NEXT MEETING: February 1, 2014

Reflections on San Quentin Prison by a volunteer

Mac Lingo has spent the proverbial 10,000 hours involved with corporate computer  and accounting systems.  He’s also studied at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, spent a lot of time sitting in meditation retreats, and has a been a glider pilot and blue water sailor.

About 6 years ago Mac began volunteering as a  math teacher at the West County (Sheriff’s) Detention Center in Pinole.  He found he had an ability to reach those to whom he was supposed to be teaching math, but on a deeper and more fundamental level. This has has led him into working at San Quentin.  Mac will share some impressions of his time there as a volunteer

MEETING OF January 24th 2014

Welcome

In the absence of our president, Alan Baer presided over the meeting. Our guest speaker did not appear so Alan got to show off his skills as an improviser. Quite good, actually.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

We again welcomed Jeff Mulvihill, a refugee of the Redding Rotary. We note that Jeff has been to more meetings than some of our members. He better join.

Tom Butt introduced a bevy of guests at his table, and more guests occupied other tables. They included Cheryl Vaughn, Richard Poe, Kun Kun Poe with baby Antoyo, Dana Stoehr, Alonzo Robinson, Clarence Van Hook. We apologize if we missed any one.

Announcements

• The Rotary Crab Feed on February 8^th at Salesian High School. Get you tickets from Erle Brown and your money ($40 per ticket) to David Brown. Live auction items welcome. Download flyer.
• Director Steve Snyder extended an invitation to dinner with Rotary International President Ron D. Burton. The dinner will be held at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel on March 30th 2014. $55.00 per person. There is a special room rate of $89.00.
• BARSHEEP (the acronym for the 7 clubs scattered across west Contra Costa County) is having a gathering, “Thank Goodness It’s Valentine’s Day”
  on Friday, Febuary 14th 2014. 5-7pm at La Revolucion Bar & Grill (Hilltop Mall).
• District Governor Steve Lack visits our club on Febuary 7th.2014. This should be a good meeting.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

These questions and answers are from the days when Hollywood Squares game show responses were spontaneous.

Q: If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A: Charley Weaver: “Three days of steady drinking should do it.”

Q: Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A: Marty Allen: “Only after lights out.”

Q: You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or woman?
A: Don Knotts: “That’s what’s been keeping me awake.

PROGRAM

Substituting for our scheduled speaker, Stony stepped up with a brief summary of what is happening in Pakistan.

Three polio workers have been killed in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a day after authorities began a new vaccination drive. Reports say gunmen opened fire in the Quaymabad area, killing one man and two women who were administering polio drops. The attack is the latest in a series targeting polio teams in the country, which has claimed 32 lives to date. No group has claimed responsibility, but the Taliban oppose schemes, which they see as a cover for international espionage.

Pakistan is one of only three counties (Nigeria and Afghanistan are the other two) where polio remains endemic and is on the rise, due in part to this militant resistance.

India this month declared itself polio-free, three years after its latest reported case—a landmark in the global battle against the disease. This achievement is largely due to a massive and sustained vaccination campaign.

This latest attack comes one day after the health authorities in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, began to inoculate 7.6 million children as part of a nation wide vaccination campaign

In Stoney’s opinion, the media coverage of the campaign to eradicate polio gives too much credit to the Bill Gates Foundation, and too little to Rotary International, which has raised 1.5 billion dollars. Rotary deserves much better press.

NEXT MEETING: January 24, 2014

AnewAmerica Community Corporation

AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Corin Reade will talk about AnewAmerica Community Corporation, a micro-business incubator that helps low-moderate income individuals start their own businesses and build their assets for long-term economic stability. AnewAmerica is a nonprofit that serves communities throughout the Bay Area including Oakland, Richmond, Concord, and San Jose. That means you just might see the corporation’s assets at work in a city near you!

Visit the website of AnewAmerica Community Corporation to learn more.

MEETING OF January 17, 2014

Welcome

Meeting was called to order by Past Prez Alan Baer subbing for Prez Liliane. Felix Hunziker led the Pledge and Stoney offered a prayer for Peace, Freedom and Justice and a remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Barbarary Beery, Director of Planned Giving for the Richmond Community Foundation, a member of Oakland Rotary; Doug Adcock joined us from Tahoe Incline Rotary; and Josh Genser had as his guest James Richardson.

Special Events

Treasurer Extraordinaire David Brown gave us a very detailed report on our finances which totaled approximately $84,000. Download a detailed report.

