Florence Rotary president Jane Hanawalt presents Jill Thomas with her Blue Badge, making her a permanent member of the Rotary Club of Florence 

Rotary Club of Florence Seeking Contestants for the 2023 4-Way Test High School Speech Contest:
Contest Winners Will Share $1,500 in Cash Prizes
Are you a Siuslaw or Mapleton-area high school student (public, private, or home-schooled) in grades 9-12 who cares about ethical standards and behavior in today’s world? If you are, the Rotary Club of Florence invites you to share a subject you care about by participating in the 2023 Rotary International 4-Way Test Speech Contest.
The contest will be held in person at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince Street, at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, 2023.  The top three finalists at the contest will present their speeches to a meeting of the Florence Rotary Club on Tuesday, April 25, at 12 noon. First prize for the local contest is $750, second Prize is $500, and third Prize is $250.   
The three finalists from this event will also compete with contestants from other coastal Rotary clubs with the first place finisher at the second round competing in a “Speak Off” at the Rotary District Conference on Saturday, May 6 in Eugene.  Additional cash prizes will be awarded at the District level.
All participants will be required to take the Rotary 4-Way Test and apply it to real life throughout their speeches. The 4-Way Test has four principles:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

ROTARY CLUB of FLORENCE: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIP GRANT
2023 Application Guidelines for professionals in the Siuslaw/Mapleton area
Application Deadline: Friday, February 10, 2023.

Mission Statement
Florence Rotary Fellowship for Professional Development Grant is given to enrich the personal and professional growth of professionals recognizing and supporting them as they identify and pursue opportunities that will have the greatest continuing impact on their practice and on the performance of their organization in the Florence community.

Eligibility
Basic eligibility requirements include the following:
• Staff member (32hrs/wk minimum, volunteer or compensated) of an organization in the Florence or Mapleton/Siuslaw region.
• Minimum of one year in a professional staff position
• Must have the intention of remaining with their sponsoring organization for at least a year.
• Recipients will not have received a Fellowship grant within the last five years.
• Proposed professional development activity must take place prior to October 31, 2023.

Cover Sheet
In order to complete the cover sheet, you will need the contact information for yourself, your organization, and the email address of your supervisor or board chair/president.

Please provide a 1?2 sentence (no more than 150 characters) project description prepared before you begin. This description should capture the essence of your project. You should also include your professional title and responsibilities in your current organization; length of time with the organization; hours assigned per week; a contact phone number; an email address.

This document must be signed by both you and your organizational sponsor, and should be received by Friday, February 10, 2023. Your sponsor's signature is only to verify the information you have included on your coversheet.

Your application materials should be emailed to: meg@siuslawlibrary.org. 

Proposal
Using no more than two pages, please state your proposed professional development activity.
Describe the residents your organization serves.
What specific skills/knowledge do you propose to improve?
How would a Fellowship Grant improve your skills and the service your organization provides for the residents you serve.
What specific programs or experiences have you identified to help you achieve your goal? When do you plan to use these resources?
Budget
How much will your proposal cost? (The grant is for a maximum of $2,000. It may be used with other sources to achieve Fellowship Grant objectives.)  Estimate the amounts of the grant to be used for:
Transportation
Lodging
Food ($75/day)
Registration fees
Materials and supplies
Equipment if needed
Other

Application Review and Notification
Florence Rotary Fellowship will convene a Selection Committee appropriate for applications received. A blind review of the application is conducted by the Selection Committee (proposals are separated from the applicant cover sheet). Merit of the application, as determined by the Selection Committee, will be the sole criterion. The Selection Committee scoring is confidential and feedback will not be provided.

All applicants will be notified, by mail, of the results of the selection committee by March 1, 2023
Following a mandatory orientation, checks will be issued to fellows for invoiced expenses up to 90 percent of the grant value. A check for the remaining 10 percent is issued after the recipient has submitted post?fellowship reports to Florence Rotary Fellowship program and made a short presentation to the Rotary Club of Florence at a weekly meeting. 

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL TO MEG@SIUSLAWLIBRARY.ORG NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 10, 2023 TO BE CONSIDERED.

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Tune in to find out what Siuslaw Vision has been up to and what they have planned for the future 

Florence President Jane Hanawalt is proud to announce the introduction of “Spotlight Rotary” on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 am on KCST with Wayne Sharpe. Spotlight Rotary will share with the community the various programs, events, and philanthropic endeavors the Rotary Club of Florence engages in. Twice a month, Spotlight Rotary will host a different local non-profit and/or service organization and give them the opportunity to talk about the good things they are doing for our community. 

Last Saturday night (August 20th) The Rotary Club of  Florence had a great evening on the lake socializing and relaxing with great food, cold drinks and lots of fun and laughter! It's great to be  Rotarian!!!!!

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 At the Siuslaw School Board Meeting on Wednesday night, August 17th, the district awarded the Rotary Club of Florence a Certificate of Appreciation for The Rotary's work on behalf of the students of the Siuslaw District. Accepting the certificate was Rotary Club President Jane Hanawalt, who had made a presentation to the board earlier that evening. 
Pictured left to right there is Cindy Forsythe; Scholarship Coordinator for Western Lane County Foundation, Bob Sneddon; President of the Siuslaw School Board, Jane Hanawalt; Rotary Club President, and Maureen Miltenberger; Siuslaw School Board Member.  

Bee Expert Jim Parrish gave an entertaining and educational talk on the importance of Honey Bees to our well being. 

124 generous players had a great time on the links of the Ocena Dunes Golf Course, enjoyed lunch with friends and some lucky players walked away with some great prizes. The (31) teams of (4) helped The Rotary Club of Florence to continue our fight to eradicate Polio and fund projects and scholarships for the children of Florence and Mapleton. 
Each year the Cool at The Coast gives $4,000 to Rotary's Polio Plus program, which inoculates approximately 10,000 children against Polio. Since we began the Rotary Annual Cool at The Coast Golf Tournament (13) years ago we have funded almost 160,000 polio vaccines. 

 

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2022-23 President Jennifer Jones
is eager to advance Rotary’s narrative
By Diana Schoberg
Photography by Monika Lozinska



Jones, 55, was born in Windsor, Ontario, and — save for a few post-college years working in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Manhattan — has lived there her whole life. The oldest of three children, she'd run lemonade stands to earn money to give to charity, and recalls organizing a carnival in her family's yard to benefit kids with muscular dystrophy. "Growing up, my parents had given us wings to do service in our community," she says. Today, her mom, dad, and one of her brothers and his wife are Rotarians. Her other brother created a painting that inspired Jones' presidential-theme ties and scarves.
Jones started her own television production company when she was in her late 20s, wowing bank officials with her business plan, negotiating a lease, and investing in hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. "I've always wanted to carve my own path," she says. "Sometimes that's meant taking risks and making yourself open to new experiences."
One of those was Rotary. As a rookie radio reporter in the late 1980s, she'd covered the organization and remembers attending club meetings where the members were nearly all men. "I remember feeling very intimidated by the experience," she says. "I was in my early 20s. It was the power brokers of the community." Fast forward to 1996, months after she'd started her business, Media Street Productions. The manager of the local cable station invited Jones to a meeting. She realized she had found her home. "It was clearly one of the greatest gifts I've ever received," she says. "I didn't think walking through the door that day that it would change the trajectory of my life."
In 2001-02, she served as president of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland. Every meeting, she'd randomly pick a member, have them stand, and tell them why they were important to the club. "Every week, people would show up to see who the next person would be," she says.
It taught her a lesson about the importance of taking care of members, a priority now that she is RI president. "We were having fun, doing good work, and we liked each other," she says. "Sometimes we try to over-manufacture the reason why people join and stay."
At that point, her district had never had a female governor. She was under 40, and she "wanted to try to take that for a ride," she says. "I knew I wanted to put my full-on energy into Rotary. I loved it."
After her term as governor in 2007-08, she chaired the local chamber of commerce and the University of Windsor board of governors. "It was the most amazing precursor to sitting on the board of directors of Rotary," she says. "Each one was a building block."
In 2009, when Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 42, her days turned to chemotherapy and radiation. She got the diagnosis in the fall, and she had been asked to speak at the International Assembly, the training for incoming district governors-elect, in January 2010. Then-RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith encouraged her to come if she was able. In consultation with her oncologist, she decided to attend. "The Sunday before, I lost all of my hair," she says. "I showed up at the event in a wig."
Some technical issues interrupted her speech, but it still made an impact, most of all on her. "At one of the lowest points in my life, someone didn't count me out," she says, tearing up. "It was just such a message that I needed at that point in time. That I had value, that I could contribute and participate. He gave me hope at a time when you think that maybe hope isn't what you're going to get."
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world in March 2020 . . . the world changed. "I remember the moment I heard that the border between Canada and the United States shut down," she says. "In my life I could never have envisioned hearing those words."
Jones was a Rotary Foundation trustee at the time. She watched with pride and amazement as Rotary members quickly applied for disaster response grants from The Rotary Foundation to fund service projects. But she wanted to do more. Previously, she'd drawn on her vocation to plan large fundraising events for the Foundation, such as a golf outing with Jack Nicklaus in 2019. She called then-RI President Mark Maloney and pitched the idea of a telethon.
The idea came together over a matter of weeks. Jones reached out to her vast network of contacts in the Rotary world and asked them to send videos. "We really wanted to capitalize on what we could do in real time for people," she says. "Yes, raising critical funds was important, but more than anything, it was an opportunity to bring together people from around the globe and to showcase that we're people of action — even though we were all isolated in our own homes, we were able to do something." (More than 65,000 people tuned in to the event, hosted by Past RI President Barry Rassin and Past RI Director John Smarge, which raised more than $525,000 for the Foundation.)
One of the people who contributed a video was Anniela Carracedo. A Rotary Youth Exchange student in Mississippi in 2019-20, Carracedo could not return home to Venezuela when the pandemic struck. Stuck in the United States, she started Rotary Interactive Quarantine, a global youth network for Interactors and Youth Exchange students. Jones messaged her in a chat during an online zone meeting and asked her to create a video about the youth network for the telethon.
"After that, I googled her," Carracedo recalls. "Who is this person, and why is she organizing this? I told my host mom about it, and she said, 'People say Jennifer will be the first female Rotary president.'"
Carracedo and Jones kept in touch. They've never met in person, but they've formed a strong bond. Jones has spoken at Carracedo's meetings and invited her to speak at the International Assembly. Carracedo has made TikToks about Jones. In an interview over Zoom, she holds up her phone to show Jones-themed stickers on WhatsApp. "I'm her biggest fan, I guess," she says. "She really inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing. That it's OK that I'm a leader and that I'm a woman. If she did it, that means that I can do it too."
 

