Oakland Rotary News

Evolutionary Blues is a full-length documentary, featuring interviews with more than 30 artists who regularly played in clubs and music venues that lined the blocks of 7th Street before a charge for “urban renewal” decimated the thriving, self-sustaining Oakland Black community. It’s a story about the Great Migration, told through the lens and culture of blues musicians, many of whom never made it to national fame but were respected and acclaimed within the true blues scene. They carried the soul of their Southern roots — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas — to Oakland.

Doors will open at 6pm with the screening begining at 7pm. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the film's Director Cheryl Fabio. Proof of full vaccination is required. Except when eating and drinking, masks must be worn.

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, February 3, 2022

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

#serviceaboveself #rotaryinternational #rotaryclubofoakland #rotaryopensopportunities

Call To Order - President Dudley Thompson

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.

Thought For The Day - Edward Brail

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”.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

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.

Committee & Event Information

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.

Speaker for the Day - Jean Pfaelzer

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.

Bellringers

Linda Chew rang the bell for Mary Geong.

Lois Corrin rang the bell twice, once for Mary Geong and once for Cheryl Fabio.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 pm reminding us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!

Next Meeting, February 10 – Angela Watson – The Color of Ballet

Georgia Richardson announced our speaker will be American Ballerina Angela Watson with guest panelists Reginald Ray-Savage and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin. They will be interviewed by Angela’s mother, Carolyn Watson.

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, January 27, 2022

President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,372nd Civic Thursday meeting of the 3rd oldest Rotary Club in the world. We are a diverse group of some 270 business, professional and community leaders dedicated to Service Above Self. President Dudley announced that pursuant to a decision made by the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors we will continue meeting via Zoom throughout the month of February. Together we recited our vision statement, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”

Riza Hernandez shared this timely reminder that small acts now have great results in the future from Warren Buffett, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen introduced Past President and Assistant Governor of District 4A, Dianne Dorn from the San Leandro Club and Frank Yoke, member of San Francisco Rotary Club #2 and guest of David Stein. We also welcomed Richard Swart, President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown.

Meeting Sponsor – Jesse Schmidt, TNT STRENGTH (TRUTH NOT TRENDS): Jesse Schmidt is the co-owner of TNT, a strength-building company located at 5255 College Avenue. Strength and fitness are achieved in 30-minute workout sessions once or twice a week (either in person or virtually) and TNT’s philosophy is that strength training can be started at any age and will promote better health and longevity. Past President Peter Sherris gave a testimonial and noted that when he started working with Jesse, he had two caveats – 1) he wanted to ski and, 2) he didn’t want to be hurt. After working with Jesse, he found his strength had improved and skiing was easier. Jesse also thanked Rotarians Danny Mai, David Kersten (see his video about TNT at https://vimeo.com/670326596), Nancy Williams, Diane Schaffer, Peter Sherris and Astrid Lacitis, Shannon Hackley, Riza Hernandez, Sandeep Rajbhandari and Gary Flaxman (for finding the building).

President Dudley reminded us that even though the pandemic continues, we are continuing to engage in outdoor activities. On February 15, there will be a Golf Tournament and on February 24, we have rented the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Evolutionary Blues, a full-length documentary, featuring interviews with more than 30 artists who regularly played in clubs and music venues that lined the blocks of 7th Street before a charge for “urban renewal” decimated the thriving, self-sustaining Oakland Black community. It’s a story about the Great Migration, told through the lens and culture of blues musicians, many of whom never made it to national fame but were respected and acclaimed within the true blues scene. They carried the soul of their Southern roots — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas — to Oakland. Doors will open at 6 pm with the screening beginning at 7 pm. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the film's Director Cheryl Fabio. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/3Km9GjE . Proof of full vaccination is required. Masks must be worn except when eating and drinking.

We will have a celebration of International Women’s Day on March 13. Get ready to be in the Mood for Gratitude Gala on Thursday, April 28 at the Sequoyah Country Club from 6-10 p.m. where both indoor and outdoor options will be available. REMINDER: Please resubmit proof of vaccination and booster to Jesse Bowdle.

