Meeting Recap December 15, 2015

Posted by Nancy Teichert 
on Dec 17, 2015
 
 
 
With one of the largest economies in the world, China is poised for change but still struggles under the communist party which spends more to silence political protests than it spends on its military. Today’s program speaker, Nan Su, a former Chinese television and radio commentator, said the cultural revolution from 1966 to 1976 erased the country’s philosophical and religious history and replaced it with strict party loyalty.
 
But American Chinese artists are preserving 5,000 years of culture with the upcoming performance of Shen Yun, a show which features music, dance and traditional arts in Sacramento on Jan. 12-13, 2016, at the Sacramento Community Center Theater.
 
Su said Chinese government officials are unhappy about the traveling U.S. show with 60 dancers and 40 musicians because they fear a renaissance of traditional culture including Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Some of those philosophies reflect some of Rotary’s four-way test, he said, holding values of truth, forbearance, benevolence and compassion.
 
China has experienced significant economic growth during the past four decades but it also has the second highest tax burden in the world due to money spent on its “Social Stability Fund”.  Su said there was one large protest in China every 90 seconds in 2009. With the construction of new islands in the South China Sea to expand its territory, the turning point will be in the next few years, he said.
 
Past President “Emperor” Wes Yee introduced Mr.  Na Su, a civil engineer from the Bay area, who arrived in the U.S. in 1989.  After that, Su became political because many of his friends were arrested and jailed because of their belief in Falun Gong, an ancient meditation community.
 
In other business, President Dave Cohen called Past-President Susan Sheridan to the podium to complete the official business of approving John Lemmon (Knox, Lemmon & Anapolsky) as president elect. Directors elected included Diane Woodruff, Dan Fenocchio (Cunningham Engineering), Timothy Matteis (WMB Architects), Laura Heintz (Stanford Youth Solutions) and Jeff Stone (John O Bronson).  Michelle Amaral (Dick James and Associates) is treasurer and Tom Bacon (Bacon Commercial Real Estate) will be sergeant at arms. 
 
The wine reception was provided by Dave Higdon (California Moving System) and music directed by Kevin Williams (KVIE). The thought of the day was provided by Callee Setzer (Setzer Forest Products). Greeters were Dick Ryder (Collector Car Appraisals) and Ron Crane (DCA Partners).
 
The meeting was sponsored by Jerry Haley, who donated the podium to Allison Cagley (California Musical Theatre) who promoted the year’s accomplishments of the California Musical Theater.  Announcements included Daughter’s Day next Tuesday; trap shooting with Mike Bullington (Pacific Advisors) and Callee Setzer on January 2, 2016. Dictionaries will be available for distribution in January and children from the Ralph Richardson Center, which benefits from the golf tournament, sent Christmas cards. PE Dan McVeigh and Susan Sheridan also promoted the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, South Korea (May 29-June 1, 2016), and an optional tour of Japan.