Learning about Rotary Min-E Grants
This Meeting’s Highlights
Program: Learning About Rotary Min-E GrantsSpeaker: Allen Thompson, Rotary Club TreasurerMeeting for the week of August 22, 2016 to August 28, 2016
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; 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!
Welcome to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley!
Message from President Mitty
All About Members.
Members and guests, welcome to one of the most technologically driven Rotary clubs in the world! My name is Mitty and I am the proud president of this Rotary club! Every week we bring to you curated content to inspire you, to intrigue you, to educate you, and to empower you to do more. We are proud to be one of the premier online Rotary clubs in the world, with weekly online meetings and in-person events in the Silicon Valley.August has been member appreciation month in the Rotary world, and as August comes to a close I am reminded by how much the success of this club has been because of every one of our active members. For those of you who don't know, we are still a new club. January 2017 will mark our club's two-year anniversary. At less than 2 years old, our club has significantly improved the way we deliver our programs and our meetings since we first began. We have also worked heavily over the past few months in improving the benefits and the value of membership.Our leadership development grants and min-e grants (the topic of this week's meeting) really provide an amazing return on the membership dollars our members put in to their membership. The more you engage with this club, the more you will find that membership dues become an investment with a guaranteed positive return. Members, this is only going to get better throughout this year. The leadership team is still working on more ways to improve the value of your membership. My goal is to make sure that you never question whether or not your membership is worth the dollar amount you pay. Instead, I want it to be an obvious choice with math that makes it clear that you are getting incredible value out of your membership.That's why this week's program is about one of our internal membership benefits: Min-E Grants. It's important that our members, and even guests, understand some of these grants and how they can be used.I want to also give a special shoutout to our newest member, Kenneth "Kenny" Oku, who just joined our club this past week! His introduction will be in this meeting. Kenny -- we're really glad to have you part of our international family! Welcome!And for our Guests: I am so happy to have you join one of our online meetings! Whether you are a visiting Rotarian, prospective member, friend of a friend, or just someone stopping by -- our goal is to make sure you're getting some inspiration out of this meeting. As you continue scrolling and reading through our meeting, please leave a comment at the bottom of the meeting once you're done. We would love to hear from you! You can tell us things like where you're from and what you thought of the meeting! You can also ask the speaker a question in the comments section.
Yours in service,
Mitty Chang,
President
Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
president@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Power of Images: Perseid Meteor Shower
We believe in that saying a photo is worth a thousand words. Great images can inspire people and can conjure a wide range of emotions.
This week we feature a photo taken by our club's world-famous photographer, Keith Marsh! The photo is of the Perseid Meteor shower.
From Keith on this photo:
“Here is a photo I took last week of the Perseid Meteor shower. To get away from the light pollution of the Bay Area, I went to the Robert Ferguson Observatory east of Santa Rosa. This image is from three photos taken over an hour period after mid-night. Each exposure was about 20 seconds long, but actual meteor only lasted less than one second.”
Wow! The actual meteors only lasted less than one second! Thanks for sharing, Keith!
Laughing Out Loud with our Lady of LOLs
We believe that laughing a little every day keeps you healthier. Eveolry week we try to share with you something that will make you smile! This section is curated by Rotarian Yvonne Kwan, our club's “Lady of LOLs.”
Hey! This is Yvonne, your Lady of LOLs. This week's jokes are money-themed because of our Rotary Min-E Grants program from club treasurer and money man, Allen!
When does it rain money?When there is "change" in the weather.
How much money does a skunk have?One scent!
Son: Mom, can I get twenty bucks?Mom: Does it look like I am made of money?Son: Well isn't that what M.O.M. stands for?
Weekly Inspiration: How Tesla's Autopilot Actually Works
Every week we bring you videos of innovation, inspiration, and entrepreneurship. This week we are featuring a video from WIRED on how Tesla's Autopilot system actually works.
We are on the verge of self-driving cars going to the consumer market. It's intriguing to see different "assisted driving" systems like Tesla's Autopilot be that bridge to the future of self-driving cars.
Member Spotlight: Yvonne Kwan
This week we feature a short introduction from one of our members and club director, Yvonne Kwan. Yvonne is an educator in the San Francisco bay area, and has been teaching writing to students from grades 3 to 8 for the past 3 years. This week she begins her one and a half year Masters in Teaching program at San Jose State University.
