Giving Away a Million Morsels
This Meeting's Highlights
Program: Giving Away A Million MorselsSpeaker: Steven LeaseMeeting for the week of February 22nd to February 28th, 2016* * *
Is this your first time to visit us? If so, welcome to our meeting!Each Monday our week’s meeting is posted early in the morning, U.S. Pacific Time. These meetings are designed so that you can read and watch what we post anytime during the week. The entire meeting takes about 45 minutes to complete, with the video conference recording of the program being the bulk of the time.Note that you can easily read this meeting with your favorite device, so feel free to take our meeting on the go with you; read it while on public transit, waiting in line for coffee, or even at the park! Please also make sure to complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
Note for Visiting Rotarians seeking makeup credit: We only provide makeup credit for those attending our current week’s meeting! If you scroll to the very bottom of this page and the attendance survey is already closed, this you will not receive makeup credit for this meeting!
Greetings
Message from President-Nominee Stephen Zhou
Greetings, everyone! I'm Stephen, the president-nominee for our eclub. We may have talked before, as I'm one of the people who makes calls ahead of events, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to "meet" you this way, as well!My work as secretary of the club has revolved around getting people involved in all the things we do. I think it's easy to be excited about Rotary when you know about all that our organization does, and as this week is the 111th anniversary of the founding of Rotary, this seems a good time to be excited about both what we've done and what's to come.We have various activities coming up and I am pleased to say that Andrew Taw is now helping me call people to invite them out to our events, because who can say no to our voices when we personally reach out? Whether in-person or online, it's my goal to have our eclub become as tight-knit a group as possible! I am definitely looking forward to seeing all of you at upcoming events, and feel free to include guests. You can certainly expect to receive a phone call from Andrew, Yvonne, or me in the near future!I hope to connect with you soon, and that all of you - members and guests - will enjoy all we have to share in this week's meeting.Rotarian guests, we ask that you consider contributing something - whatever for you is the regular cost of a Rotary meal, perhaps - to the efforts of our club. Please choose one of the options below:
Send via our secure Happy Dollars form.
Send via Google Wallet to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send via PayPal to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send a check via snail mail (see below for instructions)
To pay via Google Wallet or PayPal, you'll need to log in to your account with those companies.Those of you who prefer a more traditional approach can mail a check made out to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley to our treasurer: ℅ Allen Thompson, 13500 Cascade Ct., Bakersfield CA 93314.Non-Rotarian guests, there is no need for a donation from you. As we see it, your job is to simply enjoy what you read and watch, though at the end we do ask that you let us know you were here and also leave a comment letting us know what you think. This club is loaded with folks who love sharing ideas, and we look forward to your sharing yours!
Yours in service,
Stephen Zhou,
President-nominee
Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
The Power of Images
They say a picture says a thousand words. Every week we try to bring you a picture that we think will inspire you a thousand times.
This week's image is from our club's Camera Czar, Keith MarshAfter visiting Super Bowl City on Friday night, I drove to Coit Tower. I took this photo of the skyline from north of the Tower. It is an HDR of 5 images combined with Photomatix software.
The Power of Ideas
A good idea is one that catches our attention, and then catches our breath. We try to share quotes that live up to that each week in this section.
Waste no more time arguing about what a good person should be. Be one.- Marcus Aurelius
The Power of Self-Image
How do you see yourself? Many people, in focusing on their weaknesses, have trouble seeing their strengths. This video from the folks at Strayer University does a nice job of reminding us that there are often quiet people around us who appreciate the little kindnesses and talents that make up who we are.
Elections (Ours, Not the Ones on CNN)
We are excited to announce that our elections for our club's Board of Directors has come to a conclusion!President-nominee - Stephen Zhou (to serve as club president July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018)Treasurer - Allen Thompson (1-year term, July 2016 - June 2017)Director - Yvonne Kwan (3-year term, July 2016 - June 2019)Congratulations Stephen, Allen, and Yvonne! We are looking forward to the leadership and service you shall each bring to our club.For club members, we will be releasing committee chair applications next week, for those of you looking to get more involved with club leadership positions. If you have any questions or are interested in getting involved in something particular, please email President-elect Mitty at hello@mittychang.com
Our Events & Projects
This section of our meeting is where you learn about both recent and upcoming events and projects our club is leading or supporting. We welcome guests to all of our events and service projects listed here.
