“Octopus whisperer” Dr. Laurynn Evans, also known as North Kitsap Schools Superintendent, provided the Sept 23 program for Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians.  Evans has been a diver for twenty years, and is known to have enticed an octopus or two out of their dens.  On one occasion she discovered a den off West Seattle, carefully marked it and told only one person about it.  Later they returned to the den to find a mother on eggs, the mother never to leave the den again, as she essentially passes after the gestation period of nine to twelve months. Octopuses give birth once, stop eating, and die.  

    About the schools thing.  Evans makes if a practice to update local clubs like Rotary annually.  This year the updates are drawing increased interest, resulting from coronavirus shutdowns.  

    A year ago, the district completed a strategic plan, which is being used extensively to inform current decision making, after Governor Inslee closed schools March 13.  Evans reports “everything at a distance is complicated.”  The district is leaning on “design thinking,” which is “moving fast, don’t be afraid to fail, getting things done is better than doing them perfectly.”

    Fortuitously, district voters approved a capital projects levy in 2018.  In addition to projects on the physical buildings, which are being accomplished while students are learning from home, the district used levy proceeds to purchase 2400 new devices and hot spots for kids in need.  Every student who needs one, has a device.  Elementary students are connecting through Seesaw software, while secondary students are relying on One Drive.  Both are participating in individual and group Zoom sessions.  Teachers are engaged in professional learning in a two hour session each Wednesday morning, with a concentration on best practices in delivering distance learning.

    The district has concentrated on social emotional learning - providing tools to students to process emotions while learning at a distance.  The district has “beefed up” communication, too, with website upgrades and weekly email updates to inform parents and others.  

    Of special concern is enrollment declines, especially at the kindergarten level, where parents appear to be holding their kids back during this time of Covid.  Kindergarten enrollment is sixty-percent of normal; overall district enrollment is down six percent.  Declines lead to lack of state dollars as a result. 

    When will schools reopen?  Evans can’t say.  She is in weekly meetings with the state’s Office of Public Instruction, Kitsap Health authorities, and regional school superintendents.  Social distancing, when reopening, places huge physical space constraints, which will likely lead to a hybrid approach.  There will be a gradual phase-in with higher need, younger learners in first.  

    Rotarians learned the district’s biggest need at this time is money for added hotspots and subscription plans for those lacking broadband access.  

Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club’s Sept 16 meeting began with its usual flag salute.  The salute was preceded by Club President Walt Elliott’s image of, and story about, the Kitsap 9/11 Memorial in Bremerton’s Evergreen Rotary Park.  Elliott visited the site 9/11/2020.  He encouraged Club members to go see for themselves, the twisted steel from the World Trade Center, the limestone from the Pentagon, and the stories of four airliners on a tragic day in our nation’s history.  The park is at 1300 Park Ave, Bremerton. 

    Another meeting preliminary, Happy Bucks, was turned on its head.  Jon Bucks.  It was reported that longtime Club member Jon Sole passed away late last week.  He was 81.  According to former Club President Clint Boxman, “Jon was behind the scenes on just about every project we’ve done in the last ten years, including Village Green Pavilion, high school football field lights, signature gathering to create the Village Green Metropolitan Park District, and construction of the electronic reader-board in Kingston.”  When asked what charity “Jon Bucks” should go to, Jon’s wife, Kathy suggested the Kingston Rotary Foundation.  Many members pledged Jon Bucks, which should be sent, by check, payable to Kingston Rotary Foundation, to Foundation Treasurer, Shaun Stephenson, c/o Columbia Bank, 26563 Lindvog Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346.  

    The meeting featured a brief video of a Portland, OR Rotarian who suggested recruiting new Club members, too, should be turned on its head.  Rather than making a pitch based on altruistic reasons, members should consider recruiting members based on how serving the community makes you feel.  He cited the benefits of service, including good health, longevity, tranquility, friendship, and happiness.  And in the words of Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians,  FUN.    

    Members will want to attend the Sept 23 meeting.  That’s next Wednesday at noon.  The featured speaker will be North Kitsap Schools Superintendent, Dr. Laurynn Evans.

A Covid-19-era record nineteen Rotarians “Zoomed” into the Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club’s Sept 9 meeting, including four visiting Rotarians from the Poulsbo Club. One of those visitors, Dan Weedin, was KNK Rotary’s meeting speaker.  Weedin, a twenty-seven year Rotarian, is the organizer of a  group in Poulsbo called the Racial Justice and Equality Working Group, which is made up mostly of Poulsbo Rotarians. 

    Weedin described how the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police impacted him.  He said his thirty-year old daughter asked “what are you going to do about it?  You should educate yourself.”  That was the genesis of the formation of the group, “to create a group of humans, not trying to solve anything,” said Weedin. The Poulsbo Club has about 130 members; “seventeen to twenty come to our every other week Working Group meetings.” The group’s first year goal is to “foster education and understanding,” according to Weedin.  

    At each meeting, the group talks about a different topic.  They listen to podcasts.  Read articles.  At one recent meeting, one of Poulsbo’s two black members was invited to share experiences.  The group welcomes everyone interested in coming to a safe place to learn.  Weedin said, “we don’t talk politics, we talk people.”  He said a long-term goal of the Working Group is for the Poulsbo Club to become more diverse, especially to get more Tribal involvement.  

    The next meeting of the Racial Justice and Equality Working Group is scheduled Sept 15 at 7 p.m.  For information on how to join the meeting contact Dan Weedin: 

dan@danweedin.com.  

    One other topic at the Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club’s Sept 9 meeting was Rotary Youth Exchange Open Houses, “Zoom events” to inform interested kids about the possibility of becoming an exchange student in the 2021-2022 school year.  There must, of course, be a worldwide vaccine first.  The goal is to recruit sixteen students through the Open Houses and other outreach means.  The Open Houses are scheduled Sept 14 and 17, 6-8:30 p.m., and Sept 20, 1:30-4 p.m.  For more information go to Rotary District 5020’s website, Upcoming Events.

Survey results are in.  The Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club’s committee to look into the possibility of a Club social justice statement conducted an anonymous Survey Monkey survey of Club members to determine their feelings whether the Club should have such a statement.  The one-question survey stated: “The Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club should have a social justice statement.”  It was emailed to forty-one members; thirty-two responded, as follows:  Eight strongly agreed with the statement, while eight others agreed.  No one had no opinion.  Nine members disagreed with the statement, while seven strongly disagreed.  An almost perfect, inverted, bell-shaped curve.  Serving on the committee are Chris Gilbreath, Isaac Anderson, Ron Carter, Doug Hallock, and Jessica Jetter.