President Dudley invited us to join Breakout Rooms and discuss how we can increase membership because let’s not keep Rotary a secret.

Ahmad Anderson introduced his friend and our speaker today, sports director, Larry Beil from ABC KGO-TV in San Francisco. Beil graduated from the University of Hawaii and worked at ESPN and KTVU in Oakland and KGMB in Honolulu. Giving a nod to his Hawaiian upbring, Beil coined the catch phrase, “Aloha means goodbye” after showing a home run.

Larry began by discussing the topic on everyone's mind. He thinks the 49ers will go to the Super Bowl if they win against the Rams this Saturday. He discussed his upbringing in Hawaii and his years as a journalism student. He wanted to play sports but when he realized that might not be his path forward, he started writing for television about sports. He recalled that when he was looking for a home in the Bay Area in 1989 he was in the Caldecott Tunnel when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred. The tunnel did not move. In his career, he has covered multiple Super Bowls and NBA Finals.

Beil offered a few predictions for upcoming games. He thinks the Bengals have a lot to overcome in their upcoming game against the Chiefs. He doesn't think the A's are going to move to Las Vegas as there is no money for a new stadium. He thinks we can cultivate sports in the community by emphasizing education in the classroom and then sports and see to it that all athletes have the equipment they need in order to play.

Karen Friedman rang the bell for David Kittner and Feed The Hungry food drive. Joycie Mack rang the bell for Larry Beil. Bob Peltz rang the bell for President Dudley Thompson.

Click here to watch Larry Beil 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

Call To Order - President Dudley Thompson

President Dudley Thompson called to order the 5,372nd Civic Thursday meeting of the 3rd oldest Rotary Club in the world. We are a diverse group of some 270 business, professional and community leaders dedicated to Service Above Self.

President Dudley announced that pursuant to a decision made by the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors we will continue meeting via Zoom throughout the month of February.  Together we recited our vision statement, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”

Thought for the Day – Riza Hernandez

Riza Hernandez shared this timely reminder that small acts now have great results in the future from Warren Buffett, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Past President and Past District Governor Ed Jellen introduced Past President and Assistant Governor of District 4A, Dianne Dorn from the San Leandro Club and Frank Yoke, member of San Francisco Rotary Club #2 and guest of David Stein. We also welcomed Richard Swart, President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown.

Meeting Sponsor – Jesse Schmidt, TNT Strength (Truth Not Trends)

Jesse Schmidt is the co-owner of TNT, a strength building company located at 5255 College Avenue. Strength and fitness are achieved in 30-minute workout sessions once or twice a week (either in person or virtually) and TNT’s philosophy is that strength training can be started at any age and will promote better health and longevity. Past President Peter Sherris gave a testimonial and noted that when he started working with Jesse, that he had two caveats – 1) he wanted to ski and, 2) he didn’t want to be hurt. After working with Jesse, he found his strength had improved and skiing was easier.  Jesse also thanked Rotarians Danny Mai, David Kersten (see his video about TNT at https://vimeo.com/670326596), Nancy Williams, Diane Schaffer, Peter Sherris and Astrid Lacitis, Shannon Hackley, Riza Hernandez, Sandeep Rajbhandari and Gary Flaxman (for finding the building).

Feed The Hungry Results

David Kittner, chair of the Community Service Committee, thanked Rotarians for their generosity in giving to the Feed the Hungry Drive in December which raises fund for people in our community experiencing food insecurity. We raised $52,000 which is triple our past giving which was $16,000. The money is distributed locally to the following organizations: Alameda County Food Bank, Bay Area Meals on Wheels, Harbor House, Oakland Catholic Worker Food Program, Operation Dignity, St. Mary’s Center and St. Vincent DePaul. David Kittner also acknowledged the following Rotarians for their special generosity: Past Presidents Ces Butner, Robert Kidd, Peter Sherris, David Douglas and Lorna Padia Markus as well as Fred Morse, Steve Nicholls, and Joe Goralka. Well done, Rotarians!!!

