Clubnews

ROTARY’S BIG CRAB FEED

By Al Blake

Recently the Valley of the Moon Rotary club held its eighth annual fundraiser crab feed at the Berger Center to a sellout crowd of 326, and it was better than ever. The dinner was catered by the Oakmont Market, which dished out the crab and provided delicious pasta and salad, with cute little ice cream cups for dessert. Many people helped to put on the event and the club thanks them all.

The crab kept coming and coming and coming, and was efficiently served by youths from R House, Maria Carrillo High School and the Christian Youth Fellowship.

Many people and businesses contributed raffle prizes. A digital camera, MP3 player, cell phone and a portable DVD player were donated by the Sonoma Bank. Shelford House B&B donated an overnight’s stay in Cloverdale. Joann Benson gave an oil painting, and HMS Travel and club member Judie Coleman each contributed a Traverso food basket. Club members furnished wine for five packs of three bottles each.

Additional to the raffle, a spirited auction was held for a wine cooler filled with member supplied wines. Another auction item was a vintage bottle of Port given by Mac McHenry and his wife Jeanne. They purchased this wine 30 years ago and had kept it for their enjoyment but instead decided to contribute it -- a touching reminder of the dedication many members have for Rotary.

Above all, the club thanks the generous friends who attended the event and bought many raffle tickets. Without the support of the friends of Rotary, the club could not fund its numerous charitable activities such as for R House, St. Joseph’s Medical Mobile Health Clinic, Flowery Elementary School, and granting of several scholarships and supporting international projects.

Finally let’s not forget the crabs who self-regulated to make sure that only the most succulent, tasty crustaceans were chosejn to make the supreme sacrifice for Rotary’s good causes.

Member Snapshot: John Heilbronner will take over the leadership of the club July 1 and currently is the Community Service Director. In addition to attending president’s training sessions, John manages and participates in the Flowery Elementary School bilingual book and tutoring programs, manages R House projects, and is a diligent worker and organizer of fundraisers. John was born in Germany but immigrated to the US by way of England in 1940. Upon moving to Oakmont in 1998, he retired from the map and travel business. John and his wife Carol have three children and four grandchildren. He will be pleased to talk to his friends and neighbors about Rotary at 539-2893.

To learn more about Rotary, call Frank Sites at 537-9551 or 579-4300 or call Gordon Freedman at 537-0202.

ROTARY LEARNS ABOUT ROP

By Al Blake

Recently the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club was treated to an interesting and illuminating program given by Stephen Jackson, director of the Regional Occupational Program (ROP), which is a part of the Sonoma County Office of Education. In partnership with the various school districts, ROP provides career education and job training for high school students. Offering both blue and white collar vocational training, the subjects range from auto repair, construction and manufacturing to business and health. Students can enroll in different high schools to take courses interesting to them that are not offered at their particular schools. The courses are given during the regular high school daily schedule; students receive elective credits and, upon completion, job placement assistance.

Stephen noted that 70% of prisoners are high school dropouts, and the dropout rate of high school students is 13%. The primary reason for the high rate is that students do not understand the relevance of academic courses to vocational skills; they do not recognize how algebra, geometry or physics relate to vocational pursuits and obtaining work. ROP starts early in students’ lives, conducting a program that exposes middle school students to the relevance of academics to vocational training.

With the ageing and retirement of the boomers, the work force will be diminishing. It is anticipated that there will be a shortage of trained workers, especially in fields such as agriculture, auto repair, computer technology, business, and medical assistance.

In order to make sure that the graduating students are prepared for the workforce and ready to be employable, the ROP and local businesses coordinated to produce the Sonoma County Work-Ready Certificate. The students applying for this certificate must appear before a board. In addition to being proficient in their trades, they must demonstrate punctuality (from attendance records) and a willingness to work (from references), as well as neatness in appearance and the ability to communicate in English.

To learn more about the ROP, log on to rop.scoe.org

Member Snapshot Bill Swasey is a charter member of the Valley of the Moon Rotary club and is this year’s hard-working president. After receiving a master’s in education from San Jose State University, Bill did graduate studies at that “Go Bears” school and is a member of the Oakmont Cal Alumni Club. He spent 41 years in education, retiring as a high school principal. A third generation Californian, he is a member of the Society of California Pioneers. The primary hardship to Bill and his wife Shirley during his year as president is that duty has curtailed their cruising. Shirley has fixed that, however, by signing them up for five cruises as soon as Bill’s presidential stint is over in July. Bill loves to talk about Rotary, so give him a call at 539-5215.

