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Rotary Club of La Conner

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

Shawn O'Donnell's Farmhouse Restaurant

11376 LaConner-Whitney Rd
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
United States of America

Everyone is Welcome
5:30 - Set-Up, Social, Meal
6:00 - Formal Meeting
Note: 3rd Monday of the month is devoted to club business (Committee Reports & Boards), and maybe via Zoom. All members are invited to attend.

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Skagit Passage 2025

The inspiration was provided by Don Wolf:

Volunteers are just ordinary people with extraordinary hearts.

They offer the gift of their time to teach, to listen, to help, to inspire, to build, to grow, to learn.
They expect no pay, yet the value of their work knows no limit.
They've known the unexpected joy of a simple hug.
They've planted tiny seeds of love to countless lives.
Volunteers are just ordinary people who reach out and take a hand and together make a difference that lasts a lifetime.

Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals.

Rick introduced our guests this evening: Jessica Pedrosa from Skagit Passage, local students Katie Cayou-Lockrem and Jonathan Gonzalez, and Rotarians previously from La Conner: John (President 2008-2009) and Ginny (President 2006-2007) Dugaw.

Pam presented the big check for the group that's here from Skagit Passage; Skagit Passage provided us with a video. Jessica’s husband Taylor put together a little trailer of their play. This was a teaser for the play that Skagit Passage just finished up this year.

Jessica Pedrosa, from Skagit Passage, summary.

Jessica expressed her gratitude for the support received during previous theater productions, emphasizing how vital such contributions have been to the program's success. She noted that the momentum gained has allowed them to move forward with new endeavors, including a spring play and a late spring one-act festival, featuring both student and community productions. She highlighted upcoming performance dates in May, and invited anyone interested in participating on stage to reach out to her. Jessica concluded by introducing two remarkable students who were set to share their experiences with the program. Her remarks reflected excitement, appreciation, and a commitment to nurturing the theater community.

Katie spoke:
This is my first year ever doing drama, except for a brief experience with "Jungle Book" in fourth grade, though I don't really count that. I feel that trying new things has been incredibly important for me, especially since I've struggled with pushing myself in the past. Without Jess, Taylor, and Alicia, I wouldn’t have challenged myself as much as I needed to. We all have so much respect for each other, and that’s what made the experience so special for me. I was able to build friendships and relationships while becoming part of something bigger than myself. I also want to thank the Rotary Club for all of your support; it truly means so much to us.

Jonathan spoke:

I’ve been part of the Drama Club for three years, starting in my sophomore year. I joined because I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and these experiences have truly been among the best of my life. I love being involved, much like Katie, who shared her own fun and meaningful history with the program. It’s been an incredible journey of growth and connection—a double experience in every sense. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. It means the world to us.

Audrey’s closing remark was from Pope Francis: “Always be a gift to others.”

We also received a big thank your for our sponsorship of high school aquarium trip.

Africa Trip 2025

At our April 7, 2025, Rotary Meeting, Keith introduced our guests this evening: Whitney Meissner, our speaker; Bill McCann from Sedro-Woolley Rotary; Bill Winger, uncle of Whitney; and Kim Streitz.

The inspiration was provided by Connie who first discussed Golden Rule Day celebrated on April 5, then read the Charter for Compassion, first created in 2009. She finished with the Mexican proverb: They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds.

Karen introduced our guest speaker for the evening.

Dr. Whitney Meissner is a seasoned professional in public education, speaking, and facilitation, boasting over 30 years of experience. She has played a vital role in the State of Washington's teacher and principal evaluation project since its inception, and possesses expertise in feedback, professional conversations, and fostering employee performance and growth. Her career spans diverse school districts ranging from 600 to 31,000 in size.

A lifelong Washington resident and proud Seattle native, Whitney cherishes her roots in King County and pays homage to the Coast Salish people's traditional lands. She holds a BA in English from the University of Washington, a master's in education from Central Washington University, and a doctorate in education from Seattle Pacific University. Currently, she is pursuing her coaching certification through the Proactive Training Institute.

