The Free Reading Program
Meeting for the week of July 06 - July 12, 2020
This Meeting at a Glance:
Program: The Free Reading Program
Speaker: Heather Lennie
Is this your first time to visit us? If so, welcome to our weekly online meeting! To complete our meeting, please continue reading from here to the bottom of this page.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 60 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. Please also make sure to complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
To properly attend this meeting, please:
Read and watch the content below in its entirety.
Complete the attendance survey.
Everyone is also encouraged to leave a comment in the Disqus section at the bottom of the page.
Welcome to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley!
Here’s a message from President Raquel:
President Raquel
Guests, we are happy to have you join us this week!
As we see it, our flexibility as an online, asynchronous club allows a special type of service to Rotarians around the world: we make it easier for anyone to strive for and maintain 100% attendance. That keeps you engaged with Rotary's events and ideas, and provides a moment of inspiration for devoting your creativity, talents, and resources to good causes.
You are certainly not required to pay anything in order to attend our meetings. However, if you would like to make a small contribution to our service efforts, you are welcome to do so in our secure Happy Dollars section down the page. This could be what you normally pay at your own club's meetings for lunch, for example. Any amount is welcome, but first and foremost, we're happy you've joined us, and hope you will share with others who we are and what we do to help inspire Service Above Self.
And don't forget to fill out our attendance form so you get an email you can pass on to your club's secretary!
The Four Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.
Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Members of the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley from around the world
Happy Birthday!!
Anil Gupta (Jul 7)
Maximiliano Bustos (Jul 8)
Rushton Hurley (Jul 6)
From around the world,
Wishing you all the best, on your birthday and always!
🎂 🎈 🎉 🎁 🍾
Members and guests, consider donating in their honor in our Happy Dollars section below.
Weekly Funny with the Lady of Laughter (LOL)
We believe laughter is an important part of life, and we should all make time to laugh a little. This segment of our meeting is meant to tickle you just enough. These funnies are curated by member Yvonne Kwan, our “Lady of Laughter!”
This week is the last week of the Rotary year and also my last week as your LoL. It's been a great 5-year run! Please continue to share jokes in the comments so that we can keep spreading laughter!
In honor of our new Rotary theme logo, here are some jokes that you will a-door.
Why did the scientist install a knocker on his door?
He wanted to win the no-bell prize!
I always knock on the front door of my fridge.
Just in case there is a salad dressing!
I'm writing a song about getting my door replaced.
There's a key change in the end!
Weekly Inspiration
Every week we start our meetings with a short video highlighting innovation, inspiration, entrepreneurship, or social change.
When you catch breast cancer early, you have a 95 percent survival rate. But many women under the age of 40 don’t have mammograms because of the cumulative effects of radiation. That’s where EVA comes in. They have developed a bra that can detect possible breast abnormalities in women of all ages—all without emitting radiation. The idea isn’t completely new—it’s been around since the 1970s, but advances in data collection and machine learning have made this bra a game changer.
Member Spotlight
This week's Member Spotlight is Monique! Here is what they have been up to lately:
Because of the shelter-in-place orders, I've been working from home since March 16. It's been great, from a commute perspective - no more 90+ minutes each way! - but it was an adjustment to being home alone most of the day while my husband, John, kept his business (insurance) open. Our last dog passed away a couple of years ago and we had not found a new one because we were both gone so long each day. Once I had been home for a week or two, though, I realized that it would be a good time to get a new companion. Unfortunately, so did everyone else sheltering in place! It took me nearly 2 months to find a dog that would work for us and be a good companion because so many animals were being adopted. Even when talking with breeders, they said that not only were current pups all sold, even expected litters were sold before birth!
