Bulletin for January 14, 2008
Rotary Club Membership with Chris Parr-Feldman
By Anne Abrams
Preliminaries
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President Fred Zmarzly welcomed everyone to the meeting at St. Rose. Thanks
to the following Rotarians for their assistance with today’s meeting: Secretary: Janet Codding Cashier: Louie Capuano Greeter: David McDonald Tickets: Mike Moore Rotary Moment: Gary Lucas Bulletin: Anne Abrams Program: Dave Wattell No photographer today |
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The Pledge: Someone lead us in the salute to our flag and did a fine job of it.
The Rotary Moment: Brought to us by Gary Lucas was complete with Wisdom on living to the fullest every day.
A Second Rotary Moment: Bob Zeni announced that Ken and Marty Prouty have suffered a terrible tragedy. Their son Andrew died suddenly in his sleep perhaps from an enlarged heart. Andrew was in his mid-forties and leaves behind a wife and three young children. Andrew was a Rotary exchange student to Holland along with Bob’s son and was a good friend and community member. Our hearts go out to the Prouty family in this difficult time.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests: We tripled last week’s Visiting Rotarians with visitors Steve Schofield, Barbara Beeden and Larry Miyano. We also had several guests from Hawaii here visiting Chris Parr-Feldman: Irma, Mei, and Eileen who was Chris’s roommate in college. They visit Sonoma County every year. Also Augustin Orozco, our GSE Team Member bound for Nigeria was also in attendance. Welcome to all our visitors.
Sunshine Report: David McDonald announced that Bo Kirchen is in the hospital for follow-up surgery and will be home on Wednesday. Bo we wish you well. Phil and Faye Talamantes suffered the loss of Phil’s mother-in- law ( Faye’s mother, Louise Eastman) this past week. We offer condolences to the Talamantes family.
Announcements and Such:
The board meeting was last Tuesday, and Prez Fred reports that our finances are in the black. He asked that we consider “avenues of service” and descriptions of such should be gathered for promotion at the Crab Feed.
The Rotary World publication announced the availability of “shelter boxes” for sponsorship by Rotary Clubs. The emergency boxes will be donated to families in need during natural disasters. Ginny Pitts is offering to match gifts from our Rotary Club. Thanks, Ginny for always talking the lead and setting a great example.
Susan Nowacki: Would like all members to bring promised Gift Baskets for the Silent Auction to the next meeting. If you plan to bring them directly to the Crab Feed at set-up time, please notify her by email or in writing of your plans.
Susan also has published information cards about what Rotary is and what we do to be placed on the tables at the Crab Feed to promote new memberships.
CRAB FEED CHAIR REPORT:
Pete Lamonica our Crab Feed Chairperson directed us to information on the lunch table about items for the Live and Silent Auction. There are over 250 items (and some larger ticket items in the Silent auction as well in the $1,000 to $1,500 range)! Janet Codding will obtain an electronic copy of the items and distribute to membership for your information.
TICKETS TO CRAB FEED: We have 600 tickets out and there and about 50-100 tickets left so if you have someone interested in attending a great event, get your tickets ASAP. Thanks go to Susan and Gail for selling several tables. Pete has sold over 20 tickets to folks from the Golf and Country Club.
Phil Talamantes, Mike Moore and Jim Benoit received baskets and Jim donated his to the Crab Feed. Thanks Jim!
Pete Lamonica has donated $100 to the Rotary Foundation on behalf of his newest grandchild born last week. Congratulations and thanks, Pete.
Chris Young announced that we took in $847.00 for bell ringing over the holidays! Thanks to all who participated.
At the Foundation Dinner our club, Santa Rosa West, received an award for being in the top five in per capita giving to the Rotary Foundation. Great job everyone and special credit to Harry Rubins for all his reminders and encouragement. Thanks Harry. Rotary Foundation funds many worthwhile projects here and internationally including: Polio Plus, GSE, student exchange, and many other projects around the globe.
Recognition
Michael Moore was given just a few moments for recognitions, but he made the most of it.
Matt Delaney: Was recognized for being recently back from Nicaragua where his whole office and his family (including 17 month old) visited and assisted turtles as they come ashore to breed and hatch. (This sounds like a program waiting to happen!)
Chris Rosell is welcomed back from a skiing adventure to Mt. Bachelor. It’s good to see you snow-whipped and all from the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands where he relaxed, read books, and checked on the house up there. Something about $10.
Louie Capuano was recognized for a lot of things: New York trip, Iceland trip for drilling rigs and banking, where the day is over-cast and then gets dark at 3:00 PM. Iceland finally made whisky legal in 1987 says Louie and they’ve been making up for it ever since then. Well, he didn’t look too hung over. Slightly jet lagged tho.
Raffle
No one won one the black marble but Ginny, the Winery owner, won the wine!
Program: “Rotary Club Membership: Loud, Proud, Great in a Crowd”
with Chris Parr-Feldman
| Chris Parr-Feldman has a long presence in
Rotary from 1987 when she joined the Windsor Rotary. She has been a
leader in the Group Study Exchange program. She is a past President
of Santa Rosa West Rotary. She is currently the District 5130 Chair
of Membership. We welcome Chris as our speaker of the day, recently
back from Rotary’s Presidential Membership Convention. |
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| Chris told the story of how she was invited to her first Rotary meeting and how that one event changed her life. In 1991 she attended an International Conference in Mexico with Janet Codding and she discovered the work of Rotary is truly a global effort. Chris asked us to recall who had touched you? Why have you joined Rotary? ( I think we all have a story to tell.) |
Chris then asked us to consider the fact that while Rotary membership worldwide is growing, membership in North America is declining. Why? The strength of Rotary is that we continue to grow in membership generation after generation. Chris asked each generation of our membership to stand as an example. (The Greatest Generation, Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Gen Y).
If each of us found one new member by March 2008 we would have 2500 new members in or district. Many members leave the club after just 2-5 years. It is important to get new members engaged and involved in activities from the start. Rotary fellowship is important in retaining membership and respecting what each member has to offer the club. Not all of us can achieve 100% attendance though many take great pride in that. Rotary currently requires 50% attendance.
Chris encourages us to stop to consider what builds club membership, to identify problems in growing the club and that we all decide to bring a friend to Rotary, and “make our club rock”.
President Fred offered Chris a gift of wine and reminded us that we are open next Monday on Dr. Martin Luther King Day
| Your Bulletin Reporter: Anne Abrams  |
Your
Bulletin Editor: Jim Valinoti  |