Yearly Archives: 2020
NEXT MEETING: April 10, 2020The Need for US-Russia Rapprochement Today
After 36 years of CCI’s work to avoid nuclear war and build constructive relations with Russia, the evidence is clear. CCI’s long history working across Russia’s 11 time zones shows that diplomacy rather than projecting conflict works amazingly well. Ms. Tennison will co-lead a trip to Russia in September 2020 with Ambassador Jack Matlock where the group will visit 30 Russian cities in a “fact-finding” mission. You are welcome to apply and get an education not possible from the U.S.
We are again meeting online this Friday at 12:30 PM.
Jan will email the link for our Zoom session on Thursday. Watch for it. MEETING OFWelcomeOnce again, our Happy and Sad Dollars span a couple of weeks. In reverse chronological order. MARCH 28
APRIL 3 Nick was happy that so many members have taken to the new online meeting platform. “We have higher attendance today than we’ve had at most of our in-person meetings. And I can see and hear everyone better.” Oscar had a happy dollar for the fact that he’s working from home and can grow his beard again. AnnouncementsSERVICE ABOVE SELF You should have already received this exciting news about a global opportunity to serve our health care workers on the frontlines of this pandemic—from your home. District Governor Tina Akins letter is below. This project was initiated by The Global Impact Group right here in District 5160 and our clubs are leading the country in this effort. Those who attended previous Rotary International Conventions and the Reno 4 way Fest District Conference last May were treated to examples of this group’s amazing skilled use of cutting edge technology to overcome enormous hurdles in all parts of the globe. Please consider volunteering and passing on this link: https://theglobalimpactgroup.org to your friends, family, and professional networks. To All Rotarians in District 5160,
I have an exceptional and extraordinary request of you, and all members in our district, to join the fight against COVID19. What if there was a way to help, from the safety of our homes, and make a real difference? Our district is one of two districts leading in an extraordinary new effort, and your immediate participation is critical to its success. This program will be announced via a press release today (CNN, NYT, and other major coverage), and will be adopted by Rotary Clubs across the nation in the next few days. The background is this: Two weeks ago, Rotarians in a local club engaged Rotary International to recruit 1 million volunteers in two weeks to sign up with Volunteer Surge, a new program that allows us to train online, for free, to become a Telehealth Worker, or a Community Health Worker. These volunteers will provide basic assistance, and will reduce suffering and save lives, locally and across the nation. How? By helping our health care providers to focus more of their attention where it is most needed. TIME IS CRITICAL.
Please click here to learn more and decide how you, your friends, and family can participate. And share this link with others on Facebook, email, and other social media. The world is watching, and we, as Rotarians, people of action, are now truly defined by our actions in this crisis. With appreciation and thanks, [/showhide]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICHMOND ROTARY! Richmond Rotary received Happy Birthday Greetings from the Rotary Club of San Francisco#2. They have invited our club to attend their Zoom meeting with RI President Mark Maloney tomorrow Tuesday, April 7 from 12pm to 1:30. Wear your Hawaiian shirt and Rotary pin! I’ll be there. Hope you can join me. See https://sfrotary.com/event/e-meeting—ri-president-mark-maloney/ Registration is required, and you would all register as guests and indicate your club name. Please join us and we can toast you from a distance on the occasion of your 100th anniversary. Dora Dye Richmond Rotary also received birthday greetings from Herb Behrstock of the UNA-USA East Bay Chapter. The UNA-USA was to provide wonderful pageantry at our Centennial Dinner in a shared celebration of the signing of the United Nations Charter 75 years ago in San Francisco. Herb wrote: “Although plans to celebrate anniversaries this month and this year are not working out as foreseen, I wanted to remember the enormous efforts made for this weekend’s Rotary dinner program — along with regrets about its cancelation (or possibly deferral). And to send congratulations to you and your members for Richmond Rotary’s milestone anniversary made possible by the efforts of so many leaders over the current and past decades.” Herb also noted: “As you likely know, the celebrations that were being planned in SF for UN75 were also regretably canceled … You and Rotarians might be interested to know that one activity which a small team of us is actively exploring would be to arrange the ‘traditional’ walk that’s occurred for major UN anniversaries in Muir Woods — where the delegates in SF traveled in May 1945 for their historic walk with some memorializing of FDR and bonding about visions of a peaceful future after the War, and principles to adopt in their Charter.” This may become an event that Rotarians can also share – perhaps through a virtual meeting and walk through Muir Woods. Herb and Liliane will keep us informed of this exciting possibility. Happy and Sad DollarsOnce again, our Happy and Sad Dollars span a couple of weeks. In reverse chronological order. MARCH 28
