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DIGITAL EDITION   No. 45     September 11, 2013     EDITORS:  Don McMillan & Jim Johnson     PHOTOGRAPHER: Diane Moresi

Our Program For September 18th

SR MAN INDICTED IN LIBYA EXPORTING

The U.S Constitution says that all men are innocent until they are proven guilty in a court of law

 The nightmare began for Dan & Nancy Schell on the on the morning of July 10, 1993, when Dan picked up the Press Democrat from his driveway and spotted this headline on the front page:

“A Santa Rosa businessman and two associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in
San Francisco on Friday for allegedly violating a U.S. trade embargo by scheming to ship agricultural and irrigation equipment to Libya. Daniel D. Schell, 62, will be arraigned July 27 on the charges which carry a maximum 60-year prison term and $2 million fine if convicted.”

“Innocent until proven guilty”…“Dan’s an honest man”…“These guys know what they’re doing. It’ll be okay”…” a 60 year prison term”…“$2 million fine”…”4 to 6 years in litigation”…“the U. S. Supreme Court”

nightmare

UPCOMING PROGRAMS….

September 18th:    Dan Schell vs. Libya & the United States
September 25:       David Rabbitt: Chair, Sonoma County Supervisors
October 2:               My Dolce Vita by Don Chigazola
October 9:               What’s New in the World of Elections?

USEFUL LINKS

Visit our district at: http://www.rotary5130.org
Check out Rotary International at: http://www.rotary.org
Come see us at: http://rotarymeansbusiness.com
Check out the new Levi Stadium: http://newsantaclarastadium.com/

OPENING CEREMONIES

This meeting was called to order by President Peggy. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Judy Glenn. Matt Fannin presented the invocation:

NEVER FORGETTING

12 years and 6 hours ago our world changed. No doubt more for some than others, but the reality is that everyone who was a teenager or older in 2001 remembers it just like our previous national tragedies. For thousands of young men and women that attack was the beginning of the rest of their lives. Some, in fact thousands, of those lives ended within years of making the decision to fight back.

On 9/11 our country (and 89 others) lost 2,977 people within a couple of hours. After the buildings collapsed, only a couple of people were every rescued alive from the World Trade Center. Casualties that day included

246 passengers on the four airliners
340 FDNY firefighters
25 in the Pentagon—55 military/70 civilians
23 New York Police Dept. Officers
37 Port Authority Police
10 paramedics
1 chaplain

 Much has happened since then, but this is about remembering those 2,977 people. This is about Never Forgetting. That is not just a bumper sticker. It is a necessity.

Stacy Small President of the Evening Rotary Club

Stacy Small President of the Evening Rotary Club

VISTING ROTARIANS

Past President Rich DeLambert had the honor of introducing one of our more distinguished groups of visiting Rotarians in many months:

[list style=”arrow” color=”blue” el_position=”first last”]

  • District Governor Helaine Campbell,
  • Past District Governor Bruce Campbell
  • Governor Elect Kevin Eisenberg, from the Rotary Club of Calistoga
  • Assistant District Governor Ann McGinley, from Santa Rosa Rotary East,
  • Tim Triplett, from the Rotary Club of Palestine, Texas
  • Dr. Shari Shamsavari, from Guadalajara, Mexico, honorary club member
  • Stacy Sindell, President of the New Generations Evening Rotary Club
  • Sarah Giametti-Hutchins, New Generations Evening Rotary Club

[/list]

GUESTS OF ROTARIANS

On their final day as guests of Rotarians were Eunice Valentine, sponsored by Don McMillan and, recovering from recent surgery, Sonya Butler, sponsored by Wayne Rowlands; both to be inducted today as new members of the first, the largest, the most active, and the Finest Rotary Club in California’s North Bay. And Ray Foreaker’s guest & son, John Foreaker. Welcome to our new members, our guests, and to our visiting Rotarians.

Anne Gospe gives Roy Thylin the bad news

Ann Gospe gives Roy Thylin the bad news

ROTARY RAFFLE

With Ann Gospe in charge, we had high hopes for this week’s raffle. First the Jackpot was at an attractive and even number of $500. Ann announced that there were only 34 cards competing with two jokers. Everything was in place for a big win…then Roy Thylin’s lucky red ticket was drawn resulting in Roy being awarded the $10 consolation prize and the Jackpot continues to build toward Ted Wilmsen levels. With fewer loser cards and two winning jokers, the odds of winning get better every week. Think hard: What’s a lucky number that goes with 18? As in Wednesday, September 18th.

