NEXT MEETING: May 30, 2014

RichmondStandard.com: Community-Driven News

Mike Aldax, editor of richmondstandard.com, an online community-driven news website funded by Chevron, will discuss the goals of this new entry to the Richmond media landscape.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT PAYMENT OF ROTARY CLUB DUES FOR 2014-15. The Richmond Rotary Club Board of Directors has issued the following statement about payment of member dues for 2014-15. Beginning July 1, Rotary International (RI) will implement a new dues and membership assessment policy. The biggest change is that RI will assess membership dues from our Club based on the members we have on our rolls on July 1, according to their records. If we have folks on our rolls who have, essentially, dropped out and have not paid their dues for 2013-2014, we will, nevertheless, be assessed RI dues costs for those members for 2014-2015. This puts pressure on Richmond Rotary to clean up its membership rolls and to terminate the membership of folks who have not chosen to remain Rotarians and have not paid their dues. Know that your Board is struggling with this policy and the last thing we want is a perception of heavy-handedness on the part of the Board. The second change is that Richmond Rotary’s dues are payable to RI on July 1, and deemed late if not received by RI by July 30. In the last few years, dues were paid to RI anywhere from September to November. RI now demands that dues payments from Clubs be received by RI by July 30. In light of the recent changes, your Board has voted to establish a due-date for payment of member dues to the Richmond Rotary Club. That due-date is 15 June 2014, for the 2014-2015 Rotary year. Thank you for your cooperation with these changes.
• Alan Baer referred to the local newspaper regarding the Richmond City Council’s 5 minute limit as its effort to reduce global warming as well as Tom “man of few words” Waller being quoted in the paper.
• Richmond Rotary Board of Directors is contemplating having Dinner Meetings. Jim Young is heading a committee to look into that option.
• June 14 is a big day for Rotary: Rotary at Work on our Peace Garden will be held at 9am; there is the Bocce Ball Tournament later that day; and the Mark Howe/Stoney BBQ as well.
• Club will be Dark on July 4. No meeting.
• Jan Brown gave a report on the delivery of the 40 gift bags to the Teen Moms Program at Richmond High School. In the photo, Infant Toddler Center staff personnel at Richmond High take receipt of the bags from Richmond Rotarians (Jim, Doris, Jan, Herb, Alan Baer, and Don). Jan’s husband, Byron, snapped the picture. Thanks, Jan, for coordinating this worthwhile activity for 9 years!
• Jim Young informed the Club that Prez Liliane asked the Board of Directors to transfer $1,500 from RI Convention travel to a Polio Plus contribution on behalf of the Club. This transfer is a great contribution to Rotary’s most important global initiative, the eradication of Polio. BUT it would be even greater, Jim said, if everyone would put some more money in the pot. Jim kicked off the effort with a $100 contribution. He then went on to remind the Club that the World Health Organization has declared a ‘Polio Emergency’ in the Middle East where the disease has re-emerged in Syria, Israel and Iraq. The most recent reports suggest that the Dogs of War have begun to also spread polio in sub-Sahara Africa in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Last year there were 34 polio cases worldwide. This year there are 87. Anyone wishing to contribute to this special Club Polio Plus contribution can send their check or credit card payment to David Brown.
• Alan Blavins reminded all about the Fishing Derby on 5/31 at the San Pablo reservoir.
• Stacey Street announced that the Oakland A’s are re-doing the field at Martin Luther King Park in Richmond and there will be a dedication on 5/31 from 11:30am-1:00pm. All are welcome!
• Tom Waller made a plea for more SCRIBES!!! We could really use having more folks scribing the Flywheel.  Volunteers?!?

MEETING OF May 23, 2014

Welcome

Alan Baer was subbing for Prez Liliane and called the meeting to order. Neville Guard led the pledge, Stoney gave the invocation, and Sid Chauvin offered this thought for the day: Motivation is the fuel for the human engine.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

• Visiting Rotarians, Jeff Mulivihill of Redding and Neville Guard from San Ramon.
• Josh Genser introduced his daughter, Janet, visiting from NYC.
• Jan Brown’s guest was Mary Beth Byrne from Richmond Sanitary.
• Doris Mitchell’s guest was Kia Croom from GRIP (Greater Richmond Interfaith Program).

Recognitions and Happy/Sad Dollars

• David Brown celebrated 34 years (36 time served) of wedded bliss with Cheryl with a donation to Polio Plus.
• Hank Covell was happy to attend his granddaughter’s graduation from the University of Arizona and for his upcoming travels to Dublin and Hampton Court.
• Josh Genser was happy that his daughter was home for a visit and is glad to see her.
• Jim Young was proud of his Rocket Scientist son who got his MS.
• George Egan was happy to celebrate his “other” birthday and his 2 lives.
• Henry Moe was happy to have had his best Senior InterAct Club at Salesian, but somewhat sad that many were graduating.
• Herb Cole had high praise for Jan Brown’s efforts to support the Teen Moms Program. And Your Scribe seconded that emotion!  Job well done, Jan!

Norm’s Nonsense

No Nonsense this week.

PROGRAM

TRAC: The Bay Trail through Richmond

Tom Waller introduced our guest speaker, Bruce Beyaert, who is no stranger to the Club. Bruce is the Founder and Chair of Trails for Richmond Action Committee (TRAC). He’s a retired Chevron employee who started TRAC 15 years ago to assist with completion of the Richmond portion of the SF Bay Trail, an ambitious project which aims to have 500 miles of hiking and biking trails all around the bay. Over the last 15 years, TRAC has been able to add 20 miles of new Bay Trails in Richmond, which has 32 miles of shoreline, most of any city in the Bay Area.  Bruce walked us through all of the various sections of the Richmond Bay Trail including Marina Bay Trail, Ferry Point Loop/Shipyard 3, and Wildcat Marsh. TRAC’s team includes 6 volunteer committee members and many partners including SF Bay Trail, City of Richmond, East Bay Regional Park District, and Richmond Sanitary. Thanks, Bruce, for your efforts to bring biking and walking trails to our community!

The Menehune, Rotating Scribe