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Gateway Rotary Club members are community leaders in Thurston County ranging across all sectors of business from nonprofit to higher education, real estate to finance. The club meets weekly to discuss community service projects and events, network amongst each other, and learn from industry leaders on community-specific news. Gateway Rotary provides members an opportunity to get involved through both local and worldwide service efforts.

Outgoing President Len Faucher message to the Club

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 25, 2020

This is a Group Email to Gateway Nation, and I apologize, but since we don't have a chance to meet in person, this will be longer than I would prefer it to be:

I expect this will be my last email in this role. I hope you will be able to join us at this coming Wednesday morning’s meeting at 0700. In addition to a fantastic program with speaker Sheriff John Snaza, we will be honoring the outgoing board, welcoming Janine Ezzell as her presidency commences, and handing out our prestigious annual awards to members of Gateway Nation.

This is an important time to recognize the hard work that several folks put into this club. Whether it be organizing meetings, fundraisers, the BBB, service projects, literacy projects, or vocational programs, it takes time and energy, mostly behind the scenes, to make it successful. Your board of directors and committee chairs offer much of that energy and have done a great job this year, especially handling the new COVID crisis. These folks have raised their hands and taken on many thankless roles demonstrating service above self. In normal times, we hold an enjoyable dinner with frivolity and fellowship. However, those times are on hold for now. I hope you can join our Zoom meeting Wednesday to give appreciation to their work and join me in thanking them.

To keep with Gateway tradition, we are going to ask each board member to sign a children’s book that we are donating as part of our literacy program. As such, I have purchased and will donate books this year and will be announcing their titles as they match with board members at Wednesday’s meeting.

Here are the board members from 2019-2020 who will be recognized:

Youth Protection Officer David Bangart

Youth Services Committee Chair Nathan Magee

Social Committee Chair Crystal Zabala

Vocational Committee Chair Grace Kendall

Public Image Committee Chair Troy Kirby

Membership Committee Chair Shannon Glenn

Literacy Committee Chair Laurie Carroll

Foundation Committee Chair Nate Peters

Club Administration Committee Chair John DeHan

Club Service Committee Chair and Director Doug Mah

Immediate Past President Kim Bauman

Sergeant-at-Arms Madelin White

Treasurer Michael Jones

Secretary Jerry Wilkins

Vice President Amanda Vey

President Elect Janine Ezzell

Additionally, we will be presenting our annual awards for 2019-2020:

Tom and Jerry Award – Presented by last year’s winner Jim Mack

President’s Award – Presented by this year’s President

Service Above Self Award – Presented by this year’s President

Rotarian of the Year – Presented by this year’s President

Lastly, we will have Assistant Governor Bill McGregor induct our officers for 2020-2021.

In addition to thanking our board, there are so many others who deserve special recognition. I will miss someone and I apologize in advance, but I did want to recognize the following:

Earlier this year when we were in person, our set-up required three people to come early and put everything together. This included setting up the banners, spotting the microphone, and ensuring the electronics were ready. I’d like to thank and recognize Jerry Farmer, Ed Johnson, and Troy Kirby for their consistency and dependability.

Additionally, I appreciate the ending of each of our meetings including the raffle. As we switched to Zoom meetings, I decided to keep this FUN and energetic portion of our meetings to keep some sense of normalcy. I want to thank Lowell Gordon for his continued role at showing us that we are all winners and Martin McElliott for filling in during his absence.

I’d like to thank all the greeters this year, but want to highlight two familiar faces who were either at the administration table or at the entranceway to the bar. Thank you Mike Robbins and Curt Vaniman for making everyone feel welcomed.

I would also like to thank our past presidents: Tom, Mike, Jonathan, Jerry, Eric, Jeff, and Kim. You continue to be great ambassadors for Gateway Rotary and were always there to support the leadership team in place this year. Thank you.

I'd like to thank the presidents from the other regional clubs as well as the Area 13 Assistant Governor Bill McGregor and District 5020 Governor Mo Fritz-Roberts for their leadership and patience in answering my questions.

As current leadership continues to discuss next steps for COVID and considerations for coming together again, we have to make recognition and considerations for this year’s board over Zoom and not in person. I cannot thank everyone above enough and hope you will be there Wednesday to pass your best as well. If YOU want to take a leadership role in this club, I say DO IT. You get a chance to directly impact your community for the greater good.

