NEXT MEETING: March 10, 2017

Immigration today: So what's changed?

Join our fearless leader, Richmond Rotary President Josh Surowitz for an informative and timely program! President Josh will be discussing the current immigration legal environment under the new Trump administration.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Pam Jones brought a gift from Cuba, where they happen to grow coffee, and reminded us that the 5160 District conference is March 24-26. Please register now as seats are going fast. Please give her off any advertising tchotchkes (pens, etc.) for the 500 goodie bags for registrants.
• Hercules President Holly Smyth told us that the Hercules Rotary Pasta Feed is March 11, 2017. Tickets. Holly needs helpers. Funds will go to their community center sound system and peace project-heritage garden.  Time is 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Hercules Community Center, 2001 Refugio Valley Road, Hercules (map). Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and includes one drink. For tickets, please call Carol White at 510-685-7778 or text Holly Smyth at 559-707-4616.

MEETING OF

Welcome

President Joshua called the meeting to order and asked Alan Baer to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Herb Cole asked for silent prayers for peace, hope, and justice. Holly Smyth offered a quote for the day: “imagination is the cure for reality.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Hercules President Holly Smyth, visiting Rotarian.

Mark Howe and Shana Howe brought daughter and recent college graduate Serena Howe.

Alan Baer brought Edgar De Leon and Max Christen.

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

• Ric Ambrose announced: Don Lau’s wedding and 34^th club anniversary in February, Bob Dabney’s club anniversary, Mark Howe’s club anniversary, and Ric’s (21 again?) birthday!
• Josh Genser had a sad dollar for being here because he could not go fishing with friend Jim Becker.
• Bob Dabney was happy for going on a jazz cruise in the Caribbean. He highly recommends it.
• Oh! Henry Moe was doubly happy because the Salesian girls and boys are in the North Coast b-ball finals.
• President Josh added to the happiness because his son Elliot turned 5, Chuck E. Cheese serves beer and wine (who knew?), and he had a successful state bar webinar on immigration.
• Holly Smyth was happy for many things: her grandson turning 5, daughter’s birthday, and an anniversary.
• Edgar De Leon was happy, too, for Alan Baer keeping in touch with him and for finding some communications solutions for Alan’s business.

PROGRAM

Stacey Street introduced today’s effervescent speaker Darlene Francis, PhD, an Associate Dean at UC Berkeley. Darlene addressed the age-old question, nature or nuture?, and convinced us that it’s the wrong question. Both nature and nurture play roles in human development, our responses to stress, and the maintenance of health on into old age. But their effects do not play out equally across our lifespans.

Darlene presented findings from her experiments on the effects of enriched versus impoverished environments on mice with opposite genetic characteristics. The offspring of quick-witted parents were sentenced to mouse-worlds devoid of stimulation and challenge. The offspring of the dull-witted mice were placed in the equivalent of Mouseland University (lots of toys and social stimulation). The effect was striking: the offspring of the dullards performed at, or better than, the offspring of the quick-witted parents.

Takeaway #1: Genes are not destiny.

Takeaway #2: Public policy should aim at the enrichment of environments of children from birth to 3-years old. The pay-offs for these investments in the first few years, both for the individuals and for society, far outstrips the costs in coming decades.

If you would like more information, start here.

- Shana Bagley Howe, Rotating Scribette