Yearly Archives: 2012
NEXT MEETING: November 16, 2012Enriching the Lives of RIchmond YouthEric Aaholm, Executive Director of Youth Enrichment Strategies, will tell us about the the innovative way that YES improves the lives of inner-city youth and their families. YES accomplishes its mission by sending hundred of youth, ages 8-16, to week-long summer camps around the Bay Area; by bringing entire families and school communities to Family Camps in the Redwoods; and by offering PeaceTalk communication workshops to our Richmond community. Learn more about Youth Enrichment Strategies by visiting their website. MEETING OF November 9, 2012WelcomePresident Jim Young gavelled the meeting to order. Connie Tritt led us in the pledge today, and Stoney asked the club for a moment of silence for “Peace and Freedom on Earth”. Henry Kelman, a person one would swear is a Republican, voted Democratic! Rotarians with GuestsHenry Moe brought the principal of Salesian High to lunch today. Sunshine ReportHank Cavell reported that sunny ole Erle is recuperating. AnnouncementsPrez Jim followed up on a portion of the Rehfuss Fund report from the Club Assembly. The ad hoc committee established to research the Rehfuss Fund determined that:
Recognitions
Happy and Sad DollarsHappy, sad, who knows? Dollars were contributed but the details weren’t recorded. No matter. The happiness and regret were shared, and the dollars were collected. Norm’s NonsenseCourtesy of Dave Calfee. Sven was assigned to orientation of new army recruits. He was told to sign up as many as possible for the enhanced life insurance benefits, which cost the new recruit an additional $30/month from his allowance. The officer in charge noticed Sven had a success rating of over 90%, whereas other recruiters averaged only 3-5%. Upon investigation he heard Sven tell his men, “If they send you to Afghanistan and you get killed, the government is going to pay your family $20,000 if you have only the regular insurance; but if you have the enhanced insurance they will pay $200,000; Now which do you think they will send to Afghanistan first?” PROGRAMThe Wit and Wisdom of LincolnTom Waller introduced Arnold Kuntz the author of the “Wit and Wisdom of Lincoln” today. Arnold explained that depression was the likely motivation behind Lincoln’s renowned sense of humor and Wit. Humor was the tonic he used to ward off his always present dark moods. And a famous sense of humor it was. In a typical Lincoln exchange, one day a person visiting Lincoln and was surprised to see him polishing his boots and said “you polish your own boots sir?” and Lincoln responded “whose boots do you think I am polishing?” Lincolns’ overriding goal in life was to be esteemed by his fellow man. -Rotating scribe, Mark Howe |
NEXT MEETING: November 9, 2012The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln is arguably one of the most admired US Presidents. Arnold Kunst, a life-long teacher and now in retirement as a public speaker, gave his first Lincoln presentation in high school and has been fascinated by the man ever since. Last year, Kunst published a book, “Lincoln 365: A Primer on Patriotism as Lived by Abraham Lincoln”. In this Rotary talk, Kunst shows us that, when a man is as comfortable in his own skin as Lincoln was, there’s always a touch of humor to his wisdom (and vice versa). MEETING OF November 2, 2012WelcomePresident Jim Young brought the full house to order—excellent turn-out today—with a warm welcome to all. Ren Partridge led us in the pledge today, and Stoney asked for a moment of silence for “Peace and Freedom on Earth”. Sunshine ReportErle Brown and John Nicol are doing well according to Hank Covell. Announcements• The 2012 Holiday Auction is upon us! Now is the time to post your auction item on the Holiday Auction page of this website. Have you already decided what you’re giving? Then there’s no time like the present. All members are expected to donate an item. Recent past auctions have demonstrated that social events for members are very popular. Fellowship is the backbone of Rotary. For example Heather Kulp and husband Barry are planning a South African BBQ, complete with exotic delicacies. • Mark Howe, always a glutton for punishment, wants to get a group together to finish installing the Whirley Crane and get it painted. Anyone want an Egret nest – only 3’ in diameter and occupied part time? This will be hard work, somewhat dangerous and take a long time to complete. Our goal is to finish it by the end of next year. Things are looking up in this area of the Point Potrero Marine Terminal but the Whirley Crane is in bad need of some lipstick. • Stoney