Due to the COVID-19 Threat and Shelter In Place Restrictions, All In Person Club Meetings are being postponed until further notice. Check Your Email For Virtual Meeting Invites. Stay Safe Everyone!
RB Rotary Club – June 4, 2020 Meeting
Scribe notes by Sandie Dewane
President David King called our Zoom meeting to order and we recited the Rotary 4 Way Test with him. Prior to leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance, Dr. Greg Bohart showed a video with President Ronald Reagan speaking about freedom. This video served as motivation for a close family friend prior to each of his military operations overseas. Cathy Glover provided the Inspirational Thought by sharing three quotes from Martin Luther King that unfortunately are as appropriate today as when he said them many years ago.
District Governor Marta Knight, prospective member Bob Kaplan and several other guests were welcomed by President Dave and serenaded by Joel Doss and company. President Dave thanked today’s volunteers: Mike Fuqua for Zoom set-up; Sandie Dewane-Scribe and Bill Angus – Minutes.
District Governor Marta Knight gave an exciting update on various Rotary Zoom events and thanked our Club for all we have accomplished this past year. Pat Chaffee reported on all the happy bucks raised at our Zoom meetings and Alex Robertson talked about the Rotary Face Masks.
Sandie Dewane announced that the Caregiver Appreciation Project, funded by our Club Foundation, will be recognizing 200 plus caregivers at 5 senior living communities that supported Vines & Vittles. They are Belmont Village, Casa de las Campanas, Gateway Gardens, Oakmont Escondido and Sunrise Sabre Springs. None of these communities has had an occurrence of COVID-19 thanks to the hard work and diligence of the caregivers in following strict protocol to keep their residents safe and healthy. She thanked Benita Page, Cathy and Don Glover and David King for volunteering to help.
President Dave thanked Dan Barrios for the great job he has done with the Rotary Foundation this past year. Once again, our Club has achieved 100% participation from our members. Dan also reported on other areas in which our Club excels. Arilla St. Laurent reported on the Family of Rotary. John Sullivan is recovering from knee surgery and Tom Kapocius is having cataract surgery today.
FineMaster John O’Neill was in a mellow mood and just asked for Happy Bucks. The following members stepped up: Mike Fuqua, Karen and Mike Stelman, Doug Dawson, Mira Bozanich, Alex Robertson, Alan Turner, Resa Coopat and Sonny Googins. Many happy bucks were for Jim Hyldahl’s excellent chicken dinners. Sonny noted that today’s Zoom meeting has 50 participants – a record!
Next up was the presentation we have been waiting for since the “India 6” group returned from their life-changing polio mission to India! Mike & Patty Fuqua, Gary & Didi Saks, Charley & Barb Crew gave a fascinating account of their experiences in India, complete with photos, videos, sounds, and appropriate garb. Awesome!
Mike Fuqua, wearing a yellow turban, served as narrator. He mentioned that the coordination and organization of the trip was great, the hotels were very nice, they had tight security and in all there were 19 Rotarians in their group who traveled together by bus. They had long days that covered a lot of territory. They flew for 16 hours from San Francisco to Delhi, India, arriving at 2:00 a.m. Delhi has a population of 30 Million. They could “smell the air” when leaving the plane.
Your Scribe’s “Readers Digest” recap of the India 6 Presentation (sequence, location may be incorrect)
Delhi – The group visited the largest Sikh Temple in India and the Community Kitchen next door that normally feeds 20,000-50,000 people per day. Saw the Mahatma Gandhi Assassination Monument. Tuk-tuks are everywhere as a mode of transportation, along with motorcycles, bikes, cars, rickshaws. Chaotic!
Agra Area – 3+ hour bus trip from Delhi. Toured the magnificent Taj Mahal, built in the 1500’s. The Agra Fort has a perfect view of the Taj Mahal. Stayed at the Taj Hotel where a Rotary Reception/meeting took place. The India 6 were part of a group of 19 Rotarians traveling together and all were honored guests at the reception. Each one was asked to help present awards even though the meeting was conducted in Hindi. The group also received their yellow vests and forehead dots. (Gary explained what the dots represented and the meaning of each color). We heard about Patty, Barb and Didi’s experience with “henna hands & arms.” Dinner at Rotary president’s home. Visited hospital and clinic in Shamshabad where the group received hats and flyers to distribute in the villages. Visited rug and marble shops owned by Rotary members.
Villages – Teams of 3 Rotarians and 1 nurse administered polio drops to children of various ages. Very emotional experience for the group. The children were happy to receive toys – beautiful smiles. The kids kept repeating “good job” after hearing Mike say it a few times. They saw lots of cows and water buffalos, used for milk and dung (for heating). Gary & Didi had tea and biscuits in mayor’s back yard (they’re so brave). Visited a bleak government school in contrast with a Rotary school that had computer lab, library, theater and private, sanitary restrooms for the girls. Barb commented on the importance of having private restrooms for the girls as they mature so they can continue to attend school. She happily reported that with the improvements in the girls’ restrooms and appropriate sanitary products, they have returned to school! A $600 donation was given to the Rotary School that will provide paper and other products for 600 students.
Other - Prior to returning to the U. S., the Fuquas traveled to Jaipur and on to Amber Fort for sightseeing that included an elephant ride. The Saks and Crew couples traveled to Ranthambore National Park Tiger Reserve where they saw leopards and numerous other animals in the wild. In Old Delhi they had a scary & noisy rickshaw ride through the busy, chaotic streets, viewed Gandhi’s Cremation site and saw Border guards on camelback. Adventurous Didi was brave to get close to a snake charmer and snakes – yikes!
Comments/Observations about the trip from Patty, Mike, Didi, Gary, Barb & Charley:
The colors and contrasts of India were so interesting – The children’s smiles – An amazing experience we’ll never forget – Life changing – Travel with a Purpose - Seeing first-hand what Rotary does world wide – Once in a lifetime humanitarian experience – The people seemed happy – A moving and emotional experience – Fortunate to gain perspective of world around me and Rotary making a difference globally – Get Involved!
The next Zoom meeting date is scheduled for June 11, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandie Dewane, Scribe