Founded 1909              Weekly News and Highlights         December 5, 2025
 

It's Holiday Party Time!

Monday, December 15
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Queen City Yacht Club

Annual Holiday Party 

Enjoy a night of seasonal socializing at our annual holiday party! The usual libations and food will be provided, and dancing is on tap again this year thanks to DJ Frankie Duong!

 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP TO ATTEND! 

Early 2026 Lunch Meeting Schedule

 

We will have event registration links up soon for our 2026 lunch meetings. Please mark these dates and speakers in your calendars!

Wednesday, January 7 at the WAC 

Wednesday, January 21 at the WAC with Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes

Wednesday, January 28 on Zoom with Dan Nelson of World Cup 2026

Wednesday, February 4 at the Motif Hotel with former Seattle University President, recently named Georgetown University President Eduardo Penalver

Wednesday, February 18 at the WAC with Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal

SRSF UPDATE

Wednesday afternoon the Rotary Club of Seattle and our Seattle Rotary Service Foundation were honored as one of the 25 Gates Foundation community partners recognized for the foundation's 25th anniversary.

Several of our club and foundation's own community partner organizations were in the room, as well as several club members employed by those orgs.

To be included in this group and to share this honor with other fellow community collaborators means a lot to our club and our foundation.

 

CLICK HERE to give to SRSF!

or 

CLICK HERE to make your pledge to give before January 31!

State Health Leader Says Federal Executive Orders Were a Gut Punch

 

President Jan opened the meeting with a classical beginning song, Mozart in the Morning Performance, performed by Linda Rough, Rick Russell and Vicky Oxley with Dr. Kia Sams on the piano. Charley Dickey was inspired by the resilience of Africa's resource-limited public health systems after witnessing real adversity on a Rotary International trip.  He shared various adversities he had experienced, how he gained strength from them and why success begins when you try once more.
David Bobanick and Cindy Sharek provided an update of the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation campaign that in its third month with about half our members having made a commitment. He described various levels of ‘matching’ amounts, encouraging Rotarians to donate online from the S4 website. He also encouraged Rotarians to support the work done by Rotary International.
President Jan introduced the day’s featured speaker as a visionary leader who brings more than 30 years of experience in public health to his new job.  Dennis Worsham took the helm as Washington State Secretary of Health in July with a focus on all sides to create better public health in Washington.
Read more...

When looking for holiday images for our party invite this year, I stumbled upon these fabulous pics of CURRENT CLUB MEMBERS at the 2014 soiree! 

Top image from left: Bill Fetterley, Lillian Sherman, Linda Rough (top), Fedva Dikmen.

Bottom image from right side: Ken Colling with Laurel James, Kathy Williams with Roberta Greer, Bill Center (bottom corner), Mark Wright.

Leadership Tomorrow Board Readiness Training Opportunity

LT Project LEAD—which stands for Leadership, Effectiveness, and Diversity—is a board training program designed for equity-centered, skilled, and passionate Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. The program equips participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step into nonprofit board service and make a lasting impact.

 

Key Details:

  • Information Session: December 16, 12-1 p.m. on Zoom - Register here
  • Priority Application Deadline: December 19, 2025
  • Final Deadline: January 16 (if space allows)
  • Program Dates: March 4, 2026-April 1, 2026. Program schedule available here.
  • Tuition: $600, with reduced rates available based on income

 

If you have someone you would like to nominate for this program, please fill out this interest form by CLICKING HERE.

Get Involved!

Monday, December 15
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Queen City Yacht Club

Annual Holiday Party

Our bartenders as 
always will be “Good Pour” Pete Delaunay and “Jolly” John Steckler. Rest 
assured we will be dancing again this year, thanks to a dj recommendation 
from Assunta Ng. See you there! 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Wednesday, December 17
12:30 PM
WAC

Invitation to our Christmas Card Kindness Initiative

This holiday season, we are delighted to continue spreading kindness and connection with the wonderful children of the Rotary Boys & Girls Club. Following the success of our Back-to-School Cards project, we invite every Rotarian to join us once again—this time with a festive twist perfect for the season of giving.

On Tuesday, December 17, at our in-person Rotary meeting, we will launch our Christmas Card Kindness Initiative. Each Rotarian is warmly encouraged to bring two cards (We will have large, colorful envelopes to place both cards):

1. One signed Christmas or Holiday card with your personal message of encouragement, joy, and kindness. (See examples below.)

2. One blank card, which will be given to a child so they can write a message to someone meaningful in their own life—a parent, a friend, a teacher, or anyone who deserves a little holiday cheer.

This simple act turns our gesture of kindness into something even more powerful: a ripple effect that teaches children the joy of giving, gratitude, and spreading holiday spirit. With your help, each child will feel celebrated and empowered to brighten someone else’s day.

