NEXT MEETING: January 5, 2017

Youth Finance Institute of America

Youth Finance Institute of America’s (YFIA) goal is to educate youth about basic personal finance life skills. YFIA’s curriculum offers an opportunity for youth to break the cycle of poor money management habits. It prepares youth to become financially independent and to be aware of common pitfalls that lead to excessive debt and financial turmoil. YFIA’s helps youth, ages 14-24 located in low to moderate income neighborhoods.

YFIA’s programs include the Money Talk Workshop Series focusing on basic finance life-skills; Financial Mentoring for Foster Youth, a financial mentoring program; and Cash for College workshops, a partnership with the California Student Aid Commission and Richmond Promise.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crab lovers alert!
Our annual Crab Feed fundraiser takes place on Saturday, January 27th, at 6 PM. The location, as always, is Salesian High School, 2852 Salesian Ave., Richmond. Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7. Raffle following dinner.

What’s that? You don’t like crab? No problemo. We’re also serving a pasta with marinara sauce.

Tickets are $50/person, 10 people per table. For information and ticket purchases call Erle Brown (510 233-6291) or Henry Moe (707 685-0848). Make checks payable to Richmond Rotary, with “Crab feed” in memo line. Mail checks to David Brown at Plaza Two, Hilltop Office Park, 3260 Blume Dr, Ste. 410, Richmond CA 94806.

Help make the event a great success by downloading the flier and giving it to your friends and colleagues.

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes
On December 23rd, our Rotary Club participated in the Richmond Fire and Police Toy Program, which donated about 450 bikes to Richmond youth. The event drew hundreds of parents and their children to the EM Downer Family YMCA. On hand to help distribute the bikes were Richmond Rotarians Don Lau, Pam Jones, Cecilia Orozco, Dan Tanita, and Mike Winter.

Menbere Aklilu, of Saluté’s Restaurant, deserves a special thanks for her donation of $2,000 for bikes through the Richmond Rotary. And Neville Guard of the San Ramon Rotary also pitched in, and shot some cool photos.

 

 

MEETING OF

Welcome

Announcements

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM


NEXT MEETING: December 15, 2017

Instead of our usual lunch time meeting, this Friday we’re gathering at the Richmond Art Center (2540 Barrett Ave, Richmond) at 5 PM. We’ll bask in the success of our Holiday Auction, described below. We’ll enjoy the camaraderie over drinks and party food.

This is a chance to relax with other members in a delightful setting without the time constraints imposed by the usual meeting business and guest speakers.

We hope you can make it.

HOLIDAY AUCTION REPORT

The money raised in our 2017 Holiday Auction topped all previous years: over $33,000!

This brilliant success would not have been possible without the generosity of 43 Richmond Rotary members. Our thanks to all of you:

Alan Baer, Joe Bagley, Shana Bagley, Alan Blavins, Jan Brown, David Brown, Erle Brown, Tom Butt, Patricia Canessa, Sid Chauvin, Herbert Cole, Hank Covell, Edgar DeLeon, Nick Despota, Darlene Drapkin, Simon Ellis, Jerry Feagley, Jim Findley, Oscar Garcia, Josh Genser, Mark Howe, Felix Hunziker, Pam Jones, Liliane Koziol, Bill Koziol, Donald Lau, Jon Lawlis, James Lee, Norman Lundberg, Doris Mitchell, Henry Moe, Gonzalo Ochoa, Darlene Quenville, Mey Saechao, Horace Stonework, Tiffany Straus, Stacey Street, Josh Surowitz, Dan Tanita, Stanley Teaderman, Connie Tritt, John Troughton, Mike Winter.

 

Auction master Don Lau also wants to give special thanks the members of the Auction team.

Auction webpage: Nick Despota
Finance: David Brown, Connie Tritt, Henry Moe, Mae Saechao
Silent Auction: Shana Bagley Howe and Darlene Quenville
Entertainment: Stacey Street
Live Auction: Josh Surowitz and Oscar Garcia
Wine: Alan Blavins
Chef du l’eggnog: Sid

MEETING OF

Welcome

Announcements

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM


NEXT MEETING: December 8, 2017

Five easy steps for a spectacular Holiday Auction


1. Invite friends and colleagues to the Auction.
2. Check our Auction page to browse the latest items: holiday gifts, weekend getaways, lively events. Ask your friends to do likewise.
3. Buy a toy for a kid, but don’t wrap it. Bring it on Friday and contribute it to the holiday toy drive.
4. On Friday, be sure to show up before 12PM. That’s when the fun begins.
5. Spend freely. Every penny we raise contributes to a healthier and more prosperous Richmond. (See the organizations we gave to last year.)

