North Notes
Spokane North Rotary Club Bulletin
November 2, 2020
Calendar:
            Spokane Connects meets beginning at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9, at Nectar Wine and Beer in Kendall Yards.  After a long election season and even longer continuing Covid 19 challenge, maybe a nice beverage and good conversation may be a good tonic.
 
            Tag times due: Nearly all 40 spots have been reserved for the holiday gifts for needy children and their families at Holmes Elementary School.  A few spots are open for club members who have not yet committed.  Coordinator Lenore Romney will talk with Holmes administrators in the Nov. 16 week to line up students and families with ages, gender and other issues.  Then club members will have several weeks to buy presents and wrap the gifts.
 
Briefly:
            Reminder: Lenore mentions that November is Rotary Foundation Month.  This is a good time to remember all of the thousands of good deeds worldwide that clubs help around the globe and around their own neighborhoods.
 
            Tom’s Turkey Drive adjusts: In recent years as a club project, members joined the Tom’s Turkey Drive for holiday families in need.  KREM-TV personality Tom Sherry and Rosauers’ stores headed the event the weekend before Thanksgiving Day.  With the coronavirus issues continuing, this year’s alternative is an on-line request, selling $20 bags of groceries until just before the Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Day.  Groceries will be distributed at the Fairgrounds with a drive-in procedure.
 
Trick or Treat tradition alive in many neighborhoods
 
           With appropriate measures to avoid Covid issues, a number of club members at the Nov. 2 Zoom-meet talked about the trick or treat turnout.
 
            Dave Hayward had just 4 children.  Chuck Rehberg counted 16.  Ron Schurra had 43 costumed customers.
 
           But Bill Simer, joining with the neighbors in the Northwood neighborhood near Argonne counted more than 200 children.
Bill also had one of the best costume winners – a 9 or 10-year old girl dressed as the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  When Bill complimented the young lady, she replied: “Finally, someone knew who I was dressed as.”

Despite disruptions, donations continue
 
            Though our club’s fund-raising event has been sidelined by the pandemic, there is a good path to help with charitable distributions.
           
            President Steve Bergman said as in-person school attendance grows, the Holmes Elementary programs continue.  That includes the class items’ supply closet, the principal’s emergency fund, the Golden Heroes awards and the Holmes T-shirts.
 
            The Holmes projects have been budgeted at $6,620.
 
            Also, last year four Saling Scholarships were awarded at a total of $6,000.
 
            That alone would total more than $12,000 in donations, which is about the usual fund -raising ballpark , he said.
 
            In previous years, fund-raising has focused on dinner and wine events, open to members and guests.
 
            With Covid 19 curbing so many events, Steve suggests an alternative:     “We are asking people to donate what you would have given at the fund raisers.”
 
            To incent added consideration, Treasurer Bill Simer said members could donate contributions to our club’s post office (P.O. Box 9190) .  If members want charitable itemized donations, the amounts can be address the total to the District 5080
Charitable Fund, but send the letter to our Post Office Box.  Simer said: “The fund will be directed to the appropriate site and recipients will get a letter for tax purposes.”
 
            He added: “We have a well-oiled machine.”
 
The bulletin editors:
            Bulletin editors: Chuck Rehberg and Sandy Fink