New Member Introduction: Kenneth Oku
Our club is a family of like-minded individuals who believe in service above self, and love bettering our local and our international communities through humanitarian service. We also just have a really cool bunch of people! This segment is dedicated to our newest members and meeting them. This week we are welcoming one new member: Kenneth Oku!
Members and guests, President Mitty here!It is my pleasure and my personal privilege to officially announce Kenneth Oku as our newest member of our Rotary Club and family!I have known Kenneth, or Kenny for short, for the past four years. Since the day he walked into my Rotaract Club four years ago, he has always been a natural leader beaming with inspiration and that famous southern charm. Kenny has spent most of his twenties serving the military and various security forces. He is currently a student studying Computer Science at Ohlone College in Fremont, California. There are only a handful of people in my life who I respect and get inspired from as much as Kenny.But without getting too ahead of myself, let's hear from Kenny in this self-introduction video below.
Kenny, welcome to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley. You are now part of an international family of over 1.2 million leaders who believe in taking action to make our local communities and our international world a better place. In Rotary we cure the sick, cloth the poor, feed the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, education for the uneducated, and so much more. We are so glad to have you part of our family!
Members and guests, please join me in welcoming Rotarian Kenny Oku!
World of Rotary
The world of Rotary is vast — spanning over 180 countries in the world with over 1.2 million members. Our club is only one of thousands of Rotary clubs, each one that meets in a different place and at a different time. This segment of our meeting brings to you a little bit about what is going on in the world of Rotary this week.
August has been membership month for Rotary. It's been all about appreciating our members, and spreading the word of Rotary. Over the past month, our club has grown by over 20%! We could not make this growth happen without each of our valuable members supporting the club and engaging in the comments to representing our club. Special thanks to every member who has told anyone about our club. From members like Linda Diekman and Tzviatko Chiderov who have spoken at other Rotary clubs about our Rotary eClub, to members like Chris Cochrane and Kristi Govertsen who have just mentioned our Rotary eClub to friends and fellow Rotarians --- the success our Rotary Club has seen has been because of each of you!
Our Rotary International President John Germ, who is the leader of all 1.2 million Rotarians and Rotary clubs around the world, has a thank you message for our members below.
Members, thank you for being amazing!
Our Events & Projects
We hold our meetings online, but we hold regular service projects and social events in the Silicon Valley every month! This section is updated every week with our upcoming events. We welcome guests to all of our events and service projects listed here.
Also be sure to join our Meetup Group for automatic calendar updates and to RSVP for our events! These are open to all guests as well!
http://www.meetup.com/siliconvalleyrotary/All events are marked in Pacific Time and are located in the San Francisco bay area / Silicon Valley.
Upcoming Events:
Online Happ-E Hour Social – Thu. August 25th online via video conference
On Thursday, August 25 from 6 PM to 7 PM — Members, guests, and friends are welcome to join us for our regular online happy hour social. Bring your own beverage to your webcam-capable device, and join us for an hour of socializing! You will be able to join us online on August 25 at 6 PM using this Zoom video conference link: https://zoom.us/j/7489282423
Rotary Membership Seminar – Sat. August 27 in Milpitas, CA
On Saturday, August 27 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Members and prospective members, if growing Rotary sounds interesting to you, come join Rotary club presidents, Rotary membership chairs, and Rotarians from throughout the district for this free seminar on how to grow Rotary membership. Light breakfast is included. This event is free to attend.
REGISTER: Please register if you are planning on attending! You can register by clicking here on our Rotary District webpage.
Half Moon Bay Habitat Restoration Service Project – Sat. September 10
On Saturday, September 10 from 10 AM – 1 PM – Half Moon Bay It’s been a cool summer around here so what better way to enjoy the weather than to go outdoors and help improve the habitat for local birds and plants? We’ll be fending off invasive species and planting more native plants. We will also likely grab lunch after and maybe even enjoy the beach while we’re there. If you’re interested, please contact Andrew at secretary@siliconvalleyrotary.com.
If you’d like more details, you can find it here: https://www.handsonbayarea.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?id=a0a3200000DEcGtAAL
REGISTER/RSVP: RSVP on our meetup page by clicking here.
Hiking Social at the Alamere Falls – Sun. September 18 in the Point Reyes National Seashore, California
On Saturday, September 18 our club will be making a hiking trip to the Alamere Falls inside the Point Reyes National Seashore! Members and guests are welcome! We will be beginning our hike at 9:30 AM and will be getting lunch together afterwards. Please plan on arriving to the parking lot by 9:15 AM. Driving instructions will be provided a week before this event.
