Attendance: Mark Rooney, Steve Salerno, Brent Yachlaur, Bob Johnson,  Tammy Wedig, Judy Steinhauer, Paul Christiansen, Keith White, Steve Helwig, Peggy Zalucha, Sarah Straka, Heidi Kopras, Gary Tree, Susan Lampert Smith, Tracy Diehm, Aubree Hanks, Dana Fager, Elizabeth Grabe, Svetlana Neshlyavea

Guests: Matt Smith, Gail Morton, Faith Johnson, Student Rotarians Calvin and Ben.

 

November's Student Rotarians Ben Werner and
Calvin Huynh receiving their coveted pens.

 

As an aside, that night I was able to see Ben, Aubree, and the High School Energy Team for their presentation for the Village Sustainability and Natural Resources Committee.

 

Mark Rooney’s feature presentation on Gunung Mulu National Park and his trip to Malaysia and beyond was the main event for our noon meeting at the public library.

He shared his excursion to southern Asia with destinations of Gunung Mulu National Park to visit the epic caves, Malaysia national park, and a visit to one of the club's former exchange students.
Mark spoke about the tropical environment with hot conditions with over 90% humidity. The national park was accessible only by plane, by foot in the jungle, or by boats operated by local mariners. He and his fellow travelers ate incredible food, ventured through jungles, and was spared from being ravaged by mosquitos. The dense population of cave bats may have been natural control of the mosquitos.

Traveling was easier than Mark imagined thanks to internet access for transport, and english being spoken around the area.
His adventures included travel from Bangkok to Viet Nam where he needed a visa quickly, having a suit made in Hanoi, and meeting up with the club's Rotary Exchange student and her family near Bangkok.