NEXT MEETING: January 30, 2015

The Real Country of Madagascar

Richmond Rotary’s Immediate Past President Liliane Koziol will talk about the real country of Madagascar, as opposed to the Dreamworks  Madagascar movies, which actually have nothing to do with Madagascar…  Liliane will discuss almost everything we want to know about this wonderful country but have been unable to discover due to the language barrier (material from Madagascar is either in the home language of Malagasy or French, since it was a former French colony), and the geographic barrier (it’s an island!).  This is sure to be a fascinating, entertaining and educational program!

MEETING OF January 23, 2015

Welcome

President Stoney Stonework called the meeting to order at the Richmond Country Club and Henry Moe led the pledge of allegiance. Stoney asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. As for the thought for the day, we actually got a two-fer. Sid Chauvin reminded us that Winston Churchill (see Happy Dollars below) said, “Never, never, NEVER quit.” Alan Blavins had these reassuring words, especially for those feeling the need to get back to the office: “Only Robinson Crusoe got things done by Friday.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Don Lau introduced his son, Jordan, as his guest.

Announcements

• The inaugural Richmond Rotary Club Winter Party will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2015, at the Bubbaloo Café event center, 1402 Marina Way South in Richmond. Cocktails at 6:30pm, dinner at 7:30pm, and dancing to follow (same great band as last year). Per-person cost for the evening (including dinner) is $75 with a special price of $37.50 per person for those just interested in dancing and socializing. If you’re planning on attending and you haven’t yet paid Club Treasurer, David Brown, email him at davidabrownesq@aol.com to confirm payment arrangements. It’s hoped that paying by check or credit card at the Club meeting on January 30 will be satisfactory/timely enough.
• The 8th Annual Richmond Rotary Crab Feed will be held on Saturday, February 7, at Salesian High School (same room as always). Cocktails at 6pm and dinner at 7pm. Tickets are $40 per person, payable in advance to David Brown.
• The special Rotary Night at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond will be on Thursday, February 5 (note date correction/change). The performance of “There Goes the Bride”, a British Comedy, will begin at 8pm. Tickets are $25 each, with a large part of ticket proceeds going to Albany Rotary as part of their annual theater fund raiser. While investing more than 17 hours of his personal time, our own Alan Blavins did the painting of set scenery for the play.
• There will be upcoming tree-planting opportunities for those who enjoy hands-on, camaraderie-filled Club projects. On February 15, the gathering will start at 8:30am at the corner of 28th Street and Downer Avenue in Richmond’s North & East Neighborhood. Richmond Rotary is partnering with local organizations, Richmond Trees and Groundwork Richmond, as part of the City’s ongoing program to beautify and upgrade local neighborhoods and parks. Sign up with Felix Hunziker and stay tuned for more information, including more tree-planting happening in mid-March. (Past tree-plantings were enjoyed by all who joined in!)
• During the Sunshine report of what’s going on with Richmond Rotary members, everyone applauded the return of George Egan and Sid Chauvin. In other news, Dan Sanders is recovering from a broken arm. Judy Kafta broke her leg and is in rehab in Walnut Creek. Mike Winter reported that Kimberly, daughter of long-time Richmond Rotary member, John Nicol, has passed away due to cancer.
• Jawan Eldridge, the principal of Peres Elementary School, masterfully and warmly shared some thoughts with the Club while he was at the meeting. (As a side note, Stoney reminded us that Jawan’s parents are from Youngstown, which is, of course, in the same state as his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes.) Jawan encouraged Richmond Rotarians to “come feel our environment and view what we have done” at Peres. Here’s what he shared with us at the meeting.
  • His sincere appreciation for the many things that Richmond Rotary has done for the Peres school over the years, including the on-site dental clinic set up by Dan Tanita, the periodic reading to students, and the checks for teachers to use for school supplies.
  • An invitation to come to the school on Wednesday evening, January 28, to attend a meeting and learn more about the new Common Core teaching and learning standards. The meeting is being held primarily for the parents of second and third graders from 6pm to 7:30pm (includes dinner).
  • An invitation to attend a special concert at Peres on Saturday, February 28, at 10am, in honor of Black History Month.
  • An invitation to come read to students sometime during the “Read Across America” week of March 2.
  • An invitation to come to Career Day in May (more information to follow) in order to share personal experiences from college and career.
• The third LITD (“Later In The Day”) meeting of the Richmond Rotary Club will be on Monday, February 23, at the newly named Mex-Cal restaurant at Hilltop (formerly La Revolucion). For the time being, these additional, more informal meetings will be held once a month and will serve a variety of purposes (as a way to introduce and recruit prospective new (and not just younger) members who may not be able to always make regular noon-time meetings on Fridays, as a meeting make-up opportunity for current members, and a just plain fun time to socialize). Meeting format and content are still a work in progress, “evolving” as they say. Gathering time will be 5:30pm to 6:00pm, with the meeting lasting no later than 7:00pm. [Added Scribe Note: There were 13 of us current members (plus two spouses/significant others) who attended the second LITD meeting on January 26. We discussed upcoming tree-planting projects and other matters of not earth-shattering significance. It was a good time! Come check out the meeting on February 23rd and bring a prospective new member.]

