Monthly Archives: December 2015
NEXT MEETING: January 8, 2016A Visit from the Rotary District GovernorRichmond Rotary welcomes District Governor Ken Courville for his official Club visit. Ken was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. He received a degree in Public Service, Law Enforcement from Bristol Community College in Fall River. He received a degree in Public Service, Law Enforcement from Bristol Community College in Fall River. Ken joined The Dixon Rotary Club in 2001, after attending a lunch meeting that impressed him with the Rotarians’ sense of giving and service. He has held various positions within the Dixon Club including Club President 2009/2010, Club Foundation Chair, District Foundation Representative for Solano County, and Assistant Governor for two years. Ken was selected this year to become District Governor for District 5160 in 2015/2016. He will also serve as Chair of the Far West PETS in 2017. MEETING OF December 18, 2015WelcomePresident-Elect Josh S. called the meeting to order, since President Alan Blavins was recuperating from the flu. He asked Herb Cole to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Sid Chauvin’s thought for the day was from Jay Leno: If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates. Herb Cole called for a moment of silence for freedom and peace on earth. Visiting Rotarians and GuestsJon Lawlis brought his sweetie Darlene Quenville as his guest. Special Events Rather than be fined $50,000 for not wearing her badge, Mey Saechao opted to present her “Who Am I?,” even though she wasn’t prepared! Mey was raised in Richmond, and is the oldest of 8 kids. Her parents are Laotian refugees – her father fought against the Vietcong. Mey has been married for 7 years, and they have a cat named Ash, a recent rescue. Mey is a CPA and serves as Manager for Timpson Garcia in Oakland. She neglected to include information she had shared previously— that she was fortunate to receive a bike in the toy drive when she was a kid. Nice job, Mey, very interesting! President-Elect Josh was happy to give her her well-earned blue badge afterwards! Announcements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMPresident-Elect Josh introduced Your Scribe today, Stacey Street, who was pinch-hitting for the previously scheduled speaker, who had experienced a bad fall and was unable to present. After a long career in the nonprofit world, Stacey has been Chief Development Officer for Richmond Community Foundation for the past year and a half. Though most club members are likely familiar with the organization’s name, or know a little about what RCF does, since Board Chair and Rotarian Josh Genser gave a great presentation in mid-2014, most people don’t know the full extent of RCF’s impact in the community. Stacey led the group through a presentation, which gave an overview of community foundations, and in particular Richmond Community Foundation’s history, mission and programs. RCF harnesses the power of philanthropy to ensure healthy, sustainable communities in Richmond and surrounding communities of Contra Costa County. RCF does this through “3 C’s”:
RCF provides visionary leadership to foster collaboration, partnership and innovation, and has successfully created, expanded and broadened initiatives that have community-wide impact, such as its Social Impact Bond strategy for reducing housing blight. This strategy uses a new type of financing tool that leverages private capital for community impact, and has attracted recognition from both NBC News and The New York Times. Visit richmondcf.org for more information. Stacey Street, Rotating Editor |
NEXT MEETING: December 18, 2015Where do your Rotary dues go?Have you ever wondered where your money goes when you make a donation to the Rotary Foundation? How much money does our club give to the Foundation each year? How do we compare with other clubs in the District? Those questions and more will be answered by Berkeley Rotarian Larry Goldenberg, District Foundation Fundraising Chair. Larry joined Berkeley Rotary 30 years ago and was Club President in 2003-2004. He served as an Assistant District Governor, was responsible for coordinating the development of the District Directory under DG, Brian Thiessen and currently is the District Fund Raising Chair. He is a Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society Member and a major donor. MEETING OF December 11, 2015WelcomeRichmond Rotary Club President Alan Blavins quietly presided over the Club’s Holiday Party at the Richmond Art Center from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Attendance was high, libations were flowing, the appetizers were delicious, and a good time was had by all. Announcements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMHow can you describe a great Holiday party? Guess you had to be there. Though there was no snow outside, it was pleasingly chilly. And though there were no chestnuts roasting on an open fire, there were tasty hors d’oeuvres and a nice range of beverages. The feeling was definitely one of camaraderie and good cheer! Here are some photos, thanks to Jon Lawlis. - Tom Waller, Rotating Scribe | ||||||
NEXT MEETING: December 11, 2015
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