Next week: Gary will host next week’s program. It’s a mystery!

President John Cottle opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: Lindsay and Jeff Myers (new owners of Joshua Grindle Inn, just moved from Long Beach), Nico Brunner Caldeira (graduating from MHS this year and a recipient of one of our scholarships this year!).

Guest Jeff Myers talks about the history of Joshua Grindle Inn.

Guest Jeff Myers talks about the history of Joshua Grindle Inn.

MHS graduate, and winner of one of our scholarships, Nico Brunner Caldeira.

MHS graduate, and winner of one of our scholarships, Nico Brunner Caldeira.

 

 

Guests Lindsay and Jeff Myers.

Guests Lindsay and Jeff Myers.

Thought for the Day: “Thank God for the sun!” And a second: “The most important journey you will ever make is meeting a friend half way.”

Happy Dollars:

Susan shares happy dollars!

Susan shares happy dollars!

– Pete is happy that his daughter is in town for about a week, and is showing him how to use his new iPhone.
– Tom is happy that he just got a brand new electric VW Golf, which is fun to drive; and he’s also happy that over $13000 has been raised for the Nepal Shelter Boxes emergency relief.

– Donna is happy their son Monty’s birthday is today, and also today is her parents’ wedding anniversary!
– Susan is happy to be back from a wonderful 10-day trip to Sacramento, Zion, Bryce, and more!

Jeffry shares happy dollars too!

Jeffry shares happy dollars too!

– Dean reports that while out on the dunes for a dog walk recently, his dog discovered skunks! Dean is happy he can now let the dog back inside…
– Jeffry is happy about his trip to New Orleans.

– Ray is happy to share that last Friday he drove luggage up north for the Friendship Exchange Team, and got to share the vehicle with one of the team members. He discovered that a lot of India’s regulatory and tax laws are worse than ours…

– John C is happy that they had a great time at dinner with the Friendship Exchange Team last week!

Ray shares happy dollars.

Ray shares happy dollars.

Sunshine Report:
None – yay!

Announcements:
Jody is passing around a sign up sheet for the up-and-coming programs, and asks everyone to please pick a date, and then find a speaker to fill that date.

Prez John looks forward to his debunking!

Prez John looks forward to his debunking!

Jody also announced that there will be a joint Board meeting on Monday, 6/8/15, at the Mendocino Hotel, at 12 noon. The current Board and the incoming Board will have this opportunity to meet together to ease the transition.

Dean shared the menu, invitation and sign up sheet for the 6/26/15 Debunking dinner. It costs $40 in advance (through next Thursday), and $45 at the door. The Debunking is at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a social hour, and dinner at 7:00 p.m. catered by Assaggiare Mendocino!

Dean raffles off eggs to raise funds for End Polio Now!

Dean raffles off eggs to raise funds for End Polio Now!

Dean talked about our club’s contribution this year to the End Polio Now campaign. To raise additional funds for the campaign, he raffled off 3 dozen fresh chicken eggs from his own back-yard chickens – and fetched $6 for the first dozen. $20 for the second dozen, and $12 for the third dozen! All money raised went into the End Polio Now collection jar. We’re down to two countries with polio: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria is now polio-free! We are sooooo close! Dean passed the End Polio Now jar, to collect more funds.

Dean shared a video of the End Polio Now program and the power of Rotary. Partnering with WHO, Unicef, and CDC, and 1.2 million volunteers, we have immunized over 2 billion children worldwide. Rotary International: “Ordinary people working together to accomplish extraordinary things.”

John P. announced that, subject to approval by the Board, a total of $6000 will be given through Rotary Community Service grants to the following organizations:

John P. lists our Community Service grant awardees.

John P. lists our Community Service grant awardees.

– Rainbow Preschool – a new set of swings
– Kelley House pond project – landscaping on north side (we’re donating both money and time/labor)
– Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund – to send 4 kids to summer camp
– Hospitality House – money to paint the building’s exterior
– Pt Cabrillo Lightstation – lighting and a chiller
– Redwood Coast Senior Center – shed for storage (to complement their kitchen remodel project)
– Humane Society – money to purchase a surgical illumination light
– Community Center of Mendocino – sand for sandbox
Good work, Community Services Committee!!

Today’s Program:
Jody, our incoming club president, hosted today’s program and served as speaker and Finemaster simultaneously. We learned the following about our nation’s parks:

Finemaster and speaker, Jody.

Finemaster and speaker, Jody.

– There are how many national parks in the USA? 58.
– The world’s first and oldest national park is Yellowstone National Park.
– What state includes the most national park service units? California.
– What state has the fewest national parks? Delaware has none.
– The deepest lake in the US is in southern Oregon (Crater Lake, 1900 ft deep!).
– The tallest mountain in North America is Mt McKinley in Denali National Park.
– The longest recorded cave system in the world is in Kentucky (Mammoth Caves).
– Mammoth Caves system is how many miles long? 336 miles.
– A park that once served as WWII internment camp is Manzanar National Historic Site.
– The “Niagara Falls of the South” is in Cumberland Falls in Kentucky.
– A park commemorating the completion of the transcontinental railroad is in Utah, called the Golden Spike National Historic Site (where the railroads joined in 1869).
– The island of Molokai (in what is now a park/historic site) hosted a leper colony on an isolated peninsula from 1866 – 1969.
– The Founder of the American Red Cross was Clara Barton.

Cornelia then talked to the club about Rotary Park, and wants to make sure that Saturday, June 13 is saved on everyone’s calendars for the Mendocino Community Center art opening for the Rotary Park Art Competition. Entries are being accepted up until the Second Saturday reception. This Art Competition was sponsored by Chatter Bischoff, who wanted the community to have an opportunity to express what it wants in the park.

Cornelia shares a bit of Rotary Park history.

Cornelia shares a bit of Rotary Park history.

A bit of history on the piece of land that is now Rotary Park: the park site used to have buildings and businesses of the Chinese community, though there are no known existing photos of these buildings. The island at that intersection used to be part of the park property, but in the mid-19th century was donated by Mrs. McCallum to create the road divide to solve some traffic problems.

On Second Saturday, June 13, come to the Community Center of Mendocino, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. for the Rotary Park Art Competition opening reception!

Dean announced that he will accept your donations to the Rotary Foundation — our goal was $125/member/year, and your donation counts toward your Paul Harris Fellow.

Today’s Raffle Winners: John C and John I. Congrats!