The Wheel – March 17, 2021

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Due to the recent concerns about the COVID-19 virus and a desire to follow the suggestions of health care professionals, the club will be having virtual meetings until further notice.

“The Rotary Club of Stockton Begins the 2nd Century of Service to the Stockton Community”
(57)

Activities

• Call to Order and Welcome! President Gary Frush welcomed members and guests to the Virtual Rotary Club of Stockton 2021 meeting!
• Pledge of Allegiance & Four Way Test – Paul Jacobson celebrated his birthday by leading all in the Pledge & 4-Way Test.
• 

  Sylvan Young

  Thought for the Day – Sylvan Young: He shared a story and prayer on human kindness during a Special Olympics event. We should know what we can do when things change that we cannot control. Also, we should have the courage to change the things that we can change. The wisdom is to know the difference when we need to change and when things change without our control. He then shared a true story of the athletes that chose kindness over competition to help a player who had taken a bad fall during a Special Olympics race. We should strive for a healthy balance between person and people priorities.

• Special Thanks Today to – Matthew Grizzle for orchestrating these meetings, Corie Stewart our Zoom meeting entry coordinator, Dudley Drake for his work on speaker recruitment, Leena Mittal for continuing to taking notes (thank you Leena), and Eric Duran for the ultimate publication of the Wheel!
• Visiting Rotarians – District Governor Sherry Cotta, Sherry’s husband Joe Cotta, Diana Barden, Past District Governor Marvin Williamson and wife, Tina Gong, Arooj Rizvi (Rotaract), and John Havton (Rotaract).
• Guests of Rotarians – Judy Chambers: Jim Buckley (Cameron Park Rotarian), Gary Frush’s wife Wendy Frush, Sylvan Young’s wife Nathalie, Joe Serra’s guest Ort Loftus, and Amir Awan (potential new member).
• Potential New Members – Membership Chair Marcela Gracewski sponsoring Leonard O. Hansen, CEO of the Emergency Food Bank and Amir Awan a San Joaquin County Systems Analyst sponsored by Assistant Governor Waqar Rizvi.
• Rotary News:  Rotary Direct – Latest sign up: President-Elect Colleen Stewart! Total members registered in Rotary Direct for Foundation giving are 16! Please consider signing up; it’s easy to do! Please call President Gary (209-601-3631) or Linda Guinn (209-639-1482) to sign up.  Goal is 150 members.

• Club Service & District Calendar for 2020-2021 – Click HERE for the latest list! Don’t miss out on some great activities that may or may not happen in the near future (due to the COVID-19 virus.)

Directions for members on how to make a payment to Rotary Club of Stockton: Click on “$ Online Payments” in the blue bar at the top (or click this blue box)

Club Announcements

• Foundation Fund Raiser – Crab Feed & Foundation Evening March 20th. Rotary foundation dinner. 341 tickets were sold with our club selling 151.  See next Wheel for a wrap-up of this event.
• Foundation Auction – Linda Guinn shared the website for the auction https://www.32auctions.com/5220FoundationAuction
  The auction will close on March 27th 2021. Several new items have been added! The auction features getaways and other items for purchase. The bid proceeds count toward Paul Harris fellow and the purchase could have tax benefit as well.
• Hybrid Live Meetings @ Stockton Golf & Country Club – President-Elect Kevin Kauffman: Coming soon – Go “live” Wednesday at noon later in April. Initially it would open for only a few members with the meeting broadcasting from the Country Club. About 30 people would be allowed to register afterwards for an in person meeting. More details to follow in emails. The members can chose Zoom option as well.

When (if) we (ever) resume regular meetings..

• Use That Credit Card at The Meeting – You may now pay for lunch, raffle tickets (minimum Credit Card Purchase of $5.00) and other purchase at the Club meetings with a credit Card.
• Potential Members – To encourage Club members to bring a potential member to the Wednesday meetings the Rotary Club of Stockton will pay for the 1st meal of a potential member brought by a Club member. For the proper procedure when proposing a new member, read this document.

