“Gollywobler Wine Days”
This Saturday from 7–10 PM at the Holiday Inn Express, Seward Rotary will be hosting this year’s fall fundraiser Gollywobler Wine Days. Join us for an evening of music, fine art, fellowship, and merriment as we raise funds to support Seward Rotary’s “Coats for Kids” project and some of Seward’s important youth activity programs: the Boys and Girls Club of Seward and the Seward Seahawks Booster Club. Last year’s Seward Rotary’s “Sun Over the Yardarm” event raised $2,000 for the Seward Mariner’s Memorial and we presented Christy Terry with the annual Rotary Vocational Award.
Your $35.00 ticket includes a delicious winetasting donated by Specialty Imports of Anchorage, light appetizers prepared by your gracious hosts, live music by the Spawning Humpies, and fine art from local artist’s Susan Swiderski and Jeannie Shirk . Please join us and support Seward’s youth activities and projects. Tickets will be available at the door, for more details visit us at www.sewardrotary.org .
Rotary Club of Seward – A Report to the Community
The 2008-09 was a very successful year for the Rotary Club of Seward. We would like to take this opportunity to present to the Seward community some of the club’s accomplishments over the past year.
The club’s Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) program was very active this year with outbound Seward HS student Nicole Hewitt spending the year in Budapest, Hungary. Incoming student “Dutch” Chansaengchote from Thailand was a welcome addition to the Seward High School student body (Club cost $6500). Thanks to our local host families: Hohl’s, Haddow’s, and Draper’s.
“Sun Over the Yardarm” (our fall wine tasting fundraiser) held in conjunction with the Seward Mariner’s Memorial Association, raised over $2000 towards Seward’s proposed Mariners Memorial. In past years the club supported community projects such as: the Community Playground, Skate Park Improvements, and Lagoon Boardwalk. Last fall club members built forms and poured concrete monuments for the Cemetery Project. The Cemetery Project will memorialize every person who has been buried at the Seward Cemetery.
In November, the club awarded a Community Vocational Award ($100 donation to Rotary Foundation) to Christy Terry, a non-Rotarian in Seward that exemplified Rotary’s four-way test in her professional life. The Rotary Four-Way test: 1) is it the truth? 2) Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Assembling Thanksgiving Food Baskets
The Rotary Club’s Annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Program ($1800) provided 27 food baskets to needy families in Seward, Alaska. Seaview Community Services has assisted the club over the last six years by gathering names and arranging for distribution.
The Rotary Club of Seward raised $6000 and joins eight other rotary clubs from around the world to support an international service project that provided low-cost laptop computers and wireless connectivity to an orphanage in northern Thailand. Providing computer literacy to orphans will improve the future prospects for a segment of society that generally has few opportunities as adults.
Club President Jeff Mow presents High School Principal Ginger Blackmon $1000 for High School Scholarships
In January, the Rotary Club of Seward initiated the Dictionary Project by presenting dictionaries to every 3rd grader at Seward and Moose Pass Elementary Schools. The Club supported the statewide Rotary initiative to provide dictionaries to every 3rd grader in Alaska ($100).
In conjunction with several local businesses, Seward Rotary members presented Junior Achievement curriculum at Seward Elementary, Junior, and High Schools. Two $500.00 scholarships were presented to Seward High School for general scholarship needs.
Nine new club members were inducted into the Rotary Club of Seward; this is a 27% increase in the size of the club to date. Club and club members hosted a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from Taiwan and a Rotary Friendship Exchange group from New Zealand. Club fellowship events and vocational tours were held for each team.
The club raised $2900 for the general programs of the Rotary Foundation. Rotary foundation is the non-profit foundation of Rotary International and funds a variety of project needs around the world. Seward club raised an additional $1000 towards club’s match of the $255 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Polio donation. Six club members became Paul Harris Fellows signifying individual contributions of $1000 to the Rotary Foundation (generally over the course of several years).
For more information about the club’s activities and complete information about our upcoming events, please visit our website at www.sewardrotary.org
Seward Rotary Welcomes Seven New Members
As a result of some very successful membership recruitment efforts over the last year, the Rotary Club of Seward has recently added seven new members to the club. In the last four months, Fritz Klasner, Ron Hewitt, Paul Rupple, Christy Terry, Carolyn Christensen, John Christensen, and Chris Bolton have all joined the club. Members were inducted over the course of 3 months during the regular Tuesday Noon meetings. For a club the size of Seward’s, this represents over 25% growth in membership over the last year. For most clubs throughout Alaska and North America membership growth has been flat or declining.
According to club president Jeff Mow “this has been a very good year for the Rotary Club here in Seward, especially in the area of membership recruitment. Linda Olsen has done a fantastic job following up with prospective members .” Linda’s efforts were recently recognized by Rotary District 5010 as the “District’s Top New Member Sponsor.” District Governor Cyde Boyer presented Linda with a Paul Harris Fellow designation which is generally based upon a contribution of $1000 or more to the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Great job Linda!
If you are interested in learning more about the Rotary Club of Seward, check out our website at www.sewardrotary.org.
Club President Jeff Mow assisted by club members Linda Altermatt and Linda Olseon induct Paul Rupple, Christy Terry, Carolyn Christensen, and John Christensen.