ROTARY’S PROJECT AMIGO AGAIN

By Al Blake

Recently, four members of the Valley of the Moon Rotary club traveled to Mexico for a week’s stay to participate in Project Amigo’s Fiesta Week that was held just before Christmas. Project Amigo is a nonprofit, child-oriented charitable organization, located in and about Colima. It was started and mainly supported by Rotarians everywhere. The four members, Carolyn Anderson, Rich Irwin, Pat Randall and Jim Spangler, put on a Power Point show of their trip, which was so interesting that the story of Project Amigo deserves a second visit.

Among a larger group, the intrepid four were accompanied by a non-Rotary friend, a daughter, and a granddaughter. Knowing the needs of the 250 indigent children served by Project Amigo, they transported dental supplies and $700 worth of vitamins, no doubt confusing airport security. Project Amigo maintains a compound of several houses for volunteer guests, and it was reported that the accommodations and food were excellent, in a clean and safe environment.

The activities were hardly a fiesta, as, additional to social time, participants did hard work. One task was to assemble and distribute books and clothes, including shoes, to each child. The girls wanted jeans with spangles, except that the girls from migrant workers’ camps wanted dresses.

Christmas came early, and Santo Claus Rich gave out presents to all the kids. The presents were individually marked for each child.

Project Amigo has provided a kindergarten, and the volunteers visited and read to the children. Interestingly, since the Mexican government does not provide education for non-Spanish speaking students, the kindergarten was established to introduce Spanish to children speaking Indian dialects.

An unexpected project developed. The migrant workers, mainly from Central America, were without food as they were denied work because of a labor dispute. The Project Amigo volunteers quickly contributed $700, which purchased 2 ½ tons of staples – beans, rice, and such. The volunteers packaged the food into family-sized portions and distributed them to the migrant worker families.

Through Project Amigo, the club and many individual club members sponsor students with scholarships. To the delight of the sponsoring members, the program closed with photos of most of the children receiving scholarships, making a personal commitment all the more engaging.

The four members spoke glowingly of the experience, even though this was their second time at Fiesta Week. They exemplify the Rotary motto – “Service above Self.”

Member Snapshot: Chuck Carleton is one of the Valley of the Moon Rotary club’s newer members; however, he is not new to Rotary, as he was the president of the Aspen Colorado club. Chuck maintains a financial consulting business and is heavily engaged in an online training program. However, busy as he is, he managed to run the recent highly successful Rotary crab feed, a time-consuming task. As the “Big Crab” (see photo), Chuck was a lively master of ceremonies. Chuck loves to talk Rotary and welcomes phone calls at 538-3289.

To find out more about Rotary, call Frank Sites at 539-9551 or 579-4300 or call Gordon Freedman at 537-9202

ROTARY’S STELLAR TRAVELOGUE MEETING

By Al Blake

The Valley of the Moon Rotary club is treated to a speaker just about every meeting. Usually the speakers tell about Rotary’s worthy local and international causes, or about inspirational or personal improvement subjects, but recently we were treated to a wonderful, purely entertaining travelogue. A PowerPoint program was put on by Shannon and Jose Cordova. Shannon was proudly introduced by her father, former president Mike Hogan, until recently a Kenwood Resident and a club charter member. Jose is Chilean, and after being married, Shannon and Jose lived in Chile, but then they decided to roam, and roam they did – 25 countries in a year’s journey.

Shannon is well known by the older (in service) club members as she spent six months in Switzerland on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and was the president of the Maria Carrillo Interact club. In the fall she will continue her higher education and enter Cal Berkeley to study cultural anthropology and peace and conflict resolution.

Shannon is very comfortable as a public speaker. She narrated the PowerPoint program lucidly and interestingly. First she told about

couchsurfing.com, a computer based program that matches travelers with hosts throughout the world. This program, for all ages, is the largest of its kind and has almost 500,000 subscribers and is a great catalyst for fostering world peace and understanding. Shannon and Jose traveled inexpensively and met many friends this way; in fact they soon will be hosting a couple they stayed with on their trip.

Shannon told of several extra-adventurous occurrences. One was when they quickly flew away from a cyclone while in Australia on the first available flight, which went to Hong Kong, not on their itinerary. Another was when they were hosted for an overnight stay with a strange dinner of unfamiliar food by a group of Fijians in a village in the hinterlands. Shannon then walked us through their journey in a well-conceived PowerPoint presentation, complete with appropriate music. In the allotted time, she could not cover all 25 countries, but did an excellent, absorbing presentation in showing us a plethora of interesting sights. We all marveled at her and Jose’s intrepid touring.

Member Snapshot: Brian Adams is a very busy person. He is active in the Valley of the Moon club with many R House activities, he is the second year president of the Oakmont Cal Berkeley Alumni Club, and he carries on a business as a personnel consultant. Before joining the Valley of the Moon Rotary club, Brian was a member of three Marin County clubs, and was president of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. He is a native San Franciscan and long time Marin resident. Brian and his realtor wife Bobbi, have three children and four grandchildren. Brian is an avid talker about Rotary and will be glad to receive calls at 537-7272.

