President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,373rd Civic Thursday meeting of the 3rd oldest Rotary Club in the world. He opened the meeting with Gung Hoy Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year to everyone. President Dudley announced we will continue meeting via Zoom throughout the month of February.
Edward Brail’s thought for the day included many well-known quotes from Abraham Lincoln. One we can all live by is “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years”.
Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen introduced Cheryl Fabio, Director of Evolutionary Blues, and guest of Allison Bliss. He also introduced Ken Richardson’s guest, Paul Pervere, a retired accounting professional and brother of member Maude Pervere. Assistant District Governor Dianne Dorn, a member of the San Leandro Rotary, also attended.
Lunar New Year: If you’ve ever wondered about Lunar New Year, President-Elect Mary Geong gave us an excellent presentation on the traditions associated with Lunar New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy means may you be happy and prosperous. Lunar New Year is the most important celebration in the Asian community. 2022 is the year of the Tiger. Red is traditionally worn during this celebration. Crisp bills are given in red envelopes. Oranges and Tangerines are in abundance during this celebration and represent prosperity. You will see many beautiful Red Calendars during the Lunar New Year. Three lucky people received calendars as a gift from Mary. They were Pete Noonan, Debo Sarkar and Cynthia Harris. Due to Covid restrictions, we could not have our Rotary Lunar New Year Dinner in a restaurant so to-go Bento boxes were available for Rotarians to order and pick-up.
Evolutionary Blues Film – February 24: Georgia Richardson and Nancy Williams are working on our program for Black History Month. On February 24th join fellow Rotarians at the Grand Lake Theatre for a streaming of Evolutionary Blues. 30 performing artists will be highlighted in the film. Proof of vaccination will be required for entry. Tickets are $14. This is a family-friendly event and the public is welcome. Please share our Rotary Facebook page highlighting this event on your social media.
Richmond to Castro Valley Epic Hike: Robert Kidd and the High Adventure Committee have a series of hikes planned that will take us from Richmond to Castro Valley. The first one is on February 27th and goes to Wildcat Canyon. This will be followed by a hike in Tilden Park in April, Redwood Park in June and Lake Chabot in August. Mark your calendars!
Rotary Golf Tournament – February 15: The Rotary Golf Tournament is just around the corner. It will be at Sequoyah Country Club on February 15th. You can sign up on the website, there are a few spots left.
International Women’s Day – March 13: Celebrate International Women’s Day with Rotary District 5170 on March 13th.
Rotary District 5170 Conference – April 22 – 24: The District Conference is April 22- April 24. There will be three days of interesting speakers. It takes place at the Blackhawk Museum and the San Ramon Marriott Hotel. Sign up on the District website.
Red Cross Blood Drive: The Red Cross is in need of blood donations. Giving is easy – you can download the Red Cross Blood Donor App and join the “Rotary District 5170” Team. If you are not app-happy, you can also call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 and make an appointment. Let Jesse Bowdle know you have donated.
Environment Committee Carbon Footprint Survey: The Environment Committee is conducting a survey to determine the club’s carbon footprint. Take the survey at https://coolclimate.org/calculator and then email your results to Committee Chair Joel Parrott at jjparrott83@gmail.com. Results are measured by each individual’s zip code.
Mary Geong introduced Jean Pfaelzer, Professor of American Studies and Asian Studies at the University of Delaware and author of “The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans.” Jean traced the history of Chinese Americans in the Pacific Northwest and California and offered insight into their challenging experiences. Jean noted that the City of San Francisco and many other cities have offered apologies for the discrimination and violence to which the Chinese community was subjected.
Linda Chew rang the bell for Mary Geong. Lois Corrin rang the bell twice, once for Mary Geong and once for Cheryl Fabio.
President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 pm reminding us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!
Click here to watch Jean Pfaelzer video segment.
Missed our meeting, but interested in checking out the next one? Click below to learn more. https://www.oakland-rotary.org/calendar
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