In this issue

This week’s speaker was Damon Huard, Chief Administrative Officer of University of Washington Husky Football, and Founder of Passing Time Winery.  Damon talks about the transition under the helm of new Head Coach Chris Petersen, and the Coach Pete: “Built For Life” approach to football, his team and life.  Damon also shared his passion for making truly great wine through a winery venture with former NFL Quarterback Dan Marino.

Club Business included farewells to our 2013-2014 Exchange Student from Germany, Lenni Schiller, as well as a BBRC outgoing exchange student to Sweden, Eli Hayne. Rotary First Harvest, Rotarian of the Month, 10K Statistical Wrap Up and Rotating the Wheel updates were also included in today’s program.

speaker program

Damon Huard reflected back on his visit to Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club one year ago when he was new in his role as Chief Administrative Officer of UW Husky Football.   Under the new leadership of Head Coach Chris Petersen (with a 92-12 Record, 5-2 Bowl Games and 2x Winner of the Paul Bear Bryant), a strong coaching staff has been created and foundation for success:

Coach Pete:  Built For Life

• Being the Best Version of Yourself
• Adding Value to Others/Your Life
• Simplify your Life
• Achieving Academic Excellence
• Winning Pac-12 Championships

With a philosophy of “We do things the HARD WAY, because it’s the right way and the BEST WAY”, attending to the detail and discipline is paramount for success and to be “OKG” (Our Kind of Guys).

The 2014 Husky OKG includes 24 Signees and the class includes six (6) players from Washington, fifteen (15) from California, and one from Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, and with nine (9) offensive Players, fourteen (14) Defensive Players and one Special Teams.  Damon made special note of some local OKG recruits including Budda Baker of Bellevue High School, Shane Bowman of Bellevue High School, and Drew Sample of Newport High School, along with the 2014 Projected Depth Chart for the UW Huskies.   Ending with…

“It’s a Great Time to be a Husky!”

 Damon Huard also shared his passion for making fine wine.  Along with winery partner Dan Marino, former NFL Quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, Passing Time Winery was built after fifteen years in the making based from family roots in Eastern Washington, grapes from mature world class vineyards and use of old world winemaking techniques.  Grapes come from the Vineyards, Discovery, Champoux, and Klipson, and winemaking headed with Winemaker of the Year from Avennia, Chris Peterson.

 Passing Time

“If one could bottle time, this is how it should taste.”

Club business

President Scott Sadler opened the meeting with Howard Johnson offering the invocation and pledge, and introductions of visiting Rotarians and Guests by Jenny Andrews.

Rotary Student Exchange Program

Ann Norman introduced our departing Exchange student from Germany, Lenni Schiller, to tell about his experiences over the past nine months.  Lenni expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, his host parents as well as all of the generous volunteers that shared experiences during his stay; like Washington State Fair, Snowflake Lane, Seahawks, LeMay Car Museum, Homecoming, Husky Football and Basketball, Leavenworth, Trail Blazers, Seahawk & St. Patrick’s Day parades, Las Vegas, Flight Museum, to name a few!  Farewell Lenni, we’ll miss you!

We also heard from Eli Hayne, a BBRC summer exchange student heading for Sweden this summer.

Rotary First Harvest/Rotarian of the Month

Morris Kremin announced that this Saturday will be the last Rotary First Harvest work party of the year and look forward to seeing lots of participation to seal up winning the “Golden Donut” for the Rotary year.  President Scott Sadler also awarded Morris Kremin with the June “Rotarian of the Month” award in recognition of his hard work on making the Rotary First Harvest a huge success this year!

Rotary International Conference

Wendi Fischer, our Incoming BBRC President, provided a report on her recent trip to the Rotary International Conference in Australia.  She had a wonderful trip and come home with lots of great ideas for the upcoming year.  She expressed how proud she was of our club and the amazing things that we have accomplished as she met and shared with others at the conference.

Bellevue 10K/Golf Tournament Fundraising

Mike Ralph, our 10k Chair, provided a final recap of the fundraising accomplishments this past year through the Bellevue 10k Run as well as the Golf Tournament.  BBRC raised $110,953 which will be allocated over the upcoming year.

Rotating the Wheels Dinner – June 20th

Tim Leahy came center stage with an announcement regarding the upcoming Rotating the Wheels dinner on Friday, June 20^th.   Yee Haw!…

 Seems like everyone wants to Dosey Doe at “Blazing Sadlers” next Friday, so we’re headin’ south!  That’s right….we’ve outgrown our original spot by the hangin’ tree and are movin’ down to the River Rock on Maple Valley.  Guess it’s by the Maplewood Golf Course…whatever that is.  This’ll give us a little more elbow room for our dancin’ and general misbehavin’. Thanks to Miss Carmela for providin’ the Dancin’ Girls…..yee haw!

Don’t wanna dance?  No problem.  Sit back and listen to the country sounds of Willie and Waylon…..I mean Paul, John, Steve, and the boys!  They’re gonna do a little strummin’ and singin’.  And hear tell they’re gonna have a su-prise guest…. now who in tarnation could that be?  Sooey!

The grub’s gonna be great…..Sadler Steak, Fischer Fish, and Chicken ala Chapman….all with a spoonful of beans!

Happy Fathers Day!

thought for the week

Did you know the YMCA founded Father’s Day?

Father’s Day started at the Spokane YMCA in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd, often referred to as the “Mother of Father’s Day,” was 16 years old when her mother died in 1898, leaving her father William Jackson Smart to raise Sonora and her five younger brothers on a remote farm in Eastern Washington.

Sonora took the idea of a day to celebrate fathers to the Spokane YMCA. The Spokane YMCA, along with the Ministerial Alliance, endorsed Dodd’s idea and helped it spread by celebrating the first Father’s Day in 1910.

About the Speaker