Whitney is also the proud mother of two adult children and embraces her cherished role as auntie.

Whitney shared her incredible experience visiting Tanzania last summer. She was glad her family joined her at our meeting. She recounted adventures, including an 8-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, a safari through five national parks, meeting Dr. Jane Goodall, and exploring Zanzibar.

The summit of Kilimanjaro reaches an elevation of nearly 20,000 feet. Whitney connected the "Zan" in Tanzania to Zanzibar. In the village tour in Marangu led by her host Larick, the group visited Larick's home village, meeting his family and learning about composting practices and coffee farming.

She described an impressive support crew of 13 people helping during the climb, and shared insights into life on the mountain—well-maintained trails, delicious locally-sourced meals, and spectacular views such as the Milky Way at night. On summit day starting at 12:30 a.m. from a high elevation, the climb was slow due to altitude challenges. Reaching Stella Point, she paused briefly before continuing to Kilimanjaro's summit. Whitney reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro by noon, and described challenges descending due to lightheadedness, which the guides helped with by quickly assisting her down to base camp. The following day involved a long descent, highlighting the need for a gradual acclimatization to elevation when climbing.

After descending, Whitney enjoyed a safari. She emphasized the transformative experience of seeing Africa’s wildlife in their natural habitat, including lions, giraffes, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, and black rhinos, some of which are included in the "Big Five" animals. She shared the extraordinary sightings of lions lounging in trees and a leopard on video. Accommodations on safari were luxurious tents, and she highlighted unique moments such as a breakfast hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti, including a historical anecdote about champagne traditions related to balloon landings.

The journey continued to Zanzibar, where she observed the Indian Ocean's tidal changes, and she mentioned Freddie Mercury's birthplace. Whitney expressed admiration for the tour company, Dirty Freedom Adventures, emphasizing their ethical practices of hiring locals and paying fair wages.

Whitney also discussed preparing for Kilimanjaro by walking stairs, practicing specific hiking steps, and maintaining general fitness. Overall, she described her adventure as life-changing and encouraged others to visit Africa if possible.

Whitney described her meeting with Jane Goodall as an unforgettable experience. She brought one of Goodall's books to donate and attended an event held in a garden area that included a restaurant and bar. Having arrived early after a safari, Whitney enjoyed the serene surroundings with a drink, possibly Kilimanjaro beer. Approximately 50-60 people were in attendance, and Goodall's grandchildren, who manage her foundation, introduced her.

During her 45-minute speech, Goodall shared captivating stories, including her unconventional academic journey—earning a doctorate without first obtaining an undergraduate or master's degree—and her fieldwork in Tanzania, where societal norms required her mother to accompany her as a chaperone. She recounted her efforts to integrate into a chimpanzee colony, a process requiring her to establish her position within the group's hierarchy.

Whitney noted Goodall's remarkable charisma, describing her as articulate, strong, and witty despite being nearly 90 years old. The event concluded with an auction to raise funds for Goodall's foundation, which promotes youth education and environmental awareness. Among the auction items was a bottle of whiskey, tied to a story of how whiskey soothed Goodall's throat before a show, a tradition she continued.

Whitney expressed admiration for Goodall and her foundation's initiatives, encouraging others to explore its opportunities. The serendipity of crossing paths with Goodall made the encounter even more extraordinary for Whitney.

A very enlightening and educational program! Everyone was very engaged and had some great questions.

Announcements:

Ollie announced an upcoming program hosted by Edward Jones at the Civic Garden Club on Tuesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. The event is titled "How to Outsmart the Scammers".

Five members of the club attended the District Assembly on Saturday, April 5.

Marty shared: What do the younger people see as valid means of service or ways? How do we interest younger people in service? It may be that that word service is being redefined. How do we find that? We may need to restructure how we think of what we do to make people aware, or for people to receive what we're doing as far as it may be a redefinition of the word service.