Committee & Event Information

Red Cross Blood Drive

Isaac Kos-Read encouraged us all to donated blood through the Rotary District 5170 Red Cross Blood Drive. The nation is experiencing a need for donors due to shortages at blood banks. 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.

Lunar New Year Celebration – February 3

President-Elect Mary Geong wished us Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Due to COVID-19, we are unable to come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Year of the Tiger) with our annual dinner.  However, we would like to offer you an alternative solution - a Japanese take-out Bento Box from Sakura Bistro Restaurant in Oakland. The cost of each dinner is $ 30, and you can select beef, chicken or salmon teriyaki. Dinner comes with rice and two other side dishes.

Your dinner can be picked up at the curb in front of the California Ballroom from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on Thursday, February 3rd.  We also offer a delivery option with President Dudley and other Rotarians serving at Rotary-Dashers. The link for ordering is in the Club’s Website Calendar or you may call Jesse Bowdle to order and get more details. Orders must be in by noon on February 1.

Other Upcoming Activities

President Dudley reminded us that even though the pandemic continues, we are continuing to engage in outdoor activities. On February 15, there will be a Golf Tournament and on February 24, we have rented the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Evolutionary Blues, a full-length documentary, featuring interviews with more than 30 artists who regularly played in clubs and music venues that lined the blocks of 7th Street before a charge for “urban renewal” decimated the thriving, self-sustaining Oakland Black community. It’s a story about the Great Migration, told through the lens and culture of blues musicians, many of whom never made it to national fame but were respected and acclaimed within the true blues scene. They carried the soul of their Southern roots — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas — to Oakland. Doors will open at 6 pm with the screening beginning at 7 pm. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the film's Director Cheryl Fabio. Get tickets here:  https://bit.ly/3Km9GjE . Proof of full vaccination is required. Masks must be worn except when eating and drinking.

We will have a celebration of International Women’s Day on March 13. Get ready to be in the Mood for Gratitude Gala on Thursday, April 28 at the Sequoyah Country Club from 6-10 p.m. where both indoor and outdoor options will be available. REMINDER: Please resubmit proof of vaccination and booster to Jesse Bowdle.

Breakout Rooms

President Dudley invited us to join Breakout Rooms and discuss how we can increase membership because let’s not keep Rotary a secret.

Discussions in the breakout rooms were fruitful and yielded these suggestions: One group discussed getting a QR code developed that sends people to the Rotary website (Jesse Schmidt); Dana Sack noted that not everyone can attend lunch so he emphasizes the great work we are doing with our youth committees. Karen Friedman announced we will be resuming our activities at Laney College next Tuesday from 1-3 pm. When talking about Rotary, President Elect-Elect Tom Limon likes to highlight the leadership and public speaking skills that can be learned by becoming a Rotarian. Past President Ces Butner encouraged us to think about our friends and invite them to attend a meeting or an event.

Speaker for the Day - Larry Beil

Ahmad Anderson introduced his friend and our speaker today, sports director, Larry Beil from ABC KGO-TV in San Francisco. Beil graduated from the University of Hawaii and worked at ESPN and KTVU in Oakland and KGMB in Honolulu. Giving a nod to his Hawaiian upbring, Beil coined the catch phrase, “Aloha means goodbye” after showing a home run.

Larry began by discussing the topic on everyone's mind. He thinks the 49ers will go to the Super Bowl if they win against the Rams this Saturday. He discussed his upbringing in Hawaii and his years as a journalism student. He wanted to play sports but when he realized that might not be his path forward, he started writing for television about sports. He recalled that when he was looking for a home in the Bay Area in 1989 he was in the Caldecott Tunnel when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred. The tunnel did not move. In his career, he has covered multiple Super Bowls and NBA Finals.