The oldest of four siblings, Jane was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the immediate L.A. area during the booming post-WWII years. She remembers it as the ideal place to grow up at that time. The region was prosperous and growing, with people moving in constantly from other parts of the country.  The attitude was “go-go” with no limit in sight for the area’s barely constrained ambitions.  The two industries dominating the area were the aerospace industry, and film and TV production in Hollywood. Remembering her attitudes and those of her high school classmates, she says, “We were confident that we lived in the best place on earth.” Her father was always active in the service clubs and other organizations, such as United Way, in every community we lived in.  Eventually, during her college years, he was president of the Rotary Club of Long Beach, today the Rotary Club of Long Beach--Downtown.
Jane earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Redlands, a small private institution located in the foothills of the San Bernardino mountains.  “I had the very fortunate opportunity to study in Salzburg, Austria, in a Redlands-operated program, during my junior year.  My colleagues from the program have remained my important long-term friends.”  Jane credits this exposure with cementing her continuing reading and interest in world affairs.  “While global affairs had always been a keen interest, living in Europe at that time, at the height of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and all that went along with being a young citizen at that time, broadened my horizons considerably, and led me to look at our involvement in the world, as a country, and myself personally, in a different way.”
Following college, Jane moved to the New York-New Jersey metro area for graduate school and later relocating to the Washington, D.C., area.  Her first job there, as a juvenile probation officer in Fairfax County, Virginia, led to her pursuit of part-time study in Family and Systems Psychotherapy at Georgetown University and also sparked her desire to become an attorney.  Two children and ten years later, she earned her law degree at George Washington University.  Two complete legal careers later—with the federal government in Washington, D.C. in government contracts and with a litigation firm in Berkeley, California—Jane and her husband made the decision to move to Florence.  During a short stint as restaurant owners, Jane studied for and took the Oregon Bar exam and obtained her Oregon license to practice. In 2009, she opened her solo law practice.
Joining the Rotary Club of Florence was one of her first actions coincident with opening the law office in 2009.  “I had attended a meeting shortly after moving to Florence, as a guest, and it was great fun.  Being surrounded that day by vivacious and active people, who were having a great time together, made an impression on me.  It seemed to me the heartbeat of Florence existed in that room.  I made up my mind that day to be a member of the club just as soon as I could.  That happened to be after we had sold the restaurant and I opened my practice here.”
Jane believes that, just as it impressed her twelve years ago, the heartbeat of Florence runs right through the Rotary Club of Florence.  “Rotary is something so special.  The opportunity to be of service to individuals and families here; to the community itself; and to the international order, exist simultaneously in the Rotary Club of Florence.”  Having always lived in the BIG city (Los Angeles, New York—New Jersey, Washington, D.C., San Francisco), a small town like Florence felt alien to Jane at first.   As she has told many, “when I joined the Rotary Club, I began to feel that I belonged in Florence.  I have made great friends and had fun doing service projects of all kinds.”
The focus of Jane’s efforts this year of her presidency of the Club is to encourage the establishment of a conflict resolution program for young people that began in Oregon over twenty years ago, here in Florence.  Peace Village Global is head-quartered in Portland.  “It will take a large effort and the simultaneous involvement of many community organizations to do this,” says Jane.  “The schools, churches, and other community organizations each have a role to play.  The Rotary Club is the perfect organization to do this.”  Peace and Conflict Resolution is one of the seven areas of focus of Rotary International, which operates graduate level programs in peace studies at six universities around the world.  “If we don’t make a supreme effort to teach ourselves and our children the ways to deescalate and resolve conflict, whether in ideas or actions, how will we ever have hope for a peaceful world?”  Jane believes that small efforts consistently applied over the years, can work wonders.  She believes conflict resolution skills can help many individuals can lead happier and more productive lives.  
                        
               
 

Florence Club Member Candidate Tyler Kramer, Branch Manager US Bank, gave a "Red Badge" talk at the July 19th Club Meeting 

Rotarian Andy Johnson of Coldwell Banker/Coast Real Estate gave the "State of Real Estate" presentation at the July 19th Club Meeting 

2022 Rotary Auction
June 18, 2022 — June 4 was an evening off to the races as the Rotary Club of Florence brought back its in-person auction to raise money for local scholarships. More than 100 people attended the auction and dinner at Florence Events Center, many dressing for the occasion.
Every year, the auction has a fun theme, and this one was no exception. “Derby Dollars for Rotary Scholars” featured jovial jockeys, feathery fascinators, towering top hats and other head ware as people celebrated the Kentucky Derby theme.
Even more important is the amount that Rotary is able to raise with the event. Auction Co-Chairs Kevin McMullen and Kim Erickson announced the total during Rotary’s Tuesday meeting.
Since Rotary began doing the auction in 1960, the club has netted $1,746,932.75.
“It started out with a bang and $1,000 the first auction that we did, and it went down from there the next couple of years,” said McMullen, who described the early auctions as garage sales. “And then right around ’67 and ’68, in that area, which we still have members who were involved in some of those, the auction reached $1,500. And it's gradually went up from there.”
The in-person auction was last held in 2019, with the 2020 event getting canceled just days before it was scheduled.
The club held an online auction in July 2021 that netted $24,896.
“We didn't know whether we're happy or sad, but we knew it was more than we had when COVID started,” McMullen said. “This year was really nice. We were able to do our auction … and we were very successful, I believe. Was it our best auction we ever had as far as dollar wise? No. Was it one of the funnest? Most definitely. I think everybody enjoyed themselves.”
The June 4 event netted $84,767, Erickson and McMullen announced.
“In President Karen Skulley’s year, that means we’re right up over $100,000 over the two auctions,” McMullen said.
Money from the auctions goes into the club’s scholarship coffers to give out to deserving Mapleton and Siuslaw high school seniors.
Each year, the event features live and silent auctions, a dessert auction, dinner and further fundraising opportunities, often helped with students from the Siuslaw High School Interact Club.
A committee of dozens helps with decorations, organization, planning, cashiering and all the other elements that make the auctions successful.
“I know that we get a lot of a lot of credit, Kim and I do, but it's really not us. It's our committee,” McMullen said. “And the committee puts in a ton of hours into this.”
Decoration Chair Crystal Farnsworth also thanked her committee during the meeting. The chairs also thanked sponsors, donors and everyone who contributed.
“Thank you all, thank you to everybody that came, everybody that donated, everybody that was involved in Jockey George and the whole works. Without you guys, it wouldn't be successful, so thank you very much,” McMullen said.
By: Chantelle Meyer/Siuslaw News - 
Posted Jun 17, 2022
 

SES students get in harmony with nature

The Rotary Club of Florence is part of a 66 Club District that covers the southern half of Oregon. Each year, Rotary District 5110 chooses Rotarians from the 66 clubs that stand out for their excellent service to the club and community. This year The Rotary Club of Florence is proud to have (5) of our members recognized by Rotary District 5110 for outstanding service.  