Connie shared: They linked the global foundation membership and public image.

We talk about those together; they're not separate entities, but all part of the same thing.

Audrey shared: What I took away from it was that all of us, as we're reaching out to others who might like to join us, need to look for what's your passion? What's going to light your bulb when it comes to service in your community?

On the cover of Rotarian Magazine a couple of months ago, the club in Seattle said their only focus is human trafficking. They can't stop people from wanting to join. It's such a meaningful cause. That's something that we all need to be thinking about. Recognizing that we need to be asking those who we are serving: Are we doing what you need us to do?

Children of the Valley Annual Art Auction is April 25.

Camp Korey Spring Volunteer Day is April 26 and registration is required.
The MoNA Art Auction will be June 7.
Mount Vernon Kiwanis Salmon Barbeque at Hillcrest Park Lodge, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays April 5 to May 4. Time: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Daily
The District 5050 Conference at Tulalip Casino Resort is May 2-4; plan to attend if you can.

Saturday, May 17 is the Rotary Epic Day of Service, where every club in the world will be doing a service project. We'll be working with the Skagit Valley Historical Society. We're going to do a photography/labeling project, and account cataloging of their costumes from various time periods.

Patsy's team Bridge Builders has partnered with water alliance to put on a waterfront activity, an educational activity with STEM components to it. They've invited underserved youth and those youth that may not have an opportunity to be exposed to STEM. It's from 10 to 2. on June 21. Bridge Builders is going to do a barbecue and it would be wonderful to have 2 volunteers from our group. Patsy is working with Nikki, Adam's wife, to also procure a couple of volunteers from her resources.

Audrey’s closing remarks:

Craig Groeschel says: “We don't recruit volunteers; we release leaders. Volunteers do good things, but leaders change the world.”

Tulip Booths Open 2025

Tulip booths are OPEN!

We opened April 1, and today we have 4 different colors.

Come get your bunch of 10 tulips for just $7/bunch, cash or credit card from 11AM - 5PM every day.

We have booths at

Shawn O'Donnell's Farmhouse Restaurant, 11376 LaConner-Whitney Rd and at

La Conner roundabout between La Conner fire station and Hedlin's produce stand.

CampFire Samish 2025

At our March 24, 2025 Rotary Meeting, President Audrey Gravley, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-Way test.

Our guests for the evening: Mel Damski from La Conner Community News with a couple extra copies of the inaugural issue, and our program guest speaker for this evening Marcus Roskamp from Camp Fire Samish.

Danielle Mullen shared the inspiration for the evening. Danielle shared that she does not recall if Jonas Salk was a Rotarian or not, but if he wasn’t he should be. Salk refused to patent the polio vaccine in 1995 so that the medication would be available to children all round the world, thus losing 7 billion dollars. Due to his actions and development, the incidence of disease decreased by 96%. I felt this was an appropriate inspiration since that is still our primary goal to eradicate polio.

Marcus Roskamp is the Executive Director of Camp Fire Samish, which includes Camp Kirby. He has been in this role for almost two years. Prior, Marcus was the lead pastor in the Reformed Church in America for over 13 years. Marcus is passionate about youth development and in providing young people with positive childhood experiences. He lives in Lynden with his wife Amy and their three children who are 14, 9 and 8.

Thank you for having me and if I look familiar to you, I was here a couple months ago, receiving a generous donation from La Conner Rotary which we appreciate so much!

Camp Kirby is entering it’s 100^th year which is something we are very proud of. We are an affiliate of Camp Fire, a national organization. You might have heard of Camp Fire girls back in the day which was quite large. Camp Fire Samish is much smaller, even though we are still a part of the national organization. We operate with eight that comprise a year round staff and our office is based out of Bellingham. Not much has changed at Camp Kirby, even if you have not been there for years. It is still a beautiful spot with 47 acres of forested land, a mile and a half of shoreline along Padilla Bay. Our activities include a 40 foot climbing wall, archery, waterfront activities, and miles of hiking trails. We are very proud to say that Camp Kirby is technology free, meaning that no phones, smart watches or tablets are allowed. We want the young adults to experience the program, nature, and building relationships connecting with each other.

