At our November 1, 2022, meeting, Sam Kalanikupua King II, a descendant of Samuel Wilder King, the first Governor of the Territory of Hawaii, addressed, via Zoom, issues surrounding the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, OHA, the Thirty-Meter Telescope project, and other matters of interest to native Hawaiians and the public.

At our October 4, 2022, meeting, David Anitok, a healthcare and community activist, discussed via Zoom the fresh water needs of the Marshallese Community in Oceanview.

At our September 6, 2022, meeting, Guest Speaker James Akau spoke on Hawaiian Canoes and their cultural connection to the ocean.

Rebecca Moore, Hilo Medical Center Stroke/STEMI Coordinator, addresses our July 2, 2022, club meeting, speaking of expanding stroke and cardiac services to the Big Island.

During its July 5, 2022, meeting, Rotary Club of South Hilo welcomed three new members, L-to-R, Michael Hauben, Laura Acasio, and Gerry Baldwin.

Newly installed District Governor Randy Hart swearing in new presidents Connie Ichinoise, Rotary Club of Hilo; Cat Rehberg, Rotary Club of South Hilo; Susie Osborne and Ron Cutler, co-presidents of Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset

Since our first in-person/hybrid meeting on July 6, attendance has been steadily growing both in person and online.  Yesterday's meeting featuring United States Coast Guardsman Peter Wilson, was attended by sixteen of our members in person and six more online.  As our club continues to rebuild from a year where COVID-19 shut down most of our activities, it's been really encouraging to see people participating again.

 

Among the attendees yesterday was Karen FitzGerald, the wife of our late member John FitzGerald.  She came to let us know that she will be having a Celebration of Life for John on Saturday, August 28th.  John was one of our most active members and his ranch in Hakalau was the site of many Rotary functions.  More details on this function will follow.

 

Join us next week when our own Elena Cabatu will be our speaker and will give us an update on COVID-19 and the new Delta variant.

 

Speaker Peter Wilson, his wife Megan, daughter Pohai, son Gunnar, Marissa Guerra, Zeda Medina and Karen FitzGerald after the meeting.

 

Legacy Member Valta Cook with Past President Rosemary Linden and guest Michael Hauben

 

South Hilo members Keith Marrack, Doug Adams and Tom English join our meeting online.

 

Club Secretary Tracy Klask and Past-President Tom Yeh

 

Past President and Zoom Master Benson Medina trying to keep all the technical pieces of a hybrid meeting moving.

 

The Rotary Club of South Hilo and the Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset welcomed new presidents in the first joint inauguration ceremony for both clubs.  Because of the COVID pandemic, Rotary club meetings were moved online in April 2020.  Assistant Governor, Doug Adams (and RCSH member) did the honors of inaugurating RCSH incoming president Keith Greer and incoming Pahoa club president, Kirk Bailey.

 

Pahoa Club Members (from Left to Right), Past President Ron Cutler, President Susie Osborne, Glen Calvert, incoming President Kirk Bailey, Fran Calvert and Libby Oshiyama.

Doug Adams, Zeda Medina, Zoe Medina, Mistress of Ceremonies Marissa Guerra and incoming President Keith Greer start the celebration.  President Keith outlined his goals for the coming year including a return to community service and in-person meetings (starting July 6th) at the Coconut Grill Restaurant.  The event was first Rotary event that many of our members had attended in over a year including:

Past President Keith and Sally Marrack

Pat Aiona Sr and wife, Annette

The Bouchers: Olivia, Claudia and Peter

Guest of honor, Karen FitzGerald and son, Kimo with wife Megan.  The program included a special tribute to Karen's late husband, John, a long-time member of the Rotary Club of South Hilo.

Past President Rosemary Linden and guest Michael Hauben

Past President Randy Kurohara, Kimberly Kobayashi and daughter, Dani

Past President Brenda Ho and Debbie Ono

Past President Tom Yeh and Rotary Service Award winner, Charlene Iboshi

Membership Chair Lani Weigert and Joe Capellas

Our new President-Elect, Cat Rehberg and our Sargent-At-Arms and Social Media chair, Marissa Guerra

Our Club Secretary, Tracy Klask

Club Treasurer Zeda Medina and Board Member Margaret Stanley

 

Zeda and Past President Benson Medina                Incoming President and Assistant Governor Doug Adams

Tuesday, February 16 - We will learn more about "How Rotary will be Moving Forward in 2021-2022" from Sandy Matsui, Governor-Elect (District 5000). We'll watch a video from our incoming Rotary President, Shekhar Mehta who will let us know the new Rotary theme for the upcoming year.   Sandy and Benson will discuss what's ahead for the District and our own incoming club President Keith Greer discussed his plans and ideas for the coming year. Sandy has been a proud member of the Rotary Club of Kāneʻohe since 1992. After she served as Club President in 2011-012, her Rotary journey led to new adventures serving District 5000 as Assistant Governor for three years, District Secretary, District Trainer and as a member of the Host Organizing Committee for the Rotary International Convention that was scheduled to be held in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi in 2020. 

 

Tuesday, February 9 - Agronomist and Farmer, Bob Shaffer, will talk to us about compost, its influence on our island, global warming, as well as food security and quality. He has a wealth of knowledge and may cover other topics that fit in with our Club's new focus.

 

Tuesday, January 12 - Tom Kabat, who consults on federal hydropower improvements, and with local non-profits and start-ups on efforts fight climate change, will be joining our meeting from Palo Alto, CA. This talk frames the climate crisis as something ordinary citizens can act upon working together to implement and demonstrate ideas and actions. This gives policy makers the courage to take those actions and make them the new sustainable normal. We will talk about ways to make low carbon living easy, affordable, and meaningful!

Tuesday, October 6 Scott Laaback, Co-founding board member and President of Center for Getting Things Started. A regenerative land systems designer, farm-to-table chef, and organizer who works to create regenerative culture and landscapes. He brings wildland firefighting experience, restaurant and farm work, pop-up farm-to-table event production, design, installation and maintenance of regenerative landscapes and any and all sustainability design projects.

 

Tuesday, October 20 Hannah Shipman, Community Outreach Director at Blue Planet Foundation. Hannah will discuss the foundation and their efforts to help Hawai'i transition to 100% clean energy. She will offer actionable information on how to be more energy-efficient as efficiency is our cheapest and cleanest energy resource. Especially during COVID, with an increase in time spent at home, reducing energy bills is top of mind.

 

Tuesday, October 27 Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D. Dr. Akina is a Trustee-at-Large in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a statewide elective position. He is also President/CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, a public policy research institution dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, free markets and limited, accountable government. Dr. Akina believes that "It's time to reform OHA" so that it becomes a driving force in preserving the Aloha Spirit and advancing Hawaiians through housing, education, healthcare, and economic prosperity.

President Maurice Goulding hosts weekly club meetings online. The Tuesday meetings will feature a variety of guest speakers though most will focus on sustainable agriculture, food security, and other environmental issues. Stay tuned for more from the S. Hilo Rotary Club and invite your friends to see experts in their field on Zoom Tuesdays.

 

Tuesday, July 28 David Marquis from Puna Precious Plastics will fill us in on his project's progress and obstacles as he ventures to find ways to reduce or redirect our plastic waste stream. 

 

Tuesday, August 4 Peter Silva, Executive Director of the Hawaii HIV/AIDS Foundation, will be talking about his foundation, what it's like to run the only STD clinic on island, the importance of his work and how it impacts us all.