February 27, 2013 Bulletin

DIGITAL EDITION   No. 18     February 27, 2013     EDITOR: Mike Truesdell     PHOTOGRAPHER: Diane Moresi

Our Program For March 6th:

HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN PLAY

One of California’s oldest non-profit theater groups staged its first theatrical performance in 1913

In the early years, playgoers attending the performances in the natural theater 2,500 feet above the Pacific Coast had two options: They either hiked the eight miles up from Mill Valley or they steamed up the mountain aboard the “Crookedest Railroad in the World”. Don’t miss Dick Matthews’  history of this century-old theatrical adventure above the clouds at the peak of  Marin’s Mount Tamalpais.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS….

March 13: Bruce Aylward: How we’ll stop polio for good (Meeting location: St. Rose Hall)
March 20, 2013: Santa Rosa’s Gang Task Force
March 27, 2013: Ken Fischang & Sonoma County Tourism

OPENING CEREMONIES

President William called the last meeting in February to order and designated Matt Everson to lead the large crowd in our Pledge of Allegiance. When no one responded to the call for today’s invocation, Cardinal Newman High’s Mike Truesdell stepped into the breach with some inspiring thoughts and quoted Nicolaus Copernicus, a Renaissance astronomer born in Poland exactly 540 years ago this month: “Fault-finding is of little use and scant profit, for it is the very mark of a shameless mind to prefer the role of the censorious critic to that of the creative poet.” Copernicus was the first person to prove that the Earth was not the center of the Universe.

VISITING ROTARIANS

Today’s guest speaker, Vicki Whiting, the current President of the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley; and psychologist Dr. Shari Shansavari, a frequent visitor from the Rotary Club of Guatemala, were cordially welcomed to the largest, oldest, and most active Rotary Club in Sonoma County.

GUESTS OF ROTARIANS

Club Secretary Jack Abercrombie introduced his two guests: From Union Bank, Elizabeth Karbousky, and from Bank of Marin, Veronica King. Jock McNeil welcomed back his guest, Ryan Beach, from Sonoma Bank, Jeff Gospe announced that his wife Ann has submitted her application to the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa, and Matt Everson introduced today’s speaker, Vicki Whiting, publisher of Kid Scoop News,.

RAFFLE

Retired test pilot Nick Knickerbocker took the purple velvet bag up for yet another spin, loaded with a big $478 Jackpot. Today’s lucky ticket, which belonged to school superintendent Casey D’Angelo, proved to be a dud, only worth the usual $10.  Next week’s jackpot should top $500 and the Joker Odds improve every week, so bring your spare change to get in the running for the first drawing in March, next Wednesday, the 6th.

PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBERS

Ann Gospe: Sonoma County Economic Development Board
Sponsored by Jeff Gospe
Manuela Gonzalez: Business Banking, Rabobank
Sponsored by Kerrie Chambers
Elizabeth Karbousky: Banking, Union Bank
Sponsored by Abercrombie, Moresi, D. Johnson
Annette Walker: Clothing Consultant
Sponsored by Wayne Rowlands

CARDINAL NEWMAN INTERACT

Three students from Cardinal Newman’s Interact Club, Nate Bentham, Paige Nonella, and Daniel Phung described their project to assist 7th graders at Roseland Collegiate Prep with their classes in Lab Science and Video Arts.  President Bill suggested that our generous Rotarians offer voluntary individual financial support for the project. Past President Debi Zaft traversed the tables and collected a total of $541. After the meeting the three Interact students expressed their appreciation to President Bill and the entire Rotary Club for our help to support a field trip for 57 Roseland Collegiate Prep students to the San Francisco Academy of Sciences.

ROTARIAN MAGAZINE QUESTION

What California Rotary club began supporting a community called Osukuru in Uganda by not just supporting a village, but by adopting a team. Page 23.

ACCESS GIRO BELLO WEBSITE

Doug Johnson, this year’s Chair of the Third Annual Giro Bello cycling classic on Saturday, July 6th, called on Rotary Webmaster Wayne Rowlands for a quick tutorial on the event’s website at www.GiroBello.com.  Wayne recommended that people access the website and visit the “Sponsorship” page to see all the sponsorship opportunities. He also pointed to the home page of the site and noted that the link to register for the event was clearly highlighted. All the information about the event can be found on “The Event” pages.

One easy way all club members can help in marketing the event is to use the current social networks to spread the word. Giro Bello has a Facebook page. We ask everyone to “Like” the page and then share it with all their friends. People can also “Follow” the Giro Bello activities on its Twitter page. Email the informative Giro Bello website to everyone you know…and anyone else who would be interested in this spectacular summertime adventure through the hills and valleys of west Sonoma County. All of this will help spread the word about this great event that supports the non-profit grants and service to our community that the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa has been funding and supporting for more than 90 years.

IDENTIFY THESE HEADS

Win a free lunch on Photographer & Rotarian Diane Moresi. At Rotary on Feb. 20^th, Diane was captivated by these rear view snapshots of five members of our club’s World Community Service Committee. If you can identify to Diane, in writing, the name of the person in each Rotarian at Work T-Shirt, Diane will buy you lunch. If your head is one of these photos, you are not eligible to participate. If there are any ties for the solitary prize, the winner will be determined by a lottery drawing. Contest deadline is by 12:30 pm at next Wednesday’s meeting. It’s that simple, and the 4-Way Test applies.