Beil offered a few predictions for upcoming games. He thinks the Bengals have a lot to overcome in their upcoming game against the Chiefs. He doesn't think the A's are going to move to Las Vegas as there is no money for a new stadium. He discussed the effect on COVID in sports and the impact it has had on high school students who were not able to play and were not able to be seen by potential scouts. He thinks we can cultivate sports in the community by emphasizing education in the classroom and then sports and see to it that all athletes have the equipment they need in order to play. He also weighed in on the NIL opportunity for college athletes to market themselves and accept lucrative sponsorships. The concern is that college athletes who are not at athletic powerhouse schools will not have the same opportunity as students enlarge at large universities.

Bellringers

Karen Friedman rang the bell for David Kittner and Feed The Hungry food drive.

Joycie Mack rang the bell for Larry Beil.

Bob Peltz rang the bell for President Dudley Thompson.

Adjournment

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:35 pm reminding us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!

Next Meeting, February 3 – Jean Pfaelzer – The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans

President-Elect Mary Geong announced our speaker will be Professor Jean Pfaelzer from the University of Delaware who will discuss the forgotten war against Chinese Americans based on her published research, “Driven Out” (U.C. Press 2007).

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

Call To Order - President Dudley Thompson

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

Thought For The Day - Keith Giron

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.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

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

Meeting Sponsor – Jason Wizelman, Draper and Kramer Mortgage

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.

The Rotary Foundation Campaign Results

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.  

Committee & Event Information

Blood Drive

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.  

Environment Committee

Joel Parrott, Committee Chair, told us about their first initiative starting with a short survey on carbon footprints.  How can we each make a meaningful step to reduce climate change?   To take the survey, use this link to take you to the CoolClimate Network Caculator:   https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/calculator

If you’re interested in joining the Committee, email Joel at jjparrott83@gmail.com .

Lunar New Year Celebration – February 3

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/calendar/events/2022-02-03/oakland-rotary...

Evolutionary Blues – West Oakland’s Music Legacy – February 24

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 .

Speaker for the Day - Regina Jackson

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.  

Bellringers

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.

Adjournment

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

Next Meeting, January 27 – Larry Beil – New World of Name-Image-Likeness in Sports

Ahmad Anderson announced our speaker will be Larry Beil of ABC Channel 7. He will talk about the new world of name-image-likeness compensation for intercollegiate athletes  and anything else you want to know about sports.

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, January 13, 2022

Past President Ces Butner took the helm for the Club’s 5,370th Civic Thursday meeting in place of President Dudley Thompson who was called away to civic jury duties.

Jason Wizelman gave us not just one thought for the day but several precious aphorisms from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: only light can dispel darkness; only love can banish hate; threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; the time is always right to do right; and what are you doing for others?

Just as Past President & District Governor Ed Jellen bemoaned the absence of guests, Sandeepa Nayak chimed in to say that Pello Walker had joined us, and Ces noted that Dianne Dorn, Past President of the San Leandro Club, was also among the virtual attendees.

President Ces Bunter then turned the “mic” over to Nancy Williams, whose advertising firm, Money Pages of Oakland, sponsored today’s meeting. Nancy informed us that Money Pages is a full-service ad agency recently ranked #1 in the marketing field by a major advertising trade journal. The company handles both direct mail and digital advertising, and it has a team that will manage your social media marketing. 'Money Pages’ client list includes the Oakland A’s, the Oakland Ballet, the Oakland Marathon, and several Club members, including Derreck Johnson (Home of Chicken & Waffles), Jesse Schmidt (TNT Strength), and Ruth Stroup. When invited by Nancy to talk about her client experience, Ruth Stroup said that Money Pages hit a home run in getting the word out about the Shredding Day service that Ruth’s Farmers Insurance agency sponsors once a year.

Past President David Stein introduced new member Dawnn Hills of the DMH Insurance Group. Her key pastimes include board games and singing. She has an impressive collection of Monopoly games. David Kersten introduced new member Clive Worsley, the new Director of the Junior Center of Art and Science. Clive was previously with Cal Shakes and, though you wouldn’t guess it from his accent, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland.