NEW ROTARIANS INDUCTED

With current District Governor Helaine Campbell supervising, Past District Governor Norm Owen did the honors and inducted Sonja Butler, sponsored by Wayne Rowlands, and Eunice Valentine, sponsored by Past President Don McMillan. Welcome to our Rotary Club’s two newest members!

DG

DG Helaine Campbell, Don McMillan, Eunice Valentine, Yale Abrams, Sonja Butler and Wayne Rowlands

ROTARY EXCHANGE STUDENT

Giovannni Provenzano has adjusted well after less than a month as a senior at Santa Rosa High School. He and his guests from high school enjoyed themselves at the reception in his honor Wednesday evening at the home of Kim & David McDonald. Actually with the weather so nice, the reception was outside, in the garage & driveway with two long tables overflowing with hefty cheeseburgers, foot-long hotdogs, baked beans, lots of cookies, dips, chips, salsa, soda, and other refreshments. In spite of the crowd noise, the 17-year-old guest of honor’s English skills are quite good and his Italian accent easily understandable.

Host families needed: Rotary exchange students rotate between three host families during the year. We could use two more homes during his stay in Sonoma Wine Country. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the relatively-unknown eastern Mediterranean—the island of Corsica near Italy, Giovanni’s home, Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. He’s the younger of two children with a slightly older sister. He enjoys sports, is studying accounting and his favorite subjects are economics and law. Host families are often non-Rotarians and do not need to have children at home, nor live in a specific school district. For more info, contact Youth Exchange Committee members Larry Miyano (696-4905), Craig Meltzner (526-6336), or Jeff Gospe (494-9249).

NEW R.I. WEBSITE

In these brief videos, you will get an overview of Rotary International’s redesigned website, including the section for the general public and R.I.’s enhanced area just for Rotarians, “My Rotary”.

Take a tour of the new website
Tour the public site
Watch a video about My Rotary
Create a profile and sign in to My Rotary

ANNOUNCEMENTS           

The Heidi Zimmer Memorial Chili Cook Off, a fundraiser announced by Sarah Giametti and Rich DeLambert in honor of a deceased founding member of Sarah’s club, Friday, September 20, from 6 pm to 10 pm at the Scottish Rite Hall, sponsored by Heidi’s New Generations Evening Rotary Club. All proceeds go to the Rotary International Foundation.

The September Rotary Social: Cathy Vicini invited all of us to a family barbeque at her Sky Farm home on Sunday, September 22nd from 11:30 am until 4 pm. Cathy reiterated that this barbeque is for the whole family so bring the kids and the grandkids, sun screen, cover-ups, and your usual hungry appetites for outdoor BBQ. Check your Rotary Roster for the address.

Marcy Smothers’ SNACKS: Autographed copies of her book at a Rotary discount keep selling out, but Marcy keeps autographing her cookbook/memoirs for Rotary and Jackie McMillan keeps delivering them to Copperfield Books in Montgomery Village.  Jackie also reminded us of Rotary’s 4 Way Test and requests that the two persons who took the two books from her display on the table in the back of the room this week to please pay her at the next meeting. Editor’s note suggests that they forego the Rotary discount and pay the full retail price.

Jim Johnson

Jim Johnson

Jim Johnson thanked the club for supporting the need for greater recognition of Rotary in the community, and in this Rotary Club, through more publicity and greater communications efforts, pointing out that one of the quickest and most beneficial ways to promote our fellow Rotarians and our club would be brag about the members of our club and all that we do for this community to each other, to neighbors and friends and through local media. He suggests that we use the weekly Santa Rosarian and our local media with information about Rotary and our fellow Rotarians. He volunteered to start the publicity process with any information given to the marketing committee and help all of us recognize newsworthy stories and events.

Past President Will (Aloha) Haymaker announced that our club’s World Community Service committee is putting together a March 2014 trip to Mexico for Project Amigo. Stay tuned for more details.

The Poinsettia Project: Red Badgers, check with Dan Walker, and ask if he still needs you to help him with the annual Christmas Poinsettia sale in late November & early December. It’s the perfect Christmas chore—easy and fun: You take flower orders from Rotarians and supporters, and you place the orders. When they arrive, bring the poinsettias to the club on the day selected and help take them to the Vigil Lights Apartments down the street behind the Flamingo, then stick around, visit with the residents, bring out the cookies and cake for the Vigil Light residents, and join in the Christmas Carols, relax and have a good time, topped with lots of Christmas

RECOGNITIONS

Past President Steve Olson was recognized for spending too much time at a Giants game, even as he tried to fast-talk his way out of it by appealing to our president’s knowledge of the intricacies of baseball scoring. When that failed, he quickly contributed $50 to the Wes Jameson fund in the club’s local foundation.

