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.

A former Club member had the floor at last Wednesday’s Aug. 26 Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club meeting.  Sharon Kirkpatrick, a twenty-three year Navy veteran, told about her connection to “puzzling,” and how it is used with veterans with PTSD to bring back familiarity and reconnect brain synapses.  The idea is to make puzzles that are familiar to the veterans by making them from photographs they recognize.  Kirkpatrick works with a local company in Hansville, Puzzle Adventures (info@puzzleadventures.com).  Provide them the image.  They’ll make you a nine-piece puzzle for as little as $7, according to Kirkpatrick.  She says twelve-by-eighteen inch, three-hundred piece puzzles, are priced at $49.  In closing, Kirkpatrick said a Zoom call hello to long-time club members, including Doug Hallock and Fredrick Branchflower.

At their weekly meeting Aug 12,  Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians received a presentation from Chelsea Tate, Unit Director, North Kitsap Boys and Girls Club.  The Club operates out of Village Green Community Center in Kingston, even under Covid-19 restrictions.  

Three to four-hundred youths are served every year there.  On a typical summer day they have sixty kids, more like seventy-five on a typical day during the school year.  Rotarians learned the Club has the capacity to serve more kids.  

    The Club strives to keep fees low - a typical before and after school tuition is $345 per month.  They are able to help in-need families with scholarships that reduce the monthly cost. 

Sixty percent of the Boys and Girls Club budget comes from fees paid by parents, but it does not cover food, arts and crafts materials, and janitorial services.  The remainder of the budget is supported by grants, donations, and fund-raising.

    Chelsea, the Director, shared the two common misconceptions about Boys and Girls Club.  First, that is is just childcare.  She explained it is childcare-plus.  The Club, with a staff of six, helps kids with homework, they focus on interpersonal skills and communication, they contribute in the community by doing community projects, such as cleaning up Village Green Park, and they explore a variety of arts and crafts, including photography and STEM activities.  The other major misconception is that Boys and Girls Club is free.  

    For more information, Google “Boys and Girls Club of North Kitsap.”

New District Governor Greg Horn, of the Lakewood, WA Club “zoomed” into Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club’s noon meeting, Wednesday, Jul 29.  Greg reminded members about the importance of the Rotary Foundation and its important accomplishments.  He also pointed out the Rotary International Foundation has received the highest award twelve years in a row from Foundation rating organizations.  Most importantly the District Governor awarded five Paul Harris Awards - marking contributions to the Foundation - to members of the KNK Rotary Club.  Each award marks a $1k milestone in giving.  President-elect Chris Gilbreath received his first Paul Harris.  Second Paul Harris awards were presented, virtually, to Jackie Wood and Doug Hallock, while Bill Bedoin and Helen Ralph received their third Paul Harris.  

    The meeting’s program was presented by Bobbie Moore. Bobbie has been a member of the worldwide organization known as Toastmasters since 1994.  Recently, Rotary and Toastmasters formed an alliance, an alliance that allows Rotarians to make presentations at Toastmasters meetings and receive feedback, while Toastmaster members may address Rotary conferences.  Bobbie pointed out Rotary and Toastmaster geography and organizational ambitions overlap, most notably opportunities for service, and networking activities.  She notes Toastmasters practices the art of civility, where criticism is balanced and constructive.  “They teach to listen without interrupting.  It is all about personal effectiveness.  I consider Toastmasters the ultimate self development tool.”  The local Toastmasters Club meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in Poulsbo and guests are welcome.  For more information, feel free to contact Bobbie at:  elliottmoore@comcast.net. 

    The Scouts of local Troop 555 are back on the trails.  Literally.  As will be reported in a forthcoming story in the Kingston Community News, Scouts hiked in the Olympic Mountains in June, biked Heritage Park Trails in July, and helped with “Trash your Trash”, picking up litter in Kingston’s Port to Park area, as part of Scoutings work around the world to clean up places they live.   

    Why does this matter?  Because Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club is a charter organization in support of Troop 555 and the local Cub Scout Pack. Rotarian Doug Hallock is the Club’s charter partner representative.  Under his guidance a separate committee of scouting alumni of Troop 555 and interested Rotarians is in action to restore the Scout Hall in Kingston’s Kola Kole Park.  It is hoped restoration can begin soon, following fund raising, architectural work, and permitting.  It is hoped the historic Scout Hall, built in 1961, will be ready for group activities by the beginning of this academic year. 