Business Development Committee: Jesse Schmidt, Chair of the Business Development Committee, announced that the Committee is filling out the schedule of Thursday Meeting Sponsors for the first six months of 2022. Sign up to be a sponsor. There’s no better way to broadcast your brand to the Club! Jesse ended by reciting a quote from novelist Howard Zinn about the importance of both optimism and good acts when in the midst of a prolonged crisis.

Environment Committee: Joel Parrott took the “mic” as the Chair of the new Environment Committee. Joel reported that the Committee has an initial roster of 12 members, and welcomes others to join the committee. They have a mission statement and plan to soon conduct a survey of all Club members to ascertain our “carbon footprint” in the battle against climate change. If you’re interested in joining, email Joel at jjparrott83@gmail.com.

Lunar New Year Celebration: Danny Mai announced this year’s Club festivity for the upcoming Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year will be an online “virtual” dinner starting at 4:30 p.m. 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 the dinner up at the California Ballroom or have it delivered to your home. Be sure to make your online reservation on the Club’s website ASAP before the February 1 deadline. Contact Danny Mai at dmai@novateckit.com or Pres. Elect Mary Geong at mmgeong@aol.com if you have questions.

Past President David Stein introduced our speaker Roy Neel, a distinguished Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. David noted that Prof. Neel has had major responsibilities in the political realm, including roles in the Clinton Administration, management of Al Gore’s 2000 Presidential campaign, and recent Presidential transitions, including the controversial “hanging chad” debacle that plagued the 2000 election. He is also the author of a novel called The Electors, which addresses the pitfalls of the existing Electoral College system. These were his observations:

1)  The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled a state can enact a law that binds an elector to vote for the Presidential candidate to whom he is pledged under state law. Thus, the “faithless elector” problem, which occasionally arises when an elector changes his vote to a different candidate has been resolved – at least for states that have passed the requisite “binding” legislation.

2)  On Jan. 6, 2021, there was an overt attempt by certain members of Congress to challenge the certified votes of several states’ slates of Electors. Had they succeeded, Joe Biden would have had fewer than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win, and the outcome would have been decided by the House of Representatives. There is a pending bipartisan bill that would foreclose future post-certification challenges by confirming that Congress’ must accept the Electoral College votes that are certified by a state.

3)  If no candidate receives the requisite 270 Electoral College votes, the subsequent vote in the House is highly undemocratic. This is because a single vote is allocated to each state’s House delegation. Thus, the vote cast by Wyoming’s single representative would be given the same weight as the prevailing vote of California’s 50 plus representatives! The Founding Fathers agreed to this “one vote for each state” arrangement in order to placate the less populated states.

4)  It would take a constitutional amendment to eliminate the one-vote-for-each-state rule.  However, due to the high vote thresholds for such an amendment, it is highly unlikely that it could pass over the opposition of the small states and their Republican Congressmen. The only viable path to an amendment may require a massive episode of Electoral College corruption that engenders widespread popular demands for reform.

5)   Some Democratic states, including California, have entered into a compact that purports to minimize the risk of a Presidential election being decided in the House due to any candidate failing to garner 270 or more Electoral College votes. The compact commits each of the signatory states to allocating all of their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote.

6)  Another major problem with the current system is the language in the Constitution allows each state to govern the state’s process for conducting Presidential (and other federal) elections. Since the 2020 election, 19 states have passed laws that effectively suppress the vote, especially in low-income communities. Eight of these states have made legislative changes that transfer vote certification authority from independent commissions to partisan state legislators. These changes will bolster the Republican takeover of state and local offices. They also ominously increase the likelihood that future Presidential elections will be decided by the House under the current one-vote-for-each state rule. Note that the pending bipartisan effort to curtail Congress’ alleged authority to disregard a state’s certified Electoral College votes would have no effect on a state’s ability to cancel popularly elected outcomes by means of these recent state law changes.

