Two and a half years ago, when Barb Spangler learned that she would be District Governor in 2018-2019, she took a deep breath and made Rotary District 5130 a top priority in her life.
After many informal club visits and participating in a number of great club projects, Barb has come to love our District and describes the DG experience as the best job ever.
According to Barb, “It’s a brilliant opportunity to be with and work with Rotarians: Good people at their very best.”
The Rotary International 2018-2019 theme ‘Be the Inspiration’ gives all of us the opportunity to reflect on the people who have given us our core strengths and values, and those who continue to contribute to us by sharing their wisdom and by their actions.
Barb is firmly committed to District 5130 and and is convinced that this year’s District theme: ‘Do What Matters’ resonates with all of us as we face the challenges and opportunities in our communities and in our world. We only need to reflect about the many ways we came together in our District over the past 12 months to know that Rotarians Do What Matters when it matters most. We have much to be proud of!
In 2018-2019 the District 5130 goals and focus areas are:
Support and strengthen clubs
Focus and increase humanitarian service
Enhance public image and awareness
“When we do these things, we all become better Rotarians and we make our world a better place,” says the incoming District Governor.
Barb was born and raised in Boston and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in the sciences and business from schools in the Boston area. Her career in Healthcare Technology Research and Development gave her many opportunities to travel, live abroad, and experience the world’s economic and cultural diversity.
She has been to all seven continents and recommends Boston for education, New York for fun, Paris for food, Africa and the Galapagos for nature and wildlife, Antarctica for beauty, and District 5130 for Rotary service and friendships.
In 2010, she retired from GE Healthcare as a Clinical Research Manager in International Cardiology and promptly joined the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club in Santa Rosa. She has been a club president, Assistant Governor, District Training Assembly Chair, and a Zone Institute Emerging Rotary Leader Program participant.
When not at Rotary, Barb lives in Santa Rosa with her husband, Jim, also a Rotarian and their dog, Buddy – affectionately known as Puppyzilla.
Jennifer Adams was the speaker at our breakfast meeting on August 23rd. She gave us a taste of her experiences during her recent ‘life changing trip’ to Africa (Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda). Even getting to the continent sounds amazing; SFO-Paris-Nairobi! She traveled with her now retired and extremely adventurous and prop-loving mother. She told us about Tarangire Nat’l Park in Tanzania, where she watched a lioness climb a tree branch, learned about the diet of Leopard Tortoises, and observed that Baboon society is much like a Jerry Springer show; lots of fights. She went to a Tarangire elementary school and met a Maasai chief and his wives (perhaps narrowly escaping matrimony). She told us about ‘thug life’ in the Serengeti, where cheetahs ate a gazelle and were chased away by hyenas. Who knew the hyena is the ‘OG’ of the Serengeti?
Jennifer and her entourage saw the massive and wondrous Victoria Falls, visited a wildlife trust, and traveled to Jeanie Nat’l Park in Zimbabwe. They also went to Mana Pools Nat’l Park in Zimbabwe, where she took a walking tour and got up close and personal with hippos!
Jennifer described the genocide memorial in Rwanda and reminded us that in 1994, over one million people, mostly minority Tutsi, were slaughtered in Rwanda within a three-month period. Despite this recent history, Jennifer reported that Rwanda is thriving, and an air of forgiveness seems to prevail.
Jennifer’s presentation was fantastic. Her original descriptions and photographs brought her journey alive to all of us. Thank you, Jennifer, and well-done. Keep up the world travel and keep coming back to share it with us!
On a regular basis, our resident photo pros Warren Smith and Jack Strange submit 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 and Jack!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Where is this? Do you recognize the ridgeline? Is the background familiar? Many of you have visited this landmark Valley of the Moon family owned agricultural location. Some of you have sweat equity in the Benefactor's bunny barn! That is nearly the giveaway clue.
This locale, Sunrise Rotarians and friends, in the scenic patio at the Kunde Family Winery: This year's venue for the 23rd Annual Elsie Allen High School Agriculture Boosters BBQ Fundraiser.
Friday August 24th, 7 Sunriser's both celebrated and supported the High Schools FFA aka Future Farmers of America students.
Bundled in insulating fleece, George Reese and Sunrise spouse Carolyn Anderson cheer on the spirited bidding during the event's live auction. Carolyn organized much of the event. Her advocacy for the school is expressed in her Ag Booster Advisory Board role and member of the Elsie Allen High School Foundation, which provides over $100,000 in scholarships and support to the students.
Also attending were Mary and Peter Banks (seeking heat), Ross Andress and Stacy Drucker- Andress and Rich Randolph.
The enthusiasm apparent throughout the evening was contagious: The pride-filled value of agriculture, be it biological beef or lamb production, or agricultural mechanics, keeping rolling stock running, was palpable. Over 300 fortunate attendees-participants salute the students, and their instructors for inspiring such stewardship in Sonoma County's fertile future.