Our main programs are overnight camp and day camp. There are seven weeks during the summer, for grades two through twelve (2-12). We have the second graders around the camp some weeks, and all the way up through seniors in high school. They receive a very traditional camp experience, whether it is day or overnight camp. They do arts and crafts, archery, climbing wall, waterfront activities (kayaking and swimming) and all things you associate with summer camp. In 2024 our overnight camp hosted 696 campers, where we host 100 campers per week. That is full capacity with cabins and beds and campers come from across Northwest Washington mainly Skagit, Whatcom, and Island county. Day camp runs along side overnight camp in the same weeks. We hosted 156 campers which again is full capacity, 30-40 campers per week.

For summer camp 2025, we are already over 95% capacity with registered campers and have waiting lists with over 100 campers waiting. Some parents are uncomfortable with technology free, since many parents are helicoptering wth their children to stay in touch. Most get used to the program after talking with the staff on how important it is to allow the campers to focus on relationships. We spend a lot of time talking with parents to they understand the rules and importance of the campers experience. Marcus explained that he too has trouble at time not being able to contact his children, but the benefit far outweighs what the parent needs.

Most parents find out about the camp through word of mouth, where campers can start in 2nd grade and continue through their Senior year of High School. For the younger campers, we do have an overnight camp in the middle of summer that is four days instead of the normal six.

Another program out at Camp Kirby is the Outdoor School program. It takes place in the spring and fall and typically is fifth grade students from local elementary schools. It is a three day, two night experience where we provide education, teaching outdoor education and provide all food. We work with the schools to develop the curriculum catalog and hire seasonal staff who are experts in outdoor areas. We focus on tide pool exploration, forest ecosystems, beach ecosystems, bird identification, and traditional camp activities.

This is a chance for student who might not be able to afford summer camp or who might however have the opportunity to come to summer camp and have a camp experience. It has really opened up a lot of doors for us to get children out to Camp Kirby. It is our fastest growing program, which started in 2023 so two years now. We have three school groups with just under 200 students. In 2024 the program grew to 20 school groups with over 1500 students. The growth was mainly due to a bill that was passed in Washington “The Outdoor School” Housebill 2078. We are waiting with baited breath for the legislative budget to see if our Outdoor School will still be included. It falls under the Office of the Superintendent and appears the funding is pretty safe, but we really don’t know.

Spring is the busiest time for our Outdoor School, where we had our outdoor staff arrive this week, going through their training. The first class starts next Monday, March 31^st. Most schools do a combination of staff, teachers and parents as chaperones, because part of the program is that schools do need to provide chaperones, especially in the cabins overnights and it really just depends on the school.

I would also like to share why I believe our programs are so important. These Programs are something that young people don’t get a lot of access to, since they are hard to find. Programs that are technology free, that are getting kids outside, teaching the about different environmental issues, introducing them to trees and birds and tide pools and all this amazing stuff we have here. There’s a lot of research done around youth development over the years, and reflected in a book named the anxious generation where the author talks about what is going on with youth and trends. Depression in teens has increased 150% since 2010, and although some blame COVID, others also blame technology and social media. Outdoor programs offer an antidote to some of this which is a multi layered problem. One recommendation is to give parents solutions such as overnight camps with no devices, playing outside, exploring and developing relationships with other kids. Another good book is “Last Child In The Woods” written in 2007. We want to create a positive childhood experience because we believe it can have a lifelong impact, especially a greater sense of self-worth.

We are always looking at ways to fund improvements to the buildings and programs and can use your help. You have already done so much. Other ways to serve is to join the Board of Directors, work parties, volunteering with the program and our annual auction April 19 of this year. Thank you Marcus for the excellent program!

