This week we will have several Chelan and Manson High School students as our speakers. Ella Polley and her friend Bella Gatzemeir, shown here, will be joined by fellow students who traveled together to Puerto Rico this summer with a group from Real Life Chelan to work on hurricane recovery projects. Come hear about what they experienced and learned while helping others.

Updated member information is needed in order to complete the 2018-2019 Rotary Directory for Lake Chelan Rotary, which is distributed to all clubs in District 5060's Area 8.  Last year's directory was routed at the August 7 lunch meeting with a request for member updates. If you were not in attendance and became a new member in 2017-2018, have changed your job, address, contact information, or PHF designation, or you would like your photo updated, please submit this information to Karen Pembroke at 425-894-3017 or [email protected] soon as possible. Photos should be head shots and jpeg images at least 300dpi. 

Thank you for ensuring that we publish the most accurate and up to date directory possible.

Sherry Chamberlain, our District 5060 Governor for the 2018-2019 year, engaged in several events with Lake Chelan Rotary this past week. Traveling with her husband Jim Chamberlain, Sherry's mission is to visit with every club in the District during the next year. Their visit to Chelan included a meeting with the Board to review operations and her goals for the club and District, and she was our featured presenter at the August 7 lunch meeting. Sherry shared her Rotary journey and stories of what has inspired her to be a Rotarian, and encouraged us to work and grow as a family as well as to welcome new members to our club. We also viewed the invitational video to the District 5060 Conference in May 2019, to be held in her home town of Kamloops, BC. She and Jim were hosted by our Area 8 Assistant Governor Rich Watson and Rotarian Mary Watson.

A link to Sherry's Governor's Message and information can be found on the District website at  Rotary District 5060

Operation: Storybook Libraries – Kenya

I have visited many countries in my years of traveling but can honestly say that my latest trip in May 2018 changed my life. I was honored to be able to accompany a group of Lake Chelan Rotary members on their most recent trip to Kenya. I did not know what to expect as I had only seen the country and the schools we were to visit in pictures. To be honest it was emotionally overwhelming, but in the best possible way. I quickly found that the people of Kenya are extremely inviting and friendly.

We visited three schools – Kisiriri Primary School, Landmark Junior Academy and Nkoilale Primary School. All of the schools had their unique challenges, but they all had one thing that was very prominent – very eager children that wanted to learn!

During our site visit at Kisiriri Primary School, I had the pleasure of doing a walkthrough of their campus and spoke with their board members. It was eye opening to say the least. One of the things I noticed as I was walking through the dirt floored classrooms was the lack of books. Not workbooks, but storybooks. I asked a teacher that was on the tour if I could see their library. She was excited to show me and escorted me to a locked closet in one of the classrooms and opened the door. I was astonished. Their “library” was a sparsely supplied closet that included only old workbooks and a few old magazines. I asked if the school had any storybooks or pleasure books for the students to read. Sadly, she told me they only had what was in the closet.

That Saturday morning, I made the decision to create a library. As a person who has worked in the education field for the past ten years, I know how storybooks can strengthen vocabulary and language

skills as well as stimulate the imagination.

Therefore, when I arrived back home I asked for donations from friends, teachers, and family. I attended school district surplus sales and I even found a coupon online and attended the bi-annual Scholastic Books warehouse sale (buy one, get one free). I explored every avenue that I thought would help me build libraries for these three schools.

I am happy to report that on July 27 ^th I successfully shipped two boxes (about 250 books) to Kisiriri Primary School and one box (about 125 books) to Landmark Junior Academy. I picked these two schools because I spoke specifically with each school’s administration on their desire to have a school library.  The first installment of books will arrive in mid-November. 

It is my intent to recruit and solicited donated books and ship every 3 – 4 months until each of the schools has 1,000-1,500 books in their school libraries. I am also planning on contacting Nkoilale Primary School through our Rotary contact to see if they wish to start building a library also.

Each library will eventually support children ages 6 – 14. Kenyan children are taught Swahili and English and all lessons are in English. I am accepting any type of book that can support a variety of reading levels, from early learning beginning readers through chapter books for the more advanced readers. The goal is to provide an avenue for these students to thrive through imagination and personal growth.

Do you contribute to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International through automatic payment withdrawals? Please remember to notify Linda O'Brian at [email protected] if you do to ensure that the additional $25 annual club contribution is made in your name. 

Club members who sponsor new members during this Rotary year will be awarded with a special Eagle pin to recognize their commitment to club development and growth. Honored so far this year are Lester Cooper, Micheal Steele, Don Lloyd, Connie Lorenz, and Hillary Kosen. 

Club Committees:  A Chair is still needed for the 2018 Chelan Chase in October and the 2019 Vineyard Run, and several committees need additional members.  Check out what is available and where you can make a difference on the club website at Lake Chelan Rotary Committees .

New Project Funds:  2018-2019 District 5060 Governor Sherry Chamberlain has announced that $500 is available to all clubs in our District to help initiate projects in our immediate communities. We must match this with our own $500 contribution. Do you have an idea for a new project? Submit a short request with a description and a photo to Ty Witt for consideration.

Rotary Leadership Institute:  Are you interested in attending Leadership training in Vernon, BC? A couple of our members have expressed interest, but there is opportunity for others to attend. For more information about the September session and registration go to Rotary Leadership Institute

If you are on a Community Service Team but do not yet have a "Rotarian at Work" t-shirt to wear to service events, please contact Phil Moller.

Many thanks to Jan and Kathi Fedor for hosting this month's social at their home on August 8, which was attended by 28 Rotarians and guests on a very hot evening.

Lake Chelan Rotary Club Community Service Chair Ty Witt has projects lined up through this fall. Specific project assignments, locations and times will be announced to the Community Service teams via email from the team captains. Projects are subject to change throughout the year. However, plan to participate by marking your calendar for the specific Saturday corresponding with your assigned Community Service Team. The schedule throughout the year is as follows:

Team 1: First Saturday of the month.

Team 2: Second Saturday of the month. The assignment this week is continuation of a community member's home in Chelan. Contact Randy Brooks or Don Lloyd if you need additional details.

Team 3: Third Saturday of the month. Watch for an email from your team captains for the August 18 project.

Team 4: Fourth Saturday of the month.

 

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