The omega and alpha - last and first - of the Rotary year is upon us.  June is the last month of the Rotary year; July the first.  It is good.  Those in leadership the past year are ready.  Ready to hand over the reins to the next group who have stepped up, volunteered.  That Rotarian, the one ready to hand over the reins, is Bill Maule.  Some call him “Rotary Bill.”  The group that stepped up, volunteered, is led by Walt Elliott.  He’s been called “Walt the Salt.”

    Bill became a Rotarian at the age of 73, less than two years after the tragic loss of his wife to pancreatic cancer.  He did so at the urging of his cousin Mike, a Rotarian for decades. At almost ninety years of age, most would expect to be stepping down from civic and community activities.  Not Rotary Bill.  He stepped up to become Kingston North Kitsap’s Club President a year ago.  Bill’s career as a State Department Foreign Service Officer had him quite comfortable doing the Club’s International Services work.  Holding its Presidency was quite another matter. 

    As he looks back on his year in office, Bill is proud to have accomplished one of his personal goals for the year, that of building a training fund for Club members to offset fees and travel costs involved in attending Rotary District and International training.  “Oops, the pandemic eliminated those training sessions.  But the money is there, ready to tempt our members when training begins again.”  “As an old Boy Scout, I was pleased that our Club is now the official sponsor of Kingston’s Scout Troop #555 and Cub Pack #555.  I think six of us members who are old Eagle Scouts are especially gratified.”

    Maule’s year is office was challenged like none who have gone before him, except perhaps those of a hundred years ago - yes Rotary was around then, too.  “In my nearly ninety years of life, there has been no time more disruptive of our daily lives, not even those during World War II.  But we were able to continue, holding our weekly Club meetings and our monthly Board meeting via Zoom.”

     In signing off, Rotary Bill states “It has been a great honor to serve as President of the Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club for the year just ending.  I can think of no other group that I would prefer to work with.  Our Board and members have worked together harmoniously to follow our goals, to be the people of action doing service here in Kingston and elsewhere in the world.  I retain my view that our Club remains small but mighty.”

    On to the alpha of Rotary’s year, the month of July.  Walt Elliott, a Kingston resident since 1989 and Navy retiree since 2000, is president for the next year.  Walt grew up in the Bronx, in apartments that were a 1940’s haven for families returned from World War II. It was a city kid’s life.  Rockefeller Center with skating, the movies and the Rockettes.  Swimming from the East River docks.  By the 1950’s the family was in Bay Shore, the suburbs, on Long Island. “Bay Shore was like Kingston but flat as a pancake.  Life was messing around with boats.”  And that life was to be continued.  After graduation from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Walt had a career in submarines, retiring as a Captain (O-6 rank).  He served on seven subs, including the USS Henry Jackson, a ship that came with a Scoop Jackson - long time U.S. Senator from Washington state - fan club.  His assessment of what a career in subs means is this: “Two things: quality and responsibility.  What was quality was for me an intimate career with nuclear submarines, the most complex machines in the world.  Responsibility is a unique concept.  If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance, or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else.”

    Walt Elliott, and the other half of Team Elliott-Moore, Bobbie Moore, have been  Rotarians since 2012.  He has served on Kingston’s Citizens Advisory Committee, its Parks and Trails Committee, the state Ferry Advisory Committee, and he served a term as a Port of Kingston Commissioner, campaigning for the office as “Walt the Salt.”  In his spare (?) time, he writes a Ferry column and cartoon for the Kingston Community News.  Bobbie has spent two decades making the Village Green a reality and is a Park District Commissioner.  It looks as if the small, but mighty Club is getting a “two-fer” this coming year.  Walt and Bobbie.  Quality and responsibility. 

In his last official act as 2019-2020 Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club President, Bill Maule named Dan and Nancy Martin as co-Rotarians of the month.  Maule said, “Dan has the most Rotarian service by far, and he has the most Paul Harris awards.”  He further cited the couple in activities outside Rotary, with their service to the community, the Chamber of Commerce, “you name it.”  Dan Martin.  Nancy Martin.  Rotarians of the month.

     Rotary International is composed of clubs around the world.  The most recent Rotarian Magazine had a piece on global etiquette.  Did you know, when getting off an elevator in Poland, say “thank you” to your fellow riders.  In Brazil, call people by their first name, while in Germany do not address a person who is not a friend or longtime acquaintance by their first name.  In Peru, kiss a woman on the cheek when you are introduced to her by a friend.  In Korea, don’t pick up rice or soup bowls from the table when eating, but in Japan and China, is is appropriate to do so.  Finally, in Japan, bow, don’t hug as a greeting.  And don’t talk on the phone on public transportation.  It is considered rude.