 

Left to Right: Michael Harklerode Siuslaw High School Principal, Bev Scott Siuslaw High School Assistant Principal,and Rotary Club President Karen Skulley. 


Left to Right: Lori Foskett Wildflower Montessori School Lead Teacher and Florence Rotary Club President Karen Skulley

May is Rotary's Youth Service Month. The Rotary Club of Florence recognizes the educators of the Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts for their outstanding service to our children. Traditionally, they are the unsung heroes of society, but never more so than during the COVID epidemic. During this very trying time, teachers spent long hours preparing and educating our children under very difficult circumstances. The teachers were thrown into a situation where they had to immediately move their in-person class rooms to remote video class rooms. This shift was extremely difficult as there was no formal process for the switch, which meant delays in the resumption of the classes until the equipment and processes were in place. The teachers did an excellent job of adapting to the new teaching platform, working with students and their parents through the technical difficulties associated with connecting to the online classrooms, setting up online classroom protocols, and helping the students adapt to the new classroom process; all while performing the critical function of educating our children. 
The Rotary Club of Florence wishes to thank our teachers for their self-less commitment in serving our youth, in both ordinary and extraordinary times. On Tuesday May 17th, Florence Rotary Club President Karen Skulley presented certificates of appreciation to Siuslaw High School Principal Michael Harklerode, Siuslaw Assistant Principal Bev Scott, and Lori Foskett Lead Teacher at Wildflower Montessori School; all who have many years' experience as educators. Although the Mapleton School District was unable to attend, their service was recognized and honored. 





 

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Rotary Awards PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center a Certificate of Appreciation for serving to change lives in Florence through it’s support of maternal and child health. In honor of Rotary International’s May Maternal and Child Health Month, the Rotary Club of Florence wants to recognize the dedicated work of the PeaceHealth staff and health care providers for everything they do to safeguard and improve the health of women and children in the Florence area. Saving women and children is one of seven areas of service supported by the Rotary Foundation around the world. The additional areas are: Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Clean Water and Sanitation, Supporting Education, Growing Local Economies, and Protecting the Environment. The Rotary Club of Florence recognizes how very lucky we are as a small community to have such a high-quality organization as PeaceHealth doing great things for the people in our community that quite literally serves to change lives.

Pictured are Rotary President Karen Skulley and Chief Administrative Officer Jason Hawkins.

The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do is a test used by Rotarians world-wide as a moral code for personal and business relationships. The test can be applied to almost any aspect of life.
As the coastal winner, Camp is eligible to travel to the district conference in Corvallis and compete with other Rotary clubs across Oregon for even more prize money! We are sure that he will represent Florence well! 
During the Great Depression in 1932, Herbert Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, was asked to take over the near- bankrupt Club Aluminum Company. Taylor’s first order of business was to draft a code of conduct to guide all its business decisions. We know this code as the Four-Way Test.
Club Aluminum applied the Four-Way Test to all its business dealings. It declined business that failed to meet the test. The company thrived as a result. Rotary International officially adopted the Four-Way Test in 1943. When Herb Taylor became RI president in 1954, he donated the copyright of the test to the organization.
The students were challenged to perform a speech between 5 and 7 minutes on any topic of their choosing. They only had to apply the 4-way test to their arguments. The students were judged on their content, organization, incorporation of the 4-way test, delivery, and timing. All three students made it hard on the judges to choose a winner. 
 

Rotary Club President Karen Skulley and Rotary Interact Club President Winnie Zhen at Miller Park on Saturday getting ready for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Rotary Interact Club. The Interact Club feverishly filled 4,000 plastic Easter Eggs which the young Easter Egg Hunters swooped up in a matter of minutes!

The Rotary Interact Club places the last of the Easter Eggs before the young East Egg Hunters converge on Miller Park to find their treasures!

March is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month. This March, the Rotary Club of Florence, Oregon wishes to recognize the outstanding work performed by Mike Miller, The Florence Public Works Director, and his team. You don't usually see them, but the work they do makes our daily lives much easier. Thank you Florence Public Works for all you do for our water, sanitation, parks, roads, etc.. 

Florence Rotary President Karen Sulley regrets announcing the passing of Rotarian Paul Holman. 
It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Paul Holman. Paul passed peacefully on Friday, March 18, 2022, surrounded by his family. Services will be held on Saturday, April 2nd at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 11:00 AM (85060 Hwy 101). With more than 40 years in Rotary, and serving as Past President 1997-1998, Paul will be greatly missed by everyone in our club and by the entire Florence Community. It pains me to lose another valued long-term member of our Rotary family. All are welcome and encouraged to attend the services to pay respect and celebrate Paul's life. 
With Sympathy,
President Karen

Paul is remembered as the former publisher/owner of the Siuslaw News as well as a former Florence City Councilman. 

After many months of work and a few years of hope. Our nonprofit, Spice Isle Smiles, officially transferred 6 new mother recovery chairs, 3 toddler bassinets, and 4 side tables to the Pediatric Ward of St. George’s General Hospital of Grenada. Thank you to the Spice Isle Smiles Board of Directors, The Heritage Foundation of Grenada (Otis and Amy Wade), the Gibson Family Foundation, and all who donated to this need and cause. Thank you to the wonderful staff and patients of Florence Dental Clinic who make our humanitarian work, local and international, possible. Accepting this gift were CMO Dr. Charles, Acting Minister of Health Thomas, Pediatric Ward Manager Sister Bernard, and Director of Hospital Services Dr. McIntosh. Their gratitude was overwhelming. It was humbling to see what seems like so little make such a big impact. I am grateful for the Wades in recognizing a need, grateful that my oldest and most wonderful friend Chad Knavel was present, but mostly, I am grateful for Tammy, Royce, and McKenna who motivate me to try to do good and parents who taught me to serve.

This project was only successful through the generous donations of many! Thank you all! I am so grateful for my amazing wife Tammy who did the majority of the behind the scenes work yet allows me to be on the forefront of this project’s recognition. Future projects, besides our dental humanitarian work, are being planned and funds are being raised. Otis and Amy Wade and their Heritage Foundation are doing great things in Grenada and Spice Isle Smiles 501(c)3 is the fundraising arm of these projects. Please consider donating at http://www.spiceislesmiles.org ! Thanks!

To find out more about the contest, and get the application, please go to the "Documents" section on the website tool bal and select "4 Way Test Speech Contest"

The Rotary Club of Florence Resumes Student Exchange Program in July 2022 After a Two-Year Hiatus

The Rotary Club of Florence recognizes The Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue Department’s Mobile Crisis Response Team for their great work in mental health crisis response and intervention.

Retired Captain and Florence Rotarian Larry  Farnsworth instructed his wife (and fellow Florence Rotarian) Crystal as she earned her private pilot's  license. 
 


 

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Message from Florence Rotary President Karen Skulley:
Early Friday morning, Rotarian Craig McMicken passed away. Craig has been a Rotarian for more than 35 years and was Rotary President in 1990-1991.
A former Florence City Manager, Craig has certainly left his mark on the City of Florence and most especially, the Rotary Club of Florence. Craig was 95 years old and was a lifelong and avid runner, winning countless races well into his 90s. There is an excellent article that was written about Craig a few years ago that I hope you will read again to remember him and all of his professional and personal accomplishments. It can be found here at this link:  A1 (Page 1) (uoregon.edu)
With Craig’s eyesight failing, he had trouble attending our Zoom meetings and was so happy to come to the FEC when we returned briefly last year to the in-person meetings. I know that when we return to gathering together again, his face shining back will most certainly be missed, not just by me, but by everyone who has sat with him and enjoyed talking to him at Rotary. We will all miss seeing him running in the Rhody Run and the other races he participated in here in Florence.
Craig’s wife Joanne passed away in September 2020. Craig’s children are busy settling matters and have told us that they will be planning a memorial some time in the future. When information is available, it will be provided.
With Sympathy,
Karen
 

Rotary Youth Interact Club Caroling to Florence Seniors 

Rotary Youth Interact Club helps the Soroptimists Provide Christmas Food Baskets to over 400 Families in the Siuslaw Region 

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January is Vocational Services Month and the Rotary Club of Florence is pleased to recognize Lane Community College for their outstanding service in proving outstanding education and learning for professional growth and development. President Karen Skulley presented the certificate of recognition to Florence LCC Dean (and fellow Rotarian) Russ Pierson at the Club Meeting On January 4th.
 

