The Rotary Club of Hilo Bay: Meeting Notes – July 8, 2026
Call to Order
President Jan Haraguichi-Abundo called the hybrid meeting to order at 7:00. Twenty seven of the fifty five members of the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay were in attendance which included two online..
Opening Activities
The meeting opened with Dale Tokuuke leading the Pledge. Steven Sylvester shared an inspirational message fit for a banker, “Prepare for tomorrow without borrowing its worries and cherish today without stealing from your future.”
Trivia, Joke & Japanese Word of the Day
Which is the hottest planet in our solar system? Mercury
Why couldn’t the astronaut book a room in a hotel on the moon? Because it was full.
Ohayogozaimasu—Good morning
Guests, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Inductions, Special Recognition
- Birthdays: None
- Anniversaries: Victoria Adams, Kim Keahiolalo
- Inductions: Tom Witthans, Julie Hugo, Art Taniguchi
- Guests: Jeff Gray, Leslie Yuen and Martha Rodillas
Club Announcements & Community Service Opportunities
President Jan made the following announcements.
- HCC comprehensive English Program—meet at the flagpole on July 9th at 8:45 am
- Volcano Run Hydration stop, July 25th, see Mary Begier for sign up
- HRYF, Richard Cunningham stated his goals for the year. $3K to HRYF and $5K to the Nursing Scholarship in the Club’s name. Richard will accept cash or checks
- Club Foundation organization is continuing with Alan Okinaka doing the submission and the Board of Directors is active
- Oktoberfest, 2026 planning is ongoing with Steven Sylvester leading the committee. President Jan wants to increase the visibility of the event well in advance of the actual date
- Food Basket is looking for volunteers to pack Kupuna Boxes on Wednesday, August 5th. See Janell for more information.
- The Relay for Life is on 7/18. See Jan to run and or contribute
- The Friends of the Children Justice Center will holding a gala event in conjunction with the Orchid Show. See Kathleen for more information
- Peace Day will be celebrated on Aug. 18th. For more information, see Art Taniguchi
- JoB asked on the behalf of Tim Hansen if there would be interest in providing scarves for inmates. The prison has requirement that gifts for prisoners must be enough for all and not for some. In this case, an individual make 40 scarves and needs an additional 50 to meet this requirement.
- Anita Cunningham announced that the Club received a thank you from one of our scholarship students
Happy Dollars
$250 - David S. DeLuz, Jr. - 7/9/26 Signing of our U.S.Constitution, 250 years old. Apply $125 to HRYF and $125 to RCHB-UHH/HCC Nursing Program.
$100 - Dale Tokuuke - I'm Back!!
$20 - Virginia Juettner - Happy the installation is over-- Thanks to Janell, Hirona, Miyuki, Jan and Chris (Okano) for their wonderful contributions for the Japanese breakfast. Great to see Dale again.
$20 - Patrick Bodell - Lorraine Davis is back sitting with the rest of the club members! It's been a few years!
$20 - Miyuki Lee - Congratulations to Jan for the first meeting! 
$10 - Alan Okinaka - There are 37 trillion human cells, each cell made up of 100 trillion atoms = (somehow) consciousness.
$10 - Jan Abundo - Thanks for Kitchen Umeko for preparing the fish donated by Chris Okano. Also, thanks to Anita Cunningham for the beautiful Sakura table arrangements.
$5 - Geoli Ng - 988 trees planted! Mahalo to the club for your help!
Guest Speaker President Jan introduced Leilehua Yuen a cultural practitioner and a member of the Gemini Observatory. The Gemini Observatory is a consortium of members that utilize two 8.1 meter telescopes located on Mauna Kea and in Chile. Leilehua, a Hawaii Culture and Language resident at Gemini Observatories, presented on Hawaiian star constellations and mythology, particularly focusing on Maui's fishhook and its cultural significance. She reported that many people living further north than Hawaii often associated the Pleiades with being Maui’s fishhook but that they are wrong.
Door Prize Winner:[BJ1] Martha Rodillas
Closing Announcements
- Guest speaker next week is Lisa Lamorte-Williams
- Pay your dues!
- July 29th will be the monthly social meeting.
- The District 5000 Conference is August 21–23 in Honolulu.
- Travel to Japan to visit our sister club will take place in May 2027.
- Check your emails and the club website, www.hilobayrotary.com, for news and updates
Four-Way Test: Allen Novak
Door Prizes and Inspirations for July & August
Richard Cunningham July 15
Mike Carroll July 22
Dark July 29
Anita Cunningham Aug 5
JoB Aug 12
Aug 19
Tim H or Kevin R Aug 26
You can’t be a door prize winner without door prizes. Lorraine is looking for volunteers for door prizes and inspiration. Her calendar needs additional names and commitments.
