost stream-of-consciousness delivery coupled with his unique phrasing made McGuire one of the most popular college basketball announcers. Here’s a sampling (with translation) of McGuire-isms:

PROGRAM

“Washington Husky Men’s Basketball — 2012,” Jason Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Richmond Public Relations, and basketball analyst for University of Washington basketball

Bob Holert introduced Jason Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Richmond Public Relations, and Color Commentator/Analyst for University of Washington Husky Men’s Basketball with Bob Rondeau.

Jason is a graduate of Hazen High School in Renton, where he was first team All-State and MVP of the Seamount league his senior year. He spent his freshman year at San Diego State, where he was chosen 1993 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. He then decided to return home and transfer to Washington. A graduate of the University of Washington, Jason majored in communications, with an emphasis on broadcast journalism. A former Division I college basketball player and coach for the University of Washington, Hamilton segued into professional sports management. He specialized in marketing, endorsements and image development for high profile NBA athletes.

Jason serves on the University of Washington Alumni Association’s committee of Marketing, Membership and Communication. His interests include basketball, golf, running, wine, movies, and travel.

Jason began by recapping what happened last year with the Huskies basketball team. He felt the team underachieved but grew as the season progressed. Although it was a season filled with disappointment, Jason felt it was Lorenzo Romar’s best coaching job in nine years because he was able to successfully re-group his team after the Venoy Overton situation and lead them to the Pac-10 title.

Today, the Huskies are among the top three teams in the Pac-12. It is a young team and it will be important to get consistency out of the freshmen: Andrew Andrews, Martin Breunig, Jernard Jarreau, Shawn Kemp, Jr., Desmond Simmons, Hikeem Stewart, Alex Wegner, and Tony Wroten. Jason gave us a rundown on the strengths and weaknesses of each of the freshmen and speculated about who would be redshirted.

Jason expects the Huskies to struggle early but improve as the season goes along. It will be a great test for them to play Marquette and Duke at Madison Square Garden in December. It is a new era for the Pac-12 as there won’t be a true home/road split as there has been in the past. The first Pac-12 roadtrip for the Huskies will be to Colorado and Utah in January. Jason believes that Terrence Ross has the capacity to be an NBA lottery pick next year..