Meeting 1/6/2016

January 6, 2016

 

Members in attendance: Judy, Laurie, Janet, Linda, Joe G, Julie, Mary, Heather, Mike, Charles, Karen, Carol, Ken, and Bill. Guests: Lynn from Valley Churches

 

Guest Speaker: Peggy Flynn

 

President Mike opened the meeting with the flag salute, introductions and Thought for the Day.

 

Announcements: We collected over $500 at our Christmas Party. The donation will go to one of our previous members and will be matched by two different individuals and B of A. January Speech Contest will be in the morning on January 20. The area contest will be February 25 at the Aptos club meeting.  Board meeting after today’s meeting. MCR has enough socks this year but now needs new underwear for their clients. Please bring them to the next meeting. Redwood Mountain Fair June 2-5 2016. Lynn thanked SLV Rotary for sponsoring five children at Christmas.

 

Detective: New Year’s trivia—thanks Karen!

 

Happy Bucks: Thanks all!

 

Guest Speaker: Peggy Flynn spoke about her service in the Peace Corps in the Botswana. 40% of all Peace Corps workers go to Africa. The average age of a Peace Corps worker has gone from 24 to 28 to 30. The Peace Corp is now looking for “Baby Boomers” to volunteer. Workers volunteer for 27 months and Peggy has just extended her time by one year. Almost all of the work in Botswana is working on the AIDS epidemic. Life expectancy in the late 1980’s dropped to 39. It has since gone back up to 64.

 

Peggy has been working to develop a teen club in her village (14,000 people in the village) to help youth with emotional problems stemming from being HIV positive. Because of this project, Peggy decided to volunteer for an additional year. Her position is similar to that of a county health worker. She has facilitated gender based violence programs and fundraisers, including a first ever art auction. SLV Rotary Club helped last year by donating seed money for the supplies for the art auction.

 

The government has money for projects to help reduce poverty. Peggy shared pictures of villagers gardening, raising chickens and cattle, and sewing. She also shared pictures of animals when she was on safari. Peggy lives in government housing and has electricity. About 25% of the population lives in traditional housing made of grasses and not everyone has electricity. She encourages others to consider joining the Peace Corps.

 

Peggy Flynn

 

 

Drawing: Bill’s number was drawn but he did not find the joker!!

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30. 

 

Minutes respectfully submitted by J. Haff