News Tags: The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!

You are here

Home » News

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, September 2 , 2021

Posted September 2nd, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called the 5,354nd Civic Thursday meeting to order and shared impressive Rotary historical facts worthy of repetition. Founded in 1908, our club is the third oldest in the world amongst more than 36,000 clubs, in more than 200 countries. Oakland Rotary has nearly 300 members joining together in “Service Above Self”

Thought for the Day - Merlin Edwards

Merlin Edwards shared an uplifting quote from Nelson Mandela: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen announced that for the first time in many weeks there were no visiting Rotarians or guests. A bit later, however, Lorna Padia Markus introduced her guest, Gerald Thomas of Paylocity.

Membership and Committee Month

President Dudley deemed the month of September “Membership and Committee Month”.

Keith Uriate, Membership Coordinator, shared three key focal points: Inviting New Members, Member Engagement and Membership Retention. Noting we are well on our way towards the goal of over 300 members, Keith reported that since July 1st, the club has inducted ten new members with five more inductees scheduled this month. He appealed to the 59 members attending today’s meeting to “each one bring one”. Fifteen people raised hands in the Chat to indicate their commitment to bring guests, and prospective new members, towards reaching or exceeding the goal over the next 10 months!

David Kersten, Membership Recruitment Chair, announced there will several upcoming events including a New Member gathering in early October. The Membership Committee will meet on September 14 at 6 p.m. and welcomes new participants. Rotarians interested in attending the planning meeting should contact David Kersten at dk@kersteninc.com, Keith Uriarte at keithuriarte@sbcglobal.net or Dudley Thompson at ItsMeDudleyT@gmail.com.

Pres. Dudley suggested we all ask ourselves: Am I a better person for joining Oakland Rotary? Do I know someone who would make a great Rotarian?”

He also reminded us to become familiar with and share copies of the 2020-2021 Accomplishments list, available next week, highlighting the club’s many impactful contributions with data, fun facts and photos to help spread the word and good work!

Rotaract President DeVante Brooks shared the latest partnerships and efforts to benefit local students, much needed as the pandemic continues. DeVante, a former HOPE Program Mentee, announced Rotaract is collaborating with the Enterprise Institute to revamp the curriculum. They are also helping plan special events, including a night out to cheer on the Oakland Roots vs. LA Galaxy, September 18 at 5 p.m. Field-level seating still available! Buy tickets on the club website, event calendar page.

Reach out to Winter Williams at winter@winterwilliamspresents.com if you know local businesses or entrepreneurs who may wish to be involved in support of Oakland youth via Rotaract. 

Aisha Wahab

Speaker for the Day - Aisha Wahab

Isaac Kos-Read introduced today’s speaker, Hayward Councilmember Aisha Wahab. 

Aisha is the U.S. born daughter of Afghan refugees from “an earlier wave of immigration”, during the Soviet invasion of the late 1970’s-80’s. Isaac noted how her inspiring personal story of loss and resilience influenced her public service today such to “uphold the 4-Way Test!” 

Aisha Wahab was the first Afghan-American woman elected to public office in 2018 as a Hayward Councilmember, and in 2020, colleagues chose her to became Mayor Pro-Tempore. She is now running for State Senate, District 10. 

Born in New York City and orphaned when her father was murdered, Aisha and her sister were raised in foster care. Growing into adulthood in a post-9/11 world, Aisha always remembered the leadership and dignity of “one American judge” whose decision to keep her and her sister together when faced with deportation was “the most pivotal decision made in my life”. She noted how “Uncle Sam raised me!” but shared how her father imparted a sense of his national pride, encouraging her to “learn your history or others will use it against you!”.

In context of today’s crisis and refugee situation facing Afghanistan, Aisha provided a richly detailed, yet concise history of the country, which previously enjoyed a roughly 40-year period of stability, peace and diplomacy under King Mohammad Zahir Shah, who had been a guest of Pres. John F. Kennedy. Previously in 1919 under Queen Soraya, women were granted the vote and freedom of dress. The country has been rife with corruption and questionable US policy since, resulting in today’s crisis.

The fabled Silk Road has threaded through Afghanistan for centuries and continues to make it a strategic location for economic activity.  While agricultural projects have been its main export, it sits on key ores including iron, copper, gold and lithium, making it a potentially important exporter to other countries.

Many Rotarians asked questions in Chat of how best to offer humanitarian aid and support to refugees. Aisha shared the following strategies: provide safe pathways for exit, support vs re-settlement, decriminalization of refugees, stop the forced return, and cooperate with local entities for welcoming and protections. The councilwoman ran out of time before she could answer the many pressing questions facing her, the people of Afghanistan and those of the global community stepping up to support. Read more on Aisha and her story: https://www.aishawahab.com/. Two other websites of interest:

Queen Soraya: https://cutt.ly/FWbrpC3

Great map of Afghanistan in Asia: https://mapswire.com/asia/political-maps/

Bell Ringers

There were no bellringers.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:27 p.m. as he rang the bell.

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between September 2 – 14 are:

 4 – Marie Saverimuthu

  5 – Ericka Nicholes

  5 – Syd Saperstein

  8 – Dominique Enriquez

  8 – Marlo Seligman

10 – Nancy O’Malley

11 – Andy Anderson

13 – Gabe Bruck

13 – James Head

14 – David Scharff

Membership Anniversaries in September

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

Wayne Goodroe – 36 years

Mike Taylor – 28 years

Shanna O’Hare – 27 years

Johanna Leonard – 23 years

Marti Burchell – 19 years

Rosemary Darden – 19 years

Pat Riley – 18 years

Ginni Ring – 15 years

Wendy Willrich – 8 years

Keri Butkevich – 6 years

James Head – 6 years

Alex Kaffka – 5 years

Kyla Johnson-Trammell – 4 years

Winter Williams – 4 years

Ericka Nicholes – 2 years

Purposed for Membership

An application has been received from the following individual.  If no objection is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

Ed Brail

FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home

4499 Piedmont Ave

Oakland, CA  94611

Sponsor:  Isaac Kos-Read

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky

Next Meeting, Thursday, September 9 - Dean Erwin Chemerinsky - The State of the US Supreme Court

Ed Jellen announced next week’s speaker will be Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law.  The author of 12 books, he is one of the most renowned scholars on constitutional law, and a keen observer of the personalities and history of the United States Supreme Court.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, August 26 , 2021

Posted August 26th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called the 5,353nd Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland to order at 12:30 p.m. and was greeted by a large audience of Zoom and in person attendees. He noted his agenda and notes were missing from the podium, so he decided to “wing it”.

Speaker for the Day - Dr. Monica Gandhi

Before letting Past Pres. Peter Sherris introduce our headline speaker, Pres. Dudley felt obliged to recite Peter’s own credits – his distinguished service as a Kaiser Permanente physician and his later work in the field of public health after earning his Master’s Degree from UC Berkeley.

Peter then introduced our speaker, Dr. Monica Gandhi.  She is a Harvard Medical graduate and a member of the UCSF faculty.  In recent years, she has achieved national prominence as the Associate Division Chief (Clinical Operations/ Education) of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at UCSF/ San Francisco General Hospital and as the Director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the Medical Director of the HIV Clinic at SFGH.  From the outset of the Covid pandemic, she has lectured and published extensively on the science behind the spread of the disease, mitigation strategies, and natural and vaccine induced defenses.

Her observations and opinions can be seen in their entirety on the Rotary Club of Oakland YouTube Channel, August 26th broadcast.

In response to Peter’s questions, here are the highlights:

Covid pandemic can be compared to the 1918 flu pandemic which killed more people and ended only through herd immunity of survivors since no vaccine was available.

We will get through this due to available vaccines and accelerated natural immunity brought on by the virulent Delta variant. California and Bay are infection rates are relatively low compared to other parts of the country that remain largely unvaccinated.

FDA’s final approval of vaccines is a welcome development. It may encourage 30% of the hesitant population to get vaccinated now. It will also spur many local governments, private employers and other organizations to adopt vaccination mandates.

Our immune systems are composed of B memory cells and T cells.  The memory cells – antibodies that remember and combat pathogens -- naturally decline in number over time.  However, we still retain enough to recognize and adapt to the Delta variant as necessary to ward it off entirely or, at least, to spare the patient from serious illness.  In addition, T-cells that are activated by alarms sounded by the memory cells, are quite effective in killing the Delta viruses even though their outer “spike” configuration differs somewhat from the earlier, less virulent versions of the virus.

