I want to sincerely thank everyone who came out for the Talk-Story event this week at Palama Settlement. I felt like we had some excellent discussions, a number of very good ideas were shared, and I took many notes. Don Anderson, in particular, was in rare form with several suggestions, including the adjustment to our regular meeting structure noted below to give more time for fellowship – a keynote from Reese Liggett. Past President Tom Coyne shared his thoughts on how we can as a Club engage with other Rotary Clubs on Oahu, and (also Past President) Rob Hale reminded us of the Hui Ho’owali meetings that we used to have to collectively introduce our newest members to the Club in a more social setting. Hiroko Dewitz brought along and introduced me to a guest representative from what will be our newest Sister Club in Osaka East. Lucci Pinoliad and I told the rest of the group about the recently constituted “Don Anderson Service Above Self Youth Leadership Fellow” program that has helped to bring several new, vibrant young members into our Club. Leslie Allen suggested that having more opportunities for Club members to meet with one another outside of our regular Tuesday lunch meeting would help us connect with those who cannot meet us at the Pacific Club due to other mid-day commitments. Judy Lind, Lee LaBrash, Kent Reinker, Julia Allen, Rick Tabor and Dave Shanahan also contributed to the conversations. If any of you who missed this opportunity have thoughts you want to share, please feel free to let me know in person or through any of my several points of contact. I am excited by the energy that we left Palama Settlement with, and I look forward to implementing many of the ideas we discussed to improve our Club experience for all.
This coming week, we will once again be back at our regular meeting location at the Pacific Club, and as noted above, we will be making an important adjustment to the schedule and format for our meetings, resulting from the discussions at our Talk-Story event. We will now be encouraging as many people as possible to join us starting at 11:30am in the courtyard adjacent to our normal meeting space (The Card Room) for fellowship and an opportunity to socialize with other members of the Club and any guests who join us. Those of you who attended the meeting with Senator Brian Schatz as our speaker will be familiar with this pattern for checking in and entering the Card Room. The Pacific Club will also be providing us with drink tickets that will allow any who choose to purchase them to get drinks from the nearby bar while we chat. I hope that many of you will be able to benefit from this extended time to interact with other members of our Club. I know that I certainly plan to enjoy it!
On January 28, 2025, Celeste Connors was our guest speaker. Let's give her a big shout out of CONGRATULATIONS!
Celeste has been selected as the next East-West Center President!
Celeste A. Connors was selected by the East-West Center (EWC) Board as the institution’s next president, effective July 1. A Hawaiʻi-raised leader with more than 25 years of global experience in risk management, diplomacy, national security and development policy, Connors brings a deep understanding of both international affairs and regional priorities to the role.
The registration is now open for the convention in Taipei on June 13th through 17th 2026. with the special rate of $395 until June 25th. So sign up now! Here is the new link where you can register and pay. The previous link was dedicated to Calgary.
If you would like to help, watch for the signup sheet!
Volunteers
Jul. 15, 2025
Registration:
Julia Allen & Lee LaBrash
Greeters:
Nancy Youngren
Pledge:
Jessica Lani Rich
Music:
Kent Reinker
Inspiration:
Michael Marsh
Volunteers
Jul. 29, 2025
Registration:
Julia Allen & Lee LaBrash
Greeters:
Pledge:
Music:
Marsha Bohnett
Inspiration:
Sign up at our July 15th meeting or contact Lee!
TALK STORY WITH BRIAN
IN REVIEW
On July 8th, 15 of us showed up at Palama Settlement; we shared ideas, feedback, and enjoyed a meal. It was very productive and insightful. Mahalo to all who showed!
If you have a project you'd like to present, please complete the Project Recommendation Form and email to our Director of Community Services, Nancy HERE.
Do you have a speaker recommendation? If so, please complete theSpeaker Recommendation Form and send it to RCOH Administrator, Lee HERE. She will submit all forms to the Speaker Committee.
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