MEETING RECAP
Rotary, Hockey, and other Shenanigans
By Gregory J. RediskeEdited By Horn, Gregory S.Sunday, January 12, 2025
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Before Carl Bronkema became President of Lakewood Rotary, I knew the following things about hockey: Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, The Miracle on Ice, and Rodney Dangerfield’s quote: “I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.” Oh, and I knew we had an NHL team in Seattle, the Kraken. That’s not much, given that President Carl is such a fanatic about the sport. I decided I should do some serious investigation into this apparently violent competitive activity. Included in the recap of our meeting from January 10 at the Pavilion will be some knowledge that I acquired through exhaustive research. You’re welcome.
Along about 12:30, give or take, His Hockey-ness started the away game/meeting at our Ft. Steilacoom Pavilion with the invocation of President-elect Tom George. Tom’s thoughts included the plight of the people near the Palisades fire in LA. Treasurer John Lowney has set up a payment portal on our website www.lakewoodrotary.com to donate to a Rotary fund to help those folks. $20 - $1,000.
Next up was Rick Selden who led the pledge while Carl held the triangular folded flag, a unique but effective way to do it. King of the Hockey Puck then thanked: John Lowney (taking money for lunch and whatever), Mary Horn, Rob Erb and Tom George for the audio/video setup, and a big, big rousing standing ovation for Stephanie Wilcox and Mary Horn for providing the lunch, which included root beer floats (!). Dignitaries in the house: PDG Greg Horn, DG-Elect Tony Camoroda, and AG Bill Potter. Photo expert: Bob Zawilski
We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don’t even have to go to the hospital. Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park
Sunshine: Carl didn’t get a nose job (this time) but an old hockey injury has laid him low, or lower: a hurt foot in a walking boot. Barlow Buescher further reported that former member Cheri Loiland’s husband K C passed away. And Charles Heberle’s wife Amythyst also passed away. Our condolences to all.
New Member: Carl inducted our newest member, sponsored by Bob Zawilski: Shelia (Lia) Knight. Lia is mostly retired from a career in media, including 30 years in syndicated network radio. Now she’s ready to travel and make a difference in her community. She came to the right place! Welcome aboard, Lia.
My dad had this thing - everyone in Canada wants to play hockey; that's all they want to do. So when I was a kid, whenever we skated my dad would not let us on the ice without hockey sticks, because of this insane fear we would become figure skaters! Norm MacDonald
All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity. Gordie Howe
Announcements:
--Don Daniels needs at least two people to help, starting next week, with the business of handing out and tracking this year’s raffle tickets (drawing for $5k on April 12).
--John Lowney has organized an outing on Valentine’s Day weekend called Guns and Roses. Not the rock group, but “guns” for the tour of a destroyer in Bellingham, and “roses” for Valentine’s Day. February 15 will start with a tour of the Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, followed by lunch at Anthonys, and then travel to the Clearwater Casino in Poulsbo. If you wish, for $15 you can buy tickets to the Neil Diamond Tribute Show on Saturday night. On Sunday, join along for a tour of the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. (Former Lakewood Rotarian Admiral Jim Russell is honored there.) Call 866-609-8700, use booking code #25100 to secure your room at the Casino. For more information, call John (253-318-4897).
Hank Kerns passed out “Save the Date” cards for the Wine and Beer Festival on April 12: “Sip, Savor, Celebrate”. Early bird pricing ends March 20: sign up now at www.lakewoodrotary.com
Tickets are $125 each, with the food from All Catering including: Carved beef, Yukon potatoes, baby green salad, asparagus, vegetable medley, Wild caught Sockeye salmon, vegetarian lasagna, rice pilaf and bread (two buffet lines). Mmmmmm….It was moved, seconded, carried to approve the $8,000 downpayment check for the catering.
Fines: or whatever members’ generosity/guilt payments are called these days.
--Tony Camoroda did his version of Rat on a Rotarian (ROAR), insinuating that Steve Enquist was endangering the life of Anne by leaving her in the car while he shopped at Costco - without even cracking the window!! Anne ratted even more: Steve turned 77 on the 7th, which she said was worth $100.
Joe Quinn turns 79 soon, and paid $79, while Steve Mazoff moved on to the decade after that, along with a trip to Florida, for $100. Not to be outdone, Mary Horn ratted on the man she sleeps with (causing a number of Rotarians to gasp for a second….”me”?!?) She meant to say PDG Horn, who turns 80 this month. We assume $80 was offered up, now or later.
