NEXT MEETING: November 7, 2014

Why Rotary?

Past Rotary District Governor Brad Howard will discuss the Rotary Foundation as part of “Foundation Month.”  Brad, a member of the Rotary Club of Oakland-Sunrise and Past District Governor of District 5170 (California’s Silicon Valley) will be the Zones 25 & 26 Rotary International Director for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Rotary year.  He served as a member of RI’s Membership Development and Retention Committee, was responsible for membership in North America.  He also served for 10 years as the Zone 26 End Polio Now Coordinator, and has led 22 groups of Rotarians, comprised of over 1,000 people, to participate in polio national immunization days in West Africa and India.

Brad has extensive experience in training Rotary senior leadership during two terms as an International Assembly Training Leader, and as one of two global leaders, he also served an unprecedented three terms as International Assembly Seminar Trainer.  He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award and the International Service Award for a Polio Free World, and Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Bill Koziol reported no Sunshine Report today. (Maybe because it was raining today. Finally.)
• Herb Cole reminded everyone that it is time to collect money for Peres school teachers. Every year we collect $100 for each teacher. He also reminded everyone that it was Erle’s wife Phyllis’ grandfather who donated the land for Peres School.
• Don Lau reminded everyone that the Holiday Auction is December 12^th. To make his life less crazy and minimize the need for this year’s Auction Helpers to call you and ask what you’re donating, please visit the Holiday Auction page.
  Once there, click the red Post my item button. A form will appear on which you can describe your item, upload a picture if you’d like, and help grow the inventory of cool gifts that will make this auction the best ever.
• Henry Moe announced that the Interact District Conference is coming up and some of the Interact students could use help attending the conference. 4 rotarians announced that they would cover the fees for the students.
• Jim Young offered more details on the West County Reads Children’s Book Drive. Thank you Herb Cole for bringing in the bag full of children’s books. And thanks to Mark Howe for giving use some sorting space for separating children’s books from other contributions.  I forget who asked but, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf in the Hollywood Hills, is not a children’s book. Those still wondering about children’s books can consult Amazon’s Children’s Book Categories. Besides placing a book collection bin at your place of business, church or favorite hangout, here’s what every Rotarian can do to support the Book Drive:- Peruse your bookshelves and donate gently used children’s books you no longer want.
  – Bring your donations to the next Rotary meeting or call for a pickup, 235-8443.
  – Volunteer to collect books once or twice a week (see Mark Howe or Jim Young).
  – Volunteer to help sort books.
  – Donate cash. Donations will be used to purchase Spanish/English paperback dictionaries and bilingual children’s books. Make checks payable to “The Ed Fund-WCR”.

MEETING OF October 31, 2014

Welcome

Stoney called the meeting to order, Nick Despota led us in the Pledge, and Sid’s thought-for-the-day was from Betty White, who observed, “Everyone should get 8 hours of beauty sleep and 9 hours if you are ugly”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Sid’s guests included everyone who likes, which turned out to be more people than we: Zelpha Chauvin, Brian Chauvin, Ellison Dunlap III, Nancy Dunlap, Anthony Dunlap, Ellison Dunlap IV, Wilma Grant, Carlton Melson and Carolyne Melson. Don Lau’s guest was Jordan Lau.

Special Events

We held the new member induction for Nico Veran. Welcome, Nico, to the Friendly Richmond Rotary

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

• Nick had happy dollars because 1.) it was finally raining; 2.)  Election Day is almost upon us, after which the blizzard of propaganda hitting us daily will end; and 3.) the Richmond Library Foundation raised enough money to purchase a bookvan (the Library already has a bookmobile. The bookvan can visit places inaccessible to the huge bookmobile. Richmond Rotary members donated almost $3,000 to the bookvan purchase. In recognition of this fact, the new vehicle will sport the Richmond Rotary logo on its decorated exterior.
• Heather Kulp was happy that the kick-off breakfast for the Richmond Toy Drive went splendidly.
• Bob Dabney was happy that Cheryl’s hip surgery was successful.
• Alan Blavins was happy that the portrait purchased at last year’s auction was complete and he handed it to Jim Young
• Jon Lawlis had sad dollars’s that Darlene’s mom’s had breast cancer but happy dollars’s that the surgery was successful.

PROGRAM

Halloween: Holy or Hellish?

Henry Moe introduced Sister Mary Greenan, an introduction which Sister Greenan proclaimed to be easily the worst one she has ever been subjected to. Letting bygones be bygones, Sister Mary proceeded to offer a brilliant, visually entertaining presentation about the origins of Halloween. To highlight just one nugget: During the Middle Ages, the people of England, Ireland and France believed that spirits walked among the living, looking for victims they could carry off to the nether world. To escape this dreaded fate, benighted townsfolk disguised themselves to resemble ghosts and the walking dead. (“I know… let’s dress up like them so we blend in, then they won’t find us!” Right.)

The history lesson was thought-provoking—we were asked to consider the very real dark side lurking within each us—but Sister Mary’s humor and cleverness outshone the content of even this most fascinating presentation.