MEETING OF December 1, 2017

Welcome

President Connie Tritt called the meeting to order and asked Erle Brown to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Herb Cole asked for silent prayers for peace, hope, and justice. Sergeant at Arms Sidney Chauvin offered a quote for the day: “I’m not t lazy, I just enjoy doing nothing!”

Announcements

  • Don Lau reminded us that our annual Holiday Auction on Friday, December 8. The fun starts at noon, so bring a friend and enjoy Sid’s infamous eggnog, Blavins’ wine, and live entertainment by Stacey Street.       Don’t forget to bring an unwrapped gift suitable for young teens for the RFD toy drive.
  • Pam Jones gave us an update on the holiday bike drive: so far, we have met the Richmond Rotary match amount but we still need more donations so that every family can receive a bike. $49 buys a bike and helmet. December 23 is the give-away at the Downer YMCA if you want to volunteer.
  • President Connie Tritt reminded us that on December 15, there is no regular lunch meeting. Instead come to our Holiday Cocktail Party at Richmond Art Center, 5 pm.
  • President Connie said she encourages everyone to sign the initiative requiring farm animals to have more space in their cages. Go here to sign: https://preventcrueltyca.com
  • If you haven’t done so already, send an email to Jan Brown, giving her your shirt size for a free Richmond Rotary t-shirt.
  • RotaCare seeks a board member volunteer.  Please contact President Connie of you’re interested in this wonderful organization.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

12 days of Christmas - Richmond style

On this day we were visited by Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay. Bill thanked Richmond Rotary for our contributions to the community. He then gave us the “12 days of Christmas – Richmond style.”

1 day park renovation at Wendell Park (see photo on right).

$2 million negative financial impact in annexing North Richmond (and 2 osprey, Rosie and Richmond, and 2 chicks in their Whirley Crane nest.

3.4% annual rent control adjustment.

$442 operating budget surplus.

500 Richmond promise scholarship applicants (100 up from last year).

6 state-of-the-art bus shelters on Carlson blvd (street improvements grant).

7,000 bikes for a regional bike-sharing program.

$800,000 solar installation at Triangle Court (affordable housing project) from state cap and trade money for 98 residential units.

9000 square feet of commercial leased space at Bart parking.

10 year anniversary of Richmond Build.

11% increase in sales tax receipts; and

12 ferry vessels in the SF bay ferry fleet and 2 more next year (at the Richmond Ferry Terminal).


-Shana Bagley Howe, Rotating Scribette and Ducks fanatic

NEXT MEETING: December 1, 2017

Twelve Days of Christmas (Richmond Style)

Join Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay for a unique annual Richmond holiday tradition. Come enjoy a nostalgic holiday romp with ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future that have visited Richmond during the past year, set to the traditional Christmas carol.

MEETING OF November 17, 2017

Welcome

President Connie Tritt presided over the meeting. Herb offered an invocation, members pledged their allegiance to the flag, and Sid proposed this thought-for-the day: The fact that there is a highway to hell but only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Hank Covell brought his bride of many years, Doreen, to lunch today.

Announcements

  • No meeting this Friday! Enjoy leftovers and quality time with your families (not necessarily in that order).
  • Nick Despota reminded everyone that anyone who has not already submitted his or her auction donation needs to do it this week. We all take pride in the extent of our support for local communities. But let’s remember that this generous level of support is only possible because of your generosity.
  • Our Holiday Auction is also the day we contribute to the Richmond Police and Firefighters drive. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy for this purpose.
  • President Connie announced that the board has decided to try a meeting schedule change: Our meetings would begin promptly at 12 (as opposed to 12:30), and end at 1 (as opposed to 1:30). This shift is intended to attract new, or non-attending existing, members for whom the somewhat earlier in-and-out period is more compatible with their work schedules.
  • Charlie Fender would like a ride to and from the Auction. If you can do this, please give Charlie a call at 510-526-1625, and send an email to Nick so we know this is taken care of.
  • On December 15th, instead of our usual noon time meeting we will gather for a holiday party at the Richmond Art Center. Yipee! (Not that we don’t like noontime meetings.)
  • David Brown announced the distribution of money collected for those affected by storms and hurricanes in the Gulf states. $2,350 was raised, and here how we distributed it:
    $250.00      Rotary Club of Beaumont, Texas
    $250.00      District 5890 Disaster Relief Fund
    $250.00      District 6200 Foundation
    $600.00      St. John Community Foundation
    $1,000.00   TRF Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund
  • Crab-Eaters Alert. Our annual Crab Feed Fundraiser will take place on January 27 at Salesian High School.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Rising Sun Energy