I trust you will join Lori Walker, me, and our entire Education Group in making this heartfelt initiative a success. Together, we can help over 70 kids feel supported while nurturing the beautiful habit of kindness.

Thank you for bringing your generosity—and your cards and a pen—on December 17. Let’s make this a holiday season to remember.

Examples:

1. Merry Christmas! Wishing you a holiday filled with twinkling lights, cozy surprises, and a little bit of Christmas magic in every moment. There’s a blank card inside just for you—give it to someone special so you can sprinkle a little magic on their day too!

2. Ho ho ho! Hope your Christmas is full of giggles, sparkle, and wonder—just like you! You’ll find a blank card with this one. It’s waiting for you to write a message to someone you really care about—your own Christmas surprise!

3. Merry Christmas to a wonderful kid! May your holidays be filled with secret wishes, magical moments, and all the joy your heart can hold. Inside is a special blank card for you to give to someone dear—share a little Christmas magic with them!

4. Wishing you a Christmas full of magic dust, bright stars, and unexpected happy moments! There’s a blank card here just for you—write a message to someone you love and let them feel your Christmas magic too!

 

 
In an effort to better inform membership of the health of the club, we will start posting member additions and resignations after each month's club board meeting. October membership changes approved by the board are as follows:
 
New Members: Emily Yim, Tahsin Alam, Jim Wigfall
 
Resignations: Ev Billingslea, Ian O'Brien

LINKS TO RESOURCES

SPONSORS
 

REB Enterprises

Baird

Gates Foundation

CONTACT US

Rotary Club of Seattle
1326 5th Ave Suite 342
Seattle, WA 98101

Mary Goldie
Club Director
mary@seattlerotary.org

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!! 

Our Commitment to Social Justice

Seattle Rotary denounces racism and the marginalization of people from any group and in any way.
 
We ask all to stand in solidarity with members of our community who are experiencing any form of racism, xenophobia, or marginalization.
 
Upcoming Events
Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Board Meetings
Dec 18, 2025 12:00 PM
 
International Service Committee
On Zoom
Dec 19, 2025 10:00 AM
 
January 7 Lunch Meeting at the WAC with Susanna Southworth & Kristine Moreland, Rotary Club of the PNW to End Sex Trafficking
1325 6th Avenue
Jan 07, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Standard Time (UTC-08:00)
 
Education Interest Group Monthly Meetings
Zoom
Jan 09, 2026 10:00 AM
 
Local Service Committee Monthly Meetings
Zoom
Jan 13, 2026 10:30 AM
 
Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Board Meetings
Jan 15, 2026 12:00 PM
 
International Service Committee
On Zoom
Jan 16, 2026 10:00 AM
 
Mentor Committee
Jan 21, 2026 11:30 AM
 
January 21 Lunch Meeting at the WAC with Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes
1325 6th Avenue
Jan 21, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Standard Time (UTC-08:00)
 
January 28 Zoom Only Meeting: Dan Nelson, Fifa World Cup Security
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89436108062
Jan 28, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Standard Time (UTC-08:00)
 
View entire list

New Members in October

Jim Wigfall
Emily Yim
Tahsin Alam

CELEBRATING THIS WEEK 

December 5-December 11
 
Bill Hammond
Terry Van Nostrand
Kyle White

DECEMBER CLUB
MEMBERSHIP
ANNIVERSARIES

These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
 
2 Years
Logan Reilly
Collin Olden
 
3 Years
Jared Grose
Barton DeLacy
 
4 Years
Ryan Pong
 
8 Years
Paul Tsai
 
9 Years
Adel Sefrioui
Mary Wagner
 
11 Years
Jim Kraft
 
15 Years
Alan Bergen
Andrew Rapp
 
16 Years
Fred Grimm
 
18 Years
Brian Bruce
 
21 Years
Mark Wright
 
24 Years
Heather Fitzpatrick
 
31 Years
Linda Walton
 
33 Years
Jim Duncan
 
34 Years
Assunta Ng
 
45 Years
Skip Kotkins
 
46 Years
John Ellis
 
47 Years
Carl Behnke

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. 

SERVICE COMMITTEES
 

International Service
Maddy Vonhoff
 
Local Service
Jevon Powell
 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEES

 
Member Engagement & Recruitment
Sue McNab and Stephen Morse
 
New Member Introduction

Ani Black

Rotary Cares
Marsha Mutisi
 

PROGRAM AND MARKETING COMMITTEES
 

Music
Programs
Meeting Reporters
 

OTHER COMMITTEES

Finance

Get Connected!

1. Join our club's LinkedIn Group.
2. Recommend fellow Rotarians.
3. Include Seattle Rotary 4 in your profile. 
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.

Contact Marli Iverson at marli.iverson@comcast.net 
for additional information or visit the website at www.Music4Life.org.

ROTARY CARES


Would You Like Support from Your Fellow  Members? 

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. 
 
 
Marsha Mutisi:
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