NEXT MEETING: June 12, 2015

Cannabis Discussion: A look at Local, State and National Laws

The club’s own Bill Koziol will offer some perspective on local, state and national cannabis laws. Bill will give us a brief history of cannabis prohibition and discuss the legal conflict between state and federal laws. Currently, 35 States have medical marijuana laws with four (plus Washington DC) allowing recreational use.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• DAB again announced that 2015-16 Dues are due and payable, “Dues are $200, but we want $300 with the extra $100 for the Rotary Foundation”, DAB said. Send money to DAB via the usual methods including via PayPal  (hit the “Donate” button under ‘Pay Annual Dues’ on this page). The Annual Foundation Donation button is the same process for your contribution to the Rotary Foundation. Don’t be late. Dues are delinquent if unpaid by June 30^th. (PE Alan Blavins needs the money for the New Year.)
• Prez Stoney announced, for those who hadn’t already noticed it, that LaBron (James) and (Steven) Curry are both from Akron OH.
• Mark Howe, fresh back from taking a 2 wheeled drive truck on a 4 wheeled drive tour of the Baja Peninsula said that he had ‘seen the light’ and decided to do something easy, like reviving the legendary, “Ghosts of Winehaven” Rotary Halloween Party. Mark’s new vision of this legendary event includes a sunset, dinner costume party with better lighting and sound and no one gets lost in the dark. Assistants will be needed. Mark also said that the almost as legendary Rich & Stoney BBQ (source of the famous sauce?) is also coming in July, or maybe late June. Come to next week’s meeting to find out.
• Someone shouted out a question to Mark, “What about that other date in July?” Shana Bagley said it has been moved to August.
• It’s, Bocce Ball in Martinez, time of year and Alan Bear is looking to fields a second Richmond Rotary team. The event is June 20^th, 9:30 AM at the Martinez Marina Park. See Alan if you are interested.
• Bill ‘Sunshine Report’ Koziol reported that Ralph Hill and Charlie Wong are doing ‘ok’ when he phoned them this week. Ralph was all giggles according to Bill as he was getting a ‘bed bath’. It was a short conversation and no additional details were provided even though there was a fair amount of speculation about this report among the members.

MEETING OF June 5, 2015

Welcome

President Stoney Stonework welcomed guests and Rotarians and called the meeting to order. Joe Bagley was asked to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Stoney led us in the invocation, a silent prayer for Freedom, Peace & Justice on Earth. Defining reality as few other people know it, Sid’s Chauvinism for today is: Marriage – An arrangement in which a man loses his Bachelor’s Degree and a woman gains her Master’s Degree.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Mark Porter from the Solano Sunset Club, Vallejo.
Jim Young introduces his wife Linda and Robin Yee Wilson, Chair of the West County Reads Association that promotes student literacy throughout West County.
Alan Bear introduced his daughter Stephanie, who just became a sophomore.

Special Events

Stoney invited Robin Wilson to address the club. Robin thanked Rotary and Rotarians for all the help provided to West County Reads last year including:

• The great fall book drive that brought in over 1,000 used books for re-gifting to young people.
• Rotarian Don Lau and the YMCA for the outstanding support of the book drive and for establishing WCR’s signature ”Take One, Leave One Bookshelf” at the Hilltop Y.
• For the $500 used to purchase hard-to-get bi-lingual books for kids and young people and for support of the LiteracyLab book processing last week that will get a brand new book to every (4,500) TK & Kindergartener before summer vacation as a way of encouraging them to read during the summer break.

Robin ended by asking the club if it would consider helping West County Reads this coming fall with a new book drive.