REGISTER/RSVP: RSVP on our meetup page by clicking here.
Ed Fund Gala Service Project – Sat. October 1 at Oakland Scottish Rite Center, Oakland, California
Ed Fund Gala Oct 1, 2016 4:30pm – 10:00pm Oakland Help us volunteer as event staff for a fundraiser for the A-Z Fund, a program that provides resources to schools in Oakland that don’t have strong PTAs to fund programs like music or sports. Duties may include help with registration and auction spotting. If you’re interested, please email Andrew at secretary@siliconvalleyrotary.com please check out the link: http://www.oaklandedfund.org/gala/
REGISTER/RSVP: RSVP on our meetup page by clicking here.
For Our Members: Reminders & Benefits
This section is dedicated for reminders to our members and for our members to report to us what service projects they have participated in recently. Members, please note this section will CHANGE every week!
New Announcements:
Members Only Login
Members, you should have each received an email with your login to the members only section. Logging in will enable you to see a members page with a directory of members, as well as quick links to paying your dues, Rotary Rewards, and grant applications. If you can't find your login or have trouble with it, please reach out to Mitty at president@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Summary of Recent Announcements
Option to Pay Dues Monthly: All members now have the option of choosing to pay their dues in monthly installments of USD$28 per month instead of every six months. This monthly payment option requires a credit or debit card be used for automatic debits. Please note that the monthly installment option is a little bit more expensive than if you prepay the full six months at a time. Members, if you want to start using the monthly payment option, please complete the Pay Dues page and select monthly option and complete that form. If you have any trouble with the form, please contact President Mitty at president@siliconvalleyrotary.com — All other dues related questions should be addressed to Club Treasurer Allen at treasurer@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Leadership Development Grants: Our club has a new member benefit we are testing out. We will reimburse up to USD$150 per year per member for the registration fee of a Rotary leadership events or other pre-approved leadership development events. For example, you could use this grant to attend a Rotary District Conference or the Rotary International Convention, and we will cover up to USD$150 of the registration fee. Please note this only covers registration fees and cannot be used for food (that is not pre-included in registration), housing, travel, or other incidentals. For non-Rotary events, please email President Mitty at president@siliconvalleyrotary.com at least 10 days in advance for approval. The leadership team has allocated enough money for 15 members to take part in this grant. After which our club’s Board of Directors will have to vote on whether or not to increase the allocation or not. Our goal is ultimately to see more members engaged! Please take us up on this amazing benefit! (That’s half your dues back! Wow!)
Looking for more Program Speakers: President Mitty is looking for more members to help out with the Programs & Meetings Committee! If you have guest speakers who may be interested in speaking to our Rotary club, please email president@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Request for more Member Spotlight Videos: Members, we are looking for more spotlight videos. These are short 2 to 3 minute introductions, sharing with the club something you are passionate about! Let our members get to know you better! Please email your video to president@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Business Information: Members, if you’re interested in having your business or company featured on our website, please email president@siliconvalleyrotary.com with your information and logo. We’ll have a public members page for this.
Tracking Service Hours
Hello awesome member! Have you been up to service lately? Please share what you’ve been up to, as it allows us to get to know each other better in the process!The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
Happy Dollars
Each week we ask our members to share news with the club and toss in a few dollars to support our efforts. The primary goal for this section is to provide a fun way of getting to know each other, while giving back to a good cause.
Last week the happy dollars contributions went towards powering our club projects. Here are our contributors from last week and their comments:
From member Rory Olsen ($15):
“It is a distinct honor and pleasure to be a member of the club.“
From guest Helena Marsh ($10):
No comment
From member Brian Liddicoat ($15):
"Big party yesterday celebrating my daughter's 8th birthday. Great time had by all!"
From member Linda Tangren ($15):
"Welcome Rory and Nicole!"
This week the happy dollars will go towards funding our club projects and initiatives. So go ahead, tell us about something good that’s happen to you this week! Think of this like a digital karma jar. All happy dollar submissions will be featured in next week’s online meeting — so great for shoutouts and brags!