So a quick recap:

Thanks again to everyone for a FUN year. At the first meeting in July, I gave my vision for the year as “growing an uncommon club focused toward extraordinary results” and had three goals of Highlighting Membership Engagement, Increasing Community Awareness, and Branding Rotary Regionally. We have gone from 114 members to nearly 130 with many participating in one or more committees. Through our record setting BBB, partnership with the Lacey Food Bank, and over several different types of service projects, we have increased community awareness in Gateway Rotary as seen through our nomination by the South Sound Chamber of Commerce. Through speaker programs and partnerships with other clubs, we have made some progress at branding Rotary in our region. We have so much more to do, and we are in great hands moving forward as Janine and Amanda take over as President and President Elect for this year. But I do feel we remain a unique and uncommon club that is succeeding with implementing extraordinary results.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to humbly thank Gateway Rotary for the FUN opportunity of serving as President over this year. I truly consider it one of the greatest jobs I have ever had and am sad in some ways to see the year come to an end. I will continue to serve the club in whatever capacity I can and look forward to being a somewhat quiet voice in the background as we move forward. Thank you once again and I hope to see you on Wednesday.

Best Regards,

Len Faucher

President, Gateway Rotary Club

360-870-0003

rotarylen@gmail.com

Click Here for President Faucher's final presentation on June 26, 2020

Gateway Rotary supports COVID-19 Testing Site

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 05, 2020

Curt Vaniman, representing Gateway Rotary Club, on June 5, 2020, as club members delivered sandwiches and drinks to frontline workers at the Hawk Prairie Providence Health Care COVID-19 testing site. Thank you to all our frontline workers.

Tom Carroll selected for RI 2019-20 Service Above Self Award

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on May 07, 2020

Past District Governor Tom Carroll was selected by the Board of Directors of Rotary International as a recipient of the 2019-20 Service Above Self Award, Rotary International's highest honor. The award recognizes those Rotarians who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, in any form and at any level, with emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary. A maximum of 150 recipients worldwide may be selected each year.

Please join me in congratulating Tom for this well deserved honor and to thank him for his dedication and commitment to Rotary as a whole and to our Gateway community. Thank you Tom!

Len Faucher

President, Gateway Rotary Club

FREE ONLINE DISTRICT TRAINING-SATURDAY MAY 16, 2020

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Apr 15, 2020

TRAINING WITH A DIFFERENCE

Due to Covid-19, Rotary District was unable to hold the annual District Training in person. They recognize the importance of these training sessions in providing important education and information for the new Rotary year. So They have created District Training via Zoom (DTvZ) which will offer key training courses online for free on May 16^th, 2020.

Attending DTvZ will not only give you some amazing training, it will also help you connect with fellow Rotarians. So while we cannot get together in person during this time, you can still be part of Rotary with Rotarians all over our district.

HOW IT WORKS

District Training via Zoom (DTvZ) will be held online from 10am-4:30pm on Saturday May 16^th, 2020. This is a free event and is open to all Rotarians.

We will be offering five different sessions over the day with each session offering six different courses. For each session, every attendee will pick from one of the six courses being offered during that session. You do not need to attend all five sessions.

You must register online to attend. Links to the training courses will be sent to all attendees who have signed up nearer the time. On the day, you will just need to click the link, relax, learn and enjoy!

For more information and registration go to: https://rotary5020.org/page/district-training-via-zoom

April meetings to be ZOOM meetings

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Mar 30, 2020

Fellow Gateway Rotarians,

Our club is a vivid example of how connectivity is important for our society. Perhaps like me, you may find yourself recharged and energized through meeting fellow Gateway Rotarians at our weekly meetings. Social distancing and adhering to guidelines provided by government officials and our medical community will hopefully flatten the curve and shorten the effects from this coronavirus pandemic. However, that social distancing has removed the connection that each of us so desperately needs.

Gateway Rotary hopes to provide some connection by welcoming folks to participate in online Zoom meetings beginning this Wednesday, April 1^st. This will be a different format and will most likely involve a few unrehearsed glitches. But it is a way for us to get together, share ideas, and exercise some type of fellowship through these challenging times. Please watch for an email from our President Elect Janine explaining how to sign in.

