NEXT MEETING: September 15, 2017
Note: We meet at Café Soleil this Friday. Directions below.

Helping Children Stay Safe

Young children can confront a wide range of dangers: neglect, abuse, bullying, sexual harassment, and now, cyberbullying.

Responding to these threats, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa County (CAPC) has provided lessons to nearly 19,000 Richmond students in 1^st to 6^th grade during the last school year.

Carol Shenon, Child Safety Program Manager, will tell us about the work of CAPC. Their programs help children respond to unsafe behavior and build networks of trustworthy peers and adults.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• On Friday the club will meet at Cafe Soleil, 3550 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante. Directions.
• San Pablo Rotary members will help seniors with basic home maintenance work on their homes, on September 30. If you know to pound a nail and wield a paint brush, this could be a fun and satisfying way of spending a Saturday.
• The El Cerrito Rotary hosts it annual Sip and Savor Event, Sunday, October 1^st, 2:30-5:00PM. Enjoy Wine, brews, and spirits at the Berkeley Country Club, formerly Mira Vista Country Club. You can get your tickets on-line any El Cerrito Rotarian can make sure you get a ticket.  Visit the El Cerrito Rotary website for tickets, $50 each.
• The San Pablo Rotary Club invites you to join them in honoring former police chief for the City of San Pablo and fellow Rotarian, Walt Schuld. There will be a silent and a live auction, and dancing. All proceeds will go to the San Pablo Public Library. For tickets and more information, visit the event page.
• David Brown announced that thanks to the generosity of our members, our club had not only met but exceeded the goal for its $100 donation to each Peres School classroom. Great news. And thank you, David, you for leading this perennial fundraising goal.

 

MEETING OF September 8, 2017

Welcome

President Connie Tritt called the meeting to order. Herb Cole offered an invocation, calling our attention to the ten of thousands of people suffering from the storms and hurricane in Texas and Florida. Sid followed up with an appropriate thought for the day: “The world is full of takers and givers. The takers may eat better but the givers sleep better.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Darlene Quenville was the always welcome “guest” of Jon Lawlis.

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

Ric Ambrose called for recognition of birthdays and anniversaries, and highs and lows of the previous week.

• Alan Blavins celebrated his 27^th anniversary, which, he reported, was both “memorable and miserable.” He he and Geri had the bad luck of having dinner in an un-air-conditioned restaurant on one of the hottest days on record.
• Jon Lawlis had a birthday, for which he made a generous donation to the community fund.
• Mey Saechao was recognized for her second club anniversary, and also made a donation to the club.
• Nick Despota had five happy and sad dollars. A month with his daughter and granddaughter in Berlin prompted thoughts of generations and renewal, while the storms in the Gulf, are reminders of destruction and upheaval — but also recovery.
• Hank Covell followed up with happy dollars, also about grandchildren: his youngest just enrolled as a freshman in college, the oldest was engaged to be married.
• Herb noted that the hometowns of 3 of our members have been in the news this week: Connie’s from Lake Charles, Louisiana; and he and Sid hail from Beaumont, Texas.
• Sid reported that his niece and her 5 dogs, sitting atop the kitchen table to escape the rising waters in their home in Orange, Texas, were rescued by an emergency team in a boat. They relocated to somewhere in Arkansas to recuperate.

Harvey and Irma Storm and Hurricane Recovery Funds
In response to the 2 extreme climate events, of Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida, Jon mad an appeal for donations to help in recovery efforts. Members made pledges amounting to approximately $2,000. If you have not already donated to other relief organizations and would like to make a donation, you can do so at Friday’s meeting, with a check or credit card.

PROGRAM

Rotary's Contribution to Richmond School Libraries

During his presidency, Josh Surowitz used his discretionary funds to donate hundreds of books and electronic learning software to elementary schools in Richmond. Today our members applied attractive labels (designed and produced by Alan Blavins) to the inside covers of some 400 books: “Donated by the Richmond Rotary” The work was easy and fun. It provided the opportunity to practice the technique of removing the protective backing from sticky labels. You never now when that skill will come in handy.

Nick Despota, Flywheel Editor