Jerri Anderson -- District 5080 Governor

 

            District Gov. Jerri Anderson finished her Oct. 2 talk to the club by mentioning how much an impact that outstanding club members make a difference to Rotary and to the community.

            She said one “outstanding Rotarian” –“somebody who makes a club special”-- will be honored in each of District 5080’s 50-plus clubs.

  Anderson asked President Chad Haverkamp and the board to mention one such Rotarian. That designate was to honor the person at the club and again at the District Conference, June 1-3 in Sandpoint.

            In an eloquent testimonial, Chad talked about why he joined Spokane-North because of how Lenore Romney made prospective members so welcoming.  He noted that Lenore, now board treasurer, has already been a two-time club president, and why Lenore does whatever is needed, even shopping for members help on holiday gift tag requests.

 

           “It takes a special person to put things into actions,” Haverkamp said.

 

            Anderson then conferred a special pin honoring Lenore and the membership quickly added a long standing ovation.

 

 

          Speed-date time: The next three weeks feature political discussions (don’t call them “debates”) on School District 81 candidates, Northeast Spokane City Council candidates, and Proposition 2, the issue on coal and oil freight trains running through downtown Spokane.  Coordinator Brad Stark said members should group among four area tables each week, following the club’s “speed-date” rotation as candidates talk with each group for several minutes.

 

          Socially: Club members will join Wednesday, Nov. 8, early that evening to check out the Nectar Wine & Beer, 1331 Summit Parkway in Kendall Yards.  The club moves to Jan. 8, from The Lincoln Center, which will not be available for meetings.

 

          Even on a cloudy, chilly fall Monday, the sunshine was so bright that Rotary District 5080 Gov. Jerri Anderson wore her sunglasses – even inside the Lincoln Center ballroom.

          She pointed to the district’s conference theme: “Our future is so bright, we have to wear shades!”  To emphasize the point, Anderson placed sunglasses at each seat and warmly invited members to attend the conference, June 1-3.  “It’s only one hour 20 minutes to Sandpoint,” she added.

 

          Indeed, Anderson sees the sunny side of many issues.

 

          When the Spokane-East club merged into the Spokane Valley club, she said, “the result was joyous; no sorrow,” adding, “those clubs are doing well.”

 

          When Anderson wanted to recruit former Rotarians scattered around the district, she started a “Passport Club,” in which members could connect via phone, gathering at meetings just twice a year – the fall district assembly and spring district conference.  Passport Club members also can work on various projects and attend occasional regular club meetings.

 

          Anderson joined Karol Price, an assistant governor, who is a contact for several clubs, including Spokane-North.  Price was a 15-year South Rotary member who moved to the Aurora Northwest Club a year ago.

 

          Anderson said her own Rotary interest was ignited by “uncle Bob in Florida,” whose talks told her that “I want to be a Rotarian.”  But Bob had to tell her Jerri was only 16 then, failing the age test.

 

          Five years later Jerri asked Bob if she could join Rotary, only to tell him that “only men can join.”  After that restriction was ended, she finally was able to join, at age 36, but someone else asked about her classification.

 

          When she said “real estate,” the response was, “sorry, we already have one in that classification.”  (Rotary now allows clubs to have several members in similar classifications.)

 

          Clearing that obstacle, Anderson, at age 56, suffered a roll-over car accident.  But her Rotary path has continues 10 more years, including club president.  And now she has reached District Governor.

 

          Anderson’s point is that if you keep a sunny disposition and find problem resolution, goals can be made.

 

          For solace, she cites passages from Ghandi and Mother Teresa.

 

          For building the strength of members, she displays a “kit tool,” stored in a round tube decorated with an Idaho license plate.

 

          One tool was joining the Shelter Box program which helps tents and other housing units globally.

 

          A second tool was a small “tiny Charlie Brown Christmas tree,” symbolic of Rotary to ask one tree each for the organization’s million-plus membership.

 

          A third visible tool was to find the Rotary sign in the area which “needs the most work,” to restore the signs “to its current public image.”

 

          A fourth tool was a small root beer cup, or a similar item, in which to gather coins to gather money for Polio Plus funding.  “We just had 11 cases (globally) in 2017,” Anderson said, hoping to eradicate the disease entirely.

 

          Meanwhile, it will be easy to see the District Conference Rotarians next June at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater.  They will be wearing sunglasses, no what the weather.