If you want to turn that gleam in his eye and smile on his face into outright bursts of joy, ask Doug Hallock about one of two things: Scouts or Rotary. Those are his passions.

Hallock has been involved in Scouts since he was age 6 or 7 when someone gave him a Scout Handbook at Lake Tahoe. He has been a Rotarian for 34 years, having been a member of Arlington, Silverdale, and Port Angeles Rotary clubs, before becoming a charter member of the Kingston club in 2004.

On June 30, Hallock was installed as president of the Kingston-North Kitsap Club for the Rotary Year 2017-18.

Hallock’s day job is in commercial and residential real estate sales. He’s the managing broker of the Windermere office in Kingston, and has been a Kingston resident for 29 years. In a prior career of 12 years, he worked for the Boy Scouts of America doing unit organizing, membership management, and fund raising. When he was Chief Kitsap District executive, his group received the Quality District Award for four consecutive years. Among other activities, he led a contingent from Kingston Troop 555 on one of three backpacking expeditions to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.

As a youth, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and later participated in Sea Scouts prior to enlisting in the Navy, where he volunteered for submarine duty and served aboard the first nuclear submarine, the USS Aspro, in Japan.

Hallock is naturally inclined to be a Rotarian. Since he joined in 1983, he has seen Rotary change for the better. Women were not allowed to join when he was a member of the Arlington club. That’s changed; half of the Kingston club members are women. “They have really enhanced what we do,” Hallock said.

Over the years, he’s also seen membership and attendance requirements loosened and modernized to align with today’s lifestyles. When asked what is most misunderstood about Rotary, Hallock said, “People think it’s an ‘old boys club.’ It’s not. Rotary is a roll-up-your-sleeves, hands-on group. It has tentacles into the community in a diverse, non-political, non-religious way. We’re involved not to enhance resumes, but to serve our community and get things done. When people get together for a cause or a project, it’s surprising how powerful it can be.”

Readerboard: Don’t look now, but the southeast corner of Highway 104 and Lindvog Road is about to get a bright, new addition …. Kingston’s electronic readerboard. The site has been cleared pro-bono by Steve Kelly Construction. Construction contracts are about to let to build the sign. Final site work will be done by volunteer labor with the goal of lighting it up this fall. The project has been spearheaded by Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club and is being completed as a joint effort with the Port of Kingston. The port will operate the sign.

According to Jon Sole, Rotary’s sign chairman, the sign will be for community use. It will not be commercial or political.

“We hope to be operational in October and we need to thank Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder for his help on the project, as well as the Port of Kingston,” Sole said. “Like the lights at Kingston High’s football field, this is an example of Rotary leading the way in our community.”

Join us: Kingston-North Kitsap Rotarians meet Wednesdays at 11:45 a.m. at Village Green Community Center. Guests are always invited. Come join the fun. Get involved.

— Ron Carter is communication chairman for the Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary. Contact him at rcarter010@centurytel.net.