Virtually all deaths during the current Delta surge have been among the unvaccinated. Although the number of cases has increased in California, death and hospitalization trend lines have not shown a similar increase.  In short, there is strong evidence that those who are fully vaccinated have no risk of death. 

“Breakthrough” infections among the vaccinated are still rare and, when they occur, cause only mild symptoms in otherwise healthy patients. 

The risk of fully vaccinated adults transmitting the Delta virus to young, unvaccinated children is small.  Originally the CDC thought that vaccinated people could not transmit the virus.  Then it switched to the contrary view last July.  The CDC’s July policy statement is misleading because it is based on viral load investigations that measured the viral loads only at a single point in time early in a vaccinated person’s infection.  Later studies examined serial viral loads and found that the loads significantly declined in three days.  Similar reductions were discovered in culture responses.  In short, an infected, vaccinated person is infectious at most for four days, versus the ten-day infectious span that generally applies to the unvaccinated.

We will not encounter another highly virulent Covid virus because a virus mutation loses some properties when it mutates.  Or, as Peter added: the Delta mutation is the “fittest” in the evolutionary battle for the “survival of the fittest” Covid mutation.

Dr. Gandhi is personally opposed to administering “booster” shots because the vaccine dosages already received per the original emergency use prescriptions are still very effective for the reasons given above.  However, she agrees that boosters should be given to the immunocompromised and to older people who suffer from obesity and similar debilitating conditions.  There is also the ethical issue of sharing existing vaccine inventories with those countries that lack vaccines for initial shots.  Ethics aside, she said “We will get through this faster if the entire world is vaccinated.”

For people wanting to receive a booster, Dr. Gandhi recommends the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine because there is evidence they are somewhat more effective than the Pfizer vaccine.  This applies to those who received the Pfizer vaccine during the first round.  (When Peter was asked, he added that the issue is probably academic since boosters appear to be unnecessary in providing adequate protection for healthy people against the Delta variant.  Also, even a Pfizer booster will still provide a substantial boost over the already powerful protection of the initial Pfizer shots.)

During the current Delta phase, we should mask up in-doors and seek optimal ventilation.  There is no need to mask outdoors unless in a crowded setting.

To overcome vaccine hesitancy, show compassion rather than demeaning condescension; acknowledge those who are Covid survivors with natural immunity; and support the use of vaccine mandates and passports.  (In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court held it was legal for a state to mandate vaccination against small pox.)

There is no undue infection risk while flying in a plane. Turn on the ventilation valve above you and wear a mask.  (Peter later added that the other passengers have probably received recent negative Covid tests and planes have superior ventilation systems.)

Later in the meeting with additional time available, Dr. Peter Sherris answered a few more questions:

He advised us to get our annual flu shot regardless of whether we choose not to get the Covid booster shot.

Covid vaccines for children under 12 should be available by the end of the year.  The FDA is undergoing a thorough investigation of this at this time.

Michael Morgan

Remembering Michael Morgan

Pres. Dudley shared the sad news of the passing of Michael Morgan, Musical Director of the Oakland Symphony.  A minute of silence was observed in his memory. It was only two weeks ago that Michael and the Symphony were inducted to Oakland Rotary through a corporate membership.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen appeared through his special Zoom “TV channel” circa 1950, to great visiting Rotarian District Governor Richard Flanders. Members in the ballroom introduced their guests.

High Adventure Update

The new comedic duo, Mark Rosen and Tom Limon, came to the podium to review upcoming High Adventure events.  They are styling their presentation after the legendary duo known as Donn and Dan (Past Presidents Donn Black and Dan Lazar) who entertained members with their routines for many years. Mark urged both serious and dilettante cyclists to sign up for the easy 3.5-hour bike trip from Martinez to a bakery in Benicia on Aug. 29th. (Editor’s Note: Cancelled due to Bad Air Quality)

Tom announced that there was still room for latecomers to attend the Aug. 27th A’s vs Yankees game and drone-driven light show to follow.  Pres. Dudley then auctioned off a ticket to the A’s Game donated by Alex Poulsen, which was snagged by Shannon Hackley. 

Tom urged us to sign up and bring kids to the Oakland Roots vs Los Angeles Galaxy pro soccer game on Saturday, September 18th at 5:30 p.m.  See the website for details.

Meeting Schedule for September

President Dudley reminded everyone that the September 2nd meeting is Zoom only. The September 9th, 16th and 23rd Club meetings will be in the Ballroom as well as on Zoom.  He urged everyone to arrive in person at 12 noon for those meetings in order to mingle with fellow Rotarians.  The last meeting in September will be a Zoom only meeting on Wednesday, September 29th when the other First Five Rotary Clubs (Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle) will join us.

Raffle Prize Winner

Pres. Dudley asked “Honest Lorna” Padia Markus to blindly pluck out the winning ticket for this week’s raffle of the exquisite wine generously donated by Karen Friedman.  The winner for the second time in a row (!?!?) was David Kersten.  Mere coincidence?

Bell Ringers

Lorna Padia Markus rang the bell for Mark Rosen because he won the Big Fish prize on a salmon fishing trip while napping on the boat.

Steve Nicholls, Ruth Stroup, Shanna O’Hare and Lois Corrin rang the bell in memory of Michael Morgan.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m. as he rang the bell.

Membership Anniversaries in August

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years

Allison Lindquist – 15 years

Bob Barth – 13 years

Peter Sherris – 12 years

Gary Flaxman – 10 years

Robert Raburn – 8 years

Yong Bai – 7 years

Cynthia Harris – 5 years

Mona Hall – 4 years

Stacey Manley – 4 years

Lesley Weaver – 3 years

Suzi Alvarez – 2 years

Kymberly Miller – 2 years

Derreck Johnson – 1 year

David Naveh – 1 year

Maude Pervere – 1 yearThank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

 

Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years

Allison Lindquist – 15 years

Bob Barth – 13 years

Peter Sherris – 12 years

Gary Flaxman – 10 years

Robert Raburn – 8 years

Yong Bai – 7 years

Cynthia Harris – 5 years

Mona Hall – 4 years

Stacey Manley – 4 years

Lesley Weaver – 3 years

Suzi Alvarez – 2 years

Kymberly Miller – 2 years

Derreck Johnson – 1 year

David Naveh – 1 year

Maude Pervere – 1 year

Purposed for Membership

An application has been received from the following individual.  If no objection is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

Kristen Cook

COMMUNITY LIAISON

ABI Foundry

7825 San Leandro

Oakland, CA  94624

Sponsor:  Derrick Johnson

 

Phil Holt

CERTIFIED BUSINESS BROKER

Sunbelt Sales and Business Acquisitions

2229 Harbor Bay Parkway

Alameda, CA  94592

Sponsor:  Jack McAboy

Aisha Wahab

Next Meeting, Thursday, September 2 - Hon. Aisha Wahab - The Future of Afghans in America (Zoom only Meeting)

Robert Kidd announced next week’s speaker will be Aisha Wahab, a Hayward City Council member and the first Afghan-American to be elected to public office in the U.S. She will address the impact of the Afghanistan war and its aftermath on the Afghan community in California.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, August 19 , 2021

Posted August 19th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson President Dudley Thompson called the 5,352nd Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland to order at 12:30 p.m. 

Jennie Hunsburger

Thought for the Day - Jennie Hunsburger

Jennie Hunsburger gave a very insightful thought for the day about gratitude.  Jennie is grateful for her home, business, family and appreciates the unseen benefit of the pandemic that has given her gratitude for some overlooked areas in her life.

Robert Kenney

Speaker for the Day – Robert Kenney

Past President Robert Kidd introduced the speaker of the day from PG&E, Robert Kenney.  Mr. Kenney is vice president in charge of local government affairs and community relations. He has been working for PG&E since 2015 and serves on the public utilities commission as well.  Robert gets to blend the desire to serve the public with his entrepreneurial spirit. PG&E’s responsibility to provide safe, reliable, and clean energy to its customers is paramount.  Since emerging from bankruptcy, they are working to improve safety and reliability, but not ignoring clean energy.  As an Oakland resident, Robert is excited to embed PG&E into Oakland more thoroughly.  He announced that the corporate move to Oakland is underway in phases and will be accomplished in early 2022, when they occupy space in the Kaiser building at Lake Merritt.

PG&E is moving to a regional model to deliver better outcomes and address specific wildfire risks in those areas.  The CEO of PG&E has committed to undergrounding 10,000 miles of overhead power lines.  PG&E is in the planning stages and will put together an outreach and feedback plan of where the undergrounding will take place.  The risk assessment process looking at wildfire risks will primarily drive this undergrounding.

