Meeting for the Week of Feb. 16th, 2015
Greetings
Message from Club President Rushton Hurley:
Welcome to the fourth week of the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley!I write this from Kobe, Japan, where I've been taking part in a conference over the last couple of days. Many years of my life have been spent teaching Japanese language to high schoolers, so the chance to be back here for a bit has been great fun. Seeing fascinating places like Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, eating foods I can't get back home, and sharing ideas with amazing teachers from schools in Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Thailand prompt me to stretch my thinking about where I'm from and what I do.Is there somewhere in the world for you that stands out as special for one reason or another? If so, name the spot and tell why in the comments at the end of the meeting. Let's take the opportunity to get to know each other a little better via our what we say as we finish each week!Guests, we welcome your comments, as well, and ask that you consider contributing the cost of a meal to the service projects our club is putting in motion. While we do not yet have our online payment system in place, you are welcome to mail a check made out to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley to our treasurer: Allen Thompson, 13500 Cascade Ct., Bakersfield CA 93314.
From Start to Finish
As a reminder to our members, please note that to complete a meeting, one must BOTH do the survey at the end AND leave a comment. If you are having any issues with either piece, please let me (Rushton) know immediately.Guests, when finishing the meeting, filling out the survey will generate an email you can use to verify your attendance with us. We also ask that you leave us a message letting us know what you think of what you watch and read; we welcome your feedback!
Stepping Outside of the Comfort Zone
While my trip to Japan may involve a shift in thinking, truly stepping outside of one's comfort zone may require a bit more.In the video below, four college students take on the challenge of facing poverty. It's a trailer for a movie that member John Lozano shared with me.
Are we people who can make a difference in the lives of those struggling to stay alive? If we are, is it our obligation to do so?
Happenings
Our Club
Our programs are our chance to avoid the kind of inconspicuous passivity that would keep us from being the kind of vibrant, difference-making club that we can be. You've heard from Kevin Brookhouser, and will hear this week from Chris Cochrane, but everyone will speak to us sometime soon about their interests for service to others.I ask that every member of the club (other than Kevin and Chris) write me (rushton@gmail.com) letting me know when over the coming months you would like to give your talk. That will help us plan out the schedule of meetings, and allow me to give you any feedback you need on your preparation.Feel free to send that email right now, and then return to the meeting!
Service Time
Please let us know about any service activities you've done via this survey.
District Happenings
The district conference each year is designed to bring folks together to share lots of cool Rotary info and have fun. There are also "hospitality suites" for getting around and meeting others, and we will share one with our sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Sunnyvale. While the gathering isn't just for fun, you might not know that from the promo video the team putting it on has shared:
The cost of attending the whole thing isn't small change (going to everything is $295), but you can pick and choose among the offerings, if you like. The evening events include a Friday night speech by Ruby Bridges (the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the south), and a Cirque de Soleil performance Saturday night. And there will be lots of good food, of course! The registration form is here, and we welcome your taking part in whatever your schedule and distance allow.
Money Matters
Greetings fellow eClub of Silicon Valley Rotarians! Here is your weekly treasurer’s report.Well, I finally got the invoices out to you for our initial dues. If you did not receive one, please let me know (at@allenthompson.com). We still don’t have our online payment system in place but we will soon. If that’s your preferred way to pay, wait for it – it will be here soon.It was a nightmare getting the bills out. I completely forgot about pitching donations for The Rotary Foundation. Don’t worry. We’ll visit that soon and our Foundation Committee chairperson will surely be beating that drum soon (and often)!To date, our financial transactions include a $420 payment to Rotary for Charter Fees and the just-sent-out dues invoices total $4200.Best wishes, and yours in Service to Rotary,
From your treasurer,
Allen Thompson
The World of Rotary
The Object of Rotary, from our Membership Chair, Shags ShagrinAnother of the Guiding Principles is The Object of Rotary. These principles have been developed over the years to provide Rotarians with a strong, common purpose and direction. They serve as a foundation for our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world.The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.Explore Rotary at Rotary.org!
