Hilo Bay Rotary Club Newsletter for the week of October 22, 2025
Tim Hansen, President
Rotary theme for October—Community Economic Development
Call to Order: PP Bryan Lyndsey called the Oct. 22nd meeting to order at 0700
Pledge of Allegiance: Sandra Wright-Wagner
Inspiration: Anita Cunningham: “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile and a grateful heart.” ~Zig Zigler
Trivia: What do you call the end of a shoelace? An angler.
Guests: Asst. Gov. Beverly Heikes.
Birthdays: John Gapp, Chris Okano
Anniversaries: None
Inductions: Sandra Wright-Wagner
Announcements:
- The Polio Pig is still hungry for greenbacks and coins. Polio Pig has one more visit before it goes on a vacation.
- Junior Achievement is moving along. Sharon Scheele is still looking for a few good volunteers.
- Virginia Juettner will put the schedule in the newsletter for the next week.
- Anita Cunningham announced the setup time for the Tent or Treat at St. Joseph school field, on 10/29/25, is 4pm. The tent will be right next to the Interact Club; she and JoB are still accepting donations and volunteers for the event which starts 5:00-6:30pm
- Virginia announced that Beverly Heikes will be the DG for year; 2028-2029.
- JoB read a letter from the Salvation Army describing three different ways the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay may join the Christmas drive. Among them are bell ringing and an angel tree. Stay tuned for more info.
- Beverly Henkes reminded us that Veterans Day Parade is coming up and eastside Rotarians will be marching on Nov. 8th. Flyer attached.
- The yearly Rotary Foundation event is scheduled for Nov. 14th.
- We will be dark on Wednesday, 11/12/25. The cutoff for lunch is 10/31.
- Richard Cunningham reported that we are $500 short of our goal for the nursing scholarship having raised $9,500.
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 – Chester Cabral – Happy to see Richard Cunningham, after Richard returned from seven weeks of vacation in France with his family.
$10 – Alan Okinaka – “Fo Real!” The 4-Way Test in Pidgin English.
$5 – Art Taniguchi – Attended a Mini Class Reunion in Las Vegas. Saw Magician Shin Lim… a must see!
$5 – Virginia Juettner – Unhappy $$ due to characterization of Rotary in the series; Sheriff’s Country.
$5 – Richard Cunningham – Returned from 7-week trip for birth of granddaughter. Grape harvest in France, 8-day walk in Wessex, UK, and a woodturning workshop in Ireland.
Guest Speaker: Renee Godoy, Chaplain to the Police, Fire and Emergency Service Department and founder of Friends of First Responders (FFR). First responders regardless of which department deal with immense stress. Whether you are patrol officers or a 911 dispatcher abnormal amounts of stress come with your job. Everyone deals with stress in their own way, and it affects families. Seeking help through your job is risky because it goes into your personnel file and can impact your future. It is also very bureaucratic involving several people.
FFR as a nonprofit organization can respond quickly and confidently to the needs of first responders. They focus on the family as opposed to employer sponsored programs which focus on the individual.
FFR can also respond quickly to get an individual services as when a police officer was recovering from a gunshot wound, FFR got him to the mainland within 48 hours after identifying his need for help.
Closing Announcements:
- Holiday Party at the Bank of Hawaii Lobby, 1339 Kinoole St. on Saturday, 12/20 5-9pm. Wear a Creative Sweater.
Door Prize Winner: Lorraine Davis received $50 cash!
Four-Way Test: Tom Witthans
Inspiration and door prize for October & November 2025
Oct. 29, 2025 – Art Taniguchi
Nov. 5, 2025 – James Tyrin
Nov. 12, 2025 – DARK
Nov. 19, 2025 – Sharon Scheele
Nov. 26, 2025 – David DeLuz, Jr.