Building a Responsible Lifestyle Brand For Women On The Rise
This Meeting's Highlights
Program: Building a Responsible Lifestyle Brand For Women On The RiseSpeaker: Cynthia SalimMeeting for the week of December 21st to December 27th, 2015* * *
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!
Greetings
Message from the President
Welcome, and Merry Everything!This morning I was out on a walk to keep my Fitbit count going and stopped near a Starbucks. An older man was on the ground gathering something, and I soon realized he was counting dimes and nickels.We talked a bit, and I learned much about him in those minutes. Where he sleeps (in some bushes next to a bank), his hopes for a studio apartment someday, and that he was planning to buy a hot chocolate and a sandwich.With the rains getting more frequent, and with the costs in our area of renting even the smallest place rising stratospherically, it was frankly rather difficult to feel any optimism for this guy.But while we can't help everyone, I think we are called to do what we can when chances arise. Buying this guy a hot chocolate and a sandwich seemed an easy move for me, as I'm one who slept in a warm bed last night and got up to my choice of what to have for breakfast.This is certainly a time of year where we hear a lot about those in need - sometimes more than we want to hear. The fact remains, though, that if we are able to be part of making the world better for someone (good) or many (better), figuring out how to do so creatively and innovatively should be someone's challenge.And those of us in Rotary know - it's our challenge.Take time this week to share ideas of ways to make the world better. And amidst the bustle of holiday errands and family activities, do something for someone else, however small. It's a reminder -- in what it teaches us about the world around us -- that when we take time for others, we end up getting much more than we give.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,
Rushton Hurley,
President
Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
The Power of Images
We believe that there is power in imagery, and that a great photo can inspire in its own unique way.
This photo is from our club Camera Czar, Keith:"Here is a photo I took of the San Francisco skyline a few years ago around Christmas time from Treasure Island. The Embarcadero Center is lighted this time each year and a small aperture on the camera creates the star effect on the light at the top of the Transamerica Pyramid."
The Power of Ideas
Every week we bring you a few words from thinkers past and present which we think may inspire you. This week’s quote is from Charles Dickens.
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.- Charles Dickens
The Power of Excitement
For many this week, there will be plenty of joy and excitement that comes from time together and gift-giving. Some of the best excitement, though, comes from something simpler - the joy of exploration. Witness Aubri's gift to us all of his excitement.
May your week be one with unbridled enthusiasm and joy!
Did You Know?
According to a document on Rotary's website (no mention of when it was posted, unfortunately), there are about 300 eclubs with about 6400 members. It didn't have a list of the stunningly cool eclubs, but if they did, I'm sure the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley would be on it.
To Our Members: The Giving Challenge
This month we are getting to know each other better by learning about the causes we support. The Giving Challenge is a challenge for our club members to tell us more about where they are donating their time or money.
Of our membership of 29, we published the whats and whys for 16 members, and add the following this week:
Member: François Tessiercause: Ayubowan Projectwhy: This is the NGO I founded; I am preparing for it to be registered and continue its mission in Sri Lanka.
Member: Art Taylorcause: Boy Scouts, church, Campaign for Tibet, Amnesty International, American Forestry Foundation, Lending Promise, and otherswhy: I feel I am making a difference to make the world better.member: Stephen Zhoucause: Dharma Realm Buddhist Associationwhy: I went to high school at this Buddhist temple and it has taught me many values by focusing on instilling moral foundations and ethical behaviors in their curriculum.
Member: Mahmood Khancause: San Jose Conservation Corps and Charter School, SunWorkswhy: I have been a board member of San Jose Conservation Corps and Charter School since 2003. My focus is training and education of underprivileged. I see education and training to be the best way out of poverty. I host a job search group where people come for mentoring, coaching and advice on how to prepare for their next job. It has been very successful over the last 7 years with un/under employed in the valley. I started this group as part of Project Management Institute (a non-profit) local chapter and have carried on every year since 2007. I also help install solar panels at low income families homes as a volunteer at SunWorks (a non-profit). SunWorks is a volunteer-driven organization and does 2-5 installations each week.
