Rotary International Theme 2020-2021	THE ROWEL Rotary Club of Durham		Rotary International President: Holger Knaack Rotary District 5160 Governor: Mark Roberts Durham Rotary President: Jen Liu _____________ Editor: Phil Price Publisher:  Jen Liu
	February 9, 2021	The  2021 Harvest Festival scheduled for Sunday, September 19, 2021.

This was our twenty-third Zoom meeting.  It took place with our President absent.  There were 14 members present, including President Jen Liu from Taiwan.   President Elect Eric Hoiland opened the meeting.   He then asked Dave Jessen to lead the pledge, which he did.  Following that he asked Jim Patterson to give the invocation, which he did.

FUTURE MEETINGS:

All meetings at BCCC are cancelled until further notice.  But there will be meetings on Zoom as follows:   February 20th:  Foundation Day   February 23rd:  Eric Hoiland will present Walt Schafer on the Honey Run Covered Bridge   March 9th:   Kelly Lotti   March 23rd:   Mike Crump   April 6th:   Jen Liu   April 20th:    Phil Price

 

 

  The Meeting

 

President Elect Eric Hoiland reported that we had received $1,175, with more expected, contributed for a Clint Goss scholarship.  After some discussing it was determined that we would create a scholarship, this year, for a Durham High School student studying some form of industrial arts at Butte College rather than the usual academic things studied at college.

Those who want to donate to this scholarship should send their check to Durham Rotary, P.O. Box 283, Durham, California 95958, with a note on the memo line that it is for the Clint Goss scholarship.

Program

Larry Bradley introduced Nick Wilson, and instructor at Durham High School.  He has been Durham Rotary’s Teacher of the Year.  He talked about the Dual Enrollment program at Durham High School.  This program works in conjunction with Southern Oregon University.  Under this program Durham High students can take college courses, while still in high school.  They can take up to 45 units, so that when they enter college they enter as sophomores.  There are 62 students involved in the program, about half are junior and half seniors.

 

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be on February 23 2021.  Eric Hoiland will present Walt Schafer on the Honey Run Covered Bridge.

 

Reports and Anouncements

 

Virtual Crab Feed

We received a letter (see below) from Wade and Kim Thorpe complementing us on the crab delivered to them.  They enclosed a $200 donation.

 

 

 

Thank You Note from Habitat for Humanity

 

We also received a Thank You Note from one of the recipient who benefited from the donation we made to Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

From Incoming District Governor

I wish that each and every one of you could have been online with us this morning as Bill and I “attended” the first day of the 2021 Virtual International Assembly. Did I mention it was at 6:00AM?

Rotary International President-Elect Shekhar Mehta, spoke to us about his Rotary journey and his personal philosophy that “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on this earth.” We also learned that he loves pizza and snacking! He nicknamed my 500+ District Governor-Elect classmates and me, the Changemaker Governors since we’ll be leading our districts and, along with him, the world of Rotary, as we return to a different normal in the next seventeen months.

A highlight of this morning’s session was the announcement of the new Rotary theme for 2021-22: Serve to Change Lives. I love the simplicity of it and the direct correlation to our core values.    

Please follow me on the District 5160 Facebook page over the next eleven days as I continue to learn more and prepare to be the best District Governor I can possibly be. I look forward to sharing more details with your incoming Club Presidents at PrePETS and with all of you when I visit your club over the next year.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead you as we work together and “Serve to Change Lives.”

Kathy Suvia

District Governor 2021-22
Rotary International District 5160

530-859-1422
KathyS@Rotary5160.org
         

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Rotary Foundation Training Day

Rotary District 5160's Virtual Rotary Foundation Day Location: Virtual Event with Zoom Saturday, February 20, 2021 9:00 AM - NOON

Rotary District 5160's Virtual Rotary Foundation Day   Register now at the District’s website:   www.dacdb.com.

District Conference

2021 will be here faster than COVID testing at CVS. With the new year came hopes of a return to enjoying the company of our fellow Rotarians – in person!

But that will not be.  The District Governor has announced that, after a lot of research by District Conference Chair Arne Gustafson and other members of the planning committee, it was decided that the probability of being able to hold an in-person conference for 300+ people this spring in Sacramento were slim and none. So we’re converting our ALL ABOARD! Conference to a virtual format but on the original weekend: April 30-May 2. Folks who made their reservation with a $20 payment are all set – and you too can register for a total fee of $20 if you do so by February 15^th! Just visit the district website, Rotary5160.org, scroll down the home page and click on Learn More to register. More info to follow!

