Our special “guest” speaker for November 17, 2022, was past president Eloise Tweeten speaking/facilitating the topic “Go, Team!” Eloise has a long history in team sports going back to 2004, when she tried to get her daughters interested in synchronized swimming. They weren’t interested, but Eloise caught the bug and has been competing in the sport, now known as “Artistic Swimming,” ever since. Eloise noted that the topic of “Teams” is very relevant today, given the the importance of teams to Rotary.
Eloise broke us down into small groups to talk about teams, in general, but not necessarily sports teams. The first team to report was presented by Lori Rodriguez, who told us that when she moved to the North Bay she became a diehard Giants fan. Lori played softball for many years, retiring when she was 54. She was also the manager for her team for over 25 years. As a manager she learned that a player’s energy is sometimes as important as their skill in a team sport. Merle Hayes told us that she’s always been interested in sports, having fallen asleep on basketball benches as a child when her dad was a coach in Healdsburg. College football has also been important to her because it gives her something to talk to her college-age grandchildren. Leroy Carlenzoli talked about his hunting/fishing hobbies, where he doesn’t want everyone to be interested because there would be too many people! Ross Jones played football and basketball in his younger days but went to a college without those sports. He now enjoys Cal football with his son, who goes to Cal. Here’s a Cal “sick burn” for the upcoming “big game.”
Eloise told us about her first competition, a solo, when she “forgot” her nose clip, which she finally found on her finger after getting water up her nose! Eloise showed us a video of her team at the U.S. Masters Tournament in Waterville, Maine, last month. Her team was in the 65-79 age group and was the only team in that group (they won!). Her team beat all but one of the teams in the 50-64 age group! Artistic Swimming is a team sport extraordinaire, since the teammates need to not only play together, but they also need to be 100% in sync!
Past Pres. Harry Coffey reminded us of the infamous synchronized swimming event held at Eloise’s debunking back in the day. It was a remarkable feat of artistic, athletic, and acting skill! President Jack says he still has the video. Hey Jack, let’s play it at an upcoming meeting.
Great job, Eloise. Let’s all remember that “team work makes the dreamwork!”
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!
An Introduction to Climate Restoration by Peter Hoberg
Last week 30 Rotarians gathered at Paul and Penny’s house and heard an excellent presentation by our own Peter Hoberg on Climate Restoration. Besides Sunrise Rotarians and spouses/partners, there were also guests from the Windsor, Healdsburg, and East/West clubs at the event. Peter’s presentation focused on the need for, and strategies to implement, Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Peter showed us why CDR is necessary by giving us the numbers (yes, he’s a math guy!): (1) there are now 1,000 excess gigatons of CO2 in the atmosphere compared to pre-industrial levels; (2) the current concentration of CO2 in parts per million is 420 compared to the pre-industrial level of 270; and (3) scientists and those pesky mathematicians calculate that we need to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius if we want to avoid the most catastrophic impact of climate change. Peter’s research shows that even if we can limit future carbon emissions we still have to remove carbon from the atmosphere if we want to avoid catastrophic environmental damage.
Peter noted that a comprehensive approach to CO2 is required. This approach is the reduction of emissions, adaptation to climate change, and removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Focusing on new science for CO2 reduction, Peter described the CDR Spectrum, including natural sinks (forests, soils, mangroves), durable bio-storage (tree burial, bio-oil injection), mineralization, and direct air capture. He identified some amazing new and developing technologies, including the Tigercat 6050 Carbonator, the Takachar (transforming agricultural waste into marketable products), bio-oil injection, biomas burial, rock weathering, and Direct Air Capture (DAC). CDR startups are blossoming world-wide and massive research is being conducted in universities worldwide to deal with developing these and other technologies and the means to verify their effectiveness. Younger scientists and mathematicians seem to be leading the charge in many ways.
Peter’s presentation was fantastic. The above summary does not do justice to the depth of his program, but Peter will do a repeat of this presentation on Zoom on Tuesday November 29 at 5pm for anyone who is interested. Details will be coming soon. Well done, Peter, and thank you for keeping this issue front and center!
First it was "Fines". And when that was thought to be "negative" it became "recognitions" and after that "High Five". But Jack has announced a new twist for these moments, designed to fit every celebration as well as sorrowful news. And it does not have to be a "High Five". "Happy Dollars" and "Sad Dollars" can be whatever you want them to be. Or whatever you feel is appropriate.
Happy Dollars
Max shared that his daughter, Cassidy Childs, traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt with her organization, Center for American Progress (CAP), at the UN Climate Summit, COP27.
Cassidy's organization helped create the first Climate Justice Pavilion. In doing so, she was asked to form two panels, one to discuss loss & Damage and one to discuss Access to Climate Science data.
Do you have Happy or Sad Dollars to share? There is no need to wait until the meeting. Send them to the editor.
Sunrise Rotary, other Santa Rosa area clubs and ESRAG are hosting the movie "Micro Plastic Madness" at the Summerfield Theaters, 551 Summerfield Blvd., Wednesday, November 30th. Plan to attend and bring a friend! The doors, social time and information tables open at 6:00 pm and the move starts at 7:00. The cost is $10. Plastics are an increasing challenge in the world today- while they are useful in many ways, we haven't figured out how to control their disposal, and everyone is familiar with the problems of plastics in landfills, filling our creeks and oceans and getting into our food chain. This movie is an award winning film about young students tackling the problem of plastics in the environment by convincing their school administration to ban single-use plastics. It has played around the world and received rave reviews as informative, fun and inspirational. Come and be inspired!