Recent Events Recap:
Sexy Salad Potluck in Livermore this past Sunday:19 of our members and guests got together for lunch this past Sunday for our Sexy Salad Potluck at Retzlaff Winery in Livermore, California! We provided the salad greens, dressing, and utensils, and everyone brought something to contribute to the salad (from cucumbers to tomatoes to chicken!). Thanks everyone for coming out! Special thanks to three of our Interactors from Kipp San Jose Collegiate Prep Interact Club for visiting us at our social! If you are looking at the photos below and aren't in them, we would love to see you at one of our future socials! Hope to see you soon!
Upcoming Events:
Did you miss our past events? Come join us for any of our upcoming events! Guests, you are welcome too!All times are in Pacific Time (San Francisco, CA, USA time!)Happening THIS Week:Helping with Bird Habitat THIS Saturday, Feb 27th, 9a-noon
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is home to hundreds of different varieties of local and migrating birds. Golden Gate Audubon, a local wildlife conservation nonprofit, is looking for volunteers to help preserve and restore the habitat of these many birds! So come join us this Saturday from 9a-noon for a little weeding and planting in the North Lake of Golden Gate Park and check out some beautiful wildlife while we dust our knees a little. Afterwards, we can take our dusty bird-defending selves to a number of nearby eateries for lunch! Below are the details. If you want to RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact Andrew Taw (service@siliconvalleyrotary.com) or leave a comment in the Disqus section below!
Happening in Upcoming Weeks:Oakland Ed Fund’s Run for Schools 5K on Sunday, Mar 20th, 6:30a
Join us in raising money for Oakland public schools by running or walking a brisk 5K with the Oakland Public Education Fund team at the Oakland Running Festival. The Ed Fund team tent will have tea for early morning runners, sunglasses, T-shirts, a photobooth, and other giveaways throughout the day. There will also be lots of great booths to explore, showcasing food vendors and other local businesses. We’ll be meeting at 6:30am at Snow Park on Harrison and 19th Street on March 20th. The race will then start at 7:30am. The Ed Fund would like folks to sign up by the end of February by clicking here. If you have any questions or you’re interested in going, please let Andrew know at service@siliconvalleyrotary.com.
Nightlife Exploration at the California Science Academy on Thursday, Mar 24th, 7p
Come to San Francisco with our club to explore the amazing exhibits and experiences at the planetarium during the evening for California Science Academy’s Nightlife program! We will be meeting at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, March 24th, at 7p for an exciting night of science adventures! Open to all members and guests. Tickets will be available for purchase. More details coming in early March.
Justin's House Chili Cookoff on Sunday, Apr 24th, 9:30a-3p
Do you think you have the best chili in town? We're putting together a team (maximum 4 people) for the first Justin's House Chili Cookoff, to be held Sunday, April 24th, in Santa Clara, from 9:30 to 3:00. We're helping raise money for a great cause during a fun day of 'competition' and food. We could win, too! If you're interested, find out more about the Justin's House Chili Cookoff day here. Here's a link to the official rules. To join our team, please email Gene Tognetti at gene.tognetti@gmail.com no later than Monday, February 29th!
What We Do
One element of being part of a Rotary club is developing the ability to spot a great volunteer experience when one pops up. We share these with the club to help inspire each other to experience the joy and meaning that come from being a gift to our communities!Our member Tzviatko Chiderov, currently in Nairobi, Kenya, has visited a tech incubator/coworking space called the iHub, and there learned about the opportunity to work with a program called Design 2 Transform. Here are some pictures from the time he spent with the group there.Tzviatko with some of the children during their lunch break.The Founder and a teacher from the center are given an overview of the new website during lunch break.Learning about the meaning and causes of HIV/AIDS in Science class.
The World of Rotary
We are part of the Rotary International family, with over 1.2 million members in over 180 countries around the world. Rotary’s reach is global. Here we tell our members and guests about Rotary’s initiatives and events.
Your Rotary StoryThose outside of Rotary rarely understand the diversity of our organization, and not just in terms of the people; if an organization is represented in over 180 countries, you have folks from almost every group imaginable! The variety within the local and global service activities, the multiple opportunities for fellowship, and the wealth of reasons people choose to be part of a service organization.Over the last five to seven years, Rotary has begun telling its stories more and more powerfully. Here's a short, recent piece worth sharing:
eBay Live Auctions and Helping Rotary:
John Hewko, the General Secretary of Rotary International, announced this month that Rotary would work with eBay on a new fundraising possibility for Rotary's service efforts around the globe:
"We are pleased to announce that eBay, the world’s leading online auction website, will donate a portion of its sales from select Live Auctions to Rotary beginning February 2016. Rotarians and their friends and families are encouraged to visit eBay Live Auctions each month to see what is available for real-time bidding from hundreds of auction houses.