One could never have guessed that Norm Owen could get poetic over the joys of sailing on the Bay overloaded with good and wine and his love of “the sea”. He contributed $100 to the John Brown veteran’s scholarship fund and even shamed Ted Wilmsen into admitting his nautical presence fulfilling yet another wish from “The Bucket List” and making a similar contribution.

Matt Fannin ratted on Ryan Thomas for his Baja Mexico fishing trip where he landed a 45 pound Dorado. Ryan also crowed that he had been accepted in the XXX Leadership Santa Rosa class, then coughed up $100 for the John Brown fund.

Julia Parranto was truly overcome with Norm’s generosity on 9/11 and also donated $100 to John Brown’s memory and his growing scholarship fund.

Julia’s emotion and her support touched several nerves and turned on the spigot: Jack Abercrombie donated another $100 for having to attend a family reunion in Cornhusker territory, not to mention his birthday around Labor Day.

Female leatherneck and “Semper Fi” vet Ann Gospe donated another $100 in honor of the club’s iconic Marine Corps veteran.

In honor of his 43rd wedding anniversary with Queen Jeanne, Fred Levin donated another $100 to John’s fund. And Cathy Vicini contributed $100 to John’s fund, just for the fun of giving it!

Robbie Fouts stirred himself long enough to toss $50 into John Brown’s scholarships, then another $50 to the Jack Levar Fund for attending Burning Man (yet again for 8 days in the broiling Nevada desert shade) and for watching the America’s Cup races back on the Bay.

Judy Glenn claims she was so flat-out impressed with the generosity of her fellow Rotarians that she contributed her $100 to John’s Fund. See what Julia sparked!

Kim Murphy added her $100 to John Brown’s burgeoning scholarship fund in honor of her father, a USAF—or Army Air Corps (what it was called when you were in college) Colonel!

Paul Hamilton added to John’s veterans scholarships in honor of his mother and father, both of whom were in military service for our country. Nona Lucas added her $100 to the avalanche in recognition of Best Buddy John’s birthday this coming Monday, and Steve Olson also gave $100 to the John Brown fund.

Determined to get the scholarship paid next year, Blaine Goodwin donated his $100. Jack Tolin allocated $9.11 for his birthday (in August?!!)  and $90.89 to John’s fund. Keven Brown showed up late for the meeting but in time to contribute his $100 to John’s fund in honor of all the vets who have protected our country through the years.

Wayne Rowlands contributed an amount yet unknown that just might be enough to endow John Brown’s Scholarships for his veterans or to pay out a scholarship in this coming year.

Past President Ray (Marvin) Dorfman contributed his $50 because John had gotten him on the Veterans Day Celebration Committee (although 10 minutes earlier we heard him complaining about having been into joining that very same committee!) Ray also contributed $50 to the Jack Levar Fund.

PROGRAM

Ann McGinley introduced the district’s current district governor, Helaine Campbell, who has been a member of the Rotary Clubs of Sebastopol and Sebastopol Sunrise Clubs for 23 years. She has chaired the District’s assemblies, conferences, attended 11 Festivals of Brotherhood in Guadalajara, Mexico, and visited 25 Rotary Clubs in District 5130. In 2011 she also took a mission trip to Vietnam fulfill a Rotary International grant to build an operable water reservoir in an Agent Orange Vietnam War target area .

DG Helaine Campbell with President Peggy

DG Helaine Campbell with President Peggy

Helaine encouraged each of us to take time to thank the Rotarian sponsor who brought us into Rotary, then reminded us that every new Rotarian is responsible until each one of us is fully engaged in Rotary. Not just the club to which we belong, but to the clubs in our district and to Rotary around the world. She urged us not to wait 30 or 40 years before we invite someone to come with us to a Rotary meeting to learn what a powerful and wonderful organization your guest could be a part of.

She recommend that we travel as Rotarians on Rotary matters and always anticipate exciting adventures when we do, “Be engaged in Rotary!” she urged us and asked if each of us is truly involved in this club as you are able to be? “Participation in international as well as local projects will result in the betterment of those communities and well as each Rotarian who participates. We all make choices in life: how we allocate our time, money, etc. You owe it to yourself, to your Rotary Club, and to our community to give your best to Rotary.”