One technology PG&E is supporting are renewable micro grids like that in Briceberg in the Sierras.  These micro grids allow independent grids to operate themselves so that shutdowns affect fewer households or businesses.

 

Rotary Disaster Assistance for Haiti

Bob Barth told us about Rotary’s work to assist people in Haiti who have been impacted by the two earthquakes and numerous hurricanes in the past few years.  The most recent 7.2 earthquake has affected 40% of everyone living in the area with 2,000 people killed and 8,000 injured. Rotarians can make donations to help the needs of Haitians by visiting the Disaster Network of Assistance Rotary Action Group (DNA RAG) website at https://dna-rag.com

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen announced honorary member and Past President Iris Brody Lopez is attending via Zoom from her home in Arizona. 

Wendy Howard, Jack McAboy and Gary Flaxman introduced their guests in the ballroom

David Douglas Recognition

President Dudley asked Past President David Douglas to stand and receive some well-deserved recognition.  As Dudley said, when people talk about coming to meetings, their biggest concern is available parking because of high demand. David’s family business, Douglas Parking, has been providing parking at a discount to Rotarians attending the weekly meetings for years.  Just recently their headquarters, conveniently located behind the California Ballroom, reopened for business after the original building was razed and rebuilt. Thank you, David!

High Adventure Update

Co-Chair Mark Rosen announced that the upcoming weekend’s hike is being postponed until the end of September due to the current poor air quality.  There will be a bike ride on August 29th led by Steve Blair and himself.  The 27-mile ride will go from Pleasant Hill to Benicia and back. Email Steve Blair at blair5200@gmail.com or Mark Rosen at mrosen@info-gate.com if you are interested.

Only about 8 tickets are left for the Oakland A’s vs New York Yankees on August 27th. Purchase tickets on the Club website, event calendar tab.

Cocktails with the President

President Elect Mary Geong donned a sombrero to invite everyone to the Cocktails with the President Thursday evening at Calavera in Oakland. Ruth Stroup is buying the first round of margaritas and providing some snacks.

Committee Signups

President Dudley reminded everyone to sign up for a committee. The Club has 30+ committees from which to choose. He encouraged members to visit a committee and try something new.

Raffle Prize Winner

President Dudley announced the start of a weekly raffle courtesy of Karen Friedman who re-donated five bottles of wine she won at the Gala. Each bottle has a value of over $50. One bottle will be raffled each week. Everyone in the ballroom was given a raffle ticket.  The winner of the drawing this week is David Kersten.  Thank you, Karen!

Bell Ringers

Lorna Padia Markus, Linda Chew, Linda Boessenecker, Ken Richardson, Fred Morse, Jack McAboy and Mark Rosen rang the bell in honor of David Douglas and Douglas Parking.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m. as he rang the bell.

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between August 24 – September 1 are:

24 – Shannon Hackley

25 – Marilyn Harryman

28 – Suzi Alvarez

28 – Zeydi Gutierrez

28 – Jain Williams

29 – Jackie Forrester

30 – Phil Bennett

30 – Mike Bruck

1   -- Luise Roke

Membership Anniversaries in August

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years

Allison Lindquist – 15 years

Bob Barth – 13 years

Peter Sherris – 12 years

Gary Flaxman – 10 years

Robert Raburn – 8 years

Yong Bai – 7 years

Cynthia Harris – 5 years

Mona Hall – 4 years

Stacey Manley – 4 years

Lesley Weaver – 3 years

Suzi Alvarez – 2 years

Kymberly Miller – 2 years

Derreck Johnson – 1 year

David Naveh – 1 year

Maude Pervere – 1 year

Dr Monica Gandhi

Next Meeting, Thursday, August 26 - Dr. Monica Gandhi - The State of the Covid -19 Pandemic.

Robert Kidd announced next week’s speaker will be Dr. Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine and Associate Division Chief of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital.

If you have a question for Dr. Gandhi, please email it ASAP to Past President Peter Sherris. His email is psherris@mac.com. Peter and Dr. Gandhi will use an interview format for the presentation.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, August 12, 2021

Posted August 12th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called the 5,351st Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland to order at 12:30 p.m. Apparently, last week's meeting (#5,350) was so memorable, President Dudley repeated that meeting number in his opening remarks. Next week's meeting may be meeting number 5,352, depending on Dudley's math skills.

Thought for the Day – Jason Wizelman

Jason Wizelman recommended that given all of the world's problems, we be kind to each other and shared this thought by Mark Twain:  "Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen welcomed Dianne Dorn, past president of San Leandro Rotary.

A host of members introduced their guests:

Ed Brail, guest of Isaac Kos-Read

Angela Clausett and Terry Wiley, guests of Georgia Richardson

Angel Lax, guest of David Kersten

Jimmie Wilson and Christine Saunders-Berg, guests of Renia Webb.

New Members Live and In Person

President Dudley welcomed the new members present in the ballroom who joined between January, 2020 and August, 2021. For many, this was their first in-person Civic Thursday meeting. The following members stood and introduced themselves:

Sheng Thao, Keith Uriarte, David Kersten, Nancy Williams, Pauline Fox, Derreck Johnson, Peter Agnoletti, Sandeep Rajbhandan and Deep Rajbhandan. 

Ces Butner

Ces Butner - Back at the Lectern

President Dudley invited Past President Ces Butner to the stage which due to Covid-19, was a somewhat unfamiliar place for Ces. Dudley presented the framed mayoral proclamation to Ces which established June 24, 2021 as Ces Butner Day in the City of Oakland.

New Member Induction

The Oakland Symphony is our newest corporate member. Steve Nicholls introduced executive director Dr. Mieko Hatano and music director and conductor Michael Morgan (who was unable to attend the meeting). The Oakland Symphony was founded in 1933 and 54% of its musicians are women. Welcome to Rotary.

Cocktails with the President

Cocktails with the President

Past President Michael Bruck invited everyone to the August Cocktails with the President on Thursday, August 19th at 5:30 p.m. at Calavera Mexican Kitchen & Bar, 2337 Broadway (at the Hive), Oakland. Ruth Stroup of the Ruth Stroup Insurance Agency will buy your first margarita and will even throw in some snacks. No reservations are necessary.

Committee Signups

President Dudley announced that it's time to sign up for committees. Check the committees you want to join (or rejoin) on the list. Feel free to shop around. The AV Committee made a special plea for members. Sign-up sheets were distributed in the Ballroom.

Liz Ortega - Toro

Speaker for the Day – Liz Ortega - Toro

Keith Uriarte introduced Liz Ortega-Toro, the executive secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council. Liz is the full-time officer who runs the Council's daily operations. Keith took advantage of the opportunity and invited Liz to join the club. Guess what? Her answer was "yes."

Liz is the first Latina to serve as secretary-treasurer in the history of the council. She arrived in the U.S. with her mother and brother as undocumented immigrants and joined her father in Oakland. She graduated from Fremont High School and joined the labor movement at age 21. 

The labor council represents 135,000 union members in Alameda County and pursues better health care and better pay for those members. Labor is developing new models of organizing and speaking to workers. The council recently organized 3,000 new union members without any face-to-face interaction. 

Unions need to deal with both "bread and butter" issues as well as social and political issues. Liz expressed the opinion that the gig economy is another term for not paying workers and maintained that gig workers should have the right to organize and unionize. The advantages of having a union workforce include forming a partnership between employers and labor and establishing clear employment terms

 

Bell ringers

Shannon Hackley, Steve Blair and Sheng Thao rang the bell in Ces Butner's honor. Joe Goralka rang the bell in honor of the Michael Morgan, Dr. Mieko Hatano and the Oakland Symphony. Lorna Padia Markus, Robert Kidd, Keith Uriarte and Renia Webb rang the bell in honor of Liz Ortega-Toro.

Adjournment

President Dudley reminded the crowd that a few tickets are still available for the upcoming Oakland A's vs. N.Y. Yankees baseball game on August 27th. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. as he rang the bell.

Proposed for Membership

An application has been received from the following individuals.  If no objection is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. 