"Each month, Rotary will be featured as the beneficiary of a designated set of eBay Live Auctions. Products may include antiques, rare books, sports memorabilia, watches, stamps, art, and fine jewelry. Please visit eBay Live Auctions to see the featured auctions and browse the catalog of items available for bid. The more items sold, the more Rotary benefits!"
You can learn more about this from the post on Rotary.org by Linda Campbell, eBay’s Divisional Merchandising Manager for Live Auctions, Collectibles and Art.
Our Rotary District Doings:
Find District Governor Susan's February newsletter here. In it, she honors Brittany Overbeck, who has been with the district for four years keeping all processes far more organized, and a nice post by Jim Gibson, the District Vocational Service Chair, along with plenty of great information about the work the district is doing with youth.
For Members: Service Survey
We at the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley work hard to make the world a better place. This happens via big projects and little acts of kindness, and we tell each other about it. Why? To brag? Certainly not! Instead, we believe that sharing cool stories of helping others can inspire us to find new ways to do good in our communities.
Members, if you haven't yet shared this month a little about the good you're doing in your spheres, now is a great time! We collect these to better learn about each other and to inspire cool thoughts about possibilities for making a difference.
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
Happy Dollars
Happy Dollars is the segment of our meeting where anyone can choose to make a voluntary donation to tell us a short story about something good that has happened to them this past week. Maybe someone paid for your coffee, gave you a ride somewhere, or you got a job promotion. This is your chance to brag about it or give a shout-out to someone deserving, while giving some of that karma back to our community.
Here are happy dollars from last week:from member Linda Tangren ($20)Recognizing Keith Marsh's thirty years of perfect attendance. Wow!also from member Linda Tangren ($15)Leaving a little with Rotary before heading to Las Vegas.from guest Christina Oh ($10)This is a "thank you" donation for providing me with the opportunity to make up my regularly scheduled meeting for this week. Thank you Silicon Valley Rotary!
Birthdays
No birthdays this week, though, as mentioned last week, we will be celebrating Tzviatko Chiderov and Andrew Knaack in early March!
The Tidbit
Every week, we feature a new tech tidbit or life hack to make something easier, more convenient, or more fun!
Sometimes the Tidbit is a little "life hack." Often, but not always, it's about some useful bit of technology. This week, it's about Rotary and making new friends. Really! Click below to learn more.
A Little Humor
We think a chuckle and a smile is a good way to spend a moment. Well, friends, here are our attempts to bring on both!
What kind of humor should we include in this section? We consider all sorts of possibilities, zeroing in on what's short, such as this from OneLineFun:I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction.That joke was a little base, wasn't it? Ha ha ha.
Selected Comments from Last Week
"It must be difficult to get to know the other members of an eclub," we hear people say. Actually, how we share ideas is not limited to our in-person and online gatherings; we also come to know each other via the service survey entries, the happy dollar donations, and especially the comments left each week.Whether a member or a guest, we want you to leave a note at the end of this meeting in our Disqus section. We share some of what comes in each week in the following week, as with what's below, but you can also read all the comments and replies by simply going back to that meeting via the All Meetings page.
Member Tzviatko Chiderov (Nairobi, Kenya)Barney, it's so cool to hear from you, I really enjoyed the way you speak about Rotary. I particularly liked your comments on the importance of listening, and your final thoughts at the end of your presentation. Thinking of our actions today as source of influence for the actions of generations to come really makes a lot of sense.
Guest Rakesh Sharma (California, USA)Well done! In fact I ended up spending more time watching and reading than I intended to. I did learn few new things about Rotary and the life in general. Keep up the good work!
Guest Sandy Stabile (California, USA)I love your club and website. I thought it was good when you first started, but you improved it. Excellent! There is so much good information. I like that you can listen to previous talks. I will be traveling out of the country on a volunteer trip. I am sad to say that they do not have Rotary where I am going. It will be nice to stay connected. Thank you for all you do.
