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Meeting Notes from May 16, 2023 Mike Norcia called the meeting to order and Suzanne Boxer-Gassman led the pledge of allegiance. Mike thanked Suzanne for the great video she made for the Great Race. For our inspiration, Henry wished all the mothers a happy mothers day. He also recommended we be kind to servers in restaurants, to be fair with tips, and to have patience as they do a hard job. Enjoy your next meal! |
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Meeting Notes from May 9, 2023 Meeting brought to order at 12:30 by President, Mike Norcia. Pledge of allegiance led by Patti van der Burg. Inspiration was provided by Jean-Marc Blanchard. He shared a basketball story that focused on doing the right thing and having good sportsmanship.  Guests: Bonnie Cartwright, Caterer from Montebello Market in downtown Los Gatos Diane Eriksson Visiting Rotarians: Julia Anderson from Los Gatos Morning Club  New Members: Paul Johnson introduced to new Red Badge Members: Amy Liang, Technology Director for the Los Gatos Unified School District and Jason Deppong, Principal at Lexington Elementary School. Announcements: Our First Tuesday event last week was fabulous! It was held at the site of the Old Florentine Restaurant in Los Gatos. Thank you, Nicolette, for opening up the space for us. Congratulations Alex Bonev from Leigh High School for winning the District Speech Contest at the 5170 District Conference. All told, he won approximately $4000 in prize money from all the contests. Tina Orsi-Hartigan reported that our Interact Auction was a huge success, raising $1950 that will go to Martha’s Kitchen as well as other local and international programs. The Town of Los Gatos will hold the Resource Fair for Older Adults on Thursday, May 11 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at 208 E. Main Street in Los Gatos. Over 25 service providers will be attending and plenty of raffle prizes will be won! The website for more information is 55plus@lgrecreation.org. National River Cleanup Day is May 20. Creek Connection Action Group will host a cleanup of Los Gatos Creek along the trail through Oak Meadow Park from 9:00am – 12:00pm. Registration is closed. There will be a Rotary Work Party to support Live Oak Adult Day Services reopening in Los Gatos on Wednesday, May 24 at 1:30pm. Location: Live Oak rooms in the building behind Los Gatos Methodist Church, 111 Church St., Los Gatos. Contact Tom Picraux at stpicraux@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out. |
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Meeting Notes from April 25, 2023 Meeting brought to order at 12:30pm by President Mike Norcia. Pledge of allegiance led by Paul Christensen Inspiration was provided by John Pencer. John shared various inspirational quotes from Rotary International that focused on service and sharing kindness with others. Guests: Marlon Smith introduced Run Han Wang. Visiting Rotarians: None Announcements New Members: Martha Sterne and Sergio Michel received their Red Badges from Terri Trotter and Ramon Ware, respectively. We Care: Dick Konrad has had his hip replaced and is on the mend. Patti van der Burg had her appendix burst while on vacation in London. She is recovering nicely but must extend her trip by two to three weeks because she is now, not allowed to travel. St Luke’s sent a nice thank you note detailing their continued appreciation for our financial support. The next First Tuesday Happy Hour is scheduled for May 2 and will be held at the Old Florentine Village, 42 Central Avenue in Los Gatos from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Our May 9 meeting is a service project. We will be making blankets for the Linus Project. Please bring the following supplies if you have them: fabric scissors, rotary cutters, cutting mats, seam rippers and rulers. Our annal Roast and Toast is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Villa Ragusa in downtown Campbell. Ticket sales will begin the second week of May. Tina Orsi-Hartigan will be receiving the Stan Allen Commitment to We Care Award at the District Conference this Saturday, April 29. Congratulations Tina! Another week of beautifully decorated eggs from Randy and Kathie! |
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Meeting Notes from April 18, 2023 Meeting called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30. The pledge was led by Stefka Bonev. Inspiration was from Ramon Ware. Ramon decided to see what ChatGPT would come up with for inspiration so he asked for 200 words that would be inspirational and funny for a Rotary meeting. Appropriately it started with a joke but went on to remind us that we are here for a greater purpose-to make our communities a better place, that success doesn’t come easily and we should keep our sense of humor. So, remember, let’s keep up the good work, and remember to laugh and have fun along the way. It is not just what we accomplish, but how we enjoy the journey. Guests: Lydia Rosen Darren DeMonsi from Pacific Clinics Announcements:
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Meeting Notes from April 11, 2023 This meeting was brought to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30 PM, on Tuesday the April 11,2023. We had a packed house, delicious food and enthusiasm Pledge of AllegianceLed by Erika Buck InspirationInspiration was from Jeffrey Blum about an article from 2002 ` My Father’s Legacy ‘. It was beautiful lesson about the help extended to others always comes back 10-fold. Specially to people who don’t look like us and don’t speak our language. Diversity and Inclusiveness shows the warmth and character of people. GreeterAnjana Bose, Nicolette Rodman Kelly Guests at the meeting
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Meeting Notes from March 28, 2023 Meeting called to order by President Mike Norcia. The pledge was led by the Smith brothers. Inspiration was from Dan Snyder who quoted various wise women including: Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Gabby Gifford, Sheryl Sandberg, Simone de Beauvoir, and Reba McEntire. But he spoke also about something his mother-in-law, who he admires very much, said. She recently lost her husband and he asked her how do you get through it? She told him someone once said “you survive by surviving”. You also need a community to lean on. Dan said Rotary is one of his communities and he appreciates it so much. Dan, we’re lucky to have you as part of our community. Guests:
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Meeting Notes from March 21, 2023 Mike Norcia called the meeting to order at 12:30 and Henry Vitkovich led the flag salute. InspirationDan Snyder shared some more dad jokes to give us all a laugh. GuestsTsovo Massena - She is interested in joining our club. Her mom was one of the first members of Rotary back in Armenia. Maria Kouzmenka - She heard about us through work and came today to check us out. She is interested in volunteering in the community. |
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Meeting Notes from March 14 2023 This meeting was brought to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30 PM, on Tuesday the 14th of March. There was visible excitement in the room despite a rainy day that cast a storm over the Bay Area. There was a packed room, and full attendance, as it was speech contest day. Pledge of Allegiance
Inspiration
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Mark Your Calendars! |
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Meeting Notes from February 28, 2023 Meeting called to order by President Mike Norcia Pledge led by Ileana Aguilar  Inspiration by Doug Brent. Doug shared three lines from tennis great, Arthur Ashe to help us all pursue our goals whatever they are:Start where you are Use what you have (an antidote to excuses) Do what you can (things are supposed to be hard, that’s how you get better) Guests:
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Meeting Notes from February 21, 2023 Meeting brought to order at 12:30pm by President, Mike Norcia. Pledge of allegiance led by Erin Hartnett Inspiration was provided by Doug Brent. In honor of Presidents’ Day, Doug shared some interesting presidential quotes.  Guests:
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Thank you, Kathie and Randy, for the awesome Fat Tuesday hard-boiled eggs for St. Luke’s Thank you to all the Club members who donated to support the post-earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey.  Molly from Peninsula Food Runners spoke about the work they do locally. She shared a video and thanked our Club for 6 years of financial support. They are looking for volunteers with vehicles that can help pick up and deliver the food. If you are interested, visit this website: https://www.peninsulafoodrunners.org/ |
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Meeting Notes from February 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, February 14, 2023, Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Mike Norcia Pledge: Ron Cassel Inspiration: Doug Brent, theme was staying open to possibilities and connection because we never know where they will lead. Visiting Guests: Lisa introduced Laura Douglas and Martha Sterne. Ron Cassel introduced Andrew Dauber.  New Member: Paul Brennan. Paul Johnson presented Paul, the Assistant Principal of Fisher Middle School with his Red Badge.  Red Badge Duo Bio: Ane Troger and Fabio Giannetti. Ane was born in Brazil, she spend lots of time on the longest beach in the world, Cassino. She loved to cook chocolate mousse with her grandmother. She always liked computers. She got her bachelors degree in computer science from Pelotas Catholic University and her PhD in Computer Science at Manchester University in the UK. Fabio was born in Spezia, Italy. He loved to play and program Z80 assembler, first computer was ZX Spectrum. He drove his first car, a Fiat 126, at the age of 12. He loved to cook with his granddad and maternal grandmother. He used to be an amateur motocross racer with his Malaguti Ronco 21. He has a degree in Accounting and his masters in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Genoa. Fabio at the beginning of his career worked at HP Labs in Bristol, UK and was the first to work with HP Brazil in Porto. Ane came home to Porto from the UK for visits and they met at the airport. Ane started her career in academics in the UK, and has worked as a technical writer in the USA since 2013.She is currently working as a lead tech writer for Bayer. Fabio started at HP and worked for major IT companies as both a technical contributor and a manager. He is starting a new job in March as VP of Engineering and head of Infrastructure at Clover. They have two daughters, Stella, 14 and Katerina, 7. They love to travel, spend time at the beach and are all huge Star Wars fans. |
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Meeting Notes from January 31, 2023Meeting called to order at 12:30 by President Mike Norcia. Greg Gentile led us in the pledge. Inspiration was from Suzanne Boxer-Gassman who spoke about paying it forward. She reflected on Gordon Levin telling us about dinner guests at his house admiring his woodwork and his wife Judith gave them a couple pieces. Later the pieces were donated to an auction and our club received a $500 donation for them. She gave a couple other examples of paying it forward and reminded us all to pass kindness on to people we don’t know. Visitors and Guests: Lisa Cheskin introduced Martha Stern New Members: Beth Albers introduced by Mike Norcia Sarah Tellez, Rhonda Beasley, and Misty Hartung all introduced by Paul Johnson Announcements:
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Crabfest and Auctionhttps://events.readysetauction.com/rotaryclublosgatos/crabfest2023
 All-You-Can-Eat CrabFest Fundraiser SOLD OUT!! But you can still bid on over 120 auction items even if you are not attending. Will deliver items to any Los Gatos address.   Benefits:
Food Served:
Auction items include an Omni La Costa Resort & Spa Getaway, Charley's LG Bottle Service & Concert for 6, coffees with the former CFO of Netflix and a Dreamworks animator, private hosted dinners, golf packages, wine experiences, boutique shopping sprees, and much more. No need to attend to bid (winnings must be picked up in Los Gatos). |
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Meeting Notes from January 24, 2023 Meeting brought to order at 12:30PM by President, Mike Norcia. Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Ramon Ware. Inspiration: Provided by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman and focused on how people deal with their little worries and problems. She gave the example of the CrabFest tickets selling out: Henry Vitkovich came up with the idea to start a waitlist. Thank you Henry! Guests: Lisa Cheskin introduced Lauren Douglas. Thank You: Mike Norcia thanked Josh from Shir Hadash for his help with our audio/visual needs at our weekly meetings. Announcements:  Karen Rosenberg Cassel, wife of fellow Rotarian, Ron Cassel sadly passed away on January 19, 2023. Karen and Ron married in 1961. She was President of Inner Wheel for 2 years, Co-Chair of District Inner Wheel in 2005-2006 and was a trustee for USA Foundation that sponsored the Myoelectric Limb Foundation. Ron spoke to the group about their marriage and life together. A memorial service for Karen will be held Saturday February 11 at 11:00 a.m. at Saratoga Federated Church. The church is located near the corner of Highway 9 and Saratoga Ave. A lunch reception will follow the service. Thank you to Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko again for the beautifully decorated eggs for St. Luke’s. The past two weeks were back-to-school and football themed. Champion Forms submittal due date is February 28, 2023. The forms can be found electronically on ClubRunner and hard copies are available at our meetings. We are still accepting donations for the Rotary Foundation. If you have any questions, please contact Marty Fishman. Our Annual CrabFest is fast approaching. It is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2023. The tickets are sold out and a waitlist has been created. So far, we have brought in $62,000 of the expected $100,000. Members are encouraged to bid on the auction items and enjoy the wine and beer during the event to help us reach our goal. A big thank you to Jeff Blum for the promotional article he wrote for the Los Gatan newspaper! Our February First Tuesday event will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at Travel Advisors (Ed Stahl’s business) 56 N. Santa Cruz Ave in downtown Los Gatos from 5:30PM – 7:30PM. Bring a beverage and favorite appetizer (not dessert) to share. And before you arrive, consider attending our fundraiser at J McLaughlin, 17 ½ N. Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos to support our Los Gatos Rotary Charities Foundation from 1:00PM – 5:30PM. 15% of sales will benefit the Foundation. The Annual Rotary International Convention will be held in Melbourne, Australia from May 27 – May 31, 2023. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience what Rotary does on a world-wide scale. The Caldwell Cup and Mission 10K/5K race will take place this coming Saturday, January 28 in San Juan Bautista. There will be a challenge between the Rotary Clubs from Los Gatos, Hollister and Santa Cruz Sunrise. You can use the code: ROTARYLG23 for a $10 registration discount, Rotary Mission Ten - Half Marathon, 10 Mile and 5K (runsignup.com) |
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Meeting Notes from January 17, 2023 Mike Norcia brought the meeting to order at 12:30 and noted that we just celebrated our 99th birthday on Sunday. We were charted on January 15, 1924. Suzanne gave the inspiration. She spoke about MLK who had a dream and took action to bring that dream to reality. Why do people join Rotary? Most join with the intention to make a difference in the world. And this is what she most appreciates about our club. We do want to make a difference. We are intentional about it. Guests: Serenity Polizzi from the Los Gatan newspaper, and Beth Albers, incoming new member.  Red badge presentations: Mary Lon Hart (principal at Fisher) and Clare Vickers (English teacher) - both sponsored by Paul Johnson, and presented by Dan Snyder. Marie Rector (college counselor) - sponsored by John Colwell and Tina Orsi Hartigan  Tina Orsi Hartigan is asking for bags for St Lukes. If you have thick plastic grocery bags or paper bags with handles in good condition, bring them to a meeting. St Lukes uses them when handing out food to the homeless.Rotary Foundation Drive - Marty Fishman says we raised $47,000 last year but we are only up to $35,500 so far this year. We can do more! If you haven’t yet participated, please do!  Centennial Committee. 2024 will be our 100th year!!!!!!! We want to do something amazing to commemorate. Would you like to join? Contact Mike, Nicholas, or Meghan. Coming up: Our next First Tuesday is a mingle at Ed’s Travel Advisors of Los Gatos in conjunction with a fundraising sip and shop across the street at McLaughlin. Mark Feb 7 on your calendar for that. Crabfest update!It’s coming 2/4/23 and it’s almost sold out! (Update, this event is SOLD OUT) Only 8 tickets to go, as of this writing! If you haven’t acted yet, do so now. Click here to get your tickets! Send Suzanne an email if you have a table of 8-10 and you want to sit together. You can bid on auction items now! Click here We will do a sneak peak of items at the Jan 31 meeting and you will get a chance to bid then too. |
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Meeting Notes from December 20, 2022 President Mike Norcia called the meeting to order at 12:30 and welcomed us to the last meeting of 2022. Greg Gentile led us in the pledge. Judy Rodriguez’s inspiration continued her theme for the month of reflection. She told us how our club used to adopt a family and would bring them everything they would need for a happy holiday. She read the story of the Christmas Angel from Michigan. A man named Jack Rose had an extra Christmas tree from his business and he wanted to give it to a deserving family. The response to his ad was overwhelming so he went and bought 40 trees to give away. When other people heard the story they donated too, so the trees had ornaments and there would gifts too. This story made her reflect on what our club had done in the past. Guests:
 Mike thanked the staff from Shir Hadash that is such a help to us every week. A big thank you to Diego Mendoza, Javier Rodriguez, and Josh Bernstein. First Tuesday for 2023 will be January 3 at the Galli Tasting room from 5:30-7:30. Birthdays
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Meeting Notes from December 13, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Mike Norcia Pledge: Hal Rosen Inspiration: Judy Rodriguez. It will be our rotary Club’s 100th anniversary. Judy paid tribute to Ray Cobb by reading his reflection about Rotary, This I Believe.  Visiting Guests: Jill Duerig, Judy Wilson, Lydia Rosen, Laura Douglas, District Governor, Savita Vaidhyanathan, and Dessy Bonev.  New Members: Patti introduced new member Nicolette Rodman Kelly, who received her red badge. Marlon presented a badge for new member John Walker, who was absent. Christmas Parade was a success: Thank you to all who walked and especially to John Pencer for providing his car and Erin Hartnett who wore the crab costume. President’s Brunch: Thank you to Henry Vitkovich for a wonderful event. December Happy Hour: Thank you to John and Devonne Pencer for hosting at their beautiful home. Service Projects:Spread the Warmth. District-wide effort. They received lots of donations and most have been given out. We are still able to donate next week, December 20, and they are collecting coats, towels and blankets. House of Hope: Needs help on Friday, December 16 at 8am for a 60-90 minute shift setting up tables for the food giveaway to the underserved in our community. They will meet at the gym at Calvary Church. You can sign up to help at Setup Team Christmas: Set up for Christmas Event (signupgenius.com) Club Rosters: If you have not picked up a club roster they are available at the check in table at the Tuesday meetings. Nominating Committee: Suzanne Boxer Gassman. Proposed Slate of Officers and Other elected Positions for the Rotary Board of Trustees, 2023-2024 President Elect: Doug Brent Immediate Past President: Mike Norcia Vice President: Rachelle Lopp Secretary: David Hubbard Assistant Secretary: Terri Trotter Assistant Treasurer: Jeffrey Barnett Director: Ramon Ware Director: Jean-Marc Blanchard Sergeant-at-Arms: Gregg Butterfield Investment Committee: Rob Chaykin Scholarship Committee: Karen Anderson |
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Meeting Notes from November 29, 2022 Meeting brought to order at 12:30 by President Mike Norcia. Pledge of Allegiance led by the visiting guests from the US Marines Corps. Inspiration was provided by Jean-Marc Blanchard and focused on being selfless. Guests:
Visiting Rotarians: Julia Anderson, Red Badge member from the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Blue Badge: Jean –Marc Blanchard received his Blue Badge from Marty Fishman. Welcome Jean-Marc! Rotarian Birthdays for the month of November: Henry Vitkovich, Sue Heller, Ensy Afdari, Suzanne Boxer-Gassman, Stefka Bonev, Russell Couch, Nava Fathi, Avis La Grone, Anjana Bose, Greg Smith, Ileana Aguilar, LeRoy Neider, Thomas Rossmeissl and Terri Trotter. Happy Birthday Rotarians! Rotarian Anniversaries: John Colwell (57 years), Russell Couch ( 3 years), Greg Smith (9 years), Ed Stahl (56 years), Neal Mudgett (7 years), Hal Rosen (6 years), Gordon Levin (8 years), Margaret Smith (7 years), Tina Orsi-Hartigan (21 years) and David Hubbard (4 years). AnnouncementsAn ad was placed in the Los Gatos Weekly to publicize our Club. It contained a QR code for folks to scan if they are interested in learning more about us. Our annual President’s Brunch will be held this coming Sunday, December 4 at 10:00am at the Cinnabar Golf Clubhouse. Henry Vitkovich spoke about the event and reminded us that we will be collecting toys for Toys for Tots. Two Marines also spoke about the Toys for Tots Program, its history and about how the toys are collected and distributed. Anyone interested in volunteering to help the Marines distribute the toys at the San Jose Christmas in the Park can sign up on their website at: https://www.toysfortots.org/. The Los Gatos Christmas Parade this Saturday, 12/3 at 11:00am. We need walkers and a volunteer to be the crab. Contact Mike Norcia if you are interested. Our December First Tuesday event will be held on Tuesday, December 6 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at John Pencer’s home, 1705 Husted Drive, San Jose, 95124. Please bring a drink or an appetizer to share. Dessert will be provided. Club Roster hard copies are now available. You can pick one up at our weekly Tuesday meetings. Spread the Warmth is a District wide effort in conjunction with Pacific Clinics. Please bring new or gently used blankets, coats and jackets to any meeting through December 20. |
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Meeting Notes from November 15, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30 The pledge was led by Grant H. and Jack H. Inspiration by Jean-Marc Blanchard who started with his appreciation for the town of LG who complimented his parking with a note on his car, Parking Fine. He shared the story of Steve Samples who, in 1968, was attacked by 6-8 sharks off the coast of Florida. He survived but required over 2,000 stiches. His friends gave him the name “Shark Bait”. One thing that got him through his painful recovery was an autographed baseball that was his prized possession. Later he heard the story of Elyjah Blankenberg, who collected autographed baseball cards. Elyjah was very shy and asking for the autographs was the one time he could come out of his shell. He lost his collection and was devastated. Steve heard about this and sent him his treasured baseball. Would you, could you give up your prized possession to a stranger?  Guests:
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Meeting Notes from November 8, 2022 Meeting was called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30. Mike mentioned it is election day and he appreciates how we come together as a club with different beliefs but all work together for the good of the community. Pledge led by Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko (thank you for the clever election themed eggs for St. Luke’s) Inspiration from Jean-Marc Blanchard. Jean-Marc will be providing the inspiration in November, the month of Thanksgiving, with an emphasis on giving. He started the month by sharing a story of Mrs. Tilan RAN in China who jumped into the road when she saw a 2-year-old boy was about to be hit by a truck. They were both hit, but survived. Even though she lost her arm as a result of the accident she said she was lucky to have been there to save his life. She believed that it was worth exchanging her arm for a life. on Saturday, Nov. 12. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the Cineluxe in Campbell. 2 shows at 4:45 and 7:15. The early bird pricing will continue which is $40 for the matinee and $45 for the evening show. There is a link on the website. If you are unable to attend but still want to support it you can purchase tickets that will be donated. The fundraiser benefits Lighting for Literacy. Visitors and Guests:
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Wakanda Forever Movie Night FundraiserHave a fun night out and raise money for Lighting for Literacy! Join us Saturday, November 12 to see Wakanda Forever, the much anticipated sequel to The Black Panther on its opening weekend. Los Gatos Rotary bought out two shows at Cinelux Plaza in Campbell - one at 4:45 and one at 7:15. You can choose matinee or evening. Tickets are $40 before Nov 8 and $45 after. Buy them here. See you there.