Jimmy Wilson

ATTORNEY

1225 Fallon Street, Ste. 900

Oakland, CA  94619

Sponsor:  Renia Webb

 

Liz Ortega

TREASURER - LABOR COUNCIL 

530 Fortuna Ave

San Leandro, CA   94621

Sponsor;  Keith Uriarte

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between August 18 – 23 are:

19 – Celeste Gordon

10 – Deborah Morgan

20 – Gail Uilkema

21 – Joel Parrott

23 – Joe Goralka

 

 

Membership Anniversaries in August

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years

Allison Lindquist – 15 years

Bob Barth – 13 years

Peter Sherris – 12 years

Gary Flaxman – 10 years

Robert Rayburn – 8 years

Yong Bai – 7 years

Cynthia Harris – 5 years

Mona Hall – 4 years

Stacey Manley – 4 years

Lesley Weaver – 3 years

Suzi Alvarez – 2 years

Kymberly Miller – 2 years

Derreck Johnson – 1 year

David Naveh – 1 year

Maude Pervere – 1 year

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, August 5, 2021

Posted August 5th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,350th Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland. He welcomed everyone to the Zoom only meeting.

Thought for the Day – Trisha Connors

Trisha Connors shared the thought of the day about being happy with the things you already have.  The saying is from Andrew Irvine, an author on stoicism.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen introduced two visiting Rotarians, Past District Governor and Los Gatos Morning Club member Tim Lundell, and Dianne Dorn, Past President of San Leandro Club and current Assistant District Governor for Area 4A. Also joining via Zoom was Connie Baecheler, guest of Marilyn Harryman.

PAL Camp Service Day

PAL Campsite Service Day

Last Saturday, Rotarians and friends spent the morning at the Oakland Police Activities League (PAL) campsite in Roberts Regional Recreation Area pulling weeds, fixing landscaping and cleaning restrooms. The service day was led by Daniel Cheng and the Community Service Committee. Thanks to former TV Anchor Wendy Tokuda for organizing! 

Leadership Academy

The Rotary Leadership Academy is open for applications until August 13th. Past District Governor and District Trainer Tim Lundell shared specifics of the leadership academy. It is an advanced year-long Rotary training for students who want to learn about Rotary leadership.  According to Past District Governor Ed Jellen, the academy used to be open only to former Club Presidents.  Now it is open to all. The training is self-directed with one course per month online. In addition to Ed, Kristine Watson, Jesse Bowdle and Dudley Thompson shared their wonderful experiences from going through the training.  Register on the Rotary District 5170 website home page.

Rotary Magazine Photoshoot

Oakland #3 featured in Rotary Magazine

Oakland Rotary was one of the five original Rotary Clubs featured with a montage of photos on the front cover of the August, 2021 Rotary Magazine and an article about how Rotarians are finding fresh ways to connect.  It reported on the five clubs’ collaborative project to provide sanitation kits locally to homeless people. Representing the club on short notice at the photo shoot were President Dudley Thompson, President Elect Mary Geong and Audio Visual Co-Chair Sandeepa Nayak. A few weeks ago, the club held a caption contest for the photos of our members. 

Return of Lunches at Club Meetings

President Dudley announced that lunches will be available starting with the August 12th meeting.  They will need to be pre-ordered.  Look for the Rotary email blast for ordering instructions. The Ballroom will open at 11:30 am for fellowship, hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

High Adventure - Mark Rosen

High Adventure Committee Co-Chair Mark Rosen posed the trivia question asking what/who is Stomper?  Stomper is the A’s mascot and will be at the Rotary A’s game on Friday August 27th versus the New York Yankees.  Only 20 tickets are still available.  There will be an informal tailgate as well as a Rotary “shout out” on the jumbotron at the game.  Order tickets on the Club Website in the Event Calendar.

Cocktails with the President

Cocktails with the President

President Elect Mary Geong invited us to attend Cocktails with the President on August 19th, 5:30 pm at Calavera Restaurant.

Stephen Menendian

Speaker for the Day – Stephen Menendian

Allison Bliss introduced our speaker of the day, Stephen Menendian.  Stephen is a professor at UC Berkeley who leads the Inclusiveness Index and is an expert in structural racism, educational equity and inter-group inequality. 

He mentioned how Oakland Rotary’s mission statement is a beautiful statement on bringing people together in a positive way.  Stephen began his talk about racism in the Bay Area and its racial patterns.  African Americans in the Bay Area grew rapidly after WWII and peaked between 1980 and 1990.  Asian Americans have grown as a percentage of Bay Area’s population more recently and currently make up 23.6% as of the 2010 census. 

Racial segregation in the Bay Area is harmful as segregated neighborhoods have different health outcomes, poverty, and crime.  Where you live determines the resources that shape your life.  For more information, please visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/segregationinthebay.

Bellringers

Dudley Thompson rang the bell for his picture in the Rotary Magazine and his 3-inch vertical jump.  Mary Geong and Sandeepa Nayak also rang the bell.. 

Adjournment

President Dudley thanked all of the members who took part in the day’s meeting. He reminded us that we serve to help others as he rang the bell at 1:28 pm and adjourned the meeting.

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between August 11 – 17 are:

12 – John Weaver

13 – John Colon

13 – Harold Lowe

13 – Tom Thatcher

14 – C J Hirschfield

15 – Brad Levesque

16 – Ken Benson

16 – Lewis Griggs

17 – Joycie Mack

Membership Anniversaries in August

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years
  • Allison Lindquist – 15 years
  • Bob Barth – 13 years
  • Peter Sherris – 12 years
  • Gary Flaxman – 10 years
  • Robert Rayburn – 8 years
  • Yong Bai – 7 years
  • Cynthia Harris – 5 years
  • Mona Hall – 4 years
  • Stacey Manley – 4 years
  • Lesley Weaver – 3 years
  • Suzi Alvarez – 2 years
  • Kymberly Miller – 2 years
  • Derreck Johnson – 1 year
The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, July 29, 2021

Posted July 29th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,349th Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland. He welcomed those in the California Ballroom, as well as those joining online.

Sedrick Tydus

Thought for the Day – Sedrick Tydus

Sedrick Tydus gave us the thought about Change.  Not always something we are comfortable with normally, it is important the way we look at it.  It is here to stay.  Embrace Change!

New Member Inductions – Deep Rajbhandari and Pete Agnoletti

Sandeep Rajbhandari introduced one of our newest members, his father Deep Rajbhandari. Deep, the son of a Rotarian in Nepal, started working when he was 17 years old after his father’s death.  He has started several companies, studied to be a commercial airline pilot, founded the first publicly traded airline in Nepal and started an insurance company as well. Deep was a member of Rotary in Nepal prior to coming to the U.S.

President Dudley introduced our other newest member, Pete Agnoletti.  Acknowledging that he has known Pete all his life – because Dudley has been friends of his parents for about 50 years.  Pete is Vice President of Brokerage for Marquee Commercial.  He is father of a daughter born earlier this month on July 5th.

Welcome Deep and Pete!

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

There were no visiting Rotarians at the meeting.  Several guests attended via ZOOM and in the ballroom. Marques Cook of Capitol Corridor JPA was the guest of Sandeepa Nayak. Also online were Michael Knox and Shane Durkan from Skyline High School, Mark Fowler of Stowe Management Corp and Christina Ong.  In the ballroom, Fred Morse introduced Victoria Balla and Thoa Nguyen, and Robert Rayburn introduced Aisha Brown.

John Holmgren

KinderPrep Committee – John Holmgren

KinderPrep Committee Chair John Holmgren talked about their activities.  They provide services to most Transitional Kindergarten classes in Oakland Unified School District.  While the annual field trips to Children’s Fairyland, Oakland Zoo and Chabot Space & Science Center were cancelled due to the pandemic, the committee hopes to hold them next  spring at which time adults will be needed to chaperone the children. This past year, gift cards for supplies were given to the teachers and learning kits were prepared for the students. The committee also put together a book bag for each child’s use this summer.  As classrooms open up again, 35-40 volunteers will be needed so each TK class can have a Rotary liaison. Email John Holmgren at holmgren.johnk@gmail.com if you can help.

Saroni-Lena Teacher Awards

Saroni-Lena Teacher Awards

Fred Morse, Saroni-Lena Scholarship Committee Chair, introduced Gail Uilkema and Karen Friedman who announced the winners of the Saroni-Lena Teacher Awards.  Each student Saroni-Lena recipient was asked to nominate a teacher who has contributed to their success.

Gail introduced the first four recipients:

  • Saqib Hashim was nominated by Mia Irwin-Pollard. 
  • Sarah Pallito was nominated by two of her students, Melaney Chavez and David Huang.
  • Michael Knox was nominated by Elijah Weller

 

Karen introduced the remaining recipients:

  • Mark Frey was nominated by Ian Prchlik
  • Shane Durkan was nominated by Daniela Acevedo
  • Marietta Joe was nominated by Thoa Nguyen
  • Christina Ong was nominated by Victoria Balla.