The Power of Images
One piece of the Japanese experience that charms me is the involved celebration of many holidays and festivals. March 3rd each year is Girl's Day, which is a time for wishing daughters happy and successful lives. As we Rotarians know, when girls thrive, their communities thrive.One element of this is day is the display of dolls representing a Heian-period emperor, empress, and high-level members of the ruling household. These dolls are displayed on tiers with red carpeting, and the sets are often handed down within families.I spotted this display in a hotel, and decided the image had to be shared!Next week we have another gem from member Keith Marsh celebrating the beauty of the area in and around Silicon Valley. Do you wield a camera from time to time? If so, look through what you have, and send a good one my way (rushton@gmail.com)!
Poetic Fun
Treasurer Allen turns on his webcam and shares "The Termite," by Ogden Nash.
Gotta love it.
Selected Comments from Last Week
Note that you can leave a comment about the meeting, but are not limited to that - you can also respond to the comments that others leave. Take the opportunity to engage in a discussion with the wildly cool and insightful members of this club!
from member Meg Taylor (California):This was awesome! I like the efficiencies that Rotary First Harvest has achieved -- and the impressive results. I'm inspired to find a way to share some of the bounty of our lemon tree, which is quite prolific.
from member Shags Shagrin (California):Outstanding meeting! This is a great format for an e-Club meeting. I've got citrus trees where I live and have harvested them to give fruit to the local food bank, which is headed by a Rotarian. If anyone in the East Bay wants to come help pick (and you have a fruit picker on a long pole), contact me, as the yellow grapefruit is ready. My wife likes red grapefruit and I take medication which keeps me from eating or juicing them.
from member Yvonne Kwan (California):The cardboard box video displays a powerful message of what we can do with ordinary things if we just use a little imagination and how, even if our means is sometimes suddenly taken away, we pick ourselves up and start back at square one -- there's always a way. It gives new meaning to the phrase, "Think outside the box;" maybe we don't always need to think outside it, but think of other ways to utilize it.Rotary First Harvest is the epitome of using Rotary and personal connections for the greater good. I have been a fan of their project ever since I found out about it last year. Their work also reminds me of an article I came across a few months ago about a French supermarket that takes old produce and turns them into soups and juices to avoid food waste. This may be outside of our scope, but why not tackle food waste in our grocery stores as well?
from member Andrew Taw (California):This is a wonderful example of how building connections between various resources and needs can solve problems in innovative ways (which, of course, means this is a wonderful example of a Rotary program that reflects Rotary's principles).
from member Chris Cochrane (Ontario):Every week we improve and being online gives the chance to share in many ways. I've asked the head of the local food bank here (a Rotarian) in the 1000 Islands area of Canada to watch this week's program as there may be a definite way to duplicate the food gathering system here. Local Rotary terra clubs support the food bank but tying it into a similar system would create another level.
from member Allen Thompson (California):Con lágrimas de alegría, Marissa dijo, "Proyecto Amigo ¡es algo maravilloso! Es por eso que somos Rotarianos....Loved the box. But surely not as much as the little boy did. Imagination is a wonderful thing! And in the end, the passing of a good friend is cause for celebration at least as much as it is a time for mourning.
from Mitty Chang (California):The cardboard box video was definitely cool! Maybe doubling back to a lesson from last week's meeting, we can promote people to spend some time each week (20%) to think about how they can reuse common materials to improve their communities.
This Week's Program
Member Chris Cochrane has worked with several of the top media organizations in the world, and now runs his own videography company in the little town he loves in Ontario, Canada. This week, you'll learn about his work and thoughts on possibilities for our club in the digital media realm.There are two videos to watch. The first is a compilation of some of his work, and the second is the program he presents. Enjoy!
I Attended!
To register your attendance, members, do both the survey below and leave a comment with thoughts on the meeting and/or word of what's happening in your life.Guests, please leave a comment below. If you are a Rotarian from another club wanting verification of your attendance, feel free to fill out the survey. If you type your email properly, you should receive a nice message you can pass along to your club's secretary.See you next week!
Fill out my online form