Visiting Rotarians: If you like what you see, this is a really good chance for you to give a digital shoutout to your club in our next week’s meeting, while helping fund some of our projects. Perhaps consider donating an amount similar to what you might have paid for the cost of the meal if you attended a brick and mortar club meeting — or any amount you are comfortable with![wufoo username="mightymitty" formhash="z1axxwbk1v5i25o" autoresize="true" height="598" header="show" ssl="true"]
Selected Six
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 six comments every week from last week’s meeting to be featured during this week’s meeting.
Here are six comments selected from last week’s meeting on delivering free medical care in Vietnam by Nicole Pham:
From member Heather Shaw (California, USA):“Nicole I definitely relate to how much receive back emotionally from helping people. When I have donated my services (on a much smaller scale than you. Avon 3 day walk) it was so rewarding! I have no doubt your empathy will be appreciated by your future patients. Welcome to you and Rory to our group!“
From member and past president Rushton Hurley (California, USA):“Nicole, welcome to the club - your work truly shows your heart, which is the heart of a Rotarian. Andrew, it's totally cool to hear about your telescope work! I enjoyed seeing the thank-you video from the Interactors regarding the soccer ball project, too. Finally, Rory, welcome to this club. You won the gold medal last year for visits by a nonmember, and it's great to have you as part of this family!“
From member Nicole Pham (California, USA):“Thank you everyone for the overwhelming kindness! I am extremely excited to be a Rotarian and I am thankful for this opportunity.“
From member Linda Diekman (Illinois, USA):“Nicole! Welcome to the club! Your enthusiasm is infectious and I love your approach to service and life!“
From guest Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne:“Thanks very much for such an informative, enthusiastic presentation. I enjoyed hearing about your experience and seeing the country and its people, Nicole. Also, just want to let you all know that I found the "meeting" a pleasant alternative to a traditional Rotary lunch meeting!“
From member Rory Olsen (Texas, USA):“Nicole, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Sitting here in dry, mosquito-free Houston, Texas, I can relate to the sacrifices that you made on your trip. Thank you for doing what you did.“
Thank you everyone for attending last week’s meeting!
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!
The Program
Every week we bring to you a program on innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian service. This week we are featuring a program about our club's Min-E Grants with our speaker and club treasurer, Allen Thompson.
Allen Thompson, 63 years old, was born in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. Allen grew up in Montana. He is a graduate of the University of Montana with a marketing degree. He began his career as a building contractor, and currently runs his own building contracting business. He has lived in Bakersfield, California since 1983. Allen's wife Patty is a second grade teacher. Allen and Patty have three children: Michael, Stephanie, and Sam. Allen has been part of Rotary for over 12 years now. Prior to becoming a charter member of our Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, Allen was a member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield Breakfast and the Rotary eClub of the Southwest. Allen serves our Rotary Club as the treasurer.
About our Rotary Min-E Grants:Rotary Min-E Grants is a program created by our Rotary eClub exclusively for our club members. Our Min-E Grants program provides small matching grants of up to USD$250 to our members for the purpose of funding local service projects. Guests who are interested in having our Rotary Min-E Grant help fund one of their projects will need to find one of our club members to partner with. Our Min-E Grant program is inspired by the Rotary eClub of the Southwest's mini grant program.
From Allen:
"Min-E Grants given by the Rotary eClub of the Southwest USA required a commitment to provide a 'program' for a meeting. Attached is the program I prepared. Also attached is a program prepared by Keith Marsh as a result of his Min-e-Grant used to help fund a pottery wheel for Marin Ventures, a non-profit established to benefit developmentally disabled persons. (Marin is closer to home so this might resonate with some of our members)"
Related Attachments & Links:
Read the full description about our Rotary Min-E Grants and how to apply
For Members Only - Online Application Form for a Rotary Min-E Grant
Reach out to Allen
If you have any questions for Allen, please feel free to leave a comment or question at the bottom of this meeting page. (If this is the week of August 22, 2016 to August 28, 2016 still!) Or you can reach out directly to her by email address at treasurer@siliconvalleyrotary.com
Upcoming Recordings & Meetings
Ever wondered how you can join one of our live recordings to ask our speakers questions live? Well, now our recordings are available to guests as well!
Upcoming Meetings:
Week of August 29 - The Human Trafficking Film "SOLD" with Director Jeffrey Brown
Upcoming Recordings:
THIS Week: On Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 4 PM Pacific we will be recording Director Jeffrey Brown who will be sharing with us about his film on human trafficking, "SOLD." We will also hear insights from him about the making of the film from the book.The connection address for this recording will be: https://zoom.us/j/7489282423
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. 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.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!