7)  In response to questions from “the floor”, Prof. Neel said: A) He disagrees with commentator David Brooks’ assertion that studies have shown that state voting restrictions have no impact on actual voting. Consider, e.g., the effect of “poll tax” and similar laws enacted in the post-Reconstruction South and the obvious impact of more recent laws that curtain early voting options that many people need to exercise their voting rights. B) There are no federal voting audit rules.  Any audits are done at the state level. C) Most people do not understand how the Electoral College process works.  Among other things, we need to include better civic education in school curricula. D) If the Democrats succeed in passing a federal election reform bill, it could be repealed by a future Republican Congress, but would face a higher burden of proof. E) As Republicans have already done, Democrats need to become more engaged in filling state and local political offices.

President for the Day Ces adjourned the meeting at 1:31 p.m

Click here to watch Roy Neel 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

Call To Order - President Ces Butner

Past President Ces Butner took the helm for the Club’s 5,370th Civic Thursday meeting in place of President Dudley Thompson who was called away to civic jury duties.

Thought For The Day - Jason Wizelman

Jason Wizelman gave us not just one thought for the day but several precious aphorisms from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: only light can dispel darkness; only love can banish hate; threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; the time is always right to do right; and what are you doing for others?

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Just as Past President & District Governor Ed Jellen bemoaned the absence of guests, Sandeepa Nayak chimed in to say that Pello Walker had joined us, and Ces noted that Dianne Dorn, Past President of the San Leandro Club, was also among the virtual attendees.

Meeting Sponsor – Nancy Williams, Money Pages

Pres. Ces then turned the “mic” over to Nancy Williams, whose advertising firm, Money Pages of Oakland, sponsored today’s meeting. Nancy informed us that Money Pages is a full-service ad agency recently ranked #1 in the marketing field by a major advertising trade journal.  The company handles both direct mail and digital advertising; and it has a team who will manage your social media marketing.  Money Pages’ client list includes the Oakland A’s, the Oakland Ballet, the Oakland Marathon, and several Club members, including Derreck Johnson (Home of Chicken & Waffles), Jesse Schmidt (TNT Strength), and Ruth Stroup. When invited by Nancy to talk about her client experience, Ruth Stroup said that Money Pages hit a home run in getting the word out about the Shredding Day service that Ruth’s Farmers Insurance agency sponsors once a year.

New Members

Past President David Stein introduced new member Dawnn Hills of the DMH Insurance Group.  Her key pastimes include board games and singing.  She has an impressive collection of Monopoly games.

David Kersten introduced new member Clive Worsley, the new Director of the Junior Center of Art and Science. Clive was previously with Cal Shakes and, though you wouldn’t guess it from his accent, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland.

Committee & Event Information

Business Development Committee

Jesse Schmidt, Chair of the Business Development Committee, announced that the Committee is filling out the schedule of Thursday Meeting Sponsors for the first six months of 2022. Sign up to be a sponsor.  There’s no better way to broadcast your brand to the Club!  Jesse ended by reciting a quote from novelist Howard Zinn about the importance of both optimism and good acts when in the midst of a prolonged crisis.

Environment Committee

Joel Parrott took the “mic” as the Chair of the new Environment Committee. Joel reported that the Committee has an initial roster of 12 members, and welcomes others to join the committee. They have a mission statement and plan to soon conduct a survey of all Club members to ascertain our “carbon footprint” in the battle against climate change. If you’re interested in joining, email Joel at jjparrott83@gmail.com.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Danny Mai announced this year’s Club festivity for the upcoming Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year will be an online “virtual” dinner starting at 4:30 p.m. 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 the dinner up at the California Ballroom or have it delivered to your home.  Be sure to make your online reservation on the Club’s website ASAP before the February 1 deadline. Contact Danny Mai at dmai@novateckit.com or Pres. Elect Mary Geong at mmgeong@aol.com if you have questions.