 

In appreciation, Rotary is providing each teacher with a stipend for their personal use.

Robert Rayburn

Speaker for the Day – Robert Rayburn

Scott Bowhay introduced Robert Rayburn, club member and elected member of the BART Board of Directors.  Robert spoke about the BART is emerging from the pandemic.  Ridership initially declined 94% and while there are projections for how it will increase, factors such as a higher rate of remote work will contribute to what the new ridership level will be.

To make the travel experience safe and more convenient, the air on train cars is filtered more often. All trains will have 10 cars to provide more space for distancing. BART has gone to clipper cards and there is a parking application that will offer contactless touch for making payments. BART has developed a Strategic Homeless Action Plan. On trains the Ambassador Program will be in full swing. Riders can text BART through a Watch application or call a phone number for non-emergency situations.  Trains also will have call boxes on board.  New fare gates are being installed to cut down on fare evaders.

BART is actively involved in transit-oriented development including projects at Lake Merritt, the 19th Street Station, and Mandela Station/West Oakland BART.

Bellringers

Dudley Thompson rang the bell for the birth of Pete Agnoletti’s daughter, Giovanna.

Steve Lowe rang the bell for Robert Rayburn. 

Adjournment

President Dudley thanked all of the members who took part in the day’s meeting. He reminded us that we serve to help others as he rang the bell at 1:31 pm and adjourned the meeting.

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between August 5 – 10 are:

7 – Leann Alameda

8 – Ana-Marie Jones

8 – John Protopappas

9 – John Claassen

9 – Joanna Leonard

10 – John Holmgren

Membership Anniversaries in August

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Lorna Padia Markus – 25 years
  • Allison Lindquist – 15 years
  • Bob Barth – 13 years
  • Peter Sherris – 12 years
  • Gary Flaxman – 10 years
  • Robert Rayburn – 8 years
  • Yong Bai – 7 years
  • Cynthia Harris – 5 years
  • Mona Hall – 4 years
  • Stacey Manley – 4 years
  • Lesley Weaver – 3 years
  • Suzi Alvarez – 2 years
  • Kymberly Miller – 2 years
  • Derreck Johnson – 1 year
  • David Naveh – 1 year
  • Maude Pervere – 1 year
Stephen Menendian

Next Meeting, Thursday, August 5 – Stephen Menendian – Roots of Structural Racism (ZOOM meeting only)

Robert Kidd announced next week’s speaker is Stephen Menendian. He is a lead author of "Roots of Structural Racism" (June 2021), a study of racial residential segregation and its consequences.  He is also Director of Research at the Othering & Belonging Institute of the University of California, Berkeley.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, July 22, 2021

Posted July 22nd, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,348th Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland. He welcomed those in the California Ballroom, as well as those joining online.

Thought for the Day – Derreck Johnson

Derreck Johnson let us in the Mission Statement and gave the Thought for the Day.  He envisions a time when people will be comfortable visiting the downtown area with concerns, where kids in East and West Oakland will like l_---and there will be not one person living on the streets.

Introduction of Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen introduced visiting Rotarians Dianne Dorn, past president of San Leandro Rotary and as of July 1st Assistant District Governor for Area 4A. Also attending was Immediate Past District Governor Gregg Guisiana from the Rotary Club of Gilroy.  Allison Bliss introduced Courtney Ruby’s guests, her two sons.

Ces Butner

Richard D. King Award Presentation – Ces Butner

Immediate Past District Governor Gregg Guisiana presented Rotary District 5170’s distinguished Richard D. King Award to Immediate Past President Ces Butner.  The award is given to the individual who has made the greatest commitment to the programs of The Rotary Foundation.  While he was President, Ces had a goal to change the Club’s culture by inspiring every member to support The Rotary Foundation.  He leadership achieved 95% participation, up from 35% in the past.

In accepting the award Ces announced he is committed to making a similar donation this year to The Rotary Foundation in order to keep the momentum of total Club member participation going.

Sandeep Rajbhandari

New Member Induction – Sandeep Rajbhandari

Keith Uriarte introduced the newest member of the club, Sandeep Rajbhandari.  Sandeep is CEO of LoCal Foodz Cali which provides clients with fresh, health and delicious prepared meals. Keith revealed that Sandeep comes from a family of Rotarians.  His father and grandfather were Rotarians in Nepal.

Keith introduced Sandeep’s father who was attending as a guest, and indicated he also is interested in joining Oakland Rotary. 

President Dudley presented Sandeep with all of the Rotary items, including his membership pin, red badge, Four Way Test, a copy of the club’s Centennial Book, and membership directory listing his “newest” friends.  Welcome Sandeep!

 

Robert Kidd

Speakers Committee – Robert Kidd

Speakers Committee Chair Robert Kidd talked about the Speakers Committee. Because we meet jointly using Zoom, we have been able to attract speakers from around the world. At its twice monthly meetings, the committee reviews names of potential speakers and vets them, recommends names of speakers and topics, and critiques the presentations afterwards.  He encouraged all Rotarians to submit names of potential speakers, although not everyone may be chosen due to various factors including limited number of dates, club’s focus on topics, etc. Finally, Robert encouraged everyone to show up at Rotary meetings in person – not stay at home.

Ruth Stroup

PAL Camp Service Day – Ruth Stroup

Ruth Stroup shared information about the Service Day Cleanup taking place at Rotary’s PAL (Police Action League) Campsite on Saturday, January 31st from 9 am to noon. The campsite is located in the Oakland Hills at 10100 Skyline Boulevard. She promised it will be a day of sunshine, service and fellowship in the outdoors – no masks! Sign up on the club website.

Bike Ride on August 1st – Mark Rosen

High Adventure Co-Chair Mark Rosen invited Rotarians to bring family and friends to cycle from Pt. Richmond across the Richmond San Rafael Bridge to Larkspur Landing on Sunday, August 1st. It is about a 20-mile round trip ride. Even non-cyclists can attend for fellowship after the ride by meeting the group around 12:30 pm at the East Brothers Brewery, 100 Canal Blvd, Pt. Richmond.  Sign up at https://rb/gy/hpwben. 

Kelley Kahn

Speaker for the Day – Kelley Kahn

Courtney Ruby introduced Kelley Kahn, Policy Director in the Office of Mayor Libby Shaaf.  She oversees a very busy portfolio of Development and Planning functions for the City of Oakland, including Business Development, Workforce Development, Cultural Affairs, Public/Private Development, Real Estate Development and Special Activities Division. 

In the relatively short time available for her presentation, she shared numerous statistics and projects. Among them are:

  • Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center has been shuttered since 2005. Currently being renovated, when work is completed it will have an art center, event space, and be the residence of the Oakland East Bay Symphony.
  • Oakland Museum of California’s renovation project just completed opens up the gardens and walkways to the Lake.
  • Lake Merritt BART project will include 500 residential units and 500,000 sq. ft. of retail including a commercial kitchen and daycare.
  • A Museum of Jazz and Art will occupy a building next to the Courthouse near Oak and Fallon with a 400-seat venue.
  • Several hotels are under development or just completed: The Moxy in the 2200 block of Telegraph, Marriott is working on a project at 1431 Jefferson, and Signature Development is working on a project at 24th and Broadway.
  • Hine Development is looking to build the tallest building in Oakland, a new tower consisting of 38 stories at 20th and Thomas Berkley Way.
  • The Mandela Station/West Oakland BART has a project consisting of 380,000 sq. ft. of office and housing.
  • Brooklyn Basin development is underway.  It will consist of 3,000 units of new housing, a roller skating venue, and other amenities.
  • Project Home Key is looking to buy existing buildings to provide housing for the homeless.
  • She covered so many activities there was no time left for questions from the audience.

Bellringers

Joe Goralka, Fred Morse, Courtney Ruby, Kerry Hamill, Ed Jellen, Daniel Cheng, Joycie Mack, Derreck Johnson, Robert Kidd, Suzie Yokomizo and Stephanie Casenza rang the bell for Ces Butner. Debra Barnes rang the bell for Robert Kidd.

Adjournment

President Dudley thanked all of the members who took part in the day’s meeting. He reminded us that we serve to help others as he rang the bell at 1:29 pm and adjourned the meeting.

