November 15, 2013 – Richmond CA Rotary

NEXT MEETING: November 15, 2013

Combatting Financial Elder Abuse

M. Patricia Fisher, a Board Certified Forensic Document Examiner and Certified Fraud Specialist has worked for more than thirty years on hundreds of probate and financial elder abuse cases as a forensic document examiner. Attorneys use her services to analyze wills, codicils, Deeds of Trusts, beneficiary forms, and other documents related to an estate when these documents become suspect for forgeries, alterations, or fabrications. Using a PowerPoint presentation, she will provide an inside view of several especially interesting and challenging cases and describe the red flags associated with financial elder abuse.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Have you contributed yet to the Holiday Auction, December 6^th. Our most important fundraiser of the year is only a few weeks away, so please add your contribution today! The number of items helps build the excitement and interest that is key to our success. Use our handy Holiday Auction contribution form to send us a description and a good photo, if you have one.
Richmond Rotary’s Annual Holiday Party will be held on December 6th at 6pm, at the Richmond Country Club. Dinner will be served at 7pm. The terrific dance band, GTS, begins playing at 7:30. The buffet-style dinner will offer a chicken, beef, or pasta dish. The Kiwanis Club of Richmond will join us this year. $150 per couple, and $75 per person. Richmond Country Club. All checks should be sent to David Brown.
Reminder: Our 7th Annual Crab Feed will be held on Saturday, February 8th. Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7. Raffle following dinner. Tickets are $40/person. Please use button on right to purchase tickets online, or download flyer and use order form to pay by check.
For more information, contact Erle Brown at 510 223-6291, or Henry Moe at 234-4433, ex. 1104.
Another reminder: Each year about 1,000 kids sign up for the Richmond/El Cerrito Fire & Police Holiday Program to receive toys and food– and, if they’re lucky–a bike! Through a free raffle a some kids get bikes, some don’t.

David Brown tells us we still have a long way to go to reach the club’s matching level of $4,700. Chip in, please, and Buy a Kid a Bike so fewer children will go away disappointed. One bike plus a helmet is only $47.

Please make checks payable to Richmond Rotary Club, and mail to 3260 Blume Drive, Suite 410, Richmond, CA 94806. Or click the Donate button on the right to make your contribution online. Download flyer.
Henry Moe promoted The Salesian High School “Crab-Feed” February 8th 2014.
Tom Waller read from a letter of thanks from NIAD for the painting work the club did last Saturday. He named all the volunteers. Thanks to all of those.
Joan Davis promoted “Feed the Homeless” on Thanksgiving Day at the Saluté Restaurant, where the staff plan to fed 1000 people.
Richmond Rotacare is offering flu shot on the same day, Thanksgiving. (Thank you for not getting sick!)
Alan Baer has invited the Indonesian consulate to The Crab Feed.
Mark Howe has a lunch planned with the consul from Korea.
A correction to last weeks Flywheel. I, Alan Blavins was not honored as a 5-pin Paul Harris recipient. It was the other Alan, Alan Baer. Congratulations, Alan.
Reminder: Rotary Day at the Races, at Golden Gate Fields, takes place on November 16^th. See Pam Jones for tickets, which are $35/person.

MEETING OF November 8, 2013

Welcome

Lillian opened with a heartfelt thank you for all members that made of our San Francisco Consular meeting an outstanding success. She closed by stating it was a privilege to be our president.

Sid’s thought for the day was “You must be able to manage yourself before you can lead”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Our visiting Rotarians included Banu Dadlani from Berkeley, Jeff Mulvihill from Redding, and Dominique Yancy from San Ramon Valley.

Guests included Sid Chauvin’s wife Zelpha and grandson Zackary Johnson Chauvin. Erle Brown brought his wife Phyllis. We again welcomed Dan Tanita guest from Russia, Hovic Kokochin. (Dan says he can now pronounce his name.) Tom Butt’s guest was Richard Poe. Don Lau brought his son Jordan, and Jim Young brought his wife Linda.

Special Events

Mike Aaronian received his Blue Badge. Congratulations, Mike!

Recognitions and Happy/Sad Dollars

Don Lau announced it was his birthday. Everyone sang. He added a check to his son’s Paul Harris.
Erle Brown & Phyills were both OK after their operations. Erle can now walk to make his own drink. This make Phyills very happy.
David Brown was happy eating endangered species at Heather’s South African Barri
Heather was happy to come to the end of her marathon training. So she can start drinking again!
Don was happy to be off next week to Hawaii to celebrate his father’s 97(?) birthday
Herb was happy to see Sid’s grandson.
Connie Tritt was very unhappy that Oregon didn’t score for 3 quarters of the Stanford game. Our guest Dominique Yancy had to agree with her.
Bill Koziol had sad dollars for his Uncle Jim’s passing. Our condolences.
Herb was sad he didn’t sign up for Heather’s Barri.

Norm’s Nonsense

Yes, another lawyer joke…

A lawyer and an engineer were fishing in the Caribbean. The lawyer said, “I’m here because my house burned down and everything I owned was destroyed. The insurance company paid for everything.”

“That is quite a coincidence,” said the engineer. “I’m here because my house and all my belongings were destroyed by a flood, and my insurance also paid for everything.”

The lawyer looked somewhat confused and asked, “How do you start a flood?”

PROGRAM

RIchmond Police Activity League

Our speakers were Larry Lewis, the Executive Director of the Richmond Police Activities League (PAL); Brenda McCuisien Director of PAL’s mentoring Program; and Joe Hunt, Director of PAL’s Computer Program.

PAL’s mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for recreational, educational, cultural and social programs. Their goal is to promote a partnership to build a positive relationship between police officers and Richmond’s youth (children 5-17 years of age).

Larry pointed out the benefits of mentors by acknowledging his mentor at 17, Erle Brown. From another mentor, Don Lau, he learned how to hold a meeting. Don’s theory: one hour max in and out. That’s how Larry holds all meetings today. He was very proud of PAL’s boxing program. Only 10% of the roster is cleared for boxing by the doctor, though this does not deter the remainder from participating in the program. The boxing program is still part of the national “Golden Gloves” . One of their boxers, Leon Brown, just won a National Championship. If he can win two more, he will qualify for the Winter Olympics in 2014. Right on Leon! All boxers promise not to take what they have learnt in the ring into the streets of Richmond.

Next to speak was Brenda McCuisien on her mentoring program. She gave an example. When she first started with her mentor in 2002, her student thought she would never go to collage. She did in fact graduate, the first in her family.

Brenda teaches, apart from motivation, etiquette, life skills and how to act at public functions. She cannot do this alone so she called on volunteers to give up 6-8 hours per month.

Joe Hunt followed Brenda. He spoke about his basic computer assisted learning program, AutoSkill. Richmond Rotary purchases the licenses necessary to use this software program.

Larry Lewis finished on yet another positive note, “Shop with a Cop” It’s just what it says. Chosen kids are given $100 and shop at Hilltop Mall with a mentor cop. About 80% of the kids spend the money on their parents. The next “Shop with a Cop” is planned for December 21^st 2013. Where Herb Cole leapt to his feet and called for help for this cause, ten members instantly offered $100. Is this a great club or what?

- Alan Blavins, Rotating Scribe