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Meeting Notes from October 25, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30 Pledge led by Kirsten Bridges Inspiration by Erika Buck from The Extraordinary Book of Useless Information. In honor of Halloween, from the chapter Mummy Dearest, she shared the story of Japanese monks who practiced Sokunshinbutsu, this involved starving themselves until they died and their bodies were naturally preserved. Happy Halloween! Guests:
 Barbara Fishman presented Bobbi Bornstein with her Blue Badge.  Tina Orsi-Hartigan presented Skip and Donna Brewster with their Red Badges. Rotarians celebrating birthdays:
Rotarian Club Anniversaries:
Congratulations everyone, thank you for all you do for our club and community. |
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Meeting Notes from October 18, 2022 Meeting was called to order at 12:30 by President Mike Norcia. Pledge was led by Nicholas Welzenbach Inspiration was from Ericka Buck who shared a chapter from the book, It’s Not Rocket Science, titled A Germ of an Idea. She shared several fun facts about germs including Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that attack bacteria. Phages were used to treat bacterial infection before antibiotics, they are still sprayed on ready to eat meat to kill Listeria. She closed by wishing us a happy lunch time. Guests:
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Meeting Notes from October 11, 2022 Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, October 11, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Mike Norcia Pledge: The Smith Brothers Inspiration: John Pencer. The theme was persistence and perseverance. Some sayings: Redirection usually leads to something better. Failing 19 times leads to success on the 20th try. Coming up with a win out of what seems certain failure. Visiting Guests: Paul Johnson introduced Sarah Tellez, Assistant Superintendent of the Los Gatos Elementary District, Matt Mullikin, IT Systems Manager for the District, Jenna Mittleman, Principal at Daves Avenue, Rick Rauscher, Principal at Van Meter, and Paul Brennan, Assistant Principal at Fisher. Larry Jinks introduced his cousin Frederike Kieboom, who is visiting from Europe. Jean- Marc Blanchard: shared the Rotary banner he received while visiting a rotary meeting in Athens, Greece. He also showed us the beautiful plate he received from the meeting, Goodbye to Maddie Smith: this is Maddie’s last meeting. She will be moving to Colorado. She has been a very productive member of our club and she will be missed. President’s Brunch: Henry shared that the brunch will be held on Sunday, December 4 from 10am-1pm at Cinnebar Golf Clubhouse. The cost is $60 per guest. There will be brunch, champagne, entertainment and prizes. Fall Fundraiser: Jean-Marc shared that the fundraiser will be held on November 12 at 7:30ish pm. At the Cineluxe Theatres in Campbell. The movie will be Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the money will support Lighting for Literacy. Price to be decided. Avenue of Service: Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9:00am-2:30pm at Mission College in Santa Clara. Highly recommend this to see local and global projects. All members are welcome. Girl Scouts Service Day: 10am-2pm at Hidden Falls in Soquel. This will be a camp work party. Questions, contact Avis at 408-838-2577. |
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Meeting Notes from September 27, 2022 *image from MetroED's FB Page.The meeting was called to order by Michelle Myers Nelson for President Mike Norcia who is still home with Covid. We hope you feel better soon Mike. The meeting was held at Metro ED. The Pledge was led by Doug Brent. Inspiration was from Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. She wished a Happy New Year to everyone celebrating. In honor of Rosh Hashanah Suzanne spoke about new beginnings. Whatever the new beginning is, it reminds her of a fresh layer of new snow, without any footprints. All new beginnings are a time for new opportunities and new chances to be kind. Jean-Marc Blanchard brought a flag from a Rotary meeting he attended in Berlin. He said the club has been working with refugees a lot recently. This was his last requirement for his red badge. Congratulations Jean-Marc. Announcements:
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Meeting Notes from September 20, 2022Michelle Myers Nelson led the meeting, filling in for Mike Norcia who is home with Covid. Paul Johnson led the pledge of allegiance. David Hubbard gave the inspiration by celebrating the rain we enjoyed over the weekend. He spoke of his son’s joy experiencing the rain, the most we’ve had since January, and he shared a poem. We have sad news. Tom Dodge’s son passed away. Our hearts go out to him and we held a moment of silence. Judy Rodriguez introduced her visitor/daughter, Stacy Koelbel.  John Cowan stood up and gave his red badge bio. He grew up in Culver City CA and the Portland OR area, went to college at Bowdoin in Maine and then got his MBA at UCLA and a second masters at Berkeley. He works at El Camino Hospital as a director of community and government relations. He has a passion for non-profit healthcare. Three years ago, just before Covid, he married Shelly, an MD specializing in helping people with long-term workers comp injuries. He is passionate about CORO, a foundation designed to expose people across different sectors of the economy. To him, it signals community and how we can all intersect to solve problems. John also loves to travel and he does improv! He joined Rotary because he read a book, Bowling Alone by Robert Putman. He is happy to find a place where wonderful, committed people gather.There is no meeting at Shir Hadash next week due to Yom Kippur. Instead, we will meet at MetroEd. Please RSVP when you see the email and order your sack lunch. MetroED is both an adult ed program and a high school technical and career training program that serves 6 high school districts across South Bay. There, we will have our regular meeting, enjoy lunch, and then get a tour of the facility. |
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Meeting Notes from September 13, 2022 Meeting was called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30 Inspiration was from John Pencer who gave us the literal recipe for making lemonade out of lemons, he also gave us a figurative recipe. He had car troubles in Tahoe last week. Long story short, he had to have the car towed back to Campbell but during his ride with the driver, he learned a lot about towing cars, stayed a night in his own home and made it back to Tahoe by 9:15 the next morning. It all worked out and the family enjoyed the rest of their week together. Guests: Henry Vitkovich introduced his wife, Mary Jane. Tina Orsi-Hartigan introduced Leigh-Ann Marcellin. Sue Heller introduced Jan Sirkin here for a second visit.  New member:Barry Cheskin introduced our newest member, Adam Mayer. Adam is an architect and Los Gatos native who has recently relocated back to the area after being in SF for 10 years. He has opened his own practice in San Jose. Welcome Adam. Rotarians on the Town:
Volunteer Service:
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Rebuild Together SV October 22 |
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Sign Up For "Rebuilding" 10/22/22<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8UU3rF6XNxE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Meeting Notes from August 30, 2022 Meeting was called to order by President Mike Norcia at 12:30. The meeting started with piano and singing of the Star Bangled Banner. On piano was Stella Giannetti, daughter of new members Ane and Fabio. She is an 8th grader at Union Middle School. Singing for us was by Franceille de Barros who is currently taking a masters course at SF Conservatory of Music. Inspiration was provided by Andrew Howard - he spoke about the cleanup of the Los Gatos Creek. They had a great turnout and even had a wheelbarrow removed. His quote was from Laura Wilder of Little House on the Prairie - if you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
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Meeting Notes from August 16, 2022 The meeting was called to order by President Mike Norcia. The pledge was led by Ron Cassel. Inspiration was from Andrew Howard. Andrew told us about a friend from Adventure Guides who woke up every morning and said “Ten fingers, ten toes” it is his way of starting each day with gratitude. He was diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer but after his treatment he is now out traveling with his family and living his life. Andrew believes his feelings of gratitude helped him in his recovery. He ended with a quote from Zig Ziglar “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”  Guests:
Service recap:Gae La Torre reported that backpack assembly at Pacific Clinic was a big success. Mike Norcia said athlete screening with the Kyle Taylor Foundation was an amazing. They still need help reading the scans. Please let him know if you can help. There will be another screening for Spring sports. |
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Meeting Notes from August 9, 2022 This meeting was brought to order by President Mike Norcia at 12.30 pm, Tuesday. Pledge of AllegianceLed by Scout Troop 2 Andrew Haas. InspirationGiven by Andrew Howard who was very grateful for his trip with his 4 kids to the Sierra Camp. He explained the time in nature away from technology, 6 miles hike brought him soul filling joy and got him very inspired. GreeterBarbara and Terry. Guests at the meeting
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Meeting Notes from July 26, 2022 Mike Norcia called the meeting to order. John Pencer gave the inspiration, reminding us of the importance of simple kindness over worldly success. Visitors: Sesh Ramaswami, Assistant Governor from District 5170 Cameron Joe Aubers RYLA students: Angela, Hana, and Aki New member introduction: Mike Frangadakis introduced Fabio Gianetti, just back from vacation to his homeland, Italy, and presented him with a red badge. Welcome Fabio! Calendar: Next week is First Tuesday! Aug 2 5:30-7:30 at Gordon and Judy Levin’s home. Bring an appetizer and a favorite drink. The annual Club BBQ is Aug 23 at 5pm at Oak Meadow Park. Bring guests and prospective members. Don McCleave is moving to Bellingham. We passed around a card to wish him well. Service Projects: JFS Backpack Drive service project is full. Thank you! Pacific Clinics backpack drive on Aug 10 still needs volunteers. You get to stuff backpacks for kids in need. No need to bring anything. Contact Gae LaTorre to sign up. West Valley Community Services Back to School shopping activity on Aug 6 still needs volunteers. You are given a gift card and you get to take a child shopping at Old Navy at Westgate Mall. Sign up here https://www.  Anjana Bose presented about RYLA. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Award and is an annual leadership camp for high school students where they learn about leadership and team building. RYLA happened in June in Mission Springs in Scotts Valley. It’s a district wide event and students from all over the bay area come. We sponsored 3 students. This year it was smaller and all outdoors but very successful. Angela, Aki, and Hana, high school student participants, talked to us about their experiences this year. They spoke of the new friends they made and new skills they developed.  Kirsten Bridges presented thank you gifts to the CatTale committee: those who take notes, Ron Cassell who takes pictures, and AnnMarie Valle who assembles and posts the newsletter. |
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Meeting Notes from July 19, 2022 Meeting brought to order at 12:30pm by President, Mike Norcia. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Jean-Marc Blanchard. Mike thanked Gregg Butterfield for the new audio-visual set up for the meetings. Our Inspiration was provided by John Pencer. John talked about using creativity and support to get yourself out of a tough spot. Guests: Jan Sirkin, guest of Sue Heller and Adam Mayer, guest of Barry and Lisa Cheskin. Visiting Rotarians: Mary Pacifico Curtis and her husband Michael Miller from the San Jose Club. Announcements:New Member, Ileana Aguilar was introduced and given her Red Badge by Gae La Torre.  Gae La Torre presented a certificate of appreciation to Meghan Burton for her service to the Club.  Jeffrey Barnett spoke about the opportunity for members to attend the Rotary Leadership Academy Training. Training covers a wide breath of topics, ranging from local to international Rotary subjects. Events Our next First Tuesday event will take place on August 2 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the home of Gordon and Judy Levin. Please bring an appetizer and beverage of choice to share. The Town of Los Gatos has moved up the date of the Los Gatos Promenade from Thursday, August 4 to Thursday, July 28. We need volunteers to man our Rotary tent on July 28. Please see Rachelle Lopp if you can help out. A celebration of life for Lloyd Grant will take place on Saturday, July 23 at 2:00pm at the First Methodist Church in Los Gatos. Service Projects Jewish Family Services Backpack Drive: See the board in the Shir Hadash lobby to select items to purchase for students returning to school in the fall. Please bring the items to our meeting on July 26. The backpack stuffing will take place on July 31 from 1:15pm – 3:30pm at the Los Gatos Jewish Community Center. If you cannot attend our meeting on July 26, please contact Kirsten Bridges and she will pick up your items. Pacific Clinics Backpack Drive: Backpack stuffing will take place on Wednesday, August 10 from 1:30pm -4:00pm at the Pacific Clinics Gym, 499 Loma Alta Avenue, Los Gatos, 95030. You do not need to bring any items, just show up and help stuff the backpacks. Please contact Gae La Torre if you’re interested. West Valley Community Services Back to School Shopping: Do back to school shopping with a child on August 6 at the Old Navy store at Westgate Shopping Center. Please contact Suzanne Boxer-Gassman if you are interested. Community Profile Our Annual Club BBQ will take place on Tuesday, August 23 at Oak Meadow Park. Andrew Stearns and Tina Orsi-Hartigan shared some details about the event and some of the event’s history. Please contact Tina if you are able to help out on the BBQ Committee. They need folks to set up, clean up, set out food, etc.… |
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Meeting Notes from July 12, 2022Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 12, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by new President Mike Norcia, to kick off our 99th year. Pledge: John Colwell Inspiration: John Pencer. The theme was teamwork. He told a story about a manager in a high tech company who brought her team together for a team building exercise. They were all given balloons to write their names on, and then the balloons were put in a room surrounded by 700 other balloons. Each person was tasked with finding his or her own balloon within a certain amount of time. Nobody found his or her balloon. Then the team was asked to go in and find any balloon with a name on it, within the time limit all of the balloons were found. The collective result is far greater than the sum of the parts. This is what makes Rotary strong: team work. Visiting Guests: Lydia Norcia introduced Tom Picraux. July 4th: Beer and Wine Garden event at Oak Meadow Park, “First Tuesday” was a big success and we had a great turn out. Promenade Thursdays: We have a Rotary booth in front of Ed Stahl’s travel agency. Come by the booth and visit over the next few Thursdays. Roast and Toast: Great turn out and we watched a wonderful video of the event put together by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. Mike called Nicholas up and presented him with a new past president’s badge. Announcements:JFS Backpack Drive: Kirsten Bridges talked about the Jewish Family Services Backpack Drive. We are collecting school supplies, gift cards and donations for the next two weeks for refugee families. You can also go to SighUpGenius and choose a request, go to Target Registry and shop, buy and deliver to JFS, mail a check to JFS, or pick a tag from the JFS website and shop. Tags will be available at the July 19 meeting. On July 31 the backpacks will be put together at the JCC, if you are interested in helping contact Kirsten. West Valley Community Services Backpack Drive: On August 6 at Westgate Mall by Old Navy, people can sign up to help shop with a child to fill a backpack with school supplies. For more information contact Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. 2021-2022 Awards: Ron Cassel and Gae LaTorre presented plaques of appreciation and special awards for outstanding service to: Jeffrey Barnett, Randy Cobb, Dick Konrad and Tonya McQuade. |
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We welcomed 17 New Members 2021-2022Our Membership Committee and Club have welcomed 17 new enthusiastic member this year. Proud to introduce...
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The Year We Came Back LiveMembership is up and the Los Gatos Rotary thrives during it's first year back live/in person. Take a peek at all we do.
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Roast and Toast Notes from June 28, 2022   The 2022 Roast and Toast was called to order by Past President Andrew Stearns. Pledge led by President Elect Mike Norcia. We held a moment of silence for Rotarians we lost this year: Richard (Dick) Irion, Leonard (Len) Smith, Tom O’Donnell, and Lloyd Grant. Inspiration by John Pencer who shared a story from Earl Nightingale called Acres of Diamonds. The moral of the story was sometimes we go looking for treasures in our life, and they are right in front of us all the time. In his life, Rotary is a treasure and he is so glad to be a part of our club. I think we all agree with you John, thank you for the story. The program started with a look back on the year in a video by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. We always enjoy the videos Suzanne puts together reminding us of all we accomplished and how much fun we had during the past year. It seems we especially enjoyed meeting in person again as well as our new meeting location. Ron Cassel and Gae La Torre presented member awards. We had several members who were not able to attend, their awards will be presented at future lunch meetings. Certificate of Appreciation: Kirsten Bridges, Rachelle Lopp Plaque of Appreciation: Grady Jeter Michelle Myers Nelson Elite (Special Award) Plaque: John Pencer Rotarian of the Year: Suzanne Boxer Gassman |
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Meeting Notes from June 21, 2022 Meeting called to order at 12:30 by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Flag salute led by Boy Scout Troop 2.  Inspiration by Doug Brent. Doug talked about how we often don’t know the impact we have on our community. He shared a story about having dinner at the Palms when his server said hello Doug, I was a Rotary scholarship recipient. He was so impressed she remembered him, by name, after just meeting with him for few minutes and seeing him at the awards ceremony. She told him how much the award meant to her. He also read a letter of thanks he received from a parent who had two children who had been touched by our Rotary club. One, an exchange student, had been selected for ELC. The other, had received a scholarship. Thank you, Doug, for sharing these stories with us. |
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Meeting Notes from June 14, 2022 The meeting was brought to order at 12:30pm by President Nicholas Welzenbach. The Pledge of allegiance was led by Randy Cobb.  Our Inspiration was presented by Jean-Marc Blanchard. He spoke about a young man named Austin Hatch who survived not one, but two plane crashes! He persevered through a very long emotional and physical recovery and went on to become a college graduate, father, husband and successful motivational speaker. Message: Go big or go home!There were neither guests nor visiting Rotarians at the meeting. The Song of the Week was “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar, suggested by Patti van der Burg. Announcements:Thank you, Kathie Benko and Randy Cobb for the beautifully decorated hard-boiled eggs for St. Luke’s. There was yet another Welzenbach family trip to the emergency room after Nicholas’ daughter was hit in the head by thrown water bottle. Stitches and staples were the order of the day. Nicholas presented some self-indulgent random facts about Kansas and Kansas University. We all cheered the recent win by the Golden State Warriors. They lead the Boston Celtics three games to two in the NBA Finals. Rotarian Anniversaries for the month of June:
Taking meeting notes for the “Cat Tale” is a great way to get to know the Club. See Kirsten Bridges if you are interested in being part of this team. |
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Meeting Notes from May 31, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Pledge led by Kirsten Bridges Inspiration by Gary Allison who spoke about looking for the beauty around us. Remember beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Guests:Peter Naymer guest of Dan Snyder and Trustee of LGUSD board Pat Chappell guest of Lydia Norcia Allison Snyder guest and daughter of Dan Snyder. Congratulations on your graduation, enjoy your time at Mount Holyoke. Matthew Hudes guest of Dick Konrad and member of LG Town Council Ellie Gilbert guest and mom of Cindy Gentile Lydia Rosen guest of Hal Rosen Holly Smith Song of the week was My Way by Frank Sinatra, suggested by Nancy Consentino. Thanks for the suggestion Nancy. Thank you, Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko for the Memorial Day themed eggs. We celebrated the May birthdays. Thank you, Don McCleve for accompanying us on the piano. Hal Rosen May 1 Riley Barr May 2 Susie Mize May 5 Gordon Levin May 6 Craig Roberts May 9 Randy Cobb May 10 Andrew Stearns May 12 Jean-Marc Blanchard May 13 Robert Chaykin May 23 Grady Jeter May 25 John Pencer May 25 Carol Abela May 26 Tom Anthony May 26 Kamyar Negari May 26 Michael Grove May 29 Rami Wazni May 29 Kent Cooper May 30 |
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Meeting Notes from May 24, 2022 The meeting was brought to order at 12:30 by President Nicholas. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by our District Governor, Richard Flanders. Gary Allison provided our inspiration. He shared a quote from Robert Lewis Stevenson about happiness and talked about making happiness a priority in our lives.  Guests: Mike Norcia introduced Joe Albers, Avis La Grone introduced District Governor, Richard Flanders and Sarita Johnson introduced her care giver, Tam Doh. Song of the Week: Al Green “Let’s Stay Together”. Suggested by Ramon Ware. Announcements:Thank you to Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko for providing the beautifully decorated eggs for St. Luke’s. They were decorated in rainbow colors to honor Harvey Milk and celebrate Pride week. Our family BBQ was held last Friday evening and was a big success. Nicholas thanked all of the many volunteers that helped to make it happen. Congratulations to Riley and Felicia Barr on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Briar Regan Barr! Rotarian Anniversaries: Eric Eberle, 22yrs Meghan Burton, 3yrs Lisa Mize, 4yrs Tom Boyce, 36yrs Sandy Bocks, 18yrs Randy Cobb, 3yrs Sandeep Gopisetty, 3yrs Ed Bowen, 54yrs Chris Potter, 3yrs |
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Meeting Notes from May17, 2022 Nicholas opened the meeting and thanked Gregg Butterfield for the improved sound system. Tina Orsini Hartigan led us in the pledge of allegiance. Gary Allison inspired us with quotes and stories about the importance of determination. There were no guests. This week’s featured song was Michelle Myers Nelson’s pick: Feeling Good by Michael Bublé (original recording by Nina Simone)  New member Stefka Bonev received her red badge. She was introduced to Rotary through her kids - who were in Interact - but she fell in love quickly with our club and is happy to be here. Welcome Stefka! We are happy to have you too! Ane Torger’s mom Fernanda presented our Los Gatos Rotary flag (from when she visited) to her club in Brazil. We are happy for the goodwill across the globe. Mike Norcia gave a report on the Great Race and thanked all the helpers that made it possible. It was an unqualified success, even in a big transition year of moving the race to Vasona.