Member: Linda Tangrencause: St. Jude Children's Hospitalwhy: It provides medical care to children free of charge. It is always tough to choose. I research the administrative costs of a charity before I donate. Although I feel that this charity could lower their admin cost, I know parents of children who benefitted from these donations. I know that many bankruptcies are due to high medical bills. This is my way of helping someone who does not have the financial reserves to give their children every possible chance for survival. It's all about children with me!
Member: Allen Thompsoncause: San Joaquin Community Hospital of Bakersfieldwhy: Healthcare is always more than just diagnosis and repair. We hospital volunteers raise spirits and promote courage. There is just no substitute for it. My partner is a 5-year-old Boxer named Molly (see below).Together we make people smile.:)So far, we've heard from Tzviatko, Gene, Shags, Keith, Catherine, Chris, Richard, Heather, Rushton, Andrew T, Paul, Nate, Yvonne, Hardeep, Martin, Deepali, François, Art, Stephen, Mahmood, Linda, and Allen. If your name isn't in that group, we want to hear from you, too! Click here to make it happen. (If you have filled out the form since this was posted, we'll get it handled for next week.)
Hanging with English eClub Folks
Last Wednesday (16th), a group of five of us participated in this year's final weekly meeting of the Rotary e-Club of East Anglia (England), and were immensely entertained by their camaraderie, fun banter, and interesting speaker. Below is a screenshot of their meeting (I didn't realize until later I'd caught such a serious moment - much of the time people were laughing!), as well as a virtual banner their president, Martin, shared with us.As he was also doing a makeup for a missed week, member Mark Dohn (Ann Arbor, Michigan) added some thoughts on the experience in the makeup form:The East Anglia Club is an immensely charismatic and fun club. These guys truly understand camaraderie. The presentation on Rotaract was fantastic. I found it impressive that Kieran [the speaker] had through the use of social media - LinkedIn no less - been able to connect and build a Rotaract group. Rushton, Mitty, Allen, and Shags were also in the meeting, and with the time of the meeting being doable for everyone here, I believe we can collaborate with them in the near future.Great thoughts, Mark!And from member Allen Thompson (Bakersfield, California), also making up a miss:Bloody good meeting!Chuckle.
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.
Upcoming Events:
Did you miss our past events? Come join us for any of our upcoming events! Guests, you are welcome too!Hiking Adventures at Point Reyes on Sun. January 24, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Our eClub is taking a wilderness explorers’ adventure into Point Reyes on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 10 AM. Pack your own picnic lunch, and prepare for a nice 5-7 mile hike! We may also do a pit stop at the world famous Tomales Bay Oyster Company’s oyster stand. Details such as the exact meeting location will be available by mid-January. Keep your calendar marked! All members and guests are welcome. Free to attend.
Sexy Salad Potluck & Wine in Livermore on Sun. February 21, 2016 at 12:00 PM
Come enjoy the local extension of Napa Valley in Livermore. We will be having a salad potluck at the awarding winning Retzlaff Vineyard Winery in Livermore on Sunday, February 21, 2016, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. There will be live music and wine. This is a sexy salad potluck! Sexy salad is a way for communities to come together and give gratitude for good food and for good company. Members and guests should bring an ingredient to contribute to the salad. For example: you could bring a bowl of cranberries, a bowl of sliced steak, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, etc. We will be providing organic assorted greens, the salad dressing, along with plates and utensils. All members and guests are welcome to attend; this event is also friendly for anyone under 21 as well! (Though those not 21 or older can’t have wine, of course.)
Nightlife Exploration at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 7 PM
Come 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 24, 2016 at 7 PM 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.
More Socials!
You can sure expect more socials to be coming up in 2016! Members, if you are interested in helping plan socials, please reach out to President-Elect Mitty or leave a comment on this meeting. We would love to get you more involved with the social planning!
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.
