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Aug 15 2017-Rotary Forum

Posted by Dick Dannells on Aug 15, 2017

PROGRAM: August 15, 2017: Steve and Linda Curry: “Continuation of Uganda Trip”

Pres. Jeff King began the meeting at 12:40 PM by asking the members at each table for their comments on Saturday’s Summer Sizzle fundraiser.

CLUB BUSINESS:

Greg Baker enjoyed the reverse drawing and had a great time. Don Weber thought the food was great and suggested that next year we should think about having it in September. Erik Mund said that next year he will have two drones instead of the one taking the overhead shots. Daniel Bornstein enjoyed his $240 raffle win and had a spin-the-bottle fine of $40. Michael Boyer heard comments from visitors that they really enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere and that the Rooster Creek owner won $240, which he gave back to the Club. Another member stated it was the smoothest running Bar-B-Q ever. Pres. Jeff said that the Rotaract members did a great job and that Kathy Foster spent many hours with her daughter Ashlea Boyer collecting silent auction items and designing the VIP table. Pres. Jeff urged members to thank Jenny Dierck using the ClubRunner email for the over 600 call she made to get silent auction items. He also commented that Scott Astrosky had well organized fundraiser that went on without a hitch in his absence.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS

We will tour the San Luis Lighthouse on Tuesday, August 29 without lunch, but will include the price of transportation from the parking lot to the lighthouse. She encouraged members to either pack their own lunch or request one from her at less than our usual lunch price. Bonnie Mogan announced that our next social will be on Thursday 5:30 PM at the Cliff’s Restaurant in Shell Beach. Pres. Jeff King encouraged everybody to come to the District Conference at the Ventura Beach Marriott on October 6-8, 2017.

PROGRAM: Steve and Linda Curry: “Continuation of Uganda Trip”

Steve Curry began by stating they visited the Jinja, Uganda Hydro-electric plant on the Nile River that supplies all of the elected power for the surrounding area including Valence Lutaisire’s village some 30 miles away. He stated that Valence will be attending our Club around Halloween. It was asked if Valence would be considered to be upper-middle-class. Steve stated that is true and another similar class are the corporate employees. Pres. Idi Amin in the 1970s kicked out the Chinese and Indians that owned thriving businesses in Uganda. This resulted in an impoverished population that greatly improved after Pres. Idi was removed from power. About 80% the population is rural and the remaining 20% live in cities. Those 30 years and younger speak English and children begin learning English when they start school. 90% of the roads are Adobe dirt that becomes Adobe mud when it rains, which they thankfully did not have. Then Steve showed slides that he did not have a chance to finish in last week’s program

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY BY KARI ZIEGLER:

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are but tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

Aug 8, 2017-Rotary Forum

Posted on Aug 10, 2017

PROGRAM: August 8, 2070: Steve and Linda Curry and Karen Zappia: “Uganda Trip”

President Jeff King began the meeting at 12:36 PM with the introduction of the many guests to hear the special program today.

CLUB BUSINESS:

Pres. Jeff He called upon Scott Astrosky to give this coming Saturday’s Summer Sizzle (SS) fundraiser update. Scott turn to Ashlea who stated that we have now 93 auction items valued proposed to sell for $11,000. We have about 20 wine bottles short of the 100 we need for the live auction. Michael Boyer stated that we have 11 live auction items having a value of about $17,000. Every member is responsible for selling 2 SS tickets along with the raffle tickets, 2 bottles of wine, and 2 silent auction items. Connie O’Henley stated that she will not be at SS because she is attending her boys first day of college so all ticket stubs and money should be in her hands by this coming Thursday. Thereafter, Karen Zappia will be taken over this responsibility.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS

Next week’s program will our best stories about the SS fundraiser.

PROGRAM: Steve and Linda Curry and Karen Zappia: “Uganda Trip”