Adam shared a thank you from Olympia Zuniga at Eagle’s Nest Club at La Conner High School for our support of the aquarium trip this year. She invited our members to a lunch where she will make tamales for everyone!
Adam received an email from Sarah from the Library Foundation with an update on the summer reading program. They have selected a theme using library spaces for education and enjoyment. There will be (2) events, Harmonica Pocket on June 18 and Pegasus puppet theater on August 6. They are also collaborating with other libraries in the county such as Burlington, central Skagit and upper Skagit. This year, La Conner Rotary has budgeted to support the summer reading program to the tune of $1500 already. Sarah expressed their gratitude.

Farmers and Merchants 2025

At our annual La Conner Rotary Farmers and Merchants Night, March 3, 2025, we had a variety of speakers present after our buffet dinner. Doug Moore introduced club President Audrey Gravely. Audrey thanked many volunteers, but especially honorary member Cathy Jo Squires. Audrey described some of our Rotary’s work including scholarships that we award each spring, and a supply of weekend food packs that we provide for elementary kids throughout this year. Rotary is striving to make a difference every day. If you're not interested in what our club is doing, there are so many opportunities to support people in other ways.

First up was La Conner Schools Superintendent David Cram.

He thanked the community for passing the Feb. 11 school levy with 79%, the second-highest pass rate in the state. He described the Yonder pouch being used to stop cell phone usage during school hours and how many more conversations he sees during lunch now. He described the solar panels and battery backups being installed. He described the La Conner Learning Community program allowing more flexible education opportunities. On March 19, the school is going to have its very 1st Agriculture Day with tractors out front.

Next speaker was Kristen Keltz

from Visit Skagit Valley, the Skagit Tourism Bureau.

They're promoting a sustainable tourism path forward where we're not changing the landscape and negatively impacting the place that we all live and work and play, but they also want to help promote the people that have businesses here that rely on those visitors that come. While La Conner relies heavily on tourists, those visitors that are coming to visit, we want to make sure that we're maintaining our quality of life for the people that are here and also grow that economy.

MISSION STATEMENT

Skagit Tourism is dedicated to sharing Skagit Valley's authentic story with reverence and pride. We celebrate and preserve the integrity of our vibrant communities, where all visitors are welcome to experience our charm and wonder. We are the leader in all tourism related activities and support economic growth through sustainable tourism. We promote the Skagit Valley for overnight stays and unforgettable experiences while maintaining our quality of life for residents and protecting our natural resources.

VISION STATEMENT

To be a premier, diverse destination with a robust tourism economy, strong and vibrant communities, and excellent year-round visitor experiences.

SKAGIT VALLEY

Spend time in Skagit Valley and you almost won't believe your eyes.
Here, the unspoiled natural views are truly amazing to behold, with colorful fields of flowers stretching endlessly into the distance.
Seaside sunsets dancing hypnotically over gentle waves.
And tree-covered mountains rising majestically to the heavens.
Not to mention countless other sights, sounds, smells, and flavors certain to surprise and delight your senses.
How did Mother Nature do this? How did she manage to put so much beauty into one place - where it can be explored, experienced, and enjoyed by all?
Far be it from us to reveal her secrets. It's up to you to DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF SKAGIT

The third speaker was Scott DeGraw to share a little bit about the Farmland Legacy Program.

The Farmland Legacy Program started in 1997 to protect the farmland in Skagit County from residential and commercial development. Today over 15,000 acres of farmland is protected and approximately 400 acres a year goes into the program. This valley has some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. If we want to keep agriculture here, we've got to keep a critical mass of farmland to keep the local infrastructure in place. More than 80 different crops are grown here commercially in the valley, and these are shipped around the United States and the world.

How do I benefit from the Farmland Legacy Program? There are four ways that businesses benefit from the program. It puts hundreds of billions of dollars into our local economy, providing jobs for farm services like consulting, fuel research, equipment dealerships, green companies, veterinary services, and, of course, all the businesses that come into your place to buy supplies for farmers.

