~ Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter ~

Rotary Club of Newberg, Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

 

~ Call to Order ~

Club President Becky Ankeny welcomed Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the Hybrid Live/Zoom meeting at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at the Chehalem Cultural Center.

 

~ Flag Salute ~

Rotarians recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

~ 4 Way Test ~

Michelle lead participants in the recital of the 4 Way Test:

Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:

#1 – Is it the TRUTH?

#2 – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

#3 – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

#4 – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

 

~ Announcements ~

Auction Committee – Today after the meeting will be the first Auction Committee Meeting after the Lunch meeting (1pm).  We are now less than 3 months away and A LOT of planning goes into this project.  So please consider joining the committee and helping the team build an amazing Auction.  The Committee plans to be available meet after the club meetings to discuss progress.  Please see Michelle and sign up to help out in some way.  Also now is a good time to begin finding procurements.

~ Guests ~

Kimberly Howell, Guest, Rick’s daughter

~ The Rotary Duck ~

Paul: Is now in the middle of Honey Harvest.  He took about 100 lbs of honey off of one hive yesterday.  It was a lot of hard work.  He also announced that Ralph is on vacation in California and they noticed something off and thought he maybe had a stroke.  He took an ambulance to the hospital.  After all of their tests they think maybe he had a TIA and that he should be OK.  

Auggie: Confessed that he has a Japanese Maple.  He donated a handful to Rick who later created a wonderful Bonsai display which Auggie accidentally forgot to have someone water when he was on vacation.  He felt bad and replaced it with a new seedling hoping Rick wouldnt notice.  However he decided, in honor of living and speaking Truth as a Rotarian, came clean and admitted to us all his trick.  

~ Today’s Program: Hands on Bonsai with Rick Kaufman ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was a special meeting where we got a hands-on lesson on the art and practice of Bonsai from Rick Kaufman.  Rick has been pursuing the ancient Japanese art of Bonsai (pronounced “Bone-Sigh”) for over 65 years.  Bonsai translates simply to “Tree in a Tray” and has been around for over a thousand years, originating in China and spreading throughout many Asian cultures in different forms.  To be considered Bonsai, it should meet a certain criteria, but is essentially a reduced size mimicry of real trees in their natural conditions and environments.  all aspects of the tree should therefore be to scale.  So plants with bigger leaves would not be appropriate.

At the Rotary Meeting, Rick came prepared with several potted plants, and we all split up into groups of two and got to try it out for ourselves!  We got out our gloves and sheers, unpotted the plants, cut out half of the root system, and used wire to attach them to a small block of wood.  We then got a chance to get some instruction from Rick and Kimberly on how to best trim our plants as Rick explained more about the art and culture of the practice.  In thanks to Rick, who purchased the plants for our experience, we donated to the club and were able to take our Bonsai plants home.  We will all try to keep our Bonsai healthy with a bit of tender love and care, along with keeping a damp soil.  Big thanks to Rick for providing a newly unique, fun, and educational meeting presentation!

If you would like to learn more about Bonsai, Rick has been teaching all levels of experience for decades.  Reach out to Rick to possibly schedule personal lessons.

Check your e-mails for Zoom meeting access information, special announcements, and newsletter release notifications.

~ Jokes of the Day ~

What do I know about Bonsai Trees?  Very little.

Today I met with fellow Rotarians to practice the art of Bonsai.  To begin we all exchanged pleasant trees.

~ Published 8/9/2022: Dan Keuler, Newsletter Editor ~