Because I preferred to adopt a dog, I was searching daily; in several cases, I was second or third in the responses of many (some dog's had listings that appeared one day and were removed the same day because of the quick response of so many people) available dogs. The adoption applications were often 5 pages long and required essays. The last time I adopted a dog from a shelter, you just showed up and picked a dog! I went and met at least 2 other dogs, but they both were not right for us. Then I found an ad on Craigslist for Midnight. His people were moving and needed to find a good home for him. He's a Cairn Terrier (one of the breeds I was looking for specifically. And Shags - I was looking for Dachshunds, too, but they were too popular!), so think Toto from the Wizard of Oz to imagine him. Oh, wait, photos! Midnight is 7 years old, very mellow, and content to sit near me while I'm working until we can get out for a walk. I've only heard him bark once and though he's got allergies (now controlled by medicated shampoo and a hypoallergenic diet) he's just about the best dog I've ever had.
The only other thing that I've been able to enjoy has been the flowers in our backyard. Since I used to be commuting and at work, I often didn't enjoy the hard work my husband puts into the garden. Now, I take breaks during the day and wander around, taking photos. We don't have a huge yard, but it's got plenty of space for some lovely plants, including staghorn ferns, roses, hydrangeas, and the flowers I've photographed here. I'm no Keith Marsh, but it's fun to look back on the pics and enjoy them once again!
Hope that all of you are well and finding ways to enjoy your time, wherever you are!
World of Rotary
Through a Rotarian's Lens
Sometimes a photo can capture an amazing moment. In this section Member Keith Marsh shares his incredible photography!
If you'd like to submit a photo for this section please contact Keith.
There were no fireworks in San Francisco on July 4th due to Covid-19, but the Moon put on a show with a penumbral lunar eclipse.
Learn Something New
This section is curated by members Shags Shagrin and Rushton Hurley and aims to teach our members and guests something new, fun and useful! If you have any ideas on a fun trick or skill you'd like to share please contact Rushton or Shags.
Six More Food Hacks
Even more food hacks!! Only six, and some may be familiar. That's ok -- just adjust the playback speed or scroll ahead and enjoy!
Coffee With a Rotarian
A natural part of Rotary is the networking and the fellowship you get out of meeting other Rotarians. Coffee With a Rotarian is a monthly program of our club where we match participating club members for one-on-one virtual (or in some cases in person) coffee meetings, so they can learn more about each other. This program is organized by member Tzviatko Chiderov.
This week we have Nan from Penngrove, CA, USA reporting on a chat with Roger from Kamloops, BC, Canada
I just had a lovely CWR with Roger. As I told him, I have been on so many zoom calls with him and it was lovely to finally have him all to myself!
Roger is the quintessential Lifelong Learner. Living in British Columbia, he retired from being a lawyer 8 years ago, but he has not wasted a moment since. He is currently spending time listening to lectures and watching YouTube videos about geology. He was positively giddy telling me all he has learned about the San Andreas fault. Then he told me about his study of economics and race relations, and how the sexual revolution and the formation of a welfare state has contributed so much to the poverty within the USA. Not bad for a Canadian! Thank you for such an educational hour, Roger!
We encourage all club members to participate in Coffee With a Rotarian. You can sign up here!
Service Report
Tell us about service you’ve done recently in your community.
Click here to fill out The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
On the first meeting of every month, we feature service reports from club members for the previous month. Thanks for your service everyone!
Stabile, Sandy: Contacted potential members from the RI Membership Referral Program
Club Announcements
Haven't joined the conversation on Facebook yet? Consider joining the conversation by signing into our club members-only Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/rotarysiliconvalley/
Our Events & Projects
We hold our meetings online, but we do regular service projects and social events in the Silicon Valley! This section is updated every week with our upcoming events. We welcome guests to all of the events and service projects listed here.
Past Events:
Upcoming Events:
All times are Pacific Time! (San Francisco time)
District 5170 Events
All times are Pacific Time! (San Francisco time)
More events coming soon! All events are open to guests, unless otherwise mentioned. Feel free to join us! If you ever have questions, please email inquiries@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Happy Dollars: Do Good by Sharing Something Good
Each week we ask our members to share stories with the club and toss in a few dollars to support our efforts. The primary goal of this section is to provide a fun way of getting to know each fellow members and guests, while giving back to a good cause.
