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ROTARY CLUB OF OAKLAND CIVIC LUNCHEON MEETING - JANUARY 20, 2022

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, January 20, 2022

President Dudley Thompson called to order the Zoom-only 5,371st Civic Thursday meeting at 12:30 pm.

Our country celebrated MLK day this last Monday and Keith Giron told us how “Service Above Self” is a theme worthy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keith also shared that the Karl F Stucki World Community Services Committee just finalized four grants in service to the community.

Past President & District Governor Ed Jellen announced visiting Rotarian and guest of Robert Raburn, Kathryn Marshall of San Francisco Evening Rotary Club.

Jason Wizelman is a mortgage lender. His strong belief in the Rotary 4-Way Test motivates him to help others in the community and also his clients. Jason is there to help you make intelligent decisions around loans and mortgages.

Joe Goralka and Leeann Alameda told us about The Rotary Foundation month in December. It was an excellent year of fundraising and has changed the culture of giving where the vast majority of Rotarians are giving every year. This year we had 65%-member participation toward the 100% goal which is a great improvement from previous years. Club members donated over $135,000. Oakland #3 is the top giver in District 5170 again which is a big honor and benefit as the club receives additional funds for grants.

Joe Goralka also told us about a severe blood shortage and in response, our club is doing a blood drive. Go online or call the Red Cross and donate. Please take your photo and send it to Jesse Bowdle for a picture donor board.

President Elect Mary Geong, zooming in from Washington, D.C., announced this year’s Club festivity for Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year will be an online “virtual” dinner on February 3. On the menu are delicious Japanese bento box servings from Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar in Oakland. A single dinner runs $30 including tax & tip, and you can either pick up the dinner from 4:30 – 5:30 pm at the California Ballroom or have it delivered to your home. Be sure to make your on-line reservation on the Club’s website ASAP before the February 1 deadline. https://www.oakland-rotary.org/calend...

Nancy Williams announced a Black History Month activity will be the “Evolutionary Blues” documentary film showing at Grand Lake Theatre. Tickets are $14 each. Limited seating and proof of vaccination needed. This film is an Oakland-based story about blues musicians and their migration from the South. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the director, Cheryl Fabio. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/3Km9GjE 

Renia Webb introduced today’s speaker, Regina Jackson. She is a Cal Bears grad, coach and a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow. She just retired and finished her last year as the chair of the Oakland Police Commission.

The goal of the Police Commission is to oversee the police department and has stated goals to reduce the disparate impact on enforcement in the Black community. There are seven volunteer commissioners with two alternates who oversee the police commissioner with the unique ability to take action over significant policies of the police force.

Some of their successes have included the change to policies around use of force and probation and parole searches. Regina would like to see police be less militaristic and more involved in the community in hopes they do not have to address and respond to such a variety of calls.

Isaac Kos-Read rang the bell twice, once for Leeann Alameda and once for the Blood Drive. Lois Corrin, Renia Webb, Ahmad Anderson, Robert Kidd, Georgia Richardson, Wil Hobbs, Ces Butner, Ruth Stroup and Ken Benson rang the bell for Regina Jackson

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:33 p.m. reminding us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!

Click here to watch Regina Jackson video segment

Missed our meeting, but interested in checking out the next one?

Click below to learn more. https://www.oakland-rotary.org/calendar

#serviceaboveself #rotaryinternational #rotaryclubofoakland #rotaryopensopportunities

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