Announcements

• The Rotary Crab Feed on February 8^th at Salesian High School. Get you tickets from Erle Brown and your money ($40 per ticket) to David Brown. Live auction items welcome. Download flyer.
• Want to be a mentor at Richmond PAL? Attend a meeting at RPAL on January 25th.
• Glad to hear the Ralph Hill is doing well and back to driving.
• Hank Covell reports that Dave Calfee is doing well and looking forward to some poker in the Hills

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

A wife wakes up in the middle of the night and finds her husband sitting on the bed crying. She asks, “What’s wrong?”
He says, “Remember when your daddy caught us in your room when you were sixteen and told me I’d have to marry you or he was gonna send me to jail for thirty years?”
She says, “Yeah, but why are you thinking about that?”
He says, “I’d be a free man today.”

PROGRAM

Marin Clean Energy

Our speaker Ben Choi, Account Manager for Marin Clean Energy (MCE) is a Richmond resident and Vice Chair of the Richmond Planning Commission. MCE, a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a non-profit, launched as Richmond’s electric energy provider in July 2013. Approximately 85% of Richmond residents and businesses are enrolled with MCE. MCE views itself as both a partner and competitor with PG&E. MCE provides greener, renewable source of energy and provides light green 50% or 100% deep green renewable energy to consumers. Ben provided the Club with information on comparative costs of energy between MCE and PG&E and a breakdown on where our renewable energy comes from including wind, biofuel and other sources

NEXT MEETING: January 17, 2013

Marin Clean Energy

Ben Choi, a representative of Marin Clean Energy, will tell us about how MCE works to help minimize our global carbon footprint by increasing the amount of renewable energy delivered to our homes. Today MCE is providing service to approximately 35,000 Richmond customers.

MEETING OF January 10, 2014

Welcome

Alan Baer, pinch-hitting for Liliane today, welcomed everyone. Bob Dabney led the pledge of allegiance and Stoney Stonework asked for a silent prayer for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Sid gave us these pithy words of wisdom: “Its easy to get to the top once you get through the crowd at the bottom”.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

We were joined today by visiting Governor Elect Fred Collignon from the Berkeley club. Other guests included:
• Bill Zeier, guest of Alan Baer and Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of El Sobrante;
• Cheryl Vaughn of Solar Richmond and guest of Tom Butt;
• Dana Stoehr, also a guest of Tom Butt of the Craneway Pavilion;
• Chris Sindayen, guest of Ethan Heindrich of Turner Construction; and
• Charles Anderson, guest of Connie Tritt.

Announcements

• Don Lau reported that the holiday toy giveaway was a smashing success and that over 800 families were served. Over 400 bikes were given away at the event also.
• Alan Baer reported that enough money was raised to buy both Vespas for the Bangladesh health project.
• Connie encouraged everyone who is close to earning their next Paul Harris award to get their donations in so that we can have several awards to present during the District Governor’s visit on February 7^th.
• Henry Moe reminded everyone of the Crab Feed on February 8^th. We have sold 60 tickets so far and are aiming for 140. Give your reservation forms to Erle Brown and your money ($40 per ticket) to David Brown. Download flyer.
• Alan officially announced that the District Governor will visit the club at the February 7^th meeting.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

The old retired general goes into the base hospital for his annual physical. “Any complaints about your physical condition?” the doctor asks.

“My sex life isn’t as good as it used to be,” complains the general.

“Really, General, when was the last time you had sexual relations?” asks the doctor.

“1958!” says the general

“Well, no wonder,” says the doctor, “that is a long time ago and you’re an old man!”

The general, angry, replies, “Whaddya mean, it’s only a little after 2100 right now!”

PROGRAM

Helping former inmates successfully integrate into our communities

Bob Dabney introduced the speakers from Men and Women of Purpose, a local group that works with inmates at the jail and with those being released. Antwon Cloird said that he and several others who had been incarcerated and drug addicted when they were younger started the group because there weren’t programs to help people like them coming out of the jail and prison system. The group is non-profit and has been supported wholly by the members themselves until they recently received funding through the AB109 legislation.

Mr. Ivory Mitchell, also previously incarcerated, joined the group to help those who are looking for a way to change their lives but don’t know how and have lost both hope and direction. He assisted in writing the curriculum for the program and to date they have served approximately 415 men. They’ve placed 60 so far in residential treatment programs.

Lastly, Mr. Frank Hancock spoke about the outpatient services they provide which are focused on getting their participants to change their mindset, to think positively, and to see a future for themselves.

The group serves all of Contra Costa County and works with both men and women of all ethnicities.

NEXT MEETING: January 10, 2014
Club is Dark on Dec. 27 and Jan. 3

Building Strong Communities

We will hear from Antwon Cloird, founder and director of “Men and Women of Purpose”, a Richmond-based nonprofit that offers programs aimed at reducing violence, recidivism, homelessness, drug abuse and chronic unemployment.