The District Governor shared two personal examples of how Rotary changes lives in our community: A mother and two children who would not have had any Christmas presents or a meal that day if her Rotary Club did not give a Christmas dinner party to the entire Sebastopol community every Christmas Day. Her second example is the lonely man who came in from the pouring rain without a coat. After joining in and singing Christmas carols, he left with the spirit of Christmas and wearing a brand new waterproof coat. Helaine’s reward was the knowledge that her club’s gift—that party—could make at least one person’s life a little bit better.

Helaine shared a vignette of her personal journey into Rotary: She had been the daughter of a Rotarian father, father-in-law, the wife, and finally, a Rotarian in her own right. She asked the question that every prospective Rotarian probably asks after being introduced to Rotary: “Why should I want to be a member of your club?” At the current President-Elect training class, a member answered that fellowship was the primary reason. On a recent deep-sea salmon fishing trip salmon out of Bodega Bay, Helaine did not catch a single fish, yet the other three women on board caught lots of fish. Yet Helaine knows that she will sign up for the next fishing trip regardless of the weather, the choppy seas, or her recent experience because of the fun, adventure, and fellowship of being on board with fellow Rotarians ( who apparently know how to catch fish!)

DG Helaine reminded us of the importance of continuing fund-raising efforts for the eradication of Polio and the upcoming District Foundation Dinner on October 2nd that honors our collective efforts: Last year Rotarians in our District donated $108,000. That tops per capital efforts in Zones 24 and 25, an achievement with personal meaning for Helaine, herself a survivor of polio. She was a high school student nurse when she contracted the dread—often fatal—disease that meant life in an iron lung for some fellow patients at Massachusetts General Hospital. Helaine talked about meeting Dr. Benny Santos, a Rotarian from the Philippines whom she met when she escorted him to a district function. Years ago, Dr. Santos decided to immunize all of the children in his home country. With necessary RI funding, he organized Rotarians to participate in the inoculations. Today six million kids no longer contract polio in the Philippines!

In closing, Helaine asked each club in District 5130 to create a river project and to be open to new ideas. She reminded us that the District Assembly in Ukiah next April 15th is not just to train board members and new Rotarians. The district conference will be in Rohnert Park the weekend of May 16-18 next year. These two meetings belong to all of us in our district and our suggestions as to the structure and content are welcomed & desired to each member of our district. Helaine stated that both are our District’s meetings and that suggestions on content and structure are desired and welcome from each and all of us.

PEGGY’S THANKS

Here are the volunteers who contributed their help at this week’s Rotary meeting:

Mark Burchill                         Jason Black                          Judy Glenn
Matt Fannin                           Ray Foreaker                       Ray Giampaoli
Elizabeth Karbousky            Ann Gospe.

PRESIDENT PEGGY’S ROTARY ALERT

Last week, a Rotary couple from the Los Olivos Rotary Club began a 1,200 mile walk along the California Coastal Trail from the Oregon/California border to the international border between our state and Mexico. Fellow Rotarians Luigi & Melody Paroli give three reasons for their trek:

1.    To promote Rotary R. I. and tell the story of Rotary to everyone they encounter during the 3 to 4 months they estimate the walk will take them.

2.    The couple is committed to healthy living through exercise.

3.    They will collaborate with other Rotarians along the way to write about their adventure.

The Rotary Club of Los Olivos, much smaller than our Rotary Club, is only one of the 34,000 Rotary Clubs world-wide. It’s in the heart of Santa Ynez Valley about 20 miles north of Santa Barbara

Our own energetic club president is quite sure that some of us would love to meet up with Luigi and Melody as they walk the California Coastal Trail through Sonoma County. Click on this link to learn more about their journey. California Coastal Trail.pdf

CLOSING QUOTE

From Rotary Founder Paul Harris:

“It has been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in disagreement.”

 

OFFICERS

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Officers

President: Peggy Soberanis, President Elect: Mark Burchill, President Elect Nominee: Jose Guillen, Past President: Bill Rousseau, Secretary: Jack Abercrombie, Treasurer: Cecil G. Humes, Sergeant at Arms: Jack Geary

President Rotary International

Ron D. Burton, member of the Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma, USA

Governor, District 5130

Helaine Campbell, Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise

Attendance Secretary

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

Board of Directors

Debra Dorfman, Matt Fannin, Jose Guillen, Doug Johnson, Nicole Le, Robert Pierce, Jack Tolin, Creed Wood, Cathy Vicini