Happy Valentine's Day, February 14 Regular Meeting

All fourteen of us got an early start on this Valentine's Day. Wade Park paid us a visit, it was nice to see him again. Jack Lockwood managed to convince his wife, Martie to attend.


All of the "Got Lobster" T-Shirts were available today. For $10 each, payable to Rotary Foundation. Get a great shirt promoting our annual Lobster Fest, and make a donation to RF at the same time. Many thanks to the Morgado's for buying the shirts and giving us this opportunity!


Dick Behenna is collecting DVDs to send to troops in Iraq. Please get those to him soon.


We need hosts to house Rotary Foundation guests visitign May 21-22 in Volcano. If you can serve in this way, please tell Don Hughes.


Golf Tournament Update
At this date we have 24 golfers signed up, with a limit of 50.


Rotary Moment
In our Rotary Moment, Jerry Shimoda reminded us that Article 11 of the RI Constitution states we must not endorse a candidate as a club, and must give candidates an equal opportunity to speak. So, on that note, we'll be seeing Bob Jacobs sometime soon no doubt.


Vocational Speaker-Marie Alvarenga
Born in 1954 in San Diego, CA, Marie came to Hawaii in 1967. On her Irish father's side, she is the descendant of William J. Hooper, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her mother, of Spanish and Middle Eastern descent, boasts a grandfather who was president of the Mexican state of Jalisco. One of seven siblings, raised in California, her father decided to transplant the family while Marie was in 7th grade. They moved to Oahu and loved it. Later they moved to the hustle and bustle of Ka'u, where Marie (in a terrible state of culture shock) spent her teenage years at Ka'u High School. She has since lived in Hilo for 35 years, and early on even worked at Volcano House before eventually deciding on a career in mortgage banking.

Happy Dollars
Paul Ducasse was happy for Valentine's Day; John Tyler too and also for our speaker; Jack Lockwood for having his wife as a guest; Marie Alvarenga announced her boss is sponsoring a hole in our golf tournament and paying for 3 golfers; Brent Macabio was happy for Valentine's Day and the speaker; Tal Magno happy for Valentine's Day; Jerry Shimoda was happy for the beautiful thick snow on Mauna Loa; Helene Buntman was just happy we're us; and Frank Box topped everyone with $10 for Marie's talk, Valentine's Day, the Lobster T-Shirts, and his step-son's successful surgery.