October 1st - Board Meeting 10:45 - Regular Meeting at Noon with Speaker Dean Rohrs, Rotary International
October 8th - Mary Schlosser, Talking Book and Braille Library
October 15th - Tom Eisenberg, Friends of Camano Island Parks and Cama Beach State Park
October 22nd - To Be Announced
October 29th - To Be Announced
Dean Rohrs - October 1st Speaker
District 5050 Foundation Chair
Dean, her husband Rhino and their 3 children emigrated to Canada from South Africa 32 years ago. Dean grew up in Zambia and after marrying Rhino lived in Malawi, Namibia and South Africa. Dean was born into a Rotary family and when Rhino joined Rotary in 1986 became an active Rotary Ann until she joined Rotary in 1989. On arriving in Vancouver both Dean and Rhino joined the Rotary Club of West Vancouver and at present are members of the Rotary Club of Langley Central in District 5050.
Dean has had a varied career from the early days of being an Operating Room Nurse on Professor Christiaan Barnard’s first heart transplant team to running a Nursery School in Malawi. Together with Rhino they now owner manage a company that is involved in soil stabilization during road construction.
Dean has served on District and Zone committees; which include: Regional Rotary Coordinator and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Pacific Northwest PETS Chair, District Governor in 2007/2008 and Rotary International Director 2016-2018, Rotary International Vice- President 2017-2018.
However, her best experience is leading teams of Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors to Africa and seeing how this volunteer experience changes their lives.
Mary Schlosser - Washington Taking Book & Braille Library - October 8th Speaker
The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) is Washington’s only completely accessible library providing service to people of all ages unable to read standard print. Audiobooks (talking books), braille books and magazines, youth large print, readers’ advisory, youth services, training and assistive technology support, and library programming are all available to WTBBL patrons. Our mission is to provide equitable access to information and reading materials and build community in support of our vision That All May Read.
Tom Eisenberg, Camano Island/ Cama Beach - October 15th Speaker
Tom has been an active volunteer in the Camano Island community since the 1970s. Throughout his service with Parks, Tom has volunteered as both an individual and as a member and leader of the Friends of Camano Island Parks (FOCIP) – a volunteer group that serves Cama Beach and Camano Island. As president for FOCIP for over 25 years, he has organized groups to work on a variety of projects including, trail maintenance, restoration projects, community events and acts as an encyclopedia of knowledge on the local floral and fauna – frequently providing interpretive tours and talks at the park.
Tom inspires everyone around him. Camano Island Senior Park Aide Troy Twibell has the pleasure of working closely with Tom and said, “I consider him a mentor. His depth of knowledge about the local area surpasses anyone else I know.”
Stanwood-Camano Rotary Parade 2026: "United for Good"
The Stanwood-Camano Rotary Club is thrilled to announce the theme for the 2026 Rotary Parade: "United for Good." This theme was chosen to highlight the incredible power of collaboration and community spirit that defines our twin cities.
"United for Good" is a call to action, an invitation for every individual, business, and organization in Stanwood and Camano to come together to celebrate our shared values and the positive impact we can create when we work as one. It speaks to the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self" and emphasizes that our collective efforts can bring about lasting, positive change.
The parade, scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2026, will be a vibrant showcase of what "United for Good" means to our community. We encourage participants to interpret this theme in creative and inspiring ways. Whether you're building a float that highlights a local partnership, showcasing a non-profit's collaborative work, or simply marching with a group that embodies community unity, we want to see your vision brought to life.
This theme is not just for the parade; it's a reminder of the good we can achieve when we stand together. It's about strengthening our bonds, supporting our neighbors, and building a stronger, more resilient community for all.
Mark your calendars, start planning your floats, and get ready to be "United for Good" as we celebrate the heart and soul of the Stanwood-Camano community.
Park Work Party Success!
What a fantastic day of service at the Rotary Adventure Park! Friends from Rotary International held their annual clean-up party, making a huge difference in getting the park ready for fall.
Volunteers were busy painting, weed-eating, and trimming trees, showing true dedication to maintaining this wonderful community space.
This successful event was a combined effort between the Stanwood Camano Rotary Club and the Passport Club One. We even had a member travel all the way from British Columbia to help out—that's dedication!
A big thank you goes to Terry Greer, who planned and hosted a wonderful BBQ afterward to reward the hardworking volunteers. It was a great day of fellowship and service!
Music in the Park!
Check out our latest addition to the Rotary Adventure Park! Park president, Mike Nestor, was spotted giving the new outdoor musical instrument a whirl!
Thanks to the incredible support and generosity of the Stanwood Camano Rotary Club, the park now features a wonderful new xylophone. This addition was made possible through a grant from the club, who continues to be a partner in supporting the playground's development.
We send a huge THANK YOU to the Stanwood Camano Rotary Club for helping us bring more joy and music to our community park! Stop by soon to give the new instrument a try!
Team Imagination Library: Driving Early Literacy Home!
The Rotary Club of Stanwood-Camano Island would like to give a huge shout-out to our incredible Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library team for their outstanding work at the recent City of Stanwood Touch-a-Truck event!
Our team was on-site with books and information, and their hard work paid off in a big way. We are thrilled to announce that a record-breaking 29 new children were registered for the program since the event. This brings our total number of local children receiving a free, high-quality book every month to an incredible 899!
Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for their passion and commitment. Your effort is making a tangible difference, one book at a time, by helping us bring the magic of reading to more families in our community.
Don't Miss Out! LocalBizAI's Brandon Ericson Offers FREE AI Workshops
It was great to see so many of you at our recent meeting where we heard from Brandon Ericson of Local Biz AI! Brandon provided fantastic insights into how Artificial Intelligence is already changing the landscape for small businesses.
If you are eager to take the next step and learn how to harness the power of AI for your own business, Brandon is offering two in depth follow up workshops.
You can also learn more about Brandon's work by checking out his website at www.localbizai.me.
Celebrating Heather Courlas: Our Club's Public Image
Heather Courlas was honored with a Distinguished Service Citation at a recent meeting. The award recognizes Heather for her unwavering commitment to strengthening the Rotary Club of Stanwood-Camano Island's public image in our community.
Heather's tireless work in outreach and advocacy has been instrumental in connecting more people to the important work Rotary does, the vital causes we serve, and the shared purpose that unites us. Her dedication has brought our club's story to life, showcasing the impact we have in both our local community and the world.
This honor is a testament to Heather’s leadership and her embodiment of the Rotary ideal of "Service Above Self." Her passion for sharing our mission has helped us grow and continue to make a meaningful difference.
Congratulations, Heather, on this well-deserved recognition! We are so grateful for your incredible work.
Ravishankar Dakoju pledged that he and his wife and fellow club member, Paola Dakoju, would donate approximately US$50 million (4.5 billion Indian rupees) to The Rotary Foundation.
