BULLETIN:

FAREWELL MR. PRESIDENT

Monday, June 22, 1998

REMEMBER,
WE ARE DARK JUNE 29, 1998

Arnie Carston Hawaiian Shirt Day

THANKS JIM!

The last meeting of President Valinoti's tenure was called to order by Jim at precisely 12:25 pm on Monday, June 22, 1998 in his usual prompt manner. Richard Pratt led the assembled personages in the pledge and Bob Zeni gave the unusually deferential crowd a Rotary moment that exemplified President Jim's leadership during 1997/98. Ray Schofield introduced the day's visiting Rotarians.

Announcements

Bob Marigo, with the assistance of Mike Moore and President Jim, informed the club in his usual clear and concise manner of the additional $10,000 donation made to the SOS program by the Finley Foundation.

REMEMBER: the end of the year celebration is THIS SATURDAY, June 27, at Lake Sonoma, Picnic Area 3, 4:30-8:30 p.m.. We all will pay for it so you might as well go and enjoy. Call Bill Gittins at 571-5781.

President Jim informed the members that he had received a formal letter of resignation from the club from Curtis Reinhardt. Included with the letter was a $500 check made payable to the Rotary International Foundation! Many thanks Curtis for your many years of service with Santa Rosa West and good luck in your new endeavors. Don't forget to visit us on a regular basis and get recognized (fined!).

Recognition and Fines

Robin Marrs told us about his visit to Russia and the Ukraine and the real difficulties in trying to set up a Rotary Club in any of the territories of the former Soviet Union. Robin offered to contribute $100, even after Prez Jim was going to let him off the hook as a bleeding heart.

Mark your calendars...

June 27 - End of Rotary Year Celebration at Lake Sonoma, Picnic Area 3, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

June 29 - Dark, No Meeting

June 30 - Windsor Rotary Golf Tournament

July 6 - Club President Rich Standard "Visioning for the New Year"

July 13 - Assembly, Visioning Session and Raffle Kickoff

July 20 - Kid Street Theater, Linda Conklin

July 27 - Plans for Santa Rosa Downtown, Regional Urban Design Assistance Team (RUDAT - Link is to home page for RUDAT in Tacoma, WA.)

August 24 - District Governor Address, Lou Del Sol

August 31 - Adventures in the Ukraine, Robin Marrs

Past President Pat Sizemore listened in absolute disbelief when Ted Miles was recognized for his 48th wedding anniversary to the same woman. Later Pat was seen leaving Los Robles still shaking his head and muttering to himself the words " to the same woman ?" over and over again.

Rotary International Convention Report

Our incoming President, Richard Standard (soon to be known as " King Richard"), gave us an excellent synopsis of his trip to Indianapolis to attend this year's Rotary International Convention. Highlights included descriptions of wild parties at the Slippery Noodle Blues Club with past District Guv. John Stong and updates on the Rotary polio immunization program. Rotary's theme for the 1998/9 year is "Follow Your Rotary Dream." King Richard also presented a Rotary scarf and pins to President Elect Patsy Barnes (right).

AN EVENING WITH GINNY -- June, 1998 Fireside--

Special Contribution by "Von" Von Der Mehden:
One word -- "AMAZING" -- her former building was 4,000 square feet. The new building, on Dutton, is 17,000 square feet and with a much bigger yard. Everything is well organized, painted, and super clean. Her business, Northern Trench Safety, is growing by leaps and bounds. Huge semi trucks leave every morning for parts of Northern California, bringing her products to construction sites.

Ginny was the perfect hostess to only a few in our club. Too many missed a real great Fireside.

I Know What You're Thinking

The Bulletin is such a first class, fast paced, exciting and insightful publication. How can I get on the The Bulletin team? It's easy! Just contact David Björklund by e-mail or at 576-7632. Remember, the more people we have pitching in, the better The Bulletin is and the easier it is.

Bylaws Update

This is important! Proposed By-Law Changes were handed out by Janet Codding. Read them. Ask questions. This is our club. At the most basic level, it is what we make it. Remember, your vote will count even if you have no idea what you are voting for. (Click here to read the proposed changes and take the opportunity to comment by email, as well as online versions of the the current Bylaws and Constitution.)

Raffle - We're in the Big Money Now! ($1,000 +)

The winning raffle ticket was purchased by Hawaiian Arnie (right) this week, but unfortunately he was unable to pick the elusive orange marble. As compensation he had his photo taken with the whole bunch of Hawaiian shirt enthusiasts (below).

Internal Service Team Recognition

Thanks to -- Jeff Ray for set up and take down; Ray Schofield for greeting visiting Rotarians; John Palmer for selling raffle tickets; Richard Pratt for leading us in the pledge; Bob Zeni for our Rotary Moment; and to Ken Dansie for this Bulletin.

Program - The Whales of San Ignacio

Elliot Daum provided the club with a fascinating program about the potential threat to one of the primary breeding grounds of the endangered gray whales. The breeding ground is located at San Ignacio in Baja, California. The proposed development of a saltworks plant at the San Ignacio lagoon could jeopardize this otherwise pristine breeding habitat.

The lagoon at San Ignacio, because of its calm waters and high saline content, is an ideal breeding and birthing ground for the gray whale. The lagoon is currently surrounded by a huge nature preserve owned by the Mexican government. However, there is a current proposal in which Mitsubishi Corp. in conjunction with the Mexican government are considering developing the salt flats adjacent to the lagoon for the purpose of harvesting and manufacturing the unusually pure salt which can be found in the region.

It is unclear, at present, what the effect of such development would be on the whale breeding and birthing which occurs in the lagoon. Some statistics show that such development would even increase the amount of mating activity of the whales in the area. General experience, on the other hand, has shown that such development works to the detriment of the naturally occurring species, habitats and processes.

Mr. Daum expressed to us the wonder and awe inspiring magnificence of these animals as they swim around the small wooden boats which are the only vessels allowed in the lagoon. Mr. Daum related that the whales will often come right up to the boat, nudging the boat and/or allowing the passengers in the boat to touch them.

Mr. Daum's opinion as to the proposed development of the salt flats adjacent to the lagoon was that the area encompassing the lagoon is in such a pure and pristine state, we should not destroy the natural and unique beauty which currently exists there, taking a chance on destroying the habitat of the whale as well.

President Jim closed his last meeting with usual panache at precisely 1.30 pm. Onwards to the celebration at Lake Sonoma on Saturday!

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