All Aboard!  Place your deposit today!   (See the email you received).

 

From the District Governor

 

Fellow District 5160 Rotarians:

It is my distinct privilege and pleasure to announce that Grier Graff of the Rotary Club of Berkeley is being recognized by Rotary International with the
Service Above Self award. This honor is afforded to fewer than 150 Rotarians each year from among our 1.2 million members, 530 districts and more than 35,000 clubs. And I can't think of a more deserving recipient.

Grier’s many accomplishments and contributions include:

Founder, Kensington Rotary Club - President 1991-92.

·    In 1995, joined Berkeley Club; recognized quickly for offering time & technical talents to community projects. (He has been an architect for more than 50 years.)

·    Served Berkeley Club as Endowment Chair, Board member, Grants Chair & Club President.

·    Current (2019-21) Assistant Governor for BARSHEEP clubs in Alameda and west Contra Costa Counties.

·    Served 5  years on District Grants Review Committee.

Through Rotary, Grier has devoted much time to humanitarian work:

•   2003 Chacala, Mexico: managed completion of a Learning Center that transformed the town’s approach to educating youth.

·    2005-06: worked with New Orleans Rotary to bring flooded Warren Easton HS back to life, restoring it as a pre-eminent school after Hurricane Katrina. The project inspired the RI film “Saving Warren Easton.” 

·    Led a major reconstruction & upgrading of schools in 4 communities near La Penita, Mexico. This sparked the formation of a new Club in La Penita, which has partnered with the Berkeley club on many projects.

·    Lead author of 2 Global Grants for these projects; his work won praise from RI reviewers.

Please join me in congratulating Grier for this truly significant recognition and thanking him for his service to his club, to our district, to Rotary and to humanity. When we can gather again in person, I look forward to physically presenting the award to him.

Mark Roberts
Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise                           
District Governor 2020-2021                                        
Rotary District 5160
Mark@Rotary5160.org

International Convention Holger Knaack International President 2020-2021 Dear Rotarians, Rotaractors, and friends, By now we have sadly grown accustomed to hearing of the need to shift major public events to being held virtually rather than face to face.  Unfortunately, the Rotary Board of Directors was compelled to again make the difficult decision to celebrate this year’s International Convention as a virtual event.  While this may not be an unexpected decision, it is still a deeply disappointing one — for us and for our friends in Taiwan who have been planning an exceptional event. I want to thank the Host Committee for the admirable job they did building support for what surely would have been one of Rotary’s finest events. We had hoped that a combination of vaccine uptake and public health measures would have brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control. We all know that in many parts of the world the pandemic is still raging and we must maintain our vigilance and patience before resuming major public gatherings. Taiwan has done an admirable job managing the pandemic — and local Rotarians were still eager to host and celebrate with us. Under the guidance of the World Health Organization and the local public health organization in Taiwan, it became clear that an event of this scale would be impossible to host safely.mm While we are disappointed that we could not have a traditional convention, we are excited about the virtual event being planned for all Rotarians worldwide. Last year’s convention attracted significant viewership during its weeklong program. This year, we will channel all we have learned about staging the very best in virtual events into a program that promises to open new opportunities for you to be entertained, enlightened and energized. We will share more details about the 2021 Virtual Convention soon. Convention, pre-convention, and ticket refunds We will automatically cancel and refund all existing registrations.  This includes purchases made for the Rotaract and Youth Exchange and the Intercountry Committees preconvention events, and ticketed meal events. We kindly ask that you do not contact RI Registration to inquire about your registration, ticket, or housing cancellations as we work diligently to inform all attendees and process cancellations and refunds.  For those who had already canceled prior to today, you will also receive a refund of the $50 processing fee. Host Organization Committee (HOC) ticketed event registrations The HOC event ticket fees will be refunded by the Taipei HOC.  For more information, please visit rotarytaipei2021.org. Hotel rooms If you have secured accommodations within Rotary’s official housing block, no action will be required on your end.  Maritz, Rotary’s official housing partner, will contact you with the details of your cancelation.  If you have secured a group room block and made a full or partial payment, you will receive a follow-up communication and instructions on receiving a refund. I want to thank all Rotarians and Rotaractors around the world for your understanding and your continued willingness to learn and adapt. We are becoming a stronger, more nimble organization because of this, and our Virtual Convention will be a reflection of this new Rotary. Please be safe and take care of each other. Kindest regards, Holger Knaack President, Rotary International, 2020-21

