Ces Butner, President of Rotary Club of Oakland
Call to Order – Ces Butner
President Ces Butner called the virtual Oakland Rotary Civic Thursday to order and noted it was the club’s 5,316th meeting since its founding. He hoped our time together would be a welcome respite from the post-election activity still in play.
The meeting agenda was unique in focusing on two main topics: Zoom training and the annual Rotary Foundation campaign.
Ces’s President’s Challenge
President’s Challenge
WOOSAH! Our club’s giving activity has received an amazing boost by Ces’s President’s Challenge to get 100% participation of club members as 2020 donors to The Rotary Foundation. If achieved, Ces will make a generous gift of $50,000 to the Foundation. Thank you, President Ces, Very inspiring indeed! Everyone, get your checkbooks out, or donate online today!
Today, our virtual meeting kicked off the November Annual Fund Drive for The Rotary Foundation, with funds raised going to support important “Service Above Self” projects around the world that are identified and launched by various clubs working together.
Stephanie Casenza
Thought for the Day – Stephanie Casenza
Stephanie Casenza’s thought for the day was offered in light of the Presidential Election. She recommends we read Getting to Yes, a favorite book that simply states managing an ongoing relationship between two people is more important than the outcome of any negotiation.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Past President Ed Jellen was sad to report that for the first time in weeks, we had no visiting Rotarians or guests. He even held up his notepad upon which he writes their names for us to see—it was blank!
Tech Training Breakout Sessions
Communications Committee Co-Chair Isaac Kos-Read and fellow committee members have designed some training presentation on how best to use various social media applications. This first session focused on the Zoom app. You can find this presentation under "Documents" in Clubrunner, and stay tuned for future topics on other social media users. The Rotary District also has a good training session on Zoom available at: https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000050083/en-ca/files/homepage/being-a-zoomer/Being-a-Zoomer-V060520.pdf
The Communications Committee apologizes for some issues with the breakout room training sessions. If you would like to have a make-up session, contact Isaac or Sandeepa Nayak at isaac@kosreadgroup.com or sandeepa@khacreations.com.
Committee Co-chair Leann Alameda
The Rotary Foundation 2020 Campaign
Committee Co-chairs Leann Alameda and Joe Goralka introduced this year’s campaign by sharing outcomes from prior campaigns that have provided clean water to emerging communities throughout the world, fought disease with vaccines, helped children receive an education and taught others how to create an enterprise to sustain their families. New this year along is an additional focus on climate change. Leann also noted that every dollar we donate comes back to the Club for our future use.
Michael Bakal, co-founder of the nonprofit Voces Y Manos
Michael Bakal, Voces Y Manos
This was a good sequel to an inspirational presentation by Michael Bakal, co-founder of the nonprofit Voces Y Manos organization launched in 2010 thanks in part to funding from The Rotary Foundation. A graduate of UC San Diego and former high school science teacher, Michael is a doctoral student at UC Berkeley.
Voces & Manos is currently focusing on providing food access during COVID-19 to individuals and families in various communities within Guatemala. It is also beginning to focus on the impact climate change is having on that Maya Achi culture trying to farm its lands as it has for centuries, but now dealing with the so-called “Dry Corridor” conditions caused by climate change.
Michael is leading a project to find solutions by engaging and empowering youth leadership to help transform their own communities, thanks to support from a new Rotary International Global Grant. Michael is truly an impressive individual who has addressed the club years ago, so it was good to hear what has been accomplished and what new projects are launching with youth engaged and funding made possible by generous Rotarians. Bravo!
Paul Harris Fellows
An important part of Rotary Foundation Month is the opportunity to honor club members who have become Paul Harris Fellows. They include donors who have reached a first-time cumulative giving level of $1,000 as well as those who have reached additional cumulative giving levels of $1,000 each.
Pres. Ces honored the following generous donors were acknowledged: Sean Callum (+1 donor), Steve Blair (+2 donor) and Tom Freeman (+8 donor). They received their new Paul Harris Fellows pins prior to the meeting. Congratulations to all!
The Veterans Community Media Network
Grant to The Veterans Community Media Network
Rotary Club of Oakland made a grant to The Veterans Community Media Network (TVCMN) to purchase equipment and software for production of their videos and upcoming TV show. Georgia Richardson delivered the check on behalf of the Club to Diane Williams, Executive Director of TVCMN.
High Adventure Hike in Leona Canyon
On the morning of Saturday, November 6, Past President Robert Kidd led a hike in Leona Canyon. The 18 masked and socially distant hikers had a wonderful time, enjoying the beautiful trail under a glorious blue sky.
Bellringers
Executive Director Pat Williams announced the following bellringers:
Keith Giron and Joe Goralka rang the bell in honor of Michael Bakal.
Adjournment
President Ces Butner adjourned another busy meeting at 1:30 pm with his signature comment “that’s the way it went” and the reminder that Rotary Opens Opportunity for Service Above Self as he rang the bell.
Danny Wan
Next Meeting, November 12 – Danny Wan, Port of Oakland - Now and in the Future
David Stein announced our meeting will feature Danny Wan, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland. As one of the ten busiest container ports in the U.S., ninety nine percent of containerized goods in Northern California come through the Port. The Airport has become the fourth largest international visitor gateway in California. The port has almost 20 miles of waterfront property as well.
Add new comment