Bulletin for August 11, 2008
Dr. Mark Netherda - HIV work with Orphans in Namibia
By Chris Rosell
Preliminaries
 COOL CLUB President David McDonald opened the meeting and let the members of Santa Rosa West Rotary know that we are so cool, that henceforth we will be know as the "Cool" Club. Let the bells ring out………and chill. |
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Pledge: Darcy Hanson Rotary Moment: Susan Nowacki |
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| Visiting Rotarians: Randy Seeley-Santa Rosa Sunrise, Dan McMillian-Santa Rosa Downtown, Joan Morrow-Windsor. |
Introduction of Guests: Neil Silverman brought his son Josh today.
Announcements and Such:
Ginny Pitts reminded us all to join the fun this Sunday August 17 for a BBQ social at Mike and Maureen Merrill’s. Time 4-7pm.
Past president Jim Hinton volunteered to be the bulletin writer next week. Hip..Hip..Hurray. We need more volunteers to write the bulletin. Sign up!
| Sunshine Report |
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| Tarina Hall sadly announced for the bereft Ginny Pitts that Harvest Moon Winery’s chicken "girly girl" passed away suddenly last week. Rumors that she was last seen prior to the serving of Coco Vin have not been substantiated. |
Recognitions
Susan Nowacki ratted on Richard Pratt as she & Dean joined Rich and his wife Kathy at their home at Lake Tahoe where they hiked/biked/rafted the Truckee, boated and made merry. $20-each, for Susan and Rich.
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Gil Lucas pointed out that President David had been on a trip. He came clean and fined himself $20 for attending a convention in Las Vegas. He only had $100’s as he and wife, Kim, hit the wheel of fortune to the tune of $1000 on the trip. Ya..hooo…
Bo Kirschen took a cruise from SF to Alaska, stopping at 7 ports along the way. $20
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Bill Dodson’s birthday is Aug.12 and he’s only 3 years shy of Medicare qualification. Plans are to celebrate with Toodie at Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg. No caviar though! $20
Darcy Fellows-Hanson will be celebrating her birthday this week too. No rest for the "wicked" so she plans to work on the special day. No cake for the gymnastics instructor…perhaps a drink or two? $20
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Braggin' Buck’s
Rich Pratt added a buck or two, as his daughter was married in Mexico on June 15. This reminder from Neil Silverman that his son Scott was recently married in Beijing. Ruth Lincoln doubled down by announcing that her son was married last weekend as well and her daughter returned from Peru and found that she had been selected as the outstanding Senator for Girls Nation!
Finely, Jim Hinton announced that his grandson, age 10, has been selected from a group of 64 boys being interviewed to be the next "voice" in Pixar Productions next movie. Both have been sworn to secrecy as to the name of the characters he will be the voice of. Good training for a future with the FBI or?
Raffle
Henry "Von" der Mehden failed to select the correct marble that would have won him $350, however, visiting Rotarian, Randy Seeley, got to take home a bottle of wine for visiting such a cool club. Perhaps he’ll spread the word….
Program: Dr. Mark Netherda - HIV work with Orphans in Namibia
| Susan Nowacki & Ruth Lincoln introduced Dr. Mark Methurda, the new Medical Director of the Sonoma County Health Services Aids Prevention and Care Center. Dr. Methurda visited Namibia in 2003 to set up a clinic education and care of HIV patients. |
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Namibia is just north of South Africa on the Atlantic coast. It is a country approximately the size of Texas with 2.1 million people where 1 in 5 have HIV. HIV has become a pandemic in Africa. Just look at the following statistics: 28 million of the worlds 40 million people infected world wide with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa. Compare this to the US where we have 1 million people infected with HIV.
Doctor Merthurda only stayed 6 weeks on his first visit to set up
clinics, however in that time he was able to train 56 people who now treat
50 thousand people annually from 7 or 8 clinics. That equates to about 250
patients per day. Compare that to 1000 patients the HIV care program has
helped in Sonoma County since its inception in 1995. He returned to Namibia
twice. Once in 2004 for set up a similar program and clinics for children
and again for a year with his wife and three children in June of 2006 as the
medical director for the Center for Disease Control (CDC). His wife and
children found life very different there due to the limited outlets for
social interaction in a country where not only they have an HIV epidemic,
but 40% of the population lives in poverty and in primitive living
conditions. The family adjusted to living in Namibia and all members became
involved in supporting a "soup kitchen" for 500 children a day. The family
continues to support the soup kitchen via the Food for Thought project in
Africa.
| Your Bulletin Reporter: Chris Rosell  |
Your
Bulletin Editor: Jim Valinoti  |