Making a Difference in MexicoRotary International President Ravi Ravindran's theme for this Rotary year is "Be a Gift to the World." There are few gifts that would eclipse that of hope for self-reliance. In this article from the December issue of The Rotarian, you'll learn about work being done in Mexico to help those with physical disabilities develop a variety of skills used in wheelchair repair.Find the full article here.
Photography by Monika Lozinska
Peace Fellowships
Applications are now open for the 2017 Rotary Peace Fellowship, so if you know someone interested in pursuing either a Master's Degree or a program certificate, you might refer them to the Peace Fellowship page on Rotary.org.
These are fully-funded academic fellowships at one of the peace centers below. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
• International Christian University, Japan
• University of Bradford, England
• University of Queensland, Australia
• Uppsala University, Sweden
Share the info with others; the world needs as many talented peacemakers as can be found!
District Newsletter
You might also enjoy perusing Governor Susan Valenta's December newsletter, which is available at this link. It's got loads of info, along with messages from Susan, Cecelia Babkirk, and others. There is even a mention of the Area 3 membership meeting that Stephen, Mitty, Yvonne and I attended, which featured a wonderful message from RI Past President Cliff Dochterman.
Service Survey
One piece of being a Rotarian is finding ways – both big and small – to help others. Our members report the good deeds they do and the good efforts in which they participate, not in order to brag, but to remind us of the many possibilities there are for using what we have for those in need.
At the beginning of each month, we are inspired to learn the details of the service our members are doing in their communities. This is a season when all of us are involved in some way with helping others, so please let us know what you've been up to by spending thirty seconds on the form linked below!
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
Happy Dollars
Perhaps you've got family in from far away for the holidays. Perhaps you won't have to have family in from elsewhere! Whatever it is that makes you happy, tell us about it, and toss a dollar or two into what Mitty calls the "Good Karma Jar" to let us know! All for good causes, this.
From last week:Mmember Tzviatko Chiderov ($10):The Electrify Africa Act passed the Senate today (18th) and it's moving to the House of Representatives in January. This bill will help bring energy access to millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Please use my donation for the Annual Fund, and perhaps our club can work on an energy project in Africa some time soon. [Spoken like one who knows the power of advocacy - good on ya, Tzviatko!]member Linda Tangren ($25)Rushton, you pick a fund. [What a fun Happy Dollars donation! I'll pick the work we're doing helping the Interact Club at San Jose KIPP Collegiate. Thanks, Linda - you rock!
Birthdays
We have a birthday this week - woohoo!Mahmood Khan was born on December 26th in a year that happened, let's simply say, in the past. Also in the past, and on this day in 1982, Time chose as its "Man of the Year" the personal computer, marking the first time something other than a human got the award. No word on how the personal computer celebrated its moment, but we're certainly glad to have them around in order to take part in the wonderful world of Rotary the way we do. We're also glad to have you in the club, amigo.
The Tidbit
Every week, we feature a new tech tid bit or life hack to make something easier, more convenient, or more fun!
Member Andrew Taw shows off the cool camera feature of the Google Translate App this week:
A Little Humor
We believe laughter is like medicine. Here’s a little humor for your week!
This week, we're tapping the collection at the website of Boys' Life Magazine.Josh: Why was Santa’s little helper depressed?Mark: Dunno. Why?Josh: Because he had low elf esteem!Those of you needing to feel better about yourselves are welcome to send (clean) jokes our way for future meetings, or you may be doomed to get more of the kind referenced this week. Hope you got a chuckle, though!
Selected Comments from Last Week
We ask our members and guests each week to tell what they think of the meeting and program. It's our opportunity to share a few thoughts and get to know each other better, so members, if you finish the meeting and don't leave a message, beware the bad karma that might ensue.
Last week's meeting, highlighted by the interview-program of Josh Shipp, generated plenty of great comments, and here are some of those:
Member Mitty Chang (California, USA)Rushton -- Cool tidbit! Didn't know about this one; totally useful for my day-to-day life as a web designer. Cheers. Josh -- Thank you so much for your valuable insights and for sharing your experience. I also heard you speak at the TEDx event over in San Jose the same day Rushton was speaking. I appreciated your talk then, and I appreciate it again now. Thanks for taking the time to speak to our Rotary Club!
