The Wheel – May 12, 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”
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Several members attended via Zoom during the hybrid Live/Zoom meeting

Additional Meeting Photos

Activities

• Call to Order and Welcome! President Gary called the first ever Live/Zoom Hybrid meeting. Thanks to Covid & Cares Act & our Secretary Matthew Grizzle!
• Pledge of Allegiance & Four Way Test – Pam Wenger celebrated her birthday (in part) by leading everyone in the pledge and 4-Way test.
• 

  Past-President Jerry Smith

  Thought for the Day – Past President Jerry Smith: Lord Salisbury, British Foreign Secretary reproaching the Viceroy of India almost a century ago said, “You listen to much to the soldiers!! No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you never should trust in experts. If you believe the Doctors nothing is wholesome; if you believe the Theologians nothing is innocent; if you believe the soldiers nothing is safe. They all require to have their strong wine diluted by a very large admixture of insipid common sense.”

• Special Thanks Today to – Secretary Matt Grizzle and Corie Stewart for the making this first ever Live/Zoom meeting and getting all the technical stuff together for us. We want to thank Dudley Drake, now located in Arizona, for his leadership in getting our speakers, Leena Mittal, our meeting note taker and to Eric Duran for putting all in the Wheel and to Assistant District Governor Waqar Rizvi for contributing some of the pictures of todays meeting.
• Visiting Rotarians – Past District Governor Robert Deering, District Governor Sherry Cotta & Joe Cotta.
  
• Special Guest of Rotarians – Assistant Governor Waqar Rizvi introduced Past President N.K. Gopinath from Rotary Club of Madras, District 3232, India, charted in 1929. N.K. Gopinath has been a Rotarian for the last 29 years. He has held many leadership positions both at the Club and District level. Waqar was introduced to Mr. Gopinath by his late uncle Past District Governor Mir Arif Ali.  Mr. Gopinath said he was pleased to be attending the meeting via Zoom. Although he was visiting his daughter in the bay area, he was doing a self-quarantine due to his travels.
• Rotary News:  Rotary Direct – Latest sign up: Steve Luthy! Total members registered in Rotary Direct for Foundation giving are 18!  THANKS STEVE! 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.
• Paul Harris Awards – Paul Harris presentations were conducted by Collen Stewart. Matt Grizzle, Corie Stewart(Collen’s daughter) were given Paul Harris awards. Both awards are gifted awards.
• Polio Fund Goal – Linda Guinn: Rotary Club of Stockton met it’s Polio fund goal. Last week Linda had sent out email for a donation of $25 as a give back to the community for free Covid immunization. She had also sent a FAQ on Rotary Direct to help people sign up for it. Linda also thanked people for participating in the auction for Rotary Foundation.
• 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)

Meeting on-line reservations Click on “Meeting Lunch Reservations” in the blue bar at the top (or click this blue box)

Club Announcements

• SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS PRESENTATIONS – District Governor Sherry Cotta started the presentation talking about life challenges. She said, “Choose your hard”. Life will not be easy, life is always hard, so we should choose your hard wisely. Then she presented the award for “Silent Rotarian”. These are the members who support the president and go unnoticed. President Gary chose two members who received this award, Dudley Drake, Dudley for his tireless work in securing interesting speakers for our meetings and making sure everything is in place for their presentation and Eric Duran, for his ongoing efforts with publishing and improving the Wheel each week and the amazing job he did in helping to coordinate and convert the 30th Annual Rotary Read-in to a virtual event with recorded readers and a library of options including pictures and reviews for the teachers. The other award was for the member who served above and beyond. President usually depends heavily on this member and they usually do things before even asked. Gary chose Matthew Grizzle for the “Service Above And Beyond” award for the many challenges he dealt with this year including closing an moving the office.  Updating our technology, seeking and securing a CARES Act grant to allow us to upgrade our ability to have Hybrid meetings, and spearheading the Foundation Drive Thru Crab Feed.
  

  Past-President Dudley Drake

  Wheel Editor Eric Duran

  Secretary Matthew Grizzle

• UOP Library Educational Program Fund Raiser – Assistant Governor Waqar Rizvi announced that he will be shaving his beard to raise money for the University of the Pacific Library educational program. Rotary Club of Stockton has a Rotary Study room at UOP that was dedicated during club’s centennial year. He asked the Rotarians to please save the Date of June 09, 2021. He will shave his beard in the Live Rotary Club of Stockton Meeting.
• Club Hybrid Meetings – President Elect Kevin Kauffman is the coordinating chair for the Covid committee. The club has resumed the meetings at Stockton Golf and Country Club, albeit hybrid for now. All the members should have received an email from Matthew Grizzle that has the link for registration to attend the meeting in person at the Country Club. The registration is currently limited to 40 members only. Attendees would be required to use masks when entering and exiting the building and follow the protocols which includes checking body temperature, social distancing etc. The meeting time would the same. The meeting would begin at noon and will be done by 1:15pm. The committee is requesting the members to be flexible while live meetings are figured out.
• Dictionary Distribution Volunteers! – Kathy Hart: Club members participate in this program on an annual basis. We distribute dictionaries to the 3rd graders in about 30 local schools. Traditionally, we would physically go to classes and distribute the dictionaries. This year would be different. Dan Wright and Kathy Hart are coordinating the effort. There is an opportunity for members to help. The members who would help would be needed to go to schools during the week of May 24th. They would arrange with Kathy to pick the dictionaries by May 19th. Pickup packet would have the instructions with name and contact information for school. The helping members would then make contact with the principal for each school. They would be making the actual delivery to the school during the May 24th to May 28th. President Gary Frush and Secretary Matthew Grizzle would be making video explaining where the dictionaries came from (our club). All dictionaries will also have a sticker inside representing it as a donation from the Rotary Club of Stockton. Almost six members committed to help during the meeting. If anyone else is interested, please reach out to Kathy Hart.
• 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! 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 District Governor Robert Deering, Jr.
Introduced by: Past-President and Assistant District Governor Waqar Rizvi