As the first organization to envision a polio-free world through mass immunization of children, Rotary believes the decision to vaccinate is a humanitarian imperative.

1. Global vaccination is the path to ending the pandemic, and we strongly encourage vaccination for all individuals, including our members.
2. Misinformation hinders the fight against COVID-19, and we are committed to providing our members with science-based information.
3. Rotary is engaged in assuring equity in vaccine access to all people. Through joint efforts with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance we are leveraging our frontline experience with polio to facilitate vaccine delivery.
4. Rotary salutes health care workers everywhere as they continue to provide lifesaving services. We encourage clubs to offer recognition and encouragement to these heroes.
5. Rotary and Rotaract clubs are encouraged to redouble their efforts to support COVID-19 prevention and vaccination efforts.
6. As one of the greatest advances of modern medicine, vaccines are safe, effective and save millions of lives each year. They have eliminated or controlled numerous diseases such as polio, smallpox, measles, and Ebola, and now, there is the opportunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccination.
7. The eradication of polio remains the goal of the highest order for Rotary. We can continue to apply the lessons we have learned in fighting polio to COVID-19 response efforts.

Florence Rotary President, Karen Skulley, is sad to announce the passing of Dick Smith:

I am so very sorry to report to all of you the passing of our beloved fellow Rotarian Dick Smith, on the evening of Thursday, December 9^th at approximately 7:00 PM. Dick was 98 years old. Dick’s doctor told him last summer that to take care of his health he needed to have something to live for. That was his wife Harriet. They met at Yale University and were married June 11, 1949. They have two sons: Kirk and Laura Smith of Phoenix, AZ and Paul and Laura Smith of Watsontown, PA.  They also have three grown grandchildren. Harriet passed away on October 18th this year.

A Rotarian for more than 35 years, Dick was a Past-President of the Rotary Club of Florence in 1991-1992. He had a great interest in genealogy and history and served as the Rotary club historian. This written history can be found on the club website.  And so, as would be fitting, here is some of Dick’s history and a little about his impact on our community.

Dick was a navigator on a B17 for the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was stationed in England. He participated in many bombing missions and was a 1st Lieutenant when he left the service.

Dick was Pastor Emeritus of the Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw. In 1983, he represented Presbyterian Church USA to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Dick helped organize Front Desk Florence, which was sort of a welcome committee for people moving to Florence.

Dick was also involved in the Siuslaw Library expansion. He was involved in the fundraising for the original Florence Library. So, in 2009, when the expansion was in the works and a bond measure had narrowly failed, Dick took on the job of doing the private fund-raising. Six thousand square feet were added to the original 15,000. Many say that the expansion wouldn’t have happened without Dick Smith.

He co-authored a book about coastal bridges with Judy Fleagle called Crossings: McCullough’s Coastal Bridges. He was instrumental in starting the Florence Festival of Books at the Florence Event Center. He basically just told the FEC that we are having the festival and it has been a popular recurring event where the public can learn about great new books and meet both publishers and authors.

Dick held significant roles with Western Lane Community Foundation. He was the first volunteer Executive Director for Western Lane Community Foundation and he remained the Executive Director Emeritus for the rest of his life.

Dick was active in the Men’s Group in Florence.

Dick used to have a yellow Mazda Miata, which was a first-generation sports car of the brand. The license plate said WEESIN (we sin…). He could be spotted about town quite easily in it. He sold it about six years ago.

Dick always showed sincere appreciation to those he came in contact with. He was very considerate and truly a gentleman’s gentleman. He was so much more than this small list of accomplishments can describe - to his country, to his church, to his community, and to his many friends here in Florence. He will be truly missed.

Special thanks to Crystal Farnsworth, Guy Veach (a distant cousin of Dick’s), Meg Spencer, Steve Skidmore, and Gayle Vinchesi for gathering and providing the above information.

As soon as we have more information about services, they will be provided.

With Respect,
Karen


 

Rotary Club of Florence Assistant Treasurer, Janet Huston, and Community Service Director, Laurel Ferguson, present a check to Carol Bennett, of the Soroptimist International of Florence. The Rotary Club raised $5,200 to purchase turkey and chickens for this year’s Soroptimist Christmas Baskets. Our community is facing rising food costs and greater needs this year, but the Rotary Club stepped up to the task! 

POLIO PROVES THAT VACCINES WORK
When passion and raw determination are added to the miracle of modern vaccines, great things happen. Over the last 30 years, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have seen the reduction of polio cases worldwide, by 99.9 percent. The entire world celebrated one year ago, when the continent of Africa was declared free of the wild poliovirus.
As we approach World Polio Day on Oct. 24, I am reminded that we still have work to do. The children of two countries where the wild poliovirus still circulates (Afghanistan and Pakistan) are still vulnerable to this terrible disease. As long as it still circulates anywhere in the world, children in the US are still vulnerable and must continue to be vaccinated.
Here we are today, with more than 700,000 American deaths as a result of COVID-19. As a polio survivor, I am particularly aware of the important role vaccines play in halting the spread of disease. With that in mind, we must continue to support polio immunization efforts around the world, just as we continue to support the effort to mitigate COVID-19.
We are sharing fact-based vaccination information — as Rotarians throughout our state and our Network support our PA Immunization Coalition(s). We are speaking out about the realities of life after experiencing the effects of a vaccine preventable disease, and distributing packets of vaccine information and resources to day care centers, pediatricians and hospitals that encourage vaccine acceptance. We still have a lot to do. Engage with your local Rotary Club (or) contact us directly to learn more about how you can get involved.   We are doing this not only for ourselves, but for future generations.
We have witnessed the truth firsthand. Vaccines Work!
Joe Randig
Western PA Coordinator
PA Polio Survivors Network


 

It is with great sadness that we announce that Florence Rotarian Bob Steele passed away this week. Bob was one of those people who, when you first meet him, you have instant affinity for him and he made you feel as if he had been a close friend all your life. You knew that he was one of those rare people who would come to your aid no matter when or under what circumstance. I have known Bob a little over (3) years now and I cannot think of one person who did not think Bob a wonderful, warm and caring person. 
Bob was a community leader, a Rotarian leader, a loving father, husband, brother and grandather, 
Next year Bob was to be our Club President. His presence, his smile, his laugh and his kind words will be missed. It is  very hard to put into words how much he will be missed and my hope is that, through this posting, you will begin to see how much he meant to all of us. 

Bob was always one of the first people to volunteer for a Rotary Event! Here Bob is helping Mike Webb cook hotdogs for the band members in the Rhody Day Parade



Bob as Alice Wonderland's Mr.Rabbit for the Mad Hatter themed Rotary Auction 



And a NASA Commander on a Lunar Mission from a previous Rotary Annual Auction 



When Bob wasn't at a City Transportation Committee Meeting, Siuslaw Vision Meeting or a Rotary Meeting you could find him with the people he loved most - his family!



Nothing mad Bob happier than being with his grandkids!



If he couldn't play with his grandkids, he loved playing with his dogs at the beach. . . 



Or taking them for a mountain hike . . . 



Not all of Bob's adventures were bound to the earth.....he was a bit of a dare devil 



I think I can say with certainty that all of us at the Rotary Club of Florence have dropped a tear in the ocean Bob . . . . we will miss your smile, your laugh, the twinkle in your eyes and the kind words you had for everyone.......






 

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A Veterans Day celebration at Siuslaw High School is on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 9:10 a.m. and is available to view live on YouTube: tinyurl.com/SiuslawVeterans

October 20th is National Chamber of Commerce Day and October is also Rotary Community and Economic Development Month. What better way for the Rotary Club of Florence to celebrate than to recognize the Florence Chamber of Commerce for their outstanding service to the Florence Community and Economic Development. 
At the October 5 regular meeting of the Florence Rotary Club, President Karen Skulley awarded the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce with a certificate in honor and with deep appreciation of Service to Change Lives of small businesses and individuals in the Florence Area. The hard work and never-ending dedication of 2 employees, led by President & CEO Bettina Hannigan and Event & Tourism Development Coordinator Mitzi Hathaway and their board who serve as innovative leaders to promote the economic vitality of the area.  The past year and a half, the Chamber especially stepped up to provide a clear voice and support to local businesses dealing with the economic effects of Covid-19. 