Scott Buser retired last week, with something special coming our way in the future to commemorate the great news.
Chuck Hellar announced the memorial service at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, N 36th and Gove, Tacoma, WA at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 1 for Jack Waechter.
Jack Waechter
Mark Blanchard told a long story about a teleporter that resulted in a cat returning from his journey as half cat/half building, with the cat possessing 6 tails. A sculpture depicts the event and has an infinity room inside. A must-see near the glass museum in Tollefson Plaza. Mark and his son Tom are builders of the sculpture, overseen by Steve Laberge. It comes down Sunday night, after being there the last month.
Why is a puck called a puck? Because “dirty little bastard” was taken. Martin Brodeur
I will personally challenge anyone who wants to get rid of fighting to a fight. GM Brian Burke
Half the game is mental; the other half is being mental. Former Maple Leaf Jim McKenny
Program:
Rose Stevens introduced former Marine Brandon Simmons. Brandon has had careers in painting and construction, and now converts buses for housing/travel. He noted that the homeless in our midst all have individual stories to tell, but most have issues getting showers, doing laundry, getting haircuts, and the like. So he started the Skoolie Foundation to provide these things. At first the project was entirely funded by Brandon. He remade buses to provide individual shower access; he got volunteer barbers to give haircuts; he got volunteer nurses and dentists for health screenings; he provided hygiene kits and lunches and even pet care. His Empowerment Bus costs about $80K and is solar powered with 300 gallons of water storage and propane to heat the water. He has facilitated the start-up of new businesses, dependent on the business commitment to provide some of these services. Tacoma South Rotary and Harkness used this organization for their last fundraiser and paddle wave ($47K). He continues to need help with supply donations, grants and fundraisers from businesses. Partnerships include LASA, Tacoma Rescue Mission, St. Vincent de Paul, and Nourish, among others. He is also working with many local school districts, including Clover Park. Last year they provided 600 free haircuts. This year, the goal is 18,000. Next week on their Facebook page, they will be sharing live video of the Friday to Monday renovation of a bus. Fascinating stuff!
I was a multi-millionaire from playing hockey. Then I got divorced, and now I am a millionaire. Hockey Hall of Famer, Bobby Hull.
By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of an NHL playoff series. Steve Rushin
The Drawing: Mary Horn won! $5.00.
And finally……
Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records. Bob Plager
Along about 12:30, give or take, His Hockey-ness started the away game/meeting at our Ft. Steilacoom Pavilion with the invocation of President-elect Tom George. Tom’s thoughts included the plight of the people near the Palisades fire in LA. Treasurer John Lowney has set up a payment portal on our website www.lakewoodrotary.com to donate to a Rotary fund to help those folks. $20 - $1,000.
Next up was Rick Selden who led the pledge while Carl held the triangular folded flag, a unique but effective way to do it. King of the Hockey Puck then thanked: John Lowney (taking money for lunch and whatever), Mary Horn, Rob Erb and Tom George for the audio/video setup, and a big, big rousing standing ovation for Stephanie Wilcox and Mary Horn for providing the lunch, which included root beer floats (!). Dignitaries in the house: PDG Greg Horn, DG-Elect Tony Camoroda, and AG Bill Potter. Photo expert: Bob Zawilski
We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don’t even have to go to the hospital. Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park
Sunshine: Carl didn’t get a nose job (this time) but an old hockey injury has laid him low, or lower: a hurt foot in a walking boot. Barlow Buescher further reported that former member Cheri Loiland’s husband K C passed away. And Charles Heberle’s wife Amythyst also passed away. Our condolences to all.
New Member: Carl inducted our newest member, sponsored by Bob Zawilski: Shelia (Lia) Knight. Lia is mostly retired from a career in media, including 30 years in syndicated network radio. Now she’s ready to travel and make a difference in her community. She came to the right place! Welcome aboard, Lia.
My dad had this thing - everyone in Canada wants to play hockey; that's all they want to do. So when I was a kid, whenever we skated my dad would not let us on the ice without hockey sticks, because of this insane fear we would become figure skaters! Norm MacDonald
All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity. Gordie Howe
Announcements:
--Don Daniels needs at least two people to help, starting next week, with the business of handing out and tracking this year’s raffle tickets (drawing for $5k on April 12).
