AG Greg Williams talked about some suggestions on increasing membership. He said that the age and classifications have been loosened and that we should go after younger members. He thinks we should build on our Bike Ride by introducing a contest between high schools with a $1000 reward; also promote the charities that the funds are going toward. Look to the Montgomery County Chambers for potential members. Talk about the Polio + project started by Dr John Sever of the Potomac Club. We have the best web sight in the district and we should use it to promote membership liked the uploading of pictures. Good speaker programs are important.

Last Week, Master Firefighter Keith Stakes, EMT Sarah Trigger and Paramedic Udana Torian arrived in a rescue truck that cost more than $ 1 mil of community raised funds. The truck carried tools that help rescue people trapped in buildings and cars. The three talked about their jobs rescuing people from building and vehicle fires. BCCRS also has 7 ambulance/ medic units, 2 heavy rescue squads, 1 medic chase car, 2 air support units for refilling firefighters’ breathing apparatus at fire scenes, as well as utility and command vehicles. Keith’s proud grandfather also visited.

Honorable Wegger Strommen, Ambassador from Norway (Lifetime Honorary NB Rotary Club Member) He began his presentation by announcing that it was his left eye that works and that he is blind in his right eye which wanders!

He was in NYC from 2000-2005 and has been in DC since 2007. He returns to Norway later this year.

Some of the changes he has witnessed: the Iraq War is over, troops are coming home from Afghanistan and there is no easy solution for Syria. The biggest change has been the financial crisis— close to a fundamental breakdown in the fall of 2008. Since then health care has gone up as has the number of students seeking a college education and its cost. He feels the DC area has changed a lot— it is “privileged”. The Midwest and other areas are possibly not so fortunate. He says the US won’t need to import oil in a few years and mentioned the North Dakota production as contributing to cheap energy as well as our natural gas supply. He said we export coal to China. He speculated about the possibility of an international oil pipeline. He said Norway’s economy has improved. They export Natural Gas, oil, and fish.

He says everybody wants to come to the United States! “A hundred million Chinese would be here tomorrow morning if they could get visas!” It takes so long to get a visa that it affects visitors’ interest in investing in the US. Our demographics are changing rapidly with increase in Mexican and Asian immigrants. Europe is changing very slowly. He said English is a hard language to learn. The Dutch speak most languages.