Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.
(There were 30 participants signed on for the meeting.)
President Chris “Top Gun” Gallagher opened the meeting and reminded us that this year’s Rotary International President is Holger Knaack from the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, and our theme is “Rotary Opens Opportunities.” Rotary’s theme for December is –- very appropriately -- “Disease Prevention and Treatment Month!”
Our Greeter, Julie McKinney, led us in the Salute to the Flag and her Thought for the Day: “When life puts you in a tough situation, don’t ask, ‘Why me?’ but say, ‘Try me!’ “
Visiting Rotarians: PP Bill Clarkson, of the Dougherty Valley club.
Guests: None
Top Gun’s “News You Did Not Hear:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, President Chris Gallagher was forced to call on PP Dr. Bill at the last minute to be today’s Speaker! Reluctant as he always is about talking in public, and particularly about the Harlan family’s history, he got over his inhibitions to tell us about his search for the “Harlan Mountain Ranch.” It all started after Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden! Then, in 1846, great great great great granddad, George Harlan, led the family of 25 people, with 12 wagons and 75 dairy cattle to California, in the hope of having his great great great great grandson become a Shakespeare scholar and Dean of the Dougherty Valley Center of Diablo Valley College. George’s oldest son, Joel, settled in the San Ramon Valley and built “El Nido,” a home that remains standing (but only barely)!
Dr. Bill’s great grandfather, Elisha, was raised in the San Ramon Valley, and in later years talked about the “Harlan Mountain Ranch,” in Fresno County, where they would drive their cattle for the summer months, returning them to the SR Valley for the winters, about 50 miles each way. Even though he has some pictures of this ranch, Dr. Bill and family have been unable to actually locate it. A few years ago, his cousin Steve discovered that they had been looking in the wrong county; the ranch was actually located in Kings County! They now know where the acreage actually is, but not where the ranch buildings were.
Using the landmarks visible in the photos, the family is hoping to spend time roaming the property -- presumably with the current owner’s permission to avoid getting shot -- to locate the site and maybe recover some artifacts. We wish him good luck in this endeavor!
