By: Hermann Welm
Lucky Sandhu, aka “Can Do Sandhu,” opened the meeting by reminding us that the R.I. President is Ian H.S. Riseley, of Victoria, Australia, and his theme for the year is “Rotary, Making a Difference.”
Our Greeter, Harry Michaels, led us in the Salute to the Flag and gave us his Thought for the Day, by that famous creator of truisms, Yogi Berra, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Harry is retired but has started volunteering in his former profession, as a counsellor for several kids at Greenbrook Elementary School.
With some “coaching,” Lucky finally remembered that this Scribe is no longer with the Blackhawk Chorus but that Mike Thelen is a member and has a beautiful voice. Mike, therefore, was asked to lead us in a Patriotic Song; he chose “My Country Tis of Thee.”
Visiting Rotarians: None.
Other Visitors: Jalal Afifi, formerly with Chevron for 25 years; now with Morgan Stanley. And our speaker, Maureen DeCoste.
Announcements:
Free tickets to this weekend’s Hopfest, were passed around, courtesy of Dennis Garrison.
A reminder that there will be a Six-Club Meeting at 6:30 pm on October 4th in lieu of our Regular Meeting on the 5th. So do NOT make an appearance on the 5th; you’ll be eating lunch by yourself (or in the company of others who did not get the word)! Dave Clark, a KTVU anchorman, will be the speaker.
Colette Lay announced that the Cal Hi Interact Club will have a fundraiser on October 26th. A portion of the proceeds from any pizza purchased at On Fire Pizza, from 5 to 9 pm, will go to the club. So, mark your calendars accordingly.
Today is the last day for prize donations to the Online Auction for Education! The Auction will open at 10:00 am on September 20, but wait for an email announcement before you send the link on to your (many/several/few) -- choose the one that best fits you -- friends!
Lucky mentioned that the Board of Directors will be discussing a contribution to ShelterBox, Inc., in response to the hurricane disasters in Texas and Florida.
Dr. Bill (The Bard) Harlan will once again regale the public with the exploits of the Harlan family. This time it will be on November 11, in Coloma, California, where gold was first discovered in 1848, and the subject will be his family’s involvement in the Gold Rush of 1849.
PP Dennis Harvey noted that we will have a Rotary Information Booth at the September 21st Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at Bridges. We’ll need volunteers to man/woman the table from 5 to 7 pm. Contact Dennis if you can help out. (Please take note of how this Scribe has learned to be politically correct!)
“Can Do” Sandhu announced that the next District Assembly will be in Martinez. This is a great opportunity, particularly for newer members, to get a feel for what Rotary is about; and at a local venue!
The recent Hike, led by Karen McNamara and Chris Gallagher was well attended and well received! There’ll be another one coming up; stay tuned!
Good News/Fine Free: None
Recognitions: None!
Pre-Program:
PP Ray Giles took a few minutes to remind us that the new Rotary Year has started and that it is time to think about your annual contribution to The Rotary Foundation! The Foundation is starting its 101st year; it had begun with $26.50 in contributions at the 1917 Annual Convention and has now cumulatively spent about $3 Billion on good works all over the world!
- Polio Eradication
- Peace Fellows
- Group Study Exchanges
- Project Grants on Education, Clean Water, Economic Development, etc
- Large Scale Projects where results are measurable and sustainable.
Ray then handed out some Paul Harris pins: Colette L (PH + 2), Lucky S (PH + 2), Fred N (PH + 3), Garth R (PH + 3), Mike G (PH + 4) and Ed Duarte (PH + 6)!
The bottom line: “Every Rotarian; Every Year; A Contribution!”
Program:
Maureen DeCoste was introduced and she spoke about her organization, “Ability Now, Bay Area, located on Lincoln Avenue, in Oakland. They are a day center for adults with severe disabilities, which can serve a maximum of 100 students per day. They started in 1939 as the Cerebral Palsy Center but have now moved into serving a wide variety of adult students.
Maureen noted that under the age of 22, these people are handled thru the public school system, but once they age out many continue to need services because of their disabilities. Theirs is one of the very few centers that offers hygiene assistance which makes a huge difference to the individual since they need not wear diapers to make it thru the day.
Their school-like setting offers:
Computer Learning Center (since 1998); including specialized keyboards that can accommodate various persons with limited motor skills.
Small Business Center which helps students with special talents develop income streams.
Health and Wellness Program which is particularly critical for students that are wheelchair-bound and suffer significant pain from their inability to move their bodies. Stretching and yoga exercises, on floor mats, helps relieve that pain.
Horticulture Program where students can grow fruits and vegetables in raised beds that are accessible to them.
Advocacy with Community Partners which can lead to technology-based improvements for the disabled such as the “Google Spoon,” which Maureen demonstrated. The spoon bowl moves in relation to the handle in order to keep it level, so a person with mobility problems does not spill its contents.
Maureen invited any and all to join one of the “Discovery Abilities Tours,” where visitors can see their program in action. They are available twice a month; call 510-531-3323 to make a reservation.
Raffle: The Greeter’s Gift of $20.00, was won by Patti Hennigan, and the opportunity to draw that white marble was won by Mike Thelen. He got it and walked off with $100.00! The prize next week will therefore be a pittance!
Next Week’s Program: Our speaker next week will be Brad Howard, a former Rotary International Director. Our Greater will be Jon Milich.
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