NEXT MEETING: September 28, 2018
Meeting at Hilltop Conference Room. Directions below.

What is the ESCAPE Club

Since 1999 the ESCAPE Club at DeJean Middle School in Richmond has been taking students on monthly field trips to exciting destinations all around northern California, like Monterey, Pt. Reyes, and Yosemite.

Students meet weekly after school to prepare for trips; learn about ecology, conservation, and geography; and write reflections of their experiences. Vist our website at www.escapeclub.org or find our videos or photos on YouTube or Instagram.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Once again we are meeting at the Hilltop Conference Room (map). Do no go to the Richmond Country Club. To get there, enter Hilltop Mall at the entrance near the Richmond Police sub-station. Park between Walmart and the old JC Penney. Take the elevator to the second level, and the conference room is to the left of the main Shops at Hilltop office.
• Erle: Time to contribute to Richmond Rotary’s annual contribution of $100 to each teacher at Peres Elementary School. There are 30 teachers, so we need $3,000. Upon reaching $3,000, another $1,000 will be contributed because of a bequest in Phyllis’ will. Good news: we quickly raised $2,000.
• Jerry announced the El Cerrito Rotary’s Sip and Savor event is on October 7 at the Berkeley Country Club (in El Cerrito).
• Stacey reminded us of just how fast time flies: our Holiday Auction is will take place on November 30! She offered help planning a social event to dontate, which are always popular. Of course, we also need donation of tangible objects. (After the meeting Josh G went to the driving range and solicited from the teaching pro, Patrick McChesney, a donation of some lessons. “See how easy it is?”)
• David updated us on Board-authorized donationst to the following local nonprofits: the National Institute of Arts and Disabilities, the Ed Fund, Early Childhood Mental Health Program, Youth Enrichment Strategies, Richmond Police Activities League, the Emergency Food Pantry, the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program and the Escape Club. Those organizations receive some of your Rotary donations. Think about your Holiday Auction donation—your gifts will help us raise more!
• Rotary Day at the Races is November 17. It’s a District event, and we have a limited number of tickets. You don’t have any tickets unless you’ve paid David for them. $41.

MEETING OF September 21, 2018

Welcome

The meeting was called to order by President Jerry. Simon led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Herb invoked a moment of silence for peace, freedom and justice on Earth. Syd’s thought for the day: Camping is a way to spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.

Visiting Rotarians

We welcomed two visitors from other Rotary Clubs to our meeting: Jas Goswami from the Pinole Club and Tim Thomason from the Paradise Club

We also enjoyed the company of our guest Matt Piatt, Simon’s son.

Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars

Oscar conducted Recognitions and Happy & Sad Dollars:

• Stacey celebrated her 50^th birthday (I was taught to never ask a woman how old she is, but I guess if that information is volunteered…) with a big party with dancing, singing and her friends and family. (I was taught to never ask a woman how old she is, but I guess if that information is volunteered…) with a big party with dancing, singing and her friends and family.
  (I was taught to never ask a woman how old she is, but I guess if that information is volunteered…) with a big party with dancing, singing and her friends and family.
• Hank celebrated his 83^rd birthday, probably a little more quietly than did Stacey, but reflected on how lucky he is.
• Nick was happy that Rotarians got high twice last weekend:
  At Flight 1967, Nick’s contribution to last year’s auction at which the winning bidders celebrated the legalization of marijuana with music from 1967. Everyone was having so much fun no one could hear the music!
  2. On Mount Tamalpais on a hike which was Connie’s donation to last year’s auction, where we hiked up to 2,500 feet above sea level, and say awesome views and had a just-right weather day.
• Tamara was happy that her Multicultural Bookstore would be a beneficiary of Rotary’s contribution to the Ed Fund, which would fund providing books to Stege Elementary School and in training teachers on the importance of teaching Black history all year round.
• Jan was happy that Richmond Rotarians got high a third time last weekend, at Painting with Mimosas, donated by Ric at last year’s auction, where the winning bidders… you guessed it… drank mimosas and painted.
• Our guest Tim Thomason was happy to be back at Richmond Rotary thirty years after he left our Club, but where he began his long relationship with Rotary. He’s now on this seventh Rotary Club, yet he’s again a red badger because there’s no credit for time served.
• Josh G. wanted to recognize Josh S. for helping Menbe get a visa for an Ethiopian girl who had acid thrown into her face. Menbe is even now in Ethiopia to bring this girl to the US where plastic surgeons will try to mitigate the damage.

PROGRAM

Leadership and Listening

Stacey introduced our speaker, Kit Pappenheimer. Kit was a school principal and then a coach to non-profits who now operates a retreat center in Point Richmond and a business called Leadership in Motion.

Millennials are famous for multitasking, but do they ever actually get done what they’re supposed to get done? It’s very important sometimes to focus on only one thing at a time (Hey, I’m not even listening to music while I wrote this Flywheel!), and, in relationships, it’s very important to both hear what the other person has to say and to be heard. Kit led us in an exercise in mindfulness, being present. Each of us was paired with another person, and instructed to listen to that other person’s problem for three minutes without interrupting, and then to say back what the listener had heard. It can be amazingly difficult to listen without interruption, and, especially for men, without suggesting solutions.

- Josh Genser, Rotating Scribe