Stacey introduced Abbey Leonard, the Director of Development and Marketing at Rising Sun Energy Center. Stacey was proud that the Richmond Community Foundation has supported the work of this great organization, which has served the dual goals of career development and supporting the transition to a low-carbon green economy.

Rising Sun has been tackling economic inequity and climate resilience challenges for 23 years. It empowers young men and women to achieve environmental and economic sustainability for themselves and their communities. Through thoughtfully-designed workforce development programs, it strives to enable everyone who wants a good family-sustaining career can have one.

Rising Sun has two main programs:
1. California Youth Energy Services (CYES), which employs local youth during the summer. CYES served 4,400 families by providing energy efficiency upgrades this summer.
2. Green Employment Training Services (GETS) trains adults in construction and prepares them for apprenticeship programs in the building trades,

The majority of the young people served by Rising Sun have been African-American, but recently Rising Sun has been able bring an increasing number of Latino youths in its programs.
Rising Sun is also helping more women in their programs, with the consequence that more women will enter into the building trades. Young women are also being introduced to work in the energy field through the CYES program. Click the video below to hear from one of them.

To learn more, visit the Rising Sun Energy Center website.

 

-Darlene Drapking, Rotating Scribe


NEXT MEETING: November 17, 2017

Rising Sun: Launching Careers to Build a Better World

Many people born into disadvantaged communities, without college-educated parents, and without economically successful role models, have a very steep mountain to climb in order to achieve financial sustainability for themselves and their families.

Rising Sun has been tackling this challenge for 23 years. It empowers young men and women to achieve environmental and economic sustainability for themselves and their communities. Through thoughtfully-designed workforce development programs, it strives to enable everyone who wants a good family-sustaining career can have one.

MEETING OF November 10, 2017

Welcome

Pres Connie presided over the meeting and thanked Veterans, especially the Rotarian Veterans in the room, for their service to the country. Henry Moe led the pledge. Herb Cole led the invocation and Sid’s thought for the day was from Johnny Carson: Happiness is having a rare steak, bottle of whiskey and a dog to eat the steak.

Announcements

Chances are that you’re among our club members who have not yet sent us your Holiday Auction description. We’d like you to do it today. Here’s why.

December 8th is just around the corner. The earlier we can spotlight our wide and enticing array of cool gifts, get-aways, and lively social events, the more interest we can drum up. And the more interest, the more money we can raise in this, the most critical fundraising event of our year.

So please take a few minutes to come up with your Auction item (go to our Auction page for examples), then use the button on that page to send us a brief description, and if you’d like, a photo. Please do it today.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Be Prepared for an Emergency

Our speaker today was Edie Alderette-Sellers from the Point Richmond Community Emergency Response Team, PRCERT. Edie emphasized the importance of preparing a “Go Bay,” which you can grab in the event that you need to quickly evacuate your home.

The 3 mandatory items are water, clothing and food. In the clothing category underwear and socks are the most important in the group.

Edie presented an extensive list. A few of the items that stood out for your scribe are listed below. But for a complete list, please visit this page from the American Red Cross.

  • A digital copy of all your documents on a stick drive and encrypting it for safety. These documents include Home Owners Insurance, Birth Certificates, Passport etc.
  • A 7-day supply of medications. Rotate them out so they don’t expire.
  • Toilet paper, which may be in short supply at crowded shelter sites.
  • Nitrile gloves, which are inexpensive and will protect your skin from harsh detergents, blood-borne pathogens, and other contaminants.
  • A crank radio, since power may not be available in a shelter. If you’re willing to change out batteries on a routine schedule, simply packing the batteries for a radio is probably a better alternative. Store batteries outside of the devices so corrosion won’t damage the devices.

 

Henry Moe, Rotating Scribe