NEXT MEETING: April 8, 2016

Conversation with Chief Allwyn Brown

Chief Allwyn Brown has been a sworn member of the Richmond Police Department for over 30 years, serving as assistant police chief between July 2015 and January 2016, and then he was appointed interim police chief.  He was promoted to sergeant in 1994 – then later served as acting lieutenant for one year helping to institute a new policing system before being promoted to captain in January 2008.  He served as one of two deputy chiefs in the Department between 2010 and 2015.  Chief Brown attended POST’s Supervisory Leadership Institute (Class 86), and he is a graduate of Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP).  He holds a Master’s Degree in HR Management and an undergraduate degree in Business/HR Management.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• David Brown reminded us that next Saturday, April 9, there will be a great local program: from 9-12 we will install reflective safety curb numbers and provide smoke/CO2 detectors and fire extinguishers to 38 Parchester Village homes. We will meet on McGlothen. We need at least 12 people – please join us! ****
• Past President Alan Baer mentioned how wonderful the Richmond RotaCare Grand Opening event was last night. There we many recognition, including the Mayor Butt and Supervisor Gioia’s offices for the hard work by members and staff. It is an amazing collaboration of efforts and resources.
• Check out Bono’s video thanking Rotarians for their commitment to eradicating polio: https://vimeo.com/98557600
• Director Joe Bagley announced the following celebrations:

Patricia Canessa is on maternity leave and will return in a few months

Mey Saechow is surviving tax season and will return shortly

EJ Shalaby celebrated his 14^th wedding anniversary

George Egan has been a Rotary Club member for 18 years

Dan Sanders has been a member for 41 years!

Happy Birthday RICHMOND ROTARY CLUB!!!

MEETING OF Friday, April 1, 2016

Welcome

Past President Alan Baer called the meeting to order, asked a club member from the back of the room to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and asked George Egan to lead us in a silent prayer for peace. Sergeant-at-Arms Sid Chauvin offered the quote of the day: “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!” – F.D. Roosevelt

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Dan Sanders brought his wife Sara Sanders.

Josh Surowitz’s guest was coworkers Daniel Lopez

 

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

Josh Surowitz had happy dollars for this son Luke making three unassisted outs in his pony league baseball game.

Oh! Henry Moe had happy dollars for taking a fun trip to Magic Mountain and Universal Studios with his family.

Alan Baer had happy and sad dollars because his son just became a teenager and is already taller than he is and more happy dollars because his daughter was nominated for the Youth Hall of Fame.

Webmaster Nick Despota had happy dollars because his daughter, who lives in Berlin, is coming to visit with his granddaughter Ivy.

Jim Findley was also happy to celebrate 8 grandchildren’s birthdays.

Erle Brown had super happy dollars because Phyllis’ surgery and treatments are proving successful, shrinking her tumor.

Swampy Joe Bagley is always happy, but he is additionally happy because he is playing music (non-Christmas tunes) at this weekend’s art show at Kaleidoscope Coffee in Point Richmond.

PROGRAM

Past President Liliane Koziol introduced the inspiring Amani Matabaro of Bukavu Rotary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (near the border of Rwanda) and Dr. Victoria Bentley.

Amani Matabaro is the current president of the Bukavu Club and has been an intricate part in the revitalizing of the war-torn Congo.  His presentation was a tribute to all of the amazing things that Rotary has done for his country.  While the country is rich in resources and beauty, the people are ranked as some of the poorest in the World.  After surviving dictatorships and civil wars, the people needed help to defend themselves against warlords.  Rotary has helped them do this.

These projects include: educational assistance to keep children from working in the mineral mines (there are now 425 children in school), the Mumosho Community Center to provide resources for teen mothers, education, literacy, and job skills for women, bread making cooperative, microloans, organic shared farm, animal husbandry, fishing program, Congo Healing Project, and the Mumosho Peace Market.

Where is humanity? Where is the World? It is in ROTARY.

To learn more about
Amani Matabaro, and his community building work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IqzLs373Iw
The Congo: http://www.theguardian.com/world/congo
Congolian Rain Forest: http://www.worldwildlife.org/places/congo-basin
Congo Civil Wars: http://goo.gl/Zbx78R

 

Shana Bagley, our scribe for this meeting offers this thought:
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.”
– Gandhi