"The Dean of Destiny", Patrick Snow will speak to the Port Orchard Rotary club on January 24. Patrick Snow is an international best-selling author, professional keynote speaker, publishing and book marketing coach, and Internet entrepreneur. Snow has been featured on the cover of of USA Today and in The New York Times. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend this meeting.

Our club has a small fish hatchery on Karcher creek. Annually a team of Rotarians will fertilize fish eggs and incubate them until they are big enough to be released into the creek. December marks the beginning of a new cycle. Seen here with students are Rotarians Brian Sauer, Dave Selbig and Pat Oster.

The Apple run is successfully completed for yet another year. Brian Sauer, Steve Hutchins and Dave Selbig drove to eastern washington and back to deliver 2000# of Red Delicious apples to Helpline by 5pm December 20th.

Great job to the Apple Team!

As per tradition a group of stalwart Rotarians arrived early on a Saturday morning to decorate the round-about. Many were puzzled by how the Chinese managed to package the lights so tightly that they were almost impossible to unravel. Donuts and coffee were available for volunteers. Everyone was pleased to have Margie Nielsen join us to help decorate. The round-about is named in honor of Margie's late husband Niels, a dedicated Rotarian.

Photo by Kristy Ewing: Steve Krecker, Dave Selbig, Margie Nielsen, Don DeMers, Susan Veach and Wayne Cohen. See more photos on our facebook page.

Last Saturday December 17th Rotarian and Soroptimist elves turned out with bells on to wrap up our annual Port Orchard Cares project.

Many thanks to Sean & Colleen Smith and Dave & Sonnie Selbig for organizing the food and gift collection, food storage, gift wrapping and distribution! This event requires much attention to detail and careful planning to pull off and it could not be done without them.

It was great to see Tim Kelly from the Port Orchard Independent at the event taking photos. Be sure to read the resulting article in the Port Orchard Independent online.

President Cathy Ecker snapped a picture of a few elves resting on the back of a fire truck. L to R. Shawn (Ron Hutchinson's wife), Kristy Ewing, Brad Smith, Leslie Reynolds-Taylor and Valarie Pettigrew.

A good time was had by all who attended the Jingle Bell Walk/Run to raise funds and awareness of Juvenile Arthritis. Valarie Pettigrew reports that those who particapted on the Port Orchard Rotary team brought in $470. Good job team! Thank you Wayne Cohen for showing up as our club mascot CRABBY! Photos of some of our participants can be viewed on our facebook page.

left to right: Sheila Cline / event organizer with Rotarians Kristy Ewing, Valarie Pettigrew / club champion, Wayne Cohen as Crabby and Natalie Stokke.

Port Orchard Rotary has a long standing tradition of showing just how much Port Orchard Cares via a cause by the same name. Together with Soroptimist members we gather food and gifts, then wrap and distribute them. This is a finely orchestrated event which can only be achieved with the direction of a few very dedicated individuals. For the past few years Colleen Smith, wife of Sean Smith, along with her husband and Dave and Sonnie Selbig have played lead elves in Rotary's, er, um Santa's workshop.

Next time you spy these elves working offstage be sure to make a point of thanking them for all their good work!

Checking the list twice. Photo of Sean & Colleen from 2008 by Kristy Ewing

Rotarians and Soroptimists joined company to collect food and accept monetary donations at local stores on Saturday, November 19th. This massive effort dubbed Port Orchard Cares is coordinated by some very capable people in both clubs. A big thank you and hoo-rah to Sonnie (current President of Soroptimists) and David Selbig! Thanks to all members who braved the cold to help and to those who helped construct temporary shelving at the Fire Station.

We will collect food again on December 3rd. Please contact Dave Selbig to volunteer. Call 360-871-3823 or email Dave.

Photo of volunteer Rose Nitz provided by Wayne Senter. Rose is the daughter of Soroptimist Leah Nitz.

Join other Port Orchard Rotary club members for a fun winter afternoon and support Juvenile Arthritis at the same time!

Members interested in joining a team of fellow Rotarians in the Jingle Bell Walk/Run please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/Rotary-JingleBell

The event takes place on December 3, 2011. It's a 5k walk/run coordinated around the Festival of Lights and Chimes in Port Orchard. 2:00 start.

Valarie Pettigrew has started a team page for us at the link above. Follow the link, and once on the page just click the "Join the Team" link, fill out the form and donate at least $20. The form asks for your team ID. Fill in Port Orchard Rotary AM.

This coming weekend Port Orchard Rotary will begin selling Washingtonians favorite beverage - COFFEE! Come see us at our booth at Holly Daze Craft and Gift Show in the Town Square Mall (aka S. Kitsap Mall), Saturday 9-5. Sunday 11-4.

Goodwill and Better Friendships holiday blend is the first of 3 different roasts that will be available through the club. It is a rich dark roast perfect for long winter days, and holiday gatherings. Bags are vacupressured to preserve freshness. Buy whole beans or ground - $13 each.