Meeting Notes January 12, 2016

 

Mountain View Rotary Club

January 12, 2015                                           Meeting Agenda                                                 Week: 28
                                                              
Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Jim Cunningham
 
Greeter & Thought for the Day:  Jerylann Mateo shared some New Year motivation quotes!
 
Song of the Day:  Songmaster Phil: Oh What a Beautiful Morning
 
Introduction of Visitors:  Steve Ross, Assistant District Governor & Dennis Potter from the Los Altos club were visitors today.
 
Foundation Cupcake Minute: Heather Stenshamn was presented with a Paul Harris Certificate & Pin.
           
General Club Announcements:
 
  • Thanks to Jerylann Mateo for providing dessert today.
 
  • Speech Contest on February 9th: looking for mentors and judges, please let Sanjay or Judy know if you can help.
 
  • Ski Trip – March 17 – 21: Bruce Barsi, there are 13 people signed up so far
 
  • Crab Feed: Alan Goodman: Checks payable to Mountain View Rotary Charities, please give your check to Jim Spangler by end of this month.
 
  • Alan’s band LB Blisters will be playing at Maltby’s this Saturday from 8-11 pm.
 
  • Twana Next Board Meeting Thursday:– January 21st,  5:00 pm at CHAC.
 
  • Twana: We will be meeting on Tuesdays at our regular time all month – there will be no evening social.
 
District Announcements:
 
District Cabinet Meeting will take place on Wed. Feb. 3 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the India Community Center in Milpitas. The theme will be Community Service. Clubs are encouraged to take a table and display their projects. If you are interested in attending, please let Twana know.
 
The District is looking for a person to be the district wide liason with the new Rotaract Club of Silicon Valley Peninsula (SVP). If you are interested, please let Twana know. The club is off to a great start and as their first project, they put together toiletry kits for homeless youth through the Bill Wilson Center.
 
Wheel Chair Project and Trip: Over $116,000 has been raised by Susan Valenta and the trip is scheduled from March 30-April 3. The deadline has been extended to January 15 to sign up. Trip is $999 per person plus air fare.
 
We will have a table for our Club at the District Conference on Saturday night, April 30th. If you are interested in attending, please sign up next week.
 
Jerylann Mateo will be attending Pre-PETs this Saturday as she begins her training to become President on July 1.
 
 
Personal Sharing/Happy Bucks:
 
Scott Johnson joined the Presidents Club.
 
 
SPEAKER INTRO:  Ken Schwaderer introduced our speaker Gisela Zebroski.
Gisela spoke of her personal experience with the 1948 Berlin Airlift.
Stalin challenged the West to a showdown between communism & democracy. Berlin set the stage. By blocking all land access routes to the city he took 2.5 million Berliners hostage – doomed to starve to death unless the West surrendered the city to the Soviets. A massive blackmail. Stalin wanted the Allies out. Truman vowed not to surrender what American men fought & died for. Over the following 11 months, the Allies airlifted 4.6 billion pounds of food and coal to Berlin sparing them from Soviet occupation. The candy bomber treated the starving kids to sweets, his kindness got media attention and set off a wave of empathy throughout the US. Donations poured in and treats falling from the sky in little parachutes brought hope to the statrving children. Soon former enemies became friends and allies in the defense of liberty. The blockade was lifted. They celebrate freedom!
Gisela shared two books that she has written: “The Baroness” & “Mephisto Waltz”.
 
   
 
Next Meeting of the Year: Tuesday, January 19th
 
Speaker on Tuesday, January 19h is Tim Dec - Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL)
 
Our 4-Fer Greeter for next meeting on January 19 is:. Bill Maston.