Brandishing a sinister, black frying pan, "Recognition" monitor Kent Seegmiller, stalks the breakfast tables seeking out honorable Rotarians who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, publicity and other memorable occasions. Some say that if a Sunriser does not contribute a significant sum, appropriate to the superlative nature of his celebration or the distinguished nature of her commendation, Kent is likely to brandish his pan in the direction of your head! However, since Sunrise Rotarians are always generous in recognizing their achievements, this rumor has never been witnessed. But...beware...!
Well, at the beginning of August, the two Sunrise Sergeants at Arms were Dicksie Tamanaha and Marina Gachet. Then, on the second Thursday in August, it was Dicksie and Cindy Gillespie. However, at the next meeting Dicksie and Marina were back again. But revolving seats continued with Club Administrator Brian Rondon and Marina, this week. Who will take this important post next week? Perhaps it will be YOU...!
Posted by Dicksie Tamanaha/Peter Hoberg on Aug 25, 2018
Get your Sunrise Rotary shirt NOW!
If you don't have a club shirt, you should get one. If you have one already, get another!! Here are some details. Sunriser Peter Hoberg will be hawking these at upcoming meetings.
We have three different designs available. A basic T-shirt ($15), a polo shirt with just the sunrise logo, and a polo shirt with the sunrise logo ($25) AND the ALS logo (created for our participation in last year's ALS walk). The 2-logo version of the polo shirt is available in Men's or Woman's version ($25). Please let Peter know what size you would like. Not all sizes may be available in all versions.
Remembering 1987-88 RI President Charles C. Keller
By RI Director-elect Stephanie Urchick
I don’t remember exactly when I met Chuck. He has just been a part of my life since I joined Rotary in 1991. He was my GPS, my guide. If I had a problem or a question about something in Rotary, I always knew he was there as a sounding board. That was what we did for each other. I describe him as my “godfather” in Rotary.
I joined the Rotary Club of California, Pennsylvania, the same club Chuck had joined in 1950, because I was looking for fellowship. I had gone through a divorce and wanted to use my time to give back. I knew that Chuck was a past Rotary International president, so I would chat with him about the Rotary topics I was interested in knowing more about. He became my mentor and encouraged me to take on a leadership role. He found the good in anybody and would nurture whatever skill or talent you had.
Charles C. Keller
When I eventually became a district governor, Chuck attended my first Rotary institute. It was in Battle Creek, Michigan, and there was an event one evening at which they introduced all the incoming governors. I watched as the district governors and their spouses walked down the aisle together to be introduced. That’s when Chuck jumped up and said, “I’m walking you down. I’m escorting you.” I have a photo of the two of us somewhere. He’s beaming, and I have a big smile on my face too.
Several years ago, Chuck started to write his memoirs. He wrote four of them, actually. He wrote one about his Rotary life; another about his service as a bomber pilot in World War II; a third about his law career; and a fourth about his family. Chuck and his wife, Carol, were an adorable couple. When they married, she had the words “you lucky guy” engraved on the inside of his wedding band.
Chuck was also very committed to the Rotary Peace Centers. I think his service in World War II may have had something to do with his interest in peace. One of the last conversations I had with him was about the peace center program. He was so proud of all 1,150 of our graduates. When he and Carol downsized their home, they auctioned off many of the items he had collected while circling the globe as RI president and donated the money to benefit the peace centers.
At that time, he also passed on a little model ship he had that was originally owned by Paul Harris. When Chuck was RI president, Will White, who was then the editor of The Rotarian magazine, had given it to him. Chuck passed it on to Ron Burton and asked him to carry on the tradition. He called it “the good ship Rotary.”
Chuck continued to practice law at his firm, Peacock Keller, until about a year ago. It had become tough for him and Carol to get out except to go to the doctor or to church. That’s when I started going to their house to visit. We would talk all things Rotary. I would bring crackers and make the dip he liked. Carol would put the coffee pot on. It was an informal but special time. He loved it; they both did. Carol is a nurse, so she was taking care of him, and I know that was hard on her.
One Sunday I came home from a district conference and received a text message that said Chuck was in the hospital. I went to see him, and I’m glad I did. His breathing was labored, but he was still quick-witted and kind. In fact, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. He died four days after that visit.
I’ll miss him. I know we feel this loss so deeply because of the kind of guy he was. When you look back on his year as RI president, so many amazing things happened. He saw the organization through a time of transition as women were first admitted. At the convention in Philadelphia, we learned that we had far surpassed our fundraising goal of $120 million for polio vaccination, which led to our commitment to eradicate the disease. He held the first Rotary Peace Forum.
Chuck had an amazing and profound impact on Rotary. But the thing I’ll miss most is talking to him. I always knew that if there was something I couldn’t figure out, I could bounce it off Chuck. It was nice to know he was there. He provided the signal for my personal GPS. Although I’ve lost that, I find comfort in knowing that Chuck left us a detailed road map drawn from his lessons, his wisdom, and his kindness.
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