APRIL 3 Nick was happy that so many members have taken to the new online meeting platform. “We have higher attendance today than we’ve had at most of our in-person meetings. And I can see and hear everyone better.” Oscar had a happy dollar for the fact that he’s working from home and can grow his beard again. RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAM
You can read their essays here: First place: Therapy, Mental Health, and the Four Way Test by Daniel Soberano, Salesian, Grade 12 Their understanding and application of the Four-Way Test is truly an inspiration! Special thanks to the Rotarians who carefully reviewed the pool of essays and shared constructive feedback with every student. |
NEXT MEETING: April 3, 2020Rotary Four Way Test Student Essay Contest
Do today’s high school students think about values like fairness, goodwill and friendship in different ways than we did when we were their age? This Friday we’ll have an opportunity to consider that question as the high school finalists in our Four Way Test Essay Competition will read and reflect on what they wrote. What better way to celebrate our 100th year than through a youthful perspective of the test that measures the integrity of our work and relationships? MEETING OFWelcomeAnnouncementsThis Friday we will again meet on Zoom. It is encouraging to note that our attendance as not only not dropped off in the move to a virtual meeting space but instead has stayed about the same or even increased a bit. Friday, April 3 meeting Haven’t used Zoom before? Finally, remember that you can always find our online meeting URL, ID and call-in numbers on our calendar page. Happy and Sad DollarsAs we reported last week, our Happy and Sad custom has also been adapted to the virtual format. If you have Happy or Sad Dollars to share, tell us during the meeting then make your donation by clicking the button the right. When you do, you’ll be presented with a PayPal form that includes a “Leave a note” field where you can tell us the reasons for the contribution. We’ll print those in the following week’s Flywheel. Happy and Sad Dollars offered during the last two weeks include:  Alexandra Wilson and her partner adopted a new dog just in time to make shelter-in-place a little cozier. Henry Moe had a sad $5 that my son’s senior year activities, especially his trip to New York with his band, was being cancelled and they are not going to return all the money we put up front. (3/24) Jon Lawlis, was happy to have cut his and Darlene’s vacation short and returned home! (3/24) Alexandra Wilson had happy dollars because my partner and I adopted a dog just before we were sheltered in place and it’s been great having him especially right now. (3/20) Nick Despota’s dollars were both sad and happy. Despite the tragic level of human suffering covid-19 is causing, the crisis drives home a fundamental truth: that each of us is deeply connected to one another, locally and globally. (3/20) RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAM
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NEXT MEETING: March 27, 2020How is COVID19 Affecting "Business As Usual"?
We’ll have a conversation about ways Rotarians can help. We’ll also encourage everyone on the video call to tell us about other kinds of challenges they are facing. Friday, March 27 meeting Haven’t used Zoom before? Finally, remember that you can always find our online meeting URL, ID and call-in numbers on our calendar page. MEETING OF March 20, 2020WelcomeAnnouncements
[showhide type=”report” more_text=”Read Stacey’s takeaways” less_text=”Hide takeaways” hidden=”yes”] A few highlights and takeaways:
I am very much looking forward to working with all of you more closely in the coming year, and thank you so much for your ongoing commitment to our community.[/showhide] RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAM
We all agreed to keep meeting virtually as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep through our communities. President-elect Stacy led the meeting and gave a report on PETS (President Elect Training) held earlier this March. A central (and timely) theme of the training focused on building flexibility into programs and membership opportunities. The 2020-2021 year will be a year of positive change for all Rotarians. |
NEXT MEETING: March 20, 2020Now for some serious social un-distancing
We’ll start our gatherings at the same time as usual, 12:30 PM, but they’ll take place in a new location: your home. Actually, all our homes. (Don’t worry about the mess.) To join our Zoom meeting, use your computer, tablet or phone to go to https://zoom.us/j/962928643, and when prompted enter meeting ID 962 928 643. If you haven’t used Zoom before, don’t sweat it. The application is more user-friendly than some of our past sergeants at arms. When you go to the Zoom web address (the “URL”) you’ll see a dialog box asking if you want to download and install the application. Do it. The download and installation will take a couple minutes so please don’t wait until 12:29 to join our meeting. When you enter the meeting ID number, Zoom will automatically open and you can familiarize with the controls as we go. We’ll routinely post the URL and ID number for each meeting on our calendar. Just click the meeting date (each meeting has a unique URL and ID). Make a habit of visiting the calendar to get the information you need for all our regular and Board meetings. MEETING OFWelcomeAnnouncements