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Meeting Notes from May10, 2022 Inspiration – Gary Ellison Random Acts of Kindness theme – Happiness Can be anything: help a friend, thank you note, make a phone call Gave an example of skiing in Aspen – took the shuttle bus that was packed but two young ladies gave up their seats so they could sit – happy for the seat but not sure about implication. Encouraged everyone to try something – each of us can. Visiting Rotarians & Guests Peggy Heiman – with Jeffrey Blum She is a long time LG resident, teacher, writer – enjoys quilting, walking & reading Music: Chariots of Fire Great Race was acknowledged – played a news clip Acknowledged Randy Cobbs Birthday Family & Corp membership – Lisa is taking this on to make sure there are benefits for families Terri accepted the blue badge for Nancy Consentino Paul Yeadon received his blue badge Paul Yeadon is leading the Polio fundraising & showed a video May is the month for fundraising & will promote the campaign Family BBQ is set for May 20th at 5pm – hamburgers, hot dogs will be served and BYOB Lucille Packers Children Hospital needs books for ages 0-12. Please contribute what you have 20 for 20Doug Brent & Terri Trotter were at Leigh High for scholarship awards. 3 Interact students received scholarships – gave $100 for the scholarship fund Jean-Marc Blanchard – was in Ann Arbor for his daughter’s graduation – great experience at Michigan Stadium with Dr. Fauci speaking. He gave $20 for the YR, $20 for the graduation & $20 for the delay – total $60 for scholarship fund |
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Meeting Notes from April 26, 2022 The meeting was brought to order at 12:30pm by President Nicholas Welzenbach. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Michelle Myers-Nelson. Dan Snyder provided our Inspiration. Dan shared a story with us about a recent cross-country trip he took with his daughter to look at colleges. Along the way they met many helpful and very nice people. A simple reminder that even during this chaotic time we find our world in today, there are also a lot of positives out there too. Guests: Lydia Norcia introduced her sister, Felicia Siggens who is visiting from Boston. She also introduced Fabio Giannetti whom she met at our recent Happy Hour at Rootstock Winebar. Randy Cobb introduced his friend Jimmie Jost who is visiting from Germany. Avis LeGrone introduced her friend Kathleen Froess. Song of the Week: ‘In the Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins, suggested by Anjana Bose. Announcements:Lloyd E. Grant passed away on April 21, 2022. Lloyd had 37 years of service with Rotary. The Club joined together in a moment of silence to honor and remember Lloyd.  Nicholas thanked the numerous people who helped to make Sammy L. Davis’ presentation with the Club last week a success: Meghan Burton, Lisa Cheskin, Michelle Myers-Nelson, Randy Cobb and his wife Kathie Benko, Doug Brent, Gregg Butterfield, Mike Frangadakis, Ed Stahl, Andrew Stearns, Mike Norcia and especially Ron Cassell. Thank you Randy and Kathie for the awesome balloon-dog hard boiled eggs for the St. Luke’s food delivery this week. The District 5170 Conference was this past weekend. Thank you to everyone who attended including Terri Trotter, Tina Orsi-Hartigan and Avis LaGrone. We are hoping for more representation from our Club next year. Nicholas read a thank-you note from Riley Barr and his wife Felicia thanking the Club for their gift to them of the ‘Baby’s First Library’ basket of books for their soon-to-be first child. The Family BBQ will take place on May 20th at Oak Meadow Park at 5:00pm. Family and guests are welcome. Keep an eye out from more information and sign-ups from Tina Orsi-Hartigan. The Club is collecting books for Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital Little Libraries programs. The age ranges for the books are: 0-3yrs, 3yrs-6yrs, 6yrs-8yrs and 8yrs-12yrs. |
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Meeting Notes from April 19, 2022 The meeting was brought to order by Mike Norcia at 12.30 pm at Shir Hadash . It was a Townhall Style meeting with no lunch. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Our Greeters were Ramon and Bobbie We had a special guest from India Palghar Rotary with his family. Club AnnouncementsThe Great Race is May 1! It’s coming fast! Sign up to run, walk, or volunteer. This is an all-hands-on-deck club event, raising critical funds for the work we love to do. To run or walk register here: www.lggreatrace.com. This is a great fundraiser for local support like scholarship and international project. District Conference.. Sky is the Limit is on April 22, 23 and 24th. Great opportunity to learn what Rotarians do. 20 for 20Andrew Sterns - $20
Our Special Guest for the Afternoon was Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Sammy L Davis. A special mention for friends from high school Gary Duran and Larry Mersek who were also in the audience. We saw a medal of honor brief movie clip and the meeting proceeded with a question answer session. |
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Special Guest Speaker Sammy L DavisBring friends and family to hear this amazing speaker, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sammy L Davis, on Tuesday April 19th at 12:30 at Shir Hadash.
There will be no lunch at this meeting. Seating will be theater style with coffee and cookies served afterwards.  |
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Meeting Notes from April 12, 2022 Nicholas Welzenbach opened the meeting at 12:30 Ron Cassel led the pledge of allegiance John Pencer gave the inspiration, on a lighter side this time, sharing a funny story to remind us to take care of ourselves with a little humor in a tough world climate.  We welcome our guests! So glad you could join us.
 Lydia, Patti, and the We Care team presented a gift to expectant parents Riley and Felicia Barr. It was a big basket of baby books for ‘Baby’s first library.” Congratulations Riley and Felicia!  Lydia introduced Suzie Snowden as our newest red badge member. Welcome to the club, Suzie! Our Rotary Club is in the news! We had articles about The Great Race in both San Jose Mercury News and Los Gatos Living this past week. Thanks to Jeffrey Blum for writing the one for Los Gatos Living. Check out the Mercury article here: https://www.mercurynews.com/ Our Speech contest winner Alex Bonev made it to the finals! Congratulations Alex. And also congratulations to his proud mom who is our newest club member candidate! The Great Race is May 1! It’s coming fast! Sign up to run, walk, or volunteer. This is an all-hands-on-deck club event, raising critical funds for the work we love to do. To run or walk, register here: www.lggreatrace.com. To volunteer (we need you!) register here: https://www.signupgenius.com/ Rise Against Hunger update. We put together 15,000 meals last week. It was a great turnout, along with LG Morning, Campbell, and Saratoga clubs. Great community effort!  Tina Orsini Hartigan and Andrew Sterns announced the good news that the Family BBQ is back! It will be May 20th at 5pm at Oak Meadow Park. Mark your calendars and bring your family! The price is $12 for 13 and above, $7 for 6-12, children 5 and under are free. We will provide a BBQ main dish and beverages. Sign up to bring an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. The train and carousel will be open. Hearts and Hands event. Club members are invited to this event to support Pacific Clinics, formerly Uplift Family Services. See your email for more information. Don’t forget to bring gently-used or new children’s books for our Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Little Libraries project. Keep them coming each meeting until June 21. They need books for kids aged 0-12 and bilingual books are especially helpful. Questions? Ask Lydia Norcia. |
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Meeting Notes from March 29, 2022 Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Nicholas Today is National Vietnam Veteran’s Day. All veterans were acknowledged. Pledge: All of the Veterans Inspiration: Doug Brent, filling in for David Hubbard, read a story about a wise woman who found a stone in a well and even though it was of great value, she gave it away to a stranger who knew its value and wanted it. The stranger brought it back to her and said he wanted instead what she had inside of her that enabled her to give the stone away. The story reminds us that our orientation should be towards service and giving. Tuesday Music Track: Scott Joplin’s the entertainer was Tom Boyce’s choice for today. He picked it because of his love of piano music Visiting Guests: Stefka Bonev, guest of Tina Orsi Hartigan. Jo Greiner, guest of Avis La Grone. Paul Barrish, guest of Tom Boyce. Sonal Christie, who was visiting from Saratoga Rotary. Rotary Anniversaries: Kaymar Nagar, Suzanne Boxer-Gassman, Grady Jeter, Preston Hill, Don McCleve, LeRoy Neider, Rami Wazni, Paul Mudgett, Steve Rice, Haryl Pascal, Craig Roberts and Larry Jinks. March Birthdays: Linda Lester, John Colwell, Tony James, Don McCleve, Tom Boyce, Erik Beeson, Daniel Doore, Paul Mudgett, Edward Graziani, Lisa Mize, Jamie Hekkelman and Clayton Bruntz. St. Luke’s: Thank you to all who contribute and especially for the fantastic hard-boiled eggs from Randy and Kathie. Update, Regional Speech Contest: Alex Bonev was the 1st place winner. Moving on to the finals on April 24th at the San Ramon Marriott. April 19, 2022 Meeting: Sammy Davis will share his stories of his time in combat. He is the real Forest Gump. No lunch at this meeting, but cookies and drinks will be served. Ron Cassel needs help to deliver flyers to local businesses advertising the talk. Jo Greiner from St. Luke’s: Thanked the Rotary Club for our continued support of St. Luke’s. We not only supply them with food but also toiletries, sleeping bags, propane canisters, etc. This project began with Avis La Grone and now Tina Orsi Hartigan is the coordinator. The Great Race: Sunday, May 1 at 8:30am. Mark your calendars. Flyers will be available at the meetings. We have 75-80 people signed up already. We are able to donate to shelter Box/Ukraine this year along with our other charities. Still in need of people to help on some of the teams. |
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Meeting Notes from March 22, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Nicholas Pledge: Jeffrey Blum Inspiration: David Hubbard reflected on his son’s school trip to Pigeon Point and how the lighthouse, which was built in 1872, has been an inspiration to many mariners. The Sea has many voices and if we listen we can hear a world of sounds. Tuesday Music Track: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Picked by Terri Trotter in remembrance of her favorite concert. Visiting Guests: Tom Picraux guest of Lydia Norcia. JoAn Smith and Mike Hyman, guests of Ed Stahl. Ileana Aguilar and Larry Maggio, guests of Gae LaTorre. Kumiko Vadas, guest of John Colwell. St. Luke’s: Thank you to all who contribute and especially for the fantastic hard-boiled eggs from Randy and Kathie. Update, Regional Speech Contest: Today at the Gilroy Rotary Club Meeting. Our student Alex Bonev is competing for the regional title. April 19, 2022 Meeting: Sammy Davis will share his stories of his time in combat. He is the real Forest Gump. No lunch at this meeting, but cookies and drinks will be served.  Ndukumbana School Project: Tom Boyce gave a report on this rotary charity. This is an Elementary School in South Africa, located in a rural village. The parents and principal’s dream was to provide digital access for the children. This is a three-year Partnership with Rotary, Vodacom South Africa, and CELD in Country Team. Rotary has contributed $3,000 for electricity, safe storage, and Internet access. A dedicated classroom with new desks is now open for the students and parents. A bonus was connecting fourth graders from Africa with fourth graders in Maryland. |
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Meeting Notes from March 15, 2022 This meeting was brought to order by Lisa Cheskin filling in for Nicholas Welzenbach at Shir Hadash at 12.30pm on Tuesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stands to defend his country against all odds and How the ordinary people become extraordinary with heroism and bravery.
 Visiting Rotarians Lisa and Rhonda from Los Gatos Morning Rotary Guest Ilena Announcements
Have a special presentation by Samuel L. Davis Vietnam War Veteran.
Other Highlights Ukraine Support.
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Meeting Notes from March 8, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Jeff Barnett led us in the pledge. David Hubbard’s inspiration was in honor of International Women’s Day. He is always inspired by his wife and daughter. David spoke about the accomplishments of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell who was the first female doctor in the United States. David’s wife, Kavitha, is a doctor, many of their female friends and family are doctors. David’s daughter once asked if men can become doctors too. He left us with this, Cinderella never asked for a prince. She just wanted a night out and a dress. Nicholas reflected on the fact that Rotary added women in 1987. He was not a part of Rotary before there were female members, he can’t imagine our club without all the women who do so much.
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Meeting Notes from February 22, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30. Pledge led by Nicholas’ guest Larry Maggio. Today’s song was Solitary Man by Neil Diamond, suggested by Greek. Doug Brent provided inspiration by asking what is inspiration? Doug drew from an article in Harper’s Business Review which said there are 3 parts to inspiration:
While we can’t make ourselves be inspired, we can set ourselves up for inspiration. Link to the article is https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-inspiration-matters Guests:
Announcements:
Club Anniversaries:Clayton Bruntz 34 years Kent Cooper 31 years Beth Smith 23 years Art Rabitz 16 years |
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Meeting Notes from February 15, 2022 Meeting called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Doug Brent led us in the pledge.  Doug also provided inspiration. The inspiration was taken from an article Doug read in Forbes Magazine. The point of the article is positive thinking won’t change your life, adversity will. Adversity requires that we change and grow. The main take away was you must do the thing you think you cannot. Today’s song was All You Need is Love by the Beatles. Recommended by Nicholas. Announcements:
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Meeting Notes from February 8, 2022 The meeting was brought to order at 12:30pm by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Nicholas welcomed everyone back to the lunch portion of the meeting and thanked Mike Norcia and Lisa Norcia-Cheskin for covering the past 2 meetings while he was out of town on business. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Margaret Smith. Doug Brent provided our Inspiration. Doug reminded us that the news out there is bad but Rotary is full of good news and good deeds. Embrace the power of small deeds. Guests: Ken Glass was introduced by Mike Norcia. Other guests who were not introduced but were present to support Dina Duckworth as she received her Red Badge: Holly Smith, Radhika Martinez, Nierja Patel and Maria Cura Castro. Visiting Rotarians: From Campbell Rotary; Carol Hoffman and Bob Carlson. Song of the Week: ‘Afternoon Delight’ by the Starland Vocal Band was suggested by Eric Eberle. Rotarian of the Week: Tony James  Announcements: Many thanks Randy Cobb for another week of awesomely decorated hardboiled eggs for our St. Luke’s food donation.  New Member Red Badge: Dina Duckworth was introduced by Karen Anderson. Welcome Dina! |
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We raised over $11,000 for local food banks at our WineFest and Auction event |
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Virtual WineFest & Auction
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Meeting Notes from January 25, 2022 In Nicholas’ absence, due to work travel, Lisa Cheskin started the meeting at 12:30pm. Announcements:We are hoping for the lunch portion of our meetings to return in February. Due to the continued high rate of Covid, the First Tuesday scheduled for February 2 at Rootstock has been canceled. Shir Hadash has been a little chilly lately; we expect heat to be returned to the building next week. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Tom Boyce. Inspiration: Suzanne Boxer-Gassman, donning her adorable wine dress, shared some inspiration related to our upcoming WineFest. She reminded us that when life gives you lemons make lemonade…with wine! We looked back on some pictures from last year’s event and Suzanne reminded us to send in pictures from our celebration of the WineFest this year. Guests: Cameron introduced himself. His father was a member of Cupertino Rotary and he is looking for ways to give back to the community. Visiting Rotarians: None Song of the week: Nina Simone’s ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free’, suggested by Marty Fishman.  Rotarians of the Week: Marty and Barbara Fishman. Anniversaries: Lisa shared a long list of January anniversaries highlighted by John Pencer’s 50th anniversary! John joked that he started Rotary when he was 12 years old. Congratulations John!  New Members: Marty Fishman introduced two new members; Jean Marc Blanchard and Sid Madiwale. They both thanked Club for the opportunity and said that they were looking forward to contributing to our the community. Thank you Randy Cobb for another week of beautifully decorated eggs for St. Luke’s. We looked back on some of the great NFL football playoff games from this past weekend! Most of us were pleased with the San Francisco Forty Niners’ win and Nicholas, only Nicholas, was pleased with the Kansas City Chiefs’ win. Go Niners! Ed Stahl shared with us about his recent fabulous trip to Antarctica and donated $100…and rang the bell! Patti Van der Burg, festooned with wine goggles, reminded us that the WineFest is this coming Saturday. Tickets will remain on sale until Friday at midnight. The auction item lists were on each table and are also available online. Please remember to bid! Patti and her husband, Erik have an open door policy at their home; if you bring wine, they will open their door. Patti, be careful what you ask for! Lavender Fields will be singing during the WineFest and they are an auction item too. |
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Meeting Notes from January 18, 2022 Meeting called to order at 12:30 by Mike Norcia, filling in for Nicholas who is out of town for work. Pledge led by Barry Cheskin Inspiration from Suzanne Boxer-Gassman who reminded us that our club and its members are resilient. We wanted the crab feed, but we’re hosting the winefest and we will continue to raise money for all our worthy causes. She shared various jokes and inspirational stories from her friends about resilience.  Mike joined in with a story about resilience. When Trader Joe’s stopped selling the granola a friend of Mike’s liked, she became a granola maker. Resilience. No guests or visiting Rotarians. Music recommended for today (but not played) was Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver, suggested by Haryl Pascal. Marty Fishman updated us on TRF results. We have raised almost $40,000 and have 87% participation. Thank you everyone! Ron Smith is our member of the week. Ron has been a member since 1990. Ron enjoys the camaraderie of Rotary, one of the highlights being the downhill Rotary ski competition.  Mike’s least favorite slide this week was showing he had lost a $100 bet to Nicholas when KC beat Pittsburgh. Anyone want to bet on next week’s game? Money goes to the club. Don McCleve played Happy Birthday for club members celebrating in January:
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Meeting Notes from January 11, 2022 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Nicholas Pledge: Randy Cobb  Inspiration: Suzanne Boxer-Gassman: shared a story from Franz Kafka that she found on Facebook; about Kafka’s friendship with a little girl who had lost her doll. Theme was everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, will return in another way. Tuesday Music Track: Leaving on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary, in honor of Amy Potts, who will be moving at the end of the month. Visiting Guests: Michael Lomas who was introduced by Terri Trotter, and Claire Lopp, Rachelle’s daughter.  Spotlight: Erin Hartnett who enjoys many aspects of Rotary but especially the service, as this is her love language. St. Luke’s: Thank you to all who contribute and especially for the fantastic hard-boiled eggs from Randy and Kathy. Rotary Foundation: Reminder to contribute to the rotary foundation: Our club has reached $40,000 in donations with 80% of the club contributing. Days For Girls: Andrew Howard spoke about this charity and it’s work with providing personal hygiene kits for girls. We are in the 6th year of receiving $2,500 grant from the World Service Committee to continue our support of this cause.  Farewell to Amy Potts: Amy will be moving at the end of the month to Idaho and the club thanked her for her tremendous service through her PR work, branding, and marketing. Suzanne presented her with two of her favorite pictures of the club members. She will be missed.
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Meeting Notes from December 21, 2021 Henry Vitkovich provided the inspiration - focused on the New Year and the decisions you will make No guests were in attendance Music picked by Nicholas's son - Nuttin for Christmas TRF still in progress - 70% involvement from the club - huge achievement Festive Eggs provided by Randy Winefest coming up with live band Lavender Fields - Suzanne gave details and suggested it could be a great last min Christmas gift  Birthdays were acknowledged for month of December Happy Birthday was played on the piano  David Wells also provided instructions on how to signup for Winefest - must setup another account because it can't keep credit cards from last year
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Meeting Notes from November 30, 2021 Meeting called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30 Pledge led by District Governor Richard Flanders. Inspiration was given by Judy Rodriguez. She told the story of the two patients at the hospital. One shared what he saw out of the window to the other. Later, the first patient found out the storyteller was blind. The storyteller just wanted to share what he knew the other man would want to hear; it was a gift from the heart. Judy urged us to think about meaningful gifts. She wishes for us peace and joy. Guests:
Guest Rotarians:
Nicholas asked for a moment of silence for the three students lost this morning to gun violence at school in Michigan. The song today was Harvest Moon by Neil Young, suggested by Hal Rosen. Great choice Hal. Nicholas thanked Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko for their beautiful Hannukah themed eggs. We love seeing what the two of you come up with each week.  New member introductions:
Welcome everyone! We look forward to working with you serving the community. Services for Len Smith will be held December 27 from 2-4 at the Rinconada Hills Club House off Pollard Road. Anniversaries:
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Meeting Notes from November 16, 2021
Nicholas Welzenbach welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. Our sound continues to get better. Stay tuned for even more improvements. Judy Rodriguez led the flag salute and then gave our inspiration: Hope in a time of division. Christopher Reeves: said “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” Nelson Mandela said “May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears.” We, as Rotarians, generate hope for humanity. Thank you. Our song of the week is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, chosen by Henry Viktovich. Let Nicholas know if you want to have your favorite song play as we come in. Guests
Andrea Lee is our member spotlight this week. We are glad to have you among us, Andrea! Barbara Fishman earned her blue badge. Congratulations Barbara!