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Giving Back: The Golden State Warriors Community Foundation

Stacey Street introduced Jose Gordon, Executive Director of the Warriors Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Golden State Warriors basketball organization. Jose is a graduate of Stanford University and was previously the Senior Director of Development Communications for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health in Palo Alto.

Jose has been in his current position a little less than two years, following the commitment of the new Lacob-Guber Warriors ownership group to put more emphasis on philanthropic community engagement. His main responsibilities involve fundraising and grant-making. The goal is to be a fully pass-through Foundation – “raise and give”!

In just a short amount of time, there has been significant progress. Last season, the Warriors were the leading philanthropic fund-raising team in the NBA.

There is a strong desire to have increasing community impact in the following areas.

• Grant-making, especially in San Francisco and Alameda counties.
• Basketball court refurbishments (more than 50 courts around the bay area have been built or improved so far, often involving local partners).
• Ticket donations (over 7,000 tickets were donated last year).

While not in initial priority areas, Richmond has been a substantial beneficiary of Warriors Community Foundation generosity in the form of targeted spending meant to help highlight and celebrate local efforts.

• A new basketball court in Martin Luther King Jr. Park with active participation from basketball Hall of Fame member, Mitch Richmond (quite a nice name match).
• A positive, high-visibility event for “Remembering Rodney Frazier” (a basketball point guard from Richmond High School who was shot and killed in a senseless incident).
• The Harrison Barnes Basketball Clinic in August 2014 in conjunction with the Richmond Police Activities League (PAL), the YMCA, and the City of Richmond Parks and Recreation Department.

Responding to questions, Jose commented briefly on the planned move of the Warriors team to San Francisco. Since the team moved in 1962 from Philadelphia, it now plays in the oldest arena in the NBA. After the move to San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors will still be very much a “bay area” team. As Jose pointed out, it’s only a 15-mile drive from where the team plays now to where it will play (and only 7 miles as the crow flies). Feel better now, Oakland?

NEXT MEETING: January 23, 2015

Giving Back: The Golden State Warriors Community Foundation

Jose Gordon, Executive Director of the Warriors Community Foundation, will share an overview of his work to establish the Warriors Community Foundation under the new Lacob-Guber ownership group, and will highlight recent community engagement efforts in Richmond. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Golden State Warriors.  As Executive Director, Jose is responsible for fundraising and charitable investments, including grants, basketball court refurbishments, and ticket donations. Previously, Jose served as Senior Director of Development Communications for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health in Palo Alto. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and American Studies from Stanford University.

MEETING OF January 16, 2015

Welcome

President Stoney Stonework called the meeting to order at the Richmond Country Club and Tom Waller led the pledge of allegiance. Stoney asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Alan Blavins offered this thought for the day: A smile is a curve that can set most things straight.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

• Mac Lingo was visiting from the Berkeley Rotary Club and he commented that Richmond Rotary has interesting speaker programs,
• Josh Genser’s guest was James Richardson, a local CPA and prospective Richmond Rotary Club member.