The club is initiating a new Rotary program, Rotary Volunteers. This program is designed to attract people who appreciate what Rotary stands for and would like to help on the club’s projects and attend its social functions without being a full-fledged member. If you are interested in this program or wish to investigate becoming a member, call Frank Sites at 539-9551 or 597-4300 or Gordon Freedman at 537-0202

‘

ROTARY AND “EVERY 15 MINUTES”

By Al Blake

Every 15 minutes somewhere in the US someone is killed in an alcohol or drug related accident.

The Valley of the Moon Rotary club has contributed to an emotion-packed program designed to graphically show high school students the consequences of mixing alcohol or drugs with driving. This program, called “Every 15 Minutes,” has now been taken over by the Highway Patrol with assistance by the local police or sheriffs, fire, and emergency services departments. Local Rotary club members help in setting up and logistics. This program is an example of how Rotary sees a need and develops and executes a program that is recognized and absorbed into the community. Here’s how it works.

The program starts when the “grim reaper” calls selected students out of class. A police officer enters, announces that those students are “dead” and reads an obituary written by each student’s parents. The manner of death is explained, and the virtues and accomplishments of the “dead” students are told, along with expressions of grief. The “walking dead” return to the classroom dressed in black and with white face makeup and a coroner’s tag; they will not speak or interact with other students for the rest of the day. At the same time, police officers notify the parents of the “death” of their children.

During the lunch period, usually at the playfield, a simulated collision will be viewed by the student body. Paramedics and fire fighters extricate victims using the jaws of life and treat and transport the injured to hospitals. The coroner handles the fatalities and takes them to the morgue. The “drunk driver” is interrogated, arrested, booked and taken to jail by the police. The scene is very realistic and creates a strong impression.

At the end of the day, the student participants, including the “walking dead,” stay overnight in a hotel, to simulate separation from family. Counselors and the police are present to help the kids during the overnight stay. The students are exposed to an audio-visual presentation of their “deaths” and then write a letter to their parents. They are asked to relate what they never had a chance to tell their parents, and the parents write a similar letter to their “dead” children.

There is another Rotary involvement that is as heartwarming and unselfishly motivated as can be imagined. Susanne and John Pasky-Fouts are the proprietors of the Mountain Home Ranch Resort. Both are Rotarians; Susanne is a member of Santa Rosa’s downtown club and John of the Calistoga club. For the past seven years they have hosted an average of 30 kids for up to seven times a year for the overnight retreat. They do this without fanfare, with little recognition, but like most Rotarians, they see a need they can fill and quietly do it.

The following day a mock funeral is held at an assembly which is focused on the dire and sometimes fatal consequences of the decision to drink and then drive. The program is directed by a police officer, who relates the devastation to families and friends of accidents caused by drunk driving. A video is presented that shows the normal school activities before the accident, and then the calling of the “walking dead” out of the classrooms and the events at the accident scene. Students read letters to their parents and to the police and hospital personnel. Parents speak on their involvement in the program and the devastation of losing their children to injury, death or jail. The students wear special glasses that simulate alcohol and drug impairment; studies indicate that this simulation is more effective than audiovisual presentations. The final and most powerful speaker is a parent who has actually lost a child to a drunk driver.

This is an emotional and effective program that depends on the help of the police, fire department, emergency services, coroner, school staff, parents and students. It is too expensive and time consuming to be held yearly in each high school, so the program is rotated among the schools to allow every student to experience it at least once. Locally the program area extends from Windsor to Petaluma and into Napa County and includes private high schools.

For more information or to donate to “Every 15 Minutes,” log on to every15minutes.org.

Member Snapshot: Debby Roumbanis has been a member of the Valley of the Moon Rotary club since 2003. Debby served two years as the vice-president. She is the manager of the Sonoma Bank’s Oakmont branch and brings a wealth of experience and skilled counsel to the club. She would be President but for her responsibilities at the bank. Debby was raised in the Midwest, but came went to Fresno to attend school, and, guess what, remained in California. She lives in Sonoma with her husband, a daughter and son. Debby likes to talk about Rotary so call her at 538-9370

To learn more about Rotary and the Valley of the Moon club or attend a meeting, call Frank Sites at 539-9551 or 579-4300 or call Gordon Freedman at 537-0202.

ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS

In addition to local scholarships granted directly by the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club, The Rotary Foundation district offers many international scholarships for study in foreign countries. Rotary is said to sponsor more international scholarships than any other service organization. Named “Ambassadorial Scholarships,” scholarships are available to students of various education levels and share common objectives, including fostering awareness and respect for cultural differences of student ambassadors of good will; developing leaders who will address humanitarian needs at home and around the world; instilling the Rotary ideal of “service above self” through active participation in service projects. The scholarship payments assist students with transportation, academic fees and expenses, subsistence and miscellaneous expenses. Available scholarships are as follows:

The Academic Year Ambassadorial Scholarship is granted for one year of study. Recipients must be fluent in the language of the host country; however, a month’s intensive language training is sometimes given. This scholarship pays between $11,000 and $23,000 for the academic year.