is planning the Richmond/El Cerrito Rotary Clubs’ Christmas Party, a real extravaganza judging from his preview. Both a dance band and a choir are booked for the gala event. The gala will be held on December 15th, starting at 6:15 PM at the Richmond Country Club. The cost is $150 per couple, or $75 for individuals. Give your checks to David Brown. • Do you have a friend or colleague who might make a good Rotary member? Why not invite him or her to another social gathering, Happy Hour Lite, which will take place this Wednesday, November 7th at 5:00, at the Mallard Yuppie Bar (a first class joint) on San Pablo, in Albany. (Drop the word “Yuppie” if you’re looking it up on Google.) Bring potential members. Special EventMichelle Itagaki was awarded her Blue Badge today. Congratulations, Michelle! RecognitionsAlthough folks were recognized, and their birthdays and anniversaries acknowledged (and paid for!), their names weren’t recorded and today’s large lunchtime group quickly slid into Happy and Sad Dollars. Happy and Sad Dollars• Josh Surowitz was disappointed in the Tigers performance at the World Series, Ya Think? Go Giants! Norm’s NonsenseIt was only her second date with the diehard baseball fan, and Jane was a little nervous. It was her fault they arrived at the stadium a full hour after the game had begun. Taking her seat, Jane glanced up at the scoreboard. It was a tight pitcher’s battle, bottom of the fifth, 0 – 0. PROGRAMRichmond Rotary's Role in the new Rotacare ClinicThe Executive Director of Brighter Beginnings, Barbara McCullough, outlined the progress in establishing a RotaCare Clinic in downtown Richmond. Brighter Beginnings and a group of Rotary Clubs are funding a Rotocare Clinic at the Brighter Beginnings. The clinic will serve un-insured West County Residents on Tuesday evenings once a week from 4-8 PM. The clinic is currently under construction, with total construction costs estimated at $70,000. Their annual budget is around $100,000. All of the professional medical staff are volunteers. Medical professionals from Kaiser, Sutter and other medical facilities will be staffing the clinic. The clinic is still looking for volunteer electronic health records administrative people. They also are looking for people to provide food on Tuesday evenings. Maybe that is where we can help. An initial Open House is scheduled for 12/6/12 from 5-7PM. They are located at 2727 Macdonald in Richmond and the Grand Opening is scheduled for 1-14-13. A group of stalwart Richmond Rotarians are volunteering to provide food for the staff on Tuesday evenings, for a month. Following a rotating schedule, other participating Rotary clubs will cover remaining months. For more information, or to find out how to contribute your time to the project, please contact EJ Shalaby.
– Rotating scribe, Mark Howe |
NEXT MEETING: November 2, 2012Richmond Rotary's Role in RotaCareWe’ll hear an update about the RotaCare medical clinic to be operated at the Richmond Family Strengthening Center on Macdonald Avenue near 27th street. The Center is part of Brighter Beginnings, a non-profit organization started in 1984, with centers also located in Oakland, Antioch, and Bay Point. The mission of Brighter Beginnings is to “support healthy births and successful development of children by partnering with parents and helping to build strong communities“. Richmond Rotarians will coordinate with Rotarians in nearby clubs to support the RotaCare clinic. If you’ve already indicated your willingness to lend a hand, please plan to attend an orientation meeting on one of 4 Tuesday evenings: October 30th, November 13th, November 20th, or November 27th. You need to register for an orientation. Please contact Drea Riqueime, at 510 903-7516, or richmondclinic@rotacarebayarea.org. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please download this orientation flyer. MEETING OF October 26, 2012WelcomePresident Jim Young called to order a well-attended meeting of the Richmond Rotary Club. Felix Hunziker lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and Stoney Stonework invoked us to think of lofty things. And as we all know, it’s the thought that counts. We enjoyed a good turnout but there were no visiting Rotarians or guests on this beautiful fall day. Speaking of which… The Sunshine ReportEarl Brown is at home and recuperating. Announcements