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

You heard about The Decider? Well, we have The Recognizer, so Joe Bagley launched into that process:

• Joe asked Rich (not been around lately) Alexander what happened in March? After saying he intends to be around Rotary more this summer Rich said Kathrine and he celebrated their 19^th anniversary by going to Paso Robles to drink wine. While he did remember much after the wine drinking started, Rich was happy to report that Kathrin’s leg had fully healed after the nasty break she suffered last summer in France. “She’s up and about and all is good!”
• Bagley then observed that ‘Baja’ Mark Howe was indeed back in town and asked him what he celebrated in May. Mark said he and Shana celebrated his birthday May 10, turning 50ish. Mark did say that being home was a good birthday present and next time he goes off road in Baja it will be in a 4 wheeled drive vehicle.
• Stacy Street acknowledged that she and Don Benham celebrated their wedding anniversary last week by going to Zut Restaurant in Berkeley. Don, the Music Man that he is, is up to his fully extended slide trombone in school graduations (4) so they will postpone any other celebration until summer vacation and a planned trip to Canada.

Joey Baggs then jumped right into Happy & Sand Dollars:

• Don Lau had Sad $$ because he saw Jan Brown and remembered he forgot to bring all the Thank You cards from the Teen Moms for the blankets and baskets that Jan and Rotary provided a couple of weeks ago.
• Jan Brown had Happy $$ for all the Rotarians who helped with the basket preparation and delivery to the Teen Moms include Doris Mitchell, Herb Cole and Don Lau. Jan was also Happy that she and Byron were able to spend an entire month at Capitola and said she is seriously considering becoming a Beach Bum as a second career.
• Alan Blevins had a Happy C Note for something…I couldn’t hear him. Alan, you have to speak up, you are going to be President (My hearing aids were turned up too…all the way.)
• Henry Moe had Happy $$ for the three scholarships that Rotary presented to Salesian graduates. Henry also thanks Prez Stoney for his 4½ minute, 30 second speech to the graduating young people, without BBQ sauce.
• Guest Mark Porter had Happy $$ for his buddy Billy Zeier of the El Sobrante Boys & Girls Club who could not be at the meeting today because the clubhouse was getting a major makeover.
• Shana Bagley had Happy $$ for Berkeley Rotary’s Las Varas/La Prepa HS Rehab in Mexico say it was a humbling and created amazing changing experience that everybody should experience. (Shana & Richmond’s Motley Crew of rehabbers will be doing the program presentation about the Las Varas Project at our meeting June 19^th,)
• Bringing up the caboose, Joe Bagley had Happy $$ for all the Rotarians attending the meeting, “You got to be here for the good stuff.” Joe also had a warm ‘Hello’ form Jim Beaver down there in the desert. Jim and the Beaver family are doing ok and, “…go Blackhawks.”

PROGRAM

From Nature to Neighborhoods: Developing Youth & Adult Leaders in Richmond

Program Chair Stacey Street introduced YES Program Director, Blanca Hernandez. Blanca, aware that Richmond Rotary is not a stranger to the programs of Youth Enrichment Strategies, thanked the club for its years of support. She noted that YES is grateful to Rotary and the many other organizations that have helped YES address the cultural barriers that prevent many disadvantaged Richmonders from living more fulfilling lives. Barriers YES focuses on are poverty, violence, fear & isolation.

YES’ marquee program for addressing these barriers is the summer family camping program. This program has successfully used camping and the campfire experience of community building and self esteem building to empower local folks. People from the Iron Triangle, N. Richmond and other neighborhoods learn they ‘can do’ the many little things that are community; listing, being a friend/helper, successfully doing something that is a little frightening… . High points of the presentation included:
• The student prepared video “Be Smarter, Drink Water”, advocating healthier water instead of expensive soda and sugar drinks. Another YES student video, “Rethink Your Drink” was equally compelling.
• Herb Cole congratulated Blanca and YES on their successful effort to integrate their camping program with Richmond’s newer Latino residents, something that had been a challenge for Rotary in the past.

Blanca concluded her presentation by saying because of their effort to keep as many campers as possible this summer, YES is forgoing its annual dinner gala fund raiser and asking supporters contributing directly to the camping program via their Summer Campfire Campaign (http://yesfamilies.publishpath.com/Default.aspx?shortcut=summercampfire).

If you are interested in supporting YES, do it before June 30 as every gift made (up to $25,000) will be matched by the local Chamberlin Foundation.

Thank you Blanca Hernandez for a good program. Hope to see you at the campfire.

- Jim Young, Rotating Editor