The Flywheel
Archive issue

NEXT MEETING: March 7, 2014

Rotary's 4-Way Test Speech Contest

Some students from the Salesian High School Interact Club will compete in the Annual Rotary 4-Way Test Speech Contest. Each competitor will deliver a 5-7 minute speech applying the ideas and principles of the Rotary 4-Way Test to this year’s topic theme: “What’s Life Without Adventure?” The speeches will be done during the Club’s normal speaker-program time and will be judged according to established District criteria. The Club winner will go on to participate in area-wide competition, which leads up to Rotary District 5160 finals in Vallejo on May 3.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Pam Jones announced that our District Grant in India has been approved and we will be sending a $3,000 check that is part of a $170,000 Global Grant Project in Tamil Nadu which will provide basis school needs, separate toilets with running water, school furniture, computers, lab equipment and books
• Golden Gate Fields volunteers are needed for March 30 from 10am-4pm. Lynn Martin who coordinated last year said it was a “Blast” and we raised money too! We need 10 volunteers.
• Alan Blavins and Pam Jones announced a project we are doing with Kiwanis a Fishing Derby on May 31 from 9-12 at the San Pablo Reservoir. We will need adult chaperones…whether you can fish or not.
• Henry Moe and Tom Waller announced that next week (3/7) program will be a 4 Way Test Speech contest involving some Salesian High School students.  Three volunteer judges are Herb Cole, David Brown and Jeff Mulvihill. Anyone else want to volunteer?

MEETING OF February 28, 2014

Welcome

On a rainy Richmond day, Prez Liliane called the meeting to order. Mike Winter led us with the Pledge and Herb Cole offered a prayer for Peace, Freedom and Justice.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

We had a plethora of guests: Banu Dadlani and Fred Collignon-Berkeley; Jeff Mulvihill- a regular visitor; Carol Robinson, Jaima Rascon and Doug Millar-San Pablo; Dick McCloskey-El Sobrante. Rotarians with guests: Liliane’s husband Ken and our speaker’s wife Gita Parthosaratly; Pam Jones’ guests were Yasmin and Cyrus Kotval.

Recognitions and Happy/Sad Dollars

Recognitions and Happy/Sad Dollars

Swampy Joe took care of Happy/Sad Dollars:

• Markku Pelanne bragged about his new dentist Dr. Dan and the pleasure he had having a root canal. Does Bill Murray’s character in “Little Shop of Horrors” come to mind?
• David Brown was happy he made it to the “PV” Rotary Club and reports all is well there
• Fred Collignon was happy to report that there were over 1,000 ready to serve in Berkeley
• Swampy Joe was just happy to be at Club…we were happy you were there too!

Norm’s Nonsense

Now, you take my wife, please …
– Henny Youngman said: “My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.”
– He also said: “Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.”
– “I’ve had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn’t.” (Anonymous)

Program

Prez Liliane introduced our very distinguished speaker Hon. N. Parthasarathi, Consul General of India based in San Francisco. A career diplomat has served as Consul General and Ambassador to many countries. A diplomat by day, Mr. Parthasarathi spends his off hours as a fiction writer. He has written 3 books “Reluctant Assassin,” “Silk Empress,” and “Legend of Ayodya Princess in Korea.”  He philosophy is that everyone should have a passion and purpose. His passion is writing fiction as a way to tell a story and possibly address social issues such as cultural conflicts or domestic violence.  Unlike writing non-fiction, fiction writer can stretch the truth about real life situation.  You do not have to rely on only the facts. You can create conflicts and then resolve them and ignore all the rules.

- The Menehune “Rotating Editor”