RecognitionsCharlie Wong celebrated an 87th birthday, and misses everyone. Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseThis guy was on the beach in San Francisco shooting seagulls with a shotgun and putting them in a bag, when a cop arrested him and told him it was against the law to kill seagulls. The guy explained, “But I am homeless and these seagulls are the only food I have to eat.” After hearing the shooter’s tale of woe, the judge said, “I’m going to let you go with a warning. You can’t kill any wildlife in the city limits.” Then the judge became curious and asked, “Tell me, what does a seagull taste like?” PROGRAMClub AssemblyToday’s meeting was the first Club Assembly held in many years. President Jim Young led the meeting, beginning by reporting that the Club currently has 60 active members. The board recently voted to drop several non-active members, and is now focused on recruit new members who will be active in the Club. Tom Waller, a board member, provided the membership with a succinct but detailed statement of Club income and expenses for the 2012–2013 fiscal budget. Connie Tritt, Foundation Chair, described the several subcategories of the Foundation that members may choose to apply their contributions to. She also informed members how they could obtain replacement Paul Harris pins. Membership Chair Josh Surowitz was unavoidably absent on this day. Filling in, Jim Young said that the Club’s board has established that membership growth and increasing membership involvement in ou events together comprise the most important things we must all focus on. To that end, Jim went on, the board has discussed using a scorecard for determining Rotarian of the Year and assessing the activity level of each member. Implementation, he said, was being considered for January 1. A short but energetic discussion followed about the pros and cons of quantifying membership participation. Jim recognized that we needed to consider the topic again in a following meeting. Program Chair, Michelle Itagaki, asked for assistance from the membership to help her continue to identify suitable programs for future meetings. Nick Despota handed out an overview of specific community service projects funded under the now-approved 2012-2013 budget. He also expressed a hope that this or a similarly formatted report be produced in coming years, a snapshot of the projects and programs to which we contribute our dollars and volunteer hours. Because not all of the topics for the Club Assembly could be addressed in the time available today, those topics will be carried over to future meetings for further discussion. – Rotating Scribe, David Keystone |
NEXT MEETING: October 26, 2012Club AssemblyThis week we’ll conduct the first Club Assembly in many years. The Assembly is an opportunity to get an overview of what Richmond Rotary is doing and where we’re headed. You’ll hear reports on projects and programs Richmond Rotary is currently supporting. It’s also a chance to voice your own thoughts on board proposals and our longer range planning. All members are expected to attend. See you there! MEETING OF October 19, 2012WelcomePresident Jim Young gaveled the meeting to order. Darlene Almeida led us in the Pledge, Stoney called for a moment of silence for peace, freedom and justice on Earth. Sunshine ReportErle Brown is recovering from back surgery. All went well and he is is out of pain but faces a couple of weeks of rehabilitation. He doesn’t want guests for now. Sid Chauvin reportedly has a contagious disease, but didn’t sound bad on the phone. Tom Waller stopped by to say hi to Betty Hardison. She expressed her thanks to the Club for the flowers and our attendance at Don’s funeral. Announcements• President Jim called for a volunteer to coordinate a group trip to go see the new movie, “Lincoln”, just before we’re to have a program on the 16th President. A Funny Thing Happened Nov. 2-4, 2012 WHY ALL ROADS • District Conference in Napa: be sure to sign up. RecognitionsDarlene had a birthday but worked until 8:00 then hid under the covers until it was over. Special EventsConnie Tritt presented a Paul Harris plus 2 to Tom Butt. Thank you, Tom! Happy and Sad Dollars• Alan’s 88-year old father who had a stroke is walking around his apartment with a cane. Great progress! Norm’s Nonsense-A Scotsman went to a baseball game and enjoyed it, but when one batter got a walk, tossed the bat aside and strolled to first base, the Scotsman stood up and yelled, “Rrrrun, man! Rrrun!” The fan next to him said, “He doesn’t have to run, he’s got four balls.” PROGRAMThe Bay Area Crisis NurseryThe Bay Area Crisis Nursery takes care temporarily of babies and children whose families are in crisis. The organization has two centers, the Nursery for infants through five-year-olds, and the Dahlstrom House for children aged between 6 and 11. Both are in Concord. Family crises that may lead to the need to have children cared for by the organization include medical problems, unemployment, homelessness and stress. There are no geographical limits to the service area, nor income guidelines for those to whom service is provided. Since 1981, the organization has cared for more than 24,000 children. Children may stay for up to 30 days. The organization also tries to provide services to the families to resolve the need, such as referrals to housing services. – Pinch-hitting scribe, Josh Genser |
