Josh Leone, a 3rd generation resident of the Russian River, is known for his reporting on fires, floods and other disasters. He is a weather watcher, a community resource for extreme weather and fire information, and loves camping with his family. He helps to manage the Russian River Resources and Information Facebook page and the Sonoma County Fire Updates page.
Vicki DeArmon Presents Sibylline Press, a Book Publishing Company
On August 1, 2024, Vicki DeArmon, the publisher of Sibylline Press, spoke to Santa Rosa Sunrise about her company and the book publishing business. Vicki is the publisher and, along with other partners, the owner of Sibylline. Vicki has been a publisher since she was 25, when she started a San Francisco publishing company called Foghorn Press, grew it into a $2 million enterprise, and then sold it 14 years later. She also worked for Copperfield’s books for 8 years as the marketing and events director and as a consultant to California’s independent bookstores. She grew up in Santa Rosa!
The company publishes books written by older women who are often overlooked by traditional publishers. Vicki found that older women’s manuscripts are more often returned by publishers unread even though they have much to offer the industry. Sybilline’s goal is to take great women by the hand and lead them to the promised land (of published works). They publish brilliant women over age 50. Sibylline concentrates on publishing fiction and memoirs. Once they take on a writer, they often find that she has written previous books and then often publish those books as well. Sibylline will also be starting up a digital publishing line in November and audio books in the near future. The book publishing industry is in turmoil. Publishers are extremely cautious about taking on unknown writers. Amazon has taken over the market, making it extremely difficult for bookstores to continue operations. Even Barnes & Nobles is difficult to work with; she used to be able to buy shelf and display space on a national basis, but the company have become more regionalized and selective recently. Vicki gave an example of one of the problems publishers face from back in her Foghorn days: She once sold a ton of books to Costco, but Costco later returned many of the books unsold!
Vicki outlined the publishing process. They evaluate proposed manuscripts and when they find a book they want to publish they sign the author up and take her by the hand to promote her. The promotion process includes developing an extensive social media presence. They edit the book and send it around seeking reviews from famous people, including reviewers and other authors. The editing and promotions process can take 18 months. They have launch parties and send the authors to bookstores and speakers locations to discuss the book. This process continues after publication. Promote, publish, and market! It is expensive.
Sibylline has published some amazing books, including “Bitterroot,” a story about Maga politics in Idaho by Suzy Vitello, “Mrs. McPhealy’s American,” by Claire McDougall and set in Scotland, and “Eleven Stolen Horses,” about why women disappear by Robin Somers. Many thanks to Vicki for the enlightening and enjoyable presentation about Sibylline and the book publishing industry!
Click HERE to view a limited-time recording of Vicki's presentation.
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Yes, the United States were there. Israel, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and a Palestinian flag. Spain, Algiers. In some ways it seemed like an Olympic event for unity and hope for peace.
In an earlier ceremony world leaders heard from Hiroshima Mayor.
Today, August 5, in California is actually August 6 in Hiroshima Japan.
Thanks to the global network of telecommunications and international cooperation the "May Peace Prevail on Earth" movement is able to livestream a global commemoration of the atomic bomb drop 79 years ago in Hiroshima, Japan.
At 4:00 PM today 93 participants joined the event and by 6:15, the zoom room had 165 viewers. More were on Facebook and at the Atomic Dome, hundreds were present to add prayers in their language and represent their nationality.
As each participant presented their flag a translator offered thanks and prayer of hope in Japanese.
Ask Paul O Rear and Harry Coffey about their experience to the same site. They, along with Amends and Penny Millar were there last year, and our SRKSEP* group this year are due next week.
*Santa Rosa Kagoshima Student Exchange Program
This event is annual. Our club is exploring a service project to install a Peace Pole at Elsie Allen High School.
What do you think? Talk with Paul O Rear or Rich Randolph.
An Englishman, Scotsman, and Irishman wanted to see the Olympics, but they didn't have tickets. They went round back to see if they could sneak in, but there was a guard at the rear entrance which is also where the competing athletes entered. The Englishman looks around and sees a long pole on the ground and gets an idea. He grabs the pole and walks up to the guard and says "Bentley. England. Pole Vaulting." The guard thinks he's an athlete and lets him in. The Scotsman sees this and thinks he could try too. He grabbed a manhole cover and walked up to the guard. "MacGregor. Scotland. Discus." and the guard let him in. The Irishman is looking all over for something to help get him in and sees a bale of barbed wire. He grabs the bale and proudly exclaims to the guard...
"Murphy. Ireland. Fencing."
Did you hear about the athlete who sadly announced that after trying out, he will not be competing in the Paris Olympics this summer?
If we are to truly change the world with The Magic of Rotary, it’s up to all of us to foster a sense of belonging in our clubs. But every club should take its own path to get there, and the Action Plan can help you find your way. What does that look like?
Take for instance the Rotary Club of Beveren-Waas in Belgium. It was chartered in 1974 but has evolved with the times, developing both a strategic plan and a membership plan. To find new members, the club analyzes the city’s professions to help focus its search, and all new members are quickly assigned tasks and roles.
The club also mixes up meeting times, alternating between evening and afternoon sessions, making them accessible for all members.
Sometimes, circumstances force clubs to make changes. But as people of action, we know that behind every obstacle is an opportunity.
The Rotary Club of Holyoke in Massachusetts was forced from its meeting place because of rising costs after the COVID-19 pandemic, but members took this setback and turned it into a strength. The club started meeting in a library community room that was available for no charge and catering lunch from a nearby deli. Lunch costs $10 per person but it’s optional, so no one has to spend money to attend a meeting. What a great way to work toward being “fair to all concerned.”
