Vice President Ryan Willis started the 14th meeting of the year and the 5,614th meeting of the Rotary Club of Everett with the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Liz Stenning presented a quote from Albert Camus “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

 

Dave Bolden, Father of club member Ashley Bolden, joined us for lunch and the meeting. Welcome Dave! Lynsey Gagnon and Marci Volmer joined us as well and will be inducted as new members soon.

 

Ashley Bolden: Rotary Community Coffee Hour. Wednesday, October 8 at 9:00AM. The Milk House Coffee Company.

 

Blood Drives are Friday, October 24th and December 22nd.

 

Janice Ellis: Welcome BBQ for our Rotary Youth Exchange student from Japan, Hakumi Matsumoto. Sunday, October 5 from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at Janice Ellis home. Please register for this event by Club runner, text or email to Janice.

 

Janice Ellis was a bell ringer happy about Rotary International Friendship Exchange last week. The guests from Hungary were very appreciative and had a wonderful time in Everett. Janice thanked the home hosts and all the people who helped make the Friendship Exchange a success. Strong work!

 

Neil Angst was Twenty Dollars happy for the Oregon vs Penn State game. Jerry Tucker is smiling. Ducks Win! He also noted there were no happy dollars for the WSU vs UW game last week.

 

Michael Kvistad was happy about Snohomish County Sports Commission annual banquet last week. He wanted to celebrate Past President Tammy Dunn for a great night out and a successful fund raiser.

 

Liz Stenning announced Historic Everett is holding a downtown Everett walking tour highlighting the historic buildings and the interesting history of our own Everett. Jack O’Donnell will lead the tour Saturday, October 4 at 11:00AM. Meet at the NW corner of Hewitt and Colby. Five dollars for members and $10.00 for guests.

 

Kari Quaas. Reminded us about Late Shift Everet. Its aim is to reinvigorate Everett’s nightlife by bringing new energy, connection, and creativity to the downtown core. Visit www.lateshifteverett.com for information about local live music, late night bites and local art.

 

Kari also recommended trying Tuesday Night Supper Club at Apex Everett in the 1611 restaurant.

 

Kari also reminded the members about the Everett Council of Neighborhoods Candidate Forum. October 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Weyerhaeuser Room, 3201 Smith Avenue, 4th Floor.

 

There was a reminder to donate more prizes to the Raffle Committee.

 

Brenda Mann Harrison presented an interesting discussion about the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters was founded by suffragists in 1920 after the 19th Amendment guaranteed American women the right to vote. The purpose of the League of Women Voters was to help newly enfranchised women to exercise their new rights as voters. The League is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels.

 

The League of Women Voters never supports or opposes candidates or political parties. They are a nonpartisan organization. Their mission is: Empowering votes, defending democracy. Their vision is: We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. Their Value: We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.

 

Members are anyone who is interested in democracy. The League is open to all genders who are over 16 years of age. Snohomish County has a roster of over 200 members. Volunteers provide voter registration and information, civics education and candidate forums, and encourage voters to “Get Out the Vote.”

 

Vote 411 is a website that provides personalized voting information. You can see what is on your ballot, check your voter registration, find polling places, and discover upcoming debates in your area.

 

The League also has information about resisting threats to Democracy. They encourage voters to keep informed on issues in their community and speak with local officials.

 

She also is on a local news education and advocacy committee that develop workshops for voters to learn how to be a savvier consumer of media and news. Workshops will cover tips to evaluate information, value of local news, and the power of critical thinking.

 

NEXT PROGRAM: Gregg Milne from Christmas House and a report from our Local Impact Recipient.