Founded 1909 Weekly News and Highlights November 24, 2024
President Jon's Four Cs: CONVENING, CONNECTING, COOPERATING, and COMMUNICATING!
Next Lunch Meeting - After Thanksgiving Week
Wednesday, December 4
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM; Socialize @ Noon!
Plymouth Church
Merf Ehman, Columbia Legal Services
As executive director of Columbia Legal Services (CLS), Merf ) leads organization-wide efforts to prioritize advocacy that supports community-led social justice efforts that transform racialized systems and eradicate racism. Merf credits the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond for training, supporting, and challenging Merf and CLS staff on what it means to be an anti-racist organization.
Merf graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law with a concentration in affordable housing. Merf worked as an attorney with CLS for almost 10 years litigating civil rights, disability rights, and affordable housing cases as well as working on local and state legislation on these issues. Merf helps coach their son’s soccer team, participates in the WSBA’s Small Town and Rural Practice Committee and is on the board of the Housing Justice Project.
Our Responsive Rotarians answered the call to lend a hand during last week's Wellspring Lunch Volunteer Service Session. These 1 hour and 15 minute events allow members to find the time to do good in their local community and can be squeezed into a work day! Thanks to those that came out!
Under gray skies it seemed appropriate for Rotarians to hear about breakthrough treatments for depression from an internationally known psychiatric research expert, Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D.
As the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF), Dr. Borenstein leads the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Rotarian Mike Barrett introduced Dr. Borenstein as a leader in support of non-government funded research grants that are “out of the box” and innovative science.
“We all have someone in our circle of friends and relatives who have a psychiatric condition,” he began. “Our mission is to provide funds to research better treatments and new ideas for treatment and prevention of the psychiatric condition.”
Under his leadership, BBRF has provided more than $460M in grants to scientists worldwide. A scientific council of 195 top ranked scientists who decide who gets funded. This year 150 young scientists have received grants.
Do You Ski? Cynthia Chirot and Faith Ireland want to find ways for Rotary skiers to connect and as convenient meet up to ski. We will have a skiers table at the Dec. 18 meeting. Please join us to learn more and bring your own ideas.
Be on the look out in the new year for a comprehensive check-in survey as we ask members for their insights regarding recent implementations of Future Vision Task Force recommendations. These surveys are invaluable ways for us to ensure we get a full picture of how our fellow members are feeling about things and gives you an opportunity to suggest tweaks you might see fitting or new ideas you'd like us to consider. Do your part and respond when the survey comes through in the new year!
As a reminder, we have started accepting grant applications for local, large local, and international grants; please use the links below to access application materials!
Every grant proposal must have a club member as its primary advocate. That advocate cannot be a staff member of the organization seeking funding by the proposed grant. All proposal sections must be complete. The proposal must be approved by a sponsoring committee, signed by the current committee chair, and submitted to SRSF on the appropriate grant proposal form.
2025-2026 Rotary Club of Seattle/Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Ballot Posting This Week
I am still traveling and didn't get my laptop (or power!) back until yesterday (Saturday). I will be posting and sending club leadership elections materials when I get back to Seattle in a few days. Expect items in your inbox and/or on the club website by this Wednesday.
-Mary Goldie, Club Director
Get Involved!
Saturday, December 14
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wellspring Family Services
Holiday Volunteering and Gift Drive
Volunteers will support the Family Store program extension, providing holiday gifts for children facing homelessness and hardship. Tasks will include sorting incoming gifts, or packing orders to go directly to families. It will include light lifting and walking. Day of tasks will vary based on our greatest needs.
To find the required volunteer form AND register to attend, please sign up via the Our Mayberry event listing by CLICKING HERE.
Thursday, December 19
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Queen City Yacht Club
Annual Holiday Party
Please note that this will be a ticketed event this year for all members. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through Our Mayberry by CLICKING HERE. This year we welcome back the Seattle Rotary Mariners as our entertainment organizers. Live classic Christmas music will be provided by Sam Russell and the Harbor Rats, so bring your dancing shoes!
We love to see our Rotary members promoting good works in our community and abroad! If you have a project or fundraiser that you are excited about and would like to promote to your fellow club members, please check in with our Club Director, Mary Goldie, before distributing information or invitations through our email roster. We value the privacy of our members’ contact information and can let you know the appropriate ways to reach out to folks in our club. Thank you!!
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
4 Years
David Wu
Eric Piekarz
5 Years
Mary Johnstone
7 Years
Gene Boes
8 Years
Jaime Mendez
10 Years
Robyn Grad
22 Years
Terry Van Nostrand
32 Years
Dave Kraft
36 Years
Tracy Garland
37 Years
Sue McNab
Get Involved
Meet fellow Rotarians and get involved in service. See below for a list of committees. Email the committee chair by clicking on their name. Or, contact Mary Goldie for more information.
4. Invite your connections to a weekly meeting, and let mary@seattlerotary.org know so they may be introduced.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE to learn how to get started.
SEATTLE 4 ROTARY AUDIO VISUAL SPONSORS
Video of Seattle 4 Rotary Programs are available online thanks to the generous support of our Seattle Rotary Audio Visual Sponsors.
In addition to supporting our club, becoming a Seattle 4 Rotary Audio Visual Sponsor brings many benefits. To learn more, click here, or contact Mary for more details at mary@seattlerotary.org.
Do You Have Any Musical Instruments to Donate to Students in Need?
Music4Life is a non-profit and project of Rotary District 5030 that distributes musical instruments to public school students in need.
We welcome any gently used musical instruments you wish to donate. They can be delivered directly to these local music stores that are now open: American Music in Phinney Ridge and Kennelly Keys Music in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Please accompany your instrument with the PDF donation form, linked below.
Our Rotary Cares team is ready to listen and to support you. One of the wonderful things about our club is that you have many friends --you just need to reach out to tap into our amazing network of caring people. Please contact our Rotary Cares Committee Chair to let us know how we can help.
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