Weekly Newsletter

August 12, 2025
Hilo Bay Rotary Club Newsletter for the week of August 17, 2025
Tim Hansen, President
 
From the meeting of August 12, 2025           Rotary theme for August-Membership
 
Call to Order:  PP Steven Sylvester called the meeting to order at 0703
 
Pledge of Allegiance:  Jan Haraguchi-Abundo
 
Inspiration:  ?
 
Birthdays, None
Anniversaries,  Tom Witthans
Inductions,  Luana Gibson
 
Announcements:
Supporting fellow Rotarians
  • John Gapp announced that he and his wife will host a presentation of their work in Guatemala with children and youth at their home on Aug. 28ththe starting at 4 pa.
  • Mary Begier announced that this will also be a club social. The Club will provide mead and members are requested to bring a pupu for four people.
  • Alan Okinaka announced that the East Hawaii Rotaract Club was just two signatures away from being created. The Rotaract Club is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Hilo, Hilo Bay and South Hilo.
  • DG Nancy Cabral mentioned that everyone should be a DG to see the breath and depth of Rotary. She is working to link the young recipients of Rotary scholarships to Rotaract Clubs in order to create a pipeline of future Rotarians.
 
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. If your name does not appear below, we did not get a form for your Happy Dollars.
 
Nancy’s pipeline comment reminded me of Rotary story from the Philippines. As promising young people move out of the junior chamber of commerce, the Rotarians pick the best and the brightest to join Rotary and leave the rest for the Lions. True story but we had shared a lot of friendship so you can interpret this any way you want.
  1. Steven Sylvester was $10 happy because Hirona and the boys were back from Japan, Alan’s interstellar objects from prior meeting and for Micha Tobini.
  2. Kevin Hopkins was $20 happy for his 5 grandchildren who competed in the Junior International Judo championship last month on Oahu. Two of them were first place finishers, 2, were second place finisher and 1 finished third in their categories.
  3. Alan Okinaka was $10 happy because he saw his first Kolea bird after its nonstop 2600 mile flight from Alaska in his pasture and for Jan and the other genki ball throwers.
  4. Alan Novak was $4 happy to see the results of the HI International Science Experiences promotion of the scientific process.
  5. Richard Cunningham was $20 happy to be hitting the road again. On August 26th fly to Phoenix for the birth of their granddaughter and to accompany their daughter and granddaughter to their house in France. At the end of August, it is off to the UK to spend 8 days hiking in Wessex going from inn to inn. After that, it is off Durban to participate in a wood turning workshop.
  6. Virginia Juettner was $5 happy to hear from this year’s HI ISE students—it gives her hope for the future.
 
Club Speaker: PP Steven introduced the new officers of the Hawaii International Science Experience. They were elected to Board of HI ISE just a week ago and here they are reporting upon the first gathering of an international organization and their plans for the summer of 2026.  They are Keoni Randolph, Rafan Rahaman and Jiel Jean.
 
During the first gathering of HISE, Big Island students gathered with students from Japan and New York.  They explored five areas of interest—entrepreneurship where the students explored two new science based start us; fun activities such as the Dark Skies of Hawaii and Imiloa Astronomy Center: lectures conducted by local scientists; cultural exchange including local and Japanese dances etc. and scientific collaboration focused on the weather. Each high school that sent students received a weather station to continue the collaboration through the year.
 
Looking forward to 2026, HISE is focusing on brand awareness and opportunity—they need to expand the participation to more local high schools. The goal is to expand participation from 50 to 100 students next summer and eventually to 200 students. The second big goal is to create HISE Pipeline and Alumni Network. Students are a part of HISE for one year only. An Alumni Network would allow those students who have timed out to stay connected with fellow students and scientists.
 
Door Prize Winner: Art Taniguchi
 
Four Way Test:  Janell Kuamoo
 
Inspiration and door prize for August
            Aug 20                        JoB
            Aug 27                        Deborah
 
Speaker for Next Wednesday:      Mike Gleason, Volcano Art Center