The Multi-year Ambassadorial Scholarship is granted for two or three years (usually two) of study. Fluency in the host country’s language is not required but is an obvious asset. This scholarship pays a flat $13,000 per year. Recipients must be enrolled in a university degree program.

The Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship is granted for three or six months. The primary purpose is immersion in the culture and language of a foreign country. Most often the recipients live with a Rotary family. This scholarship pays up to $12,000 for three months and $19,000 for six months and often is granted to qualified high school students.

Other educational opportunities include the following Rotary programs:

Grants to University Teachers is intended to support university teachers to teach in a foreign low-income country for either three or five months.

Group Study Exchanges is a program for young professionals that support groups to observe and study in a particular field while, similarly, group in the same field from the foreign country visits the US. In addition to exchanging professional information, the purpose is to experience the culture and language of the respective host countries.

The Rotary Centers of International Studies of Peace and Conflict Resolution is a two-year, postgraduate program held in six university locations around the world. The purpose is to train the recipients to further global understanding and peace and in methods to resolve conflicts.

Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies is a three-month intensive course in English held at the University of Chulalongkom in Bangkok and is available to executives who are in positions to foster peace and resolve conflicts.

The process to investigate and apply for scholarships and grants begins through a Rotary club. Applicants are screen by the Rotary district and then by Rotary International. If interested in any of the above programs, contact Caroline Keller, 539-7618, Rich Irwin, 536-8694 or any Rotarian.

Member Snapshot: Les Holve has been a member of the Valley of the Moon Club since May 2001 and has served as the Club Service Director for four years. Previously he was affiliated with the Westwood and Santa Rosa East clubs. Les is active in the Oakmont Preparedness Group and likes to hike, travel and play golf. He is a retired pediatrician, is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and was the president of the Los Angeles Pediatric Society and of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. He was the director of the St. John’s Cleft Palate Center. Les and his wife Eleanor have 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

To learn about Rotary and attend a meeting, call Frank Sites, 539-9551 or 579-4300, or call Gordon Freedman, 537-0202.

THE ROTARY CLUB MAKES PLANS

By Al Blake

The fiscal year is almost over, and the Valley of the Moon Rotary Club is looking ahead and making plans for the next year.

First, of course, is to continue the club’s local service projects like the backpack bilingual book and student mentoring projects at the Flowery Elementary School, the many projects in support of R-house (the recovery program and high school for teenage students with drug and alcohol dependency), the St. Joseph Immunization program, and granting of vocational and academic scholarships to graduating high school and junior college students, and on the international side, granting if aid to numerous projects.

September 13 is the date for the first planned event -- the annual fundraiser “Jazz in the Valley.” This year will feature the Peter Welker Quintet with vocals by , and a dinner catered by Skyhawk Market. This event, raising the funds for the club’s service projects, is usually a sellout so it is prudent to reserve early. For tickets, call Rich Irwin, 536-8694, or Ken Young, 539-9649.

The next event is the eighth annual Veterans’ Day Lunch. Along with the other Santa Rosa Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, the club sponsors this super patriotic event. Club members are asked to bring a veteran, but most often bringing themselves qualifies.

On October 1 the club will host former Rotarians and friends of Rotary at a reception at the West Recreation Center. The purpose is to introduce the club and its activities to residents who have had some association with Rotary in the past. To reserve a place, call Gordon Freedman, 537-0202 or Frank Sites, 539-9551 or 579-4300.

The sixth annual fundraiser crab feed is scheduled for February 21. It’s early to make reservations for this event, but hold that date.

While not planned as a fundraiser, the club hosts a bunco party on the fourth Wednesday of each month except November and December. All are invited to this fast moving, fun game, which is usually played at the East Recreation Center. The cost is $22, which includes a “light” catered dinner (the quotes are because nobody leaves hungry), libations, and prize money for the winners and losers. For reservations call Pat Gooler at 539-5810, but call early, as attendance is limited.

Member Snapshot: Ron Nicholson has been in the Valley of the Moon Rotary club since February 2002 and is the longtime Director of International Service. Ron is a retired Professor of Dentistry from UCSF; he also maintained a private practice. With his wife Ro, he enjoys travel and music, especially opera, tinkers on the piano, swims for exercise, and “attempts to play golf” (his words.) Ron will talk about Rotary, so call him at 538-4603.

If interested in investigating Rotary or the Rotary Volunteers, call Gordon Freedman, 537-0202 or Jim Carty at 833-2483.