President Bill Kelly
July 22, 2021
Once again, we met at our new location, the American Legion Hall Post 419. The staff rolled out the red carpet for us and extended their warm hospitality to our Rotarians and guests. Based on the positive feedback provided by our members who attended this meeting, we will be making a permanent move to this venue for future meetings
It looks like our Zoom issues were worked through this week, which allowed us to have a successful hybrid meeting. Our guest speaker presented his topic from England, and was able to show high-definition photos via his WI-FI connection and laptop. Several guests joined our meeting this week, both in-person and online. It was nice to see several of our Rotarians join us in-person, including George DeLuchi, who came from his home just down the street.
Meeting Highlights
Pledge: Michael Beck led us in the pledge this week. It’s nice having a full-size American Flag at the front of the room to salute during this important portion of the meeting. Thanks, Michael.
Inspiration: Dan Winter was our greeter, and provided an uplifting message about the Olympics, specifically the Special Olympics for which he has been personally involved with during the past several years. We join Dan in congratulating Special Olympics for their 50+ years of success and for their impact to the athletes, families, and community.
Birthdays: Joe Hart celebrated his birthday on July 17th by golfing, relaxing, and just plain having fun. Happy Birthday, Joe.
Anniversaries: Stan and Diane Chinchen celebrated their anniversary on July 19. Dan Holder enjoyed their presence at Jack Holder’s restaurant, where they were celebrating their 73rd anniversary. Way to go, Stan and Diane. Dave and Heidi DeLozier celebrated their 43rd anniversary on July 22nd, while Mike and Joanne Moul celebrated their 44th anniversary on July 23rd. Congratulations everyone!
We Care: No new reports from Don Skinner, although he welcomed back Rotarian Gary Citti, who recovered quickly from a minor medical issue. Glad to see you back at the meeting, Gary.
Upcoming events:
Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Golf Tournament, August 9th at Pasatiempo Golf Course
J.W. House starts again, August 13th. Sign-ups are being taken now.
“Celebrate Santa Clara”, August 21, a 4-hour community event at Central Park.
The City of Santa Clara approached the Rotary Foundation with an opportunity to serve beer and wine at an event called, Celebrate Santa Clara, at the Central Park Pavilion area on Saturday, August 21 from 1-5 p.m. A band will be performing on stage from 3:30 – 5 pm. This four-hour event is a scaled down festival event for our community, yet offers our club the opportunity to engage the public while raising funds for the Foundation.
President’s Report:
The recent District 5170 Conference was held last Saturday, July 17 at Gilroy Gardens. Our club had a small public relations display at the “House of Friendship”, which is an area designed for clubs to showcase their activities. The conference was a success, and several tips were shared on how best to enhance our displays at future community events.
Community Services Director Tom Brown provide an update on volunteer sign-ups for the J.W. House program. More information on the value of this program will be presented at an upcoming meeting. See Tom Brown to sign up for this event, which occurs every 2nd Friday of the month, from 3-7 pm. It only involves a few hours per event, yet the impact is significant for those families who stay at the J.W. House while a loved one is receiving medical attention at the adjacent Kaiser Hospital. Please contact Tom to sign up. Thanks.
Congratulations are in order for Carol Buchser for earning a Paul Harris Award, which was presented today to her husband Bob by Sandy Allen, our Rotary International Foundation Director. Sandy advised the group that this award was made possible by a generous “fine” recently paid by Bob. This is the second Paul Harris Award for the Buchsers. The Rotary Club of Santa Clara and RI Foundation thank the Buchsers for this generous gift.
Keynote Speaker:
Andy Ratermann presented our speaker by reading the accomplishments of renowned photo artist, Andy Saunders. Mr. Saunders uses technology to greatly enhance photographs from key historical events. Today he joined us via Zoom to present several high-definition photographs from the Apollo space program from over 50 years ago. We all can remember those famous images that were made available to the media during the 1960s and 70s, although many of them seemed grainy and out of focus. Andy’s dedicated work in restoring and enhancing these images brought the experiences of our astronauts into vivid clarity. It was as if he allowed us to visit the lunar surface ourselves, and then view our planet from a uniquely distanced perspective. It was a real treat to see his work, and the online delivery of his material was terrific
As the meeting came to a close, the members present expressed their overwhelming desire to continue having our weekly meetings at the American Legion hall. They cited the hospitality, menu variety, and general ambiance of this remodeled venue.
Therefore, our next meeting is July 29th at:
American Legion post 419,
958 Homestead Rd,
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Our speaker next week will be Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Vice Chairperson Gary Kremen. Water is an important topic, especially during the dry times in which we live. As local water emergencies are now being declared, the allocation and use of water has never been more important. It promises to be an important and interesting discussion, for sure.
See everyone next week, July 29th at the American Legion Hall.