In addition to weekly meetings, Gateway will explore other ways to connect and encourage you all to do the same. Please look at ClubRunner and call a friend to find out how someone is doing. If you are looking for ways to help, find someone who might need your help. If you are in need of something, ask your fellow Rotarians. Gateway will also be looking at ways of having other “socials” online and please keep an eye open for our activity on Facebook. Please also watch for committee meeting invites from committee chairs. Through these strange times, let’s find other ways to rekindle connections.

So I do hope to see as many of you as possible this Wednesday, same time 0700. Our program will include the following:

Len – What is Gateway Rotary doing these days?

Dr. Randy Moeller – Update on COVID-19

In line with what the Governor has requested, we have officially cancelled all in person April meetings. Instead, we hope this new format of Zoom meetings will be a FUN way to move forward.

I am hoping we can have some happy moments to brighten our daily lives.

Thank you again for all you do, and please watch for Janine’s email.

Best Regards,

Len Faucher

President, Gateway Rotary Club

360-870-0003

rotarylen@gmail.com

Gateway Rotary Cancellations through end of March

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Mar 15, 2020

After careful consideration and collaboration and in following with public health directives to ensure social distancing and minimizing larger gatherings, Gateway Rotary leadership has decided to cancel all its activities through the end of March including the next two regular Wednesday meetings (3/18 & 3/25), all service projects, and the Paul Harris Dinner.

Gateway leadership will continue to follow the advice of local, state, and federal agencies on recommended actions and will update the club accordingly if timelines are extended.

As always, thank you for your understanding.

Best Regards,

Len Faucher

President, Gateway Rotary Club

360-870-0003

rotarylen@gmail.com

Read Across America

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Feb 23, 2020

We Need You! Pleasant Glade Elementary is celebrating Read Across America with a Read Aloud Day on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. We need volunteers to read aloud for about an hour in a classroom. It involves a brief introduction where you tell the kids about yourselves, read one or two books to the class and then a short conversation. The kids are amazing and this is a fun experience (kids say the darnedest things). Volunteers may bring their own books or select from a variety of books selected by the librarian.

The school is K-5. Once signed up, I will forward your contact information to Anne Hales and she will coordinate with you and answer any questions you may have.

You may bring your favorite read aloud books. There will be a variety of books selected for each grade level if you would prefer to choose one from the PGE library. When you arrive, Anne Hales, the librarian will provide you with a list of your classes and a map. Currently each volunteer slot is for three class visits. The schedule could be modified if a shorter time period is necessary. The hope is that the readers will have the chance to introduce themselves, read a book or two, and have a short conversation with each class.

You can sign up at:

https://gatewayrotary.net/event/read-across-america---pleasant-glade-elementary/

Available time slots

8:30-9:45

9:30-10:45

9:35-1045

9:40-10:45

9:45-10:50

12:00-1:50

1:25-2:35

If you have any questions, contact me. Laurie Carroll

CANCELLED District 5020 Conference

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Feb 16, 2020

We welcome you to join our 2019-2020 District Governor, Mo Fritz-Roberts, at the 2020 District Training & Conference (DTAC 2020). The Victoria Conference Centre is the destination for a great time to reconnect, reflect and share with fellow Rotarians.

You will have the opportunity to attend training sessions, hear an array of nationally recognized speakers, and most of all, get to know and share with fellow Rotarians from around our district. Come have fun with your Rotary friends and new friends as we celebrate Rotary connecting the world and look forward to the Rotary year ahead!

Click Here to go to the District 5020 Conference web page for the conference May 15-16, 2020 in Victoria B.C.

EVENT CANCELLED Annual Paul Harris Dinner - March 19, 2020

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Nov 03, 2019

The Annual Paul Harris Dinner celebration will be conducted on March 19, 2020. The event starts at 5:30 pm at the Hotel RL, 2300 Evergreen Park Dr SW, Olympia, WA 9850. New Rotarians to Rotary during this year will receive a discounted price of $26.50. In addition, new Paul Harris Fellows will also be offered the discounted price. Early registration to all other Rotarians is $35.00 (if registered and paid by January 15th). The post January 15th price will be $40.00.

Please go to https://www.paulharrisdinner.com/ to register for the event. The front page will ask a question on if you are a new Rotarian/Paul Harris Fellow - if yes, it takes you to the discounted registration page ($26.50 per) or if no, it takes you to the early registration page ($35.00 per).

December Social & Pleasant Glade Service Project!