NEXT MEETING: October 19, 2012The Bay Area Crisis NurseryThe Concord-based Bay Area Crisis Nursery works to prevent abuse and neglect of children by providing support to families who are in stress or crisis. It is the only one of its kind in the Bay Area. Their slogan is, “When parents care but temporarily can’t cope.” MEETING OF October 5, 2012WelcomePrez Jim Young, welcomed the assembled crowd with his now repeating relentlessly his litany of R words. Remarkably, they have yet to be recorded in the Flywheel. Ergo: “Welcome to the relatively rambunctious, reasonably respectful, remarkably resilient, resolutely Rotarian, Richmond Rotary Club.” Following that, allegiance was dutifully pledged, and higher thoughts suitably invoked. Et cetera, amen, and all that. Visiting RotariansWe were joined by Assistant District Governor Fred Collignon, and Cecil (Pauncho) Padilla, a Rotarian from Winters, CA. Rotarians with GuestsToday’s guests were Rotarian spouses: Herb Cole introduced Norma, Michelle Itagaki introduced Jay, and District Governor Laura Day introduced Don. Sunshine ReportThough this item properly belongs under the Visiting Rotarians heading, Rich and Lisa Brandes, Past-president of the Richmond Rotary and current President of the Mendocino Rotary, brought sunshine to our proceedings with their attendance today. Announcements1. The Celebration of Don Hardison’s Life will be held on Friday, Oct. 12th, 2 PM: A Funny Thing Happened Nov. 2-4, 2012 WHY ALL ROADS 2. Its Fall and there is a lot going on: RecognitionsJoe Bagley led the Rites of Extraction, beginning with birthday congratulations for: Club anniversaries: And finally, wedding anniversaries were also recognized, kicking off with this exceptional fact: Special RecognitionsDavid Brown was awarded his Paul Harris +6, and Stoney, his Paul Harris +4. These awards are significant recognitions of their generosity and community-mindedness. Thank you both. In addition, the Paul Harris Major Donor Award, was given to Herb and Norma Cole. Congratulations and thank you! Happy and Sad DollarsPeople were happy, people were sad, but sadly, their names were not recorded by our scribe. Norm’s NonsenseA man goes into a shop to buy a car radio and the salesman says, “This is the latest model. It is a voice-activated car radio. You just tell it what you want to listen to and the station changes. No need to take your hands off the wheel.” So the man has it installed and takes off down the road eager to give it a try. He says, “Classical!” and a public radio station comes on with a Mozart symphony. Then he says, “Country!” and a Garth Brooks song comes on, and he listens to that. Then someone drives by really fast and cuts in front of him, so he yells, “Stupid!” and the radio changes to Rush Limbaugh. PROGRAMA Presentation by District Governor Laura DayGovernor Day exhorted us to be more enthusiastic about Rotary, and to recruit new members. She said that Rotary should be fun (but we, at Richmond, already knew that, didn’t we?). In fact, the District theme is “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to…” The general public is ignorant about Rotary. There are, worldwide, 1.2 million Rotarians, 34,000 Rotary clubs, in 200 countries. Membership, however, is static, with numbers of new members equal to departing members. We need to get our message out to our communities to recruit new, younger members. Governor Day explained that the District Governor serves for 6 years: two in training, one as Governor, then three in service to the then-serving Governor. The District Governor has about 100 people on the leadership team. Governor Day gave “Rotary Rocks” awards to the suffering, supportive spouse of Richmond’s leader, Linda Young, and to one of Richmond’s most traveled members on Rotary business, Normie Cole. Governor Day talked about Polio eradication, which is the number one goal of Rotary International. In an effort that has lasted 27 years, the goal of complete eradication s in sight. To get new members into Rotary, we must love Rotary, and all of these are reasons to do so. -Jim Young and Josh Genser, pinch-hitting scribes |