Since making this change, the Holyoke club has gained 13 members. I suspect part of its membership growth is due to the club’s sense of inclusivity — the first step toward belonging.
If you ask members what they expect from the club experience, you might find that your club doesn’t meet expectations. Think of this as an opportunity to reshape your club in exciting ways, as alternative club models are making a positive impact.
For example, a Rotary Fellowship called Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide, or BREW, has worked closely with the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group for the past eight years to assist with clean water projects. In that time, BREW has funneled 25 percent of its dues to those initiatives.
BREW is one of many examples of members pursuing belonging to improve the world.
I can’t stress enough the importance of belonging. Clubs become simply irresistible when all members feel that they are exactly where they need to be. To me, belonging is the spark that ignites The Magic of Rotary.
As you receive feedback from club members and the community you serve, I urge you to pursue that spark. The Action Plan can help you find the path to success, and if you light your way with the spirit of belonging, that path will lead to a bright future for your club, your community, and the world.
You can find all prior "RI President's Messages" at this LINK
I love our many Rotary traditions, especially our emblem: the wheel. Whenever I put on my Rotary pin, admire a new club’s logo, or spot the emblem on a volunteer’s T-shirt, I am inspired by the possibilities that wheel represents.
Early in Rotary, our predecessors envisioned it as a gear, part of a sturdy machine making great things happen. It remains that, and much more. To me, it also symbolizes cycles and movement on our journey of doing good in the world.
August is Rotary’s Membership and New Club Development Month, and I encourage you to think about the cyclical connection between membership and The Rotary Foundation.
When we have engaged members in dynamic clubs, The Magic of Rotary happens. Members — both new and experienced — deepen their commitment to each other and their communities. And that local engagement attracts attention and more members.
Gradually, the new members realize their club is part of a powerful organization that is making lasting change in the world. They learn about the Foundation, support it, and perhaps apply for a grant. They see themselves as part of the movement that will eradicate polio.
As our members’ experience deepens, so does their commitment to Rotary at all levels. The public sees our impact, making Rotary irresistible. New members join, new clubs are formed, and the cycle continues. With each turn of the wheel, we grow Rotary and our Foundation.
There are countless ways this magical connection between clubs and our Foundation can unfold. For instance, 100% Paul Harris Fellow Clubs, where every member is a Paul Harris Fellow, showcase how engaged clubs are directly connected to the Foundation. Some clubs even up the ante, like the Rotary Club of Crescent (Greensboro), North Carolina, whose 125 members are all Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors, and Sustaining Members simultaneously.
But you do not need to be in such a “triple crown” club to make a difference.
I am asking all Rotary members to remember this month’s goal for what I’m calling Mark’s Magical Markers: Please make the personal commitment to contribute what you can to the Annual Fund by 31 August. Do it right now, before you forget, at rotary.org/give. While you are there, set up a recurring direct donation.
With your help, we can keep that great wheel of Rotary and its Foundation rolling in the right direction, moving toward something greater tomorrow than we can even imagine today.
You can find all prior "Messages from the Foundation Trustee Chair" at this LINK
The Rotaract Club of Belize City is renovating a rural school and a Rotary club-sponsored park as part of its youth-focused agenda. In April, club members met at the Hattieville Government Preschool to paint restrooms and complete other beautification work. A later phase will include new toilets. “We’ve been able to replace chalkboards in 10 classrooms with whiteboards and to donate a printer and other school and hygiene materials,” says Kristoff Nicholson, immediate past president. The club partnered with a telecom provider and raffled off smartphones to help pay for the project. It also received a District 4250 grant of $1,000. In March, club members replaced basketball and goal nets and painted benches and a playset at Love Park in Balama, another element of the project, Nicholson says.
Colombia
In January, the Rotary Club of Cúcuta-Ciudad de Arboles purchased about $600 of school supplies and delivered 100 sets of notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, and more to students in the city. It’s about 350 miles northeast of Bogotá. Club members also visited with students in the neighborhood of Las Delicias, says Dora Patricia Lobo, a past president of the club. “The hustle and bustle and joy of these students when they receive their school package warms our souls and encourages us to continue,” Lobo says. More than 1,400 students have benefited since the project began.
Rotary projects make a difference in communities around the world.
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The Rotaract Club of Belize City is renovating a rural school and a Rotary club-sponsored park as part of its youth-focused agenda. In April, club members met at the Hattieville Government Preschool to paint restrooms and complete other beautification work. A later phase will include new toilets. “We’ve been able to replace chalkboards in 10 classrooms with whiteboards and to donate a printer and other school and hygiene materials,” says Kristoff Nicholson, immediate past president. The club partnered with a telecom provider and raffled off smartphones to help pay for the project. It also received a District 4250 grant of $1,000. In March, club members replaced basketball and goal nets and painted benches and a playset at Love Park in Balama, another element of the project, Nicholson says.
In January, the Rotary Club of Cúcuta-Ciudad de Arboles purchased about $600 of school supplies and delivered 100 sets of notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, and more to students in the city. It’s about 350 miles northeast of Bogotá. Club members also visited with students in the neighborhood of Las Delicias, says Dora Patricia Lobo, a past president of the club. “The hustle and bustle and joy of these students when they receive their school package warms our souls and encourages us to continue,” Lobo says. More than 1,400 students have benefited since the project began.