Special Events

Stoney introduced for the first time from Rotary International headquarters in Evanston a special new pin/button to be presented to an existing member who brings a new member into the Club. The first Richmond Rotary recipient for 2015 is Josh Genser for bringing forward James Richardson for Club membership.

Announcements

• Stacey Street talked about the inaugural Richmond Rotary Club Winter Party to be held on Saturday, January 31, 2015, at the Bubbaloo Café event center, 1402 Marina Way South in Richmond. Cocktails will start flowing at 6:30pm and dinner will be at 7:30pm, with dancing to follow (same great band as last year). Per-person cost for the evening (including dinner) is $75 with a special price of $37.50 per person for those just interested in dancing and socializing. As always, submit payment to David Brown.
• Henry Moe reminded everyone about the 8th Annual Richmond Rotary Crab Feed to be held on Saturday, February 7, at Salesian High School (same room as always). Cocktail hour begins at 6pm and dinner at 7pm. Tickets are $40 per person, payable in advance to David Brown.
• Alan Baer put a flyer on tables announcing the special ribbon cutting and mixer scheduled for the opening of Kamza Sushi Palace in the Pacific East Mall, 3288 Pierce Street in Richmond on Wednesday, January 21, from 4:30pm to 7pm. The Richmond Chamber of Commerce and BARSHEEP Rotary Clubs are participating.
• Alan Blavins had a reminder about the special Rotary Night at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond on Thursday, January 29. The performance of “There Goes the Bride”, a British Comedy, will begin at 8pm. Tickets are $25 each, with a large part of ticket proceeds going to Albany Rotary as part of their annual theater fund raiser. In order to get that proper “British” look and feel, our own Alan Blavins did the painting of set scenery for the play.
• Hank Covell reported that Ralph Hill is done with radiation treatment for now and is doing well while resting and recovering at the Senior Care Center in El Sobrante. It was also reported that Sid Chauvin is home and feeling better after dealing with some heart problems and water retention. Calls and messages left for both gents would be welcomed and appreciated.
• Felix Hunziker announced that there will be upcoming tree-planting opportunities for the hearty and the kibitzers on February 15 and again in mid-March. On February 15, the gathering will start at 8:30am at the corner of 28th Street and Downer Avenue in Richmond’s North & East Neighborhood. Richmond Rotary is partnering with local organizations, Richmond Trees and Groundwork Richmond, as part of the City’s ongoing program to beautify and upgrade local neighborhoods and parks. Sign up with Felix and stay tuned for more information. (Past tree-plantings were enjoyed by all who joined in!)

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Tambourines, Triangles and Trout!

Stacey Street introduced professional musician, Victor Avdienko, a percussionist who offered us a fun and informative session about tambourines, triangles, and trout. There were lots of “gee-I-didn’t-know-that” moments.

Victor regularly performs with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with a variety of well-known artists like Johnny Mathis, Paul Simon, and Sheryl Crow. Besides being active with music-in-schools programs, he also has served for nine years as Music Director for the California Shakespeare Festival.

The tambourine is one of the oldest percussion instruments and is mentioned in the Bible. The triangle (a classic “idiophone”, which creates sound by vibrating without the use of strings or membranes) is believed to have originated with the Turks. Its sound was associated with terror and military activities. Beethoven broke the triangle’s stereotype and introduced it as an instrument to also convey merriment.

With over 30 tambourines and 12 triangles in his personal collection (each of them unique), Victor showed several of his favorites to demonstrate the wide variety of sounds that can be created from different device materials and construction as well as musician technique.

As Victor told us, the diverse sounds enable appropriate rhythms, interpretations, and moods in the “story-telling” of a musical composition, not unlike what a painter does with color variation on a canvas. The tambourine and triangle contribute to and punctuate the often emotional roller-coaster ride of a musical score, helping to take the listener alternatively through waves of highs and lows, from the joyful to the menacing.

It’s interesting to contemplate the sometimes terrifying nature of playing the tambourine or triangle with a symphony. While the violinist during a concert may play thousands of notes that blend with others, the tambourine or triangle percussionist can very much stand out with that one shot to get it right (or not), to “play” the instrument in exactly the right way at exactly the right time.