--John Lowney has organized an outing on Valentine’s Day weekend called Guns and Roses. Not the rock group, but “guns” for the tour of a destroyer in Bellingham, and “roses” for Valentine’s Day. February 15 will start with a tour of the Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, followed by lunch at Anthonys, and then travel to the Clearwater Casino in Poulsbo. If you wish, for $15 you can buy tickets to the Neil Diamond Tribute Show on Saturday night. On Sunday, join along for a tour of the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. (Former Lakewood Rotarian Admiral Jim Russell is honored there.) Call 866-609-8700, use booking code #25100 to secure your room at the Casino. For more information, call John (253-318-4897).
Hank Kerns passed out “Save the Date” cards for the Wine and Beer Festival on April 12: “Sip, Savor, Celebrate”. Early bird pricing ends March 20: sign up now at www.lakewoodrotary.com
Tickets are $125 each, with the food from All Catering including: Carved beef, Yukon potatoes, baby green salad, asparagus, vegetable medley, Wild caught Sockeye salmon, vegetarian lasagna, rice pilaf and bread (two buffet lines). Mmmmmm….It was moved, seconded, carried to approve the $8,000 downpayment check for the catering.
Fines: or whatever members’ generosity/guilt payments are called these days.
--Tony Camoroda did his version of Rat on a Rotarian (ROAR), insinuating that Steve Enquist was endangering the life of Anne by leaving her in the car while he shopped at Costco - without even cracking the window!! Anne ratted even more: Steve turned 77 on the 7th, which she said was worth $100.
Joe Quinn turns 79 soon, and paid $79, while Steve Mazoff moved on to the decade after that, along with a trip to Florida, for $100. Not to be outdone, Mary Horn ratted on the man she sleeps with (causing a number of Rotarians to gasp for a second….”me”?!?) She meant to say PDG Horn, who turns 80 this month. We assume $80 was offered up, now or later.
Scott Buser retired last week, with something special coming our way in the future to commemorate the great news.
Chuck Hellar announced the memorial service at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, N 36th and Gove, Tacoma, WA at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 1 for Jack Waechter.
Jack Waechter
Mark Blanchard told a long story about a teleporter that resulted in a cat returning from his journey as half cat/half building, with the cat possessing 6 tails. A sculpture depicts the event and has an infinity room inside. A must-see near the glass museum in Tollefson Plaza. Mark and his son Tom are builders of the sculpture, overseen by Steve Laberge. It comes down Sunday night, after being there the last month.
Why is a puck called a puck? Because “dirty little bastard” was taken. Martin Brodeur
I will personally challenge anyone who wants to get rid of fighting to a fight. GM Brian Burke
Half the game is mental; the other half is being mental. Former Maple Leaf Jim McKenny
Program:
Rose Stevens introduced former Marine Brandon Simmons. Brandon has had careers in painting and construction, and now converts buses for housing/travel. He noted that the homeless in our midst all have individual stories to tell, but most have issues getting showers, doing laundry, getting haircuts, and the like. So he started the Skoolie Foundation to provide these things. At first the project was entirely funded by Brandon. He remade buses to provide individual shower access; he got volunteer barbers to give haircuts; he got volunteer nurses and dentists for health screenings; he provided hygiene kits and lunches and even pet care. His Empowerment Bus costs about $80K and is solar powered with 300 gallons of water storage and propane to heat the water. He has facilitated the start-up of new businesses, dependent on the business commitment to provide some of these services. Tacoma South Rotary and Harkness used this organization for their last fundraiser and paddle wave ($47K). He continues to need help with supply donations, grants and fundraisers from businesses. Partnerships include LASA, Tacoma Rescue Mission, St. Vincent de Paul, and Nourish, among others. He is also working with many local school districts, including Clover Park. Last year they provided 600 free haircuts. This year, the goal is 18,000. Next week on their Facebook page, they will be sharing live video of the Friday to Monday renovation of a bus. Fascinating stuff!
I was a multi-millionaire from playing hockey. Then I got divorced, and now I am a millionaire. Hockey Hall of Famer, Bobby Hull.
By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of an NHL playoff series. Steve Rushin
The Drawing: Mary Horn won! $5.00.
And finally……
Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records. Bob Plager
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