News
Scholarship Committee Bestows 29 Awards for 2020!
Wow!  Denis and the scholarship committees from Skookum and Shelton Rotary clubs  did an outstanding job with all of the potential adversity that COVID-19 could muster.  Let me tell you both the committee and the students applying for the 2020 scholarships worked hard.  Students had to  develop and  then the committee needed to read through the applications, conduct interviews and make the final selections.  There are 29 students receiving scholarships this year.  We have posted the three videos that Denis made on our club Facebook page announcing each of the awardees.  Congratulations to all of our high school graduates and college students that have received awards in 2020.  
 
Name-School-Award-Amount
Emily Adams-Shelton High School-Robert Burns (Performing Arts)-$1500.00
Aaron Boothe-Shelton High School-Bryce Finley (Computer Sciences)-$1500.00
Lily Dose-Shelton High School-Joy Doescher (Human Services)*-$1500.00
Michael Gillman-Shelton High School-Forest Festival (Timber the Ax Man)-$1500.00
Beau Harvey-Shelton High School-Rural Development Initiative (Civic Engagement)-$2000.00
Morgan Izzi-Shelton High School-Vocational (Trade Industries)-$1000.00
Elle Jennings-Shelton High School-Harvey Farrimond (Academic Scholarship*-$1000.00
Cheyanne Kenyon-Shelton High School-Vocational (Trade Industries) -$1000.00
Chase Moran-Shelton High School-Terry Olsen (Vocational Arts)*-$1000.00
Nathanael Ostheller-Shelton High School-Academic/Continuing Education-$1500.00
Jonah Perry-Shelton High School-Vocational (Trade Industries) -$1000.00
Grace Renecker-Shelton High School-Academic/Continuing Education-$1500.00
Jayde Smith-Shelton High School-Academic/Continuing Education-$1500.00
Jenavieve Striplin-Shelton High School-Vocational (Trade Industries)-$1000.00
Grace Toney-Shelton High School-Mary Penny (Medical Arts)#-$1000.00
Mackenzie Uch-Shelton High School-Doug Larson (Medical Arts)*-$2000.00
Kiara Ventura-Shelton High School-Academic/Continuing Education-$1000.00
Beau Ward-Shelton High School-Vocational (Trade Industries)-$1000.00
Molly Ye-Shelton High School-Janis Byrd (Business Arts)*-$1500.00
Kain Tinajero-Hernandez-Shelton High School-Forest Festival (Paul Bunyan)-$2000.00
Lillian Crawford-Choice High School-Vocational (Trade Industries)-$1000.00
Matilda Smither-Winslow-Choice High School-Dick Oltman (Environmental Studies/Tourism)*-$1000.00
Isabella Porter-North Mason High School-Lee Gillis (Educational Arts)*-$1500.00
Spencer Pruitt-North Mason High School-Academic/Continuing Education-$1500.00
Lukas Hansen-Washington Virtual Academy-Rotary Inspirational-$1000.00
Austin Karr-Washington Virtual Academy-Rural Development Initiative (Civic Engagement)-$2000.00
Josephine Beaudoin-University of Washington-Tom Spikes (Business Arts)#-$1000.00
Laura Henry-South Puget Sound CC-Academic/Continuing Education-$1500.00
Savannah Knutson-Baylor University-Terry Shaw (Academic)*-$1000.00
 
* denotes the honoring of a  Skookum Rotarian or spouse      # denotes the honoring of a  Shelton Rotarian or spouse
A First Hand Account of Polio Immunizations in Jhansi, India
 
Anil Puri, Twin Cities Rotary Club, will be our guest speaker on Wednesday, May 20 to recount his recent pilgrimage to India to provide polio immunizations. Polio is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under 5 years old attacking the nervous system and can lead to paralysis.  There is no cure for polio but there is a preventative safe and effective vaccine.  The poliovirus is commonly spread from person to person through contaminated water.  
 
Rotary began its campaign to fight Polio in 1979 and has been part of the team to immunize 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.  This is a 99.9% reduction in polio cases world wide.  Rotary won't stop until the disease is gone for good.  
 