As for trout, Victor pointed out that “scales” are a common connection between fishing and music. But there’s more to it than that. He long ago developed a strong desire to improve his fly casting skills in order to achieve the magic of catching fish, not unlike his motivation for increasing his skills at playing the right notes in order to achieve the magic of making music. Now that’s a keeper!

NEXT MEETING: January 16, 2015

Tambourines, Triangles and Trout!

Professional percussionist Victor V. Avdienko will speak with us about three of his favorite things – tambourines, triangles, and trout – and will demonstrate some of his techniques.  A graduate of Julliard and an accomplished percussionist and timpanist, Victor can be heard performing and recording with orchestras, chamber groups, and opera companies throughout the Bay Area.  He performs with the San Francisco Symphony regularly, and has performed with artists such as Johnny Mathis, Paul Simon, Mel Torme, Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Doc Severensen, and Wynton Marsalis.
Victor is in high demand as an educator, clinician, and coach by high schools and youth orchestras, including the SF Youth Orchestra. Victor is active in the California Symphony’s Music-In-The-Schools program, bringing percussion to children with his group Supercussion (www.Supercussion.org). For nine years. Victor was Music Director, composer, and percussionist for the California Shakespeare Festival.
In addition to making music, Victor spends his time as a Fly-fishing Guide and a Certified Fly Casting Instructor. Victor enjoys teaching beginners to fly fish, and he helps experienced casters improve their skills.

MEETING OF January 7, 2015

Welcome

Prez. Stoney “Buckeye” Stonework called the meeting to order and Dan Tanita led us in the Pledge. Stoney offered a moment of silence for freedom, peace and justice with special prayers for our friends in France. Alan Blavins offered, “duct tape cannot fix stupid, but it can muffle it!”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Neville Guard from San Ramon Valley Regional. Mark Howe’s “guest” was Shawna Bagley; Jon Lawlis’ sweetie Darlene joined him; Lynn Martin’s guest was Ric Ambrose, Executive Director, Richmond Art Center; Markku Pelanne’s guest was wife Mary; and Stoney’s guest was James Richardson…ask Josh Genser about the back story.

Special Events

Foundation Chair Connie Tritt presented 3 Paul Harris Awards with “color commentary” by DG Pam Gray. Pam Jones plus 7; Alan Baer plus 6 and Mary Pelanne. Congratulations to all!

New member Shawna Bagley (yes there are now 2 Bagleys trying to catch up to the 3 Browns) who’s sponsor was Hank Covell was introduced to the Club to a standing ovation. Welcome Shawna!

Announcements

• Liliane Kozial announce that the Richmond-Shimada Friendship Commission is looking for host families for Japanese Students and a teacher from March 21-31, 2015. If you’re interested, contact Marilyn Alford, (510) 823-3613 or Steve Pinto, 510) 393-9037. Download flyer.
• Heather Kulp, with support from Stacey Street, announced that the Richmond Rotary Winter Party will be on January 31 at the Bubbaloo Café, 1402 Marina Way, Richmond. Download flyer.
• Henry Moe announced that the Rotary Crab Fee will be on February 7 at cost of $40. The only way to make a reservation is to get a check to Treasurer David Brown.
• Prez. Stoney reported that George Egan is out of the hospital and slowly on the mend. CA Sid Chauvin is in the hospital recovering from some heart issues. Cards were passed around at the meeting.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

A visit from our new District Governor, Pam Gray

Prez Stoney introduces our DG Pam Gray who gave a very lively and humorous presentation. She passed out Tootsie Pops in case folks wanted something to suck on in case they got bored. Pam and husband Dean are both Rotarians and from Paradise CA. Raised in a Rotary household she knew she wanted to be a Rotary and jumped at the chance when women were allowed to join Rotary. She talked about how special Rotarians are for being so persistent in the end Polio. “First Dude” Brian talked about a few projects he was working on including Rotary shirts, Rotary Motorcycle Riding group (first ride May 23), and recruiting members for District Jobs. DG Pam indicated that there were no new Governor projects this year because there are so many other projects that are continuing. She invited members to be a part of the Monterey Mexico wheel chair distribution starting March 11.