AI Version of the meeting
Quick recap
The Rotary Club of Hilo Bay held their regular meeting where Jan led discussions about upcoming club activities and events. The club announced their first social event scheduled for July 29th at Paul Hanna, though specific details including timing and food arrangements were still being finalized. Jan mentioned an upcoming Service in the Name of Peace event on August 2nd to commemorate the atomic bomb anniversary, with participation from Rotary's Peace Committee and district government. The club received a thank you card from fellowship recipient Naaman Chitwood expressing gratitude for the scholarship support. Jan announced only two spots remained available for the Inspiration and Door Prize schedule, with December 16th and 23rd as remaining dates. Jokamali proposed a community project to crochet scarves for inmates at Kulani prison, seeking 90 scarves total, and received support from club members including Jan who mentioned her own crocheting skills. The meeting featured a guest presentation by Lele Huayuan from Gemini Observatories, who shared her work connecting Hawaiian cultural stories with astronomy, particularly focusing on Maui's fishhook constellation and her role creating educational materials that combine science and native Hawaiian traditions.
Next steps
Jan
Send an email with more details about the club social on July 29th, including time and food arrangements, and get a head count for attendees.
Send out another email with the link for Relay for Life team donations.
Send out an email reminder about the monthly social on July 29th and going dark that week.
Send out an email reminder to support the sister club at the Gila Brewfest this Saturday.
jokamali
Reach out to organizations and club members interested in crocheting/knitting/sewing scarves for inmates at Kulani, and proceed with the project after confirming interest.
Send an email to the club about the scarf project and collect responses from interested members.
Summary
Club Social Event Planning
Jan announced the first club social event scheduled for July 29th at Paul Hanna, though exact details including timing and food arrangements are still being finalized. The event location supports the club through Oktoberfest and has committed to hosting both the upcoming social and October events. Jan mentioned they would send more details via email once confirmed, including a head count for food arrangements.
Rotary Peace Committee Service Announcement
Jan announced that the Rotary Peace Committee will participate in a service on April 2nd at 8:00 or 9:00 AM to commemorate the atomic bomb date of August 6th. Jan shared a thank you card received from Naaman Chitwood, a fellowship recipient, expressing gratitude for the scholarship. Jan also reminded attendees that there are only two spots remaining for the inspiration and door to rise schedule, with December 16th and December 23rd as available dates, requiring an inspirational quote and a $50 value prize.
Technical Meeting Disruption
The meeting appears to have been disrupted by technical difficulties with audio and video connectivity. Jan and jokamali experienced issues with the speaker and remote controls, making it difficult for jokamali to participate effectively. Due to time constraints, jokamali decided to leave early and agreed to send an email about crocheting scarves instead of presenting during the meeting.
Prison Scarf Donation Project
Jokamali proposed a community project to crochet 90 scarves for inmates at Kulani prison, where the cold weather requires one scarf per inmate. Jan expressed interest in participating and offered to help teach left-handed crocheting techniques. The group discussed whether knitting or sewing alternatives could be used, with Jan suggesting that any method would work as long as it provides warmth. jokamali requested club members to email their interest and mentioned plans to reach out to other organizations if the club supports the project.
Community Donations and Activities Discussion
The meeting focused on discussing community activities and donations, with Jan expressing interest in donating scarves and noting the club's ability to knit and sew. Jan shared trivia about the human body's trillions of cells and atoms, pondering the mystery of consciousness. Jan also mentioned discovering that the RI president's name is Bob Aloha, and shared historical information about the Constitution's adoption on September 17th, announcing donations of $125 each to HRYF and a nursing program.
Environmental Initiative Tree Planting Event
Jan thanked everyone for a successful installation event and acknowledged the contributions of various team members including Janelle, Verona, Yuki, Jan, Chris, and Dale. Jan also announced that 988 trees have been planted on Bishop as part of their environmental initiative, using clothing sales from Pomona to fund the project. Jan explained their clothing line features hand-drawn art on fabric made from recycled materials, with each design connecting to local Hawaiian plants and environmental themes.
Hawaiian Culture and Environment Initiatives
Jan discussed their organization's environmental initiatives, including planting native Hawaiian trees for every piece sold and working with bird conservation efforts. Jan then introduced Lele Huayuan, a Hawaii Culture and Language resident at Gemini Observatories, who presented on Hawaiian star constellations and mythology, particularly focusing on Maui's fishhook and its cultural significance. The conversation ended with announcements about upcoming events including a guest speaker next week, District 5000 conference, and Gila Brewfest.
[BJ1]Standardize formatting