Proposed For Membership

An application has been received from the following individuals.  If no objection is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

  • Maestro Michael Morgan

Executive Director Mieko Hatano

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP - OAKLAND SYMPHONY

1440 Broadway, Suite 405

Oakland, CA  94612

Sponsor: Steve Nicholls

  • Deep Rajbhandari

RETIRED

4648 Central Parkway

Dublin, CA  94568

Sponsor: Sandeep Rajbhandari

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between July 30 and August 4 are:

30 – Julie Fox

30 – Mel Madunezim

01 – Tom Limon

02 – Julie Fox

02 – Ed Rorke

Membership Anniversaries in July

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Linda Chew – 25 years
  • Ralph Sklar – 25 years
  • Ed Jellen – 24 years
  • C J Hirschfield – 18 years
  • John Claassen – 17 years
  • Lorie Alemania – 14 years
  • Rod Hughes – 13 years
  • Mike Mowery – 12 years
  • Mark Lipsett – 8 years
  • Kim Cohn – 7 years
  • Barbara Leslie – 7 years
  • Jim Boessenecker – 5 years
  • Nancy O’Malley – 5 years
  • Shonda Scott – 5 years
  • Suzie Yokomizo – 3 years
  • Mel Madunezim – 2 years
  • Pam Claassen – 1 year
  • Tommy Edwards – 1 year
  • Lou Rigali – 1 year
Robert Raburn

Next Meeting, Thursday, July 29 – Robert Raburn – BART Emerges From The Pandemic

Robert Kidd announced next week’s speaker is member Robert Raburn. He will talk about how BART is recovering from the impact of COVID-19. Robert was elected to the BART Board of Directors in November 2010. He has been a member of Oakland Rotary since 2013 and is an avid bicyclist. Don’t miss hearing about the many projects BART has in progress.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, July 15, 2021

Posted July 15th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Call to Order – President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson convened his first “regular meeting” as our recently inaugurated leader and welcomed those in the California Ballroom, as well as those joining online, to the 5,347th Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland. 

Renia Webb

Mission Statement and Thought for the Day – Renia Webb

Renia Webb, exhibiting incredible service above self, provided the thought for the day and mission statement via zoom while parked in her car! After leading us jointly in our mission statement, Renia shared a thought from Hall of Fame Coach, Vince Lombardi, in honor of the work of our committees as well as the upcoming Olympic Games. “I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates but as their leader I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization.”

Moment of Silence

President Dudley announced the recent death of two long-time members: William Scherer and Dave Anderson. Members observed a moment of silence in their honor. 

First Five Collaborative Photo Contest

First Five Collaborative Photo Contest

The First Five Collaborative, a working group of the oldest Rotary Clubs (Oakland, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle) began working together during the pandemic to leverage the clubs’ combined knowledge, expertise, and human capital. They recently held a photo shoot with three Rotarians from each club. President Dudley Thompson, President-Elect Mary Geong, and Audio Visual Co-Chair Sandeepa Nayak represented Oakland. The photo was posted on Facebook with a “caption contest” asking Rotarians to post their ideas on appropriate captions. President Dudley shared some sample captions with all receiving varying amounts of laughter and applause. The winning caption, selected by President Dudley, “Ain’t no party like a Rotary party” was submitted by Isaac Kos-Read, Public Image & Communications Co-Chair—seems appropriate! 

Introduction of Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Suzie Yokomizo subtly reminded President Dudley that he had skipped over introductions. President Dudley promptly corrected his mistake and invited Past President and Past District Governor, Ed Jellen, to introduce any visiting Rotarians. Ed was pleased to introduce John Bernard, a past president of the Newark Rotary Club, and a retired school superintendent. Sandeepa Nayak introduced Julia Moll, guest of Sam Miller, joining via zoom. President Dudley then sheepishly admitted that he had been advised by multiple past presidents to tape the agenda to the podium so that no one runs off with it, but then he shared that if you do that you still have to read it!

Meeting Registration

Returning to club business, Pres. Dudley announced that through July we will still be required to have a vaccination to attend in-person meetings. However, we will no longer need to register for each meeting. Future protocols will be determined as the public health situation evolves.

Speakers for the Day

In lieu of the traditional speaker of the day, President Dudley introduced six of our esteemed Committee Chairpersons to speak about each of their committees. Prior to sharing their committee information Dudley asked each committee chairperson to respond to two questions; why did you join Rotary and why have you stayed? The answers to the questions, while different for each person, shared common themes. Many joined Rotary to learn more about Oakland, establish business connections, and become involved in the community. Most have stayed for their original reasons PLUS they stressed the opportunity to develop long-term relationships and make an impact locally and internationally.

  • Membership Coordinator Keith Uriarte provides oversight to all of the committees working on membership. His goal is to strengthen outreach in the community and leverage members as ambassadors for Rotary. He asked that all members reach out to friends and invite them to join us at a lunch meeting. Additionally, if you know someone who has been less engaged with Rotary, invite them to an activity or to a committee meeting.
  • Membership Recruitment Chair David Kersten is recruiting for an active membership recruitment committee. The goal is to grow the club from 275 members to 400 members within the next few years. Look for information on a Recruitment Event in September.
  • Public Image & Communications Co-Chair Isaac Kos-Read walked us through the multiple types of media that Rotary is present on. The committee has the overall responsibility of promoting and managing the Rotary brand. The committee wants to promote what Rotarians and other committees are doing. They can always use additional committee members such as people who enjoy photographing events, those who like to play with graphics, writers who are looking for a medium to share their skill, and those with website experience.
  • Audio-Visual Committee Co-Chairs Jack Iles and Sandeepa Nayak are seeking folks who are interested in working with them to ensure that live streaming and zoom are available at every meeting. They need some technical people as well as those who are social and could host the zoom portion of the weekly meeting.
  • Community Service Committee Chair David Kittner shared the three areas the committee works in.
    • 1) Raising money for Feed the Hungry and determining which organizations receive the money,
    • 2) Administering grants to local community organizations to increase their capacity,
    • 3) Organizing Service Days for Oakland Rotarians to participate in. The first one is scheduled for July 31st at the PAL camp. Daniel Cheng is organizing. David encouraged members to check out the committee as there is always lots to do.
  • Karl F. Stucki World Community Service Co-Chair Barbara Beery found her passion in world community service and is honored to serve as co-chair. The committee is charged with determining which global grant service projects ORC will support. She invited Rotarians to join the July 20th WCS meeting to learn more about the committee’s focus. Barbara also announced that the District Governor’s project is to raise funds for wheelchairs to be distributed in Mexico. Stay tuned for information on how you could attend the distribution in Mexico.
  • High Adventure Committee Co-Chair Mark Rosen is an avid fan of ensuring that members have opportunities to enhance their club experience. From cycling, mountain climbing, whale watching, hiking and too many more to name, the High Adventure plans outings to meet members’ interests. He encouraged members to check out the Rotary Calendar for upcoming events. A reminder that the A’s/Yankees game in late August still has tickets available.

 

President Dudley thanked the committee chairs and announced that the remaining committee chairs will be invited to present as the year goes forward.

Bellringers

Alex Poulsen rang the bell to honor William Sherer and Dave Anderson.

Sandeepa Nayak rang the bell in honor of the Photo Contest winning caption.

Joycie Mack rang the bell for Isaac Kos-Read, winner of the Photo Contest caption.

Isaac Kos-Read rang the bell twice: once for Sandeepa Nayak for posting a great photo and caption, and Dudley Thompson, for trailblazing the incredibly hard hybrid meeting world.

Adjournment

President Dudley thanked the Committee Chairs for their enlightening presentations and all of the members who took part in the day’s meeting. He reminded us that we serve to help others as he rang the bell at 1:27 pm and adjourned the meeting.

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between July 21 and 31 are:

21 – Wendy Howard

24 – Jerry Wendt

27 – Tara McGuinness

30 – Julie Fox

30 – Mel Madunezim

Membership Anniversaries in July

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Linda Chew – 25 years
  • Ralph Sklar – 25 years
  • Ed Jellen – 24 years
  • C J Hirschfield – 18 years
  • John Claassen – 17 years
  • Lorie Alemania – 14 years
  • Rod Hughes – 13 years
  • Mike Mowery – 12 years
  • Mark Lipsett – 8 years
  • Kim Cohn – 7 years
  • Barbara Leslie – 7 years
  • Jim Boessenecker – 5 years
  • Nancy O’Malley – 5 years
  • Shonda Scott – 5 years
  • Suzie Yokomizo – 3 years
  • Mel Madunezim – 2 years
  • Pam Claassen – 1 year
  • Tommy Edwards – 1 year
  • Lou Rigali – 1 year
Kelly Kahn, Director of Special Projects, Oakland Department of Economics and Workplace Development

Next Meeting, Thursday, July 22 – Kelly Kahn – Future Planning and Building in Oakland

Robert Kidd announced that next week’s speaker is Kelly Kahn, Director of Special Projects for the City of Oakland. Join the meeting to learn what’s new in Oakland and what’s planned for the future.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, July 8, 2021

Posted July 8th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
President Dudley Thompson

Procession of President Dudley Thompson and the Board Members of Rotary Club of Oakland and Oakland Rotary Endowment

The traditional procession that begins each new Rotary year was led by President Dudley Thompson.  He was accompanied by members of the Rotary Club of Oakland Board and trustees of the Oakland Rotary Endowment.  The procession started at the back of the Ballroom and proceeded to the front, as everyone in the room gave a standing ovation to the leadership group.

