President Marty Behr and President Elect Paul O'Rear Discuss Bylaw Changes, Foundation Service Fund and Return to Live Meetings
Our meeting for May 21, 2020 was a Club Assembly presided over by President Marty Behr. The three topics of discussion were: (1) proposed amendments to the Club’s Bylaws, (2) the Sunrise Foundations new Service Fund, and (3) a possible return to live meetings. This Zoom meeting was aided by Zoom’s “polling” function, which allowed us to take contemporaneous votes on the amendments and provide feedback on ‘reopening’ issues. (Many thanks to our Zoom genius Peter Hoberg).
President Marty called the Assembly to order and announced that a quorum of members was in attendance (via Zoom). President Marty had circulated the proposed amendments by email on May 5, 2020, including a detailed description of the specific changes and the rationale for those changes. The first proposed bylaw amendment was a change in Article I, Section 1 and Article II, Section 1 to increase the maximum number of directors for the Board of Directors from 12 to 13. The second proposed amendment was to change the bylaws provisions for attendance and termination for non-attendance. Current Bylaw Article IV, Section 7 deals with termination of club members for nonattendance and non-payment of dues. The proposed bylaw change split Section 7 into two sections, 7 and 8. Under proposed Bylaw Article IV, section 7, the Board is empowered to terminate the membership, at its discretion, of any member who has not paid dues within 10 days after notification of the dues. Under proposed Bylaw Article IV, section 8, the old rules for mandatory attendance requirements would be replaced in favor of guidelines under which the Club strongly encouraged participation by members at a variety of Rotary-related events. Under the proposed guidelines each member is encouraged to attend a minimum of 30 events per year, at least 15 of which should a club meeting. Both proposed amendments were passed with nearly unanimous approval (34 in favor, 1 opposed).
President Elect Paul O’Rear discussed the new Santa Rosa Sunrise Foundation Service Fund. Paul’s presentation was aided by a powerpoint discussing the Service Fund. The Fund will be managed by the Rotary Foundation as a Donor Advised Fund. We make a gift to the Fund by check, online or through estate planning. We then watch the Fund grow (the Foundation Board has approved a “growth” strategy of 75% equity index funds and 25% bond index fund). Approximately 4.25-5.00% of the Fund will be distributed to the Club once a year for our community and international grant programs. The Service Fund is projected to be a long-term driver of Sunrise community and international support (the slide shows that if we could come up with $1,000,000 into the Service Fund by 2027 the Fund would generate annual earnings of $45,000 forever, thus vastly improving our shared goals of community and international involvement). SO, DONATE!
President Marty summarized the feedback he obtained from Club members and Gesine and John at Franchetti’s about when and how we could return to live meetings. It’s complicated. The state/county need to allow indoor eating, which will not be until mid-June or even July. We would likely continue to Zoom the meetings as well so that members could choose to attend live or online. Indoor seating will be limited to 30 people (with another 20 outside). The food service will be an enhanced continental breakfast (buffets will not be allowed). We would probably prepay for breakfast. Social distancing and masks (when not eating) would be required. In other words, different but a step in the right direction.
In a poll taken during the meeting, 22 members said they would attend live meetings, 3 said they would not, and 10 were unsure. 22 members said they would most likely attend meeting twice/month; 9 said they would attend weekly, and 4 said they would attend once/month. Finally, Marty discussed the option of charging for each meeting, whether or not a member attends. 21 members said they would pay $10.00 per meeting, 9 preferred $5.00 per week, and 5 believed that there should be no charge if no live meeting was provided. The feedback from this meeting will be invaluable in our planning for a return to live meetings!
A huge thank you to Pres. Marty, Pres-Elect Paul, and to the Directors and everyone who has participated in this process of amending bylaws, setting up this amazing Service Fund (and especially to Rich and Betsy Randolph for their amazing contribution to get the Fund up and running), and investigating the feasibility and conditions of live meetings. Terrific meeting!
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!
Looking forward, twenty-five years seems far in the future. Genealogically, 25 years is considered a generation. Birth, school, commencing our careers, perhaps children, and before we can account for the past year, a couple of decades have transpired. Memories of our childhood, youthful adventures, maybe a few misadventures, yet we now are both survivors as well as thriving beneficiaries of our better decisions, successful guidance of mentors and peer support.
Peter Hoberg reminded us in one of his “nerd notes” that going solo may be a fast track, but going together is the long distance gainer. He knows: Pedaling from Eureka to Petaluma with a peloton of fellow Rotarians who generated the enthusiasm to garner just shy of $100,000 to eradicate polio and other childhood diseases.