M.J. Girard is currently an on air personality on KOWSfm.com His “Roots of Rock” is broadcast every Sunday morning at 7 AM
THANKSGIVING SPECIAL!
Ah, the days of wine and roses…seem to slip away…as we frolic and play…amongst the holidays! The autumn leaves continue to fall and collect as we bask in the glow of the Thanksgiving feasts and gather the holiday spirit to write the cards and letters to post. Those going overseas will need to be on their way soon.
This time of year brings focus to family and friendships as well as the good will for those we’ve never met. So many worthy causes, assisting so many, thank goodness our club is on the forefront, for there is no greater gift than that of giving.
Eric Clapton fell to his knees and surrendered his will…begging for strength and salvation to end his cravings for alcohol and drugs, which had become his one driving course, destroying relationships, his music and his wellbeing. It was during his second visit to a treatment center that this shift in attitude and commitment came about, suffice it to say, that Clapton’s epiphany has saved his life, a lifetime of creativity that has earned him numerous accolades; 18 Grammys, the British Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, as well as many other achievements, not the least of which being the only three time recipient of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a solo artist, as a member of the Yardbirds, and the group Creme.
Eric Clapton is noted as the top producing recording artist having sold well over 280 million records worldwide.
In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre in Antigue, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.
His career and life story will be shared during the next few sessions of the Roots of Rock. I hope that you can “Tune In”.
Clubs now moving toward flexible attendance policies
By Susan Hanf and Wen Huang
Ronnie Yeager, 84, joined the Rotary Club of Aransas Pass, Texas, on 1 May 1970. Over the 52 years of club meetings since, he has had perfect attendance. His extraordinary tenure in Rotary earned him a special recognition letter in September 2020 from then-Rotary International President Holger Knaack.
For Yeager, who had a demanding schedule as a district judge, maintaining his attendance has required meticulous planning and tremendous dedication. "I enjoy the fellowship," he says, "and I find it exciting to be with a group that represents an excellent cross section of people in my five-county judicial district." Yeager says his connection to Rotary deepened in the 1980s, when it made polio eradication its flagship program. A polio survivor, Yeager developed post-polio syndrome 30 years after initially contracting the virus at the age of 8.
Postcards from Rotary’s archives show how members fulfilled and affirmed their meeting attendance while away from their home clubs. The family of J.G. Clapp, who served as secretary of the Rotary Club of Palm Springs, California, in the 1960s, donated some picturesque cards to Rotary International, including this one from 1968, when a member of the Palm Springs club visited the Rotary Club of Athens.
His attendance streak faced a challenge about 20 years ago when his family took a three-week vacation along the coast of Australia. Yeager managed to make up his absences while on the trip — a practice that in years past typically would be affirmed by sending a postcard to one's club. Yeager also recalls traveling to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2006 and attending a local Rotary club event. "The club secretary said he would mail a postcard to my club," he says, "but I had him give it to me because I wanted to make sure that my club received it."
In Yeager's early years in Rotary, the Aransas Pass club met on Mondays, at times in conflict with his busy law practice. "There were several other Rotary clubs within 25 miles of where I live," he says, "and I always made sure that I got to the adjoining town for a makeup meeting." One nearby club was known for treating visiting members with delicious fried chicken. "That club had about 20 members," he recalls, "but they would normally have 70 to 100 visitors who were there like me for the food and attendance makeup."
Yeager commends his club's flexibility. Since retiring in 2013, he has been hospitalized twice. His club, which now has 13 members, accommodated his situation by holding the meeting at the hospital.
In recent years, many Rotary clubs have innovated by adopting flexible formats. Some clubs rotate their meeting locations among a member's home, a restaurant, or a business. Some meet virtually, while others use a hybrid format, allowing members to call in to in-person meetings.
"I think having some flexibility in meeting attendance requirements is a good idea," says Yeager. "It'll accommodate people with a disability or young people with a busy work schedule. Holding meetings every other week or in the evenings are good ideas to explore."
Changing the meeting format can keep members engaged and active, and enables guests to have fun, productive meetings that connect with Rotary's values and mission.
"There are certain things in life that we don't have that much control over," Yeager adds. "The new rules now give you a whole lot better control over that."
Susan Hanf is a Heritage Communications specialist at Rotary International.
Attending meetings is an opportunity, not an obligation.
Traditionally, attendance for a Rotary member had meant participating in a regular weekly meeting at the member's club or at another club. Exceptions were granted only for those who attended the Rotary International Convention or were on official RI business, such as a board or committee meeting or a district conference. Participation in special club meetings, roundtables, informal gatherings, and service activities could not be counted as attendance.
Recent Rotary research shows that rigid attendance rules and policies are a barrier to attracting new members and engaging current ones. Further, they exclude young professionals who have developing careers or are starting families. In response, Rotary International has stipulated that any Rotary club wishing to try a new approach can do so by amending its bylaws. Clubs are encouraged to relax attendance expectations or not have them at all.
This story originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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