Rotary Club of Florence President Karen Skulley (right) presenting Certificate of Recognition for Serving to Change Lives to Florence Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Bettina Hannigan


Rotary Club of Florence President Karen Skulley (right) presenting Certificate of Recognition for Serving to Change Lives to Florence Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Bettina Hannigan (left) and Event & Tourism Development Coordinator Mitzi Hathaway (far right)








 

Rotaries around the globe work with their local communities in the development and growth of their economies. 
Employees Francisco Hinojosa Martinez (left), and Gilberto Beltran Montero repair a wheelchair at the Autonomy, Liberation Through Movement (ALEM) workshop in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, 15 April 2015. ALEM hires people with disabilities to design, build, and repair wheelchairs, recumbent tricycles, and custom wheeled devices, which it sells at low cost to disabled people throughout the state of Morelos. Global grant 1416582 paid for equipment, training, education, and outreach.

By Linda KC Reynolds 
The Epoch Times
July 20, 2021

As a preteen, Terry Tomeny and his father, Edward “Ted” Tomeny, had no clue that one flight in a Cessna 172 would send the youngster up a path that would lead him to approximately 10,000 hours of flying time in more than 80 types of aircraft.
“Flying was the coolest thing I have ever done, and to this day it is still my biggest passion and interest,” said Tomeny, 72.
 

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Rotary holds an annual campaign to raise funds in support of our local students as they go back to school. While the campaign initially began as a way to collect donations of school supplies, the project has morphed as the needs of our students have changed. Over the past few years, the counselors at both the Mapleton and Siuslaw school districts have indicated that the greatest benefit would come from general funds that could be used to meet student emergency needs that arise throughout the school year. Such needs include purchasing meals, clothing, and other personal and hygiene items. This year, Rotary raised a total of $2,025.00 in just 10 days. The funds were divided proportionally between Mapleton and Siuslaw, and distributed to the school counselors in the form of gift cards. We wish our local students all the best in the 2021-2022 school year!
 

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The Rotary Club of Florence, Oregon held it's 12th Annual Cool at The Coast GoLf Spectacular at the Ocean Dunes Golf Links on Saturday August 7th. 
The weather was perfect, everyone had a lot of fun in the sun, and thanks to everyones generosity it was a huge success!
THANK YOU FLORENCE 

ROTARY SERVES TO CHANGE LIVES
Recently Rotarian Colin Morgan (Director of Florence Food Share) was talking with Rotarian Larry Farnsworth (Bishop of The Florence Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) about how the Food Share stock was critically low. Larry took immediate action and coordinated a semi-truck full of food to be donated to the Florence and Mapleton Food Share organizations. These pictures show Florence Rotarians, Florence Food Share volunteers and Mapleton Food Share volunteers unloading the food from the semi-truck, moving it into the Food Share buildings and stocking the shelves

The Rotary Club of Florence recognizes West Lane Emergency Operations Group (WLEOG) as an organization that Serves to Change Lives. A certificate of appreciation was presented to WLEOG President Megan Messmer at the Rotary meeting held at the Florence Events Center on July 20^th in recognition of the work performed by this unique organization.
The 2021-2022 Rotary International theme is Serve to Change Lives. WLEOG is the first local organization to be recognized by the Florence Rotary Club with a certificate of appreciation for the work they do in our community that demonstrates their embodiment of this theme. Here is why:
WLEOG’s mission is to educate, promote, and implement actions to eliminate or reduce long-term risk to human life and property from the effects of natural and man-made hazards of all types and sources, and to enhance capability to prepare, respond, and recover from such incidents. The group is made up from the following member agencies: the City of Florence, City of Dunes City, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue District, Western Lane Ambulance District, the Port of Siuslaw, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians Police Department, PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center, and the Mapleton Fire Department.
One of the main purposes for WLEOG is public education. The Board achieves this through participation in public outreach, expos, a speaker series, and media exposure. Their outreach includes preparedness activities & events, demonstrations, disaster and active threat training, and public service announcements.
Covid-19 response became the group’s immediate priority over the past year. They coordinated with Lane County Public Health for the first walk-through clinic in Lane County. Lane County Search and Rescue provided vaccinators and the City of Florence coordinated and provided logistics volunteers. Approximately 6,000 vaccine doses were administered! Over 60 local volunteers included those from the City of Florence, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), SVFR, Swisshome/Deadwood Fire, OSP, and Rotary Club of Florence members! 60 hours of vaccine clinics occurred and the model established in Florence was used throughout the county in subsequent settings.
WLEOG also conducted mass PPE distribution and business support. Over 250 small businesses received PPE in the Florence-area and more than 1,500 employees benefited from the PPE distribution. Support to local non-profits through the PPE distribution benefited over 450 routine volunteers. PPE included thousands of items such as masks, gloves, sanitizer, disinfectant and thermometers. WLEOG leveraged $90,000 to provide over $800,000 in support by way of grants for local businesses, relief for childcare programs, and other unique opportunities to support the business community and workforce of Florence.
Several representatives and employees from the WLEOG member agency organizations also just happen to be members of the Rotary Club of Florence. The Florence Rotary is proud to recognize this great organization and all of the individuals involved for their work in our community Serving to Change Lives.
 

The Rotary Club of Florence, Oregon is proud to have three of its members nominated for the First Citizen Award. 
Each year the area Chamber of Commerce recognizes one Siuslaw Region community member that has shown their commitment to our community through considerable involvement and volunteering; all on top of the demands of their jobs. 
The recipient will be announced at the Chamber of Commerce Awards Celebration to be held at the Three Rivers Casino on Thursday July 22nd beginning at 5:30 p.m.
 

GO TO: https://frauction.asimobile.net/#/index
                     
       














 

FOR ENTRY FORM GO TO "DOCUMENTS" TAB ON TOOL BAR 

The Florence Rotary Club met today in a hybrid In-person/Virtual Meeting! President Karen introduced her new board and the 2021-2022 initiatives to a group of 50 Rotarians while an additional 12 attended via Zoom. We worked through the technical challenges, but very much enjoyed finally seeing everyone at the Florence Event Center. 

We look forward to seeing you at next week's meeting!

• Danin Lacouture - Siuslaw Middle School 
• Jessica South - Siuslaw HighSchool 
• Eben Dickinson - Mapleton Middle School
• Emily Stevens - Mapleton High School

Contest Winners Will Share $1500 in Cash Prizes
Are you a Siuslaw or Mapleton-area high school student (public, private, or home-schooled) in grades 9-12 who cares about ethical standards and behavior in today’s world? If you are, the Rotary Club of Florence invites you to share a subject you care about by participating in the 2021 Rotary International 4-Way Test Speech Contest.
The contest will be held virtually online at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, 2021.  The top three finalists at the contest will present their speeches to a virtual meeting of the Florence Rotary Club on Tuesday, May 4, at 12 noon. First Prize for the local contest is $750, 2^nd Prize is $500, and 3^rd Prize is $250.   
The three finalists from this event will also compete with contestants from other coastal Rotary clubs with the first place finisher at the second round competing in a “Speak Off” at the Rotary District Conference.  Additional cash prizes will be awarded at the District level.
All participants will be required to take the Rotary 4-Way Test and apply it to real life throughout their speeches. The 4-Way Test has four principles:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

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For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort. Faltmata Mustapha, a polio survivor, had accessibility challenges and relied on public transportation

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Over Super Bowl Weekend Florence Habitat for Humaity partnered with Food Share in the Souper Bowl of Caring. Their goal was to raise 1000 Lbs. of food and $1000 in cash donations. Thanks to the generous members of our community, they exceeded their goals by receiving  1500 Lbs of food and $1729.75 in cash donations. 

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Community Christmas Food Basket Giveaway needs the support of our generous community, now more than ever! Thank you to the generous Rotarians supporting this important program. Donations can be made through Jimmie on your Rotary bill.

Colin Morgan with Florence Food Share and overcoming challenges during the pandemic.

District Governor Cindi O'Neil joins us on our Zoom program!

Operations Manager Geoff Cannon and our own Wayne Sharpe give a virtual tour of the Oregon Coast Military Museum with the highlight: this year's Festival of Trees!

Hospice is not a place but high-quality care that enables patients and families to focus on living as fully as possible despite a life-limiting illness. Palliative care brings this holistic model of care to people earlier in the course of a serious illness.