Happy dollars is an opportunity to share something positive that has happened in your life whether it is personal or business. Think of it as your opportunity to brag a little, but also put a little bit into a karma jar. The money donated through happy dollars is put to charitable use, and the message that you leave for happy dollars will be posted in our online meeting the following week for the entire week for folks to see! (Pending that it’s appropriate!)
Here are the happy dollars contributions from last week!
This section is usually updated on the early hours of Saturday, so contributions made over the weekend may not be listed here.
Monique Ziesenhenne made a $25 donation.
Thanks for the nice birthday greeting! Donation to Club General Fund, please.
Rory Olsen made a $20 donation.
We have been visited by the Saharan dust cloud. Jazzy is happy. Please apply my gift to Polio Plus.
Gabriela Lopez made a Other Amount donation.
Please allocate to PolioPlus Fund. Hoping to kick start the rotary year with a contribution! I’m grateful for finding a club that I can attend meetings from wherever I am!
Selected Comments
Every week at the bottom of our meetings, there is a comments section for members and guests to tell us what they enjoyed about the meeting or to ask questions to the speaker. We select a few comments every week from last week’s meeting to be featured during this week’s meeting.
Here are the comments selected from last week’s meeting.
Tzviatko Chiderov said:
Yvonne, these jokes were hilarious! Thank you for your commitment to make us laugh every week for so long.
Anil, thanks for telling us about your trip! This is so cool!
Raquel, I'm excited for all you have planned for our club for the new Rotary year!
Rushton Hurley said:
Yvonne, thanks for all the laughs! The video about turning plastic into monastic robes seems a great addition following the announcement of the new area of Rotary service (the environment!). Anil, how wonderful that you met the Dalai Lama! What a powerful voice for a better world he is.
Tzviatko, thanks again for all your hard work and dedication this last year. The club is much better for it.
Raquel, I'm excited about the opportunity to be part of the geography-based service initiative. Keep the ideas flowing!
Brett Sham said:
Tzviatko, thanks for your leadership this year, it was a pleasure serving with you. Raquel, I'm excited by your plans and vision for the year ahead.
Sarah, thanks for inviting me to your club and the donation.
Yvonne, thanks for all your jokes over the years. They will be missed, I'm not sure the meetings will be the same without you!
Be sure to leave a comment at the end of this week’s meeting after you watch the program below, and perhaps you’ll see your comment featured next week!
Program: The Free Reading Program
Speaker: Heather Lennie
Every week we bring to you a new program on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education, and how those contribute to service to others. Special thanks to member Roger Plested for leading our club's Programs Committee in finding us amazing speakers each week.
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley seeks to explore perspectives on service from across the world. The views of the speakers in our programs are their own, and unless stated otherwise, are not necessarily reflective of the views of our eClub nor Rotary International.
If you have an idea for a cool speaker, please feel free to reach out to them directly or submit THIS FORM so our Program Committee can contact them!
The Free Literacy Program, which began as a project of the Rotary Club of Scarborough where both Heather and her father serve as Rotarians. Heather travels extensively to promote the program to Rotary clubs and community groups.
Upcoming Program Recording Schedule
All of our guest speakers and programs are recorded live online over Zoom video conference. We welcome members and guests to join us in one of these upcoming recordings. Recordings are approximately 30 minutes long and are subject to change without notice.
Our online video conference room link for these recordings is always http://zoom.siliconvalleyrotary.com/. You are welcome to join us! Please note the timezone listed for all recordings is US Pacific Time (San Francisco, California, USA).
If you can’t join the live recording, please send your questions for an upcoming speaker to programs@siliconvalleyrotary.com.
You’re Almost Done! Please complete The Attendance Survey…
Thanks for reading and watching this week’s meeting. You have two last things to do before you’re done.
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. If you think you may want to join our eClub at some point in the future, we would strongly recommend you fill out the attendance form as it will improve your chances of success for your membership application.
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