Member Rushton Hurley (California, USA)I love the messages people are giving about the causes they support - keep 'em coming! Josh, awesome talk, and thanks again for the time. I can only guess how many thousands of teens have renewed confidence because of your work.
Member Andrew Taw (California, USA)Thank you so much for your thoughts, Josh! Loved the discussion about kids and cell phones. Cell phones were just developing into smartphones during my adolescence so I've always taken my access to them for granted. I agree with the point that cell phones should require a certain level of training.
Member Gene Tognetti (California, USA)Josh- thanks a lot for sharing your story. I too had a teacher who, in late December of 8th grade, told me I could have "the last 5 minutes of class to do what you want, for the rest of the year." That day, I had fun with those last 5 minutes.... Upon my return, armed with lots of new material, Mr. Gish informed me that his promise was, alas, only for that last day of the year. He was clearly a smart man. Anyway, as a parent, as well as many years in the middle school classroom, and a 5-year stint as VP (one of my duties: discipline!!!), I think your point about students needing - from someone - TIME above all else is right on track. Thanks again for sharing your interesting story!
Member Keith Marsh (California, USA)Touche! Josh, that was a great program. I was excited to see that the eClub is coming my way for a hike at Point Reyes in January. Maybe I can host a recovery party at my house. You will have to drive right by to get there.
Guest Brian Liddicoat (California, USA)Wow! Josh, I'm dealing with the angriest 10-year-old in the world right now (like living with a swarm of bees) and you really spoke to me. Thank you. Can I rent you for a weekend?!
Member member Tzviatko Chiderov (Illinois, USA)Really cool program Josh, thank you! I really liked your points on opening up about yourself to get teens to do the same, on investing time with them to get their trust, and on realizing that when they do something that annoys you it might be an unrefined talent waiting to be discovered. Thanks again!
Member Nate Gildart (Tokyo, Japan)Josh, thank you very much. This was a great program. I teach kids in Grade 8 and Grade 12 and your comments truly resonate. Our student body is from a privileged class, but it doesn't change the fact that teens often have a tough time. I find that some of the most important things we can give kids is time, an ear, and honesty. Those teachable moments you mentioned are far more important than we often realize. Great stuff. Love the Mr. Rogers clip, and since I make posters for music events, that tidbit is going to be so useful! Thank you!
Member Heather Shaw (California, USA)His method of connecting is impressive. I love that idea of being vulnerable to allow for safety and openness with a youth. Definitely food for thought. Thank you for sharing!
The Program
This week we welcome Cynthia Salim to our eclub as speaker. As you'll quickly figure out, Cynthia is a dynamic young woman who built upon her experiences as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to identify a niche and start Citizen's Mark, a line of responsibly made Italian wool blazers for women on the rise.From driving through the Italian Alps in search of the world-class wool to misadventures in the garment district, you will hear about Cynthia's two-year journey to build Citizen's Mark as the premiere lifestyle brand for socially conscious and empowered women. You will also learn how her Rotary experience in Los Angeles and London inspired her work and her new perspective on ethical fashion, designing for women of influence, and the direction of socially responsible business.Cynthia is the child of Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneurs who experienced the joys and pains of being "perpetually abroad" as a result of frequently moving from one country and culture to another. Her insight into the unwritten rules of culture and influence led her to fill the gap in the fashion industry for a lifestyle brand that catered to a generation of socially conscious and empowered women on the rise. Prior to moving to The Big Apple to launch Citizen's Mark, Cynthia worked in international affairs and management consulting in Geneva, Switzerland. She is also a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar alum, studying Human Values & Contemporary Global Ethics at King's College London in 2009.eClub members, Rotarian guests, and anyone else joining us, welcome Cynthia Salim!
See the offerings of Cynthia's company at CitizensMark.com.
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 Dec 28th: Crowdsourcing Education for One Billion PeopleWeek of Jan 4th: UNICEF Product Innovation: Driving Innovation for Development and Emergency Response
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!