Past President Linda Boessenecker

Call to Order – Past President Linda Boessenecker

Past President Linda Boessenecker called the Civic Thursday meeting of the 3rd oldest Rotary Club in the world to order from the California Ballroom.  We are celebrating the inauguration of our 113th President Dudley Thompson. In order to stay grounded, our vision statement was presented: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves”.

Marie Saverimuthu

Pledge of Allegiance and Thought for the Day – Marie Saverimuthu

Marie Saverimuthu led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. She also presented two thoughts for the day. Nelson Mandela: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived, it is what difference we have made to the lives of others.” Mother Teresa: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

President Dudley Thompson

Biography of President Dudley

Past President Linda gave us a biography of President Dudley Thompson. Dudley was born in Belmond, Iowa to Margaret and Richard Thompson. Margaret was a home economics teacher until she joined the family business. Dudley's father, Richard was interested in hybrid corn kernels and pioneered a company called Thompson Corn (later Tom Co.) one of the largest employers in Belmond. Dudley described Belmond and its 2,500 people as an idyllic small town. In 1966, the year Dudley was a freshman in high school, a destructive tornado hit the town including his home. The town relied on volunteers and service clubs like the Jaycees and Lions Club to provide vital services including the fire department.

Introduction of Board Members

President Dudley introduced members of the Rotary Club of Oakland Board and members of the Oakland Rotary Endowment Trustees. Club Board members are divided into three groups whose terms expire in different years: Steve Nicholls, Debo Sarkar and Jason Wizelman are the class of 2022; Allison Bliss, Steve Blair, Gary Flaxman and Joycie Mack are class of 2023 and Kim Cohn, Wil Hobbs, Mike Mowery and Renia Webb are class of 2024.  The officers, in addition to President Dudley, are Mary Geong, President-Elect; Michael Bruck, Secretary; Lorna Padia Markus, Treasurer and Ces Butner, Immediate Past President.

Trustees of Oakland Rotary Endowment are class of 2022: Ahmad Anderson, Keith Giron, Harold Lowe and Linda Chew; class of 2023: Leeann Alameda, Kathleen Sims and Kristine Watson, class of 2024: C J Hirschfield, Ken Benson, Kym Johnson and Ruth Stroup. Officers are Leeann Alameda, President; Ahmad Anderson, Vice-President; Linda Chew, Secretary and Harold Lowe, Treasurer.

He also introduced our Executive Administrator, Jesse Bowdle, and encouraged members to introduce themselves since most have not met him in person. He encouraged us to consider Jesse our best friend in the Club.

He thanked Past-Presidents Peter Sherris and Ces Butner for their leadership and accomplishments for the past two very challenging years.

Dudley Thompson and Concha Delgado Gaitan

Introduction of Guests

President Dudley introduced his special guests. On Zoom were Doug and Fonda Thompsen from Belmond, Chris Boland, Randy Noble, and Ted Manley from Drake,  and one of Concha's "3 Amigos" from Stanford University, Sandy Schecter.  In-person was George Hopkins, a 27-year employee at Dudley's business, Becky Kump,  Dudley's work assistant for 8 years, friend Judy Holiday, the second of Concha's "3 Amigos" Cindy Pease Alvarez, and  Linda Young, a church moderator and spouse of RC Richmond PP Jim Young.

Just as he started to unveil the Theme for the Year, Past President Linda Boessenecker quietly reminded Dudley that he had forgotten to introduce a very important guest – his spouse, Concha Delgado Gaitan.

He quickly changed subjects and gave a wonderful introduction to Concha, his wife of nine years.  They share many interests and obviously complement each other. Their household consists of four cats, which they left at home for the day!

Service to change lives

Theme for the Year

SERVE TO CHANGE LIVES will be the Club’s theme.  It also is Rotary International’s theme.

Ana-Marie Jones

Speaker for the Day – Ana-Marie Jones

Our very own Ana-Marie Jones was the recent keynote speaker at a Rotary seminar on how to approach the reopening of clubs.  She shared some key concepts and great encouragement.  First of all, she told us to prepare to be our BEST selves. We can rise to any challenge.

Then she identified concepts to carry us forward:

  • We have the power of community.
  • We understand vaccines save lives.
  • We understand the trauma first-hand of COVID, having lost our own friend, Gene Zahas.
  • We embrace hybrid meetings.
  • We have the four-way test and mission statement to guide us.
  • Rotary (events) provide a safe space.

 

She observed that the community-at-large wants to be done with COVID, but COVID is not done with us. She encouraged us to speak up, ask questions and share our thoughts.

Finally, a few practical suggestions from Ana-Marie who is known to be the supreme cheerleader: carry a mask, hand sanitizer, a copy of our COVID vaccination card, and a whistle. Things could change very quickly, so be ready to adapt.

Our story should be that people are safe at every Rotary gathering.

President Dudley’s Goals

Pres. Dudley spoke of the influence that Victor Frankl (“Man’s Search for Meaning”) has had on his life and the three guiding principles of that text: 1) make a difference; 2) experience life and 3) adopt an attitude of living as if you were living again.  We are all the authors of our own story, and we can rewrite and revise that story any time to better ourselves.

He spoke of the honor to serve as President and laid forth his three goals for this year.

1) Keep us all together and safe,

2) Continue to make Rotary the best service organization in the world, and

3) Encourage all of us to become more engaged by joining a committee and participating in all that Rotary has to offer and invite a friend to join. 

Environment, the newest pillar of Rotary International,  will be the focus of his speaker gifts.  Finally, he pledges to serve seriously, but not somberly.

Bellringers

The following members rang the bell in honor of President Dudley:

Ana-Marie Jones, Shannon Hackley, Jason Wizelman, Marie Saverimuthu, Ken Benson, Karen Friedman, Joe Goralka, Mary Geong, Ces Butner, Wil Hobbs, Linda Boessenecker, Joycie Mack, Mike Mowery, Carla Betts, Iris-Brody-Lopez, Elida Scola, Ed Jellen, Bob Breecker, Keith Giron, and Keith Uriarte.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 pm as he rang the bell from the Ballroom podium.

Proposed For Membership

An application has been received from the following individual.  If no object is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. 

Sandeep Rajbhandari

COMMERCIAL FOOD - HEALTHY MEAL HOME DELIVERY

1552 Beach Street, Suite C

Oakland, CA  94608

Sponsor:  Membership Committee

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between July 13 to 20 are:

13  – Ed Jellen

14 – Allison Lindquist

15 – Alex Kaffka

15 – Debo Sarkar

17 – Margee Witt

18 – Michael Rice

     – Sheng Thao

20 – Mike Mowery

Membership Anniversaries in July

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Linda Chew – 25 years
  • Ralph Sklar – 25 years
  • Ed Jellen – 24 years
  • C J Hirschfield – 18 years
  • John Claassen – 17 years
  • Lorie Alemania – 14 years
  • Rod Hughes – 13 years
  • Mike Mowery – 12 years
  • Mark Lipsett – 8 years
  • Kom Cohn – 7 years
  • Barbara Leslie – 7 years
  • Jim Boessenecker – 5 years
  • Nancy O’Malley – 5 years
  • Shonda Scott – 5 years
  • Suzie Yokomizo – 3 years
  • Mel Madunezim – 2 years
  • Pam Claassen – 1 year
  • Tommy Edwards – 1 year
  • Lou Rigali – 1 year
Keith Uriarte

Next Meeting, Thursday, July 15 – Oakland Rotary Opportunities

Keith Uriarte announced next week’s meeting will focus on opportunities for participation.  President Dudley Thompson has invited chairs of eight service committees to talk about their plans for the year and how we can get involved.

