The Rotary Club of Hilo Bay: Meeting Notes – October 14, 2026
Call to Order
President Jan Haraguichi-Abundo called the meeting to order at 7:00. (We were moved to the ground floor to accommodate a Wounded Warriors meeting.)
Opening Activities
The meeting opened with President Jan asking Brian Lindsey to lead the Pledge. Lisa Lamorte-Willians shared an inspiration—small steps everyday lead to big results.
Trivia, Joke, Japanese and Spanish Word of the Day, Guests
Alan, see happy dollars
Joke
Japanese: Where is it? Doko desu ka?
Spanish: Where is it? Donde esta?
Guests, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Inductions, Special Recognition
Birthdays: Mary Beiger, Kumiko Usuda, Mike Carroll, Julie Hugo, Steven Sylvester
Anniversaries: Sandra Wright-Wagner
Inductions: None
Guests: KT Cannon-Eiger, Friend of Lili uokalani Gardens
Club Announcements & Community Service Opportunities, Club Recognition
President Jan made the following announcements.
- Birthday Books is today starting at 11:30.
- The State of Hawaii issued the incorporation paperwork for the Foundation. Alan expects to complete the IRS 501C3 application in the next few weeks.
- Kakou Event is 10/16 at U of H Hilo starting at 4:30 pm at the Campus Center.
- Tent or Treat at St. Joesph’s School. See Anita for details and signing up.
- Looking for a Sargeant of Arm. Will a worthy volunteer please stand up!
- World Polio Day is Oct. 24th FEED the PIG!
- Higashi Hiroshima 40th Installation is scheduled for May 23, 2027. Sign up if you are going to attend. Our sister club needs to make arrangements for pre and post activities.
- HOPE Services luncheon is the week before Thanksgiving. Club members will volunteer and support the memory of former Rotarian Chester Cabral.
- Salvation Army Bell Ringing and Angel Tree time is drawing near. JoB will be coordinating our participation.
- Seaweed Removal will resume in Queen Liliuokalani Park on 10/24 from 9-11 am. Volunteers are needed to remove the seaweed by grubbing it out and other to move it to the composting site as well as support help. Looking for 50 volunteers from Rotary, Interact, Rotaract as well as University students and anyone who wants to help.
- Walk with a fellow Rotarian is a monthly activity of the RC of Hilo. Stay tuned for announcements.
Induction of Wendy Bothelho. President Jan asked Wendy Bothelho to join her at the podium. President Jan repeated the RI induction ceremony. She asked Wendy if she would live live by the Four Way Test. After she answered affirmatively, she was welcomed to Rotary. President Jan pined Wendy and gave her the welcoming folder. They members then welcomed them to RCHB family.
Happy Dollars 
from October 14th meeting, with one exception
$5-Alan Okinaka because I survived a 60 member reunion in Las Vegas for Oct. 7th
$5 – Virgina Juettner was happy because of our new members and potential new readers.
$10 – Jeff Gray – he is Happy because it is his birthday month again.
$20-Martha Rodillas-she bought a new person health watch that gives all types of information. She was especially pleased when it reduced her metabolic age by ten years!
$20-Mary Begier-had a safe and fun time at a 12 day retreat in Greece.
$20-Kumiko Useda-I will need to work in Tokyo from Sept. to Dec. She will have to miss some meetings during that period but she believes she will return to Hilo. Thanks for celebrating my birthday!
$20-Kim Keahiolalo-I love read aloud! Mahalo to Virginia for training me and supplying me with books to read to the children. Its fun!
$5-Alan Okinaka looked up polio. Only one of the three wild strains still exists. There is a strain of polio that some people contract from the polio serum. It can exist and mutate over time. Therefore, continue inoculations are needed in some parts of the world to truly extinguish polio.
$5-Anita Cunningham is happy because of their 3 boys. The youngest just turned 15 and received 3 bunnies and a female pheasant.
$10-Bob Juettner received an unsolicited compliment from a woman who recognized the Rotary logo on his shirt. She thanked him for being a Rotarian!
Guest Speaker: KT Cannon-Eiger, Friend of Lili uokalani Gardens. KT had a lot of photos that she could not present in our different meeting room but that did not hinder her presentation.
- Prince Kalakaua was sent around the world to see how the rest of world was modernizing. When he returned from Japan, he brought two Japanese gardeners with him. This started the craze of Japanese Gardens in the Kingdom.
- The garden is 107 years old and is approximately 28.67 acres. It is one of only two Japanese gardens in the world that depends upon tidal waters. The other is in Tokyo harbor.
- The pond is the central attraction in this garden which was originally a fishpond. Japanese gardeners completed the original walls of the pond and walkways.
- Over time and several tsunamis, they were damaged and rebuilt by well meaning people but not to the original design.
- It is now being redeveloped according to the original design based upon research. Straight walls are returning to zigzag walls. Key stones are being allowed to reroute the water flow to it original design.
- However, starting in 1971 invasive seaweed started to take over the pond. It spread quickly covering the bottom and killing of the indigenous flora and fauna under a thick layer of sludge.
- Removing the sludge is done manually so as not to damage the restored walls.
- This Saturday will be the second time Rotary Clubs, Interact and Rotaract clubs will come together to remove the sludge
Door Prize Winner: Martha Rodillas
Final Reminders
Travel to Japan to visit our sister club will take place on May 23, 2027.
RI World Convention in Barcelona in June 2027.
Check your emails and the club website, www.hilobayrotary.com, for news and updates
Still looking for a Sargeant at Arms
Four-Way Test: Virginia Juettner
Door Prizes and Inspirations for Oct & Nov
Michelle Flemming Oct 21
Patrick Bodell Nov 4
Alan Okinaka Nov 11
Miyuki Lee Nov 18
You can’t be a door prize winner without door prizes. Patrick Bodell is looking for volunteers for door prizes and inspiration.