Patti van der Burg talked about United Against Hate, which took place this past Saturday. A good number of LG Rotarians were there and we were one of the sponsors of the event. 3,000 people gathered for a peaceful march as a counterpoint to some of the racist and homophobic graffiti and other recent issues in Los Gatos. We are proud to have been a part. Happy birthday to all our November birthdays. Henry, Sue, Ensy, Suzanne, Rusell, Janice, Bava Avis, Anjana, Greg, Tonya, Greg, Leroy, & Terri. Henry Viktovich reminded us this is the very last week to get your tickets for the Presidents Brunch, our fabulous annual holiday party. We have 100 people signed up so far. Thanks Suzanne for the great video shown last week. It will be a great event and he has some surprises up his sleeve. Don’t miss it. Email him to get your tickets. |
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Meeting Notes from November 9, 2021 The meeting was called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30 The pledge was led by Mike Frangadakis. Inspiration was from Judy Rodriguez who spoke about Veteran’s Day. She started with the history of Veteran’s Day beginning in 1918. She concluded with thoughts about how we can honor our veterans from Tom Clancy, Barak Obama, and Maya Angelou. She then asked the veterans to stand. Our members who are veterans are:
Guests:Gae La Torre introduced her guest, Ileana Aguilar. Announcements:We had a moment of silence for Tom O’Donnell who passed away November 2. Services for Tom will be held at St. Mary’s Church this Saturday November 13 at 11:00. Tom was remembered as a wonderful person and a great Rotarian. Nicholas showed a picture of everyone at the First Tuesday event at Randy and Kathie’s home toasting Tom. He will be missed.  Thank you to Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko for hosting our First Thursday event last week. There was a great turnout and everyone enjoyed themselves. The veterans were called to the front of the room. Nicholas presented them with American Flag/Rotary flag pins. Mike F. presented Nicholas and Ed Stahl with bottles of sand from Omaha Beach. Mike thanked Nicholas for the work he does with vets. |
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Meeting Notes from October 26, 2021 The meeting was brought to order by Club President, Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30pm. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Rachelle Lopp. Our Inspiration was provided by Erika Buck. Erika read an excerpt from her book, “100 ways to Calm” about walking mindfully. There were no visiting Rotarians. We had many guests including, Jean-Marc Blanchard, guest of Mike Norcia and the following guests from the Los Gatos Union School District: Jenna Mittleman - Principal, Daves Avenue Elementary Rick Rauscher - Principal, Louise Van Meter Elementary Jason Deppong - Principal, Lexington Elementary Lisa Reynolds - Principal, Blossom Hill Elementary Mary Lonhart - Principal, Fisher Middle School Clare Vickers - Assistant Principal, Fisher Middle School Karen Briones - Communications Coordinator, District Office Sarah Tellez - Administrator, District Office Michelle Strachan - Executive Assistant, District Office AnnouncementsMany thanks to Lisa Norcia-Cheskin for switching up the lunch food at the last minute. Panera could not provide our usual lunch due to consequences resulting from the recent rainstorm-induced power outage so she ordered cheese pizza from Round Table Pizza for everyone. Our song of the week, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash, was suggested by Paul Johnson. Paul Yeadon received his Red Badge and was welcomed by Mike Norcia. The October Rotarian Anniversaries were announced by Nicholas Welzenbach. Henry Vitkovich reminded everyone to sign up for the Presidents Brunch which will be held at the Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Sunday, December 5. If you would like to purchase tickets, please contact Henry. |
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Meeting Notes from October 19, 2021
President Nicholas Welzenbach began the meeting at 12:30 Gregg Butterfield led the pledge of allegiance Erika Buck gave us some inspiration. We had two visitors. Mike Norcia introduced his guest Jean Marc Blanchard from a non-profit think tank in Los Gatos. And Tom Rossmeissl is visiting, in process to become a full member. Nicholas’ music selection today is Long Train Running by the Doobie Brothers recommended by Lisa Cheskin. She and her oldest and best friend grew up on this song and they went to the Doobie Brothers last week. This song brought the house down. “Without love, where would you be now” Doug Brent says we will soon get a ballot for us to nominate one member for the board nominating committee. Please vote. Member spotlight: Don Kuehn. He was recently Rotarian of the Year as well as a recipient of Rotary Foundation’s Major Donor Award.
Rotarian October birthdays:Steve Rice, Mike Norcia, Ed Stahl, Barbara Fishman, Dick Konrad, Myron Smith, Gregg Butterfiled, Tina Orisini-Hartigan, Jack Chevlen, Julian Rodriguez, Doug Brent. Happy Birthday! Presidents Brunch. It’s back! Henry Viktovich wore a Santa hat to get us excited about the Presidents Brunch at Cinnabar Golf Club on December 5th from 10-12:30, dressy attire. Please sign up at the back table at the meetings or online starting around Nov 1. Bring a guest and the price is the same as last time- $55. There will be a New Member Schmooze right after the meeting today. Red badge members must attend one of these as a requirement. Any new member (less than 2 years) is welcome. Got questions about how things work? This is a good time to ask. Rebuilding Together is this Saturday! See you there! Virtual WineFest!Suzanne Boxer Gassman reminded us this is our big fundraiser for the year and we depend on everyone to lend a hand in some way. 3 ways to support:
It will be a great event- with a sommelier, wine kit, snacks, entertainment, auction, etc. |
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Meeting Notes from October 12, 2021 Meeting was called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Erin Hartnett led us in the pledge. Inspiration was from Erika Buck. She read from the book “100 Ways to Calm Yourself”. The essay was titled Be Grateful for Yourself. The essay reminded us to thank yourself for being you. Today’s song was Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. The song was suggested by Gregg Butterfield. Gregg didn’t explain why he chose it, but Nicholas mentioned that it is a great song. No explanation necessary. Spotlight member this week is Kirsten Bridges.  Guests:We had several members joining us by Zoom. Thanks to Doug Brent for providing this opportunity for us. Doug is looking for someone to help him with the Zoom process. If you know anyone who would like to give back in this way, please let Doug know. Maybe a high school or college student? Hal Rosen introduced his wife, Lydia. They are back after three months in the Sierras. He mentioned they had fires 25 miles away to the right and left and lots of smoke but they had a great time. Tina introduced her son Collin, who hadn’t arrived yet but was very excited to hear our speaker, Toby Rosen. Announcements:
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Now accepting new members Los Gatos Rotary Club would love to meet you and tell you more about Rotary and how you can make a difference in our community and world by joining Rotary. Our club meets every Tuesday at Shir Hadash, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95032 from 12:15pm - 1:30pm. We have over 100 active members and we pride ourselves on serving the needs of our community and world. Our club gives away $160,000 to local and world organization this year alone. We host two major fundraiser: 1. The Rotary club of Los Gatos Great Race in April 2. Rotary Auction in January in the form of Wine tasting and crab dinner As well as organize a community service activity almost every month. Our club partners with non-profits such as St. Luke's pantry, Rebuilding Together, Rise Against Hunger, Uplift family services, Family giving Tree, and many more organizations that allows our members to get involved in community service work. Each week at our club meetings Rotary invites a keynote speaker. This is an enlightening time for Rotarians to be informed on a wide range of topics. To view our upcoming speakers please visit our guest speaker tab on our website. If you would like to be a guest speaker, please contact us at secretary@losgatosrotary.org To learn more about becoming a member please view the material available here on becoming a member or contact us for more information. The world can alway use more Rotarians!
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Meeting Notes from September 28, 2021 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by Nicholas Pledge: Marlon Smith Inspiration: Jamie Hekkelman: Jamie shared her mantra with us: Come up with a word to repeat, them come up with a phrase to live by and finally come up with an affirmation for yourself. Tuesday Music Track: Provided by Mike Norcia. Gateway Drug by Brevet Brothers. Classic Rock. Visiting Guests: Amy Potts introduced Stephen Guruwaiya from Los Gatos Living Magazine. They have done several articles on Rotary members. In Memorium: We learned the sad news that Len Smith passed away. He was in the club for 37 years and a treasured and valuable member. Ed Stahl spoke about having met Len in 1958 when he was an insurance agent on the shell stations. Details about services for Len will be coming soon. Club Announcements:Avenues of Services: Thursday on Zoom and Saturday, Oct 2 at the Alameda Fairgrounds. This is a great way to learn about what other clubs are doing. Rebuilding Project: October 23 from 8am until completion. We will be painting a mobile home in Campbell. Fall Fundraiser, Movie Night: Oct. 8. No Time To Die, James Bond Movie. Proceeds go to Stanford Children’s Hospital Mobile Medical Clinic and The Bill Wilson Center. Click here for tickets Rotarian Anniversaries:Kirsten Bridges, Nava Fathi, Michelle Myers-Nelson, Jack Chevlen, Ron Smith, Paul Christensen, Richard Irion and Marlon Smith. Member Spotlight:Carol Abela. Enjoys being with his Rotary family, sharing in the comradery whilst being of service to others.  |
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Meeting Notes from September 21, 2021 Meeting was called to order by Lisa Norcia Cheskin. Nicholas will return next week. Pledge was led by Ramon Ward. Inspiration was given by Jamie Hekkelman. The story was about a baby camel asking questions of its mother. The moral of the story is skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences are only useful if you are at the right place. We didn’t hear the song for this week but it was Nicholas’ suggestion of “And It’s Still Alright” by Nathaniel Rateliff. Nicholas discovered this album during the pandemic. He recommends the entire album and suggests you turn it up loud. If you want to hear all the songs from this year go to the spotify play list, click here. No guests this week. Member spotlight this week is Tonya McQuade. Tonya is one of a few honorary members we have. This is the thirtieth year Tonya has been the Interact advisor at LGHS. Tonya brings together young people to develop leadership skills while discovering Service Above Self. Thank you, Tonya, for all you do.  New Members: Our newest red badge, Sue Heller, was introduced by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. Sue and Suzanne grew up together in Denver. Just by chance they both ended up in LG. Sue was a physical trainer before she retired. Welcome Sue! We’re looking forward to getting to know you. Anjana Bose received her blue badge today from her sponsor Jamie. The two met before Jamie joined Rotary, but their first conversation was about Rotary since Jamie had just returned from Viet Nam. As Jamie put it, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Ramon Ware did his red badge bio today. It was done as a video and was very enjoyable to watch. Ramon learned a lot about his family from the book Talladega Days: Race, Rural Life, and Memories of a Forgotten Legend and KKK Survivor. Ramon is from a small town in Alabama where half the people are University of Alabama fans the other half are Auburn fans. Ramon didn’t tell us where he falls on this. He played football in high school and was part of the team that won the state championship during his freshman year. Football taught him about leadership and being part of a team. After high school Ramon attended the Air Force Academy graduating in 1989. He trained as a pilot and was part of special ops. After the Air Force he worked for various corporations including several in the wine industry where he specialized in supply chain. He is married he and his wife Elaine have six children. During the pandemic he decided to make a switch and has become a growth coach. Ramon is looking forward to getting involved in the community. We enjoyed getting to know you, Ramon! |
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Meeting Notes from September 14, 2021 |
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Rotarian's serving at Battle of the Bay Charity Bocce *Photo of Steve Marriucci, host and current NFL Network broadcaster - Sept. 14, 2021 Thank you to all the Rotarians who helped with Parking, Security, B-Q, Food Prep, and Auction Support at this wonderful charity event! Former Oakland Raiders Head Coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and Emmy Award Winner John Madden has co-hosted the event for many years and is now retiring from the Battle of the Bay Charity Bocce. We will be forever thankful for his contributions. The former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach, University of California – Berkeley Head Coach, and current NFL Network broadcaster Steve Mariucci hosted the Annual “Battle of the Bay” Charity Bocce Tournament with Tom Albanese at the beautiful Campo di Bocce facility in Los Gatos, California. Since its’ inception back in 1999, this event has raised over $8 million for local and national charities. In recent years, the beneficiaries have been: Peninsula Boys & Girls Club, Mariucci Family Foundation, Diabetic Youth Foundation, Easter Seals Kaleidoscope, Northern California Special Olympics, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, local High School Football Programs and more. This exclusive high-level charity mixer brings together professional athletes, celebrities, dignitaries, and business leaders for a fun day of bocce, world-class wines, and Campo di Bocce’s signature Italian cuisine. Not to mention, this event is the home of top-tier networking opportunities and media coverage. This is a great environment and great venue to have fun and connect with respected Bay Area affiliates and top sports figures. The “Battle of the Bay” tournament has provided excitement for the Northern California region and continues to grow in reputation. Thank you for visiting our page and we look forward to your involvement with this year’s festivities. Enjoy a few photos provided by Eric Eberle who helped organize Rotarian volunteers. Great job Eric!  |
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Fall Movie Fundraiser - Fr. Oct 8th 7pm  James Bond and The Fall Fundraiser are coming to a theater near you on October 8! Please join us and invite your friends and family join us on opening night of No Time to Die and help support 2 great causes. When: October 8 at 7PM Theater has been remodeled and they have a nice bar area so feel free to come early, have a drink and talk about your favorite James Bond movie. (Which, obviously, is You Only Live Twice and definitely not Moonraker.) Cost: $40 per person through September 28 $50 per person after September 28 Contact Tina at orsihartigan@comcast.net and let her know how many tickets you want. Amount added to your monthly billing. Event will support:
More details on these great organizations at upcoming meetings. |
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Fun at Double D's - Tuesday night Sept 7th We have so much fun together. Won't you join us the first Tuesday of each month.
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Meeting Notes from August 31, 2021  Meeting at Shir Hadash was called to order at 12:30. Hybrid attendees included Assistant DG Sesh Ramaswami, Saratoga Rotary President Sangita Seshadri, members Rob, Wes, Chris, Avis, Sue, and Hal. Pledge was led by David Wells. Inspiration was led by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. She showed a fun video of last week’s club BBQ, and noted if you missed it, you missed a good one! Many thanks to Tina, Andrew and committee for all the work to put it on.  This week’s song was played: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty, submitted by Barbara Fishman, because she doesn’t like to be told what to do. And Marty concurred. Ha! President Nicholas thanked Shir Hadash for all the efforts to give us a comfortable meeting spot. Note at end of meeting we are to put trash items in Panera boxes and stack boxes at the room exit tables. Visitors included
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Meeting Notes from August 17, 2021 Inspiration provided by Ed Hubbard – back to school theme. Teachers who have made a difference. Tuesday Track: Journey – Don’t stop believing Reminder to check out spotify playlist Visiting Rotarians & GuestsSue Heller – friend Marty Fishman and Suzanne Boxer-Gassman Felicia – Business partner of Erin Hartnett Tony Winks – Terri Trotter guest attending for the 2nd time Rob Rennie – visiting from LG morning rotary. Holly Wilson – granddaughter of Don McCleve Member Spotlight – Gordon Levin  Physician for over 40 years and he loves using his woodworking skills for rotary Eggs for St. Lukes – we are still supporting them weekly Promenade LG was a success – thanks to Ed Stahl for hosting outside of Travel Advisors Shelter Box – Lloyd Grant brought to us. They provide relief as needed. This week it is Haiti. There may be an opportunity to support at a great level. Will need volunteers for End of Summer in downtown LG - Sept 4th from 1-8pm we can sell beverages |
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Meeting Notes from August 10, 2021 Meeting began at 12:30 called to order by NicholasPledge: Jeffrey Blum Inspiration: John Pencer: had us stand and do stretches and exercises to the music: Eye of the Tiger. Perspiration today instead of inspiration. Tuesday Music Track: Provided by Tina Orsi-Hartigan. Perhaps Love by Placido Domingo and John Denver. This song sums up what she likes about music and the message of love. She sang this song to her husband at their wedding reception. Thank you to Shir Hadash Staff: Gary Geller, Cindy Weinberg and Diego Mendoza Visiting Guests: Terri Trotter introduced Toni Wenks; Joanna Yates was introduced by Marlon Smith, Sue Heller by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman and Dr. Erin Hartnett by Nicholas Welzenbach. Please keep inviting new people to be our guests at Rotary. Member Spotlight: Terri Trotter. Loves the welcoming community, the fellowship and the opportunity to serve that rotary provides.  Gordon Levitt was highlighted as the builder of Marlon Smith’s new free library. Marlon is in need of books to be donated to this community library. Club Announcements:
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Meeting Notes from July 27, 2021 Meeting was called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach. Pledge of allegiance was led by Sarita Johnson. Inspiration was from John Pencer who spoke about how the goals of the Olympics are similar to those of Rotary. Both set an example of peaceful interaction and the hope that a better world is possible. Nicholas reminded us to thank the staff of Shir Hadash in particular Gary Geller, Cindy Weinberg, and Diego Mendoza for being so welcoming and their support in helping our weekly meetings come together. Continuing the theme of music today’s song was Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head by B.J. Thomas. The song was suggested by Andrew Stearns. This song was enjoyed by the Stearns family when Andrew was young and he liked the message about being positive and the effect attitude can have on your life. The family even had a cat named Raindrop. Guests:
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Meeting Notes from July 20, 2021  This was the first meeting at our new location, Shir Hadash. The meeting was called to order by President Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30. This was also our first hybrid meeting. Thanks to Doug Brent and Gregg Butterfield you can still attend the meetings remotely. Nicholas’ mom joined us from Kansas. Nicholas also thanked Lisa Cheskin for all her work arranging our new meeting place. Please thank the staff members at Shir Hadash if you see them.Mike Frangadakis led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Nicholas continued his theme with music. The song we heard was Soul Mining by The The, suggested by Patti van der Burg. If you have a song that has special meaning to you share the story with Nicholas. John Pencer inspired us with a story about making choices and feeding the side of ourselves that does good in the world. Guests:Nicholas’ guest was Dr. Erin Harnett Don McCleve brought his granddaughter Holly Wilson Suzanne Boxer-Gassman brought Amy Lee as her guest Lydia Norcia introduced soon to be member Nancy Cosentino Club accountant Heather Sexton was introduced by Patti van der Burg Andrew Howard brought Lisa Sieber Ginger McDonald and Mike Wyman visited us from the LG Morning Rotary. Thanks for joining us today. It was nice to see everyone. July birthdays introduced by Marlon Smith
Happy Birthday! Thank you to Don McCleve for accompanying us on the piano. It was great to celebrate in person again. |
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Volunteer at Rotary tent - Thursdays *Enjoy live music, people watching, and help promote Rotary * For the next 4 Thursdays 4-8pm we will have a community outreach Rotary tent setup in front of Ed Stahl's Travel Advisors storefront. We have setup time & date slots and if everyone would consider taking one slot it will allow us all to also have time to enjoy this lively community event. //SIGN-UP HERE// |
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July 13th Evening at Judy & Gordon Levin's Welcome to our new Tuesday Happy Hour! This week we enjoyed the company, food and amazing views at Gordon and Judy's mountain home. Gordon also displayed his woodworking talents under platters of food and photos on this link below. Join us next Tuesday (July 20th) for lunch at Shir Hadash. Learn about teaching leadership through robotics from our guest speaker Dr. Anh-Quan Nguyen. Be sure to order your lunch here before Monday Lunch |
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Our meeting in the park July 6, 2021 Check out the video from this meeting on our Facebook page - Click here! The meeting was brought to order by our new Club President, Nicholas Welzenbach at 12:30pm. This was our first in-person meeting since March of 2020 and was held at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos.Mike Frangadakis led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. John Pencer provided the Inspiration with a poem that focused on friendships. David Karwowski welcomed guests and visiting Rotarians. We had one visiting Rotarian, Hung Weoi from the Cupertino Club. Our guests included a member from the Fisher family plus Nicholas Welzenbach’s wife and kids. Nicholas Welzenbach shared about his love of music and how it will tie into every meeting this year. He thanked Lisa Norcia Cheskin for getting everything together for the lunch and our new meeting location, Shir Hadash. He also thanked Doug Brent for all of his continued help and reminded all of us to embrace change and focus on having fun as a Club. Patti van der Burg thanked all of those who helped out on the Cat Tail Committee this past year. Ron Cassel presented one final Certificate of Appreciation from last week’s Roast and Toast dinner to David Karwowski for everything he’s done for the Club. Nicholas Welzenbach spoke more about the importance of adaptability and change then thanked the new Welcome Committee: Tina Orsi-Hartigan, Terri Trotter and Anjana Bose. He reminded us of the new meeting structure that will be in place for at least the next three months: every second Tuesday will be a social get-together instead of daytime meeting. |
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Roast & Toast Notes from June 29, 2021 A glimmer of post-COVID normalness sparked an evening of fun at our Annual Roast & Toast hosted by Villa Ragusa in downtown Campbell. Guests began arriving at 5:30 and were greeted by our fellow Rotarians and a well-organized check in process. After cocktails and hors d‘oeuvres, we sat down to our dinners and Marty Fishman started the evening program at 6:35pm. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mike Frangadakis. In memoriam, we honored the lives of our friends Charles Ereckson, Harvey Knoernschild, Rene Freidrick and Al Blood.  John Pencer provided our Inspiration and thanked Marty Fishman, Doug Brent and Andrew Stearns for getting us through the pandemic and shared a poem called “Coming Together” by Robert Longley. Lisa Norcia Cheskin mentioned our new members: Rebecca Alvarez, Karen Anderson, Tom Anthony, Ryan Basham, Eric Beckstrom, Jeffrey Blum, Anjana Bose, Barbara Fishman, Linda Lester, Margaret Smith and Terri Trotter.  Marty Fishman thanked Erik Beeson for his extraordinary magic card tricks that he entertained the group with before dinner. We watched a beautifully created video by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman that highlighted our events and endeavors over the past year. Click here to see the video! |
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Photos: 1st in person meeting of FY21/22- July 6 (see all the photos by clicking on this above image) What a wonderful way to start the new Rotary fiscal year - in-person meeting for the first time in 15 months. Everyone is excited to back together again. Nicholas laid out the first 3 months will be new and fun and focus on fellowship and service. We danced and sang while Lavender Fields a local band played for us. Our next gathering will be next Tuesday night at member Gordon's home. Then on July 20th we will meet at our new meeting site - Shir Hadash - 20 Cherry Blossom lane, Los Gatos |
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President's Message - July 1, 2021 The opportunity to lead the Rotary Club of Los Gatos as the president is a great honor. Rotary provides our members an opportunity to give back and be an active part in what makes not only our community great but our world as well. Rotary is a remarkable service organization that allows for small gestures to have global impact. We invite those in our community searching for an opportunity to give back to join us. We would be excited to welcome you and share with you our clubs goals to improve our world and have an amazing time doing it. In the immortal words of Kalyan Ndukwe Kalimantan; “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” As President, this year, I promise to lead this club, by always being mindful of Rotarian’s 4-Way Test concerning the things I think, say or do – Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Nicholas Welzenbach Rotary Club of Los Gatos Club President - FY2021/22 |
