Please Note:

We have made some changes to our meeting schedule in June that I wanted you all to be aware of. We will have our regular meeting time on June 4 and 11. We will be dark on June 18 as the Gospes offered to host my “debunking” at their house on June 19 starting at 5:30. Hope you can all make this.

We will also be dark on June 25 as many club members will be attending the International Convention in Calgary. President Julia’s first meeting will be on July 2. 

UPCOMING SOCIALS & PROJECTS & EVENTS  

More socials, projects, & events coming soon!

Rotaract Fund Raiser
If anyone would like to donate money to GRA (Global Rotaract Alumni Club) they can donate the money on the GOSC site and include a note that it is for GRA. This would help us tremendously to continue growing as a club and be able to conduct larger scale projects. Here is the donation link: Donate Now – Global Offsite Care

Opening The Meeting

President Casey’s second to last meeting and it is about bats!  But the Magic of Rotary is still our theme until July 1, and we continue to do good in our world while having oodles of fun!

Michael Moore, in his irreverent way, led us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and The Four-Way Test. He is not sure about that Fifth Way….  His Reflection, “Are you alone? Well, I am too. Stand together. Our time is due. The love of friends will see us through.”

Guests:

Danielle King, our guest speaker and Steve Olson’s friend, Steve Barnhardt (they have been friends since 1969 when they both were working at SRJC).

Sunshine Report:

Doug Chase who has previously been fighting prostate cancer is at it again.  He is going through therapy at UCSF for a month. He then will be off a month and them back at it again for another month.   As for the good news, Robby Fouts was back at the meeting today after badly breaking his arm a couple of months ago.

50/50 Drawing:

Steve Marburger was on duty today. 6 marbles and $133.00 in the pot. Doug Landin had the lucky ticket, but that is where his luck ran out.  A yellow marble. Oh well one less marble and more money for next week!

Birthdays with Keven:

Rose Frances 6/8, Doug Landin 6/29 and Ray Giampaoli 68, Jeff Kolin 6/26, and Carmen Sinigiani 6/7.  Only Rose and Doug were here today, so they got their Corrick’s gift card.

Announcements:

1. Next week we will be passing the hat for the servers at Iron and Vine.  Bring a few bucks. Jolene does a good job taking care of us.
2. The party over the weekend to say goodbye to Saras was a lot of fun. It was nice to spend time with Rotary Club East/West members. Julie Montgomery’s home was lovely, and she was a wonderful host.
3. 

   Click To Open President Casey’s Debunking Diploma (Invitation)

   Casey’s debunking plans are underway. An invitation was on the tables for all. Like last year, the party will be at Ann and Jeff Gospe’s home on June 19, 5:30 to 8:30.  It is going to be catered.  5:30 cocktails and 6:00 dinner.  $35.00 per person or $60.00 a couple (if you are a single person, just go in with someone else to get the couple’s price if you do not want to pay the extra $5.00).  We are working on the debunking script, but there are also recognitions, the pin exchange and Casey’s last words to us as president.  RSVP to Debi Zaft by June 14, (707)291-8300.

4. Steve Olson is leading a gleaning party at Shone Farm on Saturday, June 7. Those who help get pizza and a wine tasting after they are done. Plus, they will get a bag a Gravenstein apples in two months’ time.

Recognitions:

1. Ann Gospe got an early birthday present a 1988 Mercedes 560SL. She has always loved this car. Paul Hamilton (who drives one) help Jeff Gospe find it.
2. Ann Gospe also reported that daughter, Natalie, has graduated from Sonoma State after 8 years and is working!  For the two recognitions she is putting $100 into her sister’s Paul Harris and $50 into the John Brown Scholarship fund in Paul Hamilton’s name.

Paul Harris Fellow Update:

Doug Landin gave Diane Moresi a new pin now that she is at a Paul Harris plus 6!

Today’s Guest Speaker, Danielle King on Bats!

Danielle King is a biology professor at SRJC. She has a bachelor’s degree in ecology, Behavior, and Evolution from UC San Diego. She has a master’s degree in wildlife biology from Humboldt State University, where her research focused on the roosting ecology of bats in old growth forest.  Bats are her favorite!

There are at least 1400 species of bats in the world.  They live everywhere except Antarctica.  They are important to the ecosystem of our world.  They are a mammal, not a rodent or bird. Their wings are their hands (chiroplera).  They have a large rib cage and a tiny pelvis.  They are mostly insect eaters. But some eat fruit, raid hummingbird feeders, and eat small fish and frogs. They can catch their prey in midair.  Echolocation is how they know where they are – via echos. Vampire bats will eat other birds and other bats. Only three varieties of vampire bats drink blood, but only about a teaspoon at a time.

Bats are very important for pest control. They eat mosquitoes, corn ear worms (and the moth they become).  They protect crops like walnuts, apples and chocolate.

They help with pollination and dispersing of seeds.  Bats live in mines, caves, trees, bat houses etc.  There is a cave in Bracken, Texas where there are so many bats that they show up on radar!

In Sonoma County we have 15 bat species.  Go to Spring Lake at dusk and you might see them fly. They usually only have one “pup” a year and give birth while hanging upside down. They catch the newborn with their teeth.

Threats to bats include deforestation, pesticides, extreme heat, and drought.

Less than .5% of bats have rabies and it will kill them.  If you see a dead bat, do not touch it!

If you would like to install a bat house, Harmony Supply sells them. They can be very picky about your bat house, so if they do not roost, move it somewhere else. Our local farmers love them. Jim Green admits to eating a bat (tastes like chicken).  For more information on bats go to www.batcon.org.

Today’s Bat Presentation

CREDITS