SHOW YOUR COLORS

Every one of us can enhance our club’s public image (our “brand”) in this community. Always wear your distinctive Rotary pin. Almost everyone recognizes the Gold Wheel and may ask you about the pin, or about Rotary. Our club’s 90 year involvement in this community always makes an interesting story both to Sonoma County natives and to newcomers. Wear our club’s blue t-shirt with the gold wheel when you’re out in Santa Rosa, especially community events, fundraisers, and service projects. The same with our club banners and signs at every opportunity in which Rotary is involved.  It is so simple to forward the link to the bulletin with  a cover note. Share The Santa Rosarian newsletter with everyone you know, meet, and do business with. Keep yourself and your family informed about all that we do for others. Keep a mental list of the local organizations that we support. Rotary is not a secret society! Spread the word; help raise awareness in the communities we serve by showing your Rotary Colors.

JACK’S BACK FROM NEW ORLEANS

After rolling over another 6,000 miles from his inspirational limousine cross-country adventures to the Super Bowl and back, Jack Tolin returned to the home club to share all the fund-raising stories on behalf of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. At the dozens of stops that they made—roundtrip— from the Blue Pacific shores to the Gulf Coast of New Orleans, Jack confirmed that their three weeks on the road were “inspirational!”…full of stories from survivors plus too many sad stories of those who did not. He estimated that they talked to more than a thousand people along the way and in New Orleans. Jack said they collected  more than $6,000 from the many wonderful people they met along the way.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Club Secretary Jack Abercrombie reminds us that our March 13 meeting of the Rotary Club will be held at the St. Rose Hall on Tenth Street.
• Past President Debi Zaft announced the date of next year’s Casino Royale extravaganza fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday evening, February 1, 2014. Please mark your calendars now for the big event..
• Museum On-The-Go: Our Rotary Club’s Outreach Science Program needs volunteers on Thursday & Friday, March 7^th & 8^th from 8:15 am to 2:30 pm at Brook Hill Elementary School. If you can help but did not fill out the flyer at Wednesday’s meeting, contact Theresa Giacomino at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County.
• Past President Yale Abrams reminded us that all Rotarians are invited to the YMCA Breakfast and Tour at 1111 College Avenue next Wednesday morning at 8 am. By attending you will receive three months membership in the Y Health Club.
• $100 Membership Contest:  An offer you cannot refuse: Sponsor two new members to the Most Active Rotary Club in Sonoma County by May 22^nd and receive $100 in cold hard cash. Apparently this is an unlimited offer, so get busy!
• Rebuilding Together: Rotary’s next hands-on project is scheduled for Saturday, April 27^th.  Don’t miss another fun day with Rotarians at Work.

FINES AND RECOGNITIONS

• Accused of world-wide media exposure on this three-week fundraising trip though the Deep South without once mentioning “Rotary”, President Bill tapped the legendary Jack Tolin for a $100 donation to his Paul Harris Fellowship.
• Nona Lucas, who was noticeably missed by her long journey to Cancun, Uruguay, and Points South, took advantage of President Bill’s offer of True Confessions and contributed $50 to her grand kids’ Paul Harris Fellowships.
• An impromptu auction broke out at Wednesday’s meeting when 4-H guru Sam McMillan, who donates two tickets to the upcoming 4-H Club Breakfast almost every week, did it again. Past President (has it been almost 4 years?) Kathleen Archer bid $10, (Really old) Past President Rich DeLambert raised it to $11, and Loyal Rotarian Darrell Horn capped the bidding at $15.

LITERACY’S 3^RD GRADE CRISIS

If your children or grandchildren are not reading proficiently by the third grade, they will likely drop out of high school and be involved in criminal activities. Our children must become literate or the consequences are devastating! Involved Rotarian Vicki Whiting knows that we can increase standard achievement test scores by 10 percent in classrooms that use newspapers in the curriculum. 30 percent for at-risk children!! Kid Scoop News, her Sonoma County newspaper for children, is used in 87 percent of the county’s schools and serves more than 13,000 students each month. Our Rotary Club, along with other local Rotary clubs, partner with Kid Scoop News to engage young school children in our local community to stimulate their interest in local events, our local community, and all the wonderful things that happen all around them.

GLEN E. HUNTSBERGER III

In Memoriam: Fellow Rotarian and member of the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa for more than a decade passed away on Thursday, February 21, at the age of 62. Glen is survived by his wife, Diana, his three children Scott, Matthew, & Rachel, his sister Phyllis Greenwood and his brother John. A Celebration of Life will be held this summer for close friends and family.

OFFICERS

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa

President: Bill Rousseau, President Elect: Peggy Soberanis, Secretary: Jack Abercrombie, Treasurer: Cecil G. Humes, Sergeant at Arms: Jack Geary

President Rotary International

Sakuji Tanaka – Rotary Club of Yasjio, Japan

Governor, District 5130

Michael Juric – Rotary Club of Windsor

Attendance Secretary

Jack Abercrombie P.O. Box 505 Santa Rosa, CA 95402 707-538-4770

Board of Directors

Matt Fannin, Jose Guillen, Paul Hamilton, Nicole Le, Diane Moresi, Vinay Patel, Robert Pierce, Carmen Sinigiani, Creed Wood, Marnie Goldschlag, Past President