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, June 24, 2021

Posted June 24th, 2021 by Sandeepa Nayak in Live Oak Newsletter
Past President Ed Jellen

Call to Order – Past President Ed Jellen

President Ces Butner tried to call the meeting to order only to discover he was no longer in charge. Instead the Club’s Past Presidents took over to conduct the annual Demotion. Past President Ed Jellen welcomed everyone to the 112th Presidential Demotion as well as its 5,345th  meeting. Past President Linda Boessenecker explained that we would be celebrating Ces’ achievements and send him on his way as Past President. Normally Ces would march into the ballroom accompanied by the Past Presidents, but because we were meeting virtually, members were invited to stand, march in place and clap their hands.

Vision Statement – Ken Richardson

Past President Ken Richardson led everyone in reciting the Vision Statement: Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasing change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Guests of President Ces

Past President Ed Jellen welcomed guests of President Ces: his wife Teresa and daughters Andrea and Raquel, and his sisters Loretta Butner, Bonita Butner, Nina Butner and Dani Dwyer.

Presentation of Recognition Items

President Ces had several numbered boxes to open as each past president made a presentation.  The boxes, of course were from Ces’s  Speakeasy Brewery, but the contents were not beer!

Past President Sean Marx presented the contents of Box #1, a pin identifying Ces as Past-President of Rotary Club of Oakland for 2020-2021.

Past President Linda Chew presented the contents of Box #2, Ces’s Past President Badge. She noted that Ces has been at the very center of everything Rotary, presiding at innumerable Zoom meetings, Cocktail Parties and Board Meetings at which Rotarians have clamored to receive his warm humor and sage insights. She warned him that fame can be fleeting and those same Rotarians may quickly forget who he was. His new badge will identify him at meetings as Ces Butner, PAST President of the Rotary Club of Oakland 2020-2021.

Past President Charlie Adams invited Ces to reach into Box #3. There he found a plaque and gavel to commemorate his year as President for his relentless effort to bring law and order to the Rotary “herd of cats” at weekly meetings.

Past President Iris Brody Lopez, zooming in from Peoria, Arizona, Past President Gudrun Dybdal, zooming in from Truckee, California, and Past President Carla Betts, zooming in from the wilds of Piedmont, California, presented the following items to President Ces:

Carla noted that in a usual year, Rotarians would have traveled widely and brought back banners from the clubs they visited. Gudrun asked Ces to open Box #4. In it he found banners from the First Five Rotary Clubs (Chicago, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle and Los Angeles). She observed that usually Rotarians travel the world and bring back banners from exotic places such as Paris, Antigua or Kathmandu.

Iris asked Ces to reach into Box #5. It was there he found the gift of appreciation from the Club: a certificate to play the famed golf course at Pebble Beach in Monterey.

Tributes from the Community

Past President Michael Bruck introduced a video tribute from Danny Wan, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland.  Mr. Wan congratulated Ces on an impressive year as Rotary President while describing the outstanding years of service Ces has brought to the community as a Board Member and President of the Port of Oakland.

Past President Mary Rudser introduced a video tribute from Congressmember Barbara Lee.  Ms. Lee, spoke of the long association she has had working with Ces to serve the Oakland community, and congratulated him for his year of service as Oakland Rotary President.

Past President Lorna Padia Markus introduced a video from Oakland Mayor Libby Shaaf who presented a proclamation naming June 24, 2021 as Ces Butner Day in Oakland.  She noted that she first met Ces when she was interviewing for a job in local government, and when asked who she voted for in the mayoral contest, she said Ces – even though he lost to Jerry Brown for whom she eventually worked.

Highlights of President Ces’s Year in Office

Past President David Stein summarized the many accomplished made during President Ces’s year as President. Here are some highlights.

Among them was the formation of a task force to develop a Village for Homeless Families.  The task force has done design work, built partnerships and worked to identify an appropriate site for this multi-year project.

Community Service Committee contributed over $60,000 to nine local non-profits to provide food for those most in need, including the homeless.

Determined to strengthen existing relationships and build new connections, the Karl Stucki World Community Service Committee funded eight Global Grants and eight Cash Grants on four continents.

Pres. Ces asked the Club to look at ourselves and our Club to make sure our actions matched our words. By unanimous board vote, the Club launched a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to build on our commitments to end racism and support social justice.

Speakers at the weekly Civic Thursday meetings zoomed in from around the world, and we were able to have a joint meeting with the four other oldest Clubs (Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles) at which the speaker was Jennifer Jones from Canada, who will become Rotary International’s first female president in 2022-2023.

KinderPrep Committee provided gift cards to teachers for needed supplies. Instead of the in-classroom volunteers and field trips, Virtual Learning Kits were given to over 500 students. The Friends of Oakland Public Schools Libraries received $25,000 to create a virtual library with TK-age reading materials.

Saroni-Lena Scholarship Committee provided scholarships and mentors for ten new students and continued to support 50 ongoing students.

Four students competed in the virtual Speech Contest including two for whom English is a second language. Students were provided Rotary mentors for the first time to coach them about speaking skills.

In a banner year for Oakland Rotary Endowment, approximately $230,000 was raised: $40,000 plus from bellringers, $130,000 from the Campaign and $60,000 from the Virtual Gala.

The Rotary Foundation Committee had a year like no other – a record $170,000 in contributions, more than doubling our previous year. We became the Top club in Rotary District 5170 and met President Ces’s $50,000 participation challenge.

President Ces has been named the recipient of the Richard D. King Award from District 5170, bestowed on the Rotarian who makes the greatest personal commitment to the programs of the Rotary Foundation.

Our latest signature project in Oakland, a mural titled “The Embrace” celebrating peace and diversity was unveiled at the Broadway entrance to Jack London Square in June.  It is a joint project with the Oakland Uptown and Piedmont-Montclair Rotary clubs.

 

Ces Butner

Concluding Remarks

President Ces thanked the members for the incredible opportunity to be our leader, during this challenging, yet outstanding year.

Bellringers

The following individuals rang the bell:

Karen Friedman (2), Peter Sherris, Dudley Thompson, C J Hirshfield, Bob Breecker, Trisha Connors, Mona Hall, Gary Flaxman, Diane Schaffer, Steve Blair, Georgia Richardson, Jennie Hunsberger, Ken Benson, Fred Morse, Michael Bruck, Linda Boessenecker, Suzie Yokomizo, Linda Chew, Kerry Hamill, Joycie Mack (5), Greg Knight, Isaac Kos-Read, Sandeepa Nayak, John Holmgren, Celeste Gordon, Mary Geong, Barbara Berry, Leann Alameda, Debo Sarkar, Iris Brody Lopez and Malinda Monterrosa from the Los Angeles Rotary Club rang the bell for Ces Butner.

Isaac Kos-Read, (3) rang the bell also for the Past President’s Team, for Dudley Thompson and for Peter Sherris.

Adjournment

President-Elect Dudley Thompson concluded the meeting in Demotion tradition. He took the gavel and announced “this meeting is adjourned” as he rang the bell.

Proposed For Membership

An application has been received from the following individual. If no objection is received within five days, the application will be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval:

J. Peter Agnoletti

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE - HOSPITALITY

1010 Rose Ave

Piedmont, CA  94611

Sponsor:  Dudley Thompson

Birthday Greetings

Happy Birthday! Celebrating between July 1 and July 10 are:

  1 – Jennifer Bell

  5 – Iris Brody Lopez

  7 – Lois Corrin

  8 – Marc Lipsett

10 – Keri Butkevich

Membership Anniversaries through June 18 - 30

Thank you for your years of service to the Rotary Club of Oakland and the community!

  • Luise Roke – 20 years
  • Mary Geong – 19 years
  • Elizabeth Johnson – 18 years
  • Keith Giron – 14 years
  • Dan Altemus – 13 years
  • David Barron – 8 years
  • Steve Lowe – 8 years
  • Jain Williams – 8 years
  • Joseph Koroma – 6 years
  • Ethel Lee Miller – 6 years
  • Steven Jones – 4 years
  • Pat McMillan – 4 years
  • Ahmad Anderson – 3 years
  • Candice Elder – 3 years
  • Greg Knight – 2 years
  • Margee Witt – 2 years
President Dudley Thompson

Next Meeting, Thursday, July 8 – The Inauguration of President Dudley Thompson

There is no meeting on July 1. The next meeting on July 8 will feature the Inauguration of our 113th president, Dudley Thompson. It will be in the California Ballroom as well as on Zoom.  Don’t miss it! Members attending the meeting in person will need to pre-register and provide proof of vaccination. Register at  https://portal.clubrunner.ca/3190/Event/register-for-the-july-8th-civic-...

The Rotary Foundation Drive Begins November 2020!!!!
Be the first to comment on this post! Add new comment