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Nov 18, 2019

The Service Committee and Social Committee are joining forces to make a difference for PGE children and families. This year we are helping Pleasant Glade Elementary with both their Food Drive and their Giving Tree.

Please plan on joining us at the Club Social on December 5th, 2019. We will be meeting at the River's Edge restaurant at the Tumwater Valley Golf Course from 4 - 7 pm. Please bring the canned goods and desired presents to the Social and.be prepared to wrap! In addition to the gifts/canned foods, we will need wrapping paper/tape/scissors/bows/name tags for the actual wrapping of the items.

If you cannot attend the Social, you can still help! Please plan on bringing cash/canned foods to any of the upcoming meetings leading up to the December Social.

Please sign up for the specific gift you would like to purchase ahead of time to avoid duplication.

Please visit here:

https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8353/Event/december-social-2

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Courtney Williams.

November is Rotary Foundation Month

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Nov 14, 2019

Whether you are a newer member to Gateway Rotary Club or a long-time Rotarian, you can participate in the Rotary Foundation Month activities! Every gift to the Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. For more information, visit www.rotary.org/foundation. Thank you to those that have made gifts already!

To inspire our club members to participate, The Foundation Committee is excited to announce the below fundraising opportunities now through the end of the month:

$25 gift = Candy Bar | Select a candy bar of your choosing for making a gift of $25 or more to the Rotary Foundation. A gift of $25 makes you an Every Rotarian Every Year donor.
Give $100, Get 100 | For every $100 gift to the Rotary Foundation, you become a Sustaining Member donor of the Foundation (and will receive a blue sticker for your name tag) and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar for Paul Harris Fellow points up to 100 points. This will get you to your next Paul Harris Fellow level much quicker.

You may make a gift online at www.rotary.org/en/donate after creating your own profile on Rotary International online here. You can also make out a check to “The Rotary Foundation” and deliver it to Nate Peters or Club Treasurer Mike Jones to be sent in.

October Young Professionals Rotaract Club events

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Oct 22, 2019

Join us for the October Young Professionals Rotaract Club meeting this Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Harned Hall 110. The program topic is leadership and management presented by Ramiro Chavez, county manager for Thurston County. Ramiro leads a large, complex local government agency with many employees. We'll have food and a drawing for prizes!

The Rotaract Club members will be joining the Gateway Rotarian for the Pin for Polio event at O'Blarney's Irish Pub on Thursday, Oct 24 starting at 4 p.m. $2 per pint will be donated toward the Rotary International PolioPlus initiative for eradicating the Polio disease. Hope you can join us!

The Saint Martin's Young Professionals Rotaract Club is sponsored by the Gateway Rotary Club of Thurston County. Gateway Rotarians are welcome to attend all monthly programs. In this partnership, Gateway provides annual funding and speakers. Saint Martin's helps introduce Rotary to younger professionals through meeting attendance, service projects and professional development.

September is Literacy Month

Posted by Laurie Carroll on Aug 30, 2019

September we celebrate literacy and basic education, one of the six areas of focus for Rotary. Did you know that 1 in 3 American children start Kindergarten without the skills they need to learn to read? Developing literacy skills early makes it easier for kids to learn to read. Reading aloud is the single most important activity leading to language development, sound and letter recognition, understanding of how stories work, vocabulary, and the ability to listen.

Once again we are having a book drive, collecting new or gently used books for ages birth to high school. These books will be donated to the South Sound Reading Foundation. (www.southsoundreading.org) Their mission is to ensure that all children and families have access to books. They are most in need of board books for babies, beginning readers (level and easy chapter books), Spanish and bilingual books and high quality non-fiction.

So Gateway Rotarians, start cleaning out your kid’s books, pick up books while you are at the store, visit a garage sale, and purchase all the kids books you can find or put a box in your place of business and collect there. Also, here is a link for an Amazon wish list for South Sound Reading Foundation.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/368Y1C96QBGOU/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_3?_encoding=UTF8&type=wishlist

This is a contest with the Lacey Rotary Club ending the end of October. We have been beat soundly the past two years. Lets not make it three in a row for them.