Introduction
Robert Deering was Past DG for district 5180 in the year 2012-13. Bob was a certified public accountant with the accounting firm, Pomares & Co., LLP, in Sacramento, CA, starting in 1973 and becoming a partner in 1979. Seeing a need, he helped establish a national industry specialization organization called the AutoCPA Group. This group is comprised of major accounting firms in the country which advocate for major tax and accounting policy in the automotive industry. He was their chairman in 1995-96. He was awarded their Presidents Award, Rotarian of Year and “Chick Alexander Memorial Award” for outstanding contributions to Rotary. He is a Major Donor to the Rotary International Foundation, a member of the Paul Harris Society, and the Bequest Society.
He along with Past President Brian Gladden of the Rotary Club of Roseville, spear-headed a Global Grant Project to bring education training to students in the area of human trafficking in District 5180 along with an outreach campaign to make the general population of the Greater Sacramento area aware of the problem in their communities.

Robert Deering, Jr.
Robert started the presentation that talked about who, how and where human trafficking prevails and the role that education and awareness plays. Target age for human trafficking of 11-12 years old girls. Sacramento Rotarian committee worked on the program and was appreciated by educators, law enforcement officers.

This whole thought of working on Human trafficking came from peace conference that Robert went to in the year 1995-96. He met a former CIA agent and one story that caught his attention about two young ladies had been taken from home and taken to Bolivia for sex trafficking. There are about 39 different agencies in Sacramento area trying to combat human trafficking. Human trafficking is the 3rd largest criminal activity. It is a $150 billion industry. Sacramento is one of the hotbed spots. In November 2017, they put together a global grant in Sacramento. At the time, it was the largest grant ever given out by Rotary International in US and also at the time the largest initiative against human trafficking. It was $213 thousand dollars grant. Additional funding from clubs in and around the district raised another $170 thousand dollars. They worked with 3 strands global organization that had put together an education program for children in school. The project also put together a “Ugly truth” campaign for public awareness.

There were billboards and signs that were put on highways, buses restrooms. Education program was for elementary school 5th and 6th graders. It centered around teaching kids about safe space. Middle and High school were also provided human trafficking education. District Attorney of Sacramento, Anne Marie Schubert who is running for attorney general, has helped put the word out that drew public radio, news and public media attention to the program. Robert himself went through 4-5 trainings. During these trainings, 4-5 ladies would came up and they shared the exact same things that they were going through on the internet. Now, the grants is closed.

Laguna Sunrise club did a high school billboard for the cause and put together a few more things. This club was instrumental in getting human trafficking education to the students for EGUSD. Asking clubs to adopt a school. 39 non profit organizations around Sacramento area that are working in the area. One of the organizations is City of Refuge that take care of people rescued from human trafficking. Cause based clubs are future of Rotary. To continue with the effort, Robert is looking for a new club in Sacramento for the cause of Human trafficking. There are already a few cause based clubs in other cities like Los Angeles.

A $50 contribution to Read to Me, Stockton was made in the speakers name as well as donating a signed book to Spanos Elementary AND some fine wine and glasses.

Next Meeting: May 19, 2021
Dr. Michael Sasevich, “Latest Technology for Heart and Lung Surgery”

PHILOSOPHY OF CARE
I am committed to doing the right thing for the patient and doing it well. I promise to treat each and every person like the very important person that they are. I am committed to staying on top of the latest technologies and marrying them to time-tested ideals.
– Michael Sasevich, M.D.

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
Heart Transplant
Artificial Heart
Robotic Surgery
Maze Hybrid for atrial fibrillation

PERSONAL INTERESTS
National Parks
Rock N Roll drumming
Romance and Chivalry

LANGUAGES SPOKEN
English and Spanish

Complete Bio

Upcoming Speakers

(Virtual unless otherwise noted)

May 2021

• 26 – Jonni Redick, “Leadership in Turbulent Times”

June 2021

• 02 – Tim Viall, “Worthy Road Trip Destinations”
• 09 – ADG Waqar Rizvi, “UOP/Stockton Rotary Cooperation” – Waqar shaves his beard!!
• 16 – Stockton Police Department Staff, “The SPD Helicopter”
• 23 – District Governor-Elect Tim Madden, “What May Happen in the Next Rotary Year”
• 30 – Kick Out

May Birthday Challenge – 13 Members

Birthday Recognitions

Week 3: 

• $50 – Pam Wenger 5/9 ($50 SRE WWII)
• $100 – Omar Khamisa 5/11 ($100 50/50)
• $100 – Bill Johnson 5/14 ($100 SRE & $100 RI)

YTD Participation Thru April: 130 members 121 participants = 93.1%

May 2021 Birthdays…

Photos…

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