Susan Walters, RN, Manager of Peace Harbor’s Home Health and Hospice program, and Donna Becker, MSW, Program
Coordinator for Palliative Care, are excited to share information and updates about each service with the Florence Rotary members.

Reducing child abuse and neglect 90% by 2030 is clearly a challenging task. Some people have said they feel overwhelmed at the thought of it – it seems too large and too complicated. Where to begin?  What are the most important things to do to give us the best chance to reach this goal in Lane County?  This Tuesday, you'll learn about this important initiative and how you might be a part of the solution from presenters Suzanne Mann-Heintz and Jeanne Shannon.
 

Kevin Mittge, Adult Services Librarian and Geneologist, discusses researching Genealogy plus Janell Morgan gives us an update on all of the happenings going on with Habitat for Humanity. 

A program on special education program curriculum in our schools.

Meg Spencer gives an update on the Siuslaw Vision.
What is Siuslaw Vision?

The Siuslaw Vision began in 2014 with a community survey asking those who live in our region to share their dreams for the area. Altogether, more than 1,200 residents of this region participated in the visioning process through the survey, focus groups, community forums, and ongoing meetings.

Working with the support of the Ford Institute for Community Building, volunteers began by identifying the area that would be the focus of the new community vision: the Siuslaw Region. Stretching from coastal Glenada and Dunes City, eight miles south of Florence—the region’s hub at the mouth of the Siuslaw River—to the inland communities of Deadwood, Mapleton, and Swisshome, 30 miles upriver, the Siuslaw region is home to an estimated 18,000 residents and adjoins lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.

The Siuslaw Vision includes six elements, all focused on local people. You can learn more about these initiative areas by visiting their website at RiverCal.org.

1. Working People
2. Happy People
3. Educated People
4. Connected People
5. Creative People
6. Active People

The Siuslaw Watershed Council shares two interactive story maps on the history of the Siuslaw region and the the restoration efforts to improve the habitat for coho salmon and other species thriving in the Siuslaw. 
 

Rick & Mike with an update on the 11th Annual Cool at the Coast Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday, September 26th at 8:00am at Ocean Dunes Golf Links.
 

School Superintendents Jodi O'Mara from Mapleton and Andy G from Siuslaw give updates on plans for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Join us on Zoom to receive an update from the Port of Siuslaw!

Oregon RAIN’s mission is to partner with communities to catalyze entrepreneurial ecosystems, connect entrepreneurs to resources (including overlooked entrepreneurs), and contribute to the creation of prosperous economies. RAIN's Vision:

• Communities support, value, and celebrate entrepreneurs.

• Regional leaders recognize entrepreneurs are a primary creator of net new jobs.

• Small and rural communities in Oregon have thriving economies.

• A culture of possibilities is embraced.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a semi truck load of 40,600 lbs of food split equally in our two communities of Mapleton and Florence to benefit those in need. Volunteers, including those from our Florence Rotary Club and other helping hands helped unload these deliveries. This is part of the Church world wide humanitarian relief program with other deliveries scheduled to each community along the Oregon coast and also those communities ravaged by fires. Thanks go out to all of the volunteers who helped today at Florence Food Share and at Mapleton Food Share.

Lisa Walter-Sedlacek with Laurel Bay Gardens will share all of the tips on getting your garden ready for the Fall and Winter. 

Jim Mitchell with Coastal Fitness talks about the importance of keeping moving and exercise. Chair exercises, walking, online classes and classes at the center are all great ways to stay fit!

Chief Tom Turner with the Florence Police Department and Chief Michael Schick from Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and Western Lane Ambulance with updates on response to COVID-19 and other social issues and emergencies in Florence and surrounding areas. 

Mike Miller from the City of Florence Public Works department gives an update on Miller Park improvements; Rotary dollars at work making our city better for everyone.

For now due to Social Distancing, meetings will be via ZOOM and announced in the bulletin emailed from Jenna. See you on ZOOM!

Jane Hanawalt and Laurel Ferguson will discuss Advance Directive planning. Bob Steele will also discuss the clubs Charity Map displaying where the fundraising and community support is spent in our community.

Mayor Henry, City Manager Erin Reynolds, and city staff give highlights of 2019, updates on current projects, and insight into projects
planned and budgeted for in 2020.

Forrest Hill from the Reedsport Rotary Club shares their build a bed program, The club partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, to build brand new beds that are available for Western Douglas County families through the Family Resource Center to ensure that no child has to sleep without a bed.

District 5110 Governor Rick Olson visits the Florence Club and shares his passion for service to youth and Rotary's international service  work throughout the world. He encourages each Rotarian to foster their passion through their service in Rotary. He was also presented wih $4000 donation from the club to End Polio Now by former Golf Tournament Chairs Deb Lamb and Craig Sanders.

The Holiday Party was a blast with a full club Left Right Center game. Scott Waiss, Inbound Youth Exchange Dad to Erica, was the big winner and donated to her year-end trip!

Rotary Students of the Quarter:
High School Student:
Brendon Jensen (12th Grade)
Middle School Student:
Abbigail Maldonado (7th Grade)
Lane Community College Student:
Renne Dal Santo

President Meg Spencer shares her Rotary Group Exchange trip highlights to Israel. Meg relayed how life-changing the trip was for her and the other participants. She shared the many heartfelt experiences she had living in her hosts homes that a tourist might likely not experience. 

Linda Yoder pinch hit at the club assembly and shared a presentation on her love of opera. She shared history of the many composers and performers and was both funny and entertaining. Many of us did not realize how much opera is in modern film and entertainment.

Rotary Foundation Chair Karen Skulley kicked off Foundation Month with an overview of the Annual Fund and the Florence Club's global and district grants. Ron Caputo challenged the club to "Give Polio the Finger" and donate to the End Polio Now/Polio Plus Society. Meg Spencer matched donations with club Paul Harris points. The final icing on the cake - Paul Harris Fellowship Awards were presented to David Ward, Dan Lofy, Paula Hancock, and Lori Gates. And, then our own Major Donor, Brian Holmes, awarded Mark Reavis and Janice Patterson Paul Harris Fellowships for their work on district and global dental projects. 

Natalie Inouye, Vice President of Tourism and Marketing with Travel Lane County, shares everything about bicycle tourism in Lane County. 

Siuslaw Watershed Council Program Manager, Kyle Terry, and Executive Director, Eli Tome, share the highlights from this summer's Exploration Camp and discuss their future education programs and funding. 

Learn all about Lane Community College's Work Study Education Program.

A virtual tour of KCST Radio and an update on the Backpack for Kids program!

Join us on the club Zoom meeting to hear all about Tim & Carol's African Safari!

New Florence Rotary President Kim Erickson rang in the new presidential Rotary year this week on the club's Zoom meeting. She presented her new Board of Directors, her goals for the year, talked about a new Club Project, and the President's Scholarship criteria. It sounds like it is going to be an exciting new year!

Join us on Zoom to connect to the club. Interested in becoming a new member? You can contact any current Rotarian to learn about Rotary and how to join in!

President Meg wrapped up her Rotary year with many great moments. She thanked her Board of Directors and recognized New Rotarian of the Year Laurel Ferguson for all of the wonderful work she has brought to the club and Rotarian of the Year Jane Hanawalt for her dedicated work in Florence Rotary Youth Services. The club also made a great video for Meg to recognize her year.  Thank you Meg for your wonderful leadership during one of the most challenging years yet!

This is a message I never expected to write: in light of new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Rotary International,  I am canceling the standard weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Florence through at least May 5, 2020. 

I am not sure how many of you have had a chance to read the full email message sent out by Rotary International over the weekend. It was a call to action: but also a call to make sure that any action is carefully considered.  It was a request that all Rotary clubs cancel face-to-face Club meetings and activities for the short term.  These guidelines are echoed and strengthened by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's "Interim Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019." These guidelines request that any in-person gathering of more than 50 participants be canceled for a period of 8 weeks, which would mean that our large Club would not meet in our traditional format for that period of time.  Should those guidelines change or shorten, we will, of course, begin meeting again in our usual format as soon as possible.  I have additionally asked for input from both Crystal Farnsworth as our Assistant Governor and Kim Erickson as your President-Elect, and we all agree that the Club will abide by emerging guidance from local and national health authorities as quickly as we can.  These guidelines are already somewhat in flux, as the most recent request from President Trump and the CDC is that Americans avoid gatherings of more than ten, and begin sharply curbing other activities.   

