Doug Brent opened the meeting at 12:30
Paul Yeadon led the flag salute
Visitors
Gregg Butterfield introduced his brother Jim Butterfield
Ramon Ware gave our weekly inspiration:
He spoke about what it takes to maintain a good relationship in a marriage, and compared it to Rotary. Whether in relationships or in service, we show up. We contribute. We build communities and change lives. Keep leading, keep serving. And if all else fails just nod and agree like a good married man!
This week’s eggs for St Lukes were decorated for Easter
End Polio Now
Rachelle Lopp spoke of the urgency of this particular year to give to the Polio Plus Foundation as big changes are happening in government agencies that support ending polio. This is our moment. AND she announced a $100 match to every first time donor who gives $100 or more. So if you’ve never given before you can make a real impact this year. If you are not at the meetings to sign up to give, please email Marty Fishman with your pledge before the end of April.
Doug Brent explained how Rotary charity contributions work.
As a Los Gatos Rotarian, we are part of three entities: the club, yes, as well as the Scholarship Fund (currently valued at $2.1M for our high school scholarships) and the Charities Foundation (currently at $1.8M for all the grants our club gives annually).
Our membership also makes us part of the International Rotary Foundation - it will give out 2,000 global grants this year, each at $30,000-$400,000, always with a local partner and always with a plan for its sustainability.
Please know that almost half of any money we donate to the Rotary Foundation as Rotarians comes back to our club in 3 years for us to give grants out of our club. These are called DDF funds.
Paul Harris Fellows are members who have given a cumulative $1000 to the Rotary Foundation. (Paul Harris is the founder of Rotary). In our club, 80 out of 150 members are Paul Harris Fellows! Doug Brent listed both the 23-24 and 24-25 Paul Harris milestone achievers and all the donors came up for a photo.
This past year our club gave $65,000 to Rotary Foundation and our all-time giving as a club is $1.3M! 135 or our 150 members gave this past year. Thank you!
Reminders
- We are having a very special social at the Terraces on May 6 from 5-7pm. There will be an open bar and appetizers and we will be joined by Los Gatos Morning, Saratoga, and Campbell rotary clubs. Don’t miss it!
- The District Learning Assembly is this Saturday at West Valley College.
- JW House April 29- we need 2 more volunteers
- Fisher Middle School track meet April 30 - PLEASE volunteer - we need a LOT more volunteers!
Rotary Family
John Colwell introduced his family via a photo of his 90th birthday last year. He has 4 kids, 8 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Everyone of those people and their spouses came to his party.
Guest Speaker - Herb Lin
Barry Cheskin introduced our speaker Herb Lin who spoke on “Digital Conflict Through the Lens of National Security”
When we speak of cybersecurity, what is cyberspace? And what are some of the security issues in it? Cybersecurity isn’t one thing.
Cyberspace includes computers, smartphones, networks, power generating stations, even your refrigerator (if it has wifi as all the new ones do), pretty much anything that connects and gets information or direction from something else. The pictures you take, your voice, your information, your directions are all part of cyberspace.
The global environment is getting more complex. There are more nations and more non-national actors that have a say in your data - like Google, Meta, etc. We are experiencing a fracturing of a rules-based order. We don’t know how to come to agreements in cyberspace. It’s easy to conceal actions. We used to think that the internet was a force for good, for democracy, but now it’s ambiguous- it’s had a very mixed impact. The private sector companies have enormous power, there are ambiguous international and national laws, there is increased technical complexity through heterogeneity and proliferation. Data comes at us with more volume, more velocity, and more variety, with uncertain veracity and uncertain value. There are bad actors in cyberspace- both nation states and individuals who do all sorts of nefarious things.
We need to work to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
Harm to society via cyberspace:
Physical harm - such as sabotaging critical infrastructure OR downloading software to take over your electric car
Information harm - such as espionage, crime, or disinformation campaigns
How to stay safe: don’t be on the internet when you don’t have to be.
Software developers don't spend enough time on security. There's an arms race - as developers and bad actors adapt to each other’s moves. The more devices do, the more complicated they are, the more vulnerable they are.
And finally, what you can learn from cybersecurity from a housecat.