The Camas-Washougal Rotary Club recently welcomed new officers and individuals who provided extraordinary service in the past year.
Rotary clubs around the world begin their fiscal year on July 1 with the installation of new leadership.
The 2013-2014 officers for Camas-Washougal Rotary are, Dave Bussman, President (pictured); Jocelyn Lindsay, Immediate Past President; Molly Coston President-Elect; Meridee Pabst, Treasurer; and Cindy Forslund, Secretary.
Several club members received special recognition from outgoing club President Jocelyn Lindsay. Each year three awards are given—The Spirit of Rotary, Service Above Self and Rotarian of the Year.
The Spirit of Rotary award went to Ron Bright, a Rotarian who has given many hours of service to the local Meals on Wheels program. He saw a need, and found a way to involve the club. Said Past-President Jocelyn Lindsay, “because of his commitment, many senior citizens in our community see a smiling friendly face and get to hear a few kind words at lunchtime once a week.”
The Service Above Self award was given to Blaine Petersen, a Rotarian who took a potential failure and turned it into a roaring success. When the Young Men in Action program was in need of leadership, Peterson took over as program chair without hesitation. Without this individual, the Young Men in Action Program never would have occurred this year.
Each year, an outstanding club member is honored as Rotarian of the Year. Candidates are individuals with a strong commitment to the principles of Rotary. Through their actions, they embody the motto “Service Above Self”. This is the highest honor our club bestows on an individual Rotarian.
The Rotarian of the Year award for 2012-2013 was presented to Anne Winters, an individual who, in the words of Past-President Jocelyn Lindsay, “has gone above and beyond in assuring the community knows the Camas Washougal Rotary Club exists. Through her tireless efforts and promotion, she works to make sure that Rotary is a vibrant and relevant presence in our local community and is constantly seeking innovative ways to publicize the things we do. She collaborates with local businesses and has brought us into the social media mainstream by managing the club web site, redesigning the Ducky Derby web site, and starting up the C-W Rotary Twitter feed.“
C-W Rotary is gearing up for its largest fundraiser of the year, the Ducky Derby on July 28. Thousands of yellow, rubber ducks will race down the Washougal River to raise money for local service projects and scholarships. The Ducky Derby is Camas-Washougal Rotary’s largest fundraiser. Over 97% of the proceeds from the Derby directly benefit the projects supported by Camas-Washougal Rotary.
The public is invited to watch the event at noon on July 28 from the Third Avenue Bridge over the Washougal River. Ducks can be adopted with the purchase of a $5 Ducky Derby ticket. Find out how to adopt a duck at cwduckyderby.org.
Rotary International is a service organization with over 1.2 million members in more than 160 countries. The mission of Rotary is to provide service to others, promote high ethical standards and advance understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
The Camas-Washougal Rotary meets for breakfast on Thursdays at 7 am at The Fairgate Inn, 2213 NW 23rd Ave., Camas, WA. For more information visit cwrotary.com.
