Author Dave Morse - Photos Jim Belenis
News and Views – By Dave Morse
June 18, 2021. We served ourselves this morning, for the first time: scrambled eggs, hash browns, French toast, fruit, coffee, juice and off course bacon. President Vanessa Errecarte started our hybrid zoom/in person meeting ringing the club bell at 7:03 am; we sang “Smile” and “American the Beautiful,” led by Chuck Snipes.
Visiting guests: John Youmans, introduced former club member, Yolo County supervisor Don Saylor. Don Winters introduced Kate McNamara. Rose Cholesinski introduced Terry Zimmer who volunteers for “i dream mac give back” which refurbishes used computers and gives them to folks needing a computer. Meghan Likes introduced her niece, Nevaeh. President Vanessa introduced daughter Ella and her father.
Clay Brandow sent a post card from his recent trip to Oregon.
Announcements:
Tim Daleiden reminded members that there is no meeting on June 25; there is a demotion dinner, 5:45pm at International House.
Larry Olsen who had emergency bypass surgery is doing well.
Lori Raineri, a dedication of a bench to all dogs including Daisy at the south end of Central Park, June 19, at noon. Speakers included Lucas Frerichs, District Attorney Jeff Reisig, and Andy Jones. Attendees included many Sunrise Rotarians and other friends of Daisy. Check out the new bench with the beautiful plaque and a quote from Lord Byron’s epitaph to his dog.
Marc Thompson, meals on wheels has is going to use an all-electronic system, watch for an email from Marc for details.
Rotary Intentional Foundation:
This year our club has donated more than ever before. We are very close to meeting the criteria of an “EREY club” (Every Rotarian Every Year). Make at least a $25 contribution to the foundation by June 30th.
Irena Asmundson is a new member of the Foundation Committee she will be making a future presentation on “where the money goes.” Bruce Wolk and Larry Greene handed out Paul Harris pins to: Tim Daleiden +7, Larry Olsen +5, Mitch Mysliwiec + 1, Marc Thompson +5, Dennis Lindsay +8, Bob Poppenga +1, David Foos +8, and a special major donor award to Jim Smith.
Sgt. of the day Gretchen Peralta call for Happy Bucks:
Megan Likes thanked Nancy Storm for hosting a pool party.
Ray Solomon is happy to be visiting relatives.
Nancy Storm will be celebrating her wedding anniversary in Bodega Bay next week.
Jay Brookman is happy about teaching, celebrating birthdays for his sons and himself and father’s day.
Don Saylor contributed $100, he is happy to be with us today.
Brodie Hamilton, is happy for the amazing work of fund raising members including Patsy Inouye – Oktoberfest, Meghan Likes – Ribs & Rotary and Justina Vega- Sponsors.
Terry Zimmer paid happy bucks to our “Great club for its members such as Megan Likes, Rose Cholewinski, Andrew Newman and all of our club’s wonderful programs.”
David Murphy is happy that he will be traveling to North Carolina to see his grand daughter and that friends will be taking care of his wife while he is out of town.
Tom Reed is happy to be in Leavenworth, Washington where it is 55 degrees.
Dick Berry was not fined for his new vehicle – an electric tricycle – has no doors or hatches. Lori Raineri stepped up donating $100 anyway.
Sgt. Gretchen talked about the origins of Father’s day in the US. In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd, who along with her five brothers was raised by her father alone, convinced the Spokane Ministerial Association to celebrate Father’s Day. President Johnson made it official in 1966.
Sgt. Gretchen recalled a lesson learned. Gretchen was required to pay her father for the money loaned to buy her first car. Gretchen continued making payments to her mother after her father died. After the loan was repaid in full, Gretchen’s mom returned all the money collected to Gretchen. Her mother said her father never intended to keep the money Gretchen paid each month. Her father wanted Gretchen to learn how to budget and make payments.
Before returning the microphone to President Vanessa, Gretchen closed by noting we all have our own stories about our parents.
President Vanessa assured us that this was the only boring part of her presentation: “dues,” summarized as follows:
Lori Raineri volunteered to play along with a demonstration involving three buckets, filled with water.
Lori was asked to put her left hand in one bucket and her right hand into another bucket. Her left hand felt hot, her right hand felt cold. Lori was asked to put both hands in the third bucket. The left hand felt hot and the right hand felt warm. The water in the third buck was room temperature.
President Vanessa thus demonstrated the “contrast principle. ” You can make what you want someone to do more attractive by comparing it to another choice that is less attractive. This principle is perfect for Rotary.
A video taken at a school in Africa shows school children that often don’t know when they will eat, happy with their meal of cabbage and bananas. This year Tyson Hubbard raised $7,500 after asking club members to donate to the Yolo food bank. We are making a difference locally and throughout the world because we focus on people.
We are changing lives, as demonstrated last week by Donna Boyd and the program to capture rainwater, so that women and girls no longer spend most of their day gathering water.
“Know your audience”
Technical difficulties prevented us from seeing a scene from the Jon Stewart’s movie “Irresistible.” In the scene, Democratic organizer Steve Carell asks his staff whose idea was it to target a particular group with flyers stating that their candidate would assure that contraception was paid for by the government. A staffer responds that data showed that this area had a particular interest in contraception. Steve points out that there is a concentration of such people because there is a convent in this area. Thus their candidate would receive “Nun” votes.
Three themes this year:
Connection
Adaptability
Generosity
Logo last year’s Rotary theme was “connection.”
This year’s theme is “Open Opportunities,”
“Serve to change lives”
President Vanessa asked our incoming President David Copp,
“Is this an apple?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know it’s an apple?”
“ Because you said it was an apple, I trust you.”
We are all looking forward David’s philosophic insights.
Draw of the day with $850 in the till. Cliff Sheppard won a free breakfast.
Vanessa led our club through an amazing year. She kept our interest with fresh methods to engage members during our Zoom meetings, including surveys, jokes, and her adorable family. Vanessa was the perfect person to see us through a year that would present challenges to any club President. Vanessa rose to the occasion with energy, innovation, and “can do”!
Thank you. Thank you.