Speaker for the Day - Roy Neel

Past President David Stein introduced our speaker Roy Neel, a distinguished Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University.  David noted that Prof. Neel has had major responsibilities in the political realm, including roles in the Clinton Administration, management of Al Gore’s 2000 Presidential campaign, and recent Presidential transitions, including the controversial “hanging chad” debacle that plagued the 2000 election.  He is also the author of a novel called The Electors, which addresses the pitfalls of the existing Electoral College system.  These were his observations:

1)   The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled a state can enact a law that binds an elector to vote for the Presidential candidate to whom he is pledged under state law.  Thus, the “faithless elector” problem, which occasionally arises when an elector changes his vote to a different candidate has been resolved – at least for states that have passed the requisite “binding” legislation.

2)   On Jan. 6, 2021, there was an overt attempt by certain members of Congress to challenge the certified votes of several states’ slates of Electors.  Had they succeeded, Joe Biden would have had fewer than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win, and the outcome would have been decided by the House of Representatives.  There is a pending bipartisan bill that would foreclose future post-certification challenges by confirming that Congress’ must accept the Electoral College votes that are certified by a state.

3)   If no candidate receives the requisite 270 Electoral College votes, the subsequent vote in the House is highly undemocratic.  This is because a single vote is allocated to each state’s House delegation.  Thus, the vote cast by Wyoming’s single representative would be given the same weight as the prevailing vote of California’s 50 plus representatives!  The Founding Fathers agreed to this “one vote for each state” arrangement in order to placate the less populated states.                                                                      

4)   It would take a constitutional amendment to eliminate the one-vote-for-each-state rule.  However, due to the high vote thresholds for such an amendment, it is highly unlikely that it could pass over the opposition of the small states and their Republican Congressmen.  The only viable path to an amendment may require a massive episode of Electoral College corruption that engenders widespread popular demands for reform.

5)   Some Democratic states, including California, have entered into a compact that purports to minimize the risk of a Presidential election being decided in the House due to any candidate failing to garner 270 or more Electoral College votes.  The compact commits each of the signatory states to allocating all of their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote.

6)   Another major problem with the current system is the language in the Constitution allows each state to govern the state’s process for conducting Presidential (and other federal) elections.  Since the 2020 election, 19 states have passed laws that effectively suppress the vote, especially in low-income communities.  Eight of these states have made legislative changes that transfer vote certification authority from independent commissions to partisan state legislators.  These changes will bolster the Republican takeover of state and local offices.  They also ominously increase the likelihood that future Presidential elections will be decided by the House under the current one-vote-for-each state rule.  Note that the pending bipartisan effort to curtail Congress’ alleged authority to disregard a state’s certified Electoral College votes would have no effect on a state’s ability to cancel popularly elected outcomes by means of these recent state law changes.

7)   In response to questions from “the floor”, Prof. Neel said: A) He disagrees with commentator David Brooks’ assertion that studies have shown that state voting restrictions have no impact on actual voting. Consider, e.g., the effect of “poll tax” and similar laws enacted in the post-Reconstruction South and the obvious impact of more recent laws that curtain early voting options that many people need to exercise their voting rights.  B) There are no federal voting audit rules.  Any audits are done at the state level.  C) Most people do not understand how the Electoral College process works.  Among other things, we need to include better civic education in school curricula.  D) If the Democrats succeed in passing a federal election reform bill, it could be repealed by a future Republican Congress, but would face a higher burden of proof.  E) As Republicans have already done, Democrats need to become more engaged in filling state and local political offices.

Bellringers

Ruth Stroup rang the bell for Nancy Williams & Money Pages.

Lois Corrin rang the bell for Martin Luther King, Jr., then offered a touching anecdote about meeting Dr King when she was a child.

Ana-Marie Jones rang the bell for Ruth Stroup.

David Stein rang the bell for Roy Neel.

Adjournment

President for the Day Ces adjourned the meeting at 1:31 p.m

Next Meeting, January 20 – Regina Jackson – Policing in Oakland

President Dudley Thompson returned from jury duty in time to announce that Regina Jackson, Chair of the Oakland Police Commission, will be our keynote speaker at next week’s Zoom meeting.