Young Professionals Rotaract Club

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Aug 27, 2019

This month’s Young Professionals program will feature the Lacey MakerSpace. The program will be held at the Lacey MakerSpace, on campus in Zaverl Hall, and hosted by Lacey MakerSpace Director Joseph Anderson beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Learn about this innovative community asset located right on the Saint Martin's campus and how it can benefit you. Join us for snacks and a prize drawing! Learn more online: laceymakerspace.org. The Young Professionals Rotaract Club is sponsored by the Gateway Rotary Club of Thurston County. Gateway Rotarians are welcome to attend all monthly programs. In this partnership, Gateway provides annual funding and speakers. Saint Martin's helps introduce Rotary to younger professionals through meeting attendance, service projects and professional development.

Event information:

TOMORROW— Wednesday, Aug. 28
3:30-4:30 p.m.

Lacey MakerSpace in Zaverl Hall (online campus map)

President Len Faucher presents State of the Union

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jul 10, 2019

The Gateway Rotary Club 2019-2020 President, Len Faucher, presented his State of the Union message to the club for the upcoming year at the weekly meeting on July 10, 2019. Click here to review Len's presentation.

District Governor to speak at August 15 Luncheon

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 27, 2019

There will be a consolidated luncheon for local Rotary clubs in Area 14 and Area 13 on August 15, 2019, for the 2019-2020 Rotary District 5020 Governor Maureen Fritz-Roberts (Mo). She has 91 clubs in the District to visit and conducting a multi-club luncheon assists her in travels to visit the clubs.

Attending club presidents will provide a two-minute verbal presentation on their clubs fundraising event(s), community involvement, and any international work with which they may be involved.

The luncheon on August 15 will be at the Saint Martin’s University Worthington Center. The lunch will start serving at 11:45 a.m. and the meeting program will start at 12:30 p.m. and conclude at 1:30. The meal cost will be $15 for Salad, Entree, Soup, Beverage (Iced Tea, Coffee and/or water) and a Desert. There is a $10 cost for just Soup and Salad, Desert and Beverage. Otherwise, there is a $3 cover charge that includes Beverage only.

President Len Faucher will be the person to make reservations with to attend. Should a member commit to attending and then not show, the individual will be charged.

This Thursday luncheon on August 15 will be in lieu of the Gateway Rotary weekly Wednesday meeting on August 14. Please make plans to attend this event.

Sponsor, Volunteer and Support - Brats, Brews and Bands Festival

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 27, 2019

The Gateway Rotary Club is hosting the 7th Annual Brats, Brews and Bands Festival on September 7, 2019 at The Hub At Woodland Square, in Lacey, Washington.

Janine Ezzell is the Chairperson of this year’s event. There will be a huge requirement for volunteers so mark the date on your calendar and plan to participate. This is the club’s premier fundraising event.

BBB Sponsorship Opportunities

"Event" Sponsor - $5,000
"Octoberfest" Sponsor - $3,000
"Matterhorn" Sponsor - $2,000
"Top Brat" Sponsor - $1,000
"Brewmaster" Sponsor - $500
"Keg Club" Sponsor - $195
"Friends of BBB" - $50

One of the premiere events of the South Puget Sound area, The “BBB” features several live bands, a wide assortment of craft beers, ciders and Washington wines. There is also a variety of specialty brat offerings.

Tickets and event information is available at: http://www.bratsbrewsandbands.com/

New 19-20 Board Installed and Awards Announced

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 26, 2019

The Rotary Club of Gateway-Thurston County, which meets at the O'Blarney's Irish Pub at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays, installed its new Board of Directors during its weekly meeting on June 19, 2019. They are: President: Len Faucher; President-Elect: Janine Ezzell; Vice President: Amanda Vey; Treasurer: Michael Jones; Secretary: Jerry Wilkins; Sergeant-at Arms: Madelin White; Director, Service Projects: Doug Mah; and Past President: Kimberley Bauman.

Committee Chairpersons for the upcoming year are: Administration: John DeHan; Youth Service: Nathan Magee; Membership: Shannon Glen; Public Relations: Troy Kirby; Literacy: Laurie Carroll; Vocation: Grace Kendall; and Foundation: Nate Peters.

During the installation meeting the following awards and special recognition were presented: Rotarian of the Year: Michael Jones, President’s Award: Nate Peters, and the Service Above Self Award: Troy Kirby and Nathan Magee.

Classification Talks

Posted by Jerry Wilkins on Jun 24, 2019

Noted below is the schedule for upcoming three minute Classification Talks during a Gateway Rotary Club meeting.