Steve Curry began by explaining what our Club has been doing in Uganda for the past 6 years. In our initial project we dug a well so that the villagers avoided having to walk miles to the nearest waterhole. After Valence Lutaisire graduated from college, he came back to his village and built a grammar school. Soon it became apparent to Valence that grammar school graduates had to walk too far to go to high school, so he built one in the village. Our Club joined other clubs to put together a $37000 project to outfit the high school with solar lighting, a computer lab and other improvements. This coming year we are seeking an RI grant for a school bus for the kids that currently spend 3 months in dorms because they live too far from the school. Steve and Karen Zappia proceeded to comment on the slideshow that included slides of the grammar school children, the dorm room, the garden to produce fruit and vegetable for the school kitchen, 5 Dell computers that were donated this year with the 10 in the background that were donated last year, the restroom of a hole in the ground, and the outdoor kitchens. For their meals, the children sit on the floor without a spoon or table. He had a video presentation the kids put together including several dances. They found the weather in the 90s with 90% humidity unbearable, unlike the Ugandans. English is the national language of Uganda and the students are versed in English whereas their parents are not. It takes about $360 for this a student to attend the school and Karen is one of the many Rotarians that are sponsoring students.English is the national language of Uganda and the students are versed in English where is the parents are not. Uganda is about the size of Africa and has a very young population that went from 9.5 million people in 1969 to about 35 million in 2010. One of the food staples is cooked fish which are sold in open markets and dried fish that is used for soups. The cities have some dangerous areas, but out in the villages they felt no danger whatsoever. Steve presented Valence with a Paul Harris fellow. Steve gave each child a $20 bill on a trip to town and most of them bought bread to take home for the families. After their time in the villages, Steve Linda and Karen went went on a safari on the other side of the country. They all agreed that they got more enjoyment out of their visit with the children in the village rather than 2-day safari.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY BY KAREN ZAPPIA

“Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”

Aug 1, 2017-Rotary Forum

Posted by Dick Dannells

PROGRAM: August 1, 2017: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:38 PM by auctioning off the fine-free badge to Joel Conn for $50.

FINES:

Pres. Jeff fined Deenie Dotson and Michael Boyer $39 and $2, respectively for their birthdays. He was lenient in Michael’s case because of Michael’s recent accident. Greg Baker’s birthday was recognized with a $25 spin-the-wheel fine. No birthday fine was levied on Joel Conn for obvious reasons. He did levy a $39 birthday fine on Linda Osty in abstencia due to her being in Poland.

CLUB BUSINESS:

Pres. Jeff and Erik Mund come forward to accept his Rotarians of the month award from Dist. Gov. Weiss and recognition of his corporate sponsorship work. Paul Holden presented Paul Harris Fellows to Owen Schwaezeree and Peter Candela. Scott Astrosky had his various Summer Sizzle (SS) captains report. Sharon Ellis reminded everybody that next week is the last day to hand in our ticket stubs and money. John Traversaro still needs volunteers for Friday evening from 4 to 6 PM, August 11 and Saturday morning, August 12. So far we only have 50 bottles of wine out of the 100 that is needed for the auction. Ashlea Boyer stated that were a little behind in auction items but she expects we will be fine by next our next meeting and to continue to bring these items to her office between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Erik Mund reported we have raised $12,500 in sponsorships with another $1500 in the works. Shannon Bowdey drew the raffle ticket of Dick Dannells, who proceeded to draw the black marble and win $301.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS

Next week’s program will include Steve Curry and Karen Zappia on their Uganda trip.

PROGRAM: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Jim began by explaining he always wanted to go to Cuba, but he had no idea when he signed up for a cruise last year to Cozumel Mexico that the cruise line would substitute Cuba instead. Jim stated that Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with 109,884 mi.² and 11 million inhabitants. The main export products are sugar tobacco and coffee. Castro took over and formed the communist government in 1959 and communism is still very much present. He then presented a slide show featuring the following aspects: Cars, Old Town Havana, Signs Of Communism, Social, Food and Art. He had heard and saw some evidence with his own eyes that 75% of all the cars in Cuba were built in the United States in the 1950s. There still running today for the most part with parts made by the Cubans. The tour guide drove him and his family in an elegantly retrofitted Oldsmobile Rocket with plastic seat covers and no child’s seat, which is son really enjoyed. With the last 4 years, entrepreneurs have been allowed to make private income. The 8 hour tour was only $100. This is compared to his former salary as a civil engineer of $40 a month. One of the first sections of Havana that they toured was old town Havana, which is the tourist part of town that has been maintained in pristine shape. This is in direct contrast to other parts of Havana, which are in very poor shape. They passed by Floridita restaurant and bar made famous for its daiquiris and being one of the favourite Havana hangouts of Ernest Hemingway. They also passed 2 of the top hotels in Havana, the Gran Hotel Manzana and Hotel Nacional. One the influential signs of communism were when the cruise ship came into the harbor, they were followed by a destroyer. Presumably this was to make sure that they docketed in the proper port. They came upon a museum in revolution square. When he asked if he could visit the museum, he was told that this museum was only to show the locals how great was revolution. Despite the fact that Cuba is a communist country, religion still flourishes with 70% Catholics, 20% African spirituality and 10% Protestant.