Chuck Pattishall stepped in for the absent Darrick Price to handle Member Recognition chores.

 

Bruce Stewart was recognized for the passing of his birthday.  Bruce mentioned that two numbers were very important to him at this time: 82, which is his age, and 60, which is the number of years he has been married to his wife, Ruth.

 

Pat Fuchs acknowledged that not only was he celebrating a birthday on the 20^th, but his wedding anniversary on the 16^th.

Walter Haight announced that his 25^th wedding anniversary was on the 18th. His clumsy attempt to feign surprise fooled nobody.

Dave Pfendler announced his 43^rd wedding anniversary to his wife, Gudie.

“LV” Van Blaricom announced that OnPoint Credit Union is doing a promotion to collect backpacks for needy students.  Donations can be made at the OnPoint Credit Union at McDonald and Hwy 99W.

 

Tamara Borges announced plans for a going-away party that will be held at the home of Richard Weed on Sunday, August 23^rd.  Details to come!

 

Chuck Pattishall announced that he and Art Bradley are working on a book project called “One Hope Future”, which focuses on helping individuals or groups create and maintain personal development systems.  All proceeds from sale of the book will go towards the continuing effort to eradicate polio from the globe.  For more information about their project, check the following link: www.onehopefuture.com

 

INDUCTION OF A NEW MEMBER

Pam Watts was formally inducted into the McMinnville Rotary Club.  Past-President Chuck Pattishall led off the ceremony by asking Pam and her sponsor Dianne Haugeberg to the stage.  Chuck took the opportunity to reaffirm the goals and guiding principles of Rotary International, and reminded us that the McMinnville Club has been continuously pursuing these goals since its founding in 1921.  Dianne then did the honor of presenting Pam with her membership pin, and the ceremony was concluded with warm hugs all around!

MAIN EVENT

A report by our current Rebound Exchange Students, CAITY BERNARDS AND SHAWN HUI, was featured.  Richard Weed first introduced SHAWN HUI, who recently completed a four-week “short exchange” to Quito, Ecuador.  SHAWN spent his exchange with the family of ANDRES JARAMILLO, who is currently in McMinnville on a similar exchange.  While in Ecuador, SHAWN visited the Equator, several mountain villages, a large “caldera lake” which was formed in a manner not unlike our own Crater Lake, and the beach (where the water was warm!).  His lasting impression of Quito was the perceived “lawlessness” of traffic that zoomed around the streets of the city. Following SHAWN’S presentation, Jan Hartzell invited him to sign a book for the Early Readers Program at the McMinnville Library which, appropriately, was in Spanish.

Richard Weed returned to the podium to introduce CAITY BERNARDS, who spent an entire year in Korat, Thailand.  CAITY (attired in her Thailand school uniform) quickly discovered that life in Thailand was fundamentally different than here in the United States.  She described, in colorful detail, the astonishingly primitive sanitary facilities that are quite common in Thailand.  Thailand toilets such as those described by Caity would, for most Americans, be unbelievably repulsive and difficult to accept. She also displayed a sign that appears on public transportation exhorting passengers not to pass gas. CAITY discovered that, in Thailand schools, teachers have total and complete control, and are treated with submissive deference by all students.  Among her favorite classes was Hair Dressing and Music class.  Being self-described as “tone deaf”, CAITY played the drums in a class that featured all manner of strange and unusual musical instruments. CAITY often travelled to different parts of the country, sometimes with other exchange students, and sometimes with host family members.  She managed to pet a tiger at the Korat Zoo, and travelled to a crocodile farm featuring the world’s largest examples of that species.  On a trip to Phuket, she encountered fruit bats the size of buzzards! Of her host families (of which there were three), CAITY noted that, in Thailand, the mother is invariably the controlling head of the family unit.  While there, CAITY also established close bonds with a group of local boys who “adopted” her as their sister.  CAITY closed her presentation by displaying an image of Thailand that she “acquired” while on her exchange. Jan Hartzell then asked CAITY to sign a book for the Early Reader Program at the McMinnville Library.

Rotary eClub of District 3310 - Singapore

Rotary eClub of London Centenary - London (Zone 18 - 1120)

Rotary eClub of District 3450 - Hong Kong

Rotary eClub of Southwest - Arizona (Zone 25 - 5510)

Rotary eClub of District 5450 - Colorado (Rotary eClub One charter)

Rotary eClub of Tampa Bay - Florida, Georgia, Caribbean Islands (Zone 34 - 6950)

Rotary eClub of District 7890 - Connecticut

Rotary eClub of Zente-Hellenas - Greece (Zone  10-2470) in English or Greek