Feb 20, 2018-Rotary Forum

By Dick Dannells

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:42 PM with the usual introduction of guests.

Fine master Mark Olson recognized Lynn Osty’s birthday and had Jim Lewis spin the wheel, but then decided to wait until she gets back before fining her. $25 fines were levied on the following who lost the trivial quiz: Charla Anderson, Scott Astrosky, Steve Curry, Dick Dannells, Mary Ann Reese, and Mike Fredericks.

Steve Curry announced that 8 teams have signed up with 28 teams to go for the annual golf tournament. Erik Mund announced that 28 out of the 40 tee sponsors that they have so far were provided by Joel Conn. Bonnie Mogan reminded everyone of the Rotary social at the Lido restaurant on Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 PM. The new City Manager will provide the next week’s program entitled “State of Arroyo Grande. ”Andrea Lueker said that the Community Giving votes are in and she’ll provide the results next week. Steve Connie O’ Henley asked for volunteers to help drive 5 to 7 Interact members who want to attend the conference in Oxnard this coming Saturday.

Program: " Samantha Watkins-“ Mediation Specialist”

Jim Lewis introduced Samantha, who has been a professional mediator since 2003 and has successfully mediated over 400 disputes. Presently she is the director of Creator Mediation of Wilshire Health and Community Services of San Luis Obispo County. She began by listing the types of mediation: (1) Shuttle Mediation where the mediators shuttle between parties in two different rooms. (2) Evaluative Mediation,  which is concerned primarily with reaching a deal. (3) Transformative Mediation, which focuses on first repairing the relationship and then resolving the dispute. (4) Facilitative Mediation, which seeks to facilitate the negotiation between the participants. To illustrate a point, she had each of us pick an adjacent partner and pick the leader of the pairing. The leader was then asked to make a fist and the other to open the fist. After much commotion,  she asked if anyone was able was able to open the fist without using their hands. At least Jim Lewis responded by saying all he did was ask the leader, “Please open  your fist,” and she complied. Samantha used this to illustrate that often the best way to settle something is to ask. She then recited the case of the orange and the three teenage sisters. As the sisters were walking home from school, they discussed the fact that there’s only one orange in the house and they each needed that orange. As they raced home and entered the kitchen shouting back and forth among themselves, the mother of could hear their argument and waiting for them to settle the dispute among themselves. When it started getting louder, she came downstairs, took the orange and a knife and carefully measured and cut the orange so that each sister had exactly half. The one sister grumbled as she squeezed the orange to make orange juice. The other sister shaved the orange skin onto only half of the freshly baked cupcakes and disposed of the pulp and juice. Therefore, neither sister got what she wanted. If the mother had made inquiries, she would have discovered one sister was told by her coach to go home and get a glass of fresh orange juice because she needed vitamin C. The other sister had a friend who had been ill and she promised to make her friend’s favorite cupcakes coated with orange shavings. At the end of the program, Samantha made a couple of brochures available. One promoted a training workshop on Thursday and Friday, March 8^th and 9^th from 9 AM to 4 PM at 285 South St., suite J in San Luis Obispo entitled “Helping Others And Advocate Changes As They Age.” The other promoted a seminar on April 12^th and 13^th from 8:30 AM to 4 PM entitled “Elements¶ Of Mediation Training. If interested, call 549-0442.

“Friendship was the foundation rock on which Rotary was built and tolerance is the element which holds it together” – My Road To Rotary – Paul Harris

By Dick Dannells

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:42 PM with the usual introduction of guests.

Fine master Mark Olson recognized Lynn Osty’s birthday and had Jim Lewis spin the wheel, but then decided to wait until she gets back before fining her. $25 fines were levied on the following who lost the trivial quiz: Charla Anderson, Scott Astrosky, Steve Curry, Dick Dannells, Mary Ann Reese, and Mike Fredericks.

Steve Curry announced that 8 teams have signed up with 28 teams to go for the annual golf tournament. Erik Mund announced that 28 out of the 40 tee sponsors that they have so far were provided by Joel Conn. Bonnie Mogan reminded everyone of the Rotary social at the Lido restaurant on Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 PM. The new City Manager will provide the next week’s program entitled “State of Arroyo Grande. ”Andrea Lueker said that the Community Giving votes are in and she’ll provide the results next week. Steve Connie O’ Henley asked for volunteers to help drive 5 to 7 Interact members who want to attend the conference in Oxnard this coming Saturday.

Program: " Samantha Watkins-“ Mediation Specialist”

Jim Lewis introduced Samantha, who has been a professional mediator since 2003 and has successfully mediated over 400 disputes. Presently she is the director of Creator Mediation of Wilshire Health and Community Services of San Luis Obispo County. She began by listing the types of mediation: (1) Shuttle Mediation where the mediators shuttle between parties in two different rooms. (2) Evaluative Mediation,  which is concerned primarily with reaching a deal. (3) Transformative Mediation, which focuses on first repairing the relationship and then resolving the dispute. (4) Facilitative Mediation, which seeks to facilitate the negotiation between the participants. To illustrate a point, she had each of us pick an adjacent partner and pick the leader of the pairing. The leader was then asked to make a fist and the other to open the fist. After much commotion,  she asked if anyone was able was able to open the fist without using their hands. At least Jim Lewis responded by saying all he did was ask the leader, “Please open  your fist,” and she complied. Samantha used this to illustrate that often the best way to settle something is to ask. She then recited the case of the orange and the three teenage sisters. As the sisters were walking home from school, they discussed the fact that there’s only one orange in the house and they each needed that orange. As they raced home and entered the kitchen shouting back and forth among themselves, the mother of could hear their argument and waiting for them to settle the dispute among themselves. When it started getting louder, she came downstairs, took the orange and a knife and carefully measured and cut the orange so that each sister had exactly half. The one sister grumbled as she squeezed the orange to make orange juice. The other sister shaved the orange skin onto only half of the freshly baked cupcakes and disposed of the pulp and juice. Therefore, neither sister got what she wanted. If the mother had made inquiries, she would have discovered one sister was told by her coach to go home and get a glass of fresh orange juice because she needed vitamin C. The other sister had a friend who had been ill and she promised to make her friend’s favorite cupcakes coated with orange shavings. At the end of the program, Samantha made a couple of brochures available. One promoted a training workshop on Thursday and Friday, March 8^th and 9^th from 9 AM to 4 PM at 285 South St., suite J in San Luis Obispo entitled “Helping Others And Advocate Changes As They Age.” The other promoted a seminar on April 12^th and 13^th from 8:30 AM to 4 PM entitled “Elements Of Mediation Training. If interested, call 549-0442.

“Friendship was the foundation rock on which Rotary was built and tolerance is the element which holds it together” – My Road To Rotary – Paul Harris