During National Immunization Day, Puri was part of a team of Rotarians and World Health Organization team members that helped to vaccinate 300,000 in the City of Jhansi.  Founded in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public private partnership between Rotary, the World Health Organization, The United Nations Children's Fund, Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.   
 
 
OysterFest Cancelled for 2020
Skookum Rotary Club is cancelling this year’s OysterFest event based on potential Covid 19 risks and social distancing guidelines that will most likely be required for the remainder of the year. We do not believe we can hold an event that may draw over 12,000 people into a single, confined area.
 
The decision is being made at this time because of the large number of commitments that must be made now to our multiple company partners and our local not-for-profit volunteers. We know that this is a large loss for our community however, human safety and disease prevention is our most important consideration.
 
Our club plans to be back for OysterFest 2021.
PUD3 WiFi Hotspots and more topic of Club meeting
Did you know about the three tap test for when you power blinks?  Do you know where the current PUD3 WiFi hotspots are?  Do you know who served the shortest term as County Commissioner in Washington State History?  
 
Join us for our Wednesday's morning club meeting with Joel Myer, Public Information and Government Relations Manager for Mason County PUD 3.  Joel will be sharing updates on the PUD3 wifi hotspots, COVID19 related funding and general utility operations.  He edits a widely distributed daily news digest of utility-related news focused on Pacific Northwest energy issues.  In 2018, Joel received the Lacy People’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to the public power industry and work in the areas of marketing and communication.
 
 
 
Behind the Scenes with the Scholarship Committee
Each year graduating Mason County high school students are able to apply for a variety of Skookum and Shelton Rotary Club scholarships.  This spring Rotarians are working behind the scenes to process the flood of applications and keep the tradition rolling.  
 
Skookum Rotary offers the following scholarships: Robert Burns for Performing Arts,  Janis Byrd for Business Arts, Joy Doescher for Community Service, Special Vocational Arts for GED, and alternative learning programs, Special Civic Engagement scholarships, Doug Larson for the Medical Arts, Terry Olsen for the Trades Industry Arts, Lee Gillis for Education Arts, Dick Oltman for Environmental Studies or Tourism, Academic/Continuing Education Scholarships, Paul Bunyan Scholarship, Vocational scholarships for the Trades Industries.  
 
In addition, Shelton Rotary has scholarships honoring:  Tom Spikes for Business Arts, Mary Penny for Medical Arts, Bryce Finley for Computer Arts (funded by Bar Association), Timber the Ax Man scholarship.  Many readers will recognize the named scholarships as being Rotarians and/or community leaders such as: Dr. Doug Larson, veterinarian and charter member of Skookum Rotary, Dick Oltman, the founder of OysterFest, Mary Penny, a nurse and tireless community volunteer.   As many as 28 scholarships are possible this year from both clubs.  
 
In the next few weeks, the scholarship committee will complete the process of blind judging, scheduling interview dates with the advancing students and conduct interviews - either on the phone or via computer - before coming back together to determine the awardees.  Denis Leverich, Scholarship Chair for Skookum Rotary notes that this year has been challenging with COVID 19, but true to form Rotarians have stepped up to the plate and made this happen for our Mason County Students. We could not make this happen without the dedication of fellow Rotarians. 
 
Scholarship Chair and Skookum Rotarian, Denis Leverich on the far right, with the 2016 Skookum Rotary club scholarship recipients from Shelton High School.  
Upcoming Events & Meetings
Bulletin Subscribe
Subscribe to our eBulletin and stay up to date on the latest news and events.

Click here to sign up!
 
OysterFest 2020
Sanderson Field, Shelton
Rotary International
Nature & Nurture

With help from a Rotary Foundation global grant, a group of women in rural Costa Rica are using ecotourism to enrich their families' futures.

Watch: Italian clubs aim to protect hospital workers responding to COVID-19

Rotary clubs in districts across Italy worked together to procure state-of-the-art equipment needed to combat the deadly coronavirus disease for 26 hospitals around the country.

Rotaract rising

The ongoing evolution of Rotaract is redefining its place within Rotary.

Rotary International - Who We Are
Ending Polio
Our Causes