A LETTER FROM THE RICHMOND ROTARY PRESIDENTDear Richmond Rotarian, Who could have known that our club would be turning 100 at such a significant time in history? With our Centennial project & celebrations on hold, we face a global health crisis that is propelling us into learning new ways of staying connected. Henry Kaiser would call this an “opportunity in work clothes.” This Friday, if you have access to the internet and a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or mobile phone, we are asking you to join a video conference version of our traditional Richmond Rotary Meeting at 12:30. President Elect Stacey Street will be our host and a tech-savvy Communications Team (Nick, Nakele, Pierre, and Iris) will be ready to help guide us. And now a word of gratitude for those who worked so hard to prepare for our Centennial Celebrations. Please give a standing ovation to Don Lau, Stacey Street, Josh Genser, David Brown, and Liliane Koziol for their tireless energy as the Centennial Executive Committee, and all those who helped in special ways along the way: Alan Blavins, Erle Brown, Sid and Zelpha Chauvin, Doreen and Hank Covell, Nick Despota, Yoshimi Downer, Melinda McCrary, Henry Moe, Pierre Thompson (and his 4-WayTest review team), Connie Tritt, The Rotary Board, our Miraflores Greenbelt willow-planting volunteers, our Club 100 supporters and every Donor (https://richmondcarotaryclub100/) to the Miraflores Centennial Project. We are also grateful to those who made special plans to be part of our celebrations including our speakers District Governor Tina Akins and UN Representative Joshua Cooper, the UNA-USA East Bay Chapter, and our guests from the Shimada Rotary Club. The goodwill and friendships that each of you built in the process of preparing for our Centennial will fuel lasting memories of our 100th year – no matter when we celebrate it. The Making A Living interpretive display is in production, and the groundbreaking / dedication has been postponed to summer/early fall. Stay tuned, shelter-in-place, and zoom in at 12:30 on Friday! President Jan
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMA Letter from our president, Jan BrownDear Richmond Rotarian, Who could have known that our club would be turning 100 at such a significant time in history? With our Centennial project and celebrations on hold, we face a global health crisis that is propelling us into learning new ways of staying connected. Henry Kaiser would call this an “opportunity in work clothes.” This Friday, if you have access to the internet and a laptop, ipad, or mobile phone, we are asking you to join a video conference version of our traditional Richmond Rotary Meeting at 12:30. President Elect Stacey Street will be our host and a tech savvy Communications Team (Nick, Nakele, Pierre, and Iris) will be ready to help guide us. And now a word of gratitude for those who worked so hard to prepare for our Centennial Celebrations. Please give a virtual standing ovation to Don Lau, Stacey Street, Josh Genser, David Brown, and Liliane Koziol for their tireless energy as the Centennial Executive Committee. There are many others who helped in special ways along the way: Alan Blavins, Erle Brown, Sid and Zelpha Chauvin, Doreen and Hank Covell, Nick Despota, Yoshimi Downer, Melinda McCrary, Henry Moe, Pierre Thompson (and his 4WayTest review team), Connie Tritt, the Rotary Board, and the Miraflores Greenbelt willow-planting volunteers, our Club 100 supporters and every Donor (https://richmondcarotaryclub100/) to the Miraflores Centennial Project. We are also grateful to those who made special plans to be part of our celebrations including our speakers District Governor Tina Akins and UN Representative Joshua Cooper, the UNA-USA East Bay Chapter, and our guests from the Shimada Rotary Club. The goodwill and friendships that each of you built in the process of preparing for our Centennial will fuel lasting memories of our 100th year, no matter when we celebrate it. The Making A Living Interpretive Display is in production, and the groundbreaking / dedication has been postponed to summer/early fall. Stay tuned, shelter-in-place, and zoom in at 12:30 on Friday! President Jan |
NEXT MEETING:Following the guidelines of the California State Public Health announcement on March 11, Richmond Rotary is canceling our March 13th Club meeting. In addition we are cancelling all our Friday meetings for the remainder of March. We regret this unavoidable decision. MEETING OFWelcomeAnnouncements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAM
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Sharon Tennison, founder and President of the Center for Citizen Initiatives (CCI), organizes citizen diplomacy initiatives between the U.S. and Russia. Ms. Tennison will discuss why the belief that Russia is America’s enemy must be re-examined and updated.
MARCH 30
Last Friday, Richmond Rotary recognized three area high school students whose essays on the Four-Way Test were judged by our club to be most outstanding. In a moderated discussion, Daniel Soberano, Jennifer Diaz Lopez and Sabrina Abdurakhmonova told us what inspired them to write about their topic, which Four-Way Test question they considered most important, and which Four-Way Test question they considered most challenging to apply.
Richmond Rotary held its first-ever virtual Rotary Meeting last week with 25 participants, many video conferencing for the first time. We used desktop computers, laptops, tablets, voice-only phone lines, and even a smart phone attached to David Brown’s bike as he cycled his way to lunch.