Rotary Initiates the Dictionary Project in Seward and Moose Pass
As part of an effort to promote children’s literacy by Rotary clubs across Alaska, in January the Rotary Club of Seward distributed dictionaries to third graders at elementary schools in Seward and Moose Pass. The Dictionary Project in Alaska is really part of a global effort to distribute dictionaries to all children. According to Seward High School Principal Ginger Blackmon, “the third grade is where students begin to transition from learning to read into reading to learn.”
This year the Anchorage South Rotary Club purchased enough dictionaries for every third grader in the state. Rotary clubs throughout the state including the Seward club have stepped up to the plate to help offset the initial cost and undertake the distribution for communities in their area. Seward Rotary member and Principal Blackmon headed up the club’s effort to initiate the program and to commit to it in future years. According to club president Jeff Mow “the dictionary project serves two of Rotary’s primary missions, to serve the local community and promote literacy.”
Clubmembers Kristi Larson, Blaine Bardarson, Margaret Anderson, and Diane MacDonald (NZ) visited Seward Elementary to distribute dictionaries. “Many of kids were pleasantly surprised when that they were told to write their names inside their books, they seemed very appreciative.” Principal Blackmon “flew solo” when she distributed dictionaries to the 7 third-graders in Moose Pass. For more information about the Dictionary Project or if you are interested in joining Rotary, please look us up at www.sewardrotary.org.
“Sun Over the Yardarm” Raises over $2000 for Seward Mariners Memorial
At their annual winetasting benefit held at the Holiday Inn Express on November 14th, the Rotary Club of Seward raised over $2000 to benefit the proposed Mariner’s Memorial in the Seward Boat Harbor. Live music, an art show, hors d’oeuvres, and a great selection of wines provided for a fun-filled evening. Seward Harbormaster Kari Anderson spoke on behalf of Mariner Memorial and Club President Jeff Mow thanked others in the community who contributed to the fundraiser’s success: the Holiday Inn Express for hosting the event; Specialty Imports for providing the wines;, Randy Altermatt and Joe D”Entrone the musicians, Gail Richards and Mary Ann Benoit the exhibiting artists, and Shannon Thorne for providing the hors d’oeuvres. The mission of the Mariner’s Memorial is: To honor the memory of those who have lost their lives at sea, or in some way contributed to Seward’s seafaring history. The memorial will be for those who once called Seward their home as well as those who graced our shores with a brief visit. The site will offer an atmosphere of quiet contemplation suitable for a memorial ceremony, the annual blessing of the fleet, or other occasions.According to Anderson: “Seward is one of the last port communities in the state that does not have a mariner’s memorial, this project has broad community support including a variety of individuals, businesses, organizations, and the City of Seward.” Members of the Kenai Fjords Yacht Club laid the ground work for the Mariner’s Memorial since its inception in 2003 and donated $1,000 to start a bank account at First National Bank Alaska under the auspices of the 2003 Seward Centennial. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to: The Seward Mariners’ Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 3544, Seward, AK 99664. If you would like to contribute your ideas for the center monument or energy to this effort, contact committee member Nancy Erickson at 224-5953, 491-1639 or email: nancye@ak.net.Each year the Rotary club of Seward selects a community project to benefit from the fall fundraiser, in 2007 the club raised over $3500 for the Community Playground. The club currently has a number of ongoing projects in the community including: Thanksgiving Food Baskets with Seaview, rehabilitating the skatepark, hosting Rotary Youth Exchange, The Dictionary Project with local schools, Junior Achievement, and the Seward Cemetery Project. For more information about the Rotary Club of Seward visit our website at www.sewardrotary.org.
Seward Rotary Recognizes Christy Terry with Vocational Service Award
On November 14th at their fall fundraiser held at the Holiday Inn Express, the Rotary Club of Seward recognized City of Seward Director of Planning Christy Terry with their 2008 Vocational Service Award. The award recognizes a non-Rotarian in the community who has exemplified outstanding professional achievement while maintaining very high ethical standards. Since 1932, the “Four Way Test” has served Rotarians around the world as the ethical standard:1) Is it the TRUTH?2) Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Christy Terry was recognized not only for her advancement within the ranks of local government, but also her role as an advocate for children’s issues in the Seward area. Christy and her husband Vaughn are the only licensed foster parents in Seward, and hence benefit other children in the community, beyond their own family. Christy is actively involved as a volunteer in recruitment programs sponsored by the Alaska Office of Children’s Services, and she is presently organizing activities in Seward for Adoption Awareness Month this month.
Christy is an active member of the Methodist Church. She serves as the Education Chair for that congregation, and she teaches Sunday school every week. Two of her children are participants in the Teen & Youth Council, and Christy was one of the leaders and an active volunteer in the Seward P.A.R.K.S. program.
Club president Jeff Mow also noted that “Christy proves the honesty of her vocation, volunteerism and life style by the fact that common practices of community service pervade every aspects of her life. She shows sensitivity and empathy by reaching out to children in need. Few would question the fairness with which she manages to get so much done. “
Terry was presented with a plaque and the Rotary Club of Seward will be making a donation in her name to the Rotary Foundation, the non-profit arm of Rotary International which supports a number of health and community building projects around Alaska and the world. More information about Seward Rotary can be found at their website: www.sewardrotary.org.
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