Member Chris Cochrane (Ontario, Canada)Barney, couldn't agree more. What we do now will have a direct impact on generations to come. Love the Tidbit Rushton...learning more every week.guest Linda Diekman (Illinois, USA)Thank you to Barney for reminding me of the foundations of Rotary. As a guest, and hopefully soon a member, I appreciated the grounding in the history of Rotary and the primary beliefs we subscribe to. Some comments in particular resonated with me (forgive my paraphrasing here) -- Rotarians are people with "good hearts," how "good Rotarian" and "Rotarian" are essentially synonymous, and the importance of legacy and relevance in sustaining Rotary for the future. I like the idea that we're planting the seeds for the children 100 years from now, and that our descendants will be the beneficiaries of the world we're creating. Again, a great way to start the week!
Guest Christina Oh (California, USA)I attended the District 5220 Mid Year Assembly last weekend and participated in the breakout session on eclubs with Stuart and Rushton. I am a brand new Rotarian, having been inducted in early January. Our satellite club is in its infancy and we are interested in finding new and exciting ways to attract members. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to learn more about your group and how you operate. Thank you for a great presentation!
Member Shags Shagrin (California, USA)You can feel Barney's passion for Rotary in his presentation. Great program, and informative meeting in all other aspects. Thanks, Rushton!
Member Frank Tripicchio (California, USA)Hello Barney, I enjoyed your presentation...and your Irish brogue. I have traveled your country from North to South and from East to West and enjoyed the million varieties of green and the bitter cold of the winter, as long you are comfortably parked at the local pub! My last visit to Galway inspired me to this small gift for you:
Galway Dawn
Shrouded by a mantle of rolling graysenergized by bursts of whistling air,an orange glow behind a bell towerslowly displaces a curtain of folding darkness.White caps on an unsettled oceanrush to shorefading and raising like memories and hopes….Dawn advances determined and triumphant,Galway submits….Yesterday has escaped.- Frank
[Nice comment, Frank!]
The Program
Each week, our members work to connect with fascinating people around the world with cool ideas that can bring hope and possibilities to others. We connect using video conferencing tools, record the talk, and then add those recordings as programs in the weeks that follow.
If you know someone doing something that speaks to our focus on service via innovation, entrepreneurship, and/or education, please let us know.
This week, we hear from Steven Lease, a Rotarian who was a guest of our club earlier this year. He and President Rushton exchanged some messages, and when Rushton learned of Steven's work to give away cookies, Rushton knew there was a story to share!Remember when you were a kid and someone would bring a treat to share with the classroom on their birthday? Ah what a day; it was amazing to see everyone enjoying the cookies. Time passes by, and soon you are in your working career. No more cookies, you have to work on your birthday etc, etc. and then a few days before your birthday you are inspired to make cookies and take them to work to share them with others. At the time, you don't think anything about it, but it happened to Steven, and a tradition was born along with the seed for Giving Away A Million Morsels was planted.How does one come up with idea to give away 100,000 cookies or A Million Morsels and how does it change one's life in a ways never expected? This week's speaker lets us know!Steven is the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Auburn California. Steven holds two degrees from the University of California at Davis, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration. His engineering career started at Intel in the Rotational Engineering Program. His career has included positions in Research and Design, Quality and Reliability, Technical Marketing and Product Marketing. Steven left Intel to help start a renewable energy company designing wind turbines, but it did not last. After the startup, Steven was asked by a senior partner to enter the financial industry and is now helping technical professionals. He enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors, and also enjoys giving; he is a Rotary Foundation Bequest Society member.Members and guests, welcome Steven Lease!
Tell about your giving experiences at the Million Morsels Facebook page, and read more about Steven's work via this article in the local Auburn newspaper.
Upcoming Programs
Now that you have completed watching this week’s program and meeting, here are some programs that you can expect in the coming weeks.
Week of Feb 29th: Choosing a Different Life: Slowing Down "Off the Grid"
Week of Mar 7th: Leveraging Youth Entrepreneurship to Solve Africa's Development Challenges
You’re Almost Done! One last thing: The Attendance Survey..
Thanks for reading and watching this week’s meeting. You have two last things to do before you’re done. First, we have a very short attendance survey below for you to fill out to record your attendance.
Visiting Rotarians, this is how you can get an email receipt to pass along to your club’s secretary as proof that you’ve attended our meeting if you need it for makeups.Non-Rotarian Guests, we would love to see who is dropping by our meetings! This part is optional for you though.More importantly, for all members and guests — we strongly recommend and ask that you leave a comment below in our comments area below. Tell us how you enjoyed the program. Ask this week’s speaker any questions you might have. Or just stop by and say hello and tell us where you’re from!