Meeting Note takers needed for the New Year! Thank you Leena Mittal for volunteering to continue taking notes! Your help is much appreciated! Now it’s time for someone else to step up! PLEASE Consider volunteering (Like Leena has done) for a once a month (or more) opportunity to keep the Wheel rolling along. Our Wheel editor will appreciate you stepping up to assist! What’s a better way to know what’s going on in your club? -editor. Contact Corie Stewart at corie@gemcorp.com

Guest Speaker

Speaker: Past Rotary International President Cliff Dochterman
Introduced by: Past-President and Past District Governor Dr. Joe Serra

Past Rotary International President Cliff Dochterman
He started out by explaining how did Rotary got involved with immunizing. During 1979, the committee was exploring larger projects. First 70 years, Rotary mostly worked within their own community. For World wide projects/regional, 3H committee – Health, Hunger and Humanity was formed. As the committee was reviewing the project proposals, one proposal came from the Philippines. The Philippines had highest incidents of Polio in the world at that time and did not have money to vaccinate 6 million children. $6 million dollars were raised and at the 80th anniversary of Rotary, that money was allotted to the project. In matter of few weeks, all children were immunized. Some of us said what if we immunized all children in the world. Polio was present in around 150 countries at that time. 100 million dollars would be the cost to get the vaccine and then go out to vaccinate. They started fund raising campaign. Needed 100 million so the goal was set for 110 million. In 1985 started campaign that ended in 1987. Rotary had raised $240 million. It went to WHO to eradicate polio. Today Polio is present only in 2 nations of the world. Today $10 Billion dollars has been spent on polio vaccination by Rotary. Polio vaccination has been one of the greatest achievement of a non-profit organization like Rotary.

When Mr. Dochterman was Rotary International president 1992, a letter came that saying, “We are having a civil war in our district in Bosnia. Trying to help refugees pouring in from Croatia. Blankets, food and needed”. He went to Croatia at refugee camps. There were 2000-3000 people without much food and shelter in camps. He came home and put out word for help. $8 million dollars was raised. Canadian airline said that they would deliver whatever was collected, food, blankets, medicines. Later RI received letter from WHO thanking Rotary that saved lives of 100K people from freezing to death. Greatest humanitarian project. Rotary gives opportunities to contribute to community and world and build great friendships. Rotary makes the quality of your life a little richer and more meaningful.

Next Meeting: March 24, 2021
Jay Schwabe, “Telescope Across America”

I grew up in Akron Ohio and moved to Southern California in 1976. The company i worked for (Philips Medical Systems) needed field service engineers to install CAT scanners, Ultrasound machines and MRI systems in hospitals and clinics. They paid for the move and I first lived in Anaheim, then moved to San Diego in 1985.

My hobbies were astronomy and H.O. trains, every since I can remember. I started building telescopes after attending a star party in Death Valley, lead by The San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers. Then in 2009 I read in the San Diego Union That Palomar Observatory was looking for docents to lead weekend tours at what was the largest Telescope in the world from 1949 to 1993. What a dream job that was! I was there nearly every Saturday from July 2009 to April of 2017

San Diego was getting more and more expensive and with ever increasing traffic, my wife said we need to move. My son grew up with his mom in Grass Valley , and my wife’s brother lived in Auburn, so we have visited NorCal many times since the mid 80’s.

2017 we sold our home and moved north, and I really missed being a tour guide. someone mentioned looking into CSRM and I joined the class of 68, and worked nearly every weekend since November of 2017.

Another one of my hobbies was model building, including train cars, Lighthouses, and Telescopes, and rockets. So the train story about the 200″ mirror going across country in 1936 really caught my interest

Upcoming Speakers

(Virtual unless otherwise noted)

March 2021

• 31 – Ort Loftus/Dr. Joe Serra, “Stockton Antidotes”

April 2021

• 07 – Andrew Mattos, “Crime Stoppers”
• 14 – Dr. Alan Carpenter, “Ride Across America”
• 21 – Pam Heaney, “Stockton Diamond Grade Separation”
• 28 – Stuart Spencer – Executive Director of the Lodi Wine Commission

Birthday Celebration Challenge!!!

July finals 14/15 or 93.3%
August Wrap up – 10/11 or 90.1%
September Birthday Celebrations: 15/15 for 100% participation!
October Finals 14 of 14 = 100%
Both September and October were 100 percent participation.
November birthday challenge was 87.5%.
December Challenge Wrap Up: 90% Participation

2020 Challenge Total:  76 of 81 for 93.8% – Thanks!

January Birthday Challenge: 10 of 10 for 100%!
Final Wrap for February – 10/10 participated = 100 %
YTD: Now 4 months @ 100% = September, October, January, February

March Birthday Challenge – 13 Members

Birthday Recognitions

Week 3: (2 birthdays this week)

• $100 – Paul Jacobson 3/16 $100 – 50/50,
• Pam Eibeck HM 3/16,
• $100 – Maria Velasco’s birthday is on 3/23 and she donated $100 – 50/50

March 2021 Birthdays…

Photos…