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Rotarian of the year! FY 2020/2021 Congratulations, Tom Boyce is our Outstanding Rotarian of the Year! Tom has been a member of Rotary Club of Los Gatos for 35 years. We could not be more proud to honor all the years of service and commitment to our club, our community, and our world.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 22, 2021 This was the last meeting of Pandemic President Andrew’s year. Pledge was led by new member Eric Beckstrom. Inspiration was led by Suzanne, and she reflected on the resilient year our club has had: new zoom meeting format, serving safely, caring committee, St Luke’s weekly food donations, virtual race, drive-in movie fundraiser, wine tasting fundraiser, and staying safe and connected per President Andrew’s direction. Plus our marketing team of Rachelle and Amy showed us in action in the “Together we…” campaign, which with their many posts per week, put us all over the District website. And now, a new day is coming. Greeter was Tom Anthony. Jeff Blum’s guest was Ramon Ware, a business coach (thegrowthcoach.com) an Air Force veteran with 6 kids that he met at a chamber mixer. Member spotlight on social media this week was our fearless leader Andrew Stearns.  Lydia thanked the We Care Committee for their year of work. Amy gave a RYLA update on the virtual camp they held this week. There were 167 attendees, and the presentation at the end reflected on how to lead with LUV: focus on Location, Unlearn bias which we all have, and use your Voice and Vision. A student- made RYLA video was shown. Tina announced the district is collecting CPAP equipment to be re-purposed as Covid treatment devices for India. See Tina if you can donate. Nicholas gave us a peak at the new year, and Andrew quipped the future has hair. Ha! Tuesday Meeting schedule:June 29 - club is dark meaning no noon meeting, but Roast and Toast Dinner starts at 5:30 at Villa Ragusa. Fun will be had as we reflect on the year and pass the gavel. July 6 - Oak Meadow Park with Panera lunch, chairs and shade provided, 12-1:30…our first in-person meeting and Nicholas’ first meeting! July 13 - no noon meeting, night gathering at Gordon Levin’s house July 20- first noon meeting at Shir Hadash, lunch optional, order in advance per email you will be sent (reply deadline Mondays 8am) July 27 - Shir Hadash noon meetings continue |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 15, 2021 Andrew called the meeting to order at 12:33 Clayton Bruntz gave the pledge of allegiance Henry Vitkovich gave inspiration about traveling. Travel magnifies the human emotions and opens stories and memories. Go travel! Anjana Bose was the greeter and reported there were no visitors in the meeting. Member spotlight is Wes Sadumiano. His favorite experience with Rotary was his trip with Marty to Guatemala. Like what Henry said in the inspiration, the opportunity to travel made the service come alive.  TRF and PolioPlus update: Send your checks in or email Dan with your pledge before the end of the month! Polio is still in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Avis La Grone says we have to completely eradicate it so your contribution is crucial. Mike Frangadakis announced a certificate of appreciation to Nicholas Welzenbach and Los Gatos Memorial Park from the armed services for his wonderful Memorial Day event. Avis gave special recognition to Nicholas Welzenbach, Doug Brent, David Wells, and Andrew Howard for giving vocational presentations to Rotaractors in Sri Lanka. Our club members put in a lot of effort and the young Sri Lankans appreciated it, were engaged in the questions they asked, and were outstanding. RYLA is June 16-19, and on June 19 from 1-4:30 you can log in through zoom and learn more by watching the kids’ presentations. Amy will send out details on how to participate. The Rotary June theme is Fellowship. There are Rotary fellowship groups like fishing, RVs, marathon runners, metal heads, birdwatching, antiracism, wine appreciation, skiing, quilting, yachting, you name it. You can get involved in these groups and meet Rotarians all over the world. Alert: There is no June 29 lunchtime meeting.Instead, it is Roast and Toast! 126 people are coming so far. Be sure to RSVP before the 19th when Marty Fishman has to finalize numbers. Get there by 5:30 so you can mingle and drink before the the program starts. It’s time to leave your cave and have a good time. If you want to be seated as a table of 5-8 email Marty and he can arrange that. Overflow parking at Darling Fisher. Patti van der Burg set up our Second Harvest Food Bank service project for Saturday July 10. It’s on a weekend this time, in case week day projects have been hard for you. See Patti’s email to sign up. West Valley services needs gleaners- going to local grocery stores to pick up food donations early in the mornings M-F. Connect with Bobbi from WVS to get more info on that one. You can also sign up to be a driver for the back to school event online. The first Rotary meeting in person will be at Oak Meadow Park on July 6.Shade tents and chairs will be provided. There will be a sound system and the whole works. We may also be able to start with our Panera lunch orders - stay tuned on that. Barbara Fishman goes down most Fridays to Santa Maria urban ministries. Drop off donations for her to take at Marty’s eye clinic. Remember to take the social media survey! See email from Rachelle Lopp. Next week: Remember your favorite band, song, artist, genre as your backdrop/avatar. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 8, 2021 Andrew called the meeting to order. Erika Buck led the pledge of allegiance. Henry Vitkovich gave the inspiration, talking about the vital importance of water in this year of drought and asking us not to take it for granted. Terri Trotter welcomed our guests: Bobbi Bornstein from West Valley Community Service and Niki Canotas from Mike and Niki’s Honey. Myron Smith was the member spotlight of the week. Thanks Myron for all you do!  Marlon Smith announced our Rotary anniversaries. AnnouncementsDick Konrad announced our volunteer opportunities - West Valley Community Service needs help with drivers and with the summer’s back to school drive. Go to their website to sign up - https://www. Avis LaGrone and Dan Snyder updated us on the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus drive. It’s time! Please donate this month to be counted for this fiscal year. Let Dan know what you’d like to contribute. (Reply to his email from last week). We ask a minimum donation of $200 for the Foundation and $100 for Polio. Or you can match Avis and Dan at $1000/$500. Shelter Box hit a major milestone: they have hit 2 million shelters given to refugees. Congrats to all who are a part of that. Rachelle Lopp asked everyone to respond to a very short survey being mailed out soon that will help the marketing/PR team with our club communication efforts on social media. Marty Fishman reminded us to sign up for the Roast and Toast on June 29 at Villa Ragusa. Patti van der Burg sent our next Second Harvest Food bank service opportunity for July 10. See her email to sign up. June 22 avatar/background challenge (in 2 weeks) is your favorite song, album, band, concert, composer, etc (anything musical). |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 1, 2021 Greeter was Jane Marashian. Meeting was called to order by Gae La Torre, filling in for President Andrew Stearns, who was in court. (yes, there were jokes about bailing him out) Pledge was led by Sarita Johnson. Inspiration was Henry Vitkovich. Henry hoped we all took a moment yesterday to think about the veterans we have lost, but what about today? Think about anger, forgiveness, listen to others, volunteer, embrace our differences. To be a strong, secure and safe nation, everyone must feel safe and secure in their homes, their community and their country. Prior to the meeting Gae and Mike Norcia were talking about the Memorial Day celebration at Los Gatos Memorial Park. They said it was a wonderful day. Nicholas Welzenbach was the MC and the keynote speaker was Otto Lee. Gae and Mike agreed it was a very moving event. Gae asked the veterans to raise their hands. Lisa Cheskin read the names of the club veterans:
Thanks to all who have served. Guests: Barbara Fishman introduced her guest Bobby Bornstein from West Valley Community Services. Thanks for being here Bobby, hope to see you again soon. Member spotlight this week is one of our new members Eric Beckstrom.  |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 25, 2021 Meeting began at 12:31 called to order by Andrew Stearns Pledge: Margaret Smith Inspiration: John Pencer: told a story about a father and daughter and the value of a used car. Never let yourself be undervalued. The right place and the right people will value you the right way. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you. Greeter: Gae La Torre. She introduced three guests: Ken Duncan, Mike Scoggins and Jennifer Barrier. Member Spotlight: Tina Orsi-Hartigan. She has been a member since 2001. Values Rotary and all of the club members. Has traveled all over the world and sees the signs of Rotary everywhere. Loves the fact that Rotary has a worldwide impact.  Avatar Challenge: First Car or Mode of Transportation
Membership Minute: Lisa Cheskin. Welcomed Len, Jen and Mike. She is ordering Blue Badges for those eligible.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 18, 2021 Meeting began at 12:31 called to order by Andrew Stearns Pledge: Wes Sadumiano Inspiration: Gary Allison: Found a message in his library that relates to Rotary. Tell three people today how much you love them. How important it is to tell people how much you care and do not put it off or wait. Call or write a note or tell them in person. Challenged each of us to call someone today or tomorrow and tell them. Greeter: Patti van den Burg. No visiting Rotarians or guests today. Member Spotlight: Jeffrey Blum. Joined Rotary in Jan. 2021 because it is aligned with his values. Rotary is a positive force, builds good will and community. He has made new friends and Rotary also takes him out of his comfort zone, which is a good thing. He loves being a member.  Membership Minute: Lisa Cheskin. May 13 was the new member schmooze. Suzanne gave a presentation on finances. There were 12 people in attendance. Margaret Smith was re-inducted into our club. Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus: we are behind in our club with pledges for TRF. Only 12% of the membership has contributed and we have only collected $10,000 of a $25,000 goal. We as a club are also behind on our pledges for Polio Plus. If you wish to donate by credit card contact Dan Snyder, and if you wish to write a check send it to Avis. Dan will send an email out to all members asking for pledges for both RTF and Polio Plus. You can also go to rotary.org to make a direct monthly payment to TRF and our club gets the credit. We receive 40-50% of the donations back to our club to use as needed. Suggested donation ask: TRF: $200.00 and Polio Plus: $100.00, but any amount is welcome and appreciated. Vocabulary Lesson: Andrew Stearns said that there are 1200 new words connected to the coronavirus. Some examples: new normal, covid fatigue, quarantining, covinated, zoom bombing and doom scrolling. Club Announcements:
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 11, 2021 Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. Pledge was led by David Wells. Inspiration by Gary Allison was a series of quotes from Robert Burns, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Schweitzer and Wilbur Wright that made him think about Rotarians. Reminding us that we have all joined Rotary to serve others. Maddie Smith was today’s greeter. There were no guests or visiting Rotarians. Anjana Bose is the member in the spotlight this month. She has been a member since this past January and has really enjoyed being a part of Rotary. Andrew told us one of the quotes Anjana likes is by Woodrow Wilson, “There is no higher religion than human service.”  Rotary Anniversaries:
Tom Boyce introduced new member Eric Beckstrom. Eric is a local architect. We’ll hear more about Eric when he does his Red Badge speech. Welcome Eric, we look forward to hearing more about you. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 4, 2021 Photo of Leigh High school Interact club boxing up food at Second Harvest. Doug Brent is one of the Interact advisors. "We are so impressed with how our students continue to find ways to better our community. - Amy P." Inspiration – Gary Allison Topic: Lemonade stands & things to be positive about. The club is thriving thanks to our president & technology and better days are coming. Greeter: Jamie Hekkelman No guests and no visitors Lisa Cheskin welcomed back Margaret Smith We care report – Lydia Mike Frangadakis – having back surgery Maddie Smith – condolences loss of her sister Member spotlight – Karen Anderson  Birthday celebrations – Marlon Smith. He recognized Andrew Stearns’ birthday and noted there are birthdays on reoccurring dates. They played a mariachi Happy Birthday video. Membership minute – Lisa Cheskin New Member Schmooze – scheduled for May 13th @ 5pm…see Lisa for invite Volunteer OpportunitiesHouse of Hope – signup to deliver groceries – email was sent to club. Delivering food for low -income families – takes 10 mins to pickup and then 3 or 4 stops. Click here to sign up! Second Harvest Recap – Leigh High Interact – 5 freshmen doing a great job organizing Club AnnouncementsDistrict Training 1st Thursday – May 6th Darling Fischer in Campbell 5:30-7:30 Santa Maria Donates – Barbara Fishman – next drop May 14th Roast & Toast – June 29th Background Challenges next week – Birthday Cakes |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 27, 2021 The meeting was convened by Andrew Stearns at 12.30 pm by welcoming everyone. There were 53 participants at the meeting. Everyone was Happy and excited to be there. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by LeRoy INSPIRATION was done by Jamie by reading a poem written by her called SUPERHERO This was dedicated to the fellow Rotarians:  SUPERHERO Flying and soring into action Lighting fast This is the pace that we believe wins the RACE But that isn’t the case. It’s the cross-country road race of BENIFIICALS we choose To FACE It’s the GOOD WILL and FRIENDSHIPS We Chase Its making it fair for all those In ANY CASE I Can look to this SCREEN And it defines just what I MEAN A plan of action, a rhythm And a Pace It took time to be THIS CLOSE Eradicate a Disease From the Human RACE It’s the YOU, it’s the ME It’s Mike Moses that we heard from last WEEK Take it from the tortoise, and he’s not weak IT’s the TRUTH It’s not about the race It what you do with that pace. SUPERHERO |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 20, 2021 Guest Speaker: Mike Moses of San Jose Fire Fighters Burn FoundationEveryone was Absolutely Happy and President Stearns wished us all a Happy 4-20 day. 59 members were in attendance. Pledge was led by Terri. Inspiration was led by Jamie, recently returned from camping on Feather River, and included a poem about enjoying the smaller simpler pleasures of daily life. Erika Buck was our welcoming greeter. Guests included Hal Rosen’s wife Lydia. Lisa’s guests were neighbors Kate and Bob Chimenti (who also happened to know Haryl and Judy). Marty’s guest was Morgane Dussault, Director of Philanthropy at Salvation Army Silicon Valley. She recently moved to town and looks forward to visiting us. PSA: Get vaxed up, everyone! Dan Snyder noted it’s much easier to get an appointment now. This week’s social media member spotlight was Ensy Afdari, who is inspired and honored to be in the club.  Lisa presented the results of the survey, completed by 67% of members. The winning age category was the 70 year olds.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 13, 2021 Inspiration was led by Jamie, and included several humorous Covid thoughts such as
Anjana Bose was our welcoming greeter. Guests included Hal Rosen’s wife Lydia. Marty’s guest was new member Rebecca Alvarez, receiving her Red Badge and giving a short bio. She lives in Scotts Valley and works for West Valley College and has event experience. Also we were honored to have Suzy Erekson and daughter Amy, who told us Charles chose the Los Gatos rotary Scholarship fund to receive funds.  We were all deeply saddened to lose long time Rotarian and friend Charley Erekson last week to cancer. Many members shared their memories.
Suzy and Amy shared the details for the online Celebration of Life Event on May 2. You can view the invitation for Charley's Celebration of Life Service here by clicking here. Marlon noted the Rotary anniversaries, including long-timers Andrew Stearns (25 years) and LeRoy (41 years). Rounding out the group are Dan Snyder (8), Riley (3), and Lydia (1). This week’s social media member spotlight was David Wells, a valued member.  |
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Houseplants cheer up hospice patients Hospice patients benefit from houseplants in need of a home: One of the cornerstone beliefs of all Rotarians is “Service Above Self.” Local projects such as feeding the needy or restoring a playground are some of the many kinds of opportunities Rotary Club offers to members. Another benefit of being a Rotarian is networking. Friendships quickly develop between members as they all join together for a good cause. The true magic happens when these two benefits are combined and a purpose evolves. That is just what recently happened in the Rotary Club of Los Gatos. One of our members, Michelle Myers Nelson, regularly picks up flowers that are rotated out of the local Trader Joe’s store. Prior to the pandemic, she would bring the flowers to a community center where they would be passed out to the seniors attending lunch. Over this past year the centers ceased their in-house lunch program, so she began offering them to the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente and other front line workers. Recently, however, she had another bounty from Trader Joe’s to share: plants. Lots and lots of lovely little indoor plants in decorative pots needing good homes. She thought how nice it would be if she could bring them to a hospice center to provide some cheer to those who are not only struggling with medical challenges, but who have been particularly isolated during the pandemic. How to do this was more challenging than she thought, with all the new safety restrictions. Then she remembered one of her fellow Rotarians, Wes Sadumiano, works in Community Relations and Marketing for Hospice of the Valley. After one quick call, he was able to arrange for her to deliver the plants to their local office, where the attending nurses could distribute them to their patients. And that was the magical moment. One person, connecting with one other, bringing good into the world. She will never see the smiles on any of the faces when they receive their little gift of life, but just knowing it will happen provides all the satisfaction required. Rotary, people of action, making good things happen. Benefits of Plants on Mental and Physical Health There are many mental and physical health benefits provided by houseplants, which is why so many hospices have gardens for patients and visitors to look at or gather in. Plants can:
We wonder what magic will happen next? Because we know it will. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 6, 2021 Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Jamie Hekkelman. Inspiration – Today’s inspiration was provided by Jamie Hekkelman. In honor of National Librarian Day, Jamie shared a passage from her favorite book, “The Wizard of Oz.” Greeter – Our Greeter of the day is Terri Trotter. Terri introduced our visiting Rotarians. Visiting Rotarians – Ervie Smith from the Rotary Club of San Jose. AnnouncementsMarty Fishman announced that Charlie Erekson is currently on hospice care and unfortunately, not expected to be with us much longer. Marlon Smith announced the April birthdays. Happy Birthday was sung via a music video. Member Spotlight of the Week – This week’s spotlight member is AnnMarie Valle.  Membership Minute – Terri Trotter has moved from her Red Badge to her Blue Badge. Her sponsor (and sister) Tina Orsi-Hartigan welcomed her and gave her the nickname of “Speedy” for getting through the process so quickly. Gae La Torre announced that last week’s First Thursday at Flights in Los Gatos went well. 36 people showed up and it was a beautiful evening. If anyone would like to host our May First Thursday from their home, please let Gae know. Our Annual Roast and Toast will be held on June 29, 2021. Save the Date! Barbara Fishman announced that if you would like to donate any items to the Santa Maria Urban Ministry, they can be dropped off at Marty’s office, located at 431 Monterey Ave., Suite 3 from 9:00am – 5:00pm. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 30, 2021Join Your Rotary Club of Los Gatos For A New Project |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 23, 2021 Andrew started the meeting by giving kudos to the pac 12 for their performance in march madness! Doug Brent gave a great inspiration starting with a poll on poverty, literacy, mortality, and education. He then showed in contrast to our views on these topics, there is data from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation that shows the population in poverty has been cut in half, child mortality was cut by a third, literacy has improved as well. He explained that the media focus on negative events make us think we have not been making progress, where the data shows that we have. Lydia Norcia was our greeter, and she welcomed our visiting Rotarians and guests. After the meeting Lydia shared an inspirational video; a young lady having a full life because of Inner Wheel and Hanger Corporation. Check out “We are only limited by ourselves.” by Giovanna Dubuc. Direct link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkjuwVpAM1U Announcements:Speech Contest Dessy Bonev won our local rotary speech contest, and will go on to the regional speech contest. That contest will be Tuesday April 6th. Patti will be coming to help collect bikes for the Good karma bike donation. First Thursday will be April 1st 5:30-7:30 at Flights restaurant in Los Gatos. They have created a nice new patio on the side of the building where we can have happy hour. Leigh High Fund Raiser If you have interest in having your e-waste picked up, they will do this for 15 dollars. If you have interest please contact Doug Brent. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 16, 2021 Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. Amy Potts led us in the Pledge. Doug Brent shared some thoughts from a WSJ article he read on how people’s lives have changed during the pandemic year. One person shared how losing her job and having to help her teach her children at home made her realize she didn’t need all the material things that had been important before, she learned about herself and her priorities. Another was a small business owner that almost went out of business, but through hard work and creativity she was able to save her business and she sees things slowly return to normal. Doug’s thought on this, “My take away from this and some of the other stories I read I that you have got to believe there are tens of millions of stories like these-many in our own club. While you hate to see it takes a pandemic to prove it, humans are persistent, resilient, optimistic and adaptable.” Greeter Art Rabbitz- No guests. One guest Eric acknowledged at end of meeting. We Care Art- Charlie Ericson was diagnosed with lung cancer. He will be starting treatment in Portland. Please keep Charlie in your thoughts. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day (when everyone is Irish) Don McCleve played When Irish Eyes are Smiling. Featured Members this week are Judy and Julian Rodriguez. Julian said one of his favorite Rotary memories was hosting nine Russians in 1998. He also mentioned the water fountain in downtown LG we are responsible for. It is wheelchair accessible and has a doggy water bowl. Judy talked about hosting 100 people at a party in San Antonio’s oldest bar during one of the conventions they attended. They both are happy and proud to be members of LG Rotary. Thank you for all you have done for our club and the community.  Announcements:Speech contest March 17. Here is the link for the Area 8 Speech Contest happening at 7:30am at the Los Gatos Morning Rotary meeting. Dessy Bonev, the winner of our contest, will be competing. Please join if you'd like to see the contest. Topic: LGMR Meeting.- Speech Contest Time: Mar 17, 2021 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Red Badge Schmooze March 18 at 5:00. This is for members two years or less. Membership Survey- about half the members have replied, thank you. Survey closes this Friday. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 9, 2021 Call to order at 12:30 Everybody is happy! Absolutely. Pledge of allegiance led by Karen Anderson. Inspiration from Doug Brent: Have a bias toward experimental thinking. Guest Rotarians: Ramesh Hariharan and Peter Tanner Guests: Steve Malkos, friend of Andrew Howard, and Eric Beckstromarchi, potential new member, architect NewsWe will bring back the greeters to our meetings. Look for them with the special Zoom background. Anniversaries: 11 members are celebrating membership anniversaries this week. Rotarian spotlight: Tom Dodge  In memoriam: Al Blood passed away a few weeks ago. He was our club president ‘96-97. Members shared memories and tributes, everyone agreeing he was a kind gentleman.  Amy Potts gave a tribute to the women of Rotary in honor of International Women’s Day. Look for a 10 question survey that will be emailed out to you soon. Please fill it out to help our membership committee! New Member Schmooze coming up on 3/18 at 5pm for all members of less than 2 years. Others welcome too. Email Lisa Cheskin if you need the Zoom link.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 2, 2021 Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearn. Pledge was led by Greg Butterfield. Doug Brent inspired us with Six Word Stories. It is amazing how so few words can have such an impact. Some examples he shared with us: From a travel lover Nothing to declare. Much to remember. Or the Zoom fatigued: Logged out. Pulled plug. Found life. He’s waiting on: Grandchildren are the proof of immortality. Here are two Doug wrote for us: A transforming vision: service above self. And lastly: 2021, it can’t be worse, right? Ed Stahl introduced his guest, George Andary. George is a student at Bellarmine. He shared with us how much he has enjoyed doing service work during the pandemic. In addition to working at Second Harvest he set up a space at Ed’s office to help seniors go online to make appointments for vaccinations. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from February 23, 2021 Terri Trotter led the group for the Pledge of Allegiance. Suzanne Boxer-Gassman delivered an inspiration by Pope Francis. “Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; sun does not shine in itself and flowers do not spread their flowers for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is....life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of of you.” There were no visiting rotarians and guests.  Two new prospective members were officially introduced as new members (red badgers). First was Karen Anderson sponsored by Lisa Cheskin and the second was Terri Trotter sponsored by her own sister, Tina Orsi-Hartigan.Chris Potter presented a proposal for an environmental service project. A poll was conducted among the club members present at the meeting and based on the responses, the club has agreed to take on this service project.  Some membership minute, Tina Orsi-Hartigan encouraged everyone to “bring a friend to rotary” for next week. This is to introduce your friends to what rotary is all about and hopefully recruit new members. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from February 16, 2021 VP Gae La Torre ran the meeting as President Andrew was unavailable due to “work” (something about appearing before a judge?). Patti led the pledge. Suzanne’s inspiration had to do with love, and how to appreciate it in whatever form you have it. Guests were Josh Selo from Cupertino Rotary and West Valley Community Services, and Marian, Gae’s sister whom Gae will visit next week in Florida. She was by the pool and declined to turn her camera on ha! This week’s social media member spotlight is on Meghan Burton. Let Lydia know if you know of a member needing some “We Care” support. Josh Selo announced the upcoming West valley Community Services fundraiser “Chefs of Compassion”, a virtual gala on March 5 at 6:00pm, where for a ticket you will get a gourmet meal and wine delivered to your door. Tickets at chefsofcompassion.org Lisa talked about the membership committee’s new effort for members less than 2 yrs in the club, the “New Member Schmooze” Feb 18 5:00-5:30 via Zoom with special speakers and fun to be had. Feel free to join. Saratoga Rotary is having a fundraiser, where if you order food on DoorDash through March 15, use code SRC21 to give their club 20% towards their charities. Tina announced March 2 is bring a friend to Rotary meeting day, and she has fun ideas planned. Let her know if you have any ideas for fun additions as well. Philanthropy forms are due 2/28. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from February 9, 2021 Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. We had 49 Zoom participants. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Nava Fathi. Inspiration – John Pencer shared 5 quotes. One was inspired by the Super Bowl. One was about education, inspired by the students and teachers dealing with learning during the pandemic. And three were about motivation, attitude and self-esteem. Visiting Rotarians – Ron Cassel re-introduced Nava Fathi who was attending for the first time in a while. Also visiting was Terri Trotter. AnnouncementsAndrew introduced new Red Badge member, Jeffrey Blum. Jeffrey is an attorney who practices family law and is on his way to retirement. He is looking forward to contributing and he thanked the Club for welcoming him. Member Spotlight of the Week – This week’s spotlight member is Jeffrey Barnett and last week’s spotlight member was Amy Potts. Each of them shared what the like about Rotary. Rotary Anniversaries – Lydia Norcia shared the Rotarian anniversaries for the month of February. One highlight was Charles Goss who is coming up on 50 years! Membership Minutes – The Membership Committee is chaired by Lisa Norcia Cheskin. The sub-committees are: Recruitments, chaired by Marty Fishman, Onboarding chaired by Lisa Norcia Cheskin and Retention, chaired by Tina Orsi-Hartigan. Our club has grown from 103 – 123 members over the past 5 years and we will add 3 more new members by next week. Changes have been made recently to make it easier to join including family memberships, corporate memberships and no mandatory district events. The committee challenged all current members to bring in family, colleagues and friends by inviting them to meetings and service activities. Andrew shared the news about the passing of former club member, John Foley. John passed away in January following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Ron Cassel and John Spencer shared memories of John. The week’s avatar challenge focused on our member’s high school photos. Those that participated shared where they attended high school. Santa Clara Country is looking for volunteers to help with COVID19 vaccines. If interested, you can visit the County website. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from February 2, 2021 The meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. InspirationSuzanne provided our inspiration with the adage, “when life gives you lemons make lemonade.” She reflected on our time in lockdown, and espoused the benefits of the technology we have adapted to, and the inspiration it has provided us to change. Visitors and Guests:
