Meeting Notes, Nov. 30, 2016

Posted by Tom McClellan on Dec 05, 2016
 
President Jim was absent, used the old "major surgery" excuse.
 
Meeting Notes recorded by Bob Lawrence, edited by Tom McClellan
 
President Elect Bryan Christensen led the meeting, due to President James Hairston being hospitalized.  He was said to be recovering well, due home Thursday.  Speedy Healing Tank.
 
Invocation – Jeannie Hill, who reminded us of all that we have to be thankful for.  Flag salute – Dave Cotant.  Visiting Rotarians – Joyce Loveday – Don Daniels from Lakewood Rotary.
 
Guests – Speaker Linda Nguyen, CEO of WorkForce Central and also a visiting Rotarian from Tacoma 8.
 
Sunshine report –Charlie Maxwell was present, and the club surrounded him with love.
 
Announcements:
Future Programs:
Dec. 7 - No Noon Meeting, come to the Dec. 6 wrapping party starts at 5 PM
Dec. 14 - Paige Stringer, Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss
Dec. 21 - Keith Galbraith, "The Amazing Power of Pet Therapy"
 
Joyce Oubre –Christmas wrapping party Dec. 6, 5 PM, at Carr’s.  $10 per person; guests are welcome.  There will be food, and a cash bar. Our club has donated over $3200 for Christmas gifts please sure to mail your pledge directly to Judi Mair
 
Lakewood Rotary invites any and all to their holiday party 10 Dec. at TCC, cost $50 per person, for reservations contact Ted Weir
 
New Members:
Four new members from American Credit Union were inducted this Wednesday. Please reach out to our new Rotarians
Chris Mejia
Gennette Simmons
Jason Lopez
John Souliere
 
Fun and fines:
 
Teresa Nye paid off a Wachter, for crimes unrecorded. 
 
Birthday wishes and fines to Heidi Wachter and Dave Cotant.  Surprisingly, Heidi actually had a check!
 
 
Travel memories brought to light with the expected 5 dollar a day donation: Bonnie Kern traveled to Maui for a wedding and Bryan Christensen trip to Florida and subsequent Disney Cruise.
 
Tom Faubion with a rat on Marie Barth for TV appearance raising funds on behalf of the Lakewood Fallen Officers.
 
Followed by a rat against Tom Faubion by Charlie Maxwell, for an extraordinarily worded descriptions which Charlie read for over 3 minutes on Tom’s recognition as an outstanding lawyer
 
 
 
This week's speaker:
Linda Nguyen, CEO of WorkForce Central and Rotarian from Tacoma 8.  Linda started by sharing her story as Viet Nam boat refugee at age 7 which lead her to Guam, then Sacramento and finally here in Tacoma.  Her father had served in the army of South Vietnam, and thus the whole family risked death at the hands of the communists once Saigon fell.  He got job training as a watch repairman at Bates, and made a successful career, sending all 3 children to college.  Linda feels a special devotion to helping build workforce training efforts. 
 
 
Workforce is a Department of Labor funded organization to identify employment issues and then find ways to improve employment opportunities.  Her information  is available on line at www.workforce-central.org
 
Some highlights of her presentation
  •          Pierce county has a higher unemployment rate than surrounding counties at 6.1%, was 4.6 in 2007
  •          Definite lack of qualified workers e.g. a local manufacturer requires applicants take a test to pass 7th grade level math skills.  Only 10% pass, and half of those lack employable behavior.
  •          50,000 in this county have no high school or GED degree
  •          Construction one of the highest growth fields but very little vocational training in high school available
 
Raffle: John Munn had the winning ticket, but not any ability to draw an ace.
 
 
And Finally…
 
A noted psychiatrist was a guest at a gathering of humor editors, and his host naturally broached the subject in which the doctor was most at ease.
"Would you mind telling me, Doctor," he asked, "how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?"
"Nothing is easier," he replied. "You ask a simple question that everyone should answer with no trouble. If there is hesitation, that puts you on the track."
"What sort of question?"
"Well, you might ask the following: 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?'"
The editor thought a moment, then said with a nervous laugh, "You wouldn't happen to have another example, would you? I must confess I don't know much about history."