Newsletter for Week of October 15, 2025
Tim Hansen, President
Rotary theme for October—Community Economic Development
Call to Order: President Tim Hansen called the meeting to order at 0700
Pledge of Allegiance: Steven Sylvester
Inspiration: David De Luz, Jr.: “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”
~Mahatma Gandhi
Trivia: What does the RI area of focus, Community Economic Development, mean?
Guests: Rotarian, Karl Gutknecht from Madison, WI.
Birthdays: Mary Begier, Oct. 9th, Kumiko Usuda, Oct. 9th, Mike Carroll, Oct. 10th,
Julie Hugo, Oct. 11th, Steven Sylvester, Oct. 12th.
Anniversaries: Sandra & Ron Wagner-Wright, Oct. 10th
Inductions: None
Announcements:
- Kumiko Usuda – sends her regards, as she’s been working on Pokémon Astronomical Observatory!
- The Polio Pig met its challenge of $3,000 but is still hungry so feed it some more greens.
- Junior Achievement is moving along. Sharon Scheele is still looking for a few good volunteers.
- Virginia Juettner has Rotarians reading to young students at Waiakeawaena Elementary. Alan Okinaka read to them earlier in the week and Mary Begier was going to read to them on Thursday. James Tyrin is getting dictionaries for the Hilo Union Elementary 3rd grade students.
- Kakou—Let’s Work It Out Workshop Series – The Aloha Spirit & How to Have Difficult Conversations, is scheduled for Oct. 17th, 5-7pm, UH Campus Center.
- Anita Cunningham announced she’s purchased a lot of candy for the Tent or Treat event at St. Joseph school field, on Wednesday, 10/29/25, 5pm-6:30pm. She and JoB are still accepting donations and volunteers to help at the event. Our RCHB banner will be on the tent.
- Holiday Party at the Bank of Hawaii on Saturday, 12/20/25, 5-9pm. Attire: Creative Holiday Sweater.
Happy Dollars Our meetings are fast-paced and packed with information. To ensure that we get the intent of Happy Dollars right, we will only list those who provide a written description for their Happy Dollars.
$10 – Alan Okinaka – There are 5 yr. old people in this world!
$10 – Tim Hansen – Panama Canal Cruise! Mahalo to Bryan Lindsey, Steven Sylvester and Lorraine Davis for covering Rotary meetings while he’s away.
$10 – Steven Sylvester – 1) Monthly Meal Pass was amazing. I had a great time with the breakfast club! 2) Wyatt started pre-school yesterday…one moment he was little nugget, the next he’s running off into the sunset! 3) Public becoming lawyers.
$3 –Virginia Juettner - Thanks to the Reading volunteers!
Vocational Guest Speaker: Mary Begier, Realtor, demonstrated how one individual could turn and industry upside down just because he did not like the other guy. For years, the real estate industry’s commission basis worked very simply. The buyer paid the commission on the sale of property from the proceeds of the sale. It was split between the buyer’s agent and the seller's agent. However, that all came to end when one seller decided that he didn’t like the buyer's agent or the buyer and sued. The suite quickly grew into a class suite which was settled on Aug. 17th, 2024, in a surprise settlement by the National Association of Realtors that amplified the right of the buyer and seller to determine how commissions would be paid in advance of a sale. This right was always there but most transactions assumed how the commissions would be shared. Now they need to be determined in advance in writing to avoid any complications at closing.
Closing Announcements:
- Board of Directors meeting at Ken’s House of Pancakes, Thursday, 10/16/25 at 0700.
Door Prize Winner: Brian Lindsey received a $50 gift card from Big Island Delights.
Four-Way Test: Brian Lindsey
Inspiration and door prize for October & November 2025
Oct. 22, 2025 – Anita Cunningham
Oct. 29, 2025 – Art Taniguchi
Nov. 5, 2025 – James Tyrin
Nov. 12, 2025 – JoB
Nov. 19, 2025 – Sharon Scheele
Nov. 26, 2025 – David DeLuz, Jr.