For every cow that you see out there, $3,000 to $4,000 a year is spent on that animal that goes into our local economy. Every acre of potatoes that you see out there is $4,000 to $6,000 of revenue that's spent in local businesses. Secondly, we've got 115,000 acres of Natural Resources Land in rural reserve land in Skagit Valley. There is an additional half a million acres of resource land and forest land. This land provides many outdoor recreation opportunities to the people in our community, and is expanded on with our tourist bureau. Thirdly, the program also puts money into our local economy, because when developed land rights are sold, people have that money available for spending. Lastly, the bank is taxed at the lower rate when business isn't residential.

Our final speaker was La Conner Mayor Marna Hanneman

who previously served on the planning commission for 10 years. We have an emergency management commission, that has worked really hard to prepare. Do you have your bag packed? I love where I live and I know we all do. We've got the most amazing volunteers in our La Conner parks commission. I'm also proud of our arts commission. Our planning commission is doing an amazing job with our comprehensive plan.

We're a town of less than a 1,000 people. We have the same problems and the same concerns that larger cities have. We focus on public safety.

I want to say the biggest accomplishment from last year, for me anyway, was purchasing a fire boat. Our town’s community pulled together in the chili cook-off to get over $12,000, so the fireboats happened.

Family Promise

Amber Lang with Family Promise presented March 10 at our club meeting.

Family Promise was started 10 years ago and serves the homeless in Skagit County. They provide a variety of housing scenarios for families and offer case management, education on finances, parenting, life skills. Nov-March they offer seasonal shelter because of inclement weather. Year round they have rotational shelter with churches. During the day the families are at the day center and then each week a different church provides a meal and shelter daily. The progression typically is from the shelter (60 day max) to transitional housing where there may be multiple families to single family homes to permanent housing as the adults gain life skills and employment. In 2024 they served 193 families/ 393 children. The valley's vacancy rate is less than 1% so finding housing is difficult. They have a 80% success rate of getting families into stable housing. Funding comes from city, county and state governments, grants, churches and private donations. How can we help? Do a gift card drive, they use gift cards to help families gain food, do a shelter drive for specific items that the shelter needs. ie hygiene products, cleaning supplies, diapers. Attend their two fund raisers: tea party 5/17 or fall gala 9/6.

Susan Guterbock AG spoke to us about the upcoming district conference 5/2-4 at Tulalip. She did share several Canadians have cancelled their reservation because they are afraid they won't be welcomed in United States. (side note: very sad, one of Rotary's area of focus is peace and conflict resolution, all Rotarians are welcome to the conference) To register go to the district site rotarydistrict5050.org and to reserve a room call Tulalip at 866-716-7162 and be sure to mention Rotary

Membership 2025

At our February 24, 2025 Meeting, our guests for the evening were Beth Clothier and Olimpia Zuniga from Eagle's Nest ASB club. They thanked the club for the grant for the field trip to the aquarium. This field trip gives these migrant workers' children a chance to expand their horizons and experience something new. It allows them to grow and explore.

Christi shared an update from the membership committee.

1. She offered business cards to distribute to anyone we are talking about Rotary. the QR code is to our website.

2. Christi is updating the brochure and awaiting board feedback.

3. La Conner Thrives, a new non-profit whose goal is to bring people to La Conner, is working on organizing an ice cream social. To be held sometime this spring and the focus will be on the nonprofits in the area.

4. Planning a membership fireside chat with Kiwanis and Soroptimist

5. Christi plans to ask Shawn O'Donnell if possible to improve the technology in the restaurant to make Zoom a more interactive experience

RI president's saying for the year 2025-26 is Unite for Good.

Who We Are

We are a hands-on service club dedicated to improving lives locally and around the world. We do this by promoting and investing in literacy, public health and community service. We are the club people want to join, because we have fun while making a difference. Our La Conner Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Our tax ID# is 26-2730981. Learn More About Our Club

Please note that we meet most Mondays at The Farmhouse starting at 5:45pm. Please check the speaker list and/or event schedule for changes to the venue for the Monday meeting.