We celebrated Rotarian birthdays today with Sandeep G., Judith P., Ericka B., Marlon S., Richard B., David H., Canan S., Michelle B., Marshall S., and Lydia N. Don McCleve played a wonderful Happy Birthday to them on the piano. PSACall the older adults in your life to make sure they have an appointment for a vaccine. PollingDoug Brent put a polling question up to test our capabilities with polling. A screen with a polling question popped up and we were able to then respond to a survey during the zoom meeting. 55 of 59 people were able to see that question. Wine FestSuzanne gave us a run down of the wine fest. We had a really fun night with lots of positive responses. There was a big team, and Tina and Patti really did a lot of work here and we certainly appreciate all their hard work. David Wells set up the online auction which worked really well. Amy and Rochelle did a great job on the PR and marketing too, and that really made a big difference. The San Jose youth orchestra really did a great job with the online performance as well. Terri and Tina packed up the food boxes, and the team found ways for us to safely pick up our boxes. Patti also came up with a way to display the auction items at pickup which helped with the marketing. We also gave Colin a special thank you for all his help with the technology. On the financials we raised nearly as much as we did in 2019 which is a huge accomplishment. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from January 26, 2021 WelcomeAndrew Stearns welcomed everyone at 12:30. Avis LaGrone led us in the pledge of allegiance and Don McCleve played My Country Tis of Thee Dan Snyder gave our inspiration with the words of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb. Watch this amazing young woman share her poem here: It’s truly inspirational! Our visitors were: Charles Erekson, Ken Toren, Jaren Olson, Terri Trotter, Felix Lee, Jeff Blum, and Helene Davis. Glad to have you! This week’s Rotary Member Spotlight was Henry Vitkovich 
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Zoom Meeting Notes from January 19, 2021 The meeting was called to order at 12:30. Due to power and wi-fi outages from high winds, attendance was lower than normal at 46. Inspiration was given by Dan Snyder with thoughts on overcoming obstacles to reach your dreams, and how failure can move you in a new direction. Guests were potential new members Jeff Blum (an attorney), Ken Toren (of Red Cross Silicon Valley and KCAT), Karen Anderson (fairly new to town and ready to dig in), Rebecca Alvarez of West Valley College and experienced at events!), and Terri Trotter (who “is ready to do whatever Tina says”). Barbara Fishman (a court arbitrator and Marty’s wife) and Ryan Basham (Spectrum ophthalmologist and sponsored by Andrew Howard) have earned their red badges. Welcome Barbara and Ryan! The member spotlight this week is on Dr. Marty Fishman, our past illustrious President. See Amy or Rachelle to be featured.  The We Care Committee wants to remind you to let Lydia Norcia know if a member is in need of special care due to illness or other challenge. President Andrew noted January is Rotary Vocational Service month. Our annual Philanthropy Champion Forms are due 2/28. Our speech contest via Zoom is coming to our 2/9 meeting. The Wine Fest is 1/30 and is sold out. You can take part in the online bidding, even if you aren’t attending the Zoom event. Get warm coats to Tina by this Friday am, to take part in the Interact drive. Any size is ok. |
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Coat Drive: Los Gatos High Interact Club |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from January 12, 2021 Dr. Joel's presentation on video here if you missed the meeting or want to share it with family or friends.Click on this link: https://youtu.be/GklSnHuc7H8 Welcome our new Member, Anjana Bose below:  Dan Snyder provided our inspiration to get us started.Tina introduced 3 guests today:
Karen Anderson and Jay Quinby were also guests. We celebrated January birthdays today, and Don Mcleve played happy birthday for us on the piano. Anjana Bose was welcomed as a new member by Jamie. Winefest & Auction - Almost sold out!We are up to 91 out of 125 tickets sold. Sign up while they are still available! Virtual Student Speech ContestTina announced that there will be a speech contest on February 9th, and we need judges and timers for this virtual event. Please keep an eye out for an email from Tina about this in case you are interested in volunteering. Los Gatos LodgeLos Gatos Lodge will not open for meals, so we are looking for alternatives so if you have one to offer please let us know. Micro Loans ProjectTom Boyce gave an update on the micro loans project. These loans are a few hundred dollars, and are designed to help lift people out of poverty. They are partnering with Kiva on this, and we specifically have a focus on Kenya where we have loaned $81,080 over the last 9 years. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from January 5, 2021On the first virtual rotary meeting for the year, Dan Snyder delivered a history lesson that is associated with one of The Rotary’s global program. Featured in that history lesson was the amazing work of Basil O’Connor, a New York lawyer who transformed the campaign against polio into a global campaign. In 1928, he took over the campaign from his law partner, then elected governor Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) who was struck with the disease in 1921. The foundation focused on small amount from the public. The foundation became the Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and asked people foe their small pocket change. Later on, the foundation became to known as the March of Dimes, becoming a foundation that led global initiatives, research and clinical trials in fighting other infantile diseases and the global fight against polio. FDR’s portrait was put on the dime. Featured member for the week was Riley Barr who has been a member of the club since 2018  On club announcements, Tina and Suzanne provided updates on the upcoming Virtual Wine Fest and Auction on January 30, 2021. Ticket sale ends on January 19, 2021. President Andrew and the crab (wine) fest committee reminded everyone “Do Not Procrabstinate”…pun…ticket sales end Jan 19.   Next Tuesday’s (1/12) avatar background challenge is baby pictures. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from December 22, 2020 The pledge was led by Ed Stahl. John Pencer inspired with a quote by Saint Theresa about accepting yourself and practicing joy. Visitors were
Members shared backgrounds of winter wonderland scenes from around the world, and President Andrew wore a virtual reindeer outfit that moved along with his head…wow Don McCleve played a Christmas concert of jingle bells on his piano, with special assistant Greg Butterfield. This week’s social media spotlight was on dedicated member and everyone’s favorite chef Michelle Myers-Nelson. Wine Fest is coming Jan 30!! Click here for video that explains the event. David Wells and David Hubbard demonstrated live how to buy tickets. Go to our club website and click on the event to buy tickets, or click here. Note 1 ticket for $150 is for 1 wine kit, which serves 2 people. You will need to register for an account to get setup. See David Wells if you have a question. Thanks David! Note there is no first Thursday in January. Champion forms are due 2/28. To find a blank champion form, go to losgatosrotary.org, sign into the member area and then click on the member link, then click on green book on right Club documents and search on “Philanthropy”. Once you complete the form please email it to Andrew Stearns. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from December 15, 2020 Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. We had 60 Zoom participants. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Sandy Bocks. Visiting Rotarians – Rachelle Lopp introduced her friend Jennifer Karno from Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Other Visitors – Linda Lester Inspiration – John Pencer provided our inspiration for today, focusing on the distribution of the COVID19 vaccine as the light at the end of the tunnel. He reminded us to celebrate while continuing to be vigilant and stay the course. Announcements –Blue Badge Presentation: Art Rabitz announced that Linda Lester has received her Blue Badge as an Honorary Member. Linda thanked the Club and is pleased to be involved. Nominating Committee: Doug Brent, representing the Nominating Committee announced the slate of candidates for the 2021 – 2022 Board of Directors. Under President Nicholas Welzenbach, the slate is as follows: President Elect - Mike Norcia Vice President - Lisa Cheskin Secretary - Doug Brent Treasurer - Ed Bowen Asst. Secretary - David Hubbard Asst. Treasurer - Dan Snyder Director - Jeff Barnett Director - Meghan Burton Director - David Wells Sergeant at Arms - Gregg Butterfield Scholarship Committee member - Tony James Investments Committee member - Henry Vitkovich Andrew asked if there were any nominations from the floor, and there were none. He then asked for a ‘yes’ vote by hand-raising then a ‘no’ vote by hand-raising. The slate was approved by the vote. |
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2020 Video celebrating the members, past, & current PresidentsBeautifully produced by Suzzane Boxer Gassman (Thank you Suzzane from all of us) |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from December 8, 2020 President Andrew called the Zoom meeting to order with 53 people in attendance. The pledge was led by Michelle Myers-Nelson. John Pencer inspired with a Paul Harris (Rotary founder) quote regarding relishing a chance to change and pivot, which could be well used in these times. Visiting was prospective new member Felix Lee. Rotarian anniversaries were noted for December, notably Julian Rodriguez at 30 years! Sadly, long-time member Harvey Knoernschild passed 11/29/20. A moment of silence was held, and members shared fond memories of his giving nature, and brilliant career as a surgeon. Greg Butterfield noted his fondness for potato salad at the buffet, and John Colwell played tennis with him. The Blue Badge was presented to Ensy Afdari. Dan Snyder reminded all that emails will be sent to members who have not yet responded to the Rotary Foundation pledge drive. Dan will be happy to assist with corporate matching if your employer offers it. Help your donation have a bigger impact! On social media this month Maddie Smith was highlighted with a quote about being inspired by her father. Amy reminded all to reach out to her if you’d like to be featured. Doug Brent announced the new officer slate determined by the Nominating Committee. Nominations and Voting will take place at the next meeting. President Elect - Mike Norcia Vice President - Lisa Cheskin Secretary - Doug Brent Treasurer - Ed Bowen Asst. Secretary - David Hubbard Asst. Treasurer - Dan Snyder Director - Jeff Barnett Director - Meghan Burton Director - David Wells Sergeant at Arms - Gregg Butterfield Scholarship Committee member - Tony James Investments Committee member - Henry Vitkovich |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from December 1, 2020 Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. There were two visitors, Karen Anderson and Russ Klein. December birthday celebrants were greeted and acknowledged. Lydia Norcia announced that one of the Rotarians, Harvey Knoernschild had passed. Some club announcements, follow up, and updates by Andrew Stearns: Henry Vitkovich for the Presidents brunch program at December 15 meeting, Lisa Cheskin for the family giving tree, and Patti van der Burg for the upcoming WineFest. Thank you to the many club member sponsors!! Don’t forget your avatar/screen saver on zoom next Tuesday: the theme is “your favorite gift”.      |
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Los Gatos Rotary and SunWork.org Renewable energy is the key to reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and global warming. Rooftop solar installations save building owners money on their monthly utility payments and begin to reduce greenhouse gas pollution into our local atmosphere. Los Gatos Rotarian Chris Potter was trained by SunWork.org and volunteered during the week of November 10, 2020 at a solar panel installation project for the non-profit Insight Retreat Center in Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz. Volunteers staged and installed 90 new solar panels on a 2-story modified bitumen roof with a microinverter system. Any Rotary Club can start a new service project for climate change action by becoming trained and participating in rooftop solar installations for non-profit organization buildings your local community. SunWork.org, a non-profit solar installer serving the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast of California, trains Rotary service volunteers in the basics of solar, electricity, and construction safety. Then, Rotarians will work together with SunWork’s professional staff, installing racking, running conduit, hanging inverters, and mounting the solar panels on the rooftops of non-profit organization buildings, such as schools, churches, and charities. Rotarians lead by example! Thank you Chris Potter. And expect more projects focused on supporting the environment to come!  |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from November 17, 2020 Meeting called to order by president Andrew Stearns. Dan Doore led us in the flag salute. Jamie Hekkelman shared an inspirational story from Mark Chernoff called “All the Difference in the World.” It was about a woman who cleaned turtles at a lake on Sunday mornings. A man observing her asked why she would do it since she could help only a few of the turtles on earth. She responded if this turtle could talk, it would say she made all the difference in the world. The moral of the story: You can change the world – maybe not all at once, but one person, one animal, and one good deed at a time. Wake up every morning and pretend like what you do makes a difference. It does. Thank you, Jamie. Guests: Rob Boucher. Rob has submitted an application to join. Doug Brent brought his wife Marjorie and his daughter Laura. Laura works in security and has worked at NATO and DHS. Doug said she is on the phone so she can make any corrections to his presentation. Patti van der Burg from the We Care Committee asked us to let them know if anyone needs a card or any support. Susanne Boxer-Gassman thanked the committee for the card she received. She is recovering very well with her new knee. Ron Cassel announced that Cardie Harmon’s wife passed away about three weeks ago. Membership Committee chair, Lisa Cheskin, wanted to remind (pressure) everyone about the family membership that she and her husband Barry enjoy. Maybe Lydia Rosen or Marjorie Brent would like to join them? The Rotary planter has just been tended to and is now ready for the holidays. Lydia Norcia said it was her first time and it was very easy, the soil is perfect. Also helping Dick Konard were Ron Cassel and Greg Gomon. They planted a new type of cyclamen that is just out this year. Stop by to see them. Thanks for keeping our planter looking so good. Announcements:Rotary Foundation: A reminder was sent. Dan Snyder said keep giving. Holiday Wish Drive: Lisa C. we are up to 29 gifts, our goal is to meet or beat last year’s 126 gifts. Judy Rodriguez said it is so easy, go to the club website, you’ll see a link on the club home page or you can click here. WineFest: Patti vdB gave a big thank you to Art Rabitz and other club members we have reached $12,250 in cash sponsorship. This is a record for us. St. Luke's: Meghan Burton thanked Carol Abela, Randy Cobb, Doug Brent, Grady Jeter and Tina Orsi-Hartigan for their donations to St. Luke’s this morning. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from November 10, 2020Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. Ed Stahl led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Inspiration was Jamie Hekkelman. In honor of Veteran’s Day she read a letter written by a soldier in Iraq to his wife. He described the day breaking in Iraq and showed us that romance is still alive.  Guests:Felix Lee is a returning guest. Felix was part of ELC. Charles Erickson wanted to say hello to all his Los Gatos friends. Darryl Monda is retiring from Rotary but is still a supporter of the Rotary Foundation. He is looking into joining the Rotary Club of Cayucos located in central California where he is spending much of his time. Anjana Bose, a guest of Jamie’s. This is Anjana’s second visit and she will be joining our group. Welcome! Rob Boucher is another returning guest. Rob submitted his application last night. So glad you’re joining us Rob. Lisa Cheskin and the membership committee wanted to honor our club’s veterans. They are:
Thank you for your service!Congratulations to everyone celebrating a club anniversary:
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Zoom Meeting Notes from November 3, 2020Charlie Erickson led us in the pledge Inspiration was provided by Jamie who told us of a psychological experiment that revealed that by giving happiness we achieve happiness, and this is the true purpose of life, and we can definitely find inspiration in that for Rotary! Visiting Rotarians:Charlie Erickson Guests of Rotarians:Nikolette Rodman-Kelly, Karen Anderson, Felix Lee, Bob Boucher, Anjana We started by celebrating November birthdays, and Don Mcleve played the piano for us. Our nominating committee for 2021 is Susan Boxer-Gasman, Marty Fishman, Lisa Cheskin, Andrew Stearns, and Doug Brent. Dan and Avis talked about donating to the Rotary Foundation, and the importance of contributing to this so that we can further international efforts to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, support of education, and alleviation of poverty. Andrew put the contributions into perspective saying $.60 is the cost of one polio vaccination. First Thursday will be November 5th from 5:30-7:30 with a wine tasting on the patio at Los Gatos Roasting Company. Patti talked about the work at second harvest food bank where they helped sort food. Many Rotarians contributed! |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from October 27, 2020 President Andrew welcomed all to the Halloween edition meeting, complete with spooky slides, and everyone was absolutely happy. Heidi led the pledge. Erika’s inspiration dealt with encouraging all to not have self-pity, and take action and be empowered to help yourself. Meghan introduced her guest Leanne Johnson, whom she has known since their grown kids met in kindergarten. Doug explained the Nominating Committee process has moved to the next step, and after the meeting all will get an email request to vote for up to 5 of the top 10 vote-getters from last week’s voting.  Suzanne shared her fun video that documented our Fall Drive-in movie Mamma Mia. It was a socially distanced good time, and President Andrew thanked organizers Tina and Mike. Tina announced that along with some DDF Funds, a total of $4700 was raised to help the Fire Victims Fund. First Thursday Happy Hour is next week at Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company 5:30-7:30, with 20 indoor and 10 outdoor seats. Tasting of 5 wines plus cheese etc is $25 ea, and a full menu is available if you want to stay for dinner. Thanks for arranging Gae and Maddie. Second Harvest group volunteer shift is Wednesday 10/28. Patti sent an email reminder to those that signed up. Jeff reminded all there is an Oak Meadow Park cleanup Saturday Nov 7. Meet 9am at the carousel and bring your mask. Tina thanked this week’s St. Luke’s homeless brunch food donators, including Randy and Kathie with colored eggs, Tom, Art, and Carol. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from October 20, 2020 Andrew called the meeting to order and we pledged allegiance to the flag of the USA. Many members had their favorite sports team as their background, and appropriate trash talking ensued, highlighted by President Andrew’s beloved UCLA Bruins, or was it Cal Bears? Erika gave the inspiration from the Daily Stoic. If a dog is barking at the door, the worst thing to do is yell- it’s like you’re barking along with them. Instead you distract or break the pattern. It’s the same with people. Break the pattern of negativity or anger with something different. Good habits drive out bad habits. Do you have anything that the We Care committee can help with? Let Lydia Norcia know. Wes updated us on the Suyo Elementary Water Project in the Philippines, where we partnered with the Laoag Sunshine Rotary Club local to that area to bring clean water to a school. The project was completed this past September with a ribbon cutting ceremony. When the kids come back to school they will have access to clean water. Thanks Wes! Doug gave instructions on how to nominate/vote for our club board nominating committee. We will pick the top 10 people. Look for the email! Fall Fundraiser! THIS FRIDAY! The Calgary Church parking lot opens at 6:15. The movie Mama Mia starts at 7pm. $50 per person. $15 for a snack bag for popcorn, drink, and cookies. Bring your own chairs and blankets. Giant screen! Fun snacks! A REAL social event! You can access sound either through car radio and speakers in the safety and warmth of your car, or from big speakers on site if you’re in lawn chairs. Super fun night out! Email Tina Orsi-Hartigan for tickets. Proceeds go toward a Fire Relief Fund run by Calvary Church. Great cause! Can’t go? Please donate! (contact Tina with amount) |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from October 13, 2020
Andrew Stearns got the party started at 12:33. Erika Buck gave the inspiration from ‘The Daily Stoic’. The meditation for 10/13 is “revenge is a dish best not served.” Don’t meet rudeness with rudeness or dishonesty with dishonesty. Be the example others can follow. Living morally and well is quite nice. Next week’s meeting challenge: Wear your favorite team colors or have a zoom background of your favorite sports team! Rotary Anniversaries: Lloyd Grant, Chris Trapani, Mike Norcia, Andrea Lee, Wes Sadumiano, Geraldine Arce, Marty Fishman, Dick Konrad, Doug Brent, and Erik Beeson. AwardsRon Cassel presented special club recognition to Ed Stahl Ed was president of our club 1981 and 82, served on many committees such as the Great Race, BBQ, and President’s Brunch, and he traveled to the Philippines twice to work on a children’s hospital and a computer lab. Ed’s daughter, Susan, was present to see him get the award. Congratulations Ed! Rotarian of the Year Award for 2019-2020 - we have 2 of them!!!Amy Potts - Amy has been a member with Los Gatos since 2014. She is the mother of three wonderful children, a successful fundraiser and marketer, has been club VP, is involved with youth programs, and is a volunteer extraordinaire! Her parents, husband, and three kids were present to see her get her award. Her father shared her ongoing and lasting impact on young people in Pacific Northwest because of her role leading youth volunteer projects to Ecuador. Her mother said she is so proud of her. Patti van der Burg - Patti has been a member since 2014. She is the head of our world service committee, leads the crabfest auction, is liaison for the Langling school, and works extensively to feed those in need through Peninsula Foodrunners. Patti thanked her parents for their example of service. Her husband, brothers, sister, son, and friend were there to see her receive the award and her husband and sister expressed how proud they are of her.  Thank you to both of these extraordinary women who make a difference every day. We are honored to serve with you in Rotary. |
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Vote for us GREAT NonprofitsIf you love our club will you take 3 minutes and submit a review on both our foundations (Charity & Scholarship) for Great Nonprofits: We need a total of 10 (4+ ratings) before October 31 to be listed as a 2020 Top-Rated GREAT nonprofit. GreatNonprofits – the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback – is honoring highly regarded nonprofits with their 2020 Top-Rated List. Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes! Our Charities Foundation: Our Scholarship Foundation:  |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from October 6, 2020Andrew Stearns welcomed us all to the meeting. It was “Bring your pet to Rotary” day, so many of the 47 zoomers had a past or current pet as a backdrop, and some were live in the zoom shot. It was fun to see the variety, including Avis’ pet turtle! Amy snapped some photos:   Riley Barr led the pledge of allegiance. Erika Buck gave inspiration with a wise quote: Although no one can go back and change the beginning of their story, anyone can start now and make a new ending. So true. Guests: none October birthdays were celebrated by Marlon. Don McCleve played a rousing Happy Birthday live on his piano.  Grady Jeter is our member of the week on social media. He was inspired by his experience in Butan 20 years ago, where they measure the country’s success in “Gross National Happiness”. See all profiles at https://www.losgatosrotary.  Randy Cobb transitioned from Red Badge to Blue Badge. He is already active on several committees. He showed us his 2 live kitties Olive and Waverly, plus volunteer side kick Kathie made an appearance. Dan Snyder gave $40 in honor of his St Luke’s colored eggs and House of Hope work. Welcome aboard! |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from September 29, 2020
Andrew Stearns welcomed us all to the meeting Ed Graziani said the pledge of allegiance Judy Rodriguez gave inspiration aligned with the new season of autumn. Letting go of something is a sign of gratitude. As much as we enjoy summer, we can release it just as trees let go of their leaves. When we move forward we allow something new to come in.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from September 22, 2020The meeting was led by VP Gae La Torre, since President Andrew had a work engagement. The Pledge was led by Tom Dodge. Inspiration led by Judy Rodriguez reflected on the words of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed this week. One quote sited was “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way so that others join you”. She served with humility and genius, and our country was lucky to have her. RIP RBG Well done, Judy. There were no guests. Lydia Norcia asked if there are any We Care outreach needs to let her know. Gae thanked the We Care Committee for the porch surprises last week. There were also chat room thanks from Liz Smith (it encouraged her to attend today), Mike Norcia, Suzanne, and many email thanks throughout the week. Tom Boyce and Andrew Howard spoke about our club’s commitment to Shelter Box. For the past 13 years Lloyd Grant has been the champion, and we have given a total of roughly $35,000. They Rotary charity supplies kits that include a durable tent and food prep tools and sleeping needs to disaster zones globally, and each kit is about $1000. The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce is forming an event called “Around the Town Happenings” involving service clubs. See Andrew Stearns if interested. Contribute time to the newest area of focus for Rotary International: Supporting the Environment. Our club’s Volunteer Committee is seeking volunteers for “Rotarians on the Roof” where we will be trained to install solar panels on non-profits in the San Jose area. Note it is not a requirement to be on the roof. Training is Oct 24. See Chris Potter Tina thanked her trusty crew again this week for feeding the homeless at the St Luke’s Tuesday brunch. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from September 15, 2020 Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. We had 55 Zoom participants. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Gregg Butterfield. Visiting Rotarians – Liz & Bill Cilker Jr from Milpitas Rotary, Carey Lai from Sunrise Rotary, Carl Cilker from Rotary of San Jose, Elizabeth Smith from Rotary Club of Los Gatos Other Visitors – Noelle Henderson Inspiration – Judy Rodriguez provided our inspiration. As a continuation of our commemoration of 9/11, Judy shared caring thoughts and honored those who passed in the events of 9/11. Announcements –Club Recognition from 2019-2020. Ron Cassel presented 50 year pins to the following Rotarians and spoke of their accomplishments and contributions to the Club. We are the only club in the world with a 50 year pin.