MEETING OF December 20, 2013

Welcome

President Liliane Koziol called the meeting to order at the Richmond Country Club. Ethan Heinrich led the pledge of allegiance and Bob Dabney asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Alan Blavins offered this thought for the day: It is better to have loved a short person than never to have loved a tall.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

• Bob Buhlis is a current member and Past President of the Nevada City Rotary Club in Nevada. He’s a graduate of Richmond High School.
• Mac Lingo is from the Berkeley Rotary Club.
• Barbara McCullough is a member of Oakland Rotary and Executive Director of Brighter Beginnings.
• Rich Alexander introduced his friend and guest, Brian Stern, “the oldest lawyer in [Rich’s] office building.”

Announcements

• Hank Covell has spoken with Charlie Wong and Ralph Hill. Both are doing well and pass along holiday greetings to all.
• President Liliane Koziol again confirmed that it was a blockbuster Holiday Auction this year with over $22,000 in revenue raised for the Club’s service projects.
• Funds have been successfully raised for purchasing two Vespa scooters to be used in Bangladesh for women trainers traveling to remote villages to help with education programs about safe drinking water practices.
• The annual Richmond and El Cerrito Fire/Police Toy Giveaway at the West Contra Costa YMCA on Saturday, December 21, was a great success. Food and toys (including more than 250 assembled bikes made possible by generous Rotarians and friends) were provided to local needy families. The following Rotarians were on hand to help out on Saturday: Liliane Koziol, Don Lau, Heather Kulp (and hubby), Josh Genser, Pam Jones, and Jim Young. Check out this video from TV Channel 2 news coverage.
• Don’t forget about the Rotary District 5160 online Trading Post, where fellow Rotarians can post information about buying and selling goods and services. Here’s the link.
• Connie Tritt reminded everyone to consider year-end contributions to the Rotary Foundation. There are eight Richmond Rotarians within $200 of their next Paul Harris Award. During the upcoming District Governor’s visit on February 7, there will be a special recognition for new Paul Harris Award recipients.
• As previously announced, the Richmond Country Club is opening its facilities to local business and other organizational meetings when reservations are made in advance.
• Barbara McCullough, Executive Director of Brighter Beginnings, the East Bay multi-site non-profit that hosts the RotaCare Richmond Free Medical Clinic on Macdonald Avenue, made a special visit to thank the Richmond Rotary Club, its current President, and immediate Past President for the support provided over the past year to help start up and successfully operate the RotaCare Clinic in Richmond.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

Quotes from W.C. Fields…
– How well I remember my first encounter with the Devil’s Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon — and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter.

– Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we’ll be seeing six or seven.

– Asked if he believed in clubs for women, Fields responded: “Yes, if every other form of persuasion fails.”

PROGRAM

Rodney "Alamo" Brown and the talent of Richmond

Pam Jones introduced Rodney “Alamo” Brown, a book author and former rap artist living in Richmond as a single parent of two young daughters (one currently in South Africa on a church project and the other attending the Oakland School of the Arts).

An affable, well-spoken and engaging 47-year-old story-teller, Rodney started out by announcing that he was broadcasting his remarks live via a special cell-phone-enabled connection to over 100 countries on his “Alamo Speaks” radio program. (Needless to say, not all our speakers do that.)

Rodney grew up in the Pullman Housing Projects in South Richmond. Before age 20, he had established his own record label, “Globetown Records”, thanks in part to a chance encounter with Peter, son of billionaire Warren Buffet.

A couple of years after graduating from Kennedy High School in 1984, Rodney released a hip-hop record titled ”The Task Force”, which sold more than 70,000 copies and featured in verse some of the deeds and adventures of Glenn Daggs and Enos Johnson, who were police officers at the time.

We heard other highlights of Rodney’s whirlwind life journey, including attendance at Contra Costa College, the almost-baseball-career with the Toronto Blue Jays, escapades involving his girlfriend and travels to and from Hawaii, recovery from drugs and alcohol addiction, and cutting hair (“barbering saved my life”).

Rodney’s new book, “If My Eyes Could Rewind: The Real Richmond, California Story”, is a collection of several dozen profiles of talented Richmond residents. The book is organized into five chapters, each named after a prominent local street, and has more than 60 original photos from around the city.

Rodney is also promoting “Cops and Robbers”, a close friend’s one-man play that takes a revolutionary look into the relationship between law enforcement, the media, and the community. The play was performed in Oakland last Spring and was sponsored in part by the Oakland Rotary Club. Visiting Oakland Rotarian, Barbara McCullough, spoke highly of the play and its message. There is a possibility of the play coming to Richmond at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts sometime in the first quarter of 2014. The Richmond Rotary Board is considering a request for some financial support. Click here for a short video clip about the play.