Rotary Club of Oakland Civic Luncheon Meeting, January 6, 2022

President Dudley Thompson convened the 5,369th Civic Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Oakland, the third oldest club in the Rotary world among 36,000 clubs in more than 200 countries.

On this one-year anniversary of the insurgency at the US Capitol, Debo Sarkar shared a message of sanity and sanctity from India, the country of his birth, with an uplifting quote from Sri Ramakrishna: “An ocean of bliss may rain down from the heavens, but if you hold up only a thimble, that is all you receive. Wisdom leads to unity, ignorance to separation. Spirituality automatically leads to humility. When a flower develops into a fruit, the petals drop off on its own. When one becomes spiritual, the ego vanishes gradually on its own. A tree laden with fruits always bends low. Humility is a sign of greatness.”

Past President Ces Butner introduced our speaker, Oakland Mayor and Rotary Honorary Member Libby Schaaf, noting Mayor Schaaf has worked to address Oakland issues like public safety and homelessness by stabilizing rents and housing thus preventing 1,800 families from losing homes annually. She created Oakland’s first Transportation Commission to address infrastructure and make previously unsafe roads and neighborhoods better. She also founded Oakland Promise, the cradle to a college program, providing scholarships and mentors for more than 1,400 Oakland students annually and providing all babies born in Oakland with a $500 college savings account with financial coaching to parents. She noted 17,000 new units of housing with 2,100 of those affordable housing units to be expanded in time.

Mayor Schaaf is also proud to be partnering with Oakland Chamber of Commerce to pilot a new housing program, the “Cabin Community/Tiny Village” model, a shift away from “gym style” congregate housing shelters to more dignified housing options, nearly tripling the number of previously unhoused to now-sheltered Oaklanders. This model is now recognized for its success in housing more than other large cities and appears to be successfully executed via the “Keep Oakland Housed” program, now keeping more than 2000 households in homes per year. Calling herself Oakland’s “Chief Hustler”, she continues to secure more investment in Oakland from large institutions and national philanthropic organizations accounting for approximately $140M in accrued capital to date.

Safety continues to be at the forefront of her initiatives, with the City Council recently supporting her bid to increase the Oakland Police Department force with 60 more officers and redistribute police resources, especially to East Oakland, with a renewed goal to again cut gun violence in half, (towards pre-pandemic progress that had been made) by doubling staff to restore our nationally-recognized Ceasefire initiative. She suggested all homes purchase security cameras and angle them pointing to the street to help deter criminals and hold accountable perpetrators. She is honored to be the first Oakland Mayor (and first woman) to chair the Big City Mayors Council with other large cities, getting funding to address homelessness by creating public-private partnerships for housing vouchers.

She was recently honored to go to Washington, at the invite of President Biden and Vice President Harris, to attend the $1.3 Trillion Infrastructure Bill signing and shared a recent visit from the Secretary of Transportation to kick off “Town for All”, a comprehensive mobility system in key neighborhoods including Chinatown, Lake Merritt and Howard Terminal, Oakland’s new home to 18 acres of public access waterfront featuring 3,000 units of housing including many “deeply affordable” units, alongside multi-use interface with business, civic and other organizations coming together to attract excitement and greater investment in Oakland’s future.

Past President Michael Bruck was honored by President Dudley as former Mayor of Piedmont featured in a four-page article, plus a photo of Mike, Carolyn and their cat on the front cover of Piedmont Living magazine, prompting a multiple bell ringing spree reported elsewhere in the Live Oak.

Trisha Connors excitedly announced our 2022 Gala will take place Thursday, April 28, in-person, at Sequoyah Country Club with indoor and outdoor attendance options. The theme “In the Mood with Gratitude” salutes our health and fellowship in the Club. The fundraising goal is $100,000 net and Sponsorships are now available. Please contact Trisha Connors at tmmdrdc@gmail.com.

President Dudley adjourned the first meeting of 2022 at 1:38 p.m.

Click here to watch Mayor Schaaf 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