Next meeting
Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Wednesday May 24: Rotary Youth Exchange Students
Wednesday May 31: Friendship With a Nuclear Aircraft Captain
Wednesday June 7: Compassion Without Borders
Wednesday June 14: Library System
Wednesday June 21: Greenacre Homes & School
Wednesday June 28: Celebrations of Kris Andersons Year As President

Click here for the current calendar (Subject to updates).

UPCOMING SOCIALS & PROJECTS & EVENTS  

Opening:

Charlie Howard-Gibbon opened the meeting by leading us in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Four-Way Test, and the reflection. Today’s reflection was a quote from Mark Twain, “The sun himself is weak when he first rises and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.”

Visiting Rotarians:

Randy Seelye from Santa Rosa Sunrise

Guests:

Ellen van den Berg, Heather Thurber, Paula Purcell, Virginia Harrison, Rose Diamond, Sue Baker, and Jeff Baker

Rotarian of the Month:

Steve Olson, for all the hard work that goes into interviewing all the candidates for scholarships. We know he does not do it alone and he thanked his team.

Sunshine Report:

Thank goodness, all is well this week!

Raffle:

It is getting serious! We are down to four marbles and a pot for $124.00. Bill Hatcher got to pull a marble, but he did not get the blue marble.  The pot rolls over to next week!

Second Chance Raffle:

That was Fred Levine. He chose a Scratcher but did not will a big prize.

Exchange Student Update:

Our exchange student William Folkesson is living it up at the Maria Carillo prom in SFO city hall.

Announcements:

We are up over 300 riders and are ahead of last year. Our sponsorship totals are now at $23,000, the goal is $50,000 so please keep asking for sponsors. Volunteers are needed!

Laura Stephens, Curt Groninga, Ann Gospe and President Kris Anderson gave a report on the District Conference. It was fun, Konocti Harbor Resort was ready for us by a hair, it sounds like, but it was great.  We had great speakers including Rotary Internationals Chief Executive Officer John Hewko and Jeffry Cadorrette, a former director. Laura Stephens was surprised (pleasantly) by a video that Marcus made for us in Germany. Next year’s District Conference will be at the Luther Burbank Center on May 17-18, 2024. Put it on your calendar to attend!

The new Boys and Girls Club site in Roseland will be opening soon. There are several events where they need volunteers. Stay tuned.

Guest Speaker Ellen van den Berg:  Survival Resilience Courage

Ellen told her parents’ story of survival and resilience hiding for 4 long years in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. She spoke about the tremendous courage of the members of the Dutch resistance who over and over found hiding places for her parents with ordinary citizens willing to risk their lives to help save lives.

Ellen also talked about growing up in the Netherlands in an environment where feelings of loss and grief were suppressed. It was not until she came to the United States that she began to understand how her parents’ unprocessed trauma had impacted her life.

After World War I, Germany was in shambles. The country was ripe for an autocratic leader to bring the country back to its former glory. Enter Adolph Hitler who persuaded the Germans that he was the one. He wanted to create a master race of blond hair blue eyed people. He blamed the Jews for interfering with the creation of this master race. He started a propaganda campaign to blame the Jews, gypsies and others who did not fit his ideal person. Many left in the 1930’s, but most never thought the unthinkable would ever happen. Hitler also wanted to expand his territory and invaded Poland in 1939.

In 1940 he invaded the Netherlands. Rotterdam was heavily bombed and destroyed. The Dutch surrendered to avoid other cities from equal destruction. The Nazis required registration of all Jews and they complied as they thought this would keep them safe. But people began to disappear.  They were killed or sent to labor camps.  Ellen’s parents were not yet married, got engaged and planned to leave or hide.  Jaap Keizer, who was a leader in the resistance hid them (he survived the war and Ellen got to meet him in 1989).  At one point it looked like they could escape to Switzerland via Brussels, but they go as far as Brussels and had to go back.  They hid in 14 separate places over the four years. When the war ended in 1945, they had a Jewish wedding. Her mother’s trauma never went away. She spoke of the trauma and how it affected her.

Program Slides

No program slides this week

Club Job Openings:

Still need a few bulletin writers. Need a person on the board for Vocational Service Recognition

Additional Pictures:

Click on above picture to see all the pictures from the meeting.

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

Governor, District 5130

Secretary

Debi Zaft P.O. Box 505 Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Board of Directors

Kris Anderson – President
Ann Gospe – President Elect
Casey D’Angelo – President Elect Nominee
Ray Giampaoli – Past President
Debi Zaft – Secretary
Karen Ball – Treasurer
Robert Pierce – Sergeant At Arms
Julia Parranto – Club Service- Membership
Andrea Geary – Club Service – Club Meetings
Matthew Henry – Club Service – Fund Raising
Charlie Howard-Gibbon – Club Services – Member Activities
Pete Lescure – Club Service – Records and Outreach
Casey Carter – Member Involvement
Mary Graves Community – Service – Youth
Tim Fawcett – Vocational Service
Scott Bartley – International Service
Paul Hamilton – Foundation Representative

DIGITAL EDITION No. 500 May 10, 2023  EDITOR: Kris Anderson PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Gospe PUBLISHER: Richard Lazovick