NEXT MEETING: October 17, 2014

Everywhere I Walk, I Walk With Freedom

Menbere Aklilu was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Italy where she worked with family restauranteurs in Rome. She brings her international experience and her own special flair to Saluté e Vita Ristorante. Saluté E Vita remains a home away from home for all lovers of food, art, wine, friends and most of all family. In addition, Menbere is a role model in the community, and gives back in many ways. Menbere will describe key experiences from her life, and she will also discuss  “The Saluté Thanksgiving Fund” and plans to host Thanksgiving dinner for US Vets this year.  For more information, visit www.salutemarinabay.com/news-and-events/salute-thanksgiving-fund.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• President Stoney reminded everyone to join For Richmond at a no-cost Community Dinner on Monday October 20, 2014. The guest speaker will be Ambassador Andrew Young, widely recognized for his life’s dedication to humanitarian service and the improvement of social and economic conditions for all. The dinner will take place at the Lovonja Dejean Middle School multi-purpose room. Doors open at 6:00pm with dinner at 6:30pm Click Here
  to reserve a seat.
• A benefit for the Rotacare Clinic will be held on November 13, 2014, in Berkeley. More information to follow.
• Jim Young told the club that the West County Reads Book Drive will start in the next several days  with identified WCR/Rotary bins placed around town, i.e., in members businesses, churches & temples and other hangouts.Rotary will also solicit books, and go to locations like schools and libraries with large numbers of children’s books to donate. Club members will be asked to help in both pickup and delivery of books to the sorting & storage areas. The project goal is to resupply the WCR book inventory with gently used children’s books, suitable for children from newborn to 12. Fiction and Nonfiction books are needed. Picture books, easy readers, simple science books, chapter books, ones on animals, especially for children & young students. The ‘gold standard’ for WCR, if we can get them are bi-lingual books in Spanish & English.

MEETING OF October 11, 2014

Welcome

Welcome

President Stoney called the meeting to order and asked John Wilson to lead the pledge. Sid Chauvin’s thought for the day was the confusion of one person in a room is multiplied by the number of people in attendance.

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

• Herb Cole was happy to be at La Strada and sad to know that the parking lot was full at Richmond Country Club
• Josh Genser was happy to be at the meeting but sad to see that the people he was going to the Stanford Game with were not at the meeting
• Jim Young was happy that 250,000 people will be showing up for the NASA Ames facility Open House (http://www.nasa.gov/ames/openhouse2014/#.VDl3CPldWSo) and is willing to auction off several backstage passes to any Rotarian to raise money for Richmond Rotary
• Hank Covell said he was happy to find out that Ralph Hill is doing fine
• Gonzalo Ochoa was happy to be in attendance
• Markku Pelanne was sad that someone hit his car, and sadder still that a few days later his car tangled up with a deer.
• Stoney was happy that Josh is going to Stanford tonight and he is going to the Cal game tomorrow.

PROGRAM

Hope in Impossible Places

Angela Mason has devoted her life to being a voice for suffering children and travels the world on humanitarian missions. Angela has visited countries all over the world. Her focus has become water and sanitation since both affect children greatly in many areas of the world. There is only 3% fresh water in the world. Every 20 seconds a child dies from drinking contaminated water. Water shortage and sanitation are two of the biggest issues that will plague the world for a considerable amount of time. You can visit her website at angela@elevenplusyou.com . She also mentioned the Kumpi Mayu Foundation that focuses on Clean water for all – drop by drop. You can visit their website at www.kumpimayufoundation.org.

- Henry Moe, Rotating Editor