Peter’s cycling is one of many Sunrise members’ efforts to leverage interest and support to club projects. Olin Leasher heads up Sunrise TEAM ALS Walks, Leroy lasso’s home and garden crews for his Golden Hammer sorties, John Jones biennial vision and dental missions to Nicaragua continue to transform both Sunrise members and families in addition to the thousands of Nicaraguan’s over the years who can see better and enjoy improved oral health. Ezbon Jen’s commitment to our Centennial Dental Project improves countless Sonoma County children’s oral health as well. Ross Andress, Stacey Drucker Andress, Merle Hayes and Carolyn Anderson have ongoing legacies at Elsie Allen High School through Interact and Ag Boosters. Our list can go on: How many of you have been touched by our 30 + year relationship with Kagoshima Japan, and now Hiroshima through SRKSEP? Steve Amend and Shauna Lorenzen are quintessential ambassadors of Goodwill and Better Friendship to dozens of young people~and adults, bridging an ocean and generations toward more sustainable international understanding. Jack Strange and Eloise Tweeten have mentored teens, inspiring them to service above self while discovering confidence and skills within themselves otherwise latent.
Does 1995, twenty-five years ago seem that distant? Sunrise was just a kid at 9. For those of you who were here then, take a bow, and look ahead. For all of us, is 2045 a date for a science fiction flick? Well, maybe. Regardless, we have the advantage of perspective; our experience informs us youth need continued encouragement and guidance. Attention to Public Health benefits everyone. Investing in our future and our succeeding generations future both here and abroad is what we have been doing, responding to our motto of Service Above Self.
President Elect Paul O Rear presented an introductory roll out of our emerging Sunrise Foundation Service Fund. It is a path providing our vision visible footprints toward more robust and sustainable resources.
Roary Connects the World! Let’s keep up the construction!!
The Sabalos Nicaragua Surgery Center has been a dream of our club dating back to June 2010. We are getting closer to the point of having it fully operational. A quick recap –
Our club constructs the 2,000 square feet facility in 2017 at a cost of $135,000 from club fundraising and donations.
The Surgery Center is attached to an existing health center in Sabalos. This health center serves as the medical services hub for the local population of over 36,000. There are no surgical procedures done or advanced diagnostics available to the population at the moment.
Sunrise Rotary commits to purchasing the Air Conditioning system along with the electrical panel, generator, and miscellaneous equipment. Total of about $120,000 through additional fund raising and donations.
Generator and electrical panel arrive and installed in 2019. See photo below from our recent eye/dental mission.
We apply for a Rotary Foundation Grant to acquire $75,000 in needed equipment. We partner with the Granada Rotary Club. Our club provides $25,000 and the Rotary Foundation provides $50,000.
During our biannual eye and dental project, we meet up with Granada Rotarians in February 2020.
The Grant is approved, and equipment ordered in April 2020. Equipment set to arrive in late May 2020.
Air conditioning arrives in May 2020 and is currently being installed.
Conclusion: We are getting so close. We expect the Surgery Center to be fully functioning by late summer 2020 culminating a decade of effort by our club and our “boots on the ground” Rafael and Ninoska. All of your efforts will soon start saving a multitude of lives.
AC ducting going into the operating room. (May 2020)
AC being installed outside and on roof. (May 2020)
Marty and Michael Riel with our electrical panel. (February 2020)
Marty and Gustavo, president of the Granada Rotary Club (February 2020)
The Rotary Club of New Milford, Connecticut, has been shredding for over a decade. So has the Rotary Club of Madison, New Jersey, which hosts two events a year. Every summer, the Rotary Club of Grand Island, New York, is out there shredding, and in the spring and fall the Rotary Club of West Seneca, New York, gets to work. You can shred with the Rotary Club of Encinitas, California, or the Rotary Club of Owatonna, Minnesota. The first shredding day held by the Rotary Club of Great Falls, Montana, was so successful that the club added another one four months later.
One problem many people face when they try to declutter and get organized is how to get rid of sensitive documents — old bills, bank statements, and the rest of the detritus that builds up in home filing cabinets. In an era of identity theft, people are cautious about what they throw in their garbage or recycling.
Carmela and Hal Moeller, members of the Rotary Club of Madison and former business owners, were thinking about their customers’ privacy when they came up with the idea of a document shredding fundraiser. “When my husband and I were closing down our bookstore, credit card receipts were still printed with the entire account number. Obviously, the threat of identity theft was great,” Carmela Moeller says. “We were using a home shredder to destroy the receipts. When we learned about commercial shredding companies, we thought of our Rotary club doing this as a fundraiser.” Document shredding events became a fixture on the club’s calendar. “People were invited to watch their documents destroyed. It became like a neighborhood block party.”
“It became like a neighborhood block party.”
The idea has obvious appeal. When The Rotarian ran a brief item in 2010 about the Rotary Club of New Milford’s document shredding event, the club started hearing from other Rotarians seeking to adopt the idea. “It generated inquiries from Rotary clubs as far away as Australia,” recalls New Milford Rotarian Arthur Klein. Since then, the idea has taken hold in many Rotary clubs.
The events are a hit with the community and an easy way to raise awareness of Rotary. “Cars line up a half-hour before it begins, and it runs like a well-oiled machine for three hours,” says Klein. “People love having a place to bring their documents to be destroyed securely and cost-effectively. They also love the idea of saving trees and landfill space since the shredding is recycled.”
— HANK SARTIN
• This story originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of The Rotarian magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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