Announcements

Again note that the Christmas party has been moved to December 12^th.

Members were asked to sign up to attend the Christmas Party on signup sheets passed around at the meeting.  If you didn’t sign up on a signup sheet, call Peggi to get signed up.  She has to tell the BCCC how many are attending by December 4^th.

The Crab Feed preparations are progressing.  Crab Feed Tickets will soon be on sale.  The price will be $75 per person or $650 per table.  If you want tickets let Jessica Thorpe or Diane Seland know, before they sellout.

Billing of members is changing.  Beginning January 1^st you will receive a statement quarterly, at the beginning of each quarter.  However, because on January 1, 2024 you will also receive a statement for December 2023, the first quarter’s statement will not be sent until mid-January.

Introduction of Visitors 

Jessica Thorpe introduced Buzz Landon (her program for the night) and his wife, Nocole Landon.  She also introduced her husband.

Steve Heithecker introduced Tyler Collier, a Chico Rotary Junior Member.  For your information, the Jr. Rotarian program is where Rotary clubs host students from local schools to provide networking opportunities and career discussions with Rotarians.

Steve Plume introduced Tod Kimmelshue, Chico Rotarian and 4^th District Supervisor.  He was actually here seeking signatures of 4^th District residents of his re-election.  Steve also introduced John Rhein of the Chico Noon Club.

 Jen Liu introduced Sharon Robertson, a guest of K. R.

Recognitions

President Glenn recognized himself, in the amount of $20, for failing to bring a book for the night’s speaker to sign.  That made him a Bell Ringer.

He also recognized Tom Knowles for his 21^st anniversary, his trip to Maui and his son attending Boy’s State.   He contributed $100 making him a Bell Ringer

President Glenn recognized Steve Plume for his 26^th anniversary, but before he got done Steve contributed enough to become a Bell Ringer.

He also assessed Jessica Thorpe $10 because she has both the old (missing) Grinder and the new Grinder at her house. She was awarded the Grinder in her absence so maybe she didn’t think she had any obligation to return it.  How the old missing one showed up her house is another question.

He then noted that your editor had contributed no recognitions yet this year.  So I confessed having been in Puerto Penasco three weeks ago and in Idaho (my daughter’s) last week.  I contributed $50. 

Where is Puerto Penasco you ask.  It is also known as Rocky Point and sometimes as Arizona’s southern beach.  It is 50 miles south of the Arizona border.  You drive 4 hours from Pheonix to get there.  You cross into Mexico at a very obscure border crossing at Lukeville.  Interestingly, the Border Patrol had about 10 young men with backpacks lined up when we crossed, but the 2 Boarder Patrol check stations north of the border were closed.  Coming out there was a billboard, in english, that said: ”Fat people are harder to kidnap, so stay here and eat.”

Those were our chairs to the  left.

Next Meeting

The Christmas Party on December 12^th.  RSVP to Peggi Hoehler by December 4^th at 775 240 0970 or mwitman18@gmail.com.

There will be a gift exchange.  It is optional, but if you want to participate, bring one gift per couple valued at $20-$25. 

Membership

Bring guests who you think you can interest in becoming a member.  Your dinner and your guest’s dinner will be paid for by the Club.  Also, bring a guest to one of our occasional social gatherings.

Go to the following Rotary International web site for information on membership development:  https://my.rotary.org/en/learning-reference/learn-topic/membership .  From this website there is access to membership development and other related information.

Tonight’s Meeting Program

Jessica Thorpe introduced Buzz Landon, operator of Buzz’s Bees.  He talked about raising bees, developing queen bees and providing bees to farmers around the western United States, who need them for their crops.  Basically, he went through a year of dealing with bees, month by month.

The Rotary Foundation Donations

You can make a difference in this world by helping people in need. Your gift can do some great things, from supplying filters that clean people’s drinking water to empowering local entrepreneurs to grow through business development training.

The Rotary Foundation will use your gift to fund the life-changing work of Rotary members who provide sustainable solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs. But we need help from people like you who will take action and give the gift of Rotary to make these projects possible.

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.

If you have any questions ask Steve Heithecker.

It is possible to learn more about The Rotary Foundation on the Rotary web site. 

Your gift can be made online or by sending Jessica Thorpe a check made out to The Rotary Foundation to Durham Rotary, P.O. Box 383, Durham, California 95958.

Must Be Present to Win Drawing:

Larry Bradley drew Jim Patterson’s.  He was present to win.

Conclusion

President Glenn then closed the meeting.

________________________________________________________________

From District 5160

Just a quick reminder that yesterdy -- Tuesday, Nov. 28 -- was Giving Tuesday! 

While I know that Rotarians support a wide variety of good causes every day, I am asking you -- if you have not already done so during this calendar year -- to please make your donation to The Rotary Foundation. Along with your time and talent that you generously share with Rotary through your club activities, sharing your treasure will help Rotary to continue to do good around the world by making grants to support projects that truly change -- and save -- lives!

Please go to Rotary.org/donate and make your gift NOW! Please allocate your donation to "Annual Fund-SHARE" so that nearly half of your gift will come back to our district in 3 years for district grants to our clubs.

Your tax-deductible donation of $25, $100 or any amount will truly be appreciated. Thanks in advance for MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Best Rotary regards,

Mark Roberts
Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise
District Rotary Foundation Chair 2023-2026
Past District Governor 2020-2021
Rotary District 5160
markrotary5160@gmail.com
Cell: 925-788-5239

District Conference

The playing field has been set for the Field of Rotary Dreams District Conference held April 26-28, 2024.  Early Bird registration of $280 ends December 31st and will increase!
For current information and updates on the conference, check out rotary5160.org.
Here is some important information from the District Conference Playbook.
Holiday Inn Downtown-Arena
300 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814 (Friday Check-in 3:00 pm)
Join us Friday Night to Kick-off the 2024 District Conference at the Club Hospitality Night and Great Team Tailgate which includes food, music, friends and YOU!  This event is included in your registration fee. A cash bar will be available.

On Saturday morning you'll hear from Bailey Farren, the CEO & Founder of Perimeter!

Bailey Farren's year has been nothing short of remarkable. In a testament to her unwavering determination and entrepreneurial spirit, she earned a coveted place on Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 list. Her journey to this achievement is a story of resilience and relentless hard work.  Bailey's exceptional talent and innovation shine through her creation of a groundbreaking app that has revolutionized the way firefighters and emergency services operate in real-time. With precision and efficiency at its core, her app has become a game-changer in the field, saving lives and ensuring swift responses during critical situations.
Got questions?
Registration-Registrar@Rotary5160.org
Conference-shryl5@aol.com 

GO TEAM! (Everyone Achieves More Together)

______________________________________________________________________

From Rotary International

By Etelka Lehoczky

Partnerships can sometimes be slow to develop, but their results can be remarkable. Two Rotary clubs in South Africa and the U.S. might never have become partners if it weren’t for an enthusiastic expat who worked at a Jackson Hole hospital. But the outcome of their alliance is extraordinary: a US$540,000 overhaul of facilities at 11 South African schools that benefits more than 7,200 students every year.

Julia Heemstra, a health worker in Wyoming, USA, who used to live in South Africa, told a meeting of the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole about the water scarcity many South Africans deal with. She mentioned that on her next trip back, she planned to take along as many handheld water purifiers as she could fit in her luggage.

“It literally was just me putting water filters in my duffel bags and then heading up to the township and working with schools to distribute them,” Heemstra says. “I went and talked to Rotary about it. Rotarians came to me at the end of the meeting with their checkbooks, saying, ‘How much money do you need? And who do I write the check to?’”

The Jackson Hole members were eager to do more, so Heemstra helped them connect with the Rotary Club of Grahamstown, South Africa. At the time, Grahamstown members were working with the nearby Ntsika Senior Secondary School, which serves around 760 students ages 12-20. The school’s sanitation facilities were practically nonfunctional, and the school had limited access to water. 

“They had an inconsistent water supply. When the water is shut off, the schools have to shut,” says Stuart Palmer, a past district governor in Wyoming and the main fundraiser for the projects. “You cannot have school if you don’t have water. We were seeing the children shortchanged in their education.”

Ntsika had only eight toilets, and they frequently clogged. Even worse, an overflowing sewage tank had created a kind of swamp outside.

The kitchen at Mary Waters High School (left) before the renovation and (right) after the renovation.

Photos: Gavin Keeton

“We were told it was going to cost 1 million rand — about $80,000 in U.S. dollars at that time — to repair the facilities,” says Gavin Keeton, past president of the Grahamstown club. “That would have been far bigger than anything we’d ever done. But then, when we looked closely at the project, we realized it was going to cost double that.”

Enter the skilled fundraisers of Jackson Hole. Together with the Grahamstown club, they applied for a global grant of US$109,000 from The Rotary Foundation and raised US$48,000 in contributions, including donations from other clubs and a remarkable US$20,000 from nonmembers. A change in the exchange rate made the project more affordable. The Grahamstown club got to work, installing water tanks, repairing the gutters and sewage system, and completely remodeling Ntsika’s kitchen and toilet facilities. 

“They just did everything we could possibly need,” says Madeleine Schoeman, Ntsika’s former principal. “They even put up mirrors in the bathrooms. I did not think that the mirrors would be such a big deal, but it’s made an immense difference to our children. Like most young people, they love knowing they’re still looking good.”

The success of the project made the Rotarians even more ambitious. In 2021, several districts collaborated on a US$34,000 district grant to upgrade the water systems at 10 area schools. The grant provided water tanks, filters, and pumps for the schools and paid to repair leaks and connect the new tanks to the municipal water supply. Jackson Hole partnered with Grahamstown again in December 2021, this time on a global grant big enough to completely remodel the toilet facilities and kitchens of seven schools.

A toilet block at Khutliso Daniels Senior Secondary School (left) before the renovation and (right) after the renovation.

Photos: Gavin Keeton

“As we began to hear more about the issues with sanitation in the schools, the thought was, ‘We already did one successful sanitation project, and we have seven or eight more schools with the same issues,’” says Ken Small, a member of the Jackson Hole club and a past district governor. “So we said, ‘Well, let’s do another school.’ And to avoid the fatigue factor of having to do seven or eight applications, we said, ‘Let’s go for broke.’ We started a grant for all seven schools.”

The result was the largest Rotary global grant ever awarded to a club or district in South Africa. Totaling approximately 7.6 million rand (US$400,000), it pays for extensive renovations. Each school is getting new plumbing, new toilets, new tile and mirrors, and refurbished kitchens. Security gates and bars are being installed to prevent vandalism. To keep the facilities in good repair, staff members and parent volunteers are being trained in maintenance.

“Seeing the incredible change — you not only have water, but you’re getting a face-lift on all these schools,” Palmer says. “It’s huge.”

The global grant included US$270,000 in District Designated Funds and contributions from Rotary members, plus US$39,000 from The Rotary Foundation’s World Fund. The rest was donated by nonmembers. “We probably had a hundred individuals participate in this,” Palmer says. 

The Grahamstown club began the work in July 2022 and plans to finish by March 2024. As the results of the project have become apparent, its impact has surprised even its funders.

“I would guess more than 50,000 kids in the next 10 years are going to use those facilities,” Small says. “That’s a huge, huge contribution.”