The Rotary Foundation Donations

When every Rotarian gives every year, no challenge is too great for us to make a difference. The minimum gift to The Rotary Foundation is $25.00.   An annual $100.00 gift is a sustaining member.  Once your donations accumulate to $1,000 you become a Paul Harris Fellow.

It is possible to learn more about The Rotary Foundation on the Rotary web site.  Your gift can be made online or by sending Jim Kirks a check made out to The Rotary Foundation.  Send your check to James Kirks, 1199 Diablo Ave., Apt. 246, Chico, California 95973.

Recognitions

Steve Plume was recognized for his late payment to Harvest Festival sponsorship for last year, in the amount of $15.

 

Dave Jessen was initially being recognized for his 44^th anniversary.  But he confessed that he was in Mesa Arizona and was going to Salt Lake City to see their daughter.  By the time he got done he contributed $100 to the Durham Rotary Foundation.  Eric Hoiland agreed to match the $44 part related to Dave’s anniversary

 

K. R. Robertson was also recognized for his anniversary.  It was his 43^rd, so he contributed $43 to the Rotary Foundation.

Membership

 

When we have live meetings again, bring guests, who you think you can interest in becoming a member, to meetings.  Your dinner and your guest’s dinner will be paid for by the Club.  In the meantime, please invite Durham business owners and/or managers to one of our Zoom meetings.  Actually, you can promote membership by having a guest sit with you during one of our Zoom meetings.  Also, bring a guest to one of our occasional social gatherings in the Durham Park.

Conclusion

Steve Heithecker was absent and hence unavailable for a quotation in conclusion of the meeting.  So Larry Bradley contributed a couple of quotes:

From Tuesday Morning with Cory: “Giving is Living”

From Victor Hugo: “As the purse is empty the heart is filled”.

I apologize if I misquoted the above.  I usually can find Steve’s quotes on line to correct my notes, but I could not find either of the above.  I did find another similar one by Victor Hugo on giving:

“Our mind is enriched by what we receive, our heart by what we give.”

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From Rotary International

 

(This article in the News and Features section of Rotary International’s web page is a led in to five separate but related articles.  The first one on “Philanthropy” was presented in the last Rowel.  Below is the second one on “Water”.  I intend to present the other 3 in subsequent weeks of the Rowel.  They are “Environmentalism”, Leadership” and “Migration”.)

 

As we stand at the threshold of the third decade of the 21st century, imagine where we’re headed

In 1915, writing in Rotary magazine, Paul Harris remarked: “What Rotary will be 100 years hence, none living can imagine.”

More than a century later, there’s no need to imagine: Rotary has thrived. As we stand at the threshold of the third decade of the 21st century, we are imagining where we’re headed — and what to expect when we get there.

What defines the next generation of leadership?

The future of leadership relies on a multicultural approach, and balancing results and participation.

by Joe Otin

Joel and I were locking horns in a lively debate about leadership. We had just completed a round of pickup basketball on a warm Nairobi evening.

We dived into this philosophical contest despite our aching limbs and utter fatigue. His team had won the game, and I was determined to triumph now.

Swiss-born Joel, a PhD student, headed up health research in the international company we worked for. I had gotten to know him over the years and had observed in him a rare analytical capacity and an intelligence of the highest order. When I eventually invited him to join my Rotary club, he proved deft in making positive and lasting changes and led the service projects committee to great successes.

So many people came up to me and said, ‘You have such a unique perspective and so many skills that we don’t have. We would love to learn from you.’

Lauren Heinonen | Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, Michigan
“Fresh Perspective,” August 2020

As we debated, I argued that to achieve their aims, leaders must be results-oriented. “They should define clear goals and drive their teams hard in order to meet them,” I said as I gulped my water. “A leader’s capacity is ultimately measured by the outcomes that he or she achieves.”

Joel grabbed his bottle and splashed water on his face to cool down. “On the contrary, a leader’s accomplishments are defined by the quality of his people and their ability to rally around the cause,” he argued. “You can’t teach leadership — it is a process of continuous learning. You must first gain a skill, and it is only then that you can seek leadership in that field.”

I disagreed. “There are hundreds of leadership courses offered by respectable institutions across the world,” I countered, holding firmly to my views. “Surely they can’t all be wrong?”  In response, he elaborated on the distinct differences between management or administrative skills and what many refer to as leaders

As we packed up our things, I had the sinking feeling that I had lost the night’s second contest. I therefore asked a rhetorical question: The concept of leadership that he espoused was from the last century, but had he taken time to think about the type of leadership that will emerge in this century?

We waved goodbye and went our separate ways, but the question lingered. Maybe the answer lay in the question itself. Life is about cycles, and we should determine what point of the perambulation we have reached with regard to leadership. This may provide clues for the next generation. We have shifted from the requirement of perfecting a craft to a somewhat Machiavellian focus on results. Perhaps our future rests in returning to the former.

Illustrations by Greg Mably

Whether you’re interested in developing more leadership skills, or connecting with other leaders in your community, you can find what you’re looking for at Rotary. Learn more about the many ways to get involved or find a club near you.

Phil Jackson, the legendary coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers basketball teams, comes to mind. From his achievements, it is undeniable that winning championships was important to him. However, his enlightened style led his players to understand that he was even more interested in their personal development and in elevating their skills to the highest level.

Looking forward: The future of entrepreneurship

After I finished my university studies in industrial engineering, it was difficult to get a job in Colombia. Instead, I co-founded a small company that offered business services such as transportation and financial advice. Later, we began to offer a new service: helping small entrepreneurs structure their business plans and apply for low-interest lines of credit. Next we began to train entrepreneurs, primarily women, in small-business management. We also added a microloan program.

As a consequence of the pandemic, small entrepreneurs need more support. They are having difficulty meeting their financial obligations — and without working capital, they’re struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Unfortunately, the sophisticated technologies now associated with many successful startups undercut the social objective of microfinance. We cannot forget that not all would-be entrepreneurs have access to advanced technology. Rotarians can alleviate those deficiencies by involving themselves in local economic and community development projects. What’s more, The Rotary Foundation’s Cadre of Technical Advisers can play a significant role by helping clubs and districts structure and monitor their service projects. That way, entrepreneurs around the world will find a willing and skillful partner in Rotary and Rotarians. Working together, we can lay out a path that will lead to a future of growth and success.

One of the Foundation’s 2020-21 Cadre of Technical Advisers leaders, Juliana Corredor González is a member of the Rotary E-Club of Latinoamérica, Mexico. A resident of Colombia and the executive director of a nonprofit that supports vulnerable communities, she is an industrial engineer specializing in marketing management, microfinance, and entrepreneurship.

Jackson had the uncanny ability to understand the potential of his players, and he was focused on ingraining in them personal responsibility for their growth. The result of this, together with the establishment of a brother’s-keeper team culture, was perhaps the greatest series of achievements in sports history.

Another idea we can derive from Jackson’s experience is the desire for his players to make better decisions on the court. Through intense drills, watching and discussing videos of past games, and a touch of meditation, his team members came to understand their natural tendencies and made commitments to incorporate alterations. In this way, he decentralized the decision-making and inculcated a more participatory style within the group. Everyone knew that their actions on the floor had an impact on the performance of the team as a whole.

At the same time, the overarching cause was not lost on the team members, who came from different backgrounds and countries. It was clear to them that they were there for the millions of fans who watched them every night, as well as for what those moments meant.

The child whose soul aches for greatness and in whose heart inspiration has been planted; the manager who, like me, gains insights into group dynamics based on the play; the friends who stay close because of their love of the game; or the majority who come for pure entertainment: Everyone comes to the game for a different reason, and it is the team’s duty to give their best every day to meet those expectations. It is a language that the whole world understands.

An unlikely debate on a basketball court leads me to think that three things are crucial for our future leaders: that they understand the means are as important as the ends; that they use a decentralized and participatory style of management; and that they apply a multicultural approach to solving the world’s problems.

A past governor of District 9212 (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan), Joe Otin is Rotary’s representative to the UN Environment Programme. The CEO of The Collective, a digital ad agency, he is chairman of the Advertising Standards Board of Kenya.