Ed Bowen shared some thoughts on how Rotary has changed over the years and thanked the Club. Bill Cilker’s children; Bill Jr., Carl, Elizabeth Smith and Noelle Henderson spoke fondly of their dad’s time in Rotary and thanked the Club. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the following members for their contributions to the Club.
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Zoom Meeting Notes from September 8, 2020 The Pledge was led by Sandy Bocks. Inspiration led by Dan Snyder reflected on the words of Chadwick Boseman who passed recently. He was the Black Panther actor, and had many other big roles. In his Howard University commencement speech he urged students to find purpose, not a career. “Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history.” There were no guests. Lydia Norcia helped us celebrate the Rotary anniversaries for this month. (see slides)  President Andrew announced the sad passing of long time member Rene Friedrich. He joined the club in 1967, and was remembered by many for his love of craps and adherence to the rules, for his love of skiing, for his generosity at donating his Davos home for the annual club auction. Fond memories were retold by Grady, Tina, Paul Christensen, Sarita, and Andrew Howard. Ron Cassel noted that Rene had earned the 50 year pin, which will now be presented to his wife Trudy. Our club continues to help fire evacuees by donating goods and gift cards. 1490 structures were destroyed, which is more damage than the Loma Prieta Earthquake. See Patti to be added to the Gift Card donation program and your card on file with the club will be charged. Patti reported $1800 has been pledged so far. Thanks to Tina for helping procure the cards. Donated items were initially taken to Prince of Peace in Saratoga, but since they are now full, items can be taken to St. Luke’s in Sunnyvale (hours are S-S: 1-4, M-F: 10-1). Our club sent 5 members to help sort donated items at Prince of Peace Monday 8/31. Many members have agreed to give a donation weekly to the Charities Foundation, in lieu of no lunch fee being charged, in order to make up some of the fund raising losses due to Covid. Thanks for those contributing to the great response so far (roughly $400/week), and it’s not too late for others to join in. Increments suggested are $5, $10, or $20/week/person. See Dan Snyder. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from September 1, 2020 President Andrew called out all the baby picture Avatars on the Zoom screens. Amy Potts attempted to capture a pic of this, and most were adorable. See larger versions of these photos at the end of this post. The Pledge was led by Jack Chevlen. Inspiration led by Judy Rodriguez. Guests were introduced, including District Governor and speaker Gregg Guisaian, Art Testani, and Helene Davis. Marlon helped us celebrate the September birthdays and Don McCleve accompanied on piano. Judy Rodriguez showed the photo of the fire on Mt. Hamilton that came close to her and Julian’s house, but thankfully didn’t require evacuation. Our club continues to help fire evacuees by donating goods and gift cards. See Patti to be added to the Gift Card donation program and your card on file with the club will be charged. Patti reported $1425 has been pledged so far. Thanks to Tina for helping procure the cards. Donated items were initially taken to Prince of Peace in Saratoga, but since they are now full, items can be taken to St. Luke’s in Sunnyvale (hours are S-S: 1-4, M-F: 10-1). Our club sent 5 members to help sort donated items at Prince of Peace Monday 8/31. Mike Frangadakis’s National Guard Unit has been called up to help with the fires for the next 2 weeks. Good Luck and hearty thanks to the Greek! President Andrew shared some humorous photos of how we dealt with the last pandemic in 1918…not too different this time around haha. Many members have agreed to give a donation weekly to the Charities Foundation, in lieu of no lunch fee being charged, in order to make up some of the fund raising losses due to Covid. Thanks for those contributing to the great response so far, and it’s not too late for others to join in. |
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Help fire victims and evacuees - Donate/Volunteer |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from August 25, 2020
Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. Russ Klein led the pledge of allegiance.
Guests:Russ Klein and Mike’s friend, Tom
Inspiration:Suzanne inspired us all to stop and smell the flowers. Announcements:Fire news: Marty Fishman is still evacuated. His house is safe. Dave Hubbard talked about the headway the firefighters have made. He is under an evacuation warning. Judy is also in an evacuation warning. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is accepting donations and volunteers. More info to come. Updates:Thanks to this week’s St Lukes volunteers: Grady, Carol, Meghan, & Dan. Interact Club at Leigh High School is doing a fundraiser tonight 8/25 at Camden/Union Chipotle for Determined 2 Develop to build water projects for Malawi schools. See the flier on our website, facebook, or instagram. Mark your calendars - First Thursday is 9/3 at 5:30 at Campo di Bocce! Inaugural Rotary Book Club on 9/30. First book is by Rotarian Katie Rooney. Info on website. Next week’s fun challenge: Set your Zoom avatar as your baby/childhood picture for our club meeting on 9/1! (Barry Cheskin got us started today with a picture of his adorable toddler self as his background). Daniel Snyder said 33 people pledged their weekly rotary lunch money to RotaryClub giving us a total $390/week so far. He invites more of us to do so. You can still sign up for $5 or $20 per week, the amount you would have spent coming to Rotary in person. Amy announced that Africa was just declared polio free! Woot woot!
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Zoom Meeting Notes from August 18, 2020  Images from the ‘Who Has the Best Virtual Background Contest’. Congratulations to our winner, Tina! Lisa's background was also great! Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Andrew Stearns. We had 60 Zoom participants. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Andrew Stearns and presented along with a patriotic video. Visiting Rotarians - None Other Visitors – Juan Romero from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and David Karwowski introduced Jay Quibley. Inspiration - Suzanne Boxer-Gassman provided a great inspiration that focused on humor. AnnouncementsAndrew Stearns hosted the ‘Who Has the Best Virtual Background Contest’. Many members participated and in the end, the contest was won by Tina Orsi-Hartigan. Congratulations Tina! Lydia Norcia representing the We Care Committee reminded us to let her know if anyone from the Club is in need. Andrew Howard and David Hubbard gave updates on the local fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Lisa Norcia-Cheskin talked about the recent District 5170 Virtual Membership Seminar which was attended by a few of our members. The online seminar focused on ways clubs can increase their membership numbers. Tina Orsi-Hartigan spoke about our donations of food to St. Luke’s. They did not need us this week because our donations have been so plentiful. She also updated us on the Shoe Drive. We collected and donated 446 pairs of shoes which helped surpass the goal. Dick Konrad shared that the Volunteer Opportunity Committee will hold a Zoom meeting tomorrow (8/19/20) at 4:00pm. Everyone is welcome and you can contact Patti Van der Burg to get the link to the Zoom meeting. Avis La Grone shared that the Seascape community has some gently used furniture to donate. It is free and anyone interested can contact Avis if you are interested. Our First Thursday Happy Hour will be held on September 3rd from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at Campo de Bocce. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from August 11, 2020Venyei Angh who gave an update from the Lamling Elementary School in NE India on how the school is dealing with COVID-19
Abbie Morneault, Current Development Director for Determined to Develop and Wasambo Schools in Malawi. She gave a presentation on the water project at Wasambo High School for Boys. She highlighted the impact of the school and the water project to the community and its plan to to add girls school in the next few years     |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from August 4, 2020Los Gatos Schools Superintendents Michael Grove and Paul Johnson discuss school reopening plans and respond to questions from Rotarians and the community. Recorded session of this meetings presentation This Rotary meeting highlighted a presentation from the superintendents from Los Gatos Unified School District and Los Gatos Saratoga Unified High School District. It was an informative community event that was recorded, part of The Rotary Club’s community service. It was decided that it will be open to the public and interested parties especially for the parents with potentially broad interest in what our school districts are thinking and planning for in reopening schools. Pledge of allegiance led by President Andrew Stearns Inspiration by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman. A reflection from the pandemic that thought us how to:
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Zoom Meeting Notes from July 28, 2020
Sandy Bocks led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Inspiration:John Pencer provided us with some inspirational quotes: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” “Only a life lived in the service of others is a life worth living” “Do something for somebody everyday for which you don’t get paid” “If you want happiness for an hour take a nap. If you want happiness for a day go fishing. If you want happiness for a year inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime help someone else.”
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Zoom Meeting Notes from July 21, 2020 The meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. We were led in the pledge by Kent Cooper. Good to see you Kent. Guests: Mike Norcia introduced his two guests. This is Tom Anthony’s third visit, his application is in progress. His other guest is Tom Rossmeissl. Welcome! John Pencer started his inspiration by reflecting on his friendships in Rotary. He read a lovely poem by one of his favorite poets, Edgar Guest, called To A Friend. Announcements:The club BBQ scheduled for August 25 has been cancelled. According to Tina Orsi Hartigan we are unable to prep food or use any of the facilities so it just can’t happen right now. We will be having the August first Thursday at Oak Meadow so please join us August 6 for some in person, social distancing fun. Public Service Announcements: John Caldwell reminded us to wear our masks. Wear them to protect others. Thanks John, hope you’re feeling better. Uplift Family Services backpack assembly is August 4 at 2:00. Gae La Torre has 14 people signed up to volunteer so far. Uplift has told us we will be working in a social distance environment, but if you don’t feel comfortable after you’ve signed up just let Gae know. Andrew mentioned he was at a meeting with the Sunnyvale club and someone involved in education mentioned programs, such as this one, are more important than ever when the students aren’t going back to school. The backpacks give them a place to put their things and gives them a feeling of being connected to school. Gae also mentioned many of the students from Uplift will still be attending small programs and the backpacks give them a good way to keep their belongings together. Virtual Firecracker event ends tonight at 11:59. We have 18 members signed up, we usually just have a couple. Mike will let us know if we took the cup back. Thanks to everyone who signed up. Tina had lots of people help with St. Luke’s this morning. They are missing part of their core team at St. Luke’s right now so they really need and appreciate our help. We will be helping every Tuesday for the foreseeable future. A couple people shared an update on the protest. Highway 17 was closed for three hours. Dick Konrad looked in on our planter box on N. Santa Cruz and Bachman. He said it looks beautiful, lots of flowers are blooming. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from July 14, 2020 Meeting was called to order by President Andrew Stearns. Everyone was glad to see Julian Rodriguez. Andrew asked Julian to lead us in the pledge. Great to see you Julian. John Pencer entertained and inspired us with several quotes from Abraham Lincoln. There were no visiting Rotarians. Guests:
Announcements:
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We received a Rotary International Award!Congratulations! Our club was recognized by Rotary International with the Platinum Presidential Distinction Award. To receive this citation we had to meet at least 3 of these 4 categories:1. Connect leaders. Achieve a net gain of five or more members (We topped 122 members; 10 new members by adding a family & corporate membership) 2. Connect families. Organize a family-oriented service project that connects families of your members, youth program participants, and others. (We hosted many projects including families and youth Interact clubs as well as added a new family membership) 3. Connect professionally. Initiate or continue a leadership, personal, or professional development program to enhance members’ skills (Our members attended and completed the District Leadership Academy - Jeffery Barnet as well as District and International forums) 4. Connect community. Show how your club’s members are People of Action by promoting your club and its service activities on social media at least four times per month (We have 900+ followers and share the good in our community and world)
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Zoom Meeting Notes from July 7, 2020  Andrew Stearns kicked off the meeting with a slap of the gavel, and asked if “everybody is happy”, and said that “the one acceptable response is 'absolutely'”. Paul Christiansan led us in the pledge of allegiance wearing a US flag shirt. John Pencer gave us inspiration with many great patriotic quotes: "It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." --Samuel Adams "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." --Thomas Pain "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" --Voltair "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." --Ronald Reagan "In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline." --Martin Luther King “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” --Nelson Mandela Guests:Mike Norcia introduced Tom Anthony a LGHS graduate who is a commercial/residential contractor We also celebrated the July birthdays of Todd Taylor, Art Rabitz, Rene Friderich, Sarita Johnson, Ron Cassel, Tom O'Donnel, Bill Pope. Much to their chagrin we sang a zoom happy birthday to all of these members. Announcements:Currently we have the Club BBQ set for August 25, 2020 at 5:30 |
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In the News! Doing Good Feels GoodCelebrating local heroes, good deeds in pandemic Los Gatos Rotarian Tina Orsi-Hartigan, right, delivers $2,000 in grocery gift cards to Dan Green, interim coordinator for the House of Hope, for local families in need.  Rotary also teamed up with Campo di Bocce and Peninsula Foodrunners to deliver meals to the Casa de Novo homeless facility and San Thomas Housing for Seniors. (Photo courtesy of Debby Rice) By DEBBY RICE | Saratoga News and Los Gatos Weekly Times PUBLISHED: July 6, 2020 at 6:58 a.m. | UPDATED: July 6, 2020 at 7:04 a.m. Thanks to those whose actions are solving problems and serving our community. It’s a festive summer atmosphere in downtown Los Gatos with new outdoor dining options. Up and down North Santa Cruz Avenue, people are enjoying California summer weather and being able to socialize, even from a distance. Loma Brewery has a large outdoor space on a portion of Gray’s Lane where people are gathering. I saw a young girl practicing cheerleading. Temporary or not, it’s nice. Peninsula Foodrunners was in a tough situation when their usual donations of leftover lunches from corporate offices dried up due to COVID-19 office closures. They teamed up with the Los Gatos Rotary Club, which made a generous donation that has kept the program running and, in the process, brought business to Campo di Bocce. Residents at the Casa de Novo homeless facility and at San Thomas Housing for Seniors received fully prepared Italian meals from Campo di Bocce, delivered by Los Gatos Rotarians. The club also delivered $2,000 in grocery gift cards to Los Gatos-based House of Hope for local families in need. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes and Roast and Toast - June 30, 2020June 30 - President Marty’s last meeting of Rotary yearThe club assembly Zoom meeting was called to order at 12:30, after several breakout groups met 12:00-12:30. There were roughly 47 attendees. Marty led the pledge and announced the lone guest, his wife Barbara Fishman. Doug Brent led the inspiration with a pencil parable, retold here: The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. “There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.” One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone’s hand.” Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.” Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.” Four: “The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.” And Five: “On every surface, you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.” The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. Marty gave a Covid news update, and shared some funny mask design options. He stressed the importance to take precautions as the infection rates rise in our area. Marty shared photos from the recent Flights happy hour. Patti announced she still needs a few slots filled on the bulletin team. Click here to email her if interested in helping out by occasionally taking meeting notes. |
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Meet our new club President Andrew Stearns I am fifth generation from San Jose. My family moved to California from New York in 1874 for health reasons. In 1903 the family started F.G. Wool Packing Company which was in business until 1989 canning apricots, peaches, fruit cocktail and fruit mix. Most of the cousins worked there during the summers. I graduated from St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Saratoga, Bellarmine College Preparatory, UCLA and Santa Clara University School of Law. I was on the rugby teams at Bellarmine and UCLA. My family has always been involved in giving back to the community. Shortly after graduating from law school, a family friend told me about Rotaract and I became involved. After 3 years, I was president of the club. At that time, there was an exception to being number 1 or 2 in your company to become a Rotarian if you had been president of a Rotaract Club. Therefore, I was asked to join the San Jose Rotary Club in 1996. While there, I had my first experiences with Enterprise Leadership Conference (it was Camp back then) and have stayed involved with that off and on since. |
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Roast N' Toast Marty Fishman Slides Of all of the photos of Marty this one beats them all, check out Marty's hair! No, in all seriousness. Thank you to Marty Fishman for being our fearless leader during a year none of us could have ever imagined. We are so grateful you kept our members safe and even grew in membership, financial giving as well as contribution to the foundation, ending Polio, and world and local charities. We humbly thank you! See the full slideset above. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 23, 2020  Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Marty Fishman We had 50 Zoom participants Marty started with, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens Pledge of Allegiance was led by Marty Fishman. Visiting Rotarians - None Other Visitors – Andrew Howard introduced two of his friends; Mark Vantress and Martha Dollin Inspiration – Susanne Boxer-Gassman provided our inspiration, focusing on the Rotarians that do so much for others. She shared a poem with that theme that was written by Pope Francis. Marty also shared a video showing acts of kindness and inspirational quotes. AnnouncementsCOVID19 Updates:
Rotary Happy Hour will take place this Wednesday, June 24,2020 from 5:30pm – 7:00pm at Flights restaurant in Los Gatos. |
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2020 Rotary Scholarship Recipients  |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 9, 2020
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Zoom Meeting Notes from June 2, 2020  We had one guest - Charlie Erickson from Oregon. Henry Vitkovich gave the inspiration today. Sometimes life deals you blows that can knock you to your knees, but no matter what happens you have to get back up. He also contrasted some of the hard realities of our time with the positive of our space launch, and asked us as Rotarians to remain positive and to move forward. Marty updated us on our county’s Covid-19 status. At the high-level we are doing great, and have small number of cases. Testing is available if you feel the need to get tested, and our counties health officer has lifted many of the shelter in place restrictions however he stresses to still wash your hands, wear masks, maintain social distance, and to not cut your hair. ;-) We then had a bevy of 20 for 20s. Too many to fully record, but it was certainly inspiring to see so much generosity. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 26, 2020 Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Marty Fishman We had 60 Zoom participants Pledge of Allegiance was led by Marty Fishman. Marty also made note of yesterday being Memorial Day. Visiting Rotarians - None Other Visitors – Katie Westin and Sol Otero from Leigh High School Interact Club. Inspiration – Gary Allison provided a light-hearted and humorous inspiration. AnnouncementsMarty Fishman announced that we will be offering Zoom breakout sessions starting at noon before each weekly meeting so that small groups can meet online. Doug Brent will help set them up if you are interested. Marty reminded the Club to make their donations to the Polio Plus Campaign. Leigh High School Interact Club: Doug Brent introduced Katie Westin and Sol Otero, co-Presidents of the Club. The ladies discussed that their Club is rebounding this year from a tough year last year. They are increasing service activities and membership. Projects have included Rise Against Hunger and Rebuilding Together. They have also made individual Holiday cards for patients of a local Alzheimer facility. They thanked Rotary for their scholarships and the opportunities that our Club has provided them through Interact. Interact gave them something to look forward to and the chance to do something bigger than themselves. They appreciated the opportunity to attend RYLA and ELC. Jamie Hekkelman presented her Red Badge Bio. |
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2020 Great Social Distancing Race results!Medals will be mailed out to the top 3 finishers in each age group and division. Congratulations to all the finishers of the first ever Great Social Distancing Race! You can check the results page linked below and see how you did overall and in your age group, as well as download your finisher's certificate. Surprising how many people actually did the Great Race course down Highway 9. It was enjoyable to see that and all the other routes people took for their 4 miles, some navigating some serious trail climbs. Thank you all for participating in this very unique event. We would prefer to gather in person as we have done for 42 years, but it was fun to participate in a safe environment and contribute to the amazing local and global causes supported by Los Gatos Rotary. Thank you and we will see you in Saratoga in April 2021! Click on this image to go to results website  |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 19, 2020 Gary Allison led our inspiration with a focus on compassion, and what we can do to improve our compassion. We then had 2 Red badge bios: Kirsten Bridges Lived in the bay area her entire life save for 4 years in Chico State. She and her husband Ivor have been married for 31 years. She has a daughter who attended Texas A&M and who is an electrical applications engineer. Kirsten was an insurance underwriter at Allstate. She is interested in reading, Mah Jongg, bird watching, and is learning Ukulele. Kirsten’s father was involved in Rotary, and she really appreciated the camaraderie that the showed her father especially in his later years when he had Alzheimer’s. Lydia Norcia Lydia was originally from New England but didn’t like the weather out there and moved to Saratoga in the ‘70s. Her parents were originally from Italy. She grew up in a big Italian family with a rich tradition of wonderful Italian cooking. Her passions are gardening, cooking, baking, bird watching, Mah Jongg, and community service. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May12, 2020 The meeting was called to order by President Marty Fishman at 12:32. We had two guests from the LGHS Interact Club. Sophie Sullivan, a sophomore, who spoke a bit about how life during COVID-19 has been for her. She said it was an adjustment but now she finds it a little less stressful. She seems as busy as ever, she had to leave our meeting for an EL Gato meeting. Our other guest was senior Eddy Byun. Eddy will be attending Berkeley in the fall studying Mechanical Engineering. Eddy was involved in Interact all four years of high school. He wanted to thank our club for all the opportunities he had through Rotary. He said many of them, such as RYLA were life changing. He told us the club is still busy, even during quarantine. Right now they are writing letters to residents at the Terraces. Marty gave a short tribute to Beverly McCleve. New members learned a little more about Beverly. He included two pictures one as a beautiful young nursing graduate and one with Don taken at a Rotary picnic. We are sorry for your loss Don. Dave Downing has moved to Capitola. We’ll miss you Don and hope you can stay involved with us from time to time. The polio campaign is underway. According to Dan Snyder we have collected about $8,000 so far. Marty would like to see 100% participation, so please donate, no amount is too small. Reminder for Red Badges who still need to attend another club’s meeting. Contact Henry Vitkovich or David Karwowski if you need help. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from May 5, 2020  Doug Brent hosted break out groups at noon. Everyone had a nice time chatting and catching up, almost like sharing a table at an in person meeting. Please join us next week. Let Doug know if you need any help with technical issues. Marty Fishman called the meeting to order at 12:35. After the Pledge Russ Klein was introduced as a visiting Rotarian. Birthdays and anniversaries were celebrated by a video of birthday celebrations rather than us singing. Announcements: Condolences on the death of Beverly McCleve, no word yet on services. Dave Downing is moving to Capitola this month. We’ll miss you Dave. End Polio Now campaign started today. The BOD has decided to rescind the opt out. We will need to let Dan Snyder or Avis La Grone know how much you would like to donate. If they don’t hear from you someone will call to remind you. Money is due at the end of June. We are so close to wiping out polio worldwide. Marty shared a very touching video with a polio survivor saying how much he would like to see it wiped out in his lifetime. There were about 37 cases last year, when Rotary took this on as a cause in 1985 there were 350,000 deaths! Avis urged us to get this done so we can take on other causes. Don’t forget to donate, any amount is welcome. |
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Rotary Great Race extended to May 17! IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION Virtual Race Extension! The Great Social Distancing Race has been extended through May 17. This will give all current registrants another 17 days to run and post their 4 mile times- or improve on times already posted. Remember you can run or walk your 4 miles anywhere and at any time- and with your dog or with your kiddos in their strollers. And tell your friends that they can still register for the race up until that date at www.lggreatrace.com. We encourage everyone to stay active but to also obey all social distancing parameters. Running early in the morning is less crowded on the roads and trails and it is now light at 6am so this is a great time to be safe and hit your best time, or just enjoy being outside. Once you are done, it is very easy to enter your 4 mile time at the link below. You can upload a screen shot from Strava, Garmin or RunKeeper but it is not required. It only takes a few seconds to post your time. Please upload photos of yourself to social media with #rotarygreatracefinisher. We look forward to another few weeks of times being entered and photos being posted. Be safe and stay healthy! |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 28, 2020 The meeting was called to order and the pledge was let by President Marty. There were no visitors, and had roughly 60 zoomin’ attendees President Marty announced the very sad news of the passing of Don McCleve’s wife Beverly. Service info to be announced when available. Beverly often attended meetings and club events with Don, especially the music programs and many meetings in the past couple years. She will be missed dearly by our club, and our hearts go out to Don. As one Rotarian said “They were the cutest couple. Anyone could see their love for each other.” Inspiration was led by Doug Brent, and involved a few stories from these Covid Days: a Cleveland Clinic Covid survivor that thanked his health care team with window messages of appreciation for their selflessness, A Cleveland Cavaliers player who donated $100,000 to arena workers, a woman who responded to a parking lot shopping request from a scared senior, and a child who used his birthday and Christmas savings to buy 65 care packages and meals for those in need. Marty reminded all that Doug is available for Zoom help, including guidance in getting new hardware. Smaller chat room called “Breakouts” were run 12:00-12:30 for setup and socializing prior to meetings. As we are in the middle of the End Polio campaign, Marty showed a short video, reminding us that Polio eradication is possible and Rotarians must keep their promise to eradicate it globally. The club’s Opt-out policy of a minimum $25 charge for the campaign is detailed in attached slides, and will be discussed at 1:30 after Tuesday’s meeting. Red Badgers are encouraged to finish Blue Badge requirements. Bios can be given in a Zoom meeting and other club meetings were listed. See David and Henry for help to wrap up your final requirements. |
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Being a Rotarian becomes a way of Life By: Michelle Nelson Myers - Los Gatos Rotarian The Los Gatos Rotary Club is no exception. Many of its members are involved with philanthropic activities outside the club. One such member, Michelle Myers Nelson has a rich history of giving back to the community. Soon after retiring as a Chef Instructor, Michelle sot after a way to contribute her culinary skills and help those less fortunate. She found the perfect match when she started cooking dinners for the homeless at First Christian Church in downtown San Jose. Wanting to give the attendees dignity and pleasure of a first class meal, she began resourcing fresh produce donations from local merchants, including Whole Foods. That continues until the program morphed into the Recovery Café, two years later, which is now run by its participants. Michelle knew that other stores made daily donations of cycled out inventory to charities and realized that no one at her local Trader Joe’s was picking up the fresh flowers on certain days. Seeing an opportunity, she filled in the gap and began collecting them 2 days each week. She then delivers them to the seniors at the Willow Glen Community Center. “Flowers lift the spirit” she says, “and the seniors are over joyed for the opportunity to receive the flowers that they otherwise may not afford themselves. Once a month these flowers are put in an arrangement and delivered to hospice centers by kind hearted women who put them in coffee mugs. Because we all are now required to “Shelter in Place”, the senior centers are temporarily closed. This presented a challenge of what to do with all the flowers she collected. The solution became apparent when she began sharing the bounty with her neighbors. People out walking the neighborhood created an opportunity to help lift the spirits of many needing respite from being cooped at home. She put up a sign that said to help themselves to the flowers to brighten up their, or someone else’s day during this difficult time.” The response has been amazing. One woman told her that a gentleman said he needed the flowers because “it was so very sad at his house right now”. A Kaiser nurse left a thank you note and others constructed a “thank you” on the brick from the bark in the yard. It only shows that small acts of kindness can be what gets us all through these difficult times. For Michelle, she feels she this gesture of “service before self” is as important to her as it is to the community. It’s time for us all to stop and smell the flowers. It does a soul good. |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 21, 2020Meeting was held online via Zoom and called to order at 12:30pm by Marty Fishman We had 62 Zoom participants Pledge of Allegiance by Marty Fishman Visiting Rotarians - None Other Visitors
Inspiration – None Announcements Marty Fishman announced: We will be offering Zoom breakout sessions starting at noon next week so small groups can meet online, separately. Doug Brent will help set them up if you are interested. Marty shared a video about the End Polio Now campaign and reminded us that the Board of Directors has passed the following Motion for membership contributions for this year only for the Rotary Foundation and for the current Polio Plus Campaign: 1. The Rotary Foundation contributions for 2019-2020: all members who have not contributed will be billed $25 through their credit card accounts. Those who have contributed at least that much for this period will not be billed. 2. The 2020 Polio Plus campaign: all members who contributed last year will be asked to give the same amount this year as they contributed last year. All members who did not give last year, or who do not donate voluntarily above $25 this year, will be billed $25 through their credit card accounts. If they voluntarily donate beyond that amount, they will not be billed the additional $25. |
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Andrew Howard & his family finished the RACE |
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Share your photo with us as you run or walk the Rotary Great Race while 'social distancing' |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 14, 2020
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Happy Easter Rotary’s long-time motto “Service Above Self” has been proven over and over during national emergencies. Our Rotary club is no different. See how we are helping: VIEW PHOTOS
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Zoom Meeting Notes from April 6, 2020 PLEDGE President Marty Fishman led us in the pledge. GUESTS / VISITORS Lydia Norcia was a guest again at today's meeting. She is currently in the process of applying for a club family membership. KIDS / PETS / FRIENDS Various members showed us their pets through the Zoom system. Very cute, everyone! INSPIRATION Doug Brent shared inspiration - a story about Genie Chance's coverage of the 1964 Alaska earthquake. Genie was a radio broadcaster, journalist, and congressperson. APRIL BIRTHDAYS / ANNIVERSARIES April birthdays and anniversaries were announced. BLUE BADGE AWARD Barry Cheskin virtually received his blue badge today. Congratulations, Barry! COVID-19 UPDATE A Covid-19 update for Santa Clara County was given. We were also reminded that Verily is doing Covid-19 testing. Contact Greg Gomon for details. |
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April 2020 Los Gatos & Saratoga Living Magazine |
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register for NEW "social distancing' Rotary Great Race - see video |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 31 2020 After a virtual “walk about” with lots of smiles and waving, and a brief Zoom technical issue, the meeting was called to order. Approximately 54 Rotarians attended. Guests included Lydia Norcia, and Katie Anderson visiting from Napa Sunshine Rotary. President Marty gave a big thanks to Doug Brent for helping members navigate the new format Zoom meetings. He continues to help those that have questions and want to get setup to join. We were also asked to mute ourselves within the Zoom screen, unless we are trying to contribute something verbally, because otherwise random background noises make it hard to hear the presenter. The pledge of allegiance was led by President Marty. Suzanne read an inspiration that thanked healthcare workers, journalists, grocery store workers, and all those staying at home so we can all do our part. She also showed a humorous video of how to entertain yourself with a golf ball obstacle course in the house. Marty shared some online funnies regarding the shelter in place and toilet paper hoarding, and even suggested a club quarantine beard contest. He also shared a slide for suggested activities…great ideas! |
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Zoom Meeting Notes from March 24, 2020 Pledge: Marty Fishman Marty led the pledge. Inspiration: Suzanne Boxer-Gassman Suzanne read an inspirational poem related to the coronavirus.  Announcements Great Social Distancing Race: Mike Norcia Mike announced that given that the Great Race is cancelled, it will now be virtual. Just do a 4 mile run/walk before May 1st and register it on the Great Race website! There is even a dog division and stroller division. Also, Suzanne pointed out that we can even invite friends and family who don't live locally to join in this year's virtual race.  |
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12:30pm Zoom Club wide meeting today (Tue. March 24) The lunch meeting information is here:
Martin Fishman is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Martin Fishman's Zoom Los Gatos Rotary Lunch Time Meeting Time: Mar 24, 2020 12:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/703859187 Meeting ID: 703 859 187 Voice Only call: +1669-900-6833 |
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zoom call tonight 3/17 @7pmYou are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Mar 17, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/vpMpdOGpqD8pMSxD8TTW_dAfNC6p-C82XA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. |
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NEW social distancing race
Out of concern for public safety and the recommendations of health officials, we have cancelled the 2020 Rotary Club of Los Gatos Great Race on April 19. |
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Meeting cancelled today! NO Rotary club meeting March 10th. In light of significantly increasing rates of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, the County’s Public Health Department is requesting we take further steps to protect the health of our community. |
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Meeting Notes from March 3, 2020 Meeting was called to order at 12:30pm by Marty Fishman Pledge of Allegiance Suzanne Boxer-Gassman Visiting Rotarians None Other Visitors - Matt Baldwin, Principal of Fisher Middle School plus 2 other school officials - Don McCleve introduced his daughter Caroline and his wife Beverly - Hal Rosen introduced his wife Lydia Inspiration Inspiration was provided by Suzanne Boxer-Gassman Announcements March birthdays were celebrated and Don McCleve played the piano for us.  Nancy Jane Roberts Bowen, wife of Ed Bowen, sadly passed away on 2/26/20. Nancy and Ed were married for 54 years. A Celebration will be held at the San Jose Country Club Thursday, March 19, 11:00 AM. Donations in her honor may be made to Lucille Packard Childrens’ Hospital. Marty updated the Club regarding the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak including reminders for preventative measures. The Area 8 Rise Against Hunger service project was held last Saturday. David Karwowski shared that it was a great experience and a huge success. There were over 100 volunteers and they packaged 10,000 meals in 45 minutes. Our Club’s Rise Against Hunger service project will take place on June 20, 2020 at the Methodist Church in Los Gatos. |
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Meeting Notes from February 25, 2020 Introduction David Wells led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance and called for the introduction of guests, who included:
Remembering Dom Norcia  In lieu of a standard inspiration, John Pencer took a few moments to recognize the passing of Dom Norcia. Dom joined Rotary in 2001, and was president of our club from 2007-2008. In Dom’s own life, he heavily emphasized family, faith and friendships, and he loved Rotary. John encouraged us to, of course, remember the loss of Dom, but also reflect on the opportunity Rotary gives us to meet and become close friends with people we wouldn’t have otherwise known. Gae also noted that part of Dom’s legacy has been strengthening our club through the family tradition of Rotary, with Lisa and Mike being leading members of our club. There will be a Mass on February 27 at 10AM at Immaculate Conception Church. Additionally, there will be a celebration of Dom’s life from 5-8PM at La Rinconada Country Club. Check Marty’s weekly letter for additional details. |
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Our own Dom Norcia It is with great sadness that the Norcia Family has announced the passing of Dominic Norcia, after a prolonged illness.There will be a Funeral Mass this coming Thursday, February 27, at 10:00 AM at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church at 219 Bean Avenue, Los Gatos, followed by Burial at Madrone Cemetery, 14755 Oak Street, Saratoga. A Celebration of Life will be held the same day at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos from 5-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations in Domenic’s memory to The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter. We will be cancelling the Los Gatos Rotary Board of Directors Meeting previously rescheduled for this coming Thursday. Our thoughts are with Lydia, Mike, Lisa, and the entire family. |
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Meeting Notes from February 18, 2020The meeting was called to order by President Marty Fishman. Mike Frangadakis led us in the flag salute and introduction of guests. Rob Rennie was visiting from the LG Morning Rotary. Art Rabitz introduced Ray Azzi. Gae La Torre introduced her friend Paula. Hal Rosen introduced his wife Lydia and Shanti Gopisetty. Announcements:
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Meeting Notes from February 11, 2020 President Marty Fishman called the meeting to order. Tom Dodge led us in the pledge. Visitors included Brenda Davis from Downtown San Jose Rotary, Avis’s granddaughter Jamie (new member candidate) and daughter, Ron Cassel’s wife Karen, and Hal Rosen’s wife Lydia. Mike Norcia shared a slide of his big check presentation to Lucille Packard from the move night fundraiser. 3 handsome skiers on an Aspen slope last week were pictured: John Colwell, Gary Allison, and Greg Butterfield, who mentioned it was hard to keep up with the other two. Suzanne Boxer-Gassman aired a CrabFest thank you video tribute she created, including captions explaining the efforts to pull it all together, all the fun that was had, and finally the cleanup. A real group effort and a fun club tradition. There is a Live Oak senior day care open house coming up in LG 2/13 4:30-6:30. There is a Community Service Project Fair for Saturday Morning, March 14 for clubs that want to display or view projects. There is a Cupertino Rise Against Hunger Food Packaging event for our Area 8 clubs on 2/29, 10-noon. See Dick Konrad to join in. No fee. Bring friends and family. Sylvia Whitlock is the upcoming speaker at Cupertino Rotary 3/11. She is an inspirational woman who was Rotary International’s first woman club president. The Santa Cruz Homeless Garden project has a volunteer date March 21. Chris Potter and Heidi Owens are participating and looking for others to join. Nicholas Welzenbach described the rewarding Night to Shine event in Campbell last weekend: a prom night for special needs people. It is held in many cities annually. A tear-inducing video was shown. |
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CrabFest 2020 Video Highlights |
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Meeting Notes from February 4, 2020 The meeting was called to order by President Marty Fishman.  Wes Sadumiano led us in the flag salute and introduction of guests. Larry Reynolds visited us from the Vancouver, BC Rotary Club. Hal Rosen introduced his wife Lydia. Avis La Grone introduced her daughter Jamie.  February birthdays were celebrated with Dave Downing playing When Irish Eyes are Smiling as well as the traditional Happy Birthday. |
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Meeting Notes from January 28, 2020 PLEDGE / VISITORS Jane Marashian led the pledge and announced visitors and guests Guests included:
INSPIRATION Suzanne Boxer-Gassman inspired us by showing the Crab Fest Raise the Paddle video on Youth Services. If you were not present for the “Raise your Paddle for Local Youth” at the CrabFest, but would like to donate $100 to our Local Youth Charities, contact Patti van der Burg ANNOUCEMENTS  CRABFEST THANK YOUS
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Meeting Notes from January 21, 2020 Greg Butterfield led us in the flag salute and introduced guests. Brenda Davis visited us from San Jose Rotary. Sarita Johnson introduced her guest Dr. Matthew Spangler and his son Elliot. Heidi Owens introduced Kristine. Hal Rosen introduced his wife Lydia and gave a shout out to the 49ers. Marty Fishman introduced his wife Barbara. It was announced that John Foley had passed away. Marlon Smith and Don McCleve spoke about John. Services will not be held. Andrea Lee passed a card for us to sign. Chris Potter and Heidi Owen spoke about the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz. Both volunteered on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. They both enjoyed the experience. Heidi brought her children who also enjoyed the day. The Homeless Garden Project hires homeless residents to train as farmers. The produce is sold in Santa Cruz to fund the project. Volunteers are needed year round, we could consider as a volunteer project. Suzanne Boxer-Gassman shared a Shel Silverstein the poem Somebody Has To. She also quoted Oliver Wendell Holmes to remind us we grow old because we stop playing.  Eric Eberle announced the Rotary Ski Challenge. So far only two people have responded. He needs more people if we are going to have a team to compete. Contact Eric if you’re interested. The event is held February 28. |
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NEW electronic pre-bidding CrabFest Auction |
Troop 2 Scout Andrew Haas’ Presentation