Your board and I will work on some possible ways to continue connecting that will meet these emerging guidelines.  Phone calls, online meetings, emails, and other ways we can come together are vital in this time especially.  Looking for formal and informal ways to enact "Service Above Self,"  support local leaders and institutions in the coming weeks, and help in the larger battle to flatten the transmission curve of COVID-19 is how we are being asked to respond by Rotary International. It is a big ask - but we are good at answering big asks.  Eradicating Polio is a big ask, as is raising tens of thousands of dollars for local students each year.  You are all wonderful at the big asks. And, on the other side, we will be stronger and even more united. 

Please expect more communication shortly. If you have any interim thoughts or questions, I am here and will do my best to respond with the information I have. 

And, finally, I just want to take a moment and express that, like so many of you, I am thinking about those veterans in Lebanon, and the Portland-area vetaran who lost his life over the weekend to COVID-19: the first fatal case in Oregon.  I hope this Club will help lead the work to keep our community healthy, and to support those communities who have not been so lucky in their own battles. 

Sincerely, 
Meg 

The Rotary Club of Florence, Oregon will be postponing the Saturday, March 14 charity auction, “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.” With Governor Kate Brown, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Lane County Health Department requiring the cancellation of gatherings of more than 250 people, the Rotary Club of Florence believes this postponement is in the best interest of the community and the club’s local youth volunteers. More than 288 guests and dozens of additional volunteers and staff members were scheduled to come together for this annual gala event. Postponing the auction as directed by health authorities will ensure participants don’t need to make difficult decisions about following the most current guidelines from health authorities.

The motto of “Service Above Self” has always guided Rotary International and the Florence Rotary Auction. In the last five years alone, the Rotary Club of Florence has raised more than half a million dollars, with the majority of those funds raised being reinvested in the local community. Postponing the auction will ensure more of the guests, sponsors, and volunteers are able to attend a rescheduled auction and keep that vital tradition of giving alive. The spirit of service also extends to working with public health experts to slow any spread of illness in the community.

According to the Florence Rotary Auction Co-Chair, Kevin McMullen, “Of course I am disappointed. But we need to be proactive, and if we make a mistake, we want to make a mistake on the side of caution. The auction will happen though. Co-Chair Kim Erickson is already talking with our volunteers and Rotarians about new and better plans.”

Florence Rotary President Meg Spencer agreed, “I know Florence and our Florence Rotary Club. Postponing the auction will only mean that we are stronger and more connected when we do get to come together.”

Additional questions can be directed to the Florence Rotary Auction co-chairs Kevin McMullen and Kim Erickson at 541-991-7048 or 541-991-2070.

Joanie Schimidt with the Patient and Family Advisory Council, also known as PFAC, shares the program and its mission to better the patient and family experience at Peace Health Hospital.

Siuslaw Middle School:
Billie Massey – presented by Andy Marohl
Siuslaw High School:
Jared Northrop – presented by Steve Moser
 

Al LePage, Director at the National Coast Trail Association talks Oregon Trails!

Mapleton Middle School student Kylie Hyland, appearing wih her mother, is presented the Student of the Quarter by her teacher Miss Chambers.







Mapleton High School student Trinity Holmes is joined by her parents and presented with the Student of the Quarter by her teacher Mr Burruss.


 

Fellow Rotarian and Yachats Mayor, John Moore, shares an update of the city.

The Interact Club is running the meeting today!


Tim Williams is the Executive Director of Oregon Film whose mission is “to promote the development of the film, television, commercial, and interactive industry in Oregon and to enhance the industry’s revenues, profile, and reputation within Oregon and among the industry internationally. Tim has been both an executive and independent producer for more than 25 years and has partnered on projects with many companies in various capacities and locations with credits on many award winning titles.

From 1998 to 2011 Tim was a partner, Co-President and Head of Production for GreeneStreet Films, a leading New York based independent film company. While there, he was involved in the production of nearly 30 features, producing or executive producing most of their projects. Latterly, he managed the company’s opening and running of their Los Angeles office followed by work with companies like Fox Searchlight and Film Finances.

Tim started his career as a set production assistant and assistant then director in New York on features, commercials and TV shows, and worked for several years producing and directing new plays on the London Fringe in the UK.

Chief Michael Schick from Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue manages both Fire and EMS Services and presented at Rotary for Fire Prevention month. The Fire Department, predominantly volunteers who receive a small stipend and have all of the same training and certifications, serve 120 sq. miles and a population of 17500. EMS consists of 15 paramedics providing EMS care over 6 sq miles and a 9000 population. Western Lane Ambulance Disstrict is 980 sq miles and a 20,000 population. They work closely with others like Mapleton Fire to provide services to this large area.  He explained that a third entity was created and put in place with board representatives from each to manage the two entities. He also went over the tax increases used for funding these important services. 

Siuslaw Middle School Principal Andy Marohl and Teacher McKenzie Perry share the highlights of the Outdoor School Program. A special treat was their performance of the "squirrely dance". 

Lisa Walter-Sedlacek, Crystal Farnsworth, and Janet Huston discuss Membership. Impact starts with our members — people like you who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change —across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

City staff discusses the current housing efforts and why it is the number one priority for the City Council including the residential housing code update that is in process.

Rodger Bennett shared incredible photography from his latest trip to Namibia where he captured many different wildlife and some of the most beautiful sand dunes on the other side of the world.

Port of Siuslaw Commissioner Bill Meyer discusses "Where we are and what we hope to be when we grow up."

Bettina Hannigan from the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce pinch hits this week and discusses the three C's that guide the Chamber: they are a Catalyst, a Convener, and a Champion for businesses and our communities.

The State of Oregon's Attorney General, Ellen Rosenblum, discusses protecting Oregon consumers from financial fraud.

The Rotary Golf Fundraising Committee Chairs Craig Sanders and Deb Lamb recap this year's fundraiser and thank all of the event sponsors and volunteers. This event has raised more than $175,000 in its 10 year run. 
 

Meg Spencer shares all of the highlights of her Group Study Exchange to Israel with the Club. District 5110 members from Oregon and Northern California visited Israel District 2490. Additionally, the Group exchange traveling from Pensylvania greets the Club! Thank you to all of the Rotarians who have stepped up to host these members in your homes. Rotary Connects the World. 

Chris Chandler with Central Lincoln PUD does some myth-busting about electric cars with the Club this week! Chris has owned/leased several different models of electric cars over the years. She shares all of the great info about their electricty usage, how and where they can be charged, the great tax incentives, and phone apps and locations for charging. Many great tips to learn about this fast-growing industry. You can even test drive her Tesla!

Janell Morgan gives the Florence Rotary Club information on the history and the many facets of Habitat for Humanity. This organization has built and/or improved many homes in the Florence community. The Restore, located in the Grocery Outlet center near the DMV, is a wonderful place to donate and purchase gently-used household items. They are also a Paint Care center and recycle used paint. Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, community and hope.

Oregon Pacific Bank and Lane Community College team up with the two Chris's to present information to the club on cybersecurity. OPB's Chris Saltmarsh shares vauable information on how to identify and protect yourself from the threats you will find online and through other means. Lane Community College also announces their new two-year degree program for training as a security analyst. 

President Meg has some fun keeping the membership guessing about fun facts about Board Members and fellow Rotarians.

President Meg rings in the new rotary year by introducing her new Board of Directors, the Rotary Theme "Rotary Connects the World", and discussing her goals for the year. It is going to be a FUN year!

President Mike wraps up his Rotary Year at this week's meeting. Youth Exchange Student Erik also gives a presentatin on his action-packed year in Florence as he readies to leave for his return to Germany. Be sure to come to the Annual Steak Feed at the Honeyman Yurt on Monday, July 1st at 5:00 PM to celebrate our change in leadership as we thank Mike and welcome Meg!

Our newest Red Badge Rotarians give class talks so that we can learn more about them, their families, work experience and what brought them to Rotary. Ron Moore and Janell Morgan sure had us laughing and enjoying their talks this week!

The Rotary Golf Fundraising Committee Chairs Craig Sanders and Deb Lamb kick off this year's fundraiser. Lori Gates introduces all of the event sponsors. For all of the details, see our website page here: Golf Tournament
Click here for the registration form to register for the event:
2019 10th Annual Golf Tournament

The LCC Student of the Quarter is Kiyah Cleveland, a 2017 Siuslaw HS graduate who started at LCC this past fall. She is working toward an AAS in Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management and Business.

The Florence Rotary Scholarship Committee Chair, Andy Johnson, presents the 2019 Scholarship Award recipients to the club assembly.

ASPIRE is a statewide program that has been adopted by more than 150 high schools throughout Oregon to help students find and enroll in post-secondary educational opportunities including college, trade school, and job training. At Siuslaw High School, Steve Moser is the program coordinator for ASPIRE and Rotarian Robert Orr is the team leader. They will present information on what they do in ASPIRE with an emphasis on the local scholarships for which they help students to apply. They will highlight the importance of these scholarships to SHS students, and are particularly excited about this presentation because the Rotary Club of Florence is our largest local scholarship provider.

Robert and his wife and moved to Florence in 2016 after retiring from long careers in education. He has been a math teacher, tutor, school counselor, coach, business officer and school director. He started working with ASPIRE in January of 2017 and now volunteers there full-time. He is also involved with the Siuslaw School District Facilities Advisory Committee, is a member of the Dunes City Council, and has a nonprofit organization called Students for a Better World that provides scholarships to graduating Siuslaw High School students.

Steve Moser. is the senior counselor at Siuslaw High School in Florence, a position he has held for the the past 6 years. Steve grew up in North Dakota, attended North Dakota State U where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology, and then completed his master's degree in school counseling at the University of Mary in Fargo. His wife is a teacher at SHS. They have a one-year old son, Jack. Steve is president of the SHS Booster Club and the varsity cross country and track coach. He is a member of the board of directors of Students for a Better World. 

Dr. Brian Holmes has been doing international dental trips for several years. This time, the two week-trip was to Grenada, an island off the northern coast of Venezuela. Larry and Crystal Farnsworth joined him for the second week where they interacted with and treated the teeth of all the children at the Bonaire Government School in Victoria, Grenada

Florence Rotary Club Members, please help the Youth Services Committee members in their quest for host families for our Youth Exchange student this fall. We have some interested families, and we want them to know that we have all three host family slots filled.

Our exchange student for 2019-2020 is Erika Fujita, from Nakatado-gun, Kagawa, Japan. She will turn 17 next month.

Please reach out to families you know here in Florence. It is really great to find host families with other school-aged children in their household. Think about families you know from church, from school, and from other community activities.

Help us keep this vital peace-building program alive in our town. Beth Webb and Jody Driver are our committee members who can talk to you or your friends who might be interested. Please call Beth Webb at 509-389-9619 or Jody at 509-378-5710 and they can help answer any questions you might have.

Let's be ready to welcome Erika to Florence this summer.

Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you in Japanese)

Clive Rainey joined Habitat for Humanity International on April 1, 1977, soon after the organi­zation was formed, becoming the first HFHI volunteer. Rainey brought the concept of “sweat equity” to Habitat after learning of a hous­ing development in Ohio where homeowners contributed labor in lieu of a down payment.  From his speech called “The Power of Seven”, Clive Rainey will help us understand how the work through Habitat (and Rotary as well) is multiplied many times over.  Clive has  delivered this message multiple times, and he says, “audiences feel pretty good about all that we do.”  Here is a sneak preview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0knSMQ6QwU.

The entire court of wonderful young women and men have become part of a beloved legacy and will reign over the 2019 Rhododendron Festival parade and act as ambassadors for the entire festival weekend will be presented at the Club Assembly!

The Florence Club had the pleasure of hearing the Rotary 4-Way Test Speech Contest winners Orion Ricks, Mapleton High School, Joseph Gastelum, Grade 11, Siuslaw High School Molly McGinley, Grade 10, Siuslaw High School give their speeches at club assembly. First place was won by Oion Ricks from Mapleton High School.

Cheri Payne, Clinic Manager Sr. and Dr. Justine Parker will be speaking about services that are being provided for women and some of the projects they are working on with other community groups. Their presentation will touch on the availability of local sub specialties in Florence.

The Florence Cluib receives an update on Shelter Box from our district representative Kieran Walsh. Also, Jesse Beers from the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians talks about tribal history. 

Siuslaw Middle School: Traben Larsen presented by Principal Andy Marohl
Siuslaw High School: Naomi Shoji presented by Steve Moser
Mapleton Middle School: Katelyn Hurley presented by Ms. Duffy
Mapleton High School: Opal Burruss presented by Mrs. Gray

Florence Rotary Club Members attend District 5110 Club Training Assembly, April 6, 2019, at Cottage Grove High School. 

Gretchen Brauer-Rieke talks to the Club about making decisions and having the tough conversations about end of life planning. She talkes about the importance of an Advance Directive and POLST form.

Judy Dahlberg and Peggy Meyer share their adventures on their Antarctica Trip with the club and include many great photos and humorous stories.
 

Kevin and Kim thank all of the hard-working Auction Committee members and give an update.

C.R.O.W. gives the assembly a sneak peek at the upcoming show "The Wiz". Be sure to pick up tickets in the box office for the April show!

Kevin and Kim give the club a sneak preview of items up for bid at the Rotary Auction on Saturday, March 9, 2019

WLCF, originally founded by the Rotary Club of Florence, awards $78,524 to 32 award recipients for the 2019 grant season during the Rotary Club gathering today.

Coordinated by Miss Gayle, the Rotary Club of Florence brings hundreds of books to local students from Mapleton to Florence and Waldport. This program supports our literacy objective and allows each child to bring a book home for their own.

Rotary Auction March 9th at 5:00 PM
For a preview of some wonderful art items at our auction, be sure to visit our Auction Spotlight menu option!

Siuslaw Middle School Selection:
Evan Bartley – presented by Science Teacher McKenzie Perry with SOQ Chair Jenna

High School Selection:
Samantha (Sammi) Scheer – presented by Steve Moser with President Mike

 

Our district Shelterbox Representative, Kieran Walsh, came to discuss what it is all about and how Rotary supports the efforts. Shelterbox is a charity that delivers aid to families devastated by conflict or natural disaster, to give them durable shelter and the tools to rebuild communities. Their global network of supporters, staff and volunteers make it possible to deliver aid to some of the most remote communities in the world. For $1000 a box can be provided at the next needed emergency. 

We are getting excited about our upcoming Auction on Saturday March 9th! 
Be there or be square!

The Rotary Club of Florence is proud to support the Mapleton High School's permaculture garden with a check for $150 to purchase the tools they need for their project.

Mayor Joe Henry and City Manager Erin Reynolds give the Rotary Club of Florence a preview of the State of the City.

Caitlin Ruffenach from OCF presents Toward a Thriving Future: Closing the Opportunity Gap for Oregon’s Kids The “American Dream” is increasingly out of reach for many children in Oregon. Child poverty is on the rise, with long-term negative consequences. The Oregon Community Foundation released a report in 2017 examining how communities, family circumstances, and a child’s educational experience can perpetuate a cycle of poverty. Join OCF’s Senior Research Officer Caitlin Ruffenach and learn what we can do to make a difference for Oregon’s children.

Middle School: Ariana Galvan-Mendez Grade: 7th 
High School: Summer Flansberg Grade: 9th

The Auction Committee reveals this year's theme:
Give Back to Where You Once Belonged 1969

Saturday, March 9, 2019
Florence Event Center

Rotary Student Of The Quarter
• Siuslaw Middle School: Denali Sleeper 
• Siuslaw High School: Noelle Trammelle-Stone
• Lane Community College: Cristian Luna-Hernandez 
 

President Mike and Committee Chairs give the club updates on all of the Florence Rotary happenings.

Mapleton Interact Club is busy making holiday cedar sprays to distribute to homes in the Mapleton, Sweet Creek, Deadwood and Swisshome areas as a community service project of goodwill and understanding.

District Polio Plus Society Chair Nelson Maler discusses the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus and the great work being done around the world on behalf of Rotarians. Your donations at work!

Michael Pearson discussed the happenings at the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County here in Florence and Kathy Murphy discussed “Light Up A Life” this Holiday Season.

Dr. Egar discussed Direct Primary Care and Casey Hand talks about the safe disposal of drugs with the Rotary Club of Florence. 

Foundation Chair, Karen Skulley, kicks of Foundation month with a presentation on many of the world service projects that the Florence club has participated in over the past several years, how to give to the Foundation at rotary.org and a very special Paul Harris Fellow presentation.

"The Brians" - Dr Brian Holmes and local contractor Brian Lacouture showed the club the results of the Grenada school bathroom project. A great global project that was sorely needed in order to renew the facilities at an elementary school in Grenada.

Award-winning columnist, speaker and author, Bob Welch entertained the club with his stories from his new book - The Wizard of Foz: Dick Fosbury’s One-Man High-Jump Revolution.

At today's meeting we discussed the best practices for rotary membership and we received a wonderful sneak peek of the Last Resort Players new play "Grey Gardens".

Rotary Auction

March 9, 2019