January 26, 2022
Our speaker today is fellow Rotarian Jim Donovan, sharing his trip on the Alaska Highway.
Carrie Fenn called the meeting to order at 7:30.
Linda Gilbert shared opening words.
Ric led us in the four way test and updated the fundraising campaign which adds $50 over last week’s totals.
Linda Gilbert provided an update to the upcoming Honduras trip for which eight people are going. No one has been since February, 2020. The work will center around completing projects they did back in 2020: paint and dedicate the annex at the maternity unit, as well as the pediatric building and the chemistry classroom. They will be bringing reader glasses that have continued to be collected and hope to distribute those and finally restock and do an inventory of the Bodega, which was utilized during the hurricane.
Linda also shared a note from Evan Webster, former member of our club.
Carrie referenced the Rotary International magazine for this month and ideas for a day of service. Some of the ideas in the magazine for this project are education, environment, social justice, etc.
Carrie also indicated it’s time to elect another slate of officers for the next term. Dan York shared some thoughts on the roles available and the work involved. This is a great way to become familiar with the club.
Carrie introduced Jim Donovan to speak about his trip to the Alaska Highway in 2019. It starts in Dawson Creek in the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, where Jim drove to. Some realignment of the road has been done, which Jim described as surprisingly wide, which was puzzling. He documented his trip driving with photography and some detours. He was also able to hike some of the road which is now a hiking trail, sharing photos of the road now from the original highway. He visited museums and a sign forest along the way, to name a few cool events. He finally reached Alaska by vehicle and was also able to do some biking there, although his bike was stolen in Calgary! Jim left some of his Mother’s ashes there, she always wanted to visit Alaska, at a small park. At a later date, he also left some of his Father’s ashes there. Jim’s photos were remarkable, depicting the beauty of Alaska.
He hopes to donate a book to the Charlotte